parents may faile in their dutie to their children albeit the failing of the one be not so common as the other for the loue of the father is more entire to the child then is the loue of the child to the father and therefore his failing wil not be so oft nor yet so great And the parent that is outragious he sheweth himselfe very vnnaturall for his loue should be greater then the offence of the childe Yet now adaies many are vnnaturall parents for nature is greatly broken and almost Naturall affection much decayed taken quite away and therefore the end of the world is at hand and I am sure there is not so great hatred among the Ethnicks as there is among parents and children this day in Scotland But to come to the words he speaks to the fathers especially and not to the mothers there is some cause of this Fathers saith he prouoke not c. This is because this vice of bitternes and rigorousnes in dealing with the childe in wrath is found with the men chiefly he will handle his childe so bitterly as if he were a dog as for the mothers they incline to a more intire loue to their childe and if they faile they faile in ouermuch bearing with them Fathers saith he prouoke them not to wrath as if he would say they will be wrath if you put ouer sore to them for why thou hast begotten thy childe like to thy selfe of a corrupt affection and therefore blame them not if they be angrie at thee if thou vrge them ouer much And it is true many euill disposed parents will haue euill disposed children the canker that is in the child is drawne out of thee and therfore thou shouldest seeke to amend it There be many waies to prouoke them to wrath First when thou commaundest Many waies to prouoke children them to doe that that is vngodly as there are many that doe thus Secondly when thou art outragious and despitefull and wilt miscall thy childe Thirdly when thou beginnest to strike without rime or reason These are the three waies wherby chiefly they are prouoked to wrath as 1. Sam. 20. 30. Saul breakes off with despitefull talke to Ionathan and calles him a harlots sonne wilt thou call thy sonne whores sonne then thou hast a harlot to thy wife Then he said goe get me Dauid for he shall surely die he commaunded him to doe a thing vngodly it greatly grieued him that he was so miscalled of his father as also that his father commaunded him a thing vnlawfull Therefore ye who are parents be not like Saul abuse not your children as Saul did Ionathan for no question this abusing of Ionathan was one part of his enditement God will not let it slip vnpunished therefore haue thine eye to the Lord that thou maist see what is pleasing and displeasing vnto him O it is a terrible thing to fall into the hands of the Lord therfore blessed art thou that studiest to please the Lord for thou shalt raigne with him in glorie Prouoke not to anger saith he Whom who but your owne children and bowels thou art very vnnaturall who wilt rent out thine owne bowels In this word there lurkes an argument from nature forcible in the very infidels and beasts See you not how beasts will loue their owne young and handle them louingly Well if nature craueth this that thou shouldest not anger thine owne child what craueth grace Thou doest challenge grace and yet thou vtterest no signe of grace in thee if there be any in thee thou shouldest vtter it towards thine owne The argument is subioyned in the end of the verse Prouoke not saith he your children to anger least they be discouraged Thou dullest them and makest them like dogges by knocking and dinging still on The argument them The argument is not taken from any mutuall miurie I think if the Apostle had knowne our countrey he would haue vsed this other argument least the childe meete thee with a double reuenge and pluck the bit out of thy cheeke and thou who art his mother hee strike thee on the face and shut thee out of doores and cause thee begge thy bread as wee see this day some doe to their father and mother But the Apostle saw not such things in his time therefore hee takes not his argument from the euill of the sonne to the father but from the euil of the father to the childe This discouraging is not so much by reason of the rigorous dealing as by reason of the person that doth it It is my father who should doe me most good yet it is hee who doth me most euill for this generall is true the neerer they be ioyned to vs who doe vs any wrong our displeasure is the greater So this discouragement is not so much for the euill as for the person that doth it To conclude of all others especially the father by his doing is most effectuall either to winne or lose his childe There is none will lose or winne thy child so soone as thy selfe and all because of that coniunction that is betwixt thee and thy child I reade of two waies to lose thy child but there is one way only Two waies to lose a child to winne him the first way to lose him is this rigorous and despitefull dealing thou dullest him and takes all spirit from him The other way is ouermuch bearing with him and if thou passe measure in this thou shalt lose him also and it is no loue to the child to doe so for he who spareth the rod hateth the child Prou. 13. 