heart onely giueth a rellish to this of our Prophet Blessed is the man whose sinne is forgiuen And in whose Spirit there is no guile HEere is an inseparable fruite of a iustified person and a note of a blessed man First by spirit referred to man is sometime meant the mindes or vnderstanding part of the soule with the most inward cogitations of it so 1. Thes. 5. 23. that your whole spirit soule and body c. and in all places where spirit and soule are mentioned together Secondly sometimes for the heart and inward affections Rom. 1. 9. whom I serue in my spirit Thirdly sometimes for the soule it selfe God inspired into Adam a liuing spirt Genes 2. Luk. 23. Father into thy hands I commend my spirit 1. Pet. 3. 19. He preached to the spirits in prison that is soules So here it is to be taken with the vnderstanding heart will conscience affections and the rest of the faculties and the soule is called by this name to shew the nature of it that it is a spirit as the Angels nay God himselfe is farre more excellent then the body and yet much more neglected Secondly by guile is meant three things in the Scripture First in words and promises deceit and false-hood when one thing is spoken another meant 1. Pet. 2. 22. in whose mouth was found no guile Secondly in actions and practice when one thing is done another pretended 1. Pet. 2. 1. Lay aside all guile and dissimulation Thirdly in thoughts and purposes when the reasonings and inward frame of the heart is vnfound and deceitfull This last is here meant for the better vnderstanding of which we must enquire First what it is secondly some seuerall practice of it thirdly the vses First the guile of the spirit is an inward corruption in the soule of man whereby he dealeth deceitfully vvith himselfe before God in the matter of saluation I say it is an inward corruption in the soule which sheweth both the kinde and seate of it First for the kinde it is a spirituall deceit and opposite to inward sinceritie and vprightnesse Secondly the seate of it is the soule and heart which since the fall is deceitfull and wicked aboue all things Iere. 17. 9. hence Iames calleth sinners double-minded chap. 4. 8. and hypocrites are described by two hearts And this may sufficiently cast downe proud flesh seeing this guile hath taken the chiefe holds euery mans soule hath in it the seeds of all sinne against the first and second Table none excepted Whosoeuer comes of Adam hath all Adams corruptions whereof this guile is compact so that if a man looke onely at himselfe hee that is to day a Protestant may to morrow be a Papist to day a Christian to morrow a Diuell were it not for the promise and power of God that preferues his to saluation And in that this deceit lyeth at the roote of the heart it is more fearefull both in that it hath chosen a secret hold and scarcely can be discerned as also is in place secretly to infect and poyson whatsoeuer can proceede from that roote as indeede it doth Yet few or none complaine of this deadly disease or will bee knowne to bee annoyed with it the nature of which is that the more raging and killing it is the lesse it is felt Further I say by this guile a man dealeth deceitfully with himfelfe in the matter of saluation For there is a guile betweene man and man but this is more sinfull and dangerous both because it is a deceiuing of himselfe by the lying and slattering of his owne heart as also that it is before God as if hee would deceiue him too as also in regard of the subiects in the matter of saluation To deceiue one selfe of his goods lands or outward profit is an ouer-sight but nothing to the losse of his soule heauen and happinesse and this is that our Text aimeth at if these words looke to the former hee is a blessed man that hath pardon of sinne and is not deceiued by the guile of his heart in this point plainely implying that there is such guile in a mans heart about this perswasion of the pardon of sinne that not onely others but himselfe also may bee deceiued in his owne estate and so kept from feeling or seeking his blessednesse in Gods fauour Many are pittifully beguiled and thinke surely to be saued and cry Lord Lord but are sent away with workers of iniquitie GOD knowes them not The Church of Laodicea beguiles her selfe with conceit and confidence in her owne sufficiencie being but poore naked and miserable and such is the power of this corruption in the heart of a naturall man that when his sin is found hatefull hee flattereth himselfe in his owne eyes and hath pretences and colours to turne off vprightnesse Psal. 36. 2. The particular practices hereof wee will referre to foure heads the first in respect of a mans estate before God secondly in respect of sinne thirdly of vertue and grace and fourthly in respect of the worke of the word and Spirit That wee may better know the nature hereof we will cast eye vpon some notable parts of this deceit which in all this regard it sendeth out in the most from the which in some degree the best are not exempted First when a man is a vile and wicked person in Gods eyes this guile makes him thinke himselfe highly in fauour with God Iohn 8. The Iewes bragged they vvere the sonnes of Abraham when Christ told them they were of their father the Diuell The Pharise could say Lord I am not as this Publicane when hee was a limbe of the Diuell And this guile is fed by sundry other delusions As first by a conceit of righteousnesse while men measure themselues with themselues or with some great sinners so did the Pharise or by the crooked rule of ciuill righteousnesse he looked at extortioners vniust adulterers and the Publicane the common speech is now I am no swearer no theefe no drunkard no I would not for all the world bee so bad as some of these professors so couetous contentious such a dissembler So for outward righteousnesse as the Pharise looked at the Law hee paid tithe of all and dealt iustly these pay tithes and dues truely giue euery man his owne keep their words are good to their neighbors and good to the poore keepe good hospitalitie but all this while are aliue as Paul saith without the Law not considering what righteousnesse God there requires and not seeing the corruptions of their hearts neglect inward lusts rising vp against God and his Law Whence onely it is that poore men who liue in the breach of all Gods Lawes despise the Word neglect Prayer prophane the Sabboth sweare without sense or touch and serue their lusts yet can carry all with this conceit they meane no harme whereas if God euer open their eyes to see their faces in a true glasse they shall see how sinne
aboue all things Againe what an indigne thing is it for a man to bee beguiled of himselfe Men cannot abide to be deceiued of others yet most are deceiuers of themselues and that in a thing which should bee so familiar vnto them Is it not a shame to bee deceiued in the knowledge of himselfe and his owne estate In a matter of such moment as the saluation of his owne foule What maruel if Satan and all other deceiue those who are so willing to deceiue themselues VERSE 3. 4. When I held my tongue my bones consumed in my roring all the day For thine hand is heauy vpon me day and night and my moisture is turned into the drought of Summer SELAH OVr Prophet confirmeth his former Proposition by his owne experience First of the misery hee was in in respect of Gods wrath for his sinne in these two Verses Secondly of blessednesse in respect of remission Vers. 5. It is as if he had said I know what a miserable burden sinne is by wofull experience the guile of my heart ouer-reached me and made me know to my cost what it is to hide and keepe close sinne I was night and day in a little ease my body fayling me my spirit not sustayning me but so tormenting me as that I rored out for paine my miserie while I carryed my sinne was intolerable Whence in generall note First that a Christian must not only heare and learne the Word but also haue experience of it in his owne person as Dauid here teacheth not by Precept only but by his owne example so Psal. 119 75. I know Lord that all thy iudgements are good and Psal. 34. 8. Taste and see how good the Lord is make tryall in your soules and finde it in experience And this is when men will be informed and reformed by it then they taste the sweetnesse of the Gospell But many of great experience in the world haue no insight in the businesse of saluation as being a thing which they thinke concerneth them not Secondly note that euery Christian must make himselfe an example of the Word hee heareth and professeth he must bee a burning and shining light to giue light to others that there may be no Christian duety of Faith Loue Obedience Humility Patience c. but he may shew his measure and degree of it in his owne life and conuersation Thou being conuerted strengthen thy brethren Thus euery priuate Christian shall be a Teacher in his place and able to strengthen others and say I haue preuailed with God by humility and silence and so shall you I haue preuailed against my sinnes by humble prayer and confession so shall you I haue obtayned comfort in distresse by these and these meanes and so shall you I preserue my peace with God by such and such courses as himselfe hath appointed and so in time shall you Thus must euery Christian by wise obseruation and application of Gods Word and Workes to himselfe shew himselfe an example and copie of the rules of Christian life Masters of Families to them that are about them and Parents to their children Christ came from heauen to be an example of meekenesse and lowlinesse Learne of me for I am meeke and lowly and yee shall finde peace to your soules God himselfe teacheth men by his owne example to rest on the Sabbath as he did to be holy as himselfe is holy c. Farre are they from this that make themselues examples of scoffing the Word and Professors examples in lying swearing drinking oppressing examples in Sabbath-breaking gaming whoring and the like whom we leaue as hopelesse to the Lords rebuke who will take them at the rebound and make them examples of his plagues to as many as they haue beene examples in sinne euen to Men and Angels Are these the fruits of so long hearing of praying and cōming to Church Are these the lessons thou learnest Is this the returne of thy prayer Take vp betime with thy selfe lest God be inforced not to take vp with his displeasure against thee In the two Verses are two points First the touch of conscience for sinne Secondly the reason for thy hand c. The touch of conscience is described First by the cause While I kept close my sinne Secondly by the grieuousnesse of it as it is set forth 1. By the effects which were two 2. By the continuance of this touch day and night 1. The change of the body seene in 2. The roring of the voice 1. His bones consumed 2. His moysture dryed vp First for the cause While I kept close my sinne that is while I dissembled it and confessed it not Whence note First the disposition of a godly mans heart hee cares not to shame himselfe to all the World so God may be glorified Dauid publisheth to all the world his sinne and shame his hiding of sinne and his guile of heart Why doth he thus forget himselfe and his fame He was a King had glory wealth and honor Oh but he was a Christian hee had piety and holinesse in his heart where he can glorifie God he will abase himselfe if he can edifie others he will cast downe himselfe The like we see he did in the 51. Psalme and many other places The like did Moses Daniel and other holy Pen-men of Scripture set downe their owne sinnes and shame so Paul I was a Persecutor an Oppressor a Blasphemer who could say more against him then himselfe did But meaner men then Kings are ashamed to be known of any sinne and flatter themselues Because they are great therefore scarce men but Dauid though a King who had carryed his sinne so secretly as none knew it none could compell him yet is willing for God and his Church and a good conscience to shame himselfe And teacheth vs thereby that euen the greatest though they might without being detected conceale their sinnes yet in some cases must confesse them and that they should more tender the quiet of their consciences then all the honor of the world more respect Gods glory then their owne Cases of open confession are these First in case of publike offence so Achan confessed and gaue glory to God Secondly when knowing our owne sinnes and Gods mercy we confesse them to comfort others so Paul relates of his persecution blasphemy Thirdly to witnesse our sound and thorow turning to God we must not be in some case loth to acknowledge our faults in the face of all the World Many are franke often-times in complayning of themselues and acknowledging of their corruptions but farre short of this holy man for it proceedeth not of hatred of sinne but often from boasting or It proceedeth not from iust ground or settled iudgement but from too light an opinion that our selues are sinners or It often goeth with lesning or excusing the sin or ones selfe and not with exaggerating of his sinne as here to the sound breaking of his heart or It hath
