and the root of Grace too much starued and pined But let vs feare this building of our owne houses with the contempt of God and his houses for hee hath blasted it with a Iudgement and his owne mouth hath told it vs. Haggai 1. Then came the word of the Lord by Haggai the Prophet saying Is it time for you O yee to dwell in your sieled houses and this house lye waste Now therefore saith the Lord of Hostes Consider your wayes And againe Consider your wayes You looked for much and loe it came to little and when you brought it home I did blow vpon it why saith the Lord of Hostes Because of mine house that is waste and yee runne euery man to his owne house Wherefore that the Church spiritual which is the house of God and the Church materiall which is the house of the hosue of God may bee edified and built vp yea that all good fruites euen all good works may prosper and increase let not the roote of prophanenesse starue and keepe downe the roote of holinesse for hee that thus wageth warre against good workes by killing the roote of them puts away from himselfe the name of a Christian and puts on the title of a Libertine Fourthly it is a thing most fearfull and followed with infinite misery For they that fight against the grace of the spirit fight against the spirit whose grace it is So when the Prophets were resisted by the Iews in whom Gods spirit instructed and spake S. Steuen saith Nehem. 9. 20. 30. Act. 7. Yee doe alwayes resist the holy Ghost And S. Peter most plainely The spirit of glory 1 Pet. 4. 14. and of God resteth vpon you which on their part is euill spoken of but on your part hee is glorified Behold a fearfull thing with which Gamaliel affrighted the hard-hearted and stiff-necked Iewes Act. 5. 39. Lest yee bee found to fight against God For when the pot will fight with the Potter wee know it can expect no end but breaking in pieces Psal. 2. 9. Thou shalt breake them with a rod of Iron thou shalt dash them in pieces like a Potters vessell Wherefore kisse the sonne lest he be angry and yee perish from the way Kisse the spirit of the Son by which spirit hee kisseth the soules of those that loue him and are loued of him This is the way to eternall happinesse and saluation But if in stead of kissing you kicke against his Spirit bee yee sure yee shall perish from the way of saluation For holinesse is the way to happinesse and if we resist the spirit by which men are sanctified yee put from you the Author of that holines by which we walke to happinesse It is a prayer of our Church That our life may be pure and holy so that at the last wee may come to Gods eternall ioy Wherefore if purenesse and holinesse bee the way to eternall ioy why dost thou hate stop vp the way that leades to eternall ioy Surely if thou stop vp this way to thy selfe and others there remaines no other way for thee but that broad way which leadeth to eternall destruction Behold the end of Gods enemies wherefore feare yee also Lest yee bee found fighters against God and remember that when you call Saints Puritanes you are Gods enemies and the titles which follow that are children of wrath and sons of perdition But though it be a righteous thing with God to recompence tribulation to them that trouble you 2 Thess. 1. 6. 7. yet to you that are troubled rest shall be with the rest of the Saints when the Lord Iesus shall bee reuealed from heauen And in the meane time follow the example of the same Lord Iesus pitty their ignorance and out of that pitty pray for them Luk. 23. 34. Father forgiue them for they know not what they doe If a man distracted doe raile on thee thou art more sorry for him than for thy selfe Doe the like in a case not vnlike Doe according to thy owne knowledge and not according to his ignorance Secondly know the Diuells aime in it and then thou art safe His aime is to take thy holinesse from thee and to quench the spirit or some fruites of the spirit Be thou most carefull to keepe what hee is most carefull to take away for be thou sure that is a most precious Iewell which thy greatest enemie seekes most to take from thee Thy enemie plainely tells thee the worth of it by his endeauours to steale it Wherefore let his malice be a very motiue to keepe that purenesse holinesse which his malice setteth at so high a price Thirdly vnderstand the diuells language thou maist be very well pleased for in the Diuels language a saint is a Puritane Wherfore know that when for so me good worke hee calls thee Puritane vnderstand that in his language he calleth thee Saint See More Medit. wherfore let this turn to thee for a testimoniall that euen thy enemies being Iudges thou art such a one as is truely honourable here in earth shall eternally be honoured hereafter in heauen Matt. 5. 1. For blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God As for other sins wherewith this Land is pressed downe I wish they were so inuisible that men should need to looke into bookes to finde them It may not be doubted but where such a bitter roote of prophanenesse and irreligion preuaileth so strongly the cursed fruites of it are too plentifull But men bend not their mindes to that counsell of God Hag. 1. Consider your wayes Yea the tree of knowledge of good and euill hath so infected mens iudgements with a carnall wisdome that they looke only for good and euill in outward and carnall things If those things goe well all is well And euen for this very cause doth God punish vs in outward things that by the euills which we regard wee may be brought to take notice of the euills which we regard not For though the carnall man doe not see sinne to bee euill but only thinkes that to bee euill which hee feeles yet that euill which he sees not is the cause of the euill which hee feels For there is an euill way of sinne which drawes on the euills of iudgement Ionah 3. 10 and as they come together so they goe together For when man turnes from the euill way by repentance God turnes from the euill which he said he would doe and doth it not But of these euills of sinne I haue often spoken and brought them before mens eyes but I pray God to annoint our eyes with that eye-salue of his spirit by which spirituall things are seene and discerned that rightly seeing our sinnes and rightly iudging them wee may escape the iudgements of God All should aduance this repentance And first be Magitrate 19. From the sinnes to be repented of we passe to the persons that ought to be principall Agents
