nettles are used for pot-hearbs and sâ—llets made of Eldern buds so fond parents welcome and embrace in their children the first beginnings of sinne yea please themselves to hear their infants dispraise God swear call names talk wantonly yea this is accounted wit in the little children I am sure it is want of wit in the greater children for so I may fitly call their foolish parents who take delight therein I say no more but as for those parents who will not use the rod upon their children I pray God he useth not their children as a rod for them Now least those who at this present time are neither children to parents nor parents to children should complain with the Grecian widdows that they this day are neglected in the dispensation of my doctrine hearken to a generall use which will take us all in let us all take notice of a bad principle which lurks in our hearts this naturall corruption which deserves the wrath of God in the low Countries half their houses ly buried in the ground the laying of the foundation is counted as much as the rest of the building so half our badnesse lyes secret and unseen consisting in originall corruption whereof too few take notice for though as I have said before baptisme taketh away the commanding and condemning power thereof yet the blot still remaining as by woefull experience we daily find makes us backward to all goodnesse and headlong forwards to all badnesse this is that which S. Paul to the Romans who though he might touch at an improper expression sure would never land there and dwell so long therein calls sinne fourteen times and we shall find it fourteen thousand times to be so in our selves Away then with the sick doctrine of the soundnesse of freewill and merit of works we have alwayes that in us which baneth the perfection of all our performances namely the lawless law in our members which rebelleth against the law of our mind and leadeth us captive to the law of sinne which is in our members Thou shalt not commit adultery and thou shalt commit adultery thou shalt not steal and thou shalt steal thou shalt not bear false witnesse against thy neighbour thou shalt bear false witnesse against thy neighbour witches they say say the Lords prayer backward but concupiscence this witch in our soul sayes all the commandments backward and makes us crosse in our practise what God commands in his precepts Thus every day we sin and sorrow after our sin and sin after our sorrow and do what we would not and would what we do not and the vvind of Gods spirit blovveth us one vvay and the tide of our corruption hurryeth us another these things he that seeth not in himself is sottish-blind he that seeth and confesseth not is damnably proud he that confesseth and bewaileth not is desperately profane he that bewaileth and figheth not against it is unprofitablely pensive but he that in some weak manner doth all these is a Saint in reversion here and shall be one in possession hereafter FINIS THE SNARE BROKEN Genes 49. vers 6. O my soul come not into their secrets By T. F. B. D. LONDON Printed by R. Daniel for J. S. 1656. THE SNARE BROKEN Genes 49. vers 6. O my soul come not thou into their secrets AMong the many arguments to prove the pen-men of the scripture inspired by the spirit of God this is not the last and least that the pen-men of holy writ do record their own faults and the faults of their nearest and dearest relations for instance hereof how coursly doth David speak of himself So foolish was I and ignorant I was as a very beast before thee And do you think that the face of S. Paul did look the more foul by being drawn with his own pencill when he sayes I was a murtherer a persecutor the greatest of sinners c. This is not usuall in the writings of humane authors who praise themselves to the utmost of what they could and rather then loose a drop of applause they will lick it up with their own tongues Tully writes very copiously in setting forth the good service which he did the Roman state but not a woâ—d of his covetousnesse of his affecting popular applause of his pride and vain glory of his mean extraction and the like Whereas clean contrary Moses he sets down the sinne and punishment of his own sister the idolatry and superstition of Aaron his brother and his own fault in his preposterous striking the rock for which he was excluded the land of Canaan No wonder then if he tell the faults of Simeon and Levi both their cruell murther and the heavy curse which their father laid upon them Old Jacob lyes now a dying the lanthorn of his body was ready to be broken and the light that was in it to be exâ—inguished his twelve sonnes get about him every one expects a blessing and they raise their intentions the more because they knew that he was a prophet He begins sadly Reuben hath a check and Simeon and Levi have a curse No doubt old Jacob as a private man had affection to them both but now he speaks to them as a prophet he knowes no naturall affection being acted with spirituall inspiration he leaves off flesh and blood being prompted by the spirit of God and tells them cursed be their wrath for for it was fierce and their anger for it was furious I shall use no other method in the words but such observations as are pertinent to the text profitable for your souls First O my soul c. seeing Jacob doth entertain a discourse with his own soul wee may learn A Christian who can discourse with his own soul may make good company for himself This was Davids precept Psal. 4. vers 4. commune with your own hearts upon your beds this is no contradiction there is a kind of discourse which makes no noise this communion is the heart of heavenly meditation he may give himself a question and answer it himself and David what he prescribes to us practises himself when he sayes why art thou so sad O my soul and why art thou so disquieted within me trust still in God Had people this art of entertaining a time to discourse with themselves it would prevent much mischief thou mayest divide thy soul into severall parts and thou maist discourse if thou wilt with every faculty with thy understanding memory fancy and the severall affections of thy soul. Ask that question of thy understanding which Philip askt of the Eunuch Acts 10. understandest thou what thou readest call your understanding to account whether you understand what you read or not Ask thy fancy that question which Acbish once propounded to king David where hast thou been roving all this day bring thy fancy to account Ask that of thy memory which the master did of the unjust steward Luke 16. give an account of thy stewardship ask thy
