We are to labor altogether against these corruptions of ours against our pride self-love unbelief hypocrisie earthliness weariness of well-doing and the like All that are Christs have crucisled the er flesh with the affections and lusts We must mortifie our earthly members and by the Spirit mortifie the deeds of the flesh These things become not us that are set at liberty from sin and be eudued with the Spirit If we live in the Spirit let us walk in the Spirit For us that are Christians to be led and overcome of our lusts is base as for a Prince to be led of a base person and here is the power of Religion and proof of a Christian that denyeth himself and crucifieth his lusts that not onely keepeth his hand but purifieth his heart that hath it at command in some measure We must labor to know these corruptions and our own hearts and which of these we are most prone unto and discern of them which many do not but are most strangers at home and have many corruptions which they discern not for the heart is deceitful Know both the ugliness and danger of them then repent of them be humbled for them crave pardon heartily unfeignedly seek to mortifie them apply the edge of the word against them even any thing we read or hear out of the Scriptures to this purpose Apply also the benefits of God as means to subdue them so also afflictiont put on the whole Armor of God and on every occasion set against them pray against them also especially when we humble our selves upon occasion of the Sacrament c. always be baiting at them hacking at the roots of them grieving we can prevail no further crying and making our moan to God to help us so shall we get mastery more and more dealing faithfully even over those that we thought sometimes we should never have prevailed against In the mean time le ts not be dismaid that we can get no more mastery be humbled and yet comforted that we strive But here is the great fault of many Christians that suffer their corruptions to bear such sway in them as they break out shamefully and often to Gods dishonor their own shame and the Gospels infamy where is our Christianity when we be so proud that we will contend and being out will never be reconciled but break out into bitter speeches so being so covetous so lazy also in goodness that either we neglect duty wholly or slight it over carelesly Fleshly lusts Hereby are yet further meant all evil thoughts and the least rebellings of this nature of ours against the holy commandments of God These are fruits of this concupiscence and evil nature of ours and of the flesh and are sins against God But here know that evil thoughts be of two kindes 1. Such as be cast in by Satan as into Judas 2. Such as arise from our own corrupt nature as Christ said to his Disciples Why do thoughts arise in your hearts For the former they either fasten upon our nature and tarry to tickle us with a kinde of pleasure or else are immediately cast out with deep detestation If they tarry never so little to parley with our corrupt nature they are our sins as well as Satans but if cast out immediatly they are not then are they our crosses not our sins but the Devils and shal also be laid to his charge not ours for so he cast in thoughts into our Savior Christs minde of distrust presumption idolatry c. but they fastened not at all on his nature therefore he was never the worse so for us for if any shall come and entice me to Murther or Treason and I detest the very first motion thereof Shall I be counted guilty This is needful to be known lest we be too much overwhelmed with grief for these the Devil troubles every one withal at all times and no man alive is free from many of them daily if he did take notice thereof but some men are troubled extraordinarily this way God lets Satan loose at some time and for some space to buffet them most grievously and cast in bad thoughts of all kindes but especially against God most foul unholy prophane and blasphemous thoughts not to be named as that God is not holy just good or deals hardly with some men cannot do this or that with other more vile then is meet to be named which is sometimes the state of civil persons sometimes of the true children of God which are cast into their mindes as thick as hailstones and are by some called the foul Temptation by some the Temptation of Blasphemies This doth so wonderfully perplex the parties that it fills them not onely with fears but even drives them almost to despair makes them weary of their lives that they could wish themselves as far under ground as they are above yea many to think of making away themselves haunting them in all places night and day that they cannot rest so weakening their body and minde exceedingly concerning this state we must know it comes to pass by Gods providence and permission to Satan thus to torment them The cause may be either to humble them to repentance for some coldness or slackness they are fallen into in the worship of God and their course which God thus punisheth or else he punisheth the barrenness of their hearts and idleness of their mindes that care not how they spend