or Aduancers of Repentance Oyle of Sc. Sect. 8. 9. It hath beene formerly noted that it belongeth to all and among al chiefly to the chiefest by whom this dutie may be best communicated to all And so notice was first taken of the Magistrate as being first in Eminence And indeede the supreme Magistrate ouerspreading all his people with a generall Authoritie most fitly enioyneth and spreadeth out a generall humiliation Therefore we read that Kings were the Ordainers of generall Fasts Fasts being by them made generall haue produced generall Blessings And therefore is the Fast it selfe a great benefite bestowed by the Prince on his Subiects it being a general Summons to Repentance and Humiliation whereby the Euills and Miseries which lye vpon the people may bee taken away and turned into Blessings Yea what greater benefite can there be than to bestow that greatest and highest Remedy which is able to cure a people though sicke at heart yea when the vsuall Remedies are sicke themselues it is able to cure them and from thenceforth themselues being cured they are able to cure vs. And here I cannot but extoll the fauour of God to this Nation and the goodnesse of our gracious King to his Subiects who in the straights and sufferings of this people gaue them this chiefe soueraign Remedie A gift how euer carnall men may esteeme it of principall value and highest Consequence to a Nation labouring in an Agony vnder the Iudgements of God For as the greatest Tyranny is expressed in that Character of Ieroboam Hee made Israel to sinne 1. King 15. 30. since he that made Israel to sinne 2. King 17. 22. 23. made Israel to perish so is it the greatest Mercy and Goodnes of a Prince to draw the people from sinne by calling them to Repentance For being turned from sinne the perishing which attendeth sinne is also turned away By this meanes did the King of Nineueh more good to his Subiects than all his Treasures all his policies and all the power of a Citie of three dayes iourney could haue done for them For when God who is a spirit comes to fight with a Nation those carnal weapons are too gross wherewith to fight against a spirit but spiritual weapons can onely serue the turne in a spirituall warfare But wee need not to trauell farre eyther to ancient times or forreine places to shew the benefits and blessings which a King procureth to his people by calling them vnto publicke Humiliation for euen these late acts of Humiliation which haue been performed by the Decree of our Soueraigne haue beene followed with immediate blessings euen blessings that follow them so close that they doe more than point at their Causes See more particular obseruation of these blessings Sect. 22. for they doe touch them and goe hand in hand with them Yea these blessings were affixed to them as the Seales of the most High wherby they were approued that are past and others are inuited for the time to come And as the publike Command of Humiliation sent forth by the Magistrate doth make way for a Blessing vpon his people so also doth his particular Repentance and Prayer For euen the particular vertues of a Prince are generall benefits For as when a Prince doth some great sinne God may breake in by that sinne vpon the sins of the people so the Repentance and Prayer of a Prince may stand in the breach and diuert the Iudgements either broken in or ready to breake in vpon the people There is a president of both in King Dauid for vpon the occasion of his sin in numbering the people the plague brake in vpon Israel And againe by his humiliation and praier God staied the plague from breaking in vpon Iudah and Ierusalem And indeed this Story teacheth Princes by the example of a King according to the heart of the King of kings 2. Sam. 24. 17. in publike Iudgements especially to looke to their owne sinnes and to say with Dauid It is I that haue sinned but these sheepe what haue they done As on the other side it teacheth the people especially to looke on their owne sinnes since wee see by this example that the sinnes of the people may be the occasions of the sinnes of the Prince and of those iudgements that follow them And thus the precious oyntment of sauing Health beginning to bee powred on the head may drop downe euen to the skirts of his garments and by the fauour of God it may be truly said of the Anointed of the Lord Lam. 4. 20. Vnder his shadow we shall liue 20 A second aduancer of humiliation and repentance A second aduancer of Repentance is the Minister is the Minister and he should aduance it both in publike and particular by his function and by his life And surely there are many that doe both and are like Iohn Baptist who was both a burning and a shining light Inwardly burning with that heauenly fire wherewith the spirit baptizeth from that fire shineth forth the light both of doctrine and life And for these wee owe great thankes to the Lord of the Haruest that hath sent forth such labourers into his haruest For these also with Moses Psal. 106. 