that are Masters of Families be exhorted to set up Holynesse in your Families Teach your children and servants to know God keep up your authority give not liberty to them under your roofe to live as they list Abraham gave no toleration he commanded his houshold to keep the way of the Lord. Let all sorts and sexes old and Gen. 18. 19. young learned and unlearned lay this Exhortation to heart I presse holynesse upon you all O that the Priests Motto were writ upon your hearts and lives Holynesse unto the Lord. You cannot say as Sheba the Son of Bichri said We have no portion in David c. as if this concerns not us but holynesse concerns you all you must all follow after holynesse To excite you to your duty I 'll lay down some moving considerations Consid 1. We are elected unto holinesse 2 Thes 2. 13. 1. Consider you are elected unto holynesse not for holynesse nor through praevision of holyness that 's a false Arminian glosse but unto holynesse 2. We are created unto holynesse All the members of our bodies Consid 2. We are created in holynesse Ephes 4. 24. and faculties of our soules should be instruments of holynesse The tongue should speak holily holy communication should drop from the tongue the heart and hand both should be clean as James specifies c. 4. 8. The feet must keep the wayes of Gods commandements Consid â— We are redeemed to be holy Luk. 1. 74. 75. the understanding will affections the whole man all must be holy to this purpose they were created 3. Consider we are redeemed for this end and purpose that we may be holy 4. It 's Gods will that we should be holy 1 Thes 4. 3. Now our Consid 4. It s Gods will that we should be holy wils must be subject unto Gods will He commands us to be holy we should pray for his grace to enable us to perform his command Holynesse is suitable to Gods will and wee have an encouraging promise 1 Joh. 5. 14. 5. â—olynesse is our calling 1 Pet. 1. 15. 1 Thes 4. 7. Wee can Consid 5. Holyness is our calling have no comfort but when we are in a lawfull calling when our wayes are according to Gods wayes wee may hope for Gods gracious protection according to the promise Psal 91. 11. When any commit wickednesse are unclean drunk associate themselves with wicked persons they are out of their calling and so out of Gods special pâ—ovidence Consider this seriously when you are tempted to Whoredom or any oâ—her sin God hath not called you unto unâ—eannesse but unto holynesse 6. Heaven is an holy place only appointed for holy persons Nothing Consid 6. Heaven is a holy place that 's defiled shall enter there Rev. 21. 27. Onely holy persons shall be acquitted before Christs Judgement-seat They only shall enter into the new Jerusalem 7. In heaven there shall bee no other but holy employment Consid 7. In Heaven there is holy employment singing Hosannahs and Hallelujahs to him that sitteth on the throne and to the Lamb for evermore A prophane person hates holy Ordinances and holy employments here on earth Were it possible for him to be in heaven hee would be weary of the employment whereas the Saints shall have their hearts put into such an high and excellent frame as they shall without molestation weariness or intermission be ever setting forth the praises of the Lord. 8. And there will be in heaven the most holy company the holy Consid 8. In heaven there is holy company Trinitie God the Father God the Son God the Holy Ghost the most holy blessed and glorious Trinity There will be holy Angels the spirits of just men made perfect holy Martyrs holy Ministers holy people No company there but all holy company 9. And lastly to close up all Now whilst we live on earth is Consid 9. The present time is the time to labor after holynes the time or never to labour after holynesse now I mean in this time of life we must make provision for eternity This is Gods summons to day if you will hear his voice Delay not a minute longer Resist not the movings of the Spirit great is the danger of resisting the Spirits movings The Lord set home all these considerations upon your hearts and if hereby the Lord should be pleased to gaine any soul to the love and practise of holynesse I should never be enough thankful for the mercies of this day The third Use is for Examination and Tryal Every one will Use 3. For Examination plead for himself and pretend to an holy conversation As it was said When the Son of man comes shall he finde faith on the earth So shall he find an holy conversation a formal Professor a Christian at large are every where to be found like Sycamoâ—es in the valley for abundance but the power of holynesse an holy circumspect walking are rarely found Now then because its the grand Ministerial duty to distinguish the precious from the vile according to that high commendation and priviledge given as to be the mouthes of God Jer. 15. 19. And because God hath gone forth in a signal exemplary blessing upon this way which hath been so frequently used by old Disciples faithful labouring Ministers whose plain Preaching would it were more revived now adaies It shall therefore be my task to lay forth some distinguishing characters and signs of a gracious sincere heart whose life is accordingly ordered in an holy conversation and by them you may put your selves upon the test and tryal as in the presence of God whether you are such manner of persons in all holy conversation and godlinesse The first sign is spiritual poverty and this consists in the emptying Charact. 1. Spiritual Poverty of the heart of self-confidence self-opinion self-sufficiency and self-righteousnesse whereby a Christian becomes nothing in himself altogether lost undone blind miserable poor and naked He is thoroughly sensible of his own misery and wretchednesse He is apprehensive of his own undone condition and what need he hath of a Saviour such an one Christ pronounceth to be in the state Mat. 5. 3. of blessednesse 2. There followeth the highest prizing and estimate of Jesus Charact. 2. High prizing of Jesus Chr. Christ That soul which is spiritually poor accounts Christ the greatest treasure it apprehends it self blind that Christ may give it eye-salve miserable and lost that Christ may save it naked that Christ may cloath it with his righteousnesse See what an high price the Spoâ—se puts upon Jesus Christ Cant. 5. 10 11 12 c. He is precious 1 Pet. 2. 7. a plant of renown Ezek. 34 29. Such an high price had the wise Merchant to sell all for him Mat. 13. 45 46. So Moses who preferred the reproach of Christ before Egypts treasure Bradford wept often even at meales because he could not bring his dul heart
have seen this duty tracked by the foot-steps of Gods people let us goe and doe likewise In the third place to give in the demonstration of the Point I shall 3. The Doctrine demonstrated draw a threefold Argument from the necessity equity and utility of the duty 1. From the necessity of the duty Ye have need of patience that Arg. 1. Drawn from the necessity of this duty after ye have done the will of God ye might receive the promise And that is necessary Necessitate praecepti medii For Precepts the Psalmist exhorts Râ—st in the Lord and wait patiently for him freâ— not thy self because of him who prospereth in his way because of the man who bringeth wicked dâ—vices to pass For evil deers shall be cut off but thâ—se that wait upon the Lord they shall inherit the earth And the Prophet Zephaniah exhorts Therefore wait ye upon me saith the Lord until Zeph. 3. 8. thâ— day that I rise up unto the prey for my determination is to gather the nations that I may assemble the Kingdoms to pâ—ur upon them mine indignatiâ—n even all my fierce anger for all the earth shall be devoured with the fire of my jealousie Wait on the Lord be of good courage and Psal 27. 14. he shall strengthen thine heart wait I say on the Lord. Solomon counsels Say not thou I will recompence evil but wait on the Lord and he Prov. 20. 22. shall save thee David layeth a strict charge upon himself My soul Psal 62. 5. wait thou only upon God for my expectation is from him David could have taken opportunity to have revenged himself on Saul he had him as we say at his mercy but he waited Gods time The Lord 1 Sam. 24. 23. 1 Sam. 26. 23. saith he render to every man his righteousness and his faithfulnesse for the Lord delivered thee into my hand to day but I would not stretch forth mine hand against the Lords anointed David though he had an opportunity yet considered Saul was Gods anointed therefore he would not embrue his hands in his blood 2. Necessitate mâ—dii For waiting is an instrumental means Gods way of obtaining a grant of the thing desired Simeon waited for the consolation of Israel And behold there was a man in Jerusalem Luke 2. 25. whose name was Simeon and the same man was just and devout waiting for the consolation of Israel and the holy Ghâ—st was upon him The sons of God waited for their adoption And not onely they but our selves Rom. 8. 23. also which have the first-fruits of the spirit even we our selves groan within our selves waiting for the adoption to wit the redemption of our body And they wait for the coming of Christ So that ye come behinde I Cor. 1. 7. in no gift waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ Waiting prepareth us for the receiving of a mercy whereas murmuring querulous speeches do indispose us for a mercy Whineing strugling and quarrelling provoke God to lash us more but a quiet composed behaviour an humble submission to the will of God is a ready way to obtain the thing desired even a comfortable fruition of our expectation God is most ready to help his people when their hearts most long after him for so runs the Promise I will pour Isa 44. 3. water upon him that is thirsty and floods upon the dry ground I will pour my spirit upon thy seed and my blessing upon thine off-sppring After the Church was in pain and travel and endured many throws and hard labor in expectation of deliverance read the gracious answer Thy dead men shall live together with my dead body shall they arise awake and sing ye that awell in dust for thy dew is as the dew of hearbs Isa 26. 19. and the earth shall cast out the dead So that waiting works two things 1. It prepares us for a mercy it seasoneth our hearts and disposeth them for the entertainment thereof so that we are as Vessels throughly season'd 2. It sets a higher price and estimate on the mercy when it comes A mercy beg'd by Prayer waited for with Patience will of all others be the sweetest to us in the fruition Hannah had more children after Samuel but none so valued as Samuel the childe of her Prayers Now if deliverance and settlement to the Kingdom come as an answer of our Prayers O how welcome will the deliverance be It 's a comfortable experience recorded of the Church And it shall Isa 25. 9. be said in that day lo this is our God we have waited for him and he shall save us This is the Lord we have waited for him we will be glad and rejoyce in his salvation 2. The second Argument shall be drawn from the equity of the Argu. 2 Drawn from the equity of the duty duty It 's all the equity and reason of the World that we should wait upon God we are Creatures and is it not equal that the Creature should wait upon the Creator we are Servants and should not Servants wait upon their Masters Behold as the eyes of servants Psalm 123. 2 look unto the hands of their masters and as the eyes of a maiden unto the hand of her mistress so our eyes wait upon the Lord our God until that he have mercy upon us We are children and should not children wait upon their Father These relations intimate the equity of the duty we say that Relations though they be of least entity yet they are of greatest efficacy Doth not the Husband-man wait for the Harvest Doth not the Mother wait for the time of her deliverance Doth not the Patient wait upon the working of the Physick Now God is giving the Kingdom strong Physick a Purge to some a Vomit to others nay have we not just cause to fear that by reason of our Laodicean luke-warmness God will vomit us out of his mouth Let 's wait and see what God will do though we know not yet he knows the reason of his own proceedings God made Nebuchadnezzar a scourage to the Jews and God calls him his servant but because Nebuchadnezzar acted his own malice and revenge God will turn the wheel upon him Jehu was made an Instrument to root out Ahabs Family but because his heart was naught he aimed at the Kingdom for himself God threatens to avenge the blood of Jezreâ—l upon the house Hos 1. 4. of Jehu God may raise up one to punish another and when they have done God may find out a scourge to punish the punishers themselves These are Gods Acts his strange Acts for so are his judgements Isaiah 7. 20. God will have a razor for that purpose In the same day shall the Lord shave with a razour that is hired namely by them beyond the river by the king of Assyria the head and the hair of the feet and it shall also consume the beard And notwithstanding greatness of
