secret hypocrisie whoredome prophannesse and with shame in thy face come before this God for pardon and mercy Admire and wonder at his patience that having seene thee hath not damned thee 8. Hee is a True God whereby he meanes to doe as he saith Let every Child of God therefore know to his comfort that those things which hee hath not under feelings but under a promise shall one day be all made good and let all wicked men know what ever threatning God hath denounced whatsoever Arrowes are in the bow-string will one day fly and hit and strike deepe and the longer the Lord is a drawing the deeper wound will Gods arrow that is Gods threatning make 9. Hee is an holy God Be not ashamed therefore of holinesse which if it ascend above the common straine of honesty the blind and mad world accounts it madnesse If the righteous that is those that bee most holy bee scarcely saved where shall the ungodly and the sinner appeare 1 Peter 4. 18. Where Not before Saints and Angels for holinesse is their trade Not before the face of the man Christ Iesus for holinesse was his meate and drinke Not before the face of a blessed God for holinesse is his Nature Not in Heaven for no uncleane thing crawles there they shall never see God Christ Saints Angels or Heaven to their comfort that are not holy weare therefore that as thy crowne now which will be thy glory in Heaven and if this bee to be vile be more vile 10. He is a just and mercifull God just in himselfe and so will punish all sinne mercifull in the face of Christ and so will punish no sinne A just GOD against an hard-hearted sinner a mercifull God towards an humble sinner God is not all Mercy and no Justice nor all Justice and no Mercy Submit to him his mercy embraceth thee Resist him his justice pursues thee When a Child of God is humbled indeed commonly hee makes God a hard-hearted cruell God loth to helpe and saith can such a sinner bee pardoned a wicked man that was never humbled makes God a God of clouts one that howsoever he speaks heavie words yet he is a mercifull God and will not doe as he saith and hee findes it no difficult worke to beleeve the greatest sinne may be pardoned conceive therefore of him as you have heard Thirdly God is glorious in his Persons which are three Father begetting Sonne begotten and the Holy Ghost the third person proceeding Here the Father is called the Father of glory Eph. 1. Christ is called the Lord of glory 1 Cor. 2. and the Spirit is called the Spirit of glory 1 Pet. 4. the Father is glorious in his great work of Election the Son is glorious in his worke of Redemption the Holy Ghost is glorious in his work of Application the Father is glorious in choosing the house the Son is glorious in buying the House the Spirit is glorious in dwelling in the House that is the heart of a poore lost sinner 4. He is glorious in his Works in his works of Creation and in his workes of providence and government wonder therefore that he should so vouchsafe to looke upon such wormes such dunghils such Lepers as we are to provide protect to slay his Sonne to call to strive to waite to give away himselfe and all that he is worth unto us O feare this God when you come before him People come before God in Prayer as before their fellowes or as before an Idoll People tremble not at his voyce in the Word A King or Monarch will bee served in state yet how rudely how slovenly do men goe about every holy duty Thus much of the first Principall Head that there is One most glorious God Now we are to proceede to the second viz. CHAP. II. THat this God made all mankind at first in a most glorious and happy estate like unto himselfe For the opening of which Assertion I have chosen this Text Eccles. 7. 29. God made man righteous which clearely demonstrates That GOD made all mankind at first in Adam in a most glorious happy and righteous estate Man when he came first out of Gods mint shined most glorious There 's a marvellous glory in all Creatures the servants and houshold stuffe of man therfore there was a greater glory in man himselfe the end of them God calleth a Parliament and gathers a Councell when man was to bee made and said Come let us make man in our owne Image as though all the Wisedome of the Trinity should be seene in the creation of man Wherein did the glory or blessednesse of man appeare In the impression of Gods Image upon him Gen. 1. 26. Can there be any greater glory for a Ioseph for a subject than to be like his Prince What was the Image of God The Schoolmen and Fathers have many curious yet some necessary though difficult questions about this I will omit all theirs and tell you only what is the APOSTLES judgement Colossians 3. 20. out of which this generall description of GOD s Image may bee thus gathered It is mans perfection of Holinesse resembling GODs admirable holinesse whereby onely man plâ—aseth God For all other inferiour Creatures did carry the workes and footsteps of GODs power wisedome goodnesse whereby all these Attributes were seene Now the most perfect Attributes of God that is his Holinesse that hee would have onely appeare in and be made manifest by man his best inferior creature as a Kings wisedome and bounty appeares in managing the affaires of all his Kingdome but his Royal Princely and most eminent perfections appeare in the face and disposition of his Sonne next under him But more particularly this Image of GOD appeared in these foure particulars 1. In mans understanding this was like unto Gods Now Gods Image here chiefly consisted in this particular viz. As God saw himselfe and beheld his owne infinite endlesse glory and excellency so man was privie to Gods excellency and saw God most gloriously as Moses though a sinfull man saw him face to face much more Adam a perfect man God loving man could doe no lesse than reveale himselfe to man 2. In his Affections the image of God chiefly appeared in two things First As God seeing himselfe loved himselfe So Adam seeing God loved this God more than the World more than himselfe as Iron put into the fire seemes to bee nothing but fire So Adam being beloved of God was turned into a lumpe of love to love GOD againe Secondly As God delighted in himselfe So did Adam delight in God tooke sweete repose in the boâ—ome of GOD. Mee thinkes I see Adam wrapt up in continuall extasies in having this God 3. In his Will the Image of God chiefely appeared in two things First As GOD onely willed Himselfe as his last end So did Adam will GOD as his last end not as man doth now Secondly As God willed nothing but