24. Ely thought he loued his sonnes when he corrected them not when they offended but I say to you he hated them and was the wracke of his children vnder God for the Lord had said they should die yet hee vsed Elyes indulgencie for that purpose Absolon was lost because hee was ouermuch borne with As for the thing that will winne them it is that golden mediocritie make not Gods of them nor yet Diuels of them And would you haue a warrant of this Paul Ephes 6. vers 4. saith Parents bring them vp and how by filling their bellies No no but with instruction instruct them in the true forme of religion in the rudiments of the knowledge of Iesus Christ tell them of God from the time they can begin to Catechising of children how soone babble See if you can get the holy spirit to possesse them that they may feare God This is that golden mediocritie and if thou misse this way all other waies shall be to lose thine owne child Goe get great heritages to him and if thou bring him not vp to know God thou doest nothing els but heape vp coales of fire to destroy him and as oft as thou art in heaping vp of thy pelfe for him thou doest but endeuour to burie him in destruction The Lord open our eyes that wee may see the things that are offered to vs
Gods children and of Christs and to haue place in heauen if thou be not borne anew againe by the spirit and water as saith Ioh. 1. Epist 5. 6. And so much for the second effect of the strong power of God Now followeth the third effect in quickening of the Iewes The third effect of Gods power there must be something supplied in the text And vs that is the Iewes so I shall stand vpon these words where he saith he hath put out the hand writing Note The order whereby the Gentiles were quickened was the remission of their sinnes but the order whereby the Iewes are quickened is otherwise before euer they gate life there must be an hand writing blotted out and if we looke to it the Iewes were more bound to death then the Gentiles because they had subscribed to their death and that publikely in the face of the world But to come to the words We haue to marke these things first who is this that blotteth out and scrapeth away this hand writing Secondly what is meant by the blotting out Thirdly what is the thing that is blotted out Fourthly wherefore serued this hand writing he telleth it was against them it serued to their condemnation I shall goe through these foure as time shall serue As for him that is the blotter out his name is not expressed it is Iesus Christ the sonne of God for I see here that which I noted Foure points in the 14. verse in the first chapter the person is changed he said it is God the Father that quickened the Gentiles now he changeth the person There is no fault in this for that that the Father doth the Sonne doth To let you see that all is common to the Father and to the Sonne The Father worketh and I worke saith Christ Ioh. 5. 17. Then what is meant by this blotting out The word in the originall signifieth a perfect scraping out as it were of an obligation so that there remaineth not behinde any memorie of that that is scraped out there rests not one letter or tittle vnscraped out Then Christ Iesus is made a Chauncellor of the Father to cancell to blot out at his pleasure and as hee pleaseth Hee hath rent the obligation and drawne lines through it so thou that wouldest haue thy obligation cancelled get thee to him for wee haue bound our selues to him Thirdly what is that that is blotted out The handwriting standing in ordinances that is in rites and ceremonies Then it is the ceremonies or rites that be blotted out which was an obligation of the Iewes subscribed with their owne hands Now wherfore serueth it He saith it was against vs not for vs it did vs no good but euill It bound and tyed vs to death and sealed vp to vs the guiltines of death and damnation He exempteth not himselfe from this death hee subscribeth it with his owne deede To make this plaine the Iew in vsing of circumcision he protested hee had originall sinne and so was guiltie of damnation in vsing of these washings he protested and proclaimed hee was all filthie and so guiltie of the curse of the law and so subscribed to his owne death How the Iewes in the vse of the ceremoniall law proclaimed their owne guiltines and death And last of all in sacrificing hee protested hee was sinfull and that he had deserued that death which the innocent beast sustained for his cause and therefore guiltie of iudgement and damnation and so subscribed to his owne death Brethren this was marueilous the rites and ceremonies were figures of Christ and serued to leade them to Iesus Christ to see that bloud of Iesus in a figure which washeth away the sinnes of the world How is it then a handwriting against them I answer it is true if their ceremonies be taken as figures of Christ they were no handwriting against them if they had an eye to the bodie that is Christ and sought not life in the ceremonies but in the thing figured But brethren take them from Christ take washings and sacrifices as a kinde of religion without Hovv the ceremonies vvere an handwriting against the Ievves Christ all was but a