23. stand in the breach and keepe out the Iudgements of God and that with violence For there is no small might in a true Prophet of God to defend a Nation from the Iudgements of God for if a Prophet and a King may bee beleeued when they speake of such Prophets 2. King 2. 12. Elisha saith it of Eliiah 2. King 13. 14. and Ioash saith the same of Elisha So that the encrease of these are both a signe and cause of safety to a Nation and the diminishing of these a signe and cause of ruine and desolation For what were those times when there was no peace to him that went out 2. Chro. 15. nor to him that came in but when Israel was without a teaching Priest Wherefore to those Elders that doubly build by life and doctrine there belongs iustly double honour and indeed by their two-fold building there ariseth a two-fold safetie both to Church and Common-wealth And as it is a pleasant iust thing that to the skilfull builders of this twofold worke there should be double honour so it is a pleasant good sight to see those that haue this double honour to doe this twofold worke And first for the publicke It was verie comely to see the formost is honour to march in the head of the troupe in the late humiliation which was a holy warre against the iudgements of God A right reuerend Father and a reuerend Deane diuiding the day and the works of the day both prayer and preaching giue encouragement to the exercises of the day And I hope that more places than one are not without patternes of spirituall Captaines that did leade forth their souldiers into this spirituall warfare For it is a hopefull
manifold saluations and deliuerances Yea the deliuerances haue in some sort borne the resemblance and proportion of the meanes A piece of a deliuerance hath followed a piece of repentance and such was that of Rehoboam 2 Chron. 12. 7. 12. 14. whose heart was not perfect with the Lord 1 King 21. 29. and a temporary deliuerance 2 Chron. 15. 8. 15. a temporary repentance and such was that of Ahab and a full deliuerance a sound and full repentance and such was that vnder Asa. 5. Wherefore I said to the foolish For spirituall helps are the true helps yea they are the helpes of the temporall Deale not foolishly and speake not with a stiffe necke Say not Ashur shall saue vs and wee will flie into Egypt Naturall helpes are like the Egyptians who are weake for that very reason for which thou thinkest them strong and the inuisible meanes are strong for that very reason for which thou thinkest them weake And herein let God himselfe bee iudge betweene vs Isa. 31. 3. The Egyptians are men and not God and their horses flesh and not spirit Wherefore behold the issue When the Lord shall stretch out his hand both hee that helpeth shall fall and hee that is holpen shall fall downe and they all shall faile together Men and horses are things visible God and spirits are things inuisible and therefore doe visible men faile to helpe because they are not equall in power to the inuisible God and therefore shall horses faile because they are not equall to spirituall and inuisible strength Wherefore henceforth doe thou especially choose those helps which are spirituall and inuisible because they are strongest and beleeue more strength to bee in the weaknesse of God which therefore only seemes weaknesse because the strength of it is not perceiued by the fleshly eye than in the strength of man 2 King 6. 16. 17. And if thou seest not the spirituall things to bee strongest doe not blame them for weaknesse but thy selfe for blindnesse and pray to God to open thy eyes for then shalt thou see a most mighty power in them and that when spirituall helpes are on our side There are more with vs than there are with them that haue earthly and visible helpes Wherfore henceforth farre be from vs the trust and rest in naturall things which is the common and first refuge of flesh and blood when it is pressed with troubles Ier. 17. 5. And let those thoughts words be loathsome to vs which ordinarily issue from this fleshly blindnesse and error One thinkes that Armies can subdue all enemies and another that Parliaments can cure all politicke diseases a third and I wish it had not beene spoken before the late pestilence in my hearing that the new Riuer had washed away the plague for euer from the City But I thinke I need not to tell them that they are deceaued And no wonder for all outward helpes are but the body of helpe but spirituall helpes are the soule of helpe and as the body without the soule is dead so all bodily helpes without spirituall helpe are without life and power Wherefore wee must striue by putting our selues into a right spirituall estate to get the fauour of the Highest spirit that he may breathe life into these dead helpes and then they shall haue life and strength as well as the dead bones when he said 〈◊〉 37. ◠Come from the foure windes O breath and breathe vpon these slaine that they may liue This is the true order to come by the spirituall helpes to the vse of the temporall to begin with God and to end with man In this case wee must proceed Descendendo not Ascendendo wee must get helpe first from the Creator and then wee may descend to the vse of the Creature but wee must not begin to seeke helpe of the Creature and then thinke wee may be either confident or carelesse of the helpe of the Creator It is the maine wisdome and successe of the Creature to goe with the Creator He that goes without him goes without strength and he that goes against him runnes against the rocke of Omnipotence and is sure to make most horrible shipwracke Wherefore Moses saith wisely Exo. 33. 