vse vnlawfull meanes but depends vpon God Dauid comforts not himselfe in corne wine or oile but in Gods countenance Psal. 4. It is instant with God in prayer as the Canaanite Luk. 7. Finde these notes in thy selfe and thou mayest support thy selfe in the deepest distresse that is for if thy soule thus truly mourne for sinne thou art in the high-way to blessednesse Thirdly this rebukes the common error of men who account conuersion and the attaining of happinesse a matter of nothing men thinke that heauen stands by their beds-sides it is but a light Lord haue mercie whereas neuer hee went to heauen that sailed not by hell it is a burdened soule that seekes and gets ease a weary soule which Christ refresheth a soule pressed with an heauie hand that sues for mercy No man can taste of the sweete fruite of mercy that hath not tasted the bitter fruite of sinne and of a wounded and distressed conscience And whosoeuer hath not felt the griefe and smart of his sinnes may iustly feare hee neuer truly repented and thou that saiest thy sinnes neuer troubled thee thou thankest God shalt find that there is more trouble behind Fourthly labour to feele thy spirituall miserie and wants that with Lazarus thou maiest get thee to Diues his gate and examine thy selfe if thou hast felt it How loth are men to feele the smart of sinne to heare the law come vpon their conscience for feare they bee set into dumpes and melancholy to feele the crosse whereby God breakes the stubbornnesse of nature and subdues it Alas poore soules that nip true repentance in the blossome and blast it in the beginning that thinke they are very neere heauen when they are loth to point their foot into the first step which is to mourne and to be cast downe to hell in their owne sense and in the feeling of their owne sinnes till which time thou hast not mooued one foote or finger toward eternall life therefore know First that thy case is dangerous and thou art still in thy sinnes who wilt not let the word come home to thy heart and wilt not suffer Gods Spirit to meete thee in the Ministerie and canst not indure the power of the Word to wound either thy soule or thy sinne but it hath been in vaine to thee a certaine signe of a man as yet out of the state of grace as it is Rom. 1. 28. Such as regarded not to know God he gaue them vp to the lusts of their hearts Secondly know that an accusing conscience for sinne is better then a dead conscience a sleepie benummed or seared conscience is the most grieuous plague that God can strike a man withall in this life his wrath followes drowsie consciences to giue them vp to a spirit of slumber and at length to a reprobate sense Psal. 81. 11. My people would not heare my voice Israel would none of me so I gaue them vp to the hardnesse of their hearts and they walked in their owne counsels Thirdly let vs bee mooued to make search into our miserie considering first that if we shead not teares on earth God can neuer wipe them away in heauen and if we do here shead teares for sinne God carries an handkerchiefe to wipe them all away such Aprill showres bring the May-flowres of grace and comfort Secondly that our soules in their swaruing from God are like bones out of ioynt the longer they goe vnrespected the more painefull they prooue Thirdly for the health of the body men will purge and sweat and make shift to swallow and get downe bitter pills and potions so the vomit of the soule is the griefe of repentance take it betime and the danger is lesse Were the medicine of repentance grieuous to take yet in regard of the euerlasting health to which it restoreth vs wee should like wise men take the sweete with the sowre and chuse this rather then to feede on such sweete meates as please the palate while they bee tasted but cause at length vomits more bitter then death Fourthly how highly doth God esteeme of a man or woman of a broken heart 2. King 22. 19. Good Iosiahs heart melted and God had a care to take him to himselfe from the euill to come Isa. 57. 15. I walke with him that is of a contrite spirit to reuiue the spirit of the humble and giue life to the contrite heart Now followes the ground of Dauids confession which is first in order I said or thought THat is I purposed I resolued Dauid had been in a long conflict in himselfe what to doe he could neither part with his sin nor yet hold it in a woe case hee found himselfe and as a man whose bones were broken yet loth hee was to goe to the Surgeon faine hee would haue hid his sore but the paine would not suffer him Long hee reasoned with himselfe how hee might carry away his sinne most quietly but found no peace in hiding it but still his terrors were increased and then he grew at last to the best resolution that neither feares nor terrors nor sorrowes should any longer as an hedge shut vp his way to confession he will no longer be tossed betweene feare and hope doubts and desires deliberations and resolutions but now I said that is I thought in my heart I spake with my mouth and presently I resolued and acted that I would present my self before God in humble confession of my sinne The same phrase we haue Luke 15. 17. when the lost sonne had lost himselfe in straying and wandring from home and had spent his money and strength on harlots and was now a fitter cōpanion for swine then any thing else when he who had wallowed in the mire of his sin and fed himself with the swil of iniquity was now rightly sorted for his bed and boord with swine cast out of mens company and none pitying him to giue him so much as huskes to eate Now he begins to consider what a wofull estate he was in he thinkes of his fathers house but with what face can he behold the face of his father he considers of the seruants in his fathers house but he is not worthy of a place among them these and such thoughts would haue kept him from his father but necessitie so vrging and famine sore pinching him vpon consideration he came to the like resolution I said I will goe to my father that is I resolued to goe and so he went so Dauid said he would confesse and confessed Hence we may see in the first place that Sound consideration brings forth sound resolutions Deut. 32. 29. Oh that men were wise that they vnderstood this that they would consider their latter ende Psal. 119. 59. I considered my waies and turned my feete vnto thy testimonies and Psal. 4. 4. to still Gods enemies he bids them examine themselues and be still And the reason hereof is good for First consideration is an applying of
to your Lordship first For the seruice I owe vnto Your Lordship as one whō you pleased to fauour as a soules Physician whose businesse is to preuent or stop vp the loth some issue of this disease which hath ouer-spred euery mans nature so as no man can say My heart is cleane neither are great Men freer from diseases of the soule then of the body Secondly To testifie my true and humble affection in putting into your Lordships hand DAVIDS learning fit for Princes and Counsellors directing the high way to true happinesse For it shewes first the entrance into this way which is godly sorrow confession and mortification of sinne secondly the markes of it that it is the straite the streight the lightsome the cleanest and shortest way of all thirdly the end of it which is gladnesse pleasure and ioy which none shall take away Thirdly To put Your Honour in minde that as the world hath made you almost as happy as it can raysing you first out of an ancient Noble and religious Stocke secondly vnto a goodly Inheritance thirdly into the grace fauor of your Prince fourthly vnto the most Honourable place and seruice with such late accesse of Honours as few of Your Noble Ranke are afore You So Your Lordships care be to annexe that Honor which is from aboue from which there can be no fall whereas daily experience sheweth how miserable the world sometimes leaueth her greatest fauorites Fourthly To prouoke and pray your Honour that imitating the gracious footsteps of your Noble Father and following your owne religious beginnings you proceed with full purpose of heart to cleaue to the truth of God and with heartie and earnest affection continue to embrace the true Church of Christ which the Antichrist of Rome oppugneth and oppresseth yea and with vnweariable endeuours to perseuere in the practice of that holy faith and religion which you haue professed and loued which is the one and onely faith learned of God and his holy Scriptures the onely Catholike and sauing faith the onely ancient because the onely Propheticall and Apostolicall faith the onely true Christian faith which the Truth himselfe hath taught and ratified by his precious bloud euen the bloud of the Couenant the faith not onely preached and written by the ancient Fathers but professed and practised by all the faithfull in all ages As for that Popish faith falsly called Catholike wee are sufficiently able through God to prooue it a new Samaritanisme patched vp of Iudaisme and Gentilisme thrust vpon the blind side part of the world vnder the title of Christianisme And yet in these our so perillous and last times what great numbers and persons are daily carryed away from the faith of Christ into that Apostacie and Idolatry of that great Antichrist I wish other parts of the Land could not bring in euidence to this bill of complaint as well as ours Thus humbly crauing pardon for my boldnesse I beseech God to strengthen your Lordships heart and hands to withstand by all your Greatnesse this Gangrene and long to continue you vnder His Maiestie by your faithfull Counsell a muniment to the decayed estate of our Church an ornament of the Common-wealth a prop of Religion a pillar of Iustice a father of Wards and Orphanes and a comforter of comfortlesse Widdowes the Noble Leiftenant of our Country and high Steward of our Corporation And the same God preserue you vnblamable in your spirit soule and body vntill the day of his appearing Your Honours humbly at commandement T. T. To the Christian Readers Grace bee multiplyed with all Gods blessings MY Christian Readers with whom I haue for some yeeres now trauelled that Christ might be formed in you my harts desire and prayer to God for you is that ye may be saued To this end haue I bended my thoughts labors as one that haue desired to be faithful in seeking not yours but you as your selues I trust will witnesse with mee How Satan hath many wayes bestirred himselfe to hinder vs from attayning that maine end he is of small iudgement but of lesse obseruation that hath not discerned The malicious man neuer ceaseth sowing of Tares but especially when Gods Husbandmen sleepe and keepe not their Watches in their Lords field Many of his enterprizes against vs I will conceale and as one iealous ouer you with an holy iealousie I thought fit to note vnto you an ancient stratageme of his plotted against you to draw you if it were possible from the simplicitie and sinceritie of the Gospell receiued which you must so much the more vigilantly watch against as hee confidently hopeth to cause you to fall by it Satan sees the curiositie sicklenesse and inconstancie of mans nature that it is not content with ancient necessarie truthes and that good things please vs not long but new conceits and doctrines like vs wel and therefore he laboureth in all Churches to mingle and blend with Gods receiued Truth humane conceits and nouel opinions by which practice hee soone brought the Church of Galatia to reuolt to another Gospell Or if Satan cannot doe the great mischiefe which hee would quite to cast the faith of Beleeuers from off the foundation he will doe the lesse which he can he wil surely disturbe them and trouble their mindes with impertinent and vnnecessary to call them from more necessary and pertinent truths and hinder their edification whilest he holdeth them in a kind of suspence and doubt of maine points which should haue bin long since as fast fixed in their hearts as Boaz and Iacim the two Pillars set vp in the porch of Salomons Temple I will passing by all other conceits wherewith you haue beene encombred fasten at this time vpon that straggling deuice of Vniuersall Election and Redemption and reach vnto you such helpe as my selfe haue beene led out of this Labyrinth withall that you may also bee able to put foolish men to silence I may not suffer my Epistle to grow into a Volume or Treatise and therefore referring you to other learned Treatises for the Doctrine I wil stand here as your Defendant to answere such maine or rather vaine obiections as you haue or may be troubled withall Those who would haue vs beleeue that euery singular man is elected and redeemed lay this sandie for a sound ground Obiect First Euery man is bound to beleeue hee is elected and therefore he is elected Euery man is bound to beleeue hee is redeemed and therefore he is redeemed Euery man is bound to beleeue that Christ dyed for him and therefore CHRIST dyed for euery singular man Answ. Master Perkins in his book of Predestination answering to this sophisme findeth iust fault with the manner of reasoning which is wholly vicious neyther can it be concluded in any true forme of Syllogisme And it may bee easie in this kind of sophisme to conclude any thing be it neuer so absurd As for example That which God commands a man