borne neither having done any good or evill that the purpose of God according to election might stand not of workes but of him that calleth It was said unto her the elder shall serve the younger as it is written Jacob have I loved but Esau have I hated 4. This love is incomprehensible inexpressible Eph. 3. 18 19. 4. This love is incomprehensible That yee may be able to comprehend with all Saints what is the breadth and length and depth and height and to know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge that yee might be filled with all the fulnesse of God 5. It is an eternall love Joh. 13. 1. Now before the feast of the 5. This love is eternall passeover when Jesus knew that his houre was come that he should depart out of this world unto the Father having loved his owne which were in the world he loved them unto the end Jer. 31. 3. The Lord hath appeared of old unto me saying Yea I have loved thee with an everlasting love therefore with loving kindnesse have I drawne thee The second Use is for Examination whether we are of that Vse 4. For Examination number which hath interest in this love We are to distinguish of severall sorts of love There 's Amor benevolentiae Complacentiae For that there is Amor benevolentiae hence appeares munificentia 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God doth good to all makes the Sun to shine on the just and unjust That which we are to inquire of is that which is called Amor complacentiae appropriated only unto Gods children What evidences may be given that we have interest in this distinguishing love The 1. Signe is Sanctification it 's God's order and we may Signe 1. Sanctification not break it Rev. 1. 5. Vnto him that loved us and washed us from our sinnes in his blood If thou canst prove that thy nature is changed by the sanctifying vertue of God's spirit thou maiest conclude that thou art one that hath interest in the speciall love of God 2. Those that have interest in this speciall love of God feele a Signe 2. Constraining love of Christ constraining power in this love to ingage them to obedience to Gods commands 2 Cor. 5. 14. For the love of Christ constraines us because we thus judge that if one died for all then we are all dead 3. By the sincerity of our love to God we may conclude his Signe 3. Sincerity of love to God love towards us 1 Joh. 4. 19. We love him because he first loved us Gods love to us is the ground of our Assurance our love to him is the ground of our Evidence Let Gods children as Bradford that pretious man of God used to advise lay this down for a foundation That God loves them and where this love is it will shed abroad love in their hearts even love to God love to the brethren love to the Ordinances love and longing for the appearance of Christ 4. Christ manifests his love to his people Joh. 14. 21. He that Signe 4. Christ manifests his Love to his people hath my commandments and keepeth them he it is that loveth me and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father and I will love him and will manifest my selfe to him Though he may hide himselfe for a time yet he will embrace them with everlasting kindnesse Isai 54 8. In a little wrath I hid my face from them for a moment but with everlasting kindnesse will I have mercy on thee saith the Lord thy Redeemer 5. Those whom God loves with a speciall distinguishing love Signe 5. Christ is Lord and King have Christ their redeemer their Lord King and Ruler their Prophet to instruct them their Priest to make satisfaction and intercession for them This is the greatest evidence of Gods love in giving thee his son as in the place forecited Joh. 3. 16. For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life Which is plainly applyed to believers and takes not in all universally but a peculiar select company even such only as believe And Rom. 8. 32. He that spareth not his own son but delivered him up for us all how shall he not with him also freely give us all things 6. Those who have interest in this great speciall love have Signe 6. Gods spirit dwells in them Gods spirit and this dwells in them Rom. 8. 9. But yee are not in the flesh but in the spirit if so be that the spirit of God dwell in you Now if any man have not the spirit of Christ he is none of his Christs spirit dwells as an Inhabitant and Ruler and this is a witnesse Rom. 8. 16. The spirit it selfe beareth witnesse with our spirits that we are the children of God And this sealeth and giveth earnest 2 Cor. 1. 22. Who hath also sealed us and given us the earnest of the spirit in our hearts and where this dwells it may be knowne by the fruits which it bringeth forth Gal. 5. 22 23. But the fruit of the spirit is love joy peace long-suffering gentlenesse goodnesse faith meeknesse temperance The third Use is for Exhortation and your duty I shall branch Vse 2. For Exhortat into these following particulars 1. Stand admiring contemplating this great love of God the 1. Admire Gods love Father to give thee Christ and that Christ should becomeman be made sin a curse whilst that greater and nobler richer learneder then thy selfe should be past by and God should give Christ for thee that he should love thee and wash thee and make thee a King and a Priest unto God thou can'st never admire enough this unparralleld love of God Eternity would even be too little to set forth this wonderfull love of God As there is a depth of wisdome so there is a depth of mercy in God which cannot be fathom'd 2. Let thy heart be filled with the praises of the Lord. Lift up 2. Be filled with the praises of God advance what in thee lyeth the honour of God the love of God the Father and of the Lord Jesus Christ God gives his Son Christ's merits are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a price meritorious and the Holy Spirit maketh application How then ought we for ever to abound in praises to the Lord The Samaritan returned back and gave God thanks for his cleansing So should we blesse God that he hath made a difference by his grace between us and the very vilest of men what ever Thus did Paul 1 Tim. 1. 12. And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord who hath enabled me for that he counted me faithfull putting me into the Ministery Now unto the King Eternall immortall invisible the only wise God be honour and glory for ever and ever Amen 3. Love should beget reciprocall love even Love unto God the 3. Love should
subscribe that since Christian Religion was profest there was never a Collection of more Godly Orthodox and Learned Divines then in this present Century Yet I am far from excusing or extenuating the Animosities Heart-divisions uncouth unseemly Habits self interests carnal Policies unwarrantable separations and that Latitude which many take unto themselves now adays The good old Puritan would not take an Inch formerly where many now venture to take an Ell. I heartily wish a Reformation thorow impartial that what we condemn in others we may avoid each one in himself O that it might be the main design we drive at to advance the power of godliness and to go before each other in a real example of Reformation Let 's all labor as one man to be found in the Faith and holy in life so that Heresies Blasphemies and all forts of profaneness may be abominated and extirpated And let it be our endeavor to keep the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace So Eph. 4. 3. that according to those Prophesies the accomplishment whereof we daily expect We may all worship the Lord with one consent that the Zeph. 3. 9. Zech. 13. 9. Lord may be one and his name one And let us never forget that the vows God are upon us which we ought to our power to endeavor to keep inviolably in that Solemn National Covenant which was made in a day of distress with our hands lifted up to the most high God Let not that Solemn Oath be accounted as an Almanack out of date lest the Lord send a Sword to avenge the quarrel of a broken Covenant Let 's expostulate with Ezra Should we again break the Commandment Ezra 9. 14. and joyn in affinity with the people of these abominations After Oathes Covenants Days of Humiliation and after so many signal Deliverances shall we again hancker after superstitious Ceremonies a formal Service Book a Lordly Prelacy unwarrantable Separations Schisms Machiavilian Policies self-seeking Interests The Lord forbid that we should be so unthankful for the mercies received and so unmindeful of those particular Duties which God expects from us in our several Places and Callings But I shall not exceed the bounds of a Preface Although this may be accounted a Digression yet I hope may be of some use to the Reader Thus much I was willing to premise as far as I apprehend having a single eye at Gods Glory and the Publick Benefit Wherefore be pleased Reader to peruse deliberately and candidly these three Decads of Sermons Preach'd with much plainness to the Auditors accompanied with a vehement desire to do good and afford the Author thy Prayers who desires a share in the Prayers of all the Israel of God and remains Magdalen-Hall Oxon April 9. 1660. Thy souls servant HENRY WILKINSON To the Reader WHen it was told David after the defeat of Absolom that Ahimaaz the sonne of Zadok came running the King said He is a good man and cometh with good tideings I may truly say so of these Sermons and the reverend Author of them He is a good man and therefore we may be sure that he bringeth good tydings with him He is a right Nathanael a true Israelite without guile an able Preacher a vigilant Governour a faithfull friend a bountifull distributer to whom much of the Character of Aristotles magnanimous man doth exactly agree 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 who dares openly to love a friend when others reject him and openly to disprove the faults of those whom others feare and flatter As is the man and his Communication such is his doctrine sound wholsome savory edifying not meerly notionall and suited onely to the fancy but properly calculated for the Conscience and conversation unto which the more any doctrine is fitted the more it is according to the mind of the spirit of Christ speaking in the Word and to the direction of his Apostles who used great plainnesse of speech and such demonstration of the Spirit and power as might manifest the truth to every mans conscience in the sight of God who gave instruction unto others whom they had separated to the work of the Gospell to hold fast the wholsome forme of sound words by sound doctrine to Exhort and Convince gainsaiers to shew in doctrine incorruptnesse gravity sincerity sound speech which cannot be condemned to speak to rebuke to exhort with all Authority to teach men to maintaine good workes for necessary uses to preach such things as are good and profitable unto men Though I have not had opportunity to peruse all these Sermons yet having been an hearer of many of these and finding in those which I have read the same even and serious spirit and withall great variety of profitable matter I may safely commend them to the Christian Reader as Sermons drawn according to these prescripts of the Apostle and consequently very usefull unto publick edification unto which all our studies labours and writings should be subservient Apr. 4. 1660. Thine in our Common Lord EDWARD REYNOLDS The contents of the first Decad. SERM. 1. 1. COr c. 2. vers 2. For I determined not to know any thing among you save Jesus Christ and him crucified p. 1. The Text divided p. 3 and handled 1 Concerning knowledge in Generall p. 4. 5 6. 2 Concerning the knowledge of Christ pag. 7. 8. And this knowledge hath 3 characters Fundamentall excellent and soule-saveing pag. 9. 3 Cautions concerning the use of humane learning pag. 11. 12. 3 Concerning the knowledge of Christ crucified pag. 13. 14. Applic what Ministers must teach pag. 14. 15 16. 2 What all must learne p. 16. 17 18. SERM. II. IEr 45. v. 5. And seekest thou great things for thy selfe seek them not Text devided pag. 22. Severall sorts of seekers pag. 25. 26 27 28 29 30. The Person seeking p. 31. 32 33. Applic Vse 1. For exposition pag. 34. 35 36 37. Vse 2 For direction in 4 Particulars pag. 38. 39 40 41. Vse 3 For exhortation in 4 Considerations pag. 42. 43 44 45 46 47 48. SERM. III. PRov. 11. 30. Hee that winneth soules is wise The Text divided pag. 50. 51. The Doctrine propounded That it 's a choice fruit of wisdome to winne soules unto God pag. 51. Method propounded 1 the proofe of the Poynt pag. 52. 53. 2. 4 Arguments for confirmation p. 53. 54 55. 3. Two Characters of him that is likeliest to winne soules pag. 56. 57 58 59 60 61. 4. Applic. 1. For Humiliation pag. 63. 3. For Direction in 7 particulars pag. 66. 67. SERM. IV. MAtth 13. 45 46. pag. 68. Again the Kingdome of Heaven is like unto a Merchant man seeking godly Pearles who when hee had found one Pearle of great price hee went and sold all that hee had bought it The Context opened pag. 69. 70. The Text divided pag. 71. 72. Two Doctrines raised pag. 73 Doct 1. That every true Believer is a Merchant of goodly Pearles Method propounded 1. By illustrating the