15. If thy presence goe not with mee carry vs not vp hence There is no going nor stirring if God goe not with vs But if God bee with vs who shall bee against vs If God be with vs we may be saued without Meanes for God is able to saue being alone He can also raise vp meanes where are none and hee can blesse the Meanes where are some and he can make the Meanes of our destruction to become the meanes of our preseruation The last seemeth most difficult yet doth hee often doe it The Syrians had brought a most deadly famine vpon Samaria so that the same bowels were fed by that which receiued life from them And by the same Syrians Samaria was so deliuered from the famine and stored with plenty 2 King 6. 7. that a Measure of fine floure was sold for a shekell The same Egyptians which kept Israel in a most cruell bondage were made to bee the men that should bee vrgent vpon Israel to haste away out of bondage Exod. 12. 33. c. yea they suffered them not to goe empty but spoyled themselues to enrich those whom they had spoyled Euen Death it selfe which the Diuell intended to haue made a Gate to eternall destruction the out-stretched arme of God hath made a gate to eternall saluation Reu. 14. 19 So that a voyce is heard from heauen saying Write Blessed are they that dye in the Lord. Now if God be so absolute a Lord of all things that of contraries he can produce contraries we may see that hee hath taken all trust from the creature and reserued it to himselfe and that the power which is in the Creature being giuen it by him can at his pleasure bee taken away from it and a contrary power put into it Theeefore our eyes are to be fixed on God and to looke vp first to him to see whether he will suffer the Creature to retaine the power of Helpe which hee hath giuen it yea and when helpes faile to see whether hee will raise vp helpes yea farther whether he will helpe without helpes and yet farthest of all whether he will turne our hinderances and punishments into helpes And thus depending on God and laying the foundation of our hope help in the name of the Lord we may safely and comfortably vse the meanes which hee giueth vs. And if hee giue meanes with a blessing put vnto them they may be of absolute necessitie when they haue receiued such blessing and power from him Many points of this doctrine are to bee found in the voyage of Paul Act. 27. Naturall helpes can do nothing without God so the Mariners could not saue Pauls company for they are lost in regard of Naturall
helpes whom God of his meere grace bestoweth vpon Paul Yea naturall helpes being opposed against spirituall are ready helpes to destruction so the Master and owner of the ship being beleeued against Paul become the meanes of the ships destruction Naturall helpes if they bee not stayed and held by spirituall helpes will then runne away from vs when we haue most need of them so the Mariners would haue run away when they might haue stood most in steed if Paul had not stayed them Spirituall helpes are they that saue vs when naturall helpes doe faile vs so the loue of God to Paul saued both him and his companions when they were destitute of the helpe of man And lastly when spirituall helpe and blessing is giuen to the meanes then the meanes can saue vs yea then the meanes are so necessarie that without them we cannot bee saued So when God is pleased to giue successe to the seruice and helpe of the Mariners then they are vsefull to bring the ship where the passengers may bee saued Yea they are then so necessarie that without the Mariners they cannot bee saued Thus wee see that spirituall helpes are the strong helpers and outward helpes are themselues holpen by them Spirituall helps are the foundation and temporall helpes are a building vpon that foundation Wherefore if we will be wife builders first let vs bee sure to make the foundation strong and then may we hopefully reare vp the walls Let vs by penitence draw neere vnto God our Rocke and being spirituall fetch strength and helpe from the Almighty Spirit Then may wee say and not till then The Lord is my strength and my shield my heart trusted in him and I am helped Yea he is a Sunne as well as a shield Psal. 28. 7. and when this Sunne returnes Psal. 84. 11. then there comes a spring vpon a Nation 6. Being thus put vpon spirituall helpes Sure and sound Repentance is a sure sound helpe and particularly vpon Repentance as vpon that which reconcileth to vs the strong and All sufficient helper A first part of it is the sight and acknowledgment of sinne let vs giue all diligence to make this repentance sure vnto vs. And sure it is made to vs by making it our owne and it is made our owne when wee our selues doe practise it For then repentance only can heale vs when by particular applying of it to our owne soules we make it our repentance And as it should bee a sure repentance so should it bee a full repentance For then is it most sure in it selfe to heale vs when it is most entire and perfect And so being sure in it selfe and sure to vs I hope we may be sure to bee saued Now to come to this fulnesse of repentance let vs view the parts of it yea let vs view some Accessions and necessary improuements of it yea let vs see the Crowne and consummation of it And let vs not only see but doe that wee may bee blessed in the Deede of it The parts of it Oyle of Scorp pag. 219. I haue heretofore shewed They are a Sight and Acknowledgment of Sin a Detestation of Sin and a Turning from Sinne to the contrary Righteousnes And first the Sight and Acknowledgement of our sinne is absolutely necessary It is necessary in respect of God and in regard of our selues In respect of God it is necessary for thereby we giue the glory that is due to the Iustice of God When we see our sins and acknowledge them we confesse that God is iust in his punishments and that he hath rightly afflicted vs. Dan. 9. 