his glory If men did see him they would speak of him who speakes of God Nay men cannot speake to God but as beggers have learned to cant so many a man to pray Oh men see not God in prayer therefore they cannot speake to God by prayer Men sin and God frownes which makes the devils to quake yet mens hearts shake not because they see him not Vse 3. Oh make choice of this God as thy God What though there bee a God if it be not thy God what art thou the better Downe with all thy Idoll gods and set up this God If there be any creature that ever did thee any good that God fet not a work for thy good love that think on that as thy God If there be any thing that can give thee any succour on thy death-bed or when thou art departed from this world take that to be thy God Thou mightest have beene borne in Iâ—dea and never have heard of this true Goâ— but worshipped the Devill for thy God O therefore make choyce of him alone to be thy God give away thy selfe wholly and for ever to him and he will give away his whole selfe everlastingly unto thee Seeke him weeping and thou shalt find him Binde thy selfe by the Strongest oathes and bonds in covenant to be his and hee will enter into covenant with thee and so be thine Ier. 40. 5. The fourth use is an use of comfort to them that forsake all for this God thou hast not lost all for nought thou hast not cast away substance for shadowes but shadowes for somewhat Proverbs 8. 18. When all comfort is gone there is a GOD to comfort thee When thou hast no rest here there is a God to rest in when thou art dead hee can quicken thee when thou art weak he is strong and when friends are gone he will bee a sure one to thee Thus much of the first part of this Doctrine or Divine truth that there is a God Now it followeth to shew you that this God is a most glorious God and that in foure things hee is glorious 1. In his ESSENCE 2. In his ATTRIEUTES 3. In his PERSONS 4. In his WORKES 1. Hee is Glorious in his Essence Now what this Glory is no man or Angell hath doth or ever shall know their cockle-shell can never comprehend this sea he must have the wisedome of God and so bee a God that comprehendeth the Essence of God but though it cannot be comprehenâ—ed what it is yet it may be apprehended that it is incomprehensible and glorious which makes his glory to be the more admired as wee admire the lustre of the Sunne the more in that is is so great we cannot behold it 2. God is Glorious in his Attributes which are those Divine perfections wherby he makes himselfe knowne unto us Which Attributes are not qualities in God but natures Gods Wisedome is GOD Himselfe and GODs Power is GOD Himselfe c. Neither are they diverse things in God but they are divers onely in regard of our understanding and in regard of their different effects on different objects GOD punishing the wicked is the justice of GOD God compassionating the miserable is the mercy of God Now the Attributes of God omitting curious divisions are these 1. He is a Spirit or a spirituall God Iohn 4. 24. therefore abhorres all worship and all duties performed without the influence of the spirit as to confesse thy sins without shame or sorrow and to say the Lords Prayer without understanding to heare the word that thou mayest onely know more and not that thou mayest bee affected more oh these carkasses of holy duties are most odious sacrifices before God 2. He is a living God whereby he liveth of himselfe and gives life to all other things Away then with thy dead heart to this principle of life to quicken thee that his Almighty power may pluck thee out of thy Sepulchre unloose thy grave-lockes that so thou mayest live 3. Hee is an infinite God whereby he is without limits of being 2 Chron. 6. 18. Horrible then is the least sinne that strikes an infinite great God and lamentable is the estate of all those with whom this God is angry thou hast infinite goodnesse to forsake thee and infinite power and wrath to set against thee 4. Hee is an Eternall God without beginning or end of being Psal. 80. 1. Great therefore is the folly of those men that preferre a little short pleasure before this eternall God that like Esau sell away an everlasting inheritance for a little pottage for a base lust and the pleasure of it 5. He is an all-sufficient God Genesis 17. 1. what lacke you therefore you that would faine have this GOD and the love of this God but you are loath to take the paines to finde him or to bee at cost to purchase him with the losse of all Heerâ—s infinite Eternall present sweetnesse goodnesse grace glory and mercy to bee found in this GOD. Why post you from mountaine to hill why spend you your money your thoughts time endeavours on things that satisfie not Here is thy resting place Thy cloathes may warme thee but they cannot feede thee thy meate may feede thee but cannot heale thee thy Physicke may heale thee but cannot maintaine thee thy money may maintaine thee but cannot comfort thee when distresses of Conscience and anguish of heart come upon thee this GOD is joy in sadnesse light in darknesse life in death Heaven in Hell Here is all thine eye ever saw thine heart ever desired thy tongue ever asked thy minde ever conceived Here is all light in this Sunne and all Water in