consider your owne waies Wee will keepe a reckoning what we run vpon the score with men but rare are they that thinke how deepe they are in Gods books such ill husbands wee are for our soules Now wee must heere marke warily whether wee haue not lost some graces which wee haue had I mean haue them not so powerfully as we haue felt them Whether wee doe not giue place to sloth doing Gods seruice coldly sleightly whether wee haue not forgotten our couenant which wee haue made with God in Baptisme viZ. of dying to our owne thoughts words and deeds daily and labouring in our whole course to feele that not now we liue but Christ in vs as Paul speaketh his spirit teaching vs to doe euery thing as before him in conscience of his will to his glory Yea you here must call to mind the most ſ Deut. 9 7. grieuous sinnes which you at any time haue prouoked God with wee must not bid adieu to the remembrance of our sinnes past and pardoned but must euer beare them in memory so far forth as may help vs with godly sorrow holy bashfulnesse and lowlinesse of minde Deut. 9. Now then thus setting the matter before you if you finde not your harts pricked with it then you must as the Prophet speaketh take words to your selues t Hos 14 3. and trouble your owne soules as thus What shall I thinke of my sins against God not grieue nor blush at them If I haue ouershot my selfe so that men may haue a saying to me it doth cut mee at the heart I am ashamed if somthing crosse but my corrupt nature ere while I haue griefe at will and shall I not grieue for offending my God If I had broke day and not kept touch with man I could not looke him in the face shall it not goe nigher me that I haue kept my couenant no better with God If my seruant haue loytered his day ouer and not done my worke he blusheth and is afraid to come before mee and shall not I change my countenance and be moued that I haue been so vnprofitable in the works of God Thus as men in swoones being chafed come again so shall your soules while thus you bestirre them feele some warmth returning to them But if yet the heart will not relent you must in the third place seeing your barrennesse and inabilitie turn you to Christ speaking to him in this wise Were it to grieue at earthly occasions or that my selfe were displeased heere my affections would come to mee before I sent for them but for godly sorrow none of it groweth in our gardens our foolish hearts loue not holy mourning our hard hearts will not relent to thinke how we displease thee we knowing there is no strength in vs to any thing is good look to thee thou art the Christ u Act. 5.31 Lord thou giuest repentance to thy Israel and forgiuenesse of sinne thou Lord dost circumcise the heart thou hammerest x Ezech. 36.26 and breakest by thy Spirit the stone of them making them fleshie tender y Lam. 5.21 Lord do thou turne vs and we shall be turned Thus while you turne your eies to Iesus that quickning Spirit he will bee present to quicken this grace in you But what if yet your harts should not so kindly melt with in you as you desire yet al◠is safe for this is the smoke of repentance z Mat. 12.20 which Christ will not leaue till it blaze forth hee will not put forth a smoking weeke This desire and labouring after it is happines it self Blessed a Mat. 5.6 are they that hunger and thirst after righteousnes yea vsing this course to consider of your wants to chide after some sort your own soules and to look to Christ the giuer of repentance the stone of your hearts the hardnes wil come away by little litle whē in bodily wounds the approuedst plaisters must be often laid on you must not thinke that these spiritual euils so long growing on vs should bee quite gone on the sudden I doe beseech you therefore as euer you would taste the comforts of God as you would find ease in euill houres when nothing but God can refresh you yea as you loue to escape much worldly sorrow which tendeth but to death so acquaint your selues betime with this exercise of a broken heart b Mat. 5.4 Blessed are they that mourne for they shall be comforted and wee know much more earthly sorrow then we should because we will not trouble our owne soules a little blowing vp that godly sorrow which is required at our hands Now for the second of helping you forward in obedience the sum of the couenant twixt God and vs is this he in Christ saith he wil take vs for his c Hos 2.23 people wee promise to him that we will haue him for our God This therefore doth comprise our duty to God that we set him vp in our harts as God which thing wee doe first when we grow vp to know him and to acknowledge him in all things Secondly when we make him our trust Thirdly when we loue him aboue all Fourthly when wee feare him Fifthly when we reioice in him Sixthly when our hearts