5. 7. 14. We haue sinned saith Daniel and haue done wickedly and haue rebelled euen by departing from thy precepts and iudgements And therupon he inferres O Lord righteousnesse belongeth to thee but to vs Confusion of Faces as at this day And a little after Therefore hath the Lord watched vpon the Euill and brought it vpon vs for the Lord our God is Righteous in all the workes that hee doth for wee obeyed not his voyce Thus from the Acknowledgement of sinne ariseth Glorie to Gods Iustice in punishing Sinnes and this Glorie hee expecteth before the Sinner be dismissed Hee will haue an acceptation of his punishments as of things iustly due vnto vs and it is an excellent degree toward Mercie to say with the penitent Thiefe on the Crosse We are righteously here Luk. 23. 4â— and receiue the reward of our deedes Yea with that holy Man Thou O God Ezra 9. 13. hast punished vs beneath our iniquities But if this be the fruite which God expecteth of his punishments for sinne that his Iustice should be so farre approued that the punishments should bee accepted how contrary an effect doe men commonly returne to God who in stead of acceptation returne nothing but murmuring and repining They employ their thoughts most on the stones that are cast at them and they bound their imaginations with the euills that presse them And they are so farre from this right fruite and vse of them that they neither see them as punishments for sinne neither doe they see the Iustice of God in sending these punishments yea they doe not see God at all in them but which is most lamentable and feareful because it is the very character of the wicked ones God is not in all their thoughts Psal. 10. 4. But while thus wee looke downeward to Effects without looking vp to Causes we look on our punishments rather like beasts than men And whatsoeuer toile wee take about the Effects if wee doe not remoue the Causes it is but losse of labour But how can we remoue the Causes when we doe not see them Sinne is that which moues Gods Iustice to punish vs and God will haue his Iustice approued and accepted in the punishment of Sinne before he will remoue those punishments And if it be our owne sinne and the Iustice of God that lay these euils vpon vs I wonder what good thou dost toward the cure of these euils by biting the stone that by these is throwne at thee For if thou shouldst bite it to powder as long as the Iustice of God remains vnappeased because thy Sin remaines vnacknowledged the great God of Iustice who in Mercie can turne stones into children of Abraham in Iustice can turn any sonnes of Adam into stones to batter thee Yea I will tell thee farther that as long as thou standest off from God and doest not take notice of him and much more while thou standest out against God and only snarlest at his punishments he wil defend euen his punishments against thee The punishments of God while they are in Gods businesse and till they haue done their errand are the seruants of God God will mainetaine them in that seruice vntill it bee done Therefore whatsoeuer become of Nebucadnezzar when his worke is done yet in doing of Gods worke God himselfe doth call him My
the rootes of the Trees none but the tree that beares good fruite shall escape hewing downe and casting into the fire But the righteousnesse of outward workes is neither true nor lasting without a seed and nature of Righteousnesse Therefore to make the fruite truely and continually good the tree must be made good For the good tree only beareth good fruit and ceaseth not to beare it Wherefore as the roote of sinfulnesse must be pulled vp so a roote of Righteousnesse must bee planted As the old man must be put off the new man must be put on Eph. 4. 22. 23. This New man is borne of the spirit as the old man is borne of the flesh Joh. 3. 6. For that which is borne of the flesh is flesh and that which is borne of the spirit is spirit And if that which is borne of the spirit be in vs then haue wee in vs a roote of Righteousnesse For the fruite of the spirit is in all goodnesse Eph. 5. 6. and righteousnesse and truth This is the roote of the tree planted by the riuer side Psal. 1. 3. that bringeth forth his fruite in his season his leafe also shall not wither but whatsoeuer he doth shall prosper This is the seed that falls into good ground yea it makes the ground good into which it falls Heb. 6. 7. so that it bringeth forth hearbs meet for them by whom it is dressed and receiueth blessing from God And indeed no wonder if it receiue blessing from God and turn away the curses of God for when the hart of man is thus made good ground fruitfull earth and a good tree by the vertue of Gods spirit the heart of Man is according to the Heart of God And from this harmonie agreement issue all blessings and blessednesse There is friendship betweene God and man when face answereth to face the face of mans soule to the face of God to whose Image it was first created and after the fall it must bee renewed Prov. 27. 19. Then will God delight to dwell among vs hee will walke with vs hee will bee a Father to vs 2 Cor. 6. 17. and wee shall bee his sonnes and daughters saith the Lord Almighty Deut. 28. 12. 