this Sea out of whom as out of a Christall fountaine thou shalt drinke downe all the refined sweetnesse of all Creatures in heaven and earth for ever and ever All the world is now seeking and tyring out themselves for rest here only it can be found 6. He is an omnipotent God whereby he can doe what ever he will yeeld therefore and stand not out in the sinfull or subtile close maintenance of any one sinne against this God so powerfull who can crush thee at his pleasure 7. Hee is an all-seeing God Hee knowes what possibly can bee or may bee knowne approve thy selfe therefore to this God only in all thy wayes It 's no matter what men say censure or thinke of thee It 's no matter what thy fellow Actors on this stage of the world imagine GOD is the great Spectator that beholds thee in every place God is thy spye and takes compleate notice of all the actions of thy life and they are in print in heaven which that great spectator and Judge will open at the great day and â—â—â—de alowed in the eares of all the World Feare to sinne therefore in secret unlesse thou canst find out some darke hole where the eye of God cannot discerne thee Mourne for thy secret neglect of holy duties mourn for thy
every swine hath his swill and every wicked man his lust for no unregenerate man hath fruition of God to content him and there is no mans heart but it must have some good to coÌ„tent it which good is to be found onely in the Fountaine of all good and that is God or in the cisterne and that is in the creatures hence a man having lost full content in God he seekes for and feeds upoÌ„ contentment in the creature which he makes a God to him and here lyes his lust or sinne which he must needs live in Hence aske those men that goe very farre and take their penny for good silver and commend themselves for their good desires I say aske them if they have no sinne Yes say they who can live without sinne and so they give way to sinne and therefore live in sinne Nay commonly all the duties prayers care and zeale of the best Hypocrites are to hide a lust as the whore in the Proverbes that wipes her mouth and goes to the Temple and payes her vowes or to feed their lusts as Iehu his zeale against Baal was to get a Kingdome There remaines a root of bitternesse in the best Hypocrites which howsoever it be lopt off sometimes by sicknesse or horrour of conscience and a man hath purposes never to commit it againe yet there it secretly lurkes and though it seemeth to be bound and conquered by the Word or by prayer or by outward crosses or while the hand of God is upon a man yet the inward strength and power of it remains still and therefore when Temptations like strong Philistines are upon this man againe he breakes all vowes promises bonds of God and will save the life of his sinne Secondly no unregenerate man or woman ever came to be poore in spirit and so to be carried out of all duties unto Christ if it were possible for them to forsake and breake loose for ever from all sinne yet here they sticke as the Scribes and Pharisees and so like zealous Paul before his conversion they fasted and prayed and kept the Sabbath but they rested in their legall righteousnesse and in the performance of these and the like duties Take the best Hypocâ—ite that hath â—he most strong perswasions of Gods love to him and aske him why he hopes to be saved He will answer I pray reade heare love good men cry out of the sinnes of the time And tell him againe that an Hypocrite may climbe these staires and goe as farre Hee will reply True indeed but they doe not what they doe with a sound heart but to be seene of men Marke now how these men feele a good heart in themselves and in all things they doe and therefore feele not a want of all good which is poverty of spirit and therefore here they fall short Isa. 66. 2. there were divers Hypocrites forward for the worship of God in the Temple but God loathes these because not poore in Spirit to them onely it is said the Lord will looke I have seene many Professors very forward for all good duties but as ignorant of Christ when they are sifted as blocks And if a man as few doe know not Christ he must rest in his duties because he knowes not Christ to whom he must goe and be carried if ever he be saved I have heard of a man that being condemned to dye thought to be saved from the Gallowes and to save himselfe from hanging by a certaine gift he said he had of whisâ—ling so men seeke to save themselves by their gifts of knowledge gifts of memory gifts of prayer and when they see they must dye for their sinnes this is the ruine of many a soule that though he forsake Aegypt and his sinnes and flesh-pots there and will never be so as he hath beene yet he never commeth into Canaan but loseth himselfe and his soule in a wildernesse of many duties and there perisheth Thirdly if any unrâ—generate man come unto Christ he never gets into Christ that is never takes up his eternall rest and lodging in any thing else but Jesus Christ Heb. 4 4. Iudas followed Christ for the bagge he would have the bagge and Christ too The Young man came unto Christ to be his Disciple but he would have Christ aâ—d the world too they will not content themselves with Christ alone nor with the world alone but make their markets out of both like whorish wives that will please their husbands and others too Men in distresse of conscience if they have comfort from Christ they are contented if they have salvation from hell by Christ they are contented but Christ himselfe contents them not Thus farre an Hypocrite goes not So much for the first Doctrine observed out of the Text. I come now to the second Doct. 2. That those that are saved are saved with much difficulty or it is a wonderfull hard thing to be saved The gate is straight and therefore a man must sweat and strive to enter both the entrance is difficult and the progresse of salvation too Jesus Christ is not got with a wet finger It is not wishing and desiring to be saved will bring men to heaven hells mouth is full of good wishes It is not shedding a teare at a Sermon or blubbering now and then in a corner and saying over thy prayers and crying God mercy for thy sinnes will save thee It is not Lord have mercy upon us will doe thee good It is not comming constantly to Church these are easie matters But it is a tough work a wonderfull hard matter to be saved 1 Pet. 4. 