to nothing yea we may generally observe that all cities that wear the sirname of Great are beheld by God with a jealous eye partly because greatnesse is a flower of the Crown of heaven partly because great cities presume on their populousnesse to be great sinners hoping in vain that their greatnesse will procure them an Act of Indemnity and God be moved to let them alone rather then to punish so many enough to make the sword of his Justice turn edge before it can cut through them 11. The premises I say have moved the great God of heaven to hold a strict eye and heavy hand over all cities sirnamed Great whilest lesser places Zoars escape best in general judgements Nineveh the great Jonah 3.3 Hamath the great Rabbah the great Babylon the great Revel 18.2 No the infinite Nahum 3.9 And Antioch by humane writers called Antiochia magna are all reduced to ruines 12. Give me leave to say to this citie of London as Darius did to Daniel in a holy complement O Darius live for ever that is understand it a finite ever might he in life health and prosperity continue to the utmost possibility of nature So say I O London last for ever may it flourish as long as any place hath a subsistence in this sublunary world however let it not be high minded but fear seeing Antioch a place as plentifull as puissant as populous is now dwingled away to an inconsiderable village 13. Come we now to the name of Christians This will bear a double debate first whether it was imposed by the enemies of the Church in scorn and derision or whether the Church it self did assume it as an act of their own election and approbation 14. I conceive the first utterly improbable for had the persecutours of the Church the depravers of goodnesse and good men given a name unto them they would have invented and imposed one more defamatory of greater shame and disgrace as to call them Hereticks Nazarites Crucifictians and the like and not so noble a name as Christians By the way we may observe that the word Christian is used twice in the Bible or if you will but once and an half Once 1 Pet. 4.16 Yet if any man suffer as a Christian let him not be ashamed but let him glorifie God on this behalf The half time Acts 26.28 when Agrippa said Thou hast perswaded me almost to be a Christian. In both which places we find the word taken in an honourable acception nothing of shame being imported therein which perswades us to believe the name was never fastened on Gods servants by their professed enemies A second enquiry succeeds viz. 15. Whether this name was by divine injunction immediately bestowed upon them or whether the Church meeting together by a prudentiall Act with a joint consent assumed it upon themselves I confesse at the first reading I conceived the text in the Original favoured the former where I read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 now 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sometimes containeth divine inspiration therein and is so used Matth. 2.12 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And being warned of God in a dream This I say inclined me to believe the name of Christians to be revealed from God and by him immediately imposed on the disciples 16. But on second thoughts I find the word sometimes to import no more then a plain denomination And so it is used Rom. 7.3 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 she shall be called an adulteresse which moveth me to believe that without any such immediate revelation from heaven in an extraordinary manner in the manifestation of Gods will the Apostles there present by the assistance of Gods spirit within them and the generall consent of the Church about them assumed that name upon themselves 17. Possibly because many believed some of the Circumcision and some of the Uncircumcision and because Gentiles was a name odious to the Iews and Iews offensive to the Gentiles therefore the word Christians was pitcht upon as common to both to bury the former names under it for though Iew and Gentile did ever remain as words of civil distinction they were henceforward abolished as terms of hatefull disparity Quest. 18. But why were they not called Fatherians from God the Father or holy Ghostians from the holy Ghost why onely Christians from Christ the second person in the Trinity here if any return that they are too harsh and ill sounding too troublesome and tedious to be pronounced the answer is in no degree satisfactory to the question For first were our tongues as long accustomed to the pronunciation of these words as they have been used to the word Christian a very lisping utterance would easily be able to expresse them Secondly we in England within these last fifteen yeares have acquainted our tongues with as hard terms with as numerous syllables some of Latine others of Greek extraction Presbyterians Antinomians Independents Representatives c. and yet these go down glib with us in our common discourse Answ. 19. The true answer is this we are called Christians from that person in the Trinity that hath merited most in the redemption of mankind 20. And here farre be it from me to make odious comparisons betwixt the persons in the Trinity and their deserts towards us which have most indeared us unto them That person who hath done least for us hath done more for us then we can requite then we can deserve then we can expresse then we can conceive however may dust and ashes in all humility confesse this most necessary and comfortable truth that Christ the second person in the Trinity is the best friend we have in the Court of Heaven and hath both done and suffered most in the effecting our salvation 21. Thence is that expression of David Psalme 110.1 The Lord said unto my Lord sit thou at my right hand untill I make thy enemies thy footstool The Lord that is God the Father said to my Lord that is to God the Sonne to Iesus Christ indeed one can take but little comfort in the Lord if not for my Lords intercession The Lord considered in his greatnesse and justice is our enraged enemy affording us cause of fear and sadnesse till beheld as reconciled in our Lord unto us 22. Now it will plainly appear that Christ hath performed most for mankind in order to our Salvation For first in operibus ad extra in all outward actions Christ the second person in Trinity hath an equall share with the other two Thus Christ as well as the other two persons in Trinity created the World and all therein John 1.1 2 3. In the beginning was the word and the word was with God and the word was God The same was in the beginning with God All things were made by him and without him was not any thing made that was made 23. Secondly we are justified by Christ as well as by God the Father Gal. 2.17 But if while we seek to be justified