13. The Lord shall open to thee his good treasure the heauen to giue the raine vnto thy land in his season and to blesse all the worke of thine hand And thou shalt lend vnto many Nations and shalt not borrow And the Lord shall make thee the head and not the taile and thou shalt bee aboue only and not beneath if that thou hearken to the Commandements of the Lord thy God to obserue and doe them Infinite is the blessednesse and infinite are the blessings which follow this new creature and Image of God And places of Scripture are almost endlesse that expresse them Briefly and for a summe Godlinesse is profitable vnto all things 1 Tim. 4. 8. hauing promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come Now what shall I inferre hereupon yea let God himselfe make the inference by his blessed Apostle Hauing therefore these promises 2 Cor. 7. 1. dearely beloued let vs cleanse our selues from all filthinesse of the flesh and spirit perfecting holinesse in the feare of God Let vs put on the New Creature and walke by that rule for as many as walke by that Gal. 6. 1â—â— rule peace shall be vpon them Peace betweene God and vs peace betweene vs and our owne soules and peace betweene vs and the Creatures 10. Hauing thus put on The Crown of repentance is a Couenant with God the glorious and blessed Image of God in our repentance from dead workes and the body of sinne let vs crown and consummate this happy worke with a Couenant For thus did the ancient Conuerts they bound vp their Repentance in a Couenant that entring into a Couenant with God God might enter into a Couenant with them and so the knot of Happinesse Loue might bee knit and made sure betweene God and Man The heart of man is very deceitfull and backsliding and it is not enough to put it into the way of agreement with God but being there it must be bound by strong resolutions yea those resolutions haue beene bound with an oath And thus our will binding it selfe to the will of God by a settled resolution and vow it continues the closer and more vnseparable since as soone as temptation commeth it dasheth it selfe in pieces against the Rocke of this Couenant The heart being as it were hardned and steeled with Resolution is in vaine assaulted and the Billow of temptation flying against it non frangit sed frangitur the Billow is broken but the house or the heart falls not because it is become rocky being firmely built on the Rocke Christ Iesus Yea Sathan seeing the soule settled and resolued to resist him flyes away and remoues his engines to places and persons of lesse resistance But on the other side God seeing the heart bent and resolued and bound to a constant seruice of God hee meetes it with a constant loue and the kisse of perfect peace is betweene them I might bring forth diuers examples of Couenants There was a Couenant vnder Moses Deut. 20. 12. vnder Ioshua vnder Iosiah Iosh. 24. vnder Ezra Ezra 10. but I especially propose the Couenant of 2 King 23. 3. Asa because it was the patterne of a perfect Couenant and a happy successe And because I wish the later I propose the former This Couenant is thus described There came a Prophet and spake vnto Asa 2 Chron. 15 and all Iudah and Beniamin Hee told them of the miseries of those which were without the true God a teaching Priest and without law That forsaking God they were forsaken of God And in those times there was no peace to him that went out nor to him that came in but great vexations were vpon all the Inhabitants of the Countries And Nation was destroyed of Nation and Citie of Citie for God did vexe them with all aduersitie On the other side The Lord is with them while they bee with him and if they seeke him hee will bee found of them Yea being vexed for their sinnes when in their trouble they did turne vnto the Lord God of Israel and sought him hee was found of them Thereupon the Prophet inferreth Bee yee strong therefore and let not your hands bee weake for your worke shall be rewarded And Asa indeed grew strong for the Scripture saith Hee tooke courage and put away the abhominable Idols out of Iudah and Beniamin he renewed the Altar of the Lord and offered a great sacrifice to God And to binde vp this new obedience and to make it sure by setting a seale to it They entred into a Couenant to seeke the Lord God of their fathers with all their heart and with all their soule This Couenant they binde with a high
penalty yea they binde it farther with an oath Neither was this oath taken with a grudging and repining heart such as too many of our hearts be that are affraid to bee too farre engaged in the seruice of God though it be to our owne preseruation but knowing that God loueth a cheerefull giuer They sware vnto the Lord with a loude voice and with shouting and with Trumpets and with Cornets And when they had sworne they were not sorry they had done a good deed which kinde of repentance to bee repented of is too common among vs But Israel yea all Israel reioyced at the oath and behold the reason For they had sworne with all their heart and sought him with their whole desire And now behold the happy successe God was found of them and he gaue them rest round about Behold here a path that leades to rest And the men are named that haue already trauailed in this path and by it came vnto rest 1 Cor. 10. 