18. Hence the way to Heaven is compared to a race where a man must put forth all his strength and streâ—ch every limbe and all to get forward Hence a Christians life is compared to wrastling Ephe. 6. 12. All the policy and power of hell buckle together against a Christian therefore he must looke to himselfe or else he falls Hence it is compared to fighting 2 Tim. 4. 7. a man must fight against the Devill the world himselfe who shoot poysoned bullets in the soule where a man must kill or be killed God hath not lined the way to Christ with velvet noâ— strewed it with rushes He will never feed a slothâ—ull humour in man who will be saved if Christ and Heaven would drop in their mouthes and if any would beare their chaâ—ges thither If Christ might be bought for a few cold wishes and lazy dâ—sires he would be of small reckoning amongst men who would say lightly come lightly goe Indeed Christs yoke is easie in it selfe and when a man is got into Christ nothing is so sweet but for a carnall dull heart it is hard to draw in it for There are foure straight gates which every one must passe through before he can enter into Heaven There is 1. the straight gate of Humiliation God saveth none but first he humbleth them now it is hard to passe through the gates
quiet but shaking him up for what he doth but by giving men respite from sinning for a time Satan getteth stronger possession afterwards as Matth. 12. 43. When the uncleane spirit is gone out of a man it returnes worse Sampsons strength alwayes remained and so doth sinnes strength in a naturall man but it never appeares untill temptation come Fifthly By giving the soule faire promises of Heaven and eternall life and fastning them upon the heart Most men are confident their estate is good and though God kills them yet will they trust in him and cannot be beaten from this Why oh Satan bewitcheth them For as he told Evah by the Serpent shee should not dye so doth he infinuate his perswasions to the soule though it live in sinne he shall not dye but doe well enough as the precisest Satan gives thus good words but wofull wages the eternall flashes of Hell II. By false Teachers Who partly by their loose examples partly by their flattering doctrines in publike and their large charitie in private dawbing up every one especially that is a good friend unto them for honest and religious people and if they be but a little troubled applying comfort presently and so healing them that should be wounded and not telling them roundly of their Herodias as Iohn Baptist did Herod Hereupon they judge themselves honest because the Minister will give them the beggerly pasport and so they goe out of the world and dye like Lambes being wofully cheated Matth. 24. 11. Looke abroad in the world and see what is the reason so many feed their hearts with confidence they shall be saved yet their lives condemne them and their hearts acquit them the reason is such and such a Minister will goe to the Ale-house and he never prayes in his Family and he is none of these precise hot people and yet as honest a man as ever lives and a good Divine too Ahab was miserably cheated by foure hundred false Prophets Whilst the Minister is of a loose life himselfe he will winke at others and their faults least in reproving them he should condemne himselfe and others should say unto him Physitian heale thy selfe Theeves of the same company will not steale from one another least they trouble thereby themselves and hence they give others false Cards to saile by false Rules to live by their unconscionable large charitie is like a gulfe that swalloweth Ships soules I meane tossed with tempests and not comforted Isa. 54. 7 8. and hence all being fish that commeth to their net all men thinke so of themselves III. A false spirit This is a third cause that begets a false peace as there is a true Spirit that witnesseth to our spirits that wee are Sonnes of God Rom. 8. 16. So there is a false spirit just like the true one witnessing that they are the Sonnes of GOD 1 Iohn 4. 1. we are bid to try the spirits now if these spirits were not like Gods true Spirit what need tryall As what need one try whether dirt be gold which are so unlike to each other And this spirit I take to be set downe Matth. 24. 23. Now looke as the true Spirit witnesseth so the false spirit being like it witnesseth also First The Spirit of God humbles the soule So before men have the witnesse of the false spirit they are mightily cast downe and dejected in spirit and hereupon they pray for ease and purpose to lead new lives and cast away the weapons and submit Psal. 66. 3. Secondly the Spirit of God in the Gospel reveales Jesus Christ and his willingnesse to save so the false spirit discovereth Christs excellency and willingnesse to receive him if he will but come in It fateth with this soule as with Surveyors of Lands that take an exact compasse of other mens grounds of which they shall never enjoy a Foot So did Balaam Num. 24. 5 6. this false spirit sheweth them the glory of Heaven and Gods people Thirdly Hereupon the soule commeth to be affected and to taste the goodnesse and sweetnesse of Jesus Christ as those did Heb 6. and the soule breakes out into a passionate admiration Oh â— that ever there should be any hope for such a vile wretch as I am and have been and so joyes exceedingly like a man halfe way wrapt up into Heaven Fourthly Hereupon the soule being comforted after it was wounded now calleth God my God and Christ my sweet Saviour and now it doubts not but it shall be saved why because I have received much comfort after much sorrow and doubting Hos. 8. 