handwriting against them And whatsoeuer Iew he was that looked not to Christ in his Circumcision in his washing and rubbings and in sacrificing that Iew perished and all his doings was but the subscribing to his owne death Now to come to the Apostle hee taketh the ceremonies as separate from Christ and so they were a handwriting against them He was a rare Iew that vsed them with respect to Christ but the multitude tooke them as a religion without Christ and therefore the greater multitude perished And so I say that outward ceremonies cannot saue vs. In comming to the Church thinke not to get life except thy heart pearce into Christ Iesus all thy outward worshipping shall not helpe thee but shall be an obligation to thy owne condemnation as the outward Ceremonies of the Iewes were to them a handwriting against them to their owne destruction And if thou abuse these Ceremonies which we haue in religion in preaching Spirituall vvorship praying and outward meeting I assure thee thou shalt not escape the iudgement of God And therefore beware and neuer content thy selfe with the outward worshipping fie on it all if thou haue not an inward worshipping in thy heart Againe I see no man that goeth to hell but before hee goe hee subscribeth to his owne death I subscribe with my owne hand that I am worthie of death The obligation passeth against thee either secretly or openly in thy owne conscience and then thy mouth shall be closed and the Lord shall cast thy handwriting before thee and shall say Seest thou not thy owne handting knowest thou not that thou subscribedst this And if thou werst an Emperour thou shalt keepe thy mouth close then and goe from him with howling and scritching And therefore neuer rest as thou wouldest haue life till thou get that handwriting taken away Thou wouldest be busie to get that handwriting taken away which thou seest and knowest will doe thee euill here and that may trouble thee in thy person goods or lands fie on thee that shouldest be so busied about trifles and vanities and forgettest to take away this fearfull handwriting which if it stand vntaken away may doe and shall doe thee more harme then the losse of this whole world can doe Seeke therefore continually night and day to haue this handwriting of thy sinne and guiltines taken away as thou wouldest stand with ioy in the presence of thy maker at that day To whom with the Sonne and holy Spirit be all honor for euer Amen THE EIGHTEENTH LECTVRE VPON THE EPISTLE OF PAVL TO THE Colossians beginning at the midst of the 14. verse COLOS. Chap. 2. vers 14. 15. 14 Which was contrary to vs he euen tooke it out of the way and fastened it vpon the crosse 15 And hath spoyled the
but slaues and vessels of earth and not of gold let them cloathe themselues with gold as they will So behold the seueritie and mercie of God seueritie for the reprobate and mercie for the elect Ye will aske makes not God the chosen sometime a spectacle of his wrath was not Dauid in a miserable case and a fearefull spectacle of Gods wrath when as the sword went neuer out of his house all his daies and are there not many daily that are made fearefull spectacles and yet no doubt there are many of them that are of the chosen of God I answere indeede it is true the Lord will chastise his very sore here but all is in this world hang him head him burne him all is nought and that that is is euer conioyned with the mercie of God and his paine hath an end But the Apostle speaketh here of an eternall wrath The elect incurre not this wrath it is proper to the sonnes of infidelitie And therfore I say the elect are neuer made spectacles of Gods Gods punishments in this world on his are but chastisements wrath whatsoeuer the chastisement be that fals vpon them Ye will aske againe where was there euer such a spectacle seene In hell Saw you euer one tormented in hell with this wrath saw you euer one tormented in this world with this wrath God forbid I will not iudge so hardly of any that suffereth or are visited by the hand of God How is it then that the reprobate are made the spectacles of Gods wrath I say albeit thou neither see it nor thou heare it yet there are infinite numbers tormented in hell But there are some so pitifull hearted bodies who cannot heare tell that one goeth to hell O foolish pitifull hearted bodie I tell thee infinite numbers go to hell and shall goe and thou if thou beleeue not this shalt go with Hell the rest to hell For if this word will not serue to confirme thee in this truth that the reprobates shall be made spectacles of Gods wrath the wrath of God shall serue one day when it shall light on thee and them both as infidels to your vtter destruction Now to goe forward ye haue heard two arguments seruing to mortification The first was taken from heauen the second from hell as ye heard The last followeth and it is taken from these same sinnes in the which the Colossians sometimes walked as if he would say ye were such men sometime these sins all raigned in you before ye came to Christ ye were fornicators idolators couetous c. all these raigned in you as they did in any infidell Therefore let the remembrance of these sins be matter of mortification