not this ioy of my saluation the sense of Gods fauour in pardoning my sinne warmeth my heart but a little what may I thinke of my selfe may not I hope my sinnes are pardoned It is true ordinarily that a reconciled soule possesseth felicitie with great ioy and the heart seazed of Gods loue holdeth the consolation of it yet these rules must be held to vphold the weake Christian. First the gift of pardon and loue is giuen often before the comfort and ioy of it when grace is as it were in the seede and men in the beginnings of conuersion begin to haue right in the tree of life and to bee adopted it is not so soone discerned to come vp to a ioyfull haruest but first is a blade then an eare then corne in the eare And a time there is when a soule which is partaker of true grace is busied and taken vp rather with sense of sinne desires of grace and seeking of helps and proppes to beleeue then with the ioy of any thing attained True desire argues the presence of the things desired and yet argues not the feeling of it and that a man may haue that gift which is not felt appeareth in Dauid who by Nathan was told that his sinne was pardoned and yet long after he prayeth for the forgiuenes of it that is for a more full sense of the forgiuenesse Secondly the gift of Gods free grace is not giuen in respect of vs all at once nor in the same measure and therefore the comfort of it is not all alike or at once for the righteousnesse of God is reuealed from faith to faith and so iustification and reconciliation are in the meanes more and more reuealed and the comfort is proportionable to the gift Thou hast not such strong comfort of thy estate as some other or as thou desirest thy gift of knowledge and vnderstanding of Gods loue perhaps is lesser then his comfort thy selfe stirre vp thy selfe in the meanes to inlarge the gift and thy comfort shall be inlarged Hence is it that the Apostle to the Ephesians 1. 18. praied that they whose faith and loue he had commended might haue their eyes opened to see the hope of their calling by the Spirit of reuelation Get further knowledge of thy estate and so thou shalt attaine further comfort Thirdly the state of a Christian soule is not all alike there is a Christian combate wherein sometime faith preuailes sometime doubting sometime grace hath the better sometime corrupt nature When faith is foiled of infidelitie or kept vnder sense of reconciliation faileth with it The light of the minde is often eclipsed as in Ionah I am cast from the sight of God and Dauid said once all men were liars Now the eye of the soule being so dimme the comforts of God must needs bee ouercast and clouded but as the Sunne breakes from vnder a cloud so doth light to the troubled soule and comfort growes often to a confident glorying and a ioyfull triumph as Dauid Returne O my soule to thy rest Fourthly as the carriages of a mans conuersation bee diuers so be the apprehensions of his comfort sometimes it is more attended and carried more purely sometimes care is remitted and the course more corrupt Common infirmities hinder not so much the comfort of saluation as great sinnes doe as appeares in Dauids adultery Restore me the ioyes of thy saluation If thy comforts be small it is likely thy corruptions are the greater here looke to thy former graces feelings and workes Bee diligent in awaking thy soule shake off worldly delightes which bring it on sleepe and the deceitfull shew of righteousnes which bewitcheth it set thy selfe before God and thy dulnesse before thy selfe say Oh what haue I done all this while Fifthly the Christian is an happy man whatsoeuer his outward estates be else hath Dauid misplaced happines And herein is their happinesse that they are in fauour with God and can neuer be cast out of fauour againe all happy men are in a sure estate which cannot be lost This happinesse of grace is surer then that of nature which Adam had in innocency that was lost because in his owne keeping this is seated in the fauour of God which is vnchangeable vnto which we are preserued also by the power of God True it is the godly may haue many afflictions and haue as Abraham Isaac Iaacob Dauid Abel but none of them neither inward nor outward can hinder their happinesse nay they shall all further it Romans 8. all things turne to the best The worldlings folly is palpable he thinkes himselfe most happy when his corne wine and oyle is increased as for this light of Gods countenance it is in the last of his accounts As for the godly they count them of all men most simple and most miserable and indeede if a man had no other eyes then of his body no eye of faith he could not think such blessed whom the world hates whom the earth casts off whom their Country scarce acknowledgeth their owne kinsfolke will not know whom their friends forsake enemies kill who are made meate for the sword fewell for the fire and seldome haue liberty to enioy fire and water or the commonest benefits of nature in safetie They onely are in mens account happy whom all men flatter vvho bathe yea drovvne themselues in carnall delight vvho can tumble in their gold and siluer vvhose mouth runnes ouer vvith laughter c. But these vvho are entred into Gods teaching can hold against their ovvne reason and sense that they are blessed that hunger and thirst after rightcousnesse that mourne novv that suffer persecution for righteousnesse sake those of vvhom men speake all manner of ill for Christs cause and Gospell They iudge not good or euill by any thing afore them they thinke Lazarus a godly poore man an happy man vvhen as Diues vvas a miserable miser Their felicitie is not outward but inward not earthly but heauenly it depends not on man but on Gods fauour who hath forgiuen their sinnes for his names sake Iudge therefore of thy selfe and others with a righteous iudgement if heauen approoue thee care not if earth cast thee out if God iustifie who can condemne if Christ will confesse thee let thy friends deny thee Thou hast a sure word and promise of God by which thou mayest apprehend in sorrow ioy in trouble peace in nothing all things in death it selfe life eternall Get faith and thou shalt clearely behold thy happinesse if al the world should set it selfe to make thee miserable Get faith and thou shalt thinke him only happy whom God so esteemes although the worlds miserie is to place happinesse onely in miserie Get faith and thou shalt see not onely Christ himselfe the blessed Son of God when he was reiected of the world and lifted on the Crosse but euen his members then happy in Gods fauour when the World most frowneth vpon them Faith in the
many sinnes broken off many things reformed it rests it selfe as in a worke of regeneration whereas this is a common worke of the Spirit incident to the wicked whom if God should not represse there were no liuing for the godly on earth Haman did refraine himselfe from Mordecai most sinnes seemed to be mortified in Iudas but yet he was possessed by the deuill Infidels liue honestly and ciuilly abstaine from wrongs violent lusts c. But here is no renuing grace which mortifieth all corruptions and reformeth euery thing and thus was it not in Herod Iudas and the wicked Besides as in regeneration the whole childe is borne compleate in all parts so doth the Spirit begin his worke at the roote of the heart and within and not without as in Infidels and workes not onely in suppressing and restraining sinne but also in oppressing it and renewing the heart and life And here it shall not be amisse to adde some further notes of restraining grace not renewing And first in respect of sinne it selfe A conceit that grosse sinnes be but infirmities though they liue and lye in them bearing themselues vpon this that the iust man falleth seuentimes a day and riseth againe Prou. 24. 16. falsely vnderstood Thus many approue not the excesse of sinne as vainely to sweare the greatest oaths insatiable griping and gaping after the world but why hate they not all oaths all couetousnesse which is idolatry but because there is not a spirit renewing the heart which mortifieth all deedes of the flesh all oaths all lyes Secondly in respect of their affection toward sinne namely a pretence of hatred of sinne when it is but a rash anger For example Of all sinnes which the ministerie is taxed for of the common people there is none so noted and exclamed against as their hardnesse worldlinesse gathering of goods together and the sinne is so seuerely obserued aboue all other as that an honest contented man can scarce be free from this imputation But now though the fault bee hainous and too common what is the reason the multitude so exclames vpon it is it because they hate the sinne surely no for their owne feete are as deepely sunke in the same mire and they care not for plucking them out Angry they are that another out-gathers them but if they hated the sinne themselues would not gather so fast Further many seeme to hate some of their sinnes and sometimes trouble their sinnes and grosse corruptions and wish it otherwise and accuse themselues Many are offended at some errors of Popery some vaine inuentions idle and hurtfull traditions but others are iustified Here is a shew of hatred of sinne of error but it is onely a rash anger for First he that hates one sinne or error because it is so will hate all which he knowes so to be hatred is against kinds we hate all serpents all poysons all enemies so said Dauid I hate all vaine inuentions Secondly one or two euils may be disliked of him that hates no sinne and the sinne hated but not as sinne as Absolom hated Amnon for his incest but himselfe more incestuous Thirdly if thou diddest hate these sinnes and errors as enemies why doest thou not raise thy power against them crie for Christs crucifying power against them a perfit hatred will neuer be satisfied without death or diuorcement If thou hatest her in thine heart why doest not thou put her away If thou hatedst thy sinnes thou wouldest forsake them Thirdly note in respect of the word when men taste the good word and the powers of the life to come they take this to be the Spirit of adoption and a sound affection But obserue the difference and falsehood whereas in Gods children all their affections be affected with it and they feede on it vnto eternall life in these it affecteth their ioy onely and that for a time Gods children loue it beleeue it reioyce to meditate of it rest on it by the confidence of their hearts long for the accomplishment of the promise grieue when they doe any thing to hinder that accomplishment and hate all doctrine against it whereas the bad ground onely is said to ioy in it as in a nouelty Fourthly note in respect