2 3. and yet remaines a deluded miserable creature still But here marke the difference betweene the witnesse of each spirit The false spirit makes a man beleeve he is in the state of grace and shall be saved because he hath tasted of Christ and so hath been comforted and that abundantly But the true Spirit perswades a man his estate is good and safe because he hath not onely tasted but bought this Christ as the wise Merchant in the Gospel that rejoyced he had found the pearle but yet stayes not here but sells away all and buyes the pearle Like two Chapmen that come to buy Wine the one tasts it and goeth away in a drunken fit and so concludes it is his So a man doth that hath the false spirit but the true spirited man doth not onely taste but buyes the Wine although he doe not drinke it all downe when he coÌ„meth to taste it yet he having been incited by tasting to buy it now he calls it his owne So a child of God tasting a little of God and a little of Christ and a little of the promises at his first conversion although he tastes not all the sweetnesse that is in God yet he forsakes all for God for Christ and so takes them lawfully as his owne Againe the false spirit having given a man comfort and peace suffers a man to rest in that estate but the true spirit having made the soule taste the Love of the Lord stirreth up the soule to doe and worke mightily for the Lord. Now the soule cryeth out What shall I doe for Christ that hath done wonders for me if every haire on my head were a tongue to speake of his goodnesse it were too little Nehem 8. 10. the joy of the Lord is our strength Psal. 51. 12. Vphold me with thy free spirit or as the Chaldean paraphrase hath it thy kingly spirit the Spirit of Adoption in Gods childe is no underling suffering men to lye downe and cry my desires are good but flesh is fraile No It is a kingly spirit that raignes where it liveth IV. False applying of true promises is the last cause of false peace And when a man hath Gods Spirit within and Gods hand and promise as he thinks for his estâ—â—e now he thinkes all safe Thus did the Iewes they said Wee have Abraham to our Father and so reputed themselves safe God having made them promise
wrath present to them if they see it not ready every moment to light upon their hearts they are never melted but thâ—y remaine hard-hearted secure sleepy wretches and never groane to come out of their woâ—full estate and this is the reason why many men that have guilâ—y consoiences thought they have many secret wishes and purposes to bee better yet never cry out of themselves nor ever seeke earnestly for mercy till they lie upon their death-bed and then oh the promises that they ply God with try me Lord restore me once more to my health and life againe and thou shalt see how thankfull I will be because that now they apprehend wrath and misery neare unto them Heb. 3. 13. Thirdly Because they thinke they can beare Gods wrath though they doe conceive it neare at hand even at the very doores men thinke not that Hell is so hot nor the devill so black nor God so terrible as in deede he is And hence wee shall observe the Prophets present Gods wrath as a thing intolerable before the eyes of the people that thereby they might quench all those cursed conceits of being able to beare Gods wrath Nahum 1. 6. and hence we shall have many men desperately conclude they will have their swinge in sinne and if they perish they hope they shall be able to beare it it is but a damning they thinke and hence they goe on securely O poore wretches the devill scares and feares all the world and at Gods wrath the devills quake and yet secure men feare it not they thinke hell is not so terrible a place Fourthly because they know no better an estate Hence though they feele their wofull and miserable condition yet they desire not to come out of it Although men finde hard lodging in the world hard times hard friends hard hearts yet they make a shift with what they finde in this miserable Inne untill they come to Hell for such a man pursued by outward miseries or inward troubles there stayes O miserable man that makes shift till he come to Hell They may heare of the happy estate of GODS people but not knowing of it experimentally they stay where they are Ioh. 4. 14. Take a Princes childe and bring it up in a base house and place it never aspires after a Kingdome or Crowne So men hatcht in this world knowing no better an estate never cast about them to get a better inheritance than that they scramble for here Wives mourne for the long absence of their beloved Husbands because they know them and their worth God may absent himself from men weeks months yeares but men shed not one teare for it because they never tasted the sweetnesse of his presence It is strange to see men take more content in their cups and cards pots and pipes dogges and hawkes than in the fellowship of God and Christ in Word in Prayer in Meditation which Ordinances are burdens and prisons unto them What is the reason of it Is there no more sweetnesse in the presence of Gods smiling in Christ than in a filthy Whore Yes but they know not the worth sweetnesse satisfying goodnesse of a God yet into fresh waters they will never returne because now they taste a large difference of each estate So it is here if men did but once taste of the happinesse of Gods people they would not for a thousand worlds be one halfe houre in their wild loose Sea agaiâ— e. Fifthly because if they doe know a better estate yet their present pleasures their sloth doth so bewitch them and Gods denyals when they seeke unto him doe so farre discourage them that they sleepe still securely in that estate A flothfull heart bewitched with present ease and pleasures and delights considering many a teare many a prayer must it make many a night must it breake its sleepe many a weary step must it take towards heaven and Christ if ever it come there growes discouraged and deaded and hard-hearted in a sleepy estate and had rather have a bird in the hand then two in the bush Prov. 1. 