Churches of Asia onely Laodicea Rev. 3. 16 19. excepted because they wanted zeal they were luke-warm neither cold nor hot and therefore God will spew them out of his mouth Wherefore God commands the Angel or Minister of the Church v. 19. Be zealous and repent He that will gain souls must have his heart boyling in zeal to Gods glory Paul when he came to Athens and observing their Superstition was not afraid of the Philosophers encounter neither was he mealy-mouthed for all their reproaches but tells them plainly to their faces Ye men of Athens I Acts 17. 22. perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious Sin must not be connived at though in Athens nay rather the more to be reproved because in such a place eminent for Learning more is given and more is to be required and he that knoweth his masters will and doth it not shall be beatâ—n with more stripes Who can refrain speaking in the cause of God unless he be spiritually stupified and have a dumb Devil within him It was Luthers brave resolution to go to Melch. Ad. in vira Lutheri Wormes and preach the Gospel though every tile was a Devil to oppose him However zeal may be censured for phrenzy it s but the same Livery that Festus bestowed on Paul And thou mayest urge Pauls Apology I am not mad but speak forth the words of truth and soberness Act. 27. 24 25. And resolve with David if to be zealous for God be accounted vileness resolve to be more vile 5. He that would win souls must be a man of knowledge Charact. 5. He must be a man of knâ—wledge Where God gives a calling he furnisheth men with a competent measure of gifts for the discharge thereof Blinde guides Ignoramusses are none of Gods sending They run before they are sent Prophets were called Seers and the Priestslips should preserve knowledge As the Mal. 2. 7. Priest under the Law so the Minister under the Gospel must be a man of knowledge How should the Minister be able to grapple with the Hydra of Heresies to contend for the Faith to convince gain-sayers unless he be a man of knowledge There 's much use of secular Learning Arts and Sciences are Hand-maids to Divinity As long as they keep their distance they contract a good esteem but if the Hand-maid will have the preheminence of her Mistress 't is high time she should be casheered And there 's exceeding great use of Nurseries of Learning and Schools of the Prophets But here 's the knowledge which above all others you must get even the knowledge of Jesus Christ All the Fathers and Schoolmen and philosophers though in their due place they must be reverenced yet all their Learning put together cannot make you gainers of Souls It s Christ alone that can do it He can infuse Divine knowledge and give you eye-Salve as he promiseth Rev. 3. 18. He can give you that Vnction whereby you shall know all things This is a rare 1 Iohn 2. 20. knowledge to know how to gain a soul This onely is to be learnt in the School of Jesus Christ 6. He must be a man Orthodox in judgement one that hath the Charact. 6. He must be a man Orthodox in judgement Spirit of discerning to understand the ways of God able to distinguish truth from falshood otherwise being blinde and ignorant the blinde leading the blinde both must fall into the ditch God goeth not forth with the Ministry of false Teachers They may deceive souls but cannot gain them unless in that sense which is said that the Scribes and Pharisees did which compassed sea and land to gain a Proselyte and when he is made he becomes seven Matth. 23. 15. times worse the childe of the devil then before Such a gain is a dreadful loss not a winning but a destroying of souls It should therefore be our principal business to study the Scriptures and to be well grounded in the truth to be stedfast and setled in the faith not being carried about with every winde of Doctrine by the slight of men and cunning craftiness whereby they lie in wait to deceive Eph. 4. 14. There are three emphatical words in the Text 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Dye counterfeit Teachers imitate counterfeit Gamesters they can cog a Dye 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 every work any trick any shift 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a wiley art of legerdemane To be fenced against these what need have we to pray for a spirit of discerning to know the truth and to have our hearts stablisht with grace as the Apostle exhorts Heb. 13. 9. 7. He must be a man of an holy life and exemplary conversation 7. He must be a man of a boly life Concionatoris vita Concionis anima Gregory de Pastorali curâ tells us Necesse est ut esse munda studeat manus quae diluere aliorum sordes curat That hand must be clean that 's imployed in wiping of others filthiness The Exhortation is urgent Isa 52. 11. Be ye clean that bear the vessels of the Lord. A good life is a good Commentary upon a good Sermon The Apostle is earnest in his Exhortations Rom. 2. 21. Thou that teachest others teachest thou not thy self c. Ministers lives should be standing Sermons their whole conversation a pattern of Piety They are Beacons set upon an Hill the eye of the whole Countrey is upon them As the godly observe So the eye of the wicked watch for their halting ready to make them an offender for a word It 's a common observation that the contention of Abrahams and Lots Herdsmen hath a greater aggravation because the Canaanite was then in the Land The observation of the wicked Gen. 13. 7. is not a small motive to engage us unto circumspect walking The very breathings of a Minister should be spiritual full of grace in his lips ministring grace to the hearers his words savory tending to edification his carriage serious grave exemplary adorning his Profestion as becometh the Gospel What an efficacy hath a good Phil. 1. 27. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sermon when it s backt with an holy life and conversation We should therefore pray for a serious heavenly frame of spirit 8. He that would win souls must be a man of industry This is Charact. 8. He must be a man of industry that Apostolical Character To be a work-man that needeth not to be ashamed 2 Tim. 2. 15. Christ admits no Truants in his School no Droans in his Hive no Loyterers in his Vineyard It 's said The labâ—râ—r not the loyterer is worthy of his hire Ministers are in Scripture called Pastors Seers Watch-men Work-men It s a palpable contradiction for to be a Pastor and not to feed a Seer and to be blinde a Watchman and to sleep and a Work-man to be idle Pharaoh bids Joseph set any of his Brethren that were men
but when they are got up into the Air. When Gods children are out of their course of duties when they are in Meseck and have their habitation in the Tents of Kedar their spirits are dumpish But when their hearts are set in a right frame when they are exercising holy Duties amongst the society of Saints then are their hearts chearful then are their spirits revived then are they merry indeed 4. Thou complainest of Gods peoples sadness maybe it 's thy company that makes them so They hear thee Swear see thee Drunk O Consid 4. Bad company cause Gods peoples sadness how this troubles them It so troubles the children of God to see any dishonor offered to God as they cannot be merry Psal 119. 136. Rivers of waters run down mine eyes because they keep not thy law But let them come amongst Believers and joyn with them in religious Exercises their wonted joy comes to them again Then their joy is above the joy of Harvest and the dividing of the spoil with the mighty 5. It is not Religion that makes Gods children sad but because Consid 5. Gods people are sad because they are no better they are no more religious They grieve that they can grieve no more They are sorry that they are no more sorry for their sinns They finde many failings they want former Love-tokens and feelings then they mourn and cry out Restore to me the joy of thy salvation They want Gods gracious countenance wherefore they cry out Psal 4. 6. There be many that say Who will shew us any good Lord lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us 6. This Joy is secret an inward thing which strangers shall not Consid 6. Joy is a secret inward thing intermeddle withal A worldly man cannot judge of this Joy Rev. 2. 17. To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden Manna and will give him a white stone and in the stone a new name written which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it The joy of the godly is not in outward flashes nor is it to be measur'd by outward aspect This is a hidden thing which so ravisheth their hearts as they cannot utter it Saul could not be merry without a Musitian nor Ahab without Naboth's Vineyard nor Gardiner that bloody Persecutor till he had receiv'd the news of the Martyrs death A godly Mans v Fox Acts and Monum in Q. Mary's Raign joy proceeds from no outward principle A covetous man joys and takes pleasure in his Barns heap'd with Corn and Coffers cramm'd with Gold A voluptuous man joys in Cards Dice Hauks Hounds A Drunkard in his Cups An ambitious man in his Titles Pedegree Preferments But a godly man can rejoyce and be merry without all these His joy ariseth from another principle even the reconciled countenance of God in Jesus Christ Now these Objections being remov'd and my passage thus cleared I come in the second place to prove the truth of the Doctrine 2. The Doctrine proved by particular instances by particular instances And I shall instance in particular Scriptures which give testimony to this truth then in particular persons who by their own experience subscribe to the truth of it And lastly I shall survey the particular ways of godliness and discover the pleasantness of them all and so from an Induction of Particulars sufficiently numbred I shall collect this universal Conclusion That all the ways of godliness are ways of pleasantness 1. For Scripture Testimony meer Quotations would fill a Sermon 1. By Scripture Testimony But I shall gather sparingly from the heap Prov. 22. 17. Bow down thine ear and hear the words of the wise and apply thine heart unto my knowledge for it is a pleasant thing if thou keep them within thee If Pleasure consists in Honors then Wisdom affords it abundantly Prov. 4. 7 8 9. Wisdom is the principal thing therefore get wisdom and with all thy getting get understanding She shall give to thine head an ornament of grace a crown of glory shall she deliver to thee Exalt her and she shall promote thee she shall bring thee to honor when thou dost embrace her Prov. 8. 15 16 17 18 and 31. By me Kings reign and Princes decree Justice By me Princes rule and Nobles even all the Judges of the earth I love them that love me and they that seek me early shall finde me riches and honor are with me yea durable riches and righteousness If Life be a pleasure it 's to be found in Wisdom verse 35. For whoso findeth me findeth life and shall obtain favor of the Lord. If there be pleasure in Singing and Rejoycing it 's promised to the people of God Isa 51. 11 12. Therefore the redeemed of the Lord shall return and come with singing unto Zion and everlasting joy shall be upon their head they shall obtain gladnâ—ss and joy and sorrow and mourning shall flee away I even I am he that comforteth you who art thou that thou shouldst be afraid of a man that shall die and of the son of man which shall be made as grass I 'le instance in particular Persons who by experience confesse the ways of godliness ways of pleasantness They call the Sabbath a delight Isa 58. 13 14. If thou turn away thy foot from the Sabbath from doing thy pleasure on my holy day and call the Sabbath a delight not doing thine own ways nor finding thine own pleasure nor speaking thine own words then shalt thou delight thy self in the Lord. Nehemiah accounts the joy of the Lord their strength Neh. 8. 10. Then he said unto them Go your way eat the fat and drink the sweet and sena portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared for this day is holy unto our Lord neither be ye sorry for the joy of the Lord is your strength So Habakkuk cap. 3. 17 18. Although the fig-tree shall not blâ—ssom neither shall fruit be in the vines the labor of the Olive shall fail and the fields shall yield no meat the Flock shall be cut off from the fâ—ld and there shall be no Herd in the stalls yet I will rejoyce in the Lord and will joy in the God of my salvation So David danced before the Ark with all his might He makes it the Character of a blessed Man Psal 1. 2. But his delight is in the law of the Lord and in his law doth he meditate day and night And his counsel is Psal 37. 4. Delight thy self also in the Lord and he shall give thâ—e the desires of thine heart And his own practice is Psal 40. 8. I delight to do thy will O God yea thy law is within my heart Psal 94. 19. In the multitude of my thoughts within me thy comforts delight my soul Psal 119. 16. I will delight my self in thy statutes I will not forget thy word ver 35. Make me to go in the path of thy commandments for therein do I