11. And wherfore doth the Scripture so punctually trace out this path but that ages to come might learne by this example in the same path to come to the same rest The same seeking the Lord with the whole heart and binding it with a Couenant and binding the Couenant with an Oath or solemne Vow are things which may bee done and being done they are followed with rest What remaines to bee said but that rest stands before vs and the way to rest is also open to vs and the Spirit encourageth vs by these examples and saith This is the way walke in it and ye shall finde rest to your soules If it seem heauy to vs it is because we doe not seeke God with all our heart and our whole desire for wee see that they who seeke the Lord with their whole heart and desire reioyce at the Couenant yea at an oath vpon the Couenant at a Bond vpon a Bond. For they thinke that all Bonds are little enough to binde the heart to him whom all the heart doth seeke and desire If a woman doe affect a man with all her heart to make him her Husband surely she will account it a very ioy full thing to bee bound to him by a solemne Matrimoniall vow For it is nothing else but to binde the heart to him aboue all whom the heart doth affect aboue all It is a pleasure to bee bound to that which wee loue Wherefore if we loue God we will take a pleasure to be bound to him yea wee will not only cry with the Spouse Draw me but binde mee to thee Cant. 1. 4. with cords of loue and I will runne after thee Neither is it any new thing to binde our hearts to God by a Couenant for it is but a repeating of the same Couenant which wee made in our Baptisme And it bindeth vs already if wee doe not renouce our Baptisme and so our Christianity Yea the same Couenant wee renew and repeate in the Lords Supper For the whole work of Grace working in the Church Militant is comprehended and bound vp in a Couenant which wee reade to bee thus summed vp in the Scripture God forgiueth our sinnes Ier. 31. 31 and writeth his Lawes in our hearts by his Spirite and so hee becomes our God to direct protect and blesse vs and we become his people to serue loue and obey him This Couenant wee enter into in Baptisme Heb. 8. 10. vndertaking then to bee led by the Spirit of Regeneration and not by the Flesh the World and the Diuell Now the Lords Supper is a seconding of this Couenant Therefore saith our Sauiour Luk. 22. 20 This Cup is the New Testament or Couenant for so the words are enterchanged Heb. 8. 8. 9. 20. 12. 24. in my bloud And indeede because by the frailtie of the flesh whose reliques remaine after Regeneration though the Reigne be abolished wee often goe aside from the Rule of the Spirit wee goe aside I say as a ship goes aside and fals off from the rule of the Needle or Compasse though the Compasse be not cast ouer-boord neither fall out of the ship therfore this Sacrament is appointed to bring vs againe into the path of the New Couenant the guilt of those frailties and errours being washed away by the bloud of Christ and the spot by the spirit of Christ. Which spirit of Christ also refresheth and reuiueth the Law of God written in our hearts and strengthens vs to a more perfect walking and abiding in this Law So the Iudgements of God doe but call vs to the same Couenant to which the Sacraments binde vs but indeede they call vs to a more reall performance of that Couenant which hauing vndertaken in the Sacraments yet we haue failed to performe For this Cause saith St. Paul many are weake and sickly among you 1. Cor. 11. 10. many sleepe And the Lord by his Prophet Ier. 11. 8. Therefore I will bring vpon them all the words of this Couenant which I commanded them to doe and they did it not And if hee That despised Moses Law died without mercy Heb. 10. 28. of how much sorer punishment suppose yee shall he be thought worthy who hath troden vnder foote the Sonne of God and hath counted the blood of the Couenant wherewith hee was sanctified an vnholy thing And thus while iudgements come vpon vs for the breath and contempt of our Couenant with God the same iudgements call vs to a Cure by the contrary that is by renewing our Couenant againe and stedfast keeping it 1. Cor. 11. 31 For if we would thus iudge our selues wee should not bee iudged of the Lord. Behold here is life and death set before vs and there are examples of both The breach of the Couenant is iudged and auenged with destruction An example of that breach and iudgement are Iudah Ierusalem who besides their many breaches after many renewings brake one euen a little before their Baby lonish Ier. 34. 10. 11. 17. 18. Captiuitie The making of a Couenant with the whole Heart is followed with Rest and Prosperitie and an example of that is Asa with all Iudah and Beniamin What shall I say Choose life that ye may liue Euery ones heart I thinke should say so to it selfe And the speech of another should be preuented or stopped as Elisha put to silence the children of the Prophets I knew it Gen. 12. 1. hold you your peace But then I say as Iacob to his sonnes Why doe yee looke one vpon another I haue heard there is Corne in Egypt get yee downe thither and buy for vs from thence that wee may liue and not dye Why stand yee still gazing on Gods chastisements which yee see vpon your selues and others and doe not goe about to cure them Our Ioseph euen Iesus that deliuers vs from the wrath to come whose coate was dipped in his own blood Phil. 2. 6. 7. 8. euen the coate of
his Humanitie wherin the Diuinitie was apparrelled like a Man yea like a Seruant He euen hee hath prouided the food of eternal life to which all temporall blessings are annexed by promise for those who in this Egypt this sinfull land or world of sin doe goe downe to the Vallie of Teares in a full and hearty repentance what remaines but that with a full and whole repentance wee purchase these temporall and eternall blessings that wee may not die but liue 11 This full and consummate Profitable and necessary Associates of Repentance Repentance should be followed with Inuocation or we may rather say it doth follow it For Inuocation and Prayer is indeede the naturall Issue of true Repentance For sinne being put away by Repentance which stood as a Cloude betweene God and the soule and did hide the Face of God from the Eyes of the soule now the light of Gods countenance shineth on the soule and the comfortable beames of his fauour doe refresh her God doth meete the soule with a fauourable aspect from which gathering courage and comfort shee dares speake vnto him and say Psal. 51. 