away their time their mindes roaving unprofitably which God often chasteneth the way for these to take is 1. To examine themselves if there be any sin lies unrepented of or not throughly repented of to confess and crave pardon of it and repent of it from the heart If any coldness or slackness or declining in care or idleness of minde and unprofitableness then are we to pray against them and keep our hearts still in hatred and detestation of them and therein comfort our selves that the Lord knoweth our hearts and will not lay them to our charge 2. Set light by them let them go as they come for the more we strive with them the more we snarl and trouble our selves and if we make a great matter of them the Devil will still delight to vex us but if we set light by them he will the sooner be weary 3. Let them avoid solitariness which yet they so much desire and keep in company rather wherein the time may be spent in holy conference singing of Psalms and the like but if they be alone they must be very earnest in doing something that 's good 4. Though some may come after all those means used yet we are to comfort our selves that God will not lay them to our charge as if our Childe should be about our business and some unhappy Wretches would not let him alone but throw stones at him pluck him away trip up his heels and he cry and complain to us he cannot do our
work will we be angry with him The Lord is much more equal and wise Now to discern these foul temptations from those which do arise from our own nature these notes may be observed 1. That they come suddenly 2. Violently being even forced into us 3. By their multitude being as thick as hailstones 4. That they come with such fears as often cost sickness faintness and the like which things usually be not of them that come of our selves which also come more leisurely and with more moderation 5. Such as be in such a degree of blasphemy against God usually rise not of our selves and seldom but in a Reprobate or one that hath sinned against the Holy Ghost as the Devil hath 6. Such as are against nature as to kill our selves our wives or children For the latter that arise from our nature they be sins whether they tarry so long as that they have got consent of will or not or so much as they have but inveigled the minde with some bait-like allurement yea but so as that either they do presently vanish so soon as they do arise or be cast out by us yet these I say be sins if with consent against other Commandments if without consent against the Tenth which ransacketh the heart more narrowly then any of the other It s true the longer they stay and the further they have prevailed it s the worse but the least and first thought against the Law of God is a sin and deserves the wrath of God as all Impatient Blasphemous Unbelieving thoughts all wandering thoughts when we be at the Word Sacraments Prayer or any good duty or any such on the Lords day all ill thoughts as that its in vain to serve God c. so also Disobedient Angry Revengeful Unclean Uncharitable thoughts God made us pure without any and may justly punish the contrary in us These first of all come from Original sin and who can bring good out of evil These bring forth bad effects and withdraw the heart from God to consent to and commit evil These are forbidden in the tenth Commandment else what This the heathen Philosophers never knew nor Paul himself a learned Pharisee till he was instructed in a more Spiritual understanding of the Law 1. This confutes Papists which teach That ill thoughts with consent be the least sins and that without consent they are none What is that then which Paul said I had not known that lust had heen sin but by the Law he knew that ill thoughts with consent were sins This Doctrine of Rome doth derogate from Gods glory and doth not humble a man to the purpose as it ought neither letteth it him see a multitude of such sins for which there 's cause he should be humbled 2. This sets out the absolute perfection and purity of the Lord who requires the purity of the heart and thoughts he made us perfect and requires that we should love him with our whole hearts 3. It serves notably to humble us on our knees every day to God for who knows how oft he offends this way O the innumerable vain foolish idle and bad thoughts that arise in our mindes in a day how in a Sermon or Prayer-while and on the Sabbath O if God should deal with us in justice he might condemn us for the least of these we should repent us seriously of these as of ill deeds This is that made Paul cry out O wretched man that I am and that makes the dear servants of God hang down their heads and humbles them continually and when others think highly of them for their graces they have matter to abase their vile nature and rebellious thoughts whereof some tickle the minde some get consent and are then cast out as some presently are repelled But how infinite numbers of them come through our heads as motes in the Sun as sparkles from a Fornace The want of the knowledge of these makes many a Christian when they look back at night see little to