be such a bitter sorrow for sin as for the losse of a first-born like the mourning of Hadad-rimmon in the valley of Megiddo Peter denyed shamefully and wept bitterly David watered his Couch with his tears Mary Magdalen out of whom Christ cast seven Devils washt Christs feet with her tears and wip'd them with the hair of her head Let it be bitter to remember that thou hast been so undutiful to so gracious a God that thou hast provoked such a merciful God to wrath whose nature is to shew mercy O how this consideration should melt thy heart into a soul-reforming sorrow Sins may be compared to the waters of Marah so bitter as none could drink of them Sin is a very bitter thing it produceth bitter effects But God shewed Dir. 2. Look through all Humiliations unto Jesus Christ Moses a Tree which made the Waters of Marah sweet The bitter Tears of Repentance and the most bitter afflictions which sin produceth will end in joy to those that are truly penitent 2. Though thou must be humbled and he that was never humbled never truly believed yet thou must not rest in thy humiliation but look unto Jesus Christ for a cure Thou must be sensible of the stings and wounds of sin and look unto Jesus Christ by the eye of Faith for a cure He is our peace Eph. 2. 14. No reconciliation but by him 2 Cor. 5. 19. No way to get healing pardon salvation but by him sue then out a Pardon sealed by the Blood of Christ O pray that be would cancel the hand-writing against thee and that by his Blood he would Justifie Sanctifie and Save thee No name no Mediator no Blood can make an Atonement for thee but this Blood of Sprinkling which speaks better things then the Blood of Abel 3. Having got a pardon through the Blood of Christ walk Dir. 3. Walk circuâ—â—spectly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Qui exacte vivunt nolunt vel in minimis deficere cedere solent enim vel minutissima observare Favorinus circumsâ—ectly in thy whole conversation Eph. 15. 5. There is an Emphasis in the Adverb 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 bids be watchful and circumspect take heed of re-acting thy youthful sins â—ill be renewing thy repentance and pray for more manifestation of Gods love unto thy soul 4. And lastly To conclude here is one word of comfort unto those upon whom God hath poured the Spirit of Repentance Old people that have truly repented of their sins shall have them imputed unto Christ and Christs righteousness unto them for Justification and let them read their blessedness Psalm 32. 1 2. Happy are they whose souls are washt white in the blood of the Use 4. For Consolation Lamb You that mourn for sin you shall be comforted You that bewail your sins and hate them and endeavor to walk closely with God in a holy conformity to his will you shall have this hand-writing blotted out And whether your sorrow be right and genuine you must try it by those Apostolical Characters 2 Cor. 7. 10 11. Let no man apply comfort to himself but upon Gospel terms And to you that are young upon whose hearts God hath wrought saving Grace in your tender years I must pronounce comfort to you Happy is it with you that God hath begun with you betimes and hath planted his fear in your hearts betimes You have heard how dear youthful sins cost many in their elder years O now be advised take warning fly youthful sins labour to be grave and serious in your carriages God hath done much for you what will you do for him speak good of his name advance his glory incourage your fellows to come unto God Remember that counsel which Christ gives Peter When thou art converted streng then thy brethren I beseech you all in the fear of God in the close of my Sermon to beware of youthful levity There is Mr. Jeremy Burroughs a great deal of frothy with amongst young men A Reverend Divine now with God used to pray That of all spirits God would be pleased to deliver him from a frothy spirit Beware of foolish Jesting Though the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be allowed in Aristotle yet it is condemned by St. Paul Eph. 5. 4. Let young Timothy be a patern for your imitation of whom Paul had such confidence And always labor to cleanse your ways according to that rule which I shall leave with you for a close of all Psal 119. v. 9. By taking heed thereto according to the word Iudgement and Mercy Set forth upon Gen. 6. 3. And the Lord said My spirit shall not always strive with man for that he also is flesh yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years IN the precedent Chapter you have the Genealogy of the long Serm. 2. At St. Mary's Oxon. Jan. 12. 1652. Gen. 5. 27. liv'd Patriarchs of the old World It 's observable that every ones particular age is exactly reckon'd and though they lived some more some fewer years yet every one agrees in the same conclusion And he dyed Methuselah who lived the longest of all lived nine hundred sixty and nine years and he dyed The longest livers saw death and could not deliver themselves from the hand of the Grave These ancient Fathers though dead may be said to live in their Posterities They left behinde them a numerous off-spring the Earth is full of people and mankinde is now multiplyed into multitudes v. 1. And as the People so their wickednesses are multiplyed The more people the more sinners O stupendious ingratitude God multiplies their off-spring and revives their memory in the fruit of their loyns For what are Parents of many Children but themselves so much the more multiplyed yet these wicked Wretches by how much the more God encreased and multiplyed them in their Posterity by so much the more they encreased and multiplyed their wickedness against him their Creator And now their abominations are come to the full and they are ripe for destruction The Lord exercised Mercies bowels of Mercies patience long-suffering towards them waiting upon them many years Preaching to them by the Patriarchs calling them to Repentance and notwithstanding all the loving kindnesses forbearances patient expectations of a gracious God yeâ— they remain obstinate refractory incorrigible whereupon the Lord will not suffer his patience to be abused any longer his Servants and Ministry to be contemned his Holy Spirit to be grieved v. 7 8. The Creatures were made for the service of Man both he and they should be took away together Man was the Lord over the Creatures and when he was took away what use would there be of them as Chrysostome observes Man had abused the Creatures over which he had dominion Master and Servants both fall together thus the whole Creation groâ—neth by reason of mans Apostacy from God As the Beasts were made for Man so they became subject 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Quod
exprest It 's wrote in such legible Characters 2. A Mercy as he that runs may read it Yet his days c. The words have need of a Paraphrase I shall open them briefly in their order By Spirit Ainsworth understands that holy Spirit of Christ by which he Preached in the Patriarchs and especially in Noah to the disobedient spirits of the old World and exhorted them by the Fathers to amend their lives so I take the Lo-iiddon Non vaginabit Pagninus Grotius 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 70. Lo-jadon sense to be It followeth Shall not strive The 70 read it My spirit shall not abide But this I take not to be the meaning the word hath many significations it signifies to judge to chide and dispute As if the Spirit of God should say I have set Judges over you I have chid you reproved you argued the case with you sent my servants Noah Enoch Methuselah exhorting you to come and repent but you are incorrigible impenitent you are never the better notwithstanding all my patience forbearance waiting on you trying you therefore now my spirit shall no longer strive with you I will take no more pains with you I will dispute the case no longer but send a Deluge to decide the controversie And so I understand the words In seculum so the 70 read it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Here you may see an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrysost Abyss of kindness to mankinde So Chrysostome That the Spirit hath ever strove with any is a great mercy But if the Spirit strive by Messengers rising early and going to bed late and by its motions and whispers if the Spirit be still resisted and abused it will leave striving and leave a people inexcusable Luther speaking of this Text saith This was a publick Sermon preached in a Fuit publica concio in publica Synodo proposita Luth. publick Assembly When those that were Gods Messengers spent their spirts in vain and saw that the people were desperate past all hopes of reclaiming they let them alone to take their course and to be filled with their own ways Then here 's a Reason given For that he also is flesh The word sets forth the corrupt nature of mankinde and is here put by way of opposition unto the Spirit It is the same with Animalis or Conqueritur Deus tantopere turbatuÌ„ esse ordinem dâ—se positum ut image sua in carnem transformata esset Calv. Centum viginti annos si foâ—te converâ—antur Cald Paraph Carnalis homo Man that was created after the Image of God hath defaced that Image hath corrupted his way and is become fleshly This God complains of That the order which he put is inverted and his Image transformed into flesh as Judicious Calvin observes Lastly Here 's a gracious reprieval and space allowed for repentance Yet his days c. This is not to be understood as if an hundred and twenty years were the limited term of years for mankinde to live in this world It 's apparent that many after the Flood lived longer But the meaning is that an hundred and twenty years shall be given them if haply they be converted This space God allows them for repentance and they had Noah a Preacher of righteousness and they saw the Ark a building and every stroke strucken The building of the Ark should have been a Monitor of repentance this was great and wonderful long-suffering as we read 1 Pet. 3. 