of Gods children namely when men loue them onely so farre as may serue their owne turne for some by-respect or other Rules to know our loue to be restraining grace not renewing First euery reuerence of a good man or child of God is not loue Herod neuer loued Iohn but reuerenced him for he saw that in him which strucke him that to haue spoken against him had been to barke against the Sunne God will haue the innocency and grace of his children to be iustified by his enemies and theirs Secondly one or more good men may be fauoured of those that loue no good man Why did Nebuzaradan fauour Ieremie because he loued good men No but because he had foretold the victorie Thirdly euery good speech in defence of good men is not a fruit of loue in the speaker Pilat loued not Christ but yet seeing his innocency asked what euill hee had done washed his hands and was willing to deliuer him Some good words are drawne out of the desert of good men not out of the speakers affection Some out of policie not out of loue when men force a friendship and will speake well when inwardly they enuie the meate they eate and the clothes they weare Fourthly that is no loue of good men which is not a loue of their goodnesse Oh such a man were a good man but he is too strict I could loue him if he were not so plaine with me if hee would let mine eyes alone and not meddle with my lusts he were a sufficient man if he were a little wiser what need he lose his friends thus subtle are men to disclaime goodnesse vnder pretence of louing good men Fifthly thou canst not loue goodnesse in one vnlesse thou doest loue it in euery one hee that scorneth and disgraceth by wicked termes the persons of most Professors loues not indeed the goodnesse of any one let his pretence bee what it will The loue of the Spirit is from Christ in God and for God First to let many poore ignorant soules see their estate they say they are not book-learned and know not so much nor can speak much as other men can but they meane well and haue good hearts to God but is not this to iustifie a heart full of deceite Oh but I see no such thing in my selfe No matter that is thy deceit who art so bewitched with an enemy who while hee laughes in thy face priuily stabs thee and wounds thee to death No no thou art neuer right till thou beest at warre with thy owne heart and till thou canst say and see that thou carriest the greatest enemy thou hast in thy bosome a deceitfull heart is at bed and boord with thee lyeth downe and riseth vp walkes
abroad and staies at home with thee And as it is the most enemie to thee so must thou be to it Paul was neuer right till he found this rebel in himselfe and that many yeeres after his conuersion Secondly knowing that the spirit is so guilefull and the heart so deceitfull suspect it in euery thing watch it the better deale with it as with an vntrusty fellow in whom thou hast found some notable trickes of deceit worke out thy saluation with feare and trembling Blessed is the man that feareth alwaies Say not with thy selfe I see not this sinne in my selfe therefore it is not or I see not wherein I haue failed in this or that for all that thou mayest seeing the heart is deceitfull aboue all things and who can see it carry an holy ielousie of thy selfe and suspect thy selfe as Iob did his sonnes It may be my sonnes my selfe haue sinned offer sacrifice or rather apply Christ to thy soule for thy failing in the best actions Thirdly seeing the hart is thus deceitful it teacheth vs not to insult ouer others in their falles seeing our owne hearts may play false with vs. Let no man say that he wil neuer doe this and this as he seeth others do but suspect his heart lest it carry him to worse things then they Peter said he would rather die then deny his Master but the deceitfulnesse of his heart would not let him performe his purpose which deceit he knew not before for then he would not haue taken it so ill when Christ foretold him of it Dauid would haue thought scorne the day before his fall that any should haue told him that he should lie wallowing in so foule sinnes as he did the day after Hazael was farre from the sight of that guile which lay hid in his owne spirit when being told by the Prophet what monstrous wickednesse should bee done by him he asked Am I a dogges head that I should doe this Let vs therfore make this vse of other mens weaknesses Oh if such haue so dangerously fallen in whose hearts I neuer saw such foule things as I see in mine owne why should I be high-minded and not rather feare Rom. 11. 20. Fourthly labour for a sincere heart void of guile Here consider three things First the notes or markes of it secondly the benefit of it thirdly reasons to labour for it First the notes First in duties It hath an vpright endeuour and sincere desire to approue it selfe to God in all things wheras a guilefull heart lookes more at men in good duties then at God more at mens commandements then Gods at mens approbation more then Gods Wee seeke not to pleasemen saith Paul but God who seeth the heart We care not to bee iudged by men but stand or fall to our owne Lord whereas Saul knowing himselfe in disgrace with God would haue Samuel to honour him before the people Secondly in respect of sinne A sincere heart hateth all sinne wheresoeuer euen small and secret especially it is more seuere against his owne lusts then any other he hates his sinnes past and bewaileth them his present sins to break them off he hates that he doth he hates sinnes to come to preuent them and watch against them whereas a guilefull heart can hate euen motes in his brothers eye but not his owne beames auoides open sinnes not secret smaller hee makes small account of if hee can auoide greater which make greater noise and bring greater shame This man can reioyce in memorie of sin past and bragge of it as a mad pranke which should be as a dagger to his heart whereas Dauids heart smote him for cutting off Sauls lap and as soone as he had numbred the people and Peters as soone as he had denied Christ. This man can reioyce in conceit of a future sinne whereas Dauid and the Saints vow and sweare to keepe the commandements He hath his present darting sinnes which hee will continue in and not let goe let God and man say what they will But is no heart sincere but that which is without sinne It is not the committing of one sinne or presence of more that makes an euill heart for then none should be vpright but the habite and custome of sinning and this is when first in his vnderstanding he is wise to do euill but knowes not to doe well Secondly when he still wills that which is euill Thirdly when his affections still mooue vnto it Fourthly when he walkes in euill as a seruant of sinne at the command of it So is it not with the godly with whom power is often wanting but to will desire and endeuour is present Thirdly a sincere heart professeth religion for it selfe and delighteth in good men and good things as the Word Sacraments and godly company because they are so and because they see some part of Gods image in them Whereas a guilefull heart not hauing denied it selfe professeth for by respects and worldly causes addicted vnto not called out of the world it loueth good men not for their goodnesse but for the respect they haue in the world or some other occasion respecting themselues If then thou wouldest know whether thou hast a sincere heart or no first obserue thy actions both in their nature and ende first in their nature if they be single and pure so is thy heart as is the fountaine and the root such are the streames and the fruit Secondly in their end an honest heart euer aimes at Gods glory directly whereas a guilefull heart euer propoundeth bad ends of good actions Secondly obserue whether thou makest conscience secretly of all sinne yea most seriously of those to which thou art most inclined whether thou hast condemned thy selfe in dust and ashes whether thou hast resisted and preuailed or else liest still vnder the power of corruption Thirdly consider whether thou daily renuest thy purpose of not sinning against God as thou renewest thy daies and whether thou watchest ouer thine owne hart with an holy suspition and wilt for Gods will breake thine owne Fourthly marke whether thou louest God in his image ordinances and children euen then when the world scornes and hates all these here is a good note indeed of a sincere heart Secondly the benefits of it First this sincere heart brings the person into acceptance with God for whom doth he approue but such as walke before him vprightly Abraham Noah Enoch Zacharie Iob and these are his delight Prou. 11. 20. Secondly whatsoeuer worke hath such a ground is acceptable yea and called perfect in the Scripture And indeed sinceritie is all our perfection sincere persons are called perfect in the way Psalme 119. 1. All true worship must be done in spirit and truth Iohn 4. 24. as First prayer must be a lifting vp of the heart and a powring out of the soule If I regard wickednesse in my heart God will not heare me Prayer proceeding
in some one sinne their conscience slumbereth and though they bee not altogether hardned and without all touch of feare or desire of fauour yet are they very coldly mooued to confesse sinne or seeke peace they go slumbring on and weare out much time without comfort of their duties and are loth to be stirred till God take them in hand and iudge them for not iudging themselues and force them by violence to that which it had been more for their ease voluntarily to haue vndertaken Now we come to the effect of hiding sinne which is trouble both inward and outward euen in Gods owne children But here first note what is the ende of afflictions in them to wit not the punishment of their sinnes which are all remitted by one satisfaction of Christ but to shake them out of their sleepe of securitie and to draw them out of the thickets in which they would willingly lie hid Yea but they be fruits of sinne and part of the curse of sinne In themselues indeed they be the fruits and effects of sinne but now their nature is altered and of curses by Christ are changed into crosses the Lord who bringeth light out of darknesse brings this good out of them that they helpe forward the repentance mortification and conuersion of sinners vnto God Psalm 119. 17. It is good for mee that I was afflicted that I might learne thy statutes Now good is diuers first naturall secondly spirituall thirdly morall fourthly sensible fifthly by euent or accident First naturall is that which is infused into euery creature in the creation their nature vse quantities qualities all are good so are not afflictions in their nature being the punishment of sinne Secondly morall good is whatsoeuer is agreeable to the morall law so are not afflictions they are not prescribed in the morall law Thirdly spirituall whatsoeuer appertaineth to life euerlasting as faith hope loue c. thus be not afflictions good spiritually Fourthly good to the sense is whatsoeuer pleaseth the sense of man so was apple good to the eye thus no affliction is good and pleasant to the sense for the present Heb. 12. Fifthly they are good by euent and by accident partly by Gods ouer-ruling prouidence that can turne them to good and partly by grace in the elect who make a good vse of them First to say with the Papists that the afflictions of the godly are so many temporall punishments and satisfactions for sinne is First to derogate from that onely satisfaction of Christ and from the perfection of it Secondly to lessen the merit and desert of sinne which is death eternall Thirdly to misse Gods end of afflicting his children which is not to punish that which is already punished in Christ but to purge that which still cleaueth vnto them and hangeth fast on Secondly when thou art any way distressed and touched especially in conscience come backe to thine own sinne say with thy selfe Surely I haue either not repented at all or not fully of all this is because I haue held my peace and haue not confessed my sinnes to God or not forsaken them For when afflictions haue done that for which they are sent whē they haue opened the eare and humbled the heart as a messenger which hath done his errand they depart Leuit. 26. 