are thankfully affected to him making him their song and praise This is to haue him for our God when we know nothing trust in nothing loue feare reioice in nothing whē our hearts are thankfull aboue all to him To speake a little to the seuerals We cannot haue God our God till wee come to know him in Christ ignorance doth d Eph. 4.18 estrange vs from God and knowledge doth acquaint vs with him This Paul prayeth for in the behalf of the Colossians 1.10 that they might be filled with the knowledge of God the spirits of their mind being opened to look towards him Euen as our image in the glasse doth looke to vs from whom it is reflected so Gods Image in vs doth make the eie of our mindes view him the author of it in vs. Now this knowledge considereth of God two waies either simply apart frō al other respect and thus it conceiueth a spirituall essence in respect of his properties or persons into which this diuine selfe same nature is distinguished the Father Sonne and Spirit al of them hauing the same spirituall nature as if I and you with som third man might bee supposed all to haue but one and the selfe same soule and body being distinct persons Or else it considereth God as made manifest in our Nature for Iesus the Sonne hauing one and the same Nature with the Father hath taken such a soule body as we haue sinne excepted to fellowship of his person and thus is become e Mat. 1.23 Emmanuel God with vs or God f 3. vlt. manifested in our Nature in which humane Nature God the Sonne suffered death for vs in which likewise hee manifested his
Diuine power raising it vp glorifying it in heauen so that he who was dead in his humane Nature is now aliue in it for euer hauing swallowed vp death into victorie Thirdly it considereth God manifested in Christ as he is become our God by Couenant in regard of such things which his faithful mercies doe worke for vs. He in Christ is our Iustifier our Sanctifier that helpes vs against the remnants of our corruption our Redeemer that deliuereth vs from all troubles the God that careth for vs giueth vs euery good gift blesseth vs in our estates feedeth vs giueth vs and all his beloued ones sleep defendeth vs from al euil keepeth vs by his power to saluation is the beginner and ender of all his good graces in vs. Now how short are we in this point wee are like infants in a manner new borne they are kept by the louing Parent from fire water are fed laied to sleepe made readie vnreadie shifted in their scape but they know not who doth all this for them So doth our heauenly Father by vs in Christ but he knoweth little vnderstanding haue we of him for though God be light it selfe a Spirit which brightly seeth all things through heauen earth to whose pure shine the Sun is darkenesse yet the weakenes of our sight is such wee cannot look against it as the Bat and Owle cannot indure to see the bright beames of the Sun in the firmament you must therefore take notice of your spirituall blindnesse and come vnto him that selleth eyesalue g Reue. 3.18 that hath the spirit of illumination which openeth the eies of the blind and crie to him for mercie Why if your eyes were sore bloud-shot c. your eies wherewith you see but one another creatures like your selfe you would seeke out for them and wash with strongsmarting waters but you would restore them wil you not seeke to your God in Christ for to restore that sight of your spirits wherewith you see him and the things of your peace within the vale euen in the heauens nay you must bee ashamed you take knowledge no more of your God through the whole day If our children when wee are by them should through rudenesse and carelesnesse not once cast a looke to vs as acknowledging our presence would we take it at their hands might not euery one say these children they are better fed then taught they are thus gracelesse Let vs apply it to our selues who serue our God and Father little better and you must set vpon this suite with better hope because God hath promised to vs this is his couenant wee g Ier. 31.34 shall know him from the greatest to the least of vs the eye looking on a thing becōmeth one with it in some manner But least I grow too tedious I come to the second wee must trust on him hanging all our hopes on his mercie and truth toward vs. And these two go together men somtime the better wee know them the lesser we trust them and that deseruedly but Psal 9. Psal 9.10 such as know God shall trust in him and who so reposeth al his confidence in God hee takes him in so doing for his God as the Scripture in this respect saith the couetous man is an idolater taketh his money for God because hee putteth his trust in vncertaine riches his wealth is a strong tower in his thoughts and hee that trusteth in the creature with-draweth his heart from