repent of which if they marked they might finde This is the Reason why civil persons be not humbled even because they take no knowledge of these thoughts whereof they have thousands on the Lords day in the times of Duties and against every Commandment whereof they take no knowledge or scarce of one of twenty and those whereof they take knowledge they think to be no sins as long as they break not out into words and actions Thought is free as the world thinks and judged at no Bar pay no Tribute True not in mens Courts because they cannot know them but before God they are and will be called in question who knows the thoughts and requires to be loved with the whole heart 4. This sets out the wonderful patience and abundant mercy of God that upon our repentance pardons so many thoughts 5. It s our duty to prevent them to the uttermost of our power and to this purpose we must labor 1. For the Spirit of God to be more and more abundant in us to mortifie this corrupt nature of ours that so this root being more and more killed may send forth fewer shoots this brand more and more quenched may send forth the fewer sparkles 2. To be ever doing some good to be in our Calling or some thing answerable thereto for if we be idle the minde will be ranging An idle person must needs have a corrupt heart swarming with ill thoughts for if the minde be not occupied about good it will be about evil its like Quicksilver ever stirring if we be riding working alone walking waking in our beds let our mindes be on some good And in duties we must keep our mindes earnestly bent thereto that being full already there may be no place of by-thoughts as when a vessel is full no more can be poured in Let 's covenant with our eyes and ears that they let in no ill thoughts especially in holy duties and on the Lords-day shut up all windows and doors so in praying whether conceived or read by our selves or heard of another our hearts must be set thereon that to every Petition they may say Amen So in hearing the Word we must be earnestly bent and fix our eyes on the Preacher and for the Lords-day be wholly in doing good and that earnestly In the time of the Sacraments both joyn with the Prayers then used and withal have holy thoughts by way of preparation and in the mean time have holy meditations about the matter present as long as we can then joyn in singing it must needs be a weary toil to them that cannot 3. To pray earnestly to God for his assistance but labor what we can all will not be prevented therefore must we grieve for those that come casting them out and that speedily They are as a flock of birds that we cannot let from hovering over our heads but may hinder from lighting on our heads if we nip
above all others Oh! it rebukes our cold serving him which will scarce lay down our lusts at his request who yet laid down his life for us our proud lusts revenging lusts covetous and worldly lusts unclean lusts c. O fearful unthankfulness And how hardly are we brought to do duties No forwardness therein negligence every way and when we do them how cold and careless are we O lamentable Is a cold drowsie service suitable to such a love as this we may be even ashamed herein And for suffering alas we have no will no not to endure a mock a frown of a great person we will make friendship with the world rather then to endure the least disgrace we will forbear many duties nay to keep company with Gods servants onely lest we should be counted Puritans How shall we then be able to go to Prison and death for the cause of Christ 3. To all that mourn in Sion to all that are heavy laden hungring after Christ Jesus and willing to take up his yoke and to all other Believers this is matter of most unspeakable consolation Their sins be gone and all the punishment due to them no punishment shall befal them here as on the ungodly no wrath or condemnation hereafter Their afflictions are merciful corrections to further their Salvation To them death is no death but a passage to life that whereupon their Souls are received into Heaven their bodies committed to the earth both which at the Resurrection shall be joyfully reunited O how should we walk worthy of this in all holiness and honesty But to all that shall not have part in Christ there remains unspeakable misery it had been good for them they had never been born they must bear their own burthen and sink to Hell there to be for ever and ever This will be the portion of most because so few receive Christ so few are humbled so many through pride and profaneness refuse to be guided by him O how few will cast away their lusts and yield up themselves to be ruled by him and his Word It will be most woful to the Turks Jews and Pagans that shall perish without Christ but yet of all others their judgement will be most fearful which have had him preached daily and by the Ministers of God have been so often besought to embrace him and yet have despised him would none of him Oh it will encrease their torment to consider that they had offer of Christ and many believed in him and were converted by the same Sermons whereat they themselves