41. the Lord threatneth the Iewes that because they haue walked stubburnely with him he will walke stubburnely against them but how long till their vncircumcised hearts bee humbled and they willingly beare the correction praying for their sinne then hee will remember his couenant Iob 33. 14. The Lord speakes once or twice to a man saith Elihu and if one say I haue sinned and peruerted righteousnes and it did not profit me then he will deliuer his soule here is a way for ease Thirdly willingly accept the prouocations of conscience when they stirre to renue repentance not benumming thy soule or hardning thy selfe by continuing without reconciliation Answere the summons of God hold thy peace no longer for this increaseth the rods and tieth affliction fast vnto thee Fourthly this being a prerogatiue of Gods children namely that euill shall be turned to their good as good to euill to the wicked be not dismaied in afflictions but comfort thy selfe in the Lord thy God and in this that the present affliction tendeth vnto and endeth in good because it brings foorth the fruits of vnfeigned righteousnesse Now the grieuousnesse of Dauids touch of conscience is set out first by the effects secondly by the continuance of it The effects 1. The changes in his body in his 2. The roaring of voice Bones consuming Moisture dried These fruits of his sinne are witnesses of Gods wrath that pursued his conscience First My bones consumed these effects note the inward and extreme sorrow of the Prophet which pearced his very marrow so Salomon hath it Prou. 17. Heauinesse drieth the bones because it eateth vp the spirits which should nourish and moisten them And it made his bones like the bones of an old man whose spirits and strength are spent for so the word signifies and insinuates Consenuerunt ossa such was his sorrow that whatsoeuer was firmest and strongest in him was shaken euen his very bones Thus Psalm 51. 8. hee would heare that is be by the Spirit perswaded the voice of gladnesse that is tidings of Gods fauour that the bones which he had broken might reioyce that is that the strength he had lost might be recouered and his paine which was like the breaking of bones might bee eased Iob also complaineth that his griefe had drunke vp his spirit and Psalm 102. 3. Dauid saith that his bones were burnt like an herth because of Gods displeasure And my moisture turned to the drought of summer That is looke how the Sunne in Summer parcheth and drieth leaues and hearbs so is my naturall moysture which should moysten and cherish my body drawne out and dried vp by the parching heate of Gods displeasure The like he complaineth Psalm 22. 16. My strength is dried vp like a shell or a potsherd which is bak't in the fire that is There is no more moysture in me then there is in a bak't potsherd hee was almost resolued into dust already Hence we may note what a wonderfull torment the torment of conscience is no griefe in the world is like to the griefe of conscience Iob 6. 4. The arrowes of the Lord sticke fast in me saith the holy man and Oh that my griefe were well weighed Hezekiah said that the Lord dealt with him as a lyon crushing his bones Isa. 38. 13. And Prou. 18. 14. A wounded spirit saith SALOMON who can beare And what is the reason of all this First because here is a combate with God and with his wrath hand to hand Secondly the body and spirit and all is downe the winde it might bee that a good heart would beare out the body but here the heart
is quite deiected Thirdly we haue the experience of many who haue sought the pangs of death to auoid these pangs of conscience Iudas could find no ease but in a desperate death in hanging himselfe Reuel 9. 6. Such as wish to die seeke death and cannot finde it they follow it but it flies from them and all this in the paine of a despairing conscience But here come three questions to be resolued First How can it bee that the wicked binde vpon themselues such heauy bundles of sinnes and carry all so easily whereas the godly finde such bitternesse in sinnes forgiuen how comes it to passe that the godly feele such sorrow in sinne pardoned and the wicked feele nothing in sinne vnpardoned For these reasons first because now is the time of Gods patience and forbearance of his bountifulnesse and long-suffering towards the vessels of wrath Secondly now is the time of their reioycing but when the daies of their banquetting are gone about then shall come many heauy messengers to tell them of fearefull newes there comes a day of wrath when they shall reape as they sowed and drinke the dreggs of Gods wrath to the bottome of the viall They treasure vp sorrow with their sinne and their griefe shall be full That sinne that now sets no sorrow to their heart shall hereafter be a worme euer gnawing a fire neuer going out a Riuer of brimstone kindled by the wrath of the Lord of hosts and a perpetuall weeping and gnashing of teeth Secondly how comes the body to be troubled by the minde First by the strait vnion and sympathie betweene the soule and the body vnited into one person for while the soule is possessed with feare sorrow languishing wearinesse and heauinesse it is impossible that the body can take any delight in the comforts of nature but that sleep shall depart from it or bee not so short as troublesome the meate and drinke shall be tastelesse or lothsome or mingled with teares I forgot to eate my bread saith Dauid Psalm 102. No comfort shall bee comfortable to him for when the spirit which should sustaine all a mans infirmities failes him what can sustaine him Secondly by the righteous iudgement of God who correcteth together those who haue sinned together and as they haue been vndiuided in sinne so are they not diuided in the smart of it The body hath been a seruant to the lusts of the soule and so receiueth the wages of sin with it Dauid abused the vigor strength and health of his body in the sinnes of adultery and murther and now the Lord chasteneth him in both Thirdly how comes it to passe that all the godly haue not this torment for sinne that they are not thus struck with terror nor so affected for sinne as to haue their strength impaired and their body dried First their persons are not alike and therefore Gods dealing with them is not alike some are more obscure in the world then other and haue onely more secret exercises some are more fitted by God to be speciall vessels for his glory in whom he will shine to his whole Church as Dauid Hezekiah c. and these he will specially worke vpon to make them patterns of his mercie both in leading them in and out of trouble for first hereby he lets the world see that great grace is ioyned with great corruption Secondly that the best haue matter of correction in them Thirdly that hee will not spare to rebuke sinne in those that are neerest and dearest vnto him Fourthly he will haue others to looke vpon them and Gods dealing with them in their casting downe and raising vp Secondly according to the difference of sinnes may be the difference of sorrow many men of greater grace then others haue fallen into greater sinnes then others and their knowledge being more then others is their apprehension of the sentence of the Law hath been deeper and so of wrath due to their sinne Besides in some others some speciall corruption which hath often preuailed or the constitution of body may adde a sting to the sorrow of mind some are naturally more fearefull as melancholy constitutions and so their impressions are deeper and of longer continuance Thirdly although in ordinarie Christians before sense of remission there is a sufficient measure of labour and wearinesse vnder the burthen of sinne yet some of all kindes God will exempt from such depth of griefe that he may shew himselfe free in all his working O that men would hence come to feare the paines prepared for sinners for if first a drop of Gods displeasure let fall secondly in loue thirdly on his owne children fourthly for a moment doe so amaze them and drinke vp their spirits their soules and bodies how much more shall the Ocean and deepe sea of Gods wrath against his enemies for all eternitie consume and torture them in hell Blind people of the world wil not know what hell meaneth till they be in it Secondly let vs learn to haue compassion on such as are troubled in spirit seeing such is their heauines as presseth downe both soule and body let vs apply our selues to comfort them as Dauid did here in his owne person and example Many thinke this sicknesse to be but passion conceit or melancholy and because it changeth the body often they thinke it to arise from the body but there is no disease like to this for symptomes and torment First they all are naturall this supernaturall SeSecondly they from the constitution of the body this from the constitution of the soule Thirdly in them the humours first or imagination as in Melancholy are distempered in this the conscience first and the humours after Fourthly they all may be cured by naturall remedies and bringing the body to a temperature all naturall medicines vnder heauen cannot cure this sicknesse Blessed is hee that iudgeth wisely of the poore to relieue the sicke conscience is mercy indeed Christ had the tongue of the learned giuen him to speake a word of comfort to such weary soules and was sent to bind vp the broken in heart and not onely ministers but euery Christian hath receiued of his anointing Thirdly in that Dauids sicknesse of body was from the sinne of his soule learne that health is a special blessing of God seeing wee euer carry that about with vs which might change it the first and most noysome humour which breeds bodily diseases is sinne the disease of the soule and therefore if God change his hand and bring weakenesse vpon our bodies we must not fixe our eyes vpon second causes not on abundance of peccant humours but looke backe to our sinnes and life past consider how silent and impenitent we haue been turne to God bewaile and forsake sinne resolue to vse our health better and our strength for God and not against him and thus the sicknesse of our body shall turne to the soundnesse and health of the soule
smiting them he will haue his blowes felt the strong purgation at last worketh out most health and soundnesse Thirdly the greater the affliction is the more odious doth sinne appeare to bee vnto God a strong poyson must haue a strong antidote the more the godly are striken downe for sinne the more are they stirred vp to godly sorrow to hatred of it to zeale against it the better and more watchfully do they preuent sinne to come and looke better to themselues as a good Physician oftentimes letteth blood not to make a man sicke but to preuent sicknesse Fourthly the greater the tryall is the better experience haue they of themselues for first God afflicts the body heauily but it is for the soule the soule would neuer perceiue the owne euill but for the euil of the body nor feele the miserie but by the body Secondly in great trials there is experience of a great combat betweene the flesh and the Spirit where any faith is it will lift vp the heart in inuocation silence and an expectation of the good hand of God but the flesh will be complaining of Gods absence desertion and deferring his hand and helpe here is sense of the spirits willingnesse and the weakenesse of the flesh Thirdly there is great experience of their graces in great trials that both themselues and others may take knowledge of their constancie and patience Thus Iob was made a mirror of patience and a patterne of constancy which he could not haue been if the trial had not been so sharpe as it was Then the Mariners skill is best tried when the tempest is vehement and the valour of a Captaine is best seene in the hottest skirmish Fourthly in great trials there is great obseruation of Gods dealing of the comforts of God and of the strength of God and therefore the Lord brings many of his as it were vpon the stage and theater of the world that they may be instruments of his praise and may by their experience be able to teach others how they shall finde God in affliction for as one piece of yron cannot be soldred and fastned to another vnlesse both be made red hot and beaten together so one Christian cannot be so soundly affected to another vnlesse both haue had experience of the like miserie Fifthly Gods children haue great afflictions and are pressed with an heauie hand that God himselfe may be cleerely seene to bee their deliuerer when in the eyes of all flesh they are lost therefore they see themselues in the red Sea of affliction and in a wildernesse of temptation and sometimes with Ionas in their owne and other mens sense drowned in the bottome of the sea in the belly of the Whale that as Lazarus lay foure dayes in the graue that Christs power might bee manifested in raising him so also may the goodnesse of God who after two daies will reuiue vs and in the third will raise vs vp Sixthly as great afflictions make way for abundant mercy from God to vs so also for abundant thankes from vs to God If one cure a trifeling matter it neither so bindes the patient nor yet commends the Physician but if any be cured of some deadly and almost-vncurable desease then we professe we could neuer haue met with such a Phisician in all the world againe and we are accordingly thankefull Seuenthly were it not for great afflictions we could neuer know the power of Gods Word in quickning vs chearing and comforting vs in them that it is the Word of life is most euidently seene in death it selfe First then let vs hence take a view of the wickednesse of our nature and of the working of it euen after our calling and conuersion and cease to wonder that the Lord often brings violent afflictions vpon his owne children which he sees most necessarie to awake them out of their slumbers and quicken them to their seeking of sound peace and reconciliation Dauid himselfe before hee was afflicted went astray like a lost sheepe Secondly we may learne hence that vehement afflictions and Gods heauie hand is no signe of his hatred to his children good Dauid had Gods heauie hand lying sore vpon him For First all outward things fall alike to all and no man knoweth loue or hatred by the things that are before him Eccles. 