God saith the Prophet teaching that our hearts are vnited to God Jer. 17.3 when the affiance of them is set on him Now though we should liue by faith h Gal. 2.20 on the Sonne of God trusting vpon him for the giuing and maintaining of all our good both temporall and eternall leaning vpon him for defence and deliuerance from all euils spirituall yea and corporall i 1. Pe. 5.7 casting all our cares on him k Phil. 3.3 hauing no confidence in the flesh but reioycing in Christ Iesus though this is our dutie yet we are exceeding weake in faith and full of vnbeleefe this will appeare by our want of feare at the thretnings of Gods word and by our carelesnesse which maketh vs loosly looke after his promises Did wee beleeue such threatning if you liue after the flesh you shall die Rom. 8.11 wee would tremble when we fauour our selues in our owne wayes the diuels beleeue and trēble Againe trusting ciuilly in mans word or bond we do seek them carefully and are glad when we haue got thē and as we say wee write vpon them to haue so much at such a day vpon a substantiall mans word or bond giuen vs. But Gods word that promiseth all good things in this life as wel as the life to come his seales wee seeke not after them wee are not glad of them which is a signe of our great vnbeleefe in them Secondly by the resting of our hearts in outward things and our being disquieted when we want them is a token that our hearts are vnbeleeuing while wee haue meanes and good likelihoods of this or that wee are well let these faile we are troubled which sheweth that wee rest not on the word of God which is as sure in the want of all things as in abundance but leane on such things as wee see and haue at hand Suppose a man had crutches vnder his armes but leaned not at all to them as hee goeth take them away he walketh as before So wee did not we trust and leane on the things seene but on God who is not seene but by the eye of faith wee should goe as vpright when al things to sense speake the contrary to that wee beleeue as when our feeling is fed abundantly hoping against hope Thirdly did we rest on God and trust to him as who is all in all we would seeke to him for his blessing more then for meanes which by his blessing doe this or that whereas we labour not to make him sure to vs but to get the meanes and then wee thinke all is well with vs. Now when you find your vnbeleef you must make it odious to your selfe by such like considerations Shall I seeke after the word of a mā sometime to secure but a twentie shillings matter and shall I not seeke after the precious promises of my God shall I trust to a man promising this or that and shall I not trust my God who is truth it selfe that cannot lie will not a substantiall man thinke much if I take not his bare word and shall I not trust my Lords word and seale oath he hath sworn to blesse vs with all blessings in Christ vnlesse he leaue me a pawne also Then in the third place when you finde your vnbeleeuing heart trouble you Heb. 12.2 you must looke to Christ who is the authour and finisher of your faith speake to him Thou hast begun thou must finish Encrease my faith I beleeue helpe my vnbeleefe
example Exodus 18.8 Secondly we must tell of Gods kindnesse that we may glorifie him before others come I will tell you saith Dauid what God hath done for my soule Thirdly it doth make vs cast about what we may returne to God in way of thankfulnesse Psal 116. What shall I giue the Lord for all his benefits vnto mee Fourthly it will make vs accuse our selues if we bee backward in dutie Thus we see when wee receiue any more speciall kindnesse from our frinds first our inward affections doe acknowledge and intertaine it gladly Secondly we tell what such an one hath done for vs. Thirdly we will thinke how wee may requite him or testifie our thankfulnes at the least toward him Lastly we challenge our selues if time goe on and no token of our good will be returned as to blame that forget so great curtesie as was shewed to vs. Now then that you haue heard what it is to bee thankfull what good reason wee haue wee must lay our selues to this rule and we shal find wee come as short here as in those aforenamed O wee are horribly vnthankfull what good blessings do we receiue not once casting a look to the donour of them When wee are kept in the night our houses from fire breaking into c when refreshed with sleepe when kept al day in our out-going and incommings when fed doe wee acknowledge our God heartily in these yet it is hee that watcheth or in vaine they keepe the Citie it is he that rocketh vs asleepe and draweth the courtaine of the night about vs he giueth sleep to his beloued Psal 137. It is hee that wardeth about vs all day keeping vs in our waies Psal 120. He openeth his hand and like a great