18. A broken and a contrite heart O God thou wilt not despise Doe good in thy good pleasure vnto Sion build thou the walls of Ierusalem When the soule feeles the weight of sinne abated and lightned by Repentance hope of pardon increaseth and from hope increasing ariseth confidence then from this confidence springeth vp prayer Againe when the bodie of sinne is diminished and brought low by Repentance then the new man flourisheth and prospereth The flesh and the spirit are like two seales whereof one being depressed the other mounts vp and now the flesh being put down by Repentance the spirit riseth vp and growes strong and the spirit being strong vttereth strong cries and grones that cannot bee expressed Shee speakes to God in the very language of Heauen which flesh and blood vnderstands not but he knowes the meaning of the spirit who gaue the spirit vnto man There is an Abba Father which no man knowes but he that hath it and he that hath it cannot expresse it it is like the earning of a Lambe whereby she owneth her Damme by which she owneth her but knowes not her selfe whereby by she owneth her There is a secret earning and owning of God for a Father put into the soule of a sonne of God by the Spirit which new-begetteth him and thereby he calls God Father and yet not he but the very feed and spirit of his Father in him And when this call ascends vp vnto God it moueth his bowels of compassion So that if a mother could forget her childe yet God cannot forget his sonne Esay 49. 1◠It is it selfe a forcible motiue to bring down blessings and it makes way for other preuailing petitions and therefore Christ doth set this word of Father as an head on his absolute praier that by it the petitions following may pierce like an arrow and enter into the presence and acceptation of the Almighty Wherefore hauing our hearts sprinkled from an euill Conscience Heb. 10. 22. and our bodies washed with pure water let vs draw neere with a true heart in full assurance of faith Hauing repented let vs aske mercy and forgiuenesse and that remission of punishments which followes the remission of guilt Yea if our hearts bee hard and cannot repent as we desire let vs aske the grace and spirit of Repentance For on the one side it is condemned in the Iewes that they pray not for Repentance in their punishments for sinne So saith holy Daniel Dan. 9. 13. 14. All this euill is come vpon vs yet made wee not our Prayer before the Lord our God that we might turne from our iniquities and vnderstand thy Truth Therfore hath the Lord watched vpon the euill and brought it vpon vs. And on the other side it is said All things that yee shall aske in Praier Mat. 21. 22 beleeuing ye shall receiue Luke 11. 13 Yea God will giue the Holy Ghost to them that aske him Pray then for the Spirit of Compunction and Repentance of him that hath promised to giue it and pray for the Compunction and Repentance when thou hast the spirit making this the burden of thy Psalme Turn vs againe O Lord of Hosts And not onely so but adde hereunto Psal. 80. Cause thy face to shine and wee shall bee saued that is pray for Repentance and hauing repented pray for the fauour of God and the Saluation or Deliuerance which attend it And indeed so inseparable is Deliuerance from Prayer that if God doth promise to send a Deliuerance yet he expects that Prayer should come to fetch it of him God had promised a Deliuerance to the Iewes from the Captiuitie of Babylon after seuenty yeeres Yet he saith Ier. 29. 12. Then shall you call vpon me and shall goe and pray vnto me and I will hearken vnto you And euen vpon this foundation did Daniel Dan. 9. 2. build his excellent prayer vnto God for his Nation Wherefore let vs take Gods owne way which he points vnto vs to come to his owne Blessings A way so often beaten and tried to leade assuredly to blessings and euen to the blessing of Deliuerance from the punishments of sinne that the storie of the Iudges is full of continuall patternes Neh. 9. 27. 28. These Nehemiah summeth vp When they cried to thee thou heardest them from Heauen and according to thy manifold mercies thou gauest them Sauiours who saued them out of the hand of their Enemies Yea he saith again When they returned and cried vnto thee thou heardest them from Heauen and many times didst thou deliuer them according to thy Mercies Wherefore since crying to God is the way to deliuerance let vs neuer leaue going in this way vntill we come to Deliuerance 12 But let vs know withall To preuaile with God our petitions must aime to Gods glorie Psal. 50. 15 that he which said Call vpon me in the day of trouble and I will deliuer you 〈◊〉 this also And 〈…〉 glorifie me To glorifie 〈…〉 God must 〈…〉 intended by vs when we seeke a Deliuerance and performed by vs when wee haue it Yea hauing receiued some deliuerances already let vs bee thankefull for them and that is the way to get more For when God hath the fruite of his Mercies he will not spare to sow much where he reapes much First we must intend the Glorie of God in the Praiers which wee make for Deliuerance from troubles or any other blessing Yea by this very point of Gods glory let vs binde and adiure him For that is a principall meanes by which to preuaile with God to make Gods glory the scope of our prayers Therefore our Sauiour who is the wisdome of God makes the first petition of his perfect prayer That Gods Name may bee hallowed For hee knew that if in the first and chiefest place we