9. 2. Secondly in iudgement hee remembreth mercy Hab. 3. 2. and afflicteth in measure though our sinnes haue beene beyond all measure and deserue that our crosses should be so too Isa. 64. 9 12. Thirdly his wisedome knoweth the due quantitie and proportion that will doe vs good and though there wants no will in Satan and wicked men to passe it yet the miserie shall not exceed Gods limit who hath said to the proud waues Hither shall ye come and no further Fourthly he hath a seuerall measure for the godly and the wicked for his children hee measureth iudgement according to their strength to the wicked according to the measure of their sinnes but as the best garden and flowers lye open to stormes and haile to fall on them as well as the wildernesse so the dearest of Gods Saints to afflictions Thirdly if the Lord chastize and punish his children so heauily the whole burthen of whose sinnes Christ hath borne in his body on the crosse where shall the wicked and vngodly appeare 1. Pet. 4. 17 How heauie shall his hand lye on those who with high hand sinne against him the weight of the mountaines shall be nothing to it to which they shall say Fall vpon vs and couer vs. If the way to heauen be so strawed with crosses and heauinesse what is the way to hell and of wickednesse strawed with but woes and curses Shall not many prayers and teares much sorrow and strife against sin nay nor the request of the Spirit and the intercession of Christ keepe off such bitter things from them who seldome and not without some resistance breake out What then shall become of those who neuer pray neuer sorrow for sinne but sell themselues to commit wickednesse if infirmities be so lashed what shall rebellions If weakenesses in his children what shall wickednesse in his enemies Fourthly this admonisheth the godly not to bee too much discouraged if they lye vnder an heauy hand but consider of these foure things First that to expect continuance of outward prosperitie is earthlinesse or selfe-loue yea a meere folly seeing it is a priuiledge of the Church triumphant Secondly that through many afflictions we must enter into the Kingdome of God Acts 14 22. and therefore that there is more cause of discouragement in the want of them then in their presence Thirdly that no new thing befalls them Dearely beloued saith Saint PETER thinke it not strange concerning the fierie triall which is among you to proue you as though some strange thing were come vnto you But reioyce inasmuch as yee are partakers of Christs sufferings c. 1. Pet.
and his owne measure shall be met to him againe Mat. 7. 1 2. so that if a man be an Ismael rough against euery man God will be rough against him and if we be vnpittifull we shall be vnpittied of God and Men. Thirdly no sound worship can proceede but from a sound Religion and that is the Religion and wisedome which is from aboue and the qualitie of it is that it is peaceable Iam. 3. 17. gentle easie to be intreated full of mercy and good fruits The Gospell which we professe is a Gospell of peace fostereth peace and seeketh it by all meanes Fourthly so long as any aâ—e slaues to the deeds of the flesh it is impossible they can be acceptable to God but debate hatred anger rage murthers are condemned for the vvorkes of the flesh which shut a man out of heauen Gal. 5. 21. But vvherein stands this mercy vvhereunto prayer must be coupled It stands in these things First in pittying the bodies of men in their wants Secondly their soules much more Thirdly in supplying their wants as reliefe succour comfort counsell c. to be rich in good workes and restore them that are fallen by the Spirit of meeknesse This teacheth all of vs that professe the doctrine of the Gospell and true Religion and the pure worship of God how wee ought to be disposed when wee come to performe vnto God religious duties as prayer c. Those that come neerest to God to present seruice acceptable to him must more especially look to this point namely to take heede of the spirit that lusteth after enuie and sets men in a rage against Gods image and those of the same profession with them and they must take the counsell of the Apostle 2. Cor. 13. 11. Bee of one minde liue in peace and the God of peace shall be with you And let vs consider First we are all members of one bodie wherof Christ is the head nature teacheth one member to pitie and help another if one bee ill affected to get remedy for it and so must Christians Secondly a meeke and mercifull spirit is much set by of God and called for at our hands by Christ of whom wee must learne to bee humble and meeke a sure note of one that is brought into Christs Kingdome and sheepefold Thirdly God hath taken all execution of vengeance out of our hands Vengeance is mine I will repay saith the Lord Deut. 32. 35. and if we will take the sword of reuenge into our hands it will prooue but a sword to our owne destruction Fourthly if we looke at the recompence of reward we are to be prouoked to the workes of mercie As a man sowes so shall he reape sowe mercy and reape mercy sowe liberally and reape liberally God giues seede to the sower 1. Cor. 9. 10. and makes men rich vnto the works of mercie ver 11. How was the poore widdowes oile increased when shee sowed mercie to Elias in his want She had sufficient till the hard yeere was blowne ouer Thy expences shall haue a rich returne it shall bee but a lending to God with abundant vsury for earthly and base things we shal obtaine heauenly and glorious it is a sowing on earth to reape in heauen Fiftly if we desire patternes and presidents in mercifulnesse we haue enough First wee haue God himselfe whose mercies are aboue all his workes how mercifully did he forbeare the world an hundred yeeres and what experience haue our owne soules how he daily forgets and forgiues innumerable sinnes Therefore be we mercifull as our heauenly Father is mercifull Secondly Christ the Sonne of God is a president herein whose mercy and compassion was such as hee laid downe his life for vs that wee should also lay downe our liues for the brethren 1. Iohn 3. 16. Thirdly the Saints of God haue gone before vs in examples of mercy Moses was a man mightie in word and deede yet the meekest man on earth Numb 12. 3. Abraham yeelded to Lot his inferior Isaac swallowed many indignities at Abimelechs hands and Iaacob as many at Labans Dauid spared Saul his enemie when he had him at an aduantage and pardoned Shimei a Traytor when hee had cursed him and threw stones at him Yea all the Prophets Apostles and Saints as much as lay in them had peace with all men If wee professe our selues the Sonnes of God how are we so rough against our brethren so without pittie and charitable disposition as Lamech Ismael or Cain who learned of the Deuill who was a murtherer from the beginning to hate and kill his brother Let professors leaue these workes of the flesh to such as are in the flesh let vs be led by another rule as Christians mercifully considering one another and not as bruit beasts ledde by sensualitie We must not follow noysome lusts and humours but the rule of Gods Word to blesse though we are cursed and take things at the best and seeke peace and follow after it Let professors consider the sweet fruit of Christian communion which by a mercifull and meeke spirit is enioyed but by wrath and rash anger violenced how that the peace of the Church and publike quietnesse the honour of their profession the comfort of their conscience and acceptance of their prayers or any seruice cannot stand by them if they subdue not their spirits in this behalfe Secondly this shewes vs what to thinke of that religion which vpsetteth and vpholdeth it selfe by crueltie and malicious rage and furie it is a religion which God hath no delight in hee neuer did set it vp nor accepted it It cannot be the right religion which by crueltie sword and fire either planteth it selfe or seeketh to supplant others Therefore wee may note in the Scripture that those religions that were hated of God were cruell and vnmercifull One might haue read in Cains forehead what religion he was of no maruell if God reiected his sacrifice seeing hee bore such deadly malice against his brother Of what religion were the Egyptians that kept vnder the Israelites so tyrannically but barbarous wicked and idolatrous Iaacob must haue a place by himselfe to dwell in because his religion was an abomination to them they must not see him performe the seruices of it Manasseh set vp Idols sought to witches yea himselfe was a Magician or Coniurer and what was his practice Looke and wee shall see that no man euer shed more innocent blood then hee did Here was a note of a false religion euen cruelty such as wee read not of in any of his predecessors Antiochus Epiphanes a monster among Idolaters did so prodigiously waste the blood of the holy people as neuer was since there began to be a Nation till that time Dan. 12. 1. The heathen Emperours made such butcheries vpon the bodies of the Saints as euery street seemed a shambles of Christians and euery line of the story written in blood and their religion was sutable