19 20. By which he went and preached unto the spirits in prison which sometime were disobedient when once the long-suffering of God waited in the days of Noah The words thus opened contain two fundamental Doctrines 1. That it is a most dreadful judgement upon a people when the Doct. 1 Spirit of God refuseth to strive any longer with them 2. That it is an exceeding great mercy to a people when the Lord Doct. 2 vouchsafeth them time and space for repentance I resume the first and I shall cast the Heads of my Meditations Method of handling the Doctrine into this plain and familiar method 1. I shall assert the truth of the Doctrine from Scripture Testimonies 2. I shall particularly represent unto you how the Spirit may be said to strive with man 3. I shall enquire into the Grounds and Reasons for confirmation of the truth And lastly Conclude with particular Application unto our selves 1. To prosecute the first Head propounded time would fail me 1. The Doctrine proved by Scripture Testimony in Scripture Quotations but I shall gather sparingly from so great a cloud of Witnesses mentioning some select Proofs and leaving the rest to be supplyed in your Meditations Now that this is so great a Judgement for the Spirit of God to leave striving with a people may be exemplified in several persons recorded in Scripture as signal Spectacles of Divine vengeance to Posterity The Lord spared Sodom and Gomorrah a long time Abraham undertakes though dust and ashes to intercede for them He intreats That if fifty righteous persons be found there that they may not be destroyed His request is granted he abates five of fifty and then comes down to forty after that to thirty from thirty to twenty and at last to ten and it is to be observed that God never left off granting till Abraham left off begging They had good Lot to reprove and exhort them and they vexed his righteous soul day by day with their unclean conversation he spent his spirits his counsels admonitions all in vain Now God will spare them no longer the Angel delivered Lot from them and as soon as ever he was gone the Lord destroyed Sodom Gomorrah with Fire and Brimstone Gen. 19. 24 25. The Lord rained upon Sodom and Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the Lord out of Heaven and he over-threw those cities and all the plain and all the inhabitants of the cities and that which grew upon the ground The Lord waited a long time upon Jerusalem sending his Prophets and warning them he puts them in remembrance of his exemplary Judgements upon others Jer. 7. 13. I spake unto you rising up early and speaking but ye heard not and I call'd you but you answered not therefore I will do to this house c. as I have done to Shiloh He expostulates the case with them Jer. 13. 27. I have seen thine adulteries and thy neighings the lewdness of thy whoredom and thine abominations on the hills in the fields Wo unto thee O Jerusalem Wilt thou not be made clean When shall it once be and Ezek. 18. 32. I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth saith the Lord God wherefore turn your selves and live ye The House of Israel was the Vineyard upon which God had bestowed so much pains cost and charges Isa 5. 1 2 3 4. My well-beloved hath a vineyard in a very fruitful Haec omnia usu venisse populo Judaico cum in Babylonica
that godly longest liv'd Patriarch dyed but the year before the Flood came His name signifieth a Messenger of death His death did presage the Flood Thus Austin was taken away by death immediately before the sacking of Hippo where he lived Pareus dyed a little before the taking of Heidelbergh Luther a little before the Germane Wars And we have many Reverend Preachers the Chariots and Horse-men of Israel it were easie to give you a Catalogue of them who of late years have gone to their Graves in peace By all their Ministeries Gods Spirit hath stroven with us and waited for our amendment of life We read Histories that we may not be subjects of History Herodotus tells us of an Inscription upon Legimus historias ne ipsi fiamus historiae 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Herodo Senacheribs Statue Look upon me and learn to be righteous Peruse the sacred Annals read the History of the old World the destruction of Jerusalem the casting off the Jews to this very day read the History of the Church in all ages acquaint your selves with the History of Germany and Palatinate of later years and be not like many Travellers who are better acquainted with foreign Lands then that of their Nativity Take notice of the acts the strange acts of the Lord in our Lâ—nd Hath not God to this very day continued many faithful Laborers in his Vineyard notwithstanding some of the Prelatical party suppressed what lay in them powerful Preaching yet like the Palm-tree The more it is pressed down the more it grows oâ— like Pharachs afflicting the Isâ—aelites Quo magis deprimitur eo magis emergit the more he afflicted them the more they multiplyed and notwithstanding the subtile practices of many what name to give them I cannot tell for they know not what names to give themselves neither know they what they would have I say notwithstanding their Stentorean voices crying down Ministry Sabboths Ordinances yet God graciously confirms them all in their liberty and purity and if we improve not these prices of Grace put into our hands if we hearken not to the calls and whispers of the Spirit of God if we neglect and despise this great salvation tendred in the Gospel the Spirit of God will be gone and take the Ordinances from us or us from the Ordinances The Spirit will threaten this dreadful judgement in the Text to strive no longer And that people are under a most dreadful Judgement with whom the Spirit of God will not strive any longer That Comminâ—tion runs paralell with this of my Text Hos 9. 12. Though they bring up their children yet will I bereave them that there shall not be a man left yea woe also to them when I depart from them And thus I have dispatcht the first Head propounded namely The assertion of the truth of the Doctrine from Scripture Teâ—â—imonies I proceed in the second place according to my method propounded to make a particular representation unto you how the Spirit may be said to strive with man The Spirit of God though it be a most free agent bloweth 2. The Spirit of God strives seven ways when and where it listeth yet from experience we may discern that it usually strives some of these seven ways viz. By its motions and whispers By the Ministry of the Word By the checks and convictions of conscience By the tenders of mercies By the exercise of patience and long-suffering by inflicting of sâ—gnal exemplary judgements upâ—n others And if none of these will prevail by the execution of personal judgements upon our selves Thus ordinarily upon a ground of experience we may discern the several strivings of the Spirit For the enlargement of these particulars 1. The Spirit of God 1. The Spirit of God strives by its motions and inspirations strives by its motions inspirations and sweet whispers when we hear as it were a voice behinde us telling us This is the way walk therein Thus the Spirit of God infuseth holy thoughts holy motions into us We have not one good thought we cannot of our selves think one good thought without the inspiration of the holy Spirit The Spirit of God rebukes sin in us quickens us to our duties moves woes beseecheth us to try conclusions no longer with God nor to offer any violence to the Spirit of Grace but to cherish its sweet motions and hearken to its whispers We may know the Spirit of God from the spirit of delusion the same way we discern good Gold from counterfeit by examining them by the touch-stone of the word of God Isa 8. 20. To the Law and to the testimony if they speak not according to this word it is because there is no light in them The Spirit of God directs theâ—e to the rule of the word It is not any rule that will serve but it is this rule Gal. 6. 16. As many as walk according to this rule peace be on them and mercy and upon the Israel of God But the Spirit of error directs thee to devised ways it counsels thee to be wise above what is written The word of God is the just Standard we must not adde to it nor take away from it if we would escape that dreadful curse Rev. 22. 18. I testifie to every one that heareth the words of the Prophecy of this Book if any man shall adde unto these things God shall adde unto him the plagues that are written in this book And if any man shall take away from the words of the Book of this Prophecy God shall take away his part out of the Book of life and out of the holy City and from the things which are written in this Book There be many that pretend to voices dreams revelâ—tions now adays they would have a Platonick Christ and fain a teaching of the Spirit besides and contrary to the written word Many of them are led like Absoloms followers in their simplicity knowing nothing for whom we must pray as the Prophet did for his Servant Lord open their eyes that they may see and let them read with fear and trembling that dreadful Anathema from the written word Gal. 1. 8. Though we or an Angel from Heaven preach any other Gospel unto you then that which we have preached unto you let him be accursed I 'le be your remembrancer of one story 1 King 13. 17 18 19. It was said unto me by the word of the Lord Thou shalt eat no bread nor drink waâ—er tâ—ere nor turn again to goe by the way that thou camest He said unto him I am a Prophet also as thou art and the Angel spake unto me saying Bring him back with thee into thine house that he may eat bread and drink water but he lyed unto him So he went back and did eat bread in his house and drank water The man of God had a sure word of Prophesie the word of God was in his mouth yet he must be hearkning after a new devised word
a new pretended light or revelation from the old Prophet he forsook the true word and believed a lying word what a sad Catastrophe befell him v. 24. When he was gone a Lyon met him by the way and slew him and his carcase was cast in the way and the 1 King 13. 24. Ass stood by it and the Lyon stood also by the carcase Yet notwithstanding extraordinary Revelations Dreams Visions Extasies Enthusiasms though they have ceased long ago and we have no warrant to expect them because we are to keep close to the revealed will of God written in his holy word Yet I say we are to take notice of the sweet motions and spiritual illapses upon our souls Though Prophesies cease yet there are manifold discoveries of Christ unto the soul The secret and intimate acquaintance of the soul with Christ the souls ravishing consolations the breaking in and flashes of heavenly light upon the soul the heavings aspirings and harmony of the heart with Christ experience of mercies issues out of temptations protections of Angels all these are Heavenly constant revelations out of the Word of God manifested to the souls of the faithful by the Spirit according to the word Let us therefore embrace and cherish the gracious motions of the Spirit of God Where the spirit of Grace is in the heart it cannot be idle or lie dead but it 's exceeding operative The Spirit gives light to teach thee it gives heat to warm and comfort thee It is a spirit of burning and purging to burn up the stubble of corruption to purge out thy sins It is a spirit of refining and purifying Therefore when the spirit of God strives by its gracious motions inlightning purging inflaming comforting wooing thee to walk closely with God bidding thee beware of wounding thy conscience of resisting the light and going against known truth O beware of grieving this holy Spirit of God! Do not O do not force the spirit to depart sadded and grieved from thee This is one way whereby the spirit strives viz. by its motions and whispers A second way whereby the spirit strives is by the Ministry of 2. The Spirit strives by the Ministery of the Word the word It is said Rev. 3. 20. Behold I stand at the door and knock if any man hear my voice and open the door I will come in to him and will sup with him and he with me The Spirit of God knocks at the doors of your hearts by the hammer of the word The spirit knocks louder and louder and the Ministers are to cry aloud and spare not Isa 58. 1. Cry aloud spare not lift up thy voice like a trumpet and shew thy people their transgressions and the House of Jacob their sins The Lord calls upon us by every Sermon we hear Why will ye die Why will ye bolt the door against the frequent knocking 's of the Spirit of God The Spirit of God hath strove with some of us ten years some twenty some foâ—ty some sixty years How many years have we lived under the sound of the Gospel having heard the voice of the Turtle crying in our Land How many powerful Preachers have spent their strength their breath wasted their spirits wooing intreating beseeching us to be reconciled unto God many of them are gone to their rest their works praise them in the Gate their memory is blessed and their name is like sweet Oyntment poured forth How many are yet alive to this day who Preach Jesus Christ faithfully and experimentally how do they pray and wrestle with God how zealously do they preach how many admonitions reproofs exhortations warnings do they give us And if we will not take warning the Ministers shall deliver their own souls and our blood will be upon our own heads and the time will come when it shall be known that we have had Prophets amongst us I shall make an allusion to that Scripture Deut. 20. 