32. Ier. 48. 11. The Israelites wished that they were at their Onyons and garlike againe in Egypt Was there no Canaan yes but they wished thus because there were walls built up to heaven and Giants sonnes of Anack in the Land difficulties to overcome O slothfull hearts Secondly because God sometime put them to straights and denied them what they sought for they were of such a waspish teasty sullen spirit that because the Lord had them not alwayes on his knees they would runne away so many a man meets with sorrow enough in his sinfull dropsie drunken estate he heares of heaven and a better estate yet why goes he to his lusts and flesh pots againe Oh! because there are so many difficulties and blockes and hindrances in his way and because they pray and finde not ease therefore they eate drinke laugh sport and sleepe in their miserable estate still Matth. 7. 14. therefore men walke in the broad way because the other way to life is straight and narrow it is a plague a burden a prison to be so strict men had rather sit almost an houre in the stockes than be an houre at prayer men had rather be damned at last than sweat it out and runne through the race to receive a Crowne and hence men remaine secure Sixthly because of the strange strong power of sin which beares that sway over mens soules that they must serve it as prisoners stoope to their Jaylor as souldiers that have taken their pay their pleasure of sinne must follow it as their Captaine though they goe marching on to eternall ruine nay though Doomes day should be to morrow yet they must and will â—erve their lusts As the Sodomites when they were smitten with blindnesse which tormented their eyes as though they had beene pricked with thornes for so the Hebrew word signifies even when destruction was neare they groped for the doore Men cannot but sin though they perish for sinne hence they remaine secure Seventhly Despaire of Gods mercy hence like Cain men are Runnagates from the face of God men thinke they shall never finde mercy when all is done hence they grow desperately sinfull like those Italian Senators that despairing of their lives when upon submission they had been promised their lives yet being â—onscious of their villany made a curious banquet at the end of it every man dranke up his glasse of poyson killed himselfe so men feeling such horrible hard hearts and being privie to such notorious sinnes they cast away lives and heaven and soules for lust and so perish wofully because they lived desperately and so securely Eighthly Because men nourish a blinde false flattering hope of Gods mercy hence many knowing and suspecting that all is naught with them yet having some hope they may be in a good estate and God may love them hence they lie downe securely and rest
in their flattering hope Hence observe those people that feldome come to a conclusion to a point that either they are in the state of grace or out of it that never come to be affected but remaine secure in their condition they commonly grow to this desperate conclusion that they hope God will be mercifull unto them if not they cannot helpe it like the man that had on his Target the picture of God and the Devill under the first he writ si tu non vis if thou wilt not under the other he writ ipse rogitat here 's one will Ninthly because men bring not their hearts under the hammer of Gods word to be broken they never bring their consciences to be cut Hence they goe on still securely with festered consciences Men put themselves above the word and their hearts above the hammer they come not to have the Minister to humble them but to judge of him or to pick some pretty fine thing out of the word and so remaine secure sotts all their dayes for if ever thy heart be broken and thy conscience be awaked the word must doe it but people are so Sermoâ—trodden that their hearts like foot-paths grow hard by the word Tenthly because men consider not of Gods wrath daily nor the horrible nature of sinne men chew not these pills hence they never come to be affected nor awakened Awaken therefore all you secure creatures feele your misery that so you may get out of it Dost thou know thine estate is naught and that thy condemnation will be fearefull if ever thou dost perish and is thine heart secretly secure so damnably dead so desperately hard that thou hast no heart to come out of it whatâ— no sigh no teares canst thou carry all thy sinnes upon thy backe like Sampson the gates of the Citie and make a light matter of them Dost thou see hell fire before thee and yet wilt venture art thou worse than a beast which we cannot beare nor drive into the fire if there be any way to escape oh get thine heart to lament mourne under thy miseries who knowes then but the Lord may pitty thee But oh hard heart thou canst mourne for losses and crosses burning of goods and houses yet though God be lost and his image burnt downe and all is gone thou canst not mourne If thine heart were truely affected the pillow would be washed with thy teares and the wife in thy bosome would be witnesse to thine heart-breakings in mid-night for those sinnes which have grieved the spirit of God many a time thou couldest not sleepe quietly nor comfortably without assurance If you were sicke to death Physitians should heare how you doe and if you were humbled we should have you in the bitternesse of your spirits cry out What shall we doe but know it thou must mourne here or in hell If God broke Davids bones for his adultery and the Angels backes