against Elizabeth our Queene often at the perswasion of Walpoole a Priest and Cardinall of Coome or by Gunpowder against three Countries at the perswasion of Garnet Prouinciall of Iesuites in England Fifthly not only the Pope but also all Christian people are bound arctissimo conscientiae vinculo extremo animarum periculo to resist any hereticall King sirem praestare posuit if he can bring the matter about So Creswell Sixthly Kings as soone as they begin to be heretikes are presently ipso facto deiure excommunicate and depriued of their Kingdomes and their subiects freed from the oath of alleageance so saith Allen who for the same obtained a Cardinall-ship This saith he is a iust holy and honourable warre and hence he speaks to the English Nobles to rise vp in armes against Queene ELIZABETH Seuenthly Henrie the third a French King was iustly slaine before excommunication published because publike sorrowes waite no formes and in such publike things euident knowledge sententiae locum habet is in place of sentence So said William Reinolds Eightly a secret heretike is not onely ipso iure excommunicate but his children also deposed from the Kingdome because leprous parents beget leprous children Thus Symancha a wicked Knaue cuts off branch and roote Ninthly Yea but the Pope-holy-Father he approues of no such things no not he because he cannot erre Yes then Gregorie the seuenth and Gregorie the ninth erred not in teaching that so soone as a King is an heretike his subiects are freed from all loyaltie Nor Sixtus the fifth in making a laudatorie oration vpon the murder of Henrie the third King of France Nor Pope Pius Quintus in his Bull saying Volumus inbemus We will and command that all subiects take vp Armes against Queene Elizabeth Tenthly no murder without a Iesuite no Treason without a Priest Mariana found an apt scholer of Rauilliac and gaue him a poysoned Dagger to kill the French King Catesby Percy Faux were apt scholers of Garnet so Gerard Parsons Greenewell Nay these peaceable men themselues one strucke out the tooth another the heart of Henrie the fourth Who after all this can doubt of the wickednesse of the Romish Religion or who can thinke it acceptable vnto God seeing the godly the mercifull man onely can performe acceptable seruice What is not God pleased with that religion which he hath prospered so long neuer any Religion so rich so strong so embraced so defended by the Kings and Princes of the World First the Kingdome of Antichrist hath taken deepe rootes for many ages because First the shaddow neuer leaues the body Antichristianisme a shaddow of Christianitie so Antichrist began to worke in the Apostles daies and shall continue to the ende of the world Secondly the Lord will haue his Church still combate in this world to shake it out of securitie and to get Gods Armour which is onely able to preserue it from the deadly poyson that is in that enchaunted cup. Thirdly by prolonging this warre he hath occasion to shew his wisedome mercy and iustice in preseruing his Church through such danger and to trie the faithfulnesse and constancie of his Saints Heere is the patience of the Saints Fourthly sinne and want of zeale in the Church is a cause why he still stands a farre off the time of deliuerance is not yet Dan. 12. 1. But yet the sentence is passed against that Church It is fallen it is fallen Babylon the great Citie Reuel 18. 2 6. and giue her double to that shee hath done Secondly that Church is already blasted by the breath of Gods mouth Gods Word hath detected the Man of sinne 's fraude wherewith hee hath blinded the world his Bulls that were once as terrible as thunder and affrighted all Christendome are now accounted but paper-shot or a flea-bite and as winde in great part his Pardons and Indulgences which were once bought at so deare a rate are now contemned euen of little children as things of no value his claimes are disclaimed by Princes and notwithstanding all his Phisicians about him he is consumed and much withered Thirdly he shall bee quite abolished in himselfe and his members at the comming of Christ when himselfe and his whole sent shall bee cast into the burning Lake as a Mill-stone into the bottome of the Sea neuer to be raised vp againe Vnto thee HEre is the third point namely the person to whom the godly man must pray and that is God himselfe Whence note that Euery godly man in his affliction prayeth vnto the true God and to him alone Psal. 116. 2 3 4. In my day I called vpon the Lord and the Lord heard me Hezekiah in his day when his daies seemed to be cut off turned his face to the wall and wept and prayed to the Lord who heard his prayers saw his teares and gaue him his desires Isai. 38. 3 4 5. Paul also in his day being buffeted with the messenger of Satan prayed thrice that is often to the Lord and the Lord answered That his grace was sufficient for him 2. Cor. 12. 8. The reasons of this point are these First he cannot be a godly man that in the time of his peace and prosperitie approues not his godlinesse by being much and often in this dutie of prayer and much more in his affliction and distresse because first a godly man cannot bee without the Spirit of adoption which makes the heart thirst after the liuing God and formeth sighes and grones and desires in the soule after him the Spouse calleth Christ him whom her soule desireth whereas it is a signe of a dead soule and of a bad constitution to be without these desires and requests as DAVID makes it a note of an Atheist not to pray Psal. 14. 4. Secondly a godly man cannot deny vnto God the principall part of his worship which himselfe hath prescribed for his owne so great glorie and our owne so great good and vtilitie A godly man cannot but giue him the honour of Maiestie in seeing our hearts and wants and abilitie to relieue them and the honour of mercy both in confessions petitions and praises Thirdly a godly man cannot but depend vpon God as the Fountaine of grace as the Father of lights the Staffe of his life the Length of his daies the Strength of his heart his Portion for euer neither can a godly man testifie this confidence in God otherwise then by resorting to him as a God hearing prayer Fourthly a godly man cannot but sanctifie all his actions and gifts and all Gods creatures by this meanes which else are not pure vnto him Nay a godly man cannot but increase and strengthen his graces by the meanes of prayer and by the same meanes preserue his holinesse and grace and exercise them which stand or fall are weake or strong as this grace of prayer is Secondly a godly man cannot but much more in affliction and trouble seeke God by prayer If
such things and these men heare no more or to no more purpose but to make their damnation iust they liue for the present if they feele nothing they are well enough nothing that they heare troubles them And if this be not a brutish propertie aske the brutes themselues and they will tell thee This teacheth vs to take shame to our selues and be humbled when wee see this to bee our disposition that wee haue not vnderstood nor beene warned by the Word of GOD nor considered of his wayes but as brute beasts haue been led by lusts and sensualitie while the Lord hath spoken vnto vs whereby in Gods reputation wee are worthily cut from the account of men nay thrust farre lower then they as the Lord often shameth his owne people by the brute beasts themselues as Isa. 1. 3. The Oxe knoweth his owner and the Asse his Masters Crib that is by much sense and daily good-turnes may bee brought to know their Benefactors wherein he preferreth them before his people that by no benefits neuer so great or constant would bee brought to know him Yea and whereas nature hath taught the silly birds the Crane Storke and Swallow to know their seasons Ier. 8. 7. neither nature nor grace hath taught such as professe themselues GODS people to know God a. right Secondly this sheweth what men may thinke of such as are vnteachable and vnwilling to learne the will of God If we frame our iudgement to Gods wee are to thinke no better of them then of the Horse or Mule Numbers will not bee taught and as many who are capable enough in earthly things to reach them and ouer-reach others yet are altogether vncapable of heauenly both of these as they haue liued without GOD and his Word all their liues so they liue still Well were it for them they were no worse then Horses and Mules when they dye their miserie ends when these dye their vnhappinesse begins when Christ shall appeare in flaming fire to render vengeance to all them that know not God nor obey his Sonnes Gospell Thirdly if wee would retaine not the place of Christians only but euen of men wee must bee perswaded to be vnlike the Horse and Mule who are without vnderstanding We must labour to vnderstand what is the good and acceptable will of God for which purpose we must vse the meanes to get out of our naturall ignorance and they be these First because God teacheth by his Word we must cōscionably frequent the Ministerie I say not customably but cōscionably if you should bring your Horse Mule as your little Dogges to the place of knowledge you may make them stand or lye quietly you can make them learne nothing and doe you your selues no more the more you heare and frequent meanes without profit the liker you make your selues to the Horse and Mule Secondly God speakes by his Spirit which makes the Word effectuall wee must therefore heare the voyce of the Spirit not the sound of the wordes so much but the meaning of the Spirit An Horse or Mule can heare a sound of wordes but haue no distinct sense and if a man come and heare wordes and endeuour not to bee led into the meaning of GODS Spirit hee goes not beyond his Horse in hearing A beast by much paines may bee taught something of man which runnes into the senses and if thou beest onely taught by man and not by God that thine eares heare but the heart which God must teach bee vnperswaded thou art not beyond thy beast in knowledge Therefore pray for Gods Spirit to teach thee hee is the Spirit of illumination the Spirit whose office is to lead into all Truth Thirdly thou must lay vp instruction hide the word in thy heart lay vp and binde vp the Lessons in thy soule not to lose or depart from them The Horse or Mule by sense will conforme for the present and doe that they see they must doe but want vnderstanding to make vse of that knowledge for time to come Like to the Horse or Mule are they that for the present heare and bee affected and seeme desirous to conforme to the Doctrine deliuered but no sooner out of the place but all is forgotten and all good motions quenched all the vse of their instruction is confined to the present time and for time to come is as meerely lost as wordes and perswasions vpon an Horse or Mule Fourthly thou must grow vp in the similitude of the Word thou hearest the Word must make thee of a man a new man of a good man a better man thou must be changed into the Word It is a Word of Faith and must make thee a Beleeuer yea and the more thou frequentest it thou must rise in the degrees of Faith It is a Word of light and must inlighten the darke corners of thy heart and giue direction to euery one of thy steps It is a Word of life and must quicken thee in the wayes of God and make thee mooue and actiue in pietie It is a word pure and holy as God is and must make thee grow vp in holinesse of heart and life without which thou shalt neuer see God Thus if thou growest not like the Word thou art not yet better then an Horse or Mule who let them heare neuer such good reasons and perswasions and by maine strength be brought to conformitie yet abide the same they were without any change of themselues Horses and Mules they were and so they abide be not thou like vnto them let the Word make thee another man or else thou art to these ends take with thee a few motiues First consider God hath made thee a man and wilt thou by this propertie debase thy selfe and equall thy selfe with beasts Wilt thou being a man put off manhood and lay aside thy minde and the powers which God hath giuen thee to distinguish thee from a beast Secondly he hath called thee into his Church he hath set open his Schoole he hath sent out his owne Spirit to teach the Elect so that now thou art willingly ignorant as they 2. Pet. 3. 5. worse then an Horse or Mule who would know their dutie but cannot thou canst but wilt not Thirdly he hath afforded thee his blessed Word a Word full of wisedome resembling himselfe furnished with such varietie of perswasion as Men and Angels cannot deuise the like that if this will not perswade thee thou must be no better then an Horse or Mule without vnderstanding nay worse for reason cannot perswade them being vnreasonable creatures but thou being reasonable the reason of reason cannot perswade thee Fourthly if thou wouldest haue a note of thy owne conuersion thou must put off thy brutish nature and grow vp in the knowledge of God Hos. 6. 1 2. so soone as euer Gods people were conuerted and returned to God they professe this as a necessarie consequent Then shall we haue knowledge and endeuour or proceede