11 12 13. It shall be if it make thee answer of peace and open unto thee then it shall be that all the people that is found therein shall be tributaries unto thee and they shall serve thee And if it will make no peace with thee but will make war against thee then thou shalt besiege it and when the Lord hath delivered it into thy hands thou shalt smite every male thereof with the edge of the sword Just so God proclaims peace and the Ministers are Ambassadors of Peace and deliver their commission after this manner Into whatsoever house ye enter first say Peace be to Luke 10. 5 6. this house And if the son of peace be there your peace shall rest upon it if not it shall turn to you again The Lord now beseâ—â—eth your hearts by the Ministry of the word and offers you peace and reconciliation if you will submit unto his Scepter and cast down your rebellious weapons the Lord will have mercy on you but if you hold out the flag of defiance and will not come in to Jesus Christ what remains but utter ruine and destruction Every Sermon you hear is like the water of Jealousie when he hath made her to drink the water then it shall come to pass that if she be defiled and hath done trespass against her Husband that the water that causeth the curse shall enter into her and become bitter Num. 27. 28. and her belly shall swell c. but if she be not defiled she shall be free When the word is received into an honest and good heart it doth it good and makes it fruitful when into a corrupt heart it rots it and makes it worse It s an observation of a Reverend Divine That it is an indignity beyond all apprehension to the spirit of Dr. Ed Reynolds grace when we suffer him to wait daily at our Bethesda's our houses of mercy and all in vain to spend his sacred breath in the Ministry of reconciliation in doubling and redoubling his requests unto our souls that we would be content to be saved Yet all this while we harden our hearts and stop our ears and set up the pride and stoutness of our own reasonings till we even weary the spirit of God chide him away and cause him to depart sadded and grieved from us O my Brethren despise not prophecying undervalue not the Ministry of â— Thess 5. 20. reconciliation An indignity or affront offered unto Christs Messengers Christ takes it as done unto himself Luke 10. 16. He that heareth you heareth me and he that despiseth you despiseth me and he that despiseth me despiseth him that sent me Be then exhoâ—ted to set an high price of the Gospel and make much of the motions of Gods holy Spirit in the Ministry of the word Ursin relates in his Preface to his Catechism That those godly Vrsini Praf Catech. Protestants that fled beyond the Seas for their Religion in that Marian quinquenium of Persecution acknoâ—ledged That that great innundation of misery
he that hath no money come ye buy and eat yea come buy wine and milk without money and without price A second is Mat. 11. 28. Come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest A third invitation is John 7. 37. If any man thirst let him come unto me and drink Rev. 22. 17. A 4th is The Spirit the Bride say Come and let him that heareth say Come and let him that is athirst come and whosoever will let him take of the waters of life freely The lâ—st I shall name is the most prevalent obtestation in all the world Rom. 12. 1. I beseech you therefore brethren by the mercies of God that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice holy acceptable unto God which is your reasonable service Put forth thy labor to make a Catalogue of the mercies of God they exceed all Arithmetick measure them their dimensions are infinite The Apostle makes four dimensions breadth length heighth and depth Eph. 3. 18. The mercies of God reach to the Heavens his faithfulness to the clouds All the pathes of the Lord are mercy and truth to such as keep his covenant and testimonies Psal 25. 10. His mercy is from everlasting to everlasting his mercy is above all his works Had we the tongues of Men and Angels we could not sufficiently set forth the mercies of God yet let us summon up all the members of our Bodies and all the faculties of our Souls to praise the Lord for his mercies and tell the wonders which he hath done for the children of men How many National mercies and signal deliverances have we received and we yet are in peace even to a miracle of mercies our fleece is yet dry whil'st others are wet with blood Thousands have faln beside us and ten thousand at our right hands and no evil comes nigh our dwelling What variety of personal mercies do we receive How many deliverances have we received from the Grave being ready to fall in and yet we are reprieved and have space to repent How many deliverances have we received from Fire Water Pobbers unreasonable men and all the plots and projects of Malignant Enemies unto the Gospel of Jesus Christ Further What mercies do we receive for our souls Do we not injoy Sabbaths Ordinances publick assemblies Blessed be God our eyes yet behold our teachers and our Gospel is not driven into corners How many mercies Quot misericordiae tot ora Isa 30. 20. so many mouthes All these mercies have so many mouthes calling upon us to thankfulness and amendment of life Now the holy Spirit of God strives by all these mercies to win us to repentance It is our obliged duty as God strives with us in mercy and loving kindness so we should strive with him in our return of thankfulness and reformation of our lives Every mercy should be a Lord-stone to draw us up to Christ Every mercy should be as a foot-stool to raise us up higher to Heaven Every mercy should be as a Looking-glass wherein we should behold the visible resemblances of the loving kindness of God O then take heed of neglecting the voice of the Spirit when he calls by mercies For if he be neglected when he speaks in the sweet musick of mercies he will speak terrible things in the thunder of judgement 5. The Spirit strives by the exercise of patience 5. Yet further The Spirit strives by the exercise of patience forbearance and long sufferance towards sinners God is not willing that any should perish but that they should repent and be saved O the unwearied patience of a merciful Father How long did God bear with the old world with the Amorites Jerusalem The Lord waits to be gracious he delights in mercy It is his nature to be merciful Judgement is called his act his strange act Isa 28. 21. The Lord will rise up as in mount Perazim he shall be wroth as in the valley of Gibeon that he may do his work his strange work and bring to pass his act his strange act This is to shew his unwillingneâ—s to punish sinners till needs must He is said to hyer a Razour to shave them as if he had none of his own Isa 7. 20. In the same day shall the Lord shave with a razor that is hired namely by them beyond the river by the King of Assyria the head and the hair of the feet See and admire the wonderful patience of God though we provoke him every day O wonderful patience that the Drunkard dies not in his vomit that the Swearers Blasphemers tongues fall not presently out of their heads Still the Lord waits knocking at the doors of our hearts exercising infinite patience and forbearance towards poor sinners He whets his Sword and bends his Bow Psal 7. 12. He might cleave us asunder presently but there we have experience of singular patience God was but six days in creating the world yet as Chrysostome observes he was seven days in encompassing the Walls of Jericho before he destroyed it Patientia laesa fit furor but let us take heed of abusing patience patience abused breaks forth into extremity of fury Mercy pleads I am slighted I am abused I will no more have mercy on them then patience interposeth I will wait longer but patience being abused it pleads I will be no longer tired out nor abused At last comes long-suffering I am gentle and merciful and I will wait longer and longer but if long-suffering be wearied out What will plead for us What will become of us The long-suffering of God waited in the days of Noah whilest the Ark was preparing as the apostle Peter speaks 1 Pet. 3. 20. 2 Pet. 3. 9. The Lord is not slack concerning his promise as some men count slackness but is long-suffering to us-ward not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance We should account the long-suffering of the Lord our salvation Rom. 2. 4. or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and long suffering not knowing that the goodness of the Lord leadeth thee to repentance 6. The Spirit of God strives by many signal exemplary Judgements 6. The spirit strives by many signal and exemplaâ—y Judgements inflicted upon others inflicted upon others We have read of the Wars of Jerusalem in Josephus but more pathetically set forth in the â—ook of the Lamentations We have read of the heavy Judgements of God upon Germany and Palatinate We have read of the barbarous butcherings of those blood-sucking Caribals in Ireland upon the Protestant Party We hear now of a Sword letting out blood in Scotland good blood and bad blood being let out together the Sword destroying one as well as another We hear of sad breaches and heart-divisions widened more and more in England You hear a general complaint of poverty and decay of Trade By all these Judgements the Spirit of God strives with us and woes
us to repentance to Dan. 4. 27. break off our sins by repentance that our tranquillity may be lengthned and that there may be a healing of our errors The use we are to make is that of the Apostle 1 Cor. 10. 6. Now these things were our examples to the intent we should not lust after evil things as they also lusted Let us not pass uncharitable censures upon others as greater sinners for greater sufferings but remember that except we Luke 13. 5. repent we shall likewise perish Seventhly and lastly Let us consider how the Spirit of God 7 The Spirit strives by personal judgements strives by personal Judgements inslicted on our selves There is a Judgement of chastisement and a Judgement of revenge God sends Judgements by way of revenge upon the wicked of the World but by way of chastisement unto his own children When God takes away thy riches and other outward comforts as a childe a wife c. by these the Spirit of God strives with thee and sends thee to God to inquire into the cause and walk more closely and humbly with God and thy duty is to pray to God to teach thee what thou understandest not If God send thee a sore disease a grievous pain suppose the Stone Strangury Collick c. by all these the Spirit strives with thee and reads thee a Lecture of thy Mortality and warneth thee to make a serious and speedy preparation for death Afflictions are sent by God as Scullions to scour away the rust and canker of Gods children They are the Shepheards Dogs to bring home the straying Sheep Luther saith Afflictions teach us to understand Scripture Where God teacheth with the rod there he bestoweth a choice blessing Psal 94. 12. Blessed is the man whom thou chastenest O Lord and teachest him out of thy Law God sends affliction on an errand Go affliction take down such a mans pride goe awaken another from his security Affliction is Gods Ordinance and with the same hand he gives Jesus Christ that he gives correction to his own children Thus the Spirit strives by personal judgements and afflictions The use we must continually make is Heb. 12. 5 6. My son despise not thou the chastening of the Lord nor faint when thou art rebuked of him for whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth Hence saith the Apoâ—â—le Rom. 5. 3. We glory in tribulation knowing that tribulation worketh patience and Jamâ—s 1. 2. My brethren count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations The rod hath a voice and we are call'd upon Mich. 6. 