to mount unto who wanted the wings of holy writ the direction of S. Paul in my text that we are by nature the children of wrath even as others Here perchance some may expect that as the master of the feast said to him that wanted the wedding garment friend how camest thou in hither so I should demand of originall sin foe and worst of foes how camest thou in hither and by what invisible leakes didst thou soak into our soules but I desire if it be possible to present you this day with a rose without prickles to deliver plain and positive doctrine without thorny disputes or curious speculations lest as Abrahams ramme was caught in the thicket so I imbroyle you and my self in difficult controversies and here in generall to prevent such objections as might be made against this doctrine of the wrath deserving condition of men by nature pray hearken to these three excellent rules 1. Let us not with our wanton wit kick against the pricks of our own consciences and goe about to prove by arguments that is not which we by woefull experience find is or that that is not just which is done by justice it self 2. Let us not make 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the doctrine of the chair to determine controversies between God us for the wisdome of the flesh is a malefactor no wonder if the malefactor being made a Judge doth accquit himself 2ly it is enmity to God no reason that hee should be censured by him that is his enemy his wayes I say which are often above reason but never against right let us not make the pallat of corrupt flesh which savoureth not the things of the spirit our taster in spirituall matters 3. Let us not busy our brains so much to know how Originall sinne came into us as labour with our heart to know how it should be got out of us but the worst is most men are sick of the Rickets in the soul their heads swell to a vast proportion puft up with the emptinesse of airy speculations whilst their leggs and lower parts do wast and consume their practicall parts do decay none more lazy to serve God in their lives and conversations and here the better to ballace both mine and your judgements aganinst all blasts and billowes of private opinions hearken to the resolution of the Church of England as she hath delivered her self in the article which is the ninth in number and beareth the title of originall or birth-sin originall sin standeth not in the following of Adam as the Pelagians do vainly talk but it is the fault and corruption of every man which naturally is ingendred of the of-spring of Adam whereby man is very far gone from originall righteousnesse and is of his own nature inclined to evil so that the flesh lusteth alwayes against the spirit therefore in every person born into the world it deserveth Gods wrath and damnation and that this infection of nature doth remain yea in them that are regenerate whereby the lust of the flesh called in Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which some do expound the wisdome and some sensuality some the affection some the desires of the flesh is not subject to the law of God and although there be no condemnation for them that believe and are baptized yet the Apostle doth confesse that concupiscence and lust hath of it self the nature of sinne So far the golden Article which as all the rest was written by their hands who had good heads and hearts in whom wisdome did contend with their learning but their piety was a Conquerour above both who what they learnedly distilled out of the scripture faithfully infused into these Articles and as the reall serpent of Moses did devoure the seeming serpents which Jannes and Jambres the Egyptian enchanters did make so shall the truth of these Articles outlast and outlive confute and confound all false and erroneous doctrines whatsoever even when wilfull Heretiques shall have their eyes put out with the beams of truth and factious Schismaticks want a conventicle to hide their shame in and furious Innovatours either run themselves out of breath if the law do not first overtake them or else fall down through the giddinesse of their own brains and then shall the eternall truth of these Articles want nothing but a foe to oppose them because herein they concurre with the doctrine of S. Paul in my text that wee are by nature children c Is it so that that we are by nature the children of wrath this serves to confute three sorts of people namely those who either faintly affirm it or flatly deny it or falsely maintain it faintly affirm it and such are those as have written Peccatum originis non nisi ex duobus scripturae locis effoditur originall sin is digg'd out but of two or three places of scripture is diggd out do they mean is extracted by faithfull consequence as if what were so deduced were not Scripture as well as that which is their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in so many words Is diggd out and so are gold and pretious stones and are mysteries of religion of lesse price because they are to be gathered by some pains is diggd out and that is false for it lyes above ground in plain and pregnant places of scripture though these men had rather stumble at it then behold it But out of two or three places of scripture why out of the mouth of two or three witnesses shall not every truth be established but out of two or three places of scripture as if one were not all one with one thousand when it comes from an infallible mouth places of scripture are not to be taken out by the tale but the weight Thus these men labour to lessen originall sin O let us all labour to lessen originall sin but not by extenuating it in our tenets and opinions but by labouring to crucify mortifie it in our lives and conversations and surely many mens immoderate diminishing originall sin making it next to nothing gave the unhappy occasion to learned Illyricus to fall foul on that opinion if his meaning there be not mistaken that originall sin was a very substance indeed an opinion so absurd that at the same time I could both laugh at the ridiculous tenet and weep at the unhappinesse of the man that maintained it well let us go backward and if we want wherewithall to cover his nakednesse let us do it with the sheets of his own books and let his admirable mastery in other things crave a concealment of his errour in this Flatly deny it and such are the Pelagians who say that all sinne comes onely by imitation surely Cain never learned to kill his brother by imitation he was the first that set that black coppy and wrote not after any other Indeed children would not be so bad or so soon bad but for bad examples set before them but bad examples are not the root from