were no whit moved O this will fret hearts O le ts consider this we that live in this happy time One would think every man should receive and imbrace Christ Jesus but alas how few do this for them that do not it will be their undoing O give no rest unto your selves till you can get a discharge in and by Christ confess bewail crave pardon cry to God and resolve to turn to him The water is now stirring step into this Pool of Bethesda 4. This condemneth all false ways for Salvation for other then Christ never was any neither is or shall be therefore all that reject him as Jews and Turks or embrace him onely to halves as the Papists are in a fearful case as all among our selves that trust to any thing else besides him That we being dead to sin c. Another main end of Christs death and another great benefit redounding unto us thereby namely That he dyed for us not onely to free us from sins and wrath and damnation deserved thereby but also to kill sins in us to deliver us from the power thereof and to dissolve the works of the Devil in us that being dead unto sin we might live unto righteousness Of the words first in general then in particular In general note we thus much that For whomsoever Christ dyed he dyed to kill sin in them for he dyed not to free us of half our misery and leave us in the other half nor to be at a great deal of cost with us and for us and yet leave us in a case fit to do him no service as if one should ransom a man out of the Turks galleys and leave him in the midway but hath done all this that we might be fit to do him service thereupon giving us his Word and Spirit to humble us and so to change us that sin may be mortified in us and we made live He is not onely made of God unto us Redemption but also our Sanctification as he hath redeemed us so hath he purged us to be a peculiar people unto himself Christ affords both and from him we may as well look for the one as the other yea whosoever hath indeed his part in the one cannot be without the other and in token of our thankfulness we ought to labor by all means to shew forth this latter 1. This confutes that wicked slander of the Church of Rome We talk say they that we must be saved by Christs death and by Faith in him onely and not by any thing we can do and therefore that we set men at liberty to do what they list and open a gap to all licentiousness but as the Gospel is not a Doctrine of liberty so neither do we by preaching give way unto licentiousness The Gospel requires as strict obedience as the Law doth to every of Gods Commandments though not in extremity neither freeth it us from any duty to God or men yea teacheth us That denying ungodliness and worldly lusts we should live soberly righteously and godly in this present world and that none have nor can have part in Christ which give not themselves to good works 2. This setteth forth the wonderful goodness of Christ Jesus that hath not onely freed us from Gods wrath and the punishment of our sins which is unspeakable goodness but hath appointed to give us his Spirit to free us from sin for if we should all our life here have lived after our own lusts or under the power of Satan what a base and woful life had this been that we might both in heart and body serve him in the works of holiness and a godly life 3. This condemneth all those that lay claim to the death of Christ and yet live in their sins and old lusts Numbers in these days have got this by the end They hope to be saved by Jesus Christ They be no Papists that look to be saved by their works but they believe in Jesus Christ with all their hearts and yet they are not washed from their old filthiness but abide still in security in all or some of their lusts But let such know they speak impossible things God hath joyned these two ends of Christs death and they divide them yea blasphemous things that Christ dyed to set men at liberty to live as they list O woful
so called in the Scriptures he gave his Son to make our peace with him and loves that we should live in peace one with another and therefore gives us the Gospel of peace and Spirit of peace yea he so likes it that he pronounceth them blessed that helps it forward On the contrary the Devil delights in contentions and he onely gains thereby 2. This shall be a sign that we are taught of God and whereby our Prayers will become the more acceptable Our hands must be lifted up without wrath whosoever is addicted hereunto can neither pray aright nor duly partake of the Sacrament neither rightly perform any other duty 3. This is most comely like the oyntment which was poured on Aarons head which was made of most fragrant sweet things and to the dew upon new mowed grass O how sweet is it to them that do enjoy it how sweet to the lookers on what a comely thing is it to see a Land agree in it self so a Town a Family It s as an instrument whereof all the strings be in tune Better is a dry morsel with this then an house full of Sacrifices with strife Better is a dinner of herbs where love is then a stalled Ox and hatred therewith Better to be in the corner of the house top then with