flowe all other mercies that we enioy as streames of it first temporall concerning this present life as health life liberty wealth peace prosperity good name c. Oh but the wicked haue all these True but first not in a right tenure they are vsurpers they haue no right in themselues no part in Christ to recouer it Secondly not by vertue of any promise or couenant Thirdly not in any holy or sanctifyed vse for To the impure all things are impure Fourthly none of their prosperity is ioyned with Gods loue but his hatred which is a secret poyson in them whereas Psal. 35. 27. the Lord loueth the prosperitie of his seruant he ioynes them both together Secondly spirituall things euen in these also how hath God compassed vs with mercies euen for the present First What a world of mercy was and is in that one gift of his Sonne to bee our reconciliation when we were firebrands of hell that the blessed Sonne of God would descend from the glory of heauen and giue himselfe to the death of the Crosse and the paines of hell to redeeme vs from all iniquitie The Apostle conceiues of this as of a rich mercy Ephes. 1. 7. by whom saith he we haue redemption through his bloud euen the forgiuenesse of sinnes according to his rich grace This is the com passing mercy meant in our text euen redemption from sinne by Christ both from the guilt and punishment of it a free mercy a full mercy an Ocean of mercy drawing vs out of a gulfe and bottomlesse sea of sorrowes euerlasting Dauid amplifyeth this mercy Psa. 86. 13. Great is thy mercy towards mee for thou hast deliuered my soule from the lowest hell Secondly What an infinite mercy peculiar to the godly is that of his spirit to take vp our hearts for his temples when wee were spiritually possessed of the deuill by the same spirit hee doeth daily cleanse vs and wash vs and beautifyeth our soules with heauenly graces teacheth vs leadeth vs into all trueth comforteth vs with heauenly consolations in all distresses What a great mercy was it when Christ opened the eyes of the blinde or healed the deafe and lame yea or when hee raised Lazarus being dead but God regenerating vs by his Spirit doeth all these for vs he giues sight to vs being blinde sayth to our deafe eares Be open yea restores vs to life being dead in trespasses and sinnes and makes vs able to mooue and stirre in good wayes Those great workes of the Sonne of God were all miraculous but heere is a miracle aboue them all yea one mercy consisting of many miracles Thirdly What a mercy is it not onely to giue them his word as hee doth also to the wicked but also to make it the immortall seede of their new birth and the syncere milke to feede them to make it a preseruatiue from many great sinnes which the wicked daily commit open and secret to put it into their handes as a sword to cut off Satans temptations to make it vnto them a rule of faith and a rule of life able to make the man of God perfect to euery good worke to make it a sound stay and comfort to support them in all their troubles wherein else they must needs sinke In this respect the child of God is compassed with a multitude of mercies all which the wicked are strangers vnto Fourthly What an inexhaust treasure of mercy is it that the godly enioy that whereas God heareth not sinners that is wicked ones he not onely giueth them leaue to come freely to the throne of Grace to aske any good thing for them but also much assurance in their soules of obtaining any thing they aske because of his promise Aske and yee shall haue If earthly fathers can giue good things to their children much more will our heauenly Father giue not onely what we aske but euen abundantly aboue that we are able to aske or to thinke Ephes. 3. 20. Can that man bee other then beset with mercy who hath a meanes to get within Gods store-house and treasury when hee will Can hee that is able by the prayer of faith with Israel to preuaile with God want abundance of blessings Great is the power of feruent prayer for mercy It can obtaine and force the sunne to stand still It can commaund the cloudes to raine or not to raine It can get children for the barren and life to the dead and if our prayer be weake Christs intercession hath power enough for vs Iohn 11. 22 42. Oh that wicked men knew the power of prayer how quickely then would they come to Gods mercy-gate Fiftly What a mercy is it peculiar to the Saints to haue peace of conscience and ioy of their estate that whereas wicked men are often vexed euer lyable to infinite horrors feares and inward torments which are the beginnings of hell they beeing iustified by faith haue peace with God the spirit of bondage and feare and tumult is gone and the spirit of adoption dwells in their hearts which makes them cry Abba Father Rom. 8. 15. And whereas the wicked haue no peace but a senslesse vnfeelingnesse of their estate the godly haue peace in them which as the Apostle saith passeth vnderstanding because first neither can the vnderstanding of man sufficiently conceiue it Secondly neither can the vnderstanding of man sufficiently esteeme or prize it according to the worth and value of it plainly implying it to bee such a mercy as for the greatnesse ouerwhelmes him that hath it an infinite and vnbounded mercy called the peace of God which hee beginneth and maintaineth heere and perfecteth and preserueth for all eternity But how standeth this with all those euills and miseries with which the godly are beset in this life Can they be beset both with misery and mercy too This is a sixt and last mercie therfore special to them that they are neuer more compassed with mercie then when they seeme most miserable Habak 3. 2. The Lord in iudgement remembreth mercie For first nothing is properly euill but that which comes from diuine reuenge but nothing comes so vpon the godly Christ hath carried away all the reuenge of their sinnes so that their crosses come from mercie Secondly they are attended with mercy for God hath first fitted his seruants for afflictions before he brings them Religion hath patience which if the house be not filled with plenty makes a sallet of green herbs more daintie thē the sweetest dishes of wicked men it hath strength aboue which the triall shall not be it hath subiection and silence to God and can blesse him both in giuing and in taking away Thirdly Gods mercy reioyceth in iudgement against iudgement three waies first magnifying himselfe secondly training his chosen thirdly teaching others and all by the troubles of his children The first in two respects first when iudgement begins at Gods house he declares his hatred against sinne and mercifully by
crooked a good signe of a right heart is to descrie and discouer but not without true sorrow and griefe the crookednesse and hypocrisie of it and to labour to correct and reforme it Psal. 119. 80. Let my heart be vpright in thy statutes that I bee not ashamed a right line shames a crooked crooked legges are ashamed to bee seene when a man feares and is ashamed of his hypocrisie and crookednesse and euer tendeth to straightnesse it is a good note of some rightnesse of heart Thirdly consider the things which flow from the heart if they be single and pure warrantable and right then a man may know his heart is vpright for such as the fruit is such is the tree if thou feedest on forbidden fruit thou art a bad tree and thy heart farre from vprightnesse an vpright heart suffereth not rotten speeches in the mouth idlenesse in the hand iniustice in the life drunkennesse in the braine and disorder in the course Fourthly consider the ends and aimes of our actions the vpright heart aimeth directly at Gods glory in all things but the crooked heart propoundeth euer some crooked end and sinister respect vnto good actions as many come to Church get knowledge and professe Religion for vaine glorie and vaine ends some thrust among godly persons and into good companie not because they are good or would be good but because they would be thought so Fiftly consider if thy heart be the same in priuate as it would be thought in publike Psal. 101. Dauid will walke wisely in the perfect way in the midst of his house and the conuersation of the Saints hath beene alwayes like it selfe Abraham walked in vprightnesse before God according to the Commandement Gen. 17. 1. how did he reforme his house teach his familie instruct his seruants and take God with him in prouiding a wife for Isaac and in all things Gen. 24. 63. Isaac was the same in the field as he was in the house he went out into the field to pray saith the Text. Daniel was the same after the dangerous Law that he was before he opened his windowes thrice a day as he was accustomed So vpright was Paul in his whole course as he knew nothing by himselfe 1. Cor. 4. 4. A good heart sets God often in sight as well in the Chamber as in the Church Dauid set the Lord euer in his sight and at his right hand It is as seuere and zealous against his owne crookednesse as any other and will not swallow small sinnes no more then great seeing Gods pure eyes are set vpon and against both Vprightnesse is in euery thing alike without and within it is not worse in substance then in shew nay it is better It seekes to approue it selfe before God and al men first to God whose eye is more respected then if all the world looked on and then to all men but so as if none but God looked on them It desireth to purge it selfe from all filthinesse of flesh and spirit and to grow vp to full holinesse in the feare of God That man that findes these notes in him may be a glad man nay he must be a glad man according as it followes in the Text Be glad yee righteous from the connexion of the persons to this duetie we may note that Only the godly man can truely reioyce with sound and lasting ioy Isa. 65. 13. My seruants shall reioyce and yee shall be ashamed my seruants shall sing for ioy of heart and yee shall crie for sorrow of heart and howle for vexation of spirit The stranger shall not enter into his ioy Prou. 14. 10. and it is called the ioy of Gods people Thus the Scriptures euer limit this ioy to the faithfull Psal. 40. 16. Let them that seeke the Lord reioyce and Prou. 29. 6. In the transgression of an euill man is his snare but the righteous doth sing and reioyce The reasons of this doctrine are these First because none else are commanded to ioy but the godly none else haue warrant to reioyce where doe we reade that a wicked man is bid to ioy and indeed what cause is there that he should be so bid What troubles him his sinne troubles him not it is his hearts delight not temptations for he swallowes them all not his conscience for it is asleepe not the world for it is his Darling not the Deuill for he is not cruell in his owne house not outward afflictions for he will not endure any al things are at peace with him he mournes not and therefore needes not be called to comfort the promise is Blessed are they that mourne and are troubled and persecuted for the name of Christ for they shall be comforted Nay he is called from ioy to howling Iam. 5. 1. he is alreadie glutted and drowned in worldly delights and carnall ioy from which he is euerywhere called yea a woe is pronounced on him Luc. 6. 25. Woe be to you that reioyce now for yee shall mourne and weepe Secondly onely the godly haue cause to reioyce for First they only haue the presence and fruition of the chiefe good which is God himselfe and are in couenant with God by vertue whereof they are interessed in all the good things of heauen and earth as a wife in the goods of her husband Here is a great cause of ioy indeede a godly man hath gotten this cause of ioy and therefore he may lawfully reioyce Secondly they only know that their names are written in the booke of Life which is a truer cause of ioy by our Sauiours testimonie then if by the gift of miracles they were able to subdue the Deuills Luc. 10. 20. Reioyce not in this but that your names are written in the booke of Life And then the godly know their names to be written in that booke when they write their owne names in Gods booke by becomming beleeuers for faith giues them priuiledge to be the sons of God Ioh. 1. 12. Thirdly they only haue escaped and are set free from the infinite euills and sorrowes of sinne with which all other besides themselues are beset and bound ouer to damnation And therefore as Israel hauing escaped the Sea the Mountaynes and Egyptians and gotten out of Egypt it selfe sang and reioyced Exod. 15. 1. so haue all the Israel of God being set free from hell and sinne and sinners and the curse of sinne iust cause of ioy and gladnesse which all but they want Fourthly only they haue the Spirit of God the Author and Preseruer of this ioy which is therefore called the ioy of the Holy Ghost only they are anointed with the oyle of gladnesse and clothed with the garment of gladnesse and haue the Spirit of comfort sent into their soules who is the Moouer of this ioy and not so much maketh our Spirits reioyce as himselfe reioyceth in vs as he is said not to make vs make requests but to make requests in vs