for their pride the Lord if ever he saves thee will breake thine heart too Quest. But thou wilt say how shall I doe to get mine heart affected with my misery Answ. Take a full view of thy misery 2. Take speciall notice of the Lords readinesse and willingnesse to receive thee yet unto mercy for two things harden the heart 1. false hope whereby a man hopes he is not so bad as indeed he is â— No hope whereby a man when he seeth himselfe so notoriously bad thinkes there is no willingnesse in the Lord to pardon or receive such a monster of men to mercy and if neither the hammer can breake thy stony heart nor the Sunshine of mercy melt it thou hast an heart worse than the Devill and art a spectacle of the greatest misery 1. In regard of sinne 2. in regard of Gods wrath First in regard of sinne Thou hast sinned and that grievously against a great God thou makest no great matter of this No but though it be no loade to thee it 's a loade on the Lords heart Isa. 1. 24. and time will come he will make the whole sinfull world by rivers of fire and bloud to know what an evill it is For 1. In every sin thou dost strike God and fling a dagger at the heart of God 2. In every sin thou dost spight against God for if there were but one onely thing wherein a man could doe his friend a displeasure was not here spight seene if he did that thing Now tell me hath not the Lord beene a good friend unto thee Tell mee wherein hath hee grieved thee and tell me in what one thing canst thou please the devill and doe God a displeasure but by sinne yet O hard heart thou makest nothing of it but consider thirdly in every sin thou dost disthrone God and setteth thy selfe above God for in every sinne this question is put whose will shall be done Gods will or mans Now man by sinne sets up his owne will above the Lords and so kicks God blessed for ever adored of millions of Saints and Angels as filth under his feet What will this breake your hearts Consider then of Gods wrath the certainty of it the unsupportablenesse of it how that dying in thy sinnes and secure estate it shall fall for when men cry Peace Peace then commeth sudden destruction at unawares pray therefore to God to reveale this to thee that thine heart may breake under it Secondly consider of the Lords mercy and readinesse to save thee who hath prepared mercy and inâ—reates thee to take it and waiteth every day for thee to that end The third Reason of mans ruine is that carnall confidence whereby men seeke to save themselves and to scramble out of their miserable estate by their owne duties and performances when they doe feele themselves miserable the soule doth as those Hos. 5. 13. men when they be wounded and troubled they never look after Jesus Christ but goe to their owne waters to heale themselves like hunted Harts when the arrow is in them Rom. 9. 31 32. For the opening of this point I shall shew you these two things 1. Wherein this resting in Duties appeares 2. Why doe men rest in themselves First this resting in Duties appeares in these Eleven degrees 1. The soule of a poore sinner if ignorantly bred and brought up rests confidently in superstitious vanities Aske a devout Papist how he hopes to be saved he will answer By his good workes But enquire further what are these good workes why for the most part superstitious ones of their owne inventions for the Crow thinkes her owne bird fairest as whipping themselves pilgrimage fasting mumbling over their Pater-nosters bowing downe to Images and Crosses 2. Now these being banished from the Church and Kingdome then men stand upon their titular profession of the true Religion although they be Devills incarnate in their lives Looke up and down the Kingdome you shall see some roaring drinking dicing carding whoring in Tavernes and
Men make a bridge of their own to carry them to Christ I meane they looke not after faith wrought by an omnipotent power which the eternall Spirit of the Lord Jesus must worke in them but they coÌ„tent themselves with a faith of their own forging and framing and hence they thinke verily and beleeve that Christ is their sweet Saviour and so doubt not but they are safe when there is no such matter but even as dogs they snatch away childrens bread and shall be shut out of doores out of heaven hereafter for ever for their labour All men are of this opinion that there is no salvation but by the merits of Jesus Christ and because they hold fast this opinion therefore they thinke they hold fast Iesus Christ in the hand of faith and so perish by catching at their owne catch and hanging on their owne fancy and shadow Some others catch hold of Christ before they come to feele the want of Faith and abilitie to beleeve and catching hold on him like dust on a mans coate whom God will shake off or like burrs and bryers cleaving to ones garment which the Lord will trample under foot now they say they thanke God they have got comfort by this means and though God killeth them yet they will trust unto him Mich. 3. 11. It is in this respect a harder matter to convert a man in England than in India for there they have no such shifts and forts against our Sermons to say they beleeve in Christ already as most amongst us doe wee cannot wrap off mens fingers from catching hold on Christ before they be fit for him like a company of theeves in the street you shall see an hundred hands scrambling for a jewell that is fallen there that have least nay nothing to doe with it Every man saith almost I hope Christ is mine I put my whole trust and confidence in him and will not be beaten from this What must a man despaire must not a man trust unto Christ thus men will hope and trust though they have no ground no graces to prove they may lay hold and claime unto Christ. This hope skared out of his wits damnes thousands for I am perswaded if men did see themselves Christlesse creatures as well as sinfull creatures they would cry out Lord what shall I doe to be saved True faith is a precious faith 2 Pet. 1. 