9. Hear ye the rod and who hath appointed it Thus you have heard how Gods Spirit strives by its motions by the Ministery of the Word the checks of Conscience tenders of Mercy exercise of patience and long-suffering inslicting of exemplary and signal Judgements upon others and personal Judgements upon our selves Now the Lord give us his Grace and teach us to make much of and cherish the strivings of his holy Spirit and let us all deprecate the fearful judgement in the Text My spirit shall no longer strive with you Iudgement and Mercy Set forth from Gen. 6. 3. HAving dispatcht those two Particulars according to my Serm. 3. at St. Mary's Oxon Jan. 19. 1651. Three Reasons of the Doctrine Reas 1. From the Text because man is flesh method propounded in the unfolding of this Text In the third place I am to enquire into the Grounds and â—easons for the further confirmation of the Point Amongst many that may be given I shall reduce the Reasons of the Text into three Heads The first shall be drawn from the very reason in the Text for that he also is flesh Man is corrupted by reason of sin Man was created statu integro in integrity and innocency resembling the Image of God in righteousness and holiness but now statu corrupto by reason of Adams prevarication he became depraved in the faculties of his soul and all the members of his body and they are become instruments unto wickedness The Holy Ghost sets forth sinful man in a full Character Psal 14. 1 2 3. The fool hath said in his heart there is no God they are corrupt they have done abominable works there is none that doeth good The Lord looked down from Heaven upon the children of men to see whether there were any that did understand and seek God They are all gone aside they are become altogether filthy there is none that doth good no not one Suppose we heard the Lord thus expostulating the case Is this man Is this he that I advanced to the highest rank of visible Creatures whom I created after mine own Image whom I endowed with noble faculties an understanding the bright luminary of the soul to know his Maker and a will to obey him Is he now become flesh fleshly in his imagination fleshly minded Doth he walk after the flesh minding the things of the flesh Hath he thus turn'd Apostate rebell'd against his Lord and Maker This charge being all very true wherefore should I have any more to do with him wherefore should my Spirit strive with vile sinful flesh Thus God might plead and in judgement withdraw the strivings of his holy Spirit Betwixt the spirit and the flesh what agreement can there be The Spirit will not thus be unequally yoaked since man is become thus fleshly thus depraved such a degenerate Plant so corrupt its just with Gods spirit to strive no longer with man By flesh in Scripture is comprehended a Mass of corruption Apostoli verba docent haec duo affectuum genera esse opposita Quae ut intelligamus constitutuÌ„ fit affectum carnis nihil aliud esse quam usum virium humanaruâ— semotâ gratiâ Affectus autem spiritus est impulsus divini afflatus usus gratiae Christi Pet. Mart. in Loc. man in his worst estate Rom. 8. 5. They that are after the flesh doe minde the things of the flesh What is predicated of it v. 6 7 8 9. To be carnally minded is death because the carnal minde is enmity against God So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God And what an Antithesis is there between flesh and spirit v. 13. For if ye live after the flesh ye shall die but if ye through the spirit do mortifie the deeds of the body ye shall live The same disproportion there is as between death and life heaven and hell salvation and damnation That God strives with any is a great mercy that the Spirit waits knocking at our doors when as he might knock us down dead O great mercy But when the Spirit strives and flesh resists its motions the Spirit spends his sacred breath wooing us and inviting us to do good unto our own souls and the carnal minde bids defiance unto the Spirit of grace when notwithstanding all the beseechings wooings and sollicitations of the Spirit the flesh rebels carnal
men will not hearken to the voice of this spiritual Charmer though he charm never so wisely what then remains but utter ruine and destruction but that the Spirit should leave striving and fall a destroying rebellious sinners and carnal minded persons This is one reason He also is flesh the spiritual part that is obliterated he hath degenerated from his original hee is become corrupâ—â—d he also is flesh Another reason may be because the Spirit is a most free agent Reas 2. Because the Spirit is a most free Agent This holy Spirit moveth when and where it pleaseth The Spirit of God is bound to none The Spirit is not at our command and beck yet vile man puts the Spirit of God to the condition of a slave for so the Lord complains Is 42. 24. Thou hast bought me no sweet cane with mony neither hast thou filled me with the fat of thy sacrifices but thou hast made me to serve with thy sinnes thou hast wearied me with thine iniquities It 's more than the Spirit owes any of us to move once he may move once and may never move more he may chuse whether he will move at all God now shootes warning-pieces the Spirit woes you to come in and make your peace with God to break off your sins by Repentance no longer to stand out in opposition unto Jesus Christ if you will not take warning God may suddenly shoot his Murdering-pieces and destroy you The Spirit cries to day to day now is the accepted time now is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Cor. 6. 2. day of salvation if we accept not of this golden opportunitie and now â—e come not in and embrace this great salvation tendered for ought we know the Spirit may be gone and never make a further tender of grace unto us Though the Spirit it self is most free and limits not nor ascribes to it self when and where to work but calls some sooner some later into the vineyard yet the Spirit limits and prescribes us a time of repentance Again he limiteth Heb. 4. 7. a certain day saying in David To day after so long a time as it is said to day if ye will hear his voice harden not your hearts It 's a common observation He that hath promised time to the penitent hath not promised a morrow for repentance Wherefore wee are Qui poenitentibus promisit veniam diem non promisit crastinum Gerr. Medit. Isa 55. 6. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Antipat. Act. 24. 25. commanded Seek the Lord while he may be found and call upon him while he is near and Acts 17. 30. The times of this ignorance God winked at but now commands all men every where to repent The Spirit now knocks by its motions by the Word by conviction of Conscience and invites you to come presently to Jesus Christ When a Treatise of Happynesse was brought to Antipater he answered I am not at leisure a lamentable case not to be at leisure to read a Treatise of Happynesse Felix would hear Paul at a convenient time we never read that he sent for him any more In proverbial speeches we say Strike whilst the Iron is hot When there is a fair gale hoyst up thy sayles and delayes are dangerous Shall we then neglect the present opportunity upon a presumption of a future Shall we presume either of space â—â— grace neither of them being in our power God is not bound to give space he struck Vzzah dead in the place for meddling with the Ark It 's said the 1 Chr. 13. 9. Oxen stumbled Vzzahs intention might be good but a good intention cannot justifie a bad action He invaded the Priests function his work was to drive on the Oxen not to touch the Ark. God struck Ananias and Saphira dead for their hypocrisie So often times God strikes dead the Drunkard in his vomit the Lyar Swearer Blasphemer with the lye oath blasphemy in each mans tongue But suppose which is uncertain God gives thee space yet often times where he gives space he denies grace as it was said of Jezabel Rev. 2. 21. I gave her space to repent of her fornication but she 2 Tim. 2. 25. repented not There is a peradventure put in 2 Tim. 2. 25. In meeknesse instructing those that oppose themselves if God peradventure may give them repentance unto the acknowledging of the truth My brethren consider in your most serious and composed thoughts that we deal for life and immortality and our negotiations are for the great things of Eternity Shall we dally in such weighty matters Shall we procrastinate our Repentance And shall we stop our ears bolt the doors of our hearts when the Spirit calls and knocks In matters of worldly employments what post-haste what expedition do men make they fear delayes may much prejudice them And shall we be thus wise for the world and such errand fooles for our soules Shall we be penny-wise and pound-foolish Shall we be so industrious to grasp the trash and pelf of the world and neglect our soules Every ones soul being a precious jewel is more woâ—th than the world in all its pomp and bravery Let us lay hold on the golden season of the present time the time which the Spirit limits If thou neglectest this day for ought thou knowest thou mayst be in hell to morrow Whilst thou art dallying and delaying God may be a swearing in his wrath that thou shalt never enter into his rest The third reason and the last that I shall name shall be drawn Reas 3. Drawn from the rule of divine Justice from the rule of divine justice It 's most just when people neglect Gods limited time for God to allow them no more time when people squander out Gods seasons and mispend their choice opportunities it stands with justice to deny any further opportunity When the season is past it is like an Arrow out of the Bow like a swift stream not to be called back There 's a dreadfull judgement threatned Prov 1. 24. because I have called and ye have refused I have stretched out my hands and no man regarded therefore I will laugh at your calamity and mock when your fear commeth God usually payes sinners in their own coyn and punisheth them by way of retaliation As appears in Adonibezeks confession who said Threescore and ten Kings having their thumbs and great toes cut off gathered Judg. 1. 7â— thered their meat under my table as I have done so hath God requited me God punisheth number with number according to the number of their cities so were their gods Jer. 2. 28. Where are thy Gods which thou hast made thee let them arise if they can save thee in the time Jerem. 2. 28. of thy trouble for according to the number of thy cities sâ— are thy gods O Judah And the Lord numbred them out to the sword and left them few in number God punisheth choice with choâ—â—e they chose new gods
and the Lord in judgement left them to their choice and in their extremities bade them goe to their gods and see whether they would deliver them The Lord punished contrariety with contrariety If ye will not be reformed by these things Lev. 26. 23. 24. but will walk contrary unto me then will I also walk contrary to you and punish you yet seven times for your sinns And when we refuse to hearken to him when he calls he will refuse to hearken to us in our greatest extremities when we call upon him It 's a broken but a very pathetical speech of Christ to Jerusalem O that thou hadst Luke 19. 4â— known even thou at least in this thy day the things that belong unto thy peace but now they are hid from thine eyes There is a Critical day set down there is a dreadfull judgement upon those that brought not the Lords offering in its season The man that is clean and is Numb 9. 13. not in a journey and forbeareth to keep the Passeover even the same soul shall be cut off from his people because he brought not the offering of the Lord in his appointed season that man shall bear his sinne The old world gave no heed to Noahs Preaching they neglected the time that God allowed them for repentance No moâ—e time was Matth. 25. 10 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 allowed when that was once expired a deluge overwhelmed them The five foolish Virgins slâ—mbred and slept when they should have been preparing of their lamps they went to buy oyle and in their absence Christ came and perpetually shut them out Esau sought Heb. 12. 17. â—enedictionem illam exquisissâ—t Beza the Blessing carefully with rears yet hee was rejected hee came when it was too late How many mischiefs befall men for neglecting their opportunities All these considerations should be as so many warning-pieces unto us and as so many prevalent incentives to cherish the whispers of the Spirit to take the benefit of the season Now whilst the Lord bids us seek his face our hearts must eccho back Thy face Lord we will seek Let us hearken to the motions of the Spirit and the checks of our conscience let us make much of the Spirit let us take heed of quenching and grieving of the holy Spirit whereby we are sealed unto the day of redemption An Angel swears in the Revelations There shal be no more time How soon Revel 10. 