to you This is the argument briefly Of the which yee may gather that men should not looke How to remember our old sins idly on their sinnes wherein sometime they walked for when thou remembrest thou wast an harlot murtherer an oppressor and an auaricious man let that remembrance serue to an earnest slaying of sinne to come and mourning for thy sinnes past continually Fie on thee for euermore if this be not the effect of the remembrance of thy sinnes and so slay that foule affectiō that made thee an harlot and crie for that bloud of Iesus that washeth it away And certaine it is as all things that befall the elect are for their good euen so are their sinnes Rom. 8. for their good when they begin to repent them of their sinne and to slay it Dauid was better after his adulterie then he was before and he neuer remembred his sinnes as he euer remembred them without mortification For this is the nature of a sanctified remembrance it euer worketh sorrow in the heart and a mortification of the sinne O fie on thee when thou remembrest thy harlotrie and wilt not haue sorrow in thy heart for it nor mortifie it Well Paul saith Godly sorrow bringeth foorth repentance which is nothing else but a mortification of thy sinne sorrowing that thou hast done it and brethren sanctified remembrance maketh a fresh wound in the heart If thou stand in the grace of Iesus Christ thou wilt not so soone remember thy sins but as soone thou shalt be wounded with sorrow and griefe for them and thou shalt not so soone bee wounded but so soone that oyle of gladnes shall be powred into thy heart to comfort thee in Iesus and his grace and shall bring to thee a ioy vnspeakable Therefore this is my minde and it is true the ioyfullest bodie that euer was or is is a penitent The ioy of a penitent sinner sinner who with sighes vnspeakable groanes for sinne O then there is ioy vnspeakable and glorious in that heart 1. Pet. chap. 1. it refresheth the hart so sweetly that the mourning sinner is swallowed vp with ioy and blesseth the time that euer he mourned for sinne Come to the words of the text there are three things he noteth Three points in them First he saith they walked in them that is in these sinnes Secondly he setteth downe their manner of walking And thirdly the time when they walked in them As to the first ye walked that is in fornication and vncleannes and the rest ye walked in them as men are wont to goe from morning to euening The word teacheth vs this that a sinner cannot sit idle if sinne raigne in thee thou canst not sit idle but he must be euer going on yea and running on to sinne It is said in the epistle to the Ephesians that they gaue themselues to wantonnes with greedines striuing who should be formost There Eph. 4. 19. 20. was neuer two in a course of running striuing who should be formost and formost as a sinner in whom sinne raigneth will striue to be formost in sinne before all others There is none that went to hell nor none goe or shall goe but their owne Sinners walke to hell they neede no horse foote carieth them thither they neede not a horse to ride on and gallop thither There was neuer none so readie to goe to heauen as the reprobates are to goe to hell Would to God we could make as good speede in the way to heauen as they doe in the way to hell And so there is none that dieth that euerlasting death but it is according to his owne will Thy perdition is of thy selfe O Israel but thy saluation is of me saith the Lord. Thou wilt runne of thine owne will to hell except the Lord meete thee and hinder thy course The second thing he marketh in them is the manner of their walking Ye also that is euen ye walked after the same manner as the children of infidelitie did Looke as they walked so yee walked as they ranne ye ranne no difference betwixt you So the lesson is before the effectuall calling of God by his spirit and faith there is no difference betwixt the elect and the reprobate the soule of the elect
will be as vitious as the soule No difference betweene the elect and reprobate before grace of the reporbate So look to the persous there is no difference vntill God make the difference he will runne to hell as fast as he Then wherein standeth the difference it standeth not in thee but in y t counsel and purpose of God it is in the breast of God there is nothing in the elect himselfe but all in God And in his owne time he maketh the difference So ascribe nothing to thy nature and birth but ascribe all to God to his counsell and to his election and giue him the glorie and say I thanke thee O God that hast elected me and for that thou hast called me to thee by thy spirit in time and hast made me to know thee and thy goodnes Who hath distinguished me from thee and thee from another but God Why then shouldest thou glorie in any thing but in God O vile creature and vaine fie on thy nature it shall turne to thy destruction so then only glorie in God and in nothing besides The third thing marked here is the time when they walked Sometime saith he Then he maketh it cleare when ye liued in these vices that is as outwardly ye walked in them so inwardly in your soules ye liued in them Walking is outward and liuing