2. precious things cost us much we set them at an high rate if thy Faith be so it hath cost thee many a prayer many a sob many a salt teare But ask most men how they came by their faith in Christ they say very easily when the Lyon sleepes a man may lye and sleepe by it but when it awakens woe to that man that doth so so while God is silent and patient thou mayest befoole thy selfe with thinking thou dost trust unto God but woe to thee when the LORD appeares in his wrath as one day he will for by vertue of this false faith men sinning take Christ as a dish-clout to wipe them cleane againe and that 's all the use they have of this faith They sin indeede but they trust unto Christ for his mercy and so lye still in their sinnes God will revenge with bloud and fire and plagues this horrible contempt from heaven Hence many of you trust unto Christ as the Apricock tree that leanes against the wall but it 's fast rooted in the earth so you leane upon Christ for salvation but you are rooted in the world rooted in your pride rooted in your filthinesse still Woe to you if you perish in this estate God will hew you downe as fuell for his wrath what ever mad hope you have to be saved by Christ. This therefore I proclaime from the God of Heaven to you 1. you that never felt your selves as unable to beleeve as a dead man to raise himselfe you have as yet no faith at all 2. You that would get faith first must feele your inability to beleeve and fetch not this slip out of thine own garden it must come downe from Heaven to thy soule if ever thou partakest thereof Other things I should have spoken of this large subject but I am forced here to end abruptly The Lord lay not this sin to their charge who have stopped my mouth labouring to withhold the truth in unrighteousnesse And blessed be the good God who hath stood by his unworthy servant thus long inabling him to leade you so farre as to shew you the rockes and dangers of your passage to another world FINIS Psal. 73. 1. Psal. 44. 4 Psal. 76 10. 2 Tim. 3. 8 9. Esay 26. 20. Esay 4 32. Esay 41. â—0 11. Revel 9. 2 Revel 1â— 19. Iohn â—1 15 16 â—7 The principall heads infisted upon Plin. lib. 1. Nat. Hist. Rom. 1. Groundes to prove a God Iohn 3. 3 Obj. Answ. Obj. Answ. Vse 1. A discovery of Atheisme Vse 2. Vse 3. Vse 4. Gods Essence An explanation of Gods Attributes Doct. 1. Quest. Ans. Quest. Ans. Eph. 4. 23 The Image of God in Man Prov. 8. Obj. Ans. Vse 1. Vse 2. Vse 3. Vse 4. Vse 5. A threefold reprehension Men that content themselves with a certaine measure of holinesse and go no further Rom. 2. 12 Vse 6. How to gaine the Image of God Rom 6. 7. Mans misery in regard of sin Vse The horrible nature of the first sin The hainousnesse of Adams sinne Secondly dead in sin Best actions of the wicked how sinfull Vse 2. How every Naturall man is dead while he livâ—â— Mar. 23. 37. 38. Fulnesse of sinne Iames 3. 6 Francis Spira Sins of the heart worse than the sins of the life Rom. 7. 4. Every action is sinfull as comming from a Naturall Man Lu. 16. 15 Rom. 3. 13 Isai. 13. 14 Ier. 20. â—3 Deut. 28. Obj. Ans. Why good duties must bee performed though we sin in doing them Mans present miseries Isai. 55. 6. Act. 28. 21. Mans fearfull slavery under Sathan 1 Pet. 2. 9 Mans future Miseries The terrour of mans particular judgement Obj. Ans. Why there must be a day of IudgemeÌ„t Quest. Ans. Quest. Ans. The manner of the last judgement Ecclâ—s ult ult Wherein consists the wrath of God Mat. 25. 41. The scope of knowing our miseries is to be humbled Doct. Quest. Answ. How men are redeemed Dan. 9. 24 Vse 1. Vse 2. Vse 3. Gal. 5. 2. Vse 4. Ob. Answ. The offer of Christ universall and why Mark 16. 15. The offer of Christ universall whâ—rein Ob. Ans. Prov. 9. 4. â— Cor. 5. 20. Pro. 1. 22 23. Obj. Ans. Obj. Ans. Obj. Ans. Obj. Ans. Obj. Ans. Obj. Ans. Obj. Ans. Obj. Ans. Quest. Ans. On what termes Christ may be â—ad Fouresorts of people that reject Christ. The great evill in rejecting Christ. Obj. Ans. Obj. Answ. Obj. Answ. Vse 5. Ob. Answ. Obj. Ans. Doct. 1. Luk. 22. 32. Few saved in all ages Isa. 1. 9. Ioh 1. 12. Rovel 3. 4. Act. 20. 28. 29. 30. Few shall be saved in all places Few shall be saved in England 1 Cor. 1. 29. Luk. 15. 24 25. Vse 1. Tit. 2. 14. Vse 2. Vse 3. Obj. 1. Ans. Obj. 2. Ans. Obj. 3. Ans. Obj. 4. Ans. Ezek. 33. 31 32. Obj. 5. Answ. Obj. 6. Answ. Obj. 7. Answ. Obj. 8. Ans. Rom. 2. 18 Obj. 9. Ans. Obj. 10. Ans. Luk. 13. 24. Obj. 11. Answ. Phil. 3. 6. 11. 2 Chron. 44. 4 5 6. Obj. 12. Ans. Obj. 13. Answ. Pro. 14. 12. Mat. 25. Vse 4. Quest. Answ. Wherein a childe of God goeth beyond an Hypocrite Doct. 2. 4 Straight gates to be passed through before we can enter into heaven Vse The false wayes to Heaven discovered The way of selfe-love Quest. Answ. How men plot their own ruin Ignorance the first Geneâ—â—ll Reason of mans tuine The 1. sort Reason Reason Reas. 4. 2. Sort. How men come to be deceived about their spirituall estates Estheâ— 6. 6. 2 King 10 18. How false peace is bred in the soule Ps. 38. 16. The second Reason why men ruine theÌ„selves Reas. 1. Nahum 1. 2. Reas. 2. Reas. 3. Reas. 5. Reas. 6. Rom. 1. ult Reas. 7. Reas. 8. Reas. 9. Reas. 10 Vse Quest. Answ. 1. How to get a broken heart 1 Thes. 5. 3 4. 2 Cor. 5. 19. 3. Generall Reason of mans ruine Wherein Mens Resting in Duties appeares Zeph. 3. 11. Rom. 2. 10 Why men doe rest in their good duties Reas. 1. Reas. 2. Reas. 3. Reas. 4. Vse 1. Ob. Ans. Signes of mens resting in Duties Signe 1. 2 things keepe us from Christ. Signe 2. Phil. 3. 8. Signe 3. Isa. 66. 2. Signe 4. Signe 5. Signe 6. Rom. 7. The insufficiency of any dutie to save a man Isay 6. 6. Gal. 3. 10. Obj. Ans. Good duties not to be cast off but our resting upon them Ob. Ans. Vse 1. Vse 2. Vse 3. 4 Generall reason of mans ruine Eph. 1. 19.