a contentious woman in a wide house 4. Great is the profit hereof as the rain makes the mown grass shoot out and grow so is peace exceeding fruitful O how doth a Land encrease by peace and how do Wars whether civil or forraign waste and consume the same little things by concord wax great great things through discord come to nothing when there 's peace in a Town between the Pastor and People what good may be done what evil avoided where there is not neither can evil be suppressed nor good established A Town knit together in peace is like a faggot fast bound that cannot be bent but divided like the several sticks of the faggot which may easily be broken the like may be said of Husbands and Wives Masters and Servants Parents and Children A Kingdom City or house divided against it self cannot stand 5. If we live in peace we are fit to do good one to another else we can do no good but all evil 1. This condemns all contentious and quarrellous Spirits that regard not peace but their own wil are never wel but when they are contending are so far from seeking peace as they cannot keep it when they have it nor accept it when it s offered and so far from following it as they flye from it as those of whom the Psalmist complained Others regard it not as they ought will fall out and break the peace even for trifles offer the occasion of strife and harm their Neighbors both by words and deeds in goods and good name yea if the least wrong be done them they will hear of no reconciliation but break off all love quarrel go to Law c. Every place abounds with such These bewray themselves not to be led by Gods Spirit nor endued with the wisdom from above nay that they are carnal and filled with devilish and fleshy wisdom these either never pray or lose their labors for as good not pray at all as pray in wrath These in stead of good days here shall have vexation neither shall they hereafter inherit the Kingdom of Heaven but shall meet with indignation and wrath 2. This rebuketh those that live at peace but it s after this maner they will have peace with some but not with others whereas we ought to be at peace with all not with the poor onely but with the rich also nor with the good onely but with the bad also some there are that fail every of those ways as a number that will be at peace with the bad not with the good and have peace with the wicked in their wickedness which is indeed fearful yea buy peace with hard and ill conditions as consenting to evil or neglecting good Some that they may be counted peaceable men will not stir against any disorder woful peace let men give of their own right for peace but not of the Lords 3. This serves to comfort them that love peace and desire it with all their hearts and can be content to seek it in any honest and lawful way and that for conscience and that they may serve God the better and for that God requires the same in the mean time being careful to avoid wrangling and jarring c. assuredly such are at peace with God and howsoever the world deals with them enjoy the peace of a good conscience 4. Let this encourage us all to set more by peace then pearls to seek it diligently and to be content rather to lose any reasonable thing then this This is pleasing to God is also comely so shall our Prayers be accepted so shall we be strong to all good and against all evil so shall we see good days here and eternal peace with God hereafter To this end we must avoid all the enemies of peace and labor for the contraries as 1. Pride which breaks peace many ways as when men have not more honor then is indeed their due as Haman or when any is honored besides themselves as Saul when David was commended in the dance Pride also makes men think so highly of themselves and meanly of others as they will be ready to offer injury and yet think it small and if the least wrong be done them think it so heinous as no recompence can be made for it They must forsooth by no means be blamed in any thing else they swell break peace and part company this we must avoid and labor for humility which is contrary hereunto 2. Covetousness the covertous man is angry if he have not every good bargain or if the least trespass be done him If but a Goose of their neighbors grase in their ground O it s such a loss such a wrong that they must not put it up They will part with no piece of right for all peace 3. Frowardness For a froward man soweth strife we must labor for a meek and patient spirit 4. Talebearers A whisperer separateth chief friends They be the Devils Pedlers let them not open their packs nor unlade their wares in our ears thereby to infect our mindes He that listens to them shall never have peace The world is full of such yea such as on both sides are Tale carriers which with some few truths intermingle numbers of lyes they are the Devils seedsmen to sow strife If God pronounce the Peace-makers blessed then wo to those Make-bates of this number we are not to repute those which inform Parents and Masters of some abuses in their children and servants unknown unto them provided it be done in love and that for the redress of the