is inward in the soule so as the ground of these naturall actions as of going on the way outwardly is the life of the soule for take the life away thou canst not goe so the ground of all these sinfull actions these wofull actions woe to them all the ground of all thy fornication and vncleanenes is a wofull life that thou liuest Sinne is liuing within thee if sinne liued not within the actions would not appeare in thy bodie that appeareth Thou art dead and yet sinne is liuing in thee Thou and it shall not liue both together Rom. 7. saith he Sinne is reuined in me Thou art dead and sinne is quickened in thy breast And or euer one be a harlot in his bodie in his outward action it is first in the soule of him or euer one be a murtherer with the hand he is a murtherer in his soule it beginneth first there and then it raiseth and stirreth vp the hand to the outward action It is so of all sinfull actions they proceede first from the sinne liuing in the soule so thou that wilt mortifie sinne and the outward actions of sinne slay first the sinne that liueth within thee or else it will slay thee either thou or it must die and I pronounce this that if thou slay not the sinne that is within thou shalt be slaine by it for euer Begin then in order to the slaying of sinne for there is an order in mortification and God that biddeth thee slay sinne is the Lord of order He comming in bid deth thee first slay the sinne that is within thee he will not bid thee begin at the hand the eye or any of thy members outward but he will goe into thy heart and he beginneth and putteth out that life of sinne that liueth in theethere He first maketh thy heart cleane where sinne dwelleth and taketh roote and so he will haue thee to roote it out that it bud not in thee This way God beginneth in taking away sinne and slaying of it and this is the way that the elect child of God doth But hypocrites will make a well fauoured outward countenance and who are so holy as they Hypocrisie begins without and in the meane time will be fostering the filth of this foule life of sinne inwardly in his heart with pleasure But the holy spirit who beginneth to mortifie thee beginneth at the heart and slayeth the man of sinne in thy heart first and he will wound it so deepely when he shall strike vpon it that he shall mortifie it and then thou shalt begin to see thine owne filth and stinke in such sort that thou shalt abhor thy selfe but the hypocrite countes all these things but as words of office But O that dolefull waking when the conscience wakeneth thee It will cause thee say O foule harlot what hast thou been doing walking in harlotrie and deceiuing men with a shew of godlinesie Therefore happie is the soule that is this wise wakened in time and wounded with the sight of thy own filthines for it shall procure ioy comming vpon sorrow If thou wilt be content to restraine thy hand foote and eye for a time so that thou sinne not openly as others doe but that thy life that lurketh in thee must vtter it selfe at the last so as thou maist be a fornicator a murtherer and an auaritious bodie for there is no hypocrite but he must vtter himselfe at the last thou hast no true mortification in thee and therefore thou shalt finde no comfort in all thy outward shewes studie then to this 〈◊〉 mortification Suppose a man to be bound hand and foote and that the man be a harlot in the inward man so as he had no vse of the outward action in all his life time admit this that thou hadst not the outward action in all thy time yet I say if that life of harlotrie be in thee and not slaine within thee thou wilt to hell It will not be that outward abstinence that will saue thee but it must be the slaughter of the inward appetite and then the hand nor no other of thy members needeth to be fettered but all will be peaceable and stand still when once that life of sinne is quencht Therefore slay euer the sinne in thy soule and let it not raigne for if it raigne thou wilt to damnation We beseech him that is able to worke this worke to put to his hand and doe it for all the words of the world will not doe it onely he must doe it Now to him be praise and honor Amen THE XXVI LECTVRE VPON THE EPISTLE OF PAVL TO THE Colossians COLOS. Chap. 3. vers 8. 8 But now put ye away all these things wrath anger maliciousnes cursed speaking filthie speaking out of your mouth YE remember brethren the last time we occupied this place wee insisted in the exhortation that the Apostle hath to the mortifying of the sinfull members the foule affections and actions of the soule and the bodie Mortifie saith he your earthly members that is your cankred affections that hold the bodie occupied in euill To this purpose he vseth sundry arguments the first was taken from the life euerlasting that was hid vp with Christ in God laid vp in heauen as if he would say as euer thou wouldest see that life Coherence mortifie thy earthly members slay thy affections for it is impossible that they can stand with that life of heauen The second argument was taken from that death in hell if heauen will not moue thee to mortifie thy earthly members thy foule affections yet let hell terrifie thee and moue thee For