house-keeper giueth vs our daily bread If in earthlie things which wee see tast we cannot praise him what taking shall wee bee found in about heauenly wheÌ„ you haue your daily sins forgiuen you in Christ when you are kept from the sin of your own hart the corrupt examples of worldly men the spirituall wickednesses that fight against vs when you go in spirituall peace from morning to night which alone is a gift passing vnderstanding Phil. 4.7 doe you acknowledge God with affection toward him in these things it is he that shifts vs out of the scapes of our corruptioÌ„ washing vs in the bloud of his Christ from the filth of our sinne hee forgiueth vs euery day our trespasses it is his power 1. Pet. 1.5 in which as in a tower we are kept safe against all our enemies vnto saluation Hee is the God of peace the Prince of peace in Christ who stilleth theâ—â— accusing and subdueth the rage and vsurpation of sinne in vs we are like infants that haue much done about them but knowe not who doth it take no knowledge of them Our God doth carry vs on in the armes of his tender mercy But alas little doe wee vnderstand of him In benefits receiued often I meane not meate and drinke but many other which in the course of the day are giuen vs of God our spirits do not once looke vp to him but as swine take the mast so doe wee our blessings or if we do any thing in way of thankfulnesse how ouerly do we turne ouer this duty our affections and inclinations more bent another way theÌ„ to that we haue in hand euen the thankful praising of our God we serue him as our children serue vs wheÌ„ they come in to vs froÌ„ their play and haue got somthing of vs they wanted away they goe without looke or leg to vs but if they know we will haue it then they doe them in some fashion but so as we may see their hart is in their game abroad more then their dutie so for speaking what our God hath done for vs thankfulnes will not slip ouer a benefit receiued when doe wee with delight tell of his kindnes When doe we beat our heads not suffering our teÌ„ples to rest till wee haue giuen our God some argument of our thankfulnesse Alas we vse our God as if it greatly mattered not how he were dealt with Now then take words to your selues condemning froÌ„ your harts this grieuous sinne Say if a man doe bid mee to supper once a quarter I thanke him then when I meet him after I thank him of my last being with him I tell what kinde welcome what good cheere hee made mee bid him home againe check my selfe if I forget him But if some greater matters be bestowed on vs how kindly doe wee take them how doe we loue to tell of them how doe wee yeeld our selues vp to them to bee at their coÌ„mands to the vtmost of our abilities Shall I thanke him that giueth me a supper in loue and tell of his louing entertainment bee ashamed if I make no neighbourly requitall and shall I not bee affectionately thankfull to my God who giueth me all my daily bread yea who feedeth my soule with himselfe in Iesus Christ heere is my body my blood that I might liue for euer Shall I not tell of those fined wines those fatte things euen of my God broken in his body and soule with sorrowes sheadding his precious blood wherewith my vnworthy soule hath beene fed and feasted Shall I for some small kindnesse tell a man I am his to bee commanded and shall I not resigne my selfe to my God who hath paid my debt and purchased mee a new stocke euen the hope of eternall life with his precious blood shall I blush vpon some more vnthankfull part to maÌ„ and not be ashamed of vnthankfulnesse toward God What shall I be worse to my God then an Oxe or an Horse is to his owner If I should shew one exceeding great loue he should not at all regard mee or returne mee some common countenance could I endure it Thus then turne your selues to God I am become worse to thee then the whelpes that feede vnder my boord are to me they will open and fawne in their kinde on me but my heart hath no power to bee thankfull to thee to praise thee O thou who requirest of me in all things to giue thee thankes hast promised to write thy commandemeÌ„ts in my heart put into my heart a law of thankfulnesse O thou quickening spirit quicken my soule this way labour for thankful hearts God asketh vs but this as a rent for all his blessings bestowed on vs I will deliuer thee and thou shalt praise my name Psalm 50.15 Wee will not forfait things to men for not payment of rent let vs not giue God cause to re-enter and straine vpon vs and all wee haue for not magnifying and praising him Thus if my God helpe you to stirre vp your hearts to repentance and to surrender your hearts to him by eying him trusting on him louing him reioycing in him by making him your feare by praising him with spirit word and worke then happy shall you