6. â— time may cease the Spirit cease working we cannot tel and time may be swallowed up in Eternity And therefore take this Caution as a word spoken in due season Beware of sadding the Spirit drive him not away from you for once having a repulse for ought you know he may come no more And thâ—â—â— have dispatch'd three Heads propounded of my Method I have asserted the truth of the point from Scripture â—eâ—timonies plainly evidencing the greatnesse of the Judgement when the Spirit of God departs from and will strive no longer with a people I have shewed how many wayes the Spirit usually strives with a people I have given in the reasons for the confirmation of the point In the next place it remains that I should reduce al home unto point of Practise by way of Use and particular Application This Doctrine affords six special Uses For Information Exhortation Reprehension Examination Direction and Consolation In the first place this serves for Information what a dreadfull Vse 1. For Information judgement lyes heavy upon any person whatsoever with whom Gods Spirit will strive no longer Was it not an heavy judgement when Gods Spirit left Saul and an evil spirit was sent to torment him Was it not an heavy case and dreadfull when the Philistines made war upon him and the Lord was departed from him And Samuel said to Saul why hast thou disquieted me to bring me up 1 Sam. 28 15 And Saul answered I am sore distressed for the Philistines make war against me and God is departed from me and answereth me no more neither by Prophets nor by dreames therefore I have called thee c. When Gods Spirit quite leaves a soul then the evil spirit takes possession of it Satan entred into Judas his heart and set him on work to betray Christ and when conscience gave him a bang and made him throw down the mony he felt Hell-fire flashing in him and betook himself to a desperate remedy to be his own executioner So I have read of Julian after he had departed from God and turn'd Apostate he had in his conscience more blows and butcherings Plures ictus laniatus At last when a dart hit him and gave him his fatal wound no man knowing from whence that dart came for it was a signal blow from heaven and was indeed the immediate hand of God at last he confest Thou hast overcome O Galilean thou hast overcome Vicisti Galilaee vicisti Now a little to set forth the greatnesse of the judgement upon those with whom Gods Spirit will strive no longer I le represent it you in these ensuing aggravations When God takes away his Spirit he usually takes away his Ordinances Whilst the Palladium remain'd with the Trojans they Aggrav 1. When God takes away his Spirit he usually takes away his Ordinances thought themselves secure The Jews put great confidence in the Ark they fet the Ark and went to battle with it against the Philistines and afterwards cryed up the Temple of the Lord the Temple of the Lord Herein they were superstitious they fâ—iled in putting too much confidence in the Temple They were Idolaters and followed Baal and Ashtaroth and thought the Ark would secure them The Ark would no more shelter prophane idolatrous people than the horns of the Altar would secure and shelter a Murtherer Yet questionlesse the Ark of Gods presence was a very great mercy and priviledge The Ark was kept away twenty yeares and they thought it long and the Text saith all the house of Israel lamented after the Lord. The sad report of the losse of the Ark brake Elies heart first and he fell down backward and his neck brake He heard 1 Sam. 7. 2. of the death of his sonnes their death went near but the losse of the Ark went nearer and Phinehas his wife named the child Iâ—habod saying the glory is departed from Israel because the Ark of God was taken She fell in travel upon that sad news and dyed presently 1 Sam. 4. 18 21 22. The taking away Ministers Ordinances Sabbaths are dreadfull judgements upon a people This the Prophet Amos foretels of Behold the daies come saith the Lord that I will send a famine in the Amos 8. 11. land not a famine of bread nor a thirst for water but of hearing the word of the Lord. And Christ himself threarens The kingdom of Matth. 21. 43. God shall be taken from you and given to a Nation bringing forth the
fruits thereof And these judgements God oftentimes inflicts upon those that contemne his Ordinances and often â—imes causeth a people to know the worth of them by the want of them Aggrav 2. God will not suffer his Spirit to woâ—ke in the Ordinances Or secondly if God continue his Ordinances and a people still resist the strivings of his Spirit this is another aggravation that the Lord wil not suffer his Spirit to work in the Ordinances What 's the Word without the Spirit but a dead letter The Word is the seed it is the Spirit that quickens it Now when God denieth his Spirit in an Ordinance and people hear onely a bare sound which goeth in at one ear and out of another and reap no profit and are never a whit wrought upon by an Ordinance this is a lamentable condition Enthusiasts cry up the Spirit and cry down the Word Formalists cry up the Word they keep their Church well that 's their own phrase but they regard not the workings of the Spirit This is Argumentum à bene conjunctis ad male divisa We have no warrant to leave the bright shining light of the Word and to follow a wild rambling light of our own The Spirit works by the Word and tyes us to the rule New devised lights may Levit. 10. 2 meet with the same judgement as Nadab and Abihu met withall for offering strange fire unto the Lord. Neither may we as Formalists doe rest in our comming to and hearing of Ordinances we must examine the working of Gods Spirit upon our soules When God gives quickning Ordinances let us pray for the energetical effectual working of Gods Spirit Deadnesse of Spirit saith Mr. Greenham is the grave of spiritual graces Between a lazy and a fervent performer of duties you may see the difference Greenham 2 Kings 4. 31 32 33 34. Gehazi went on in a carelesse formall manner and layd his staffe upon the child but there was neither voice nor hearing But when Elisha put his eyes upon the childs eyes and his mouth on the childs mouth the flesh of the child waxed warm O beware of slighting or resisâ—ing the â—pirit in an Ordinance lest in judgement God may give thee a bare Ordinance or resting contented with a bare outside formall service without any lively workings of the Spirit upon thine heart and that will be but as a carkasse when the soul is gone When people drive away Gods Spirit and will not regard its strivings Aggrav 3. God gives over those that resist his Spirit unto a spirit of delusion then God gives them over in judgement to a spirit of delusion 2 Thes 2. 11. For this cause God shall send them strong delusions that they shall believe a lye VVhen Ministery the Lords-day and other Sabbath-Ordinances are trampled under feet when the plain infallible rule of the Scriptures is laid aside when some flatter themselves with high swelling conceits of their own gifts upon pretence of a Light within them Dreams and Revelations then God in judgement gives them over to a spirit of delusion The Devil works upon their fancies and puffs them up with pride and their pride swels them and bursts them Beware of Pride and above all Pride of spiritual Pride Beware of itching eares after novel Doctrines Upon pretence of new truths many suck in antiquated long since exploâ—ed â—rrours And if it be an errour though I take it not so yet account it an errour of love I advise especially young beginners to beware of Scepticism high-slown curiosities in the study of divinity It 's a ground of experience Scepticism Rom. 14. 1. Quod si observassent Scholastici non totâ— spinosas salebrosas ne dicaÌ„ impiâ—s sacrilegas quaestiones in eornÌ„ libris habere mus P. Mart. Aggrav 4. God gives those over to a hard heart who resist the motions of the Spirit frequently produceth Heresie â—ereâ—e terminatesin Atheisme and my counsel is grounded upon the known rule Him that is weak in the faith receive you but not in doubtfull disputatâ—ons Would Schoolmen saith Pet. Martyr had observed this Scripture Study Fundamentals get a Body of Divinity in your heads and hearts before you venture upon Polemicals Be well provided and furnished with weapons from the Principles of Divinity before you grapple with gain-sayers A fourth and last aggravation I shall mention is this when Gods Spirit hath stroven long knockt and waited and is abused and resisted then God gives over such persons to an hard heart and a reprobate mind And an hard heart and a reprobate mind is an hell upon earth Isa 6. 9 10. Go and tell this people Hear ye indeed but understand not and see ye indeed but perceive not Make the heart of this people fat and make their ears heavy and shut their eyes lest they see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their hearts and convert and be healed It 's cited by all the four Evangelists and in the Acts of the Apostles and the Epistle to the Romans by such frequent repetition of the self-same thing aggravating the greatnesse of the judgement It 's accounted the grand curse of the Gospel Joh. 9. 39. For judgement am I come into this John 9. 39. world that they which see not might see and that they which see might be made blind When men have been a long time under the sound of the Gospel and the Spirit hath moved and woed beseeching us to amend our lives and walk in an holy obedience and conformity to the will of God and yet we stand out and bid defiance to the Spirit of Grace then it is just for God to say hard heart seize upon such a one reprobate sense take hold of another let them be Sermon-proof and Judgement-proof let them remain insensible let their consciences be cauterized O whaâ— a fearfull judgement is this as the Apostle mentions But after thy hardnesse Roâ— 2. 5. and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thy self wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgement of God May these aggravations make deep impressions upon all our spirits and make us fear and tremble any more to withstand the sweet motions and whispers of the Spirit of God A second use is for Exhortation I entreat beseech exhort conjure Vse 2. For Exhortation you by all the motions of the Spirit by all the tenders of mercies patience and long-suffering of God that you would take heed of quenching resisting sadding the holy Spirit of God but cherish embrace make much of all the strivings of the Spirit of God with your soules To day the Spirit calls hear his voice to day the Spirit woes and would make a contract with your soules O now accept of him to day the Spirit invites lay aside all excuses and come It 's the Embassie that Gods Ministers are sent upon Now then we are Ambassadors for Christ as though
God did beseech 2 Cor. 5. 20. you by us we pray you in Christs stead be ye reconciled to God Oâ—r commission may be out of date to morrow Christ now waites till his locks be wet with dew now he calls sinners to repentance He hath sent me on an errand this day to invite thirsty soules to come unto him and he will give them drink to invite those that are heavy laden and he will give them rest It 's my businesse this day to tender Jesus Christ the Fountain opened to presse home the Exhortation of the Holy Ghost Let the wicked forsake his way and Isa 55. 7. the unrighteous man his thoughts and let him return unto the Lord and he will have mercy upon him and to our God for he will abundantly pardon Now what answer shall I return unto him that sent me Suffer I beseech you Fathers and Brethren the word of exhortation not to suffer the holy Spirit to spend his sacred breath in vain You have many prizes put into your hands improve them in your several capacities to the glory of God and mutual edification one of another Let Rulers rule with diligence let Governours Tutours Masters of Families all unite their endeavours to promote the Gospel of Jesus Christ and put Joshua's resolution into practise but as for me I and my house we will serve the Lord. O that Josh 24. 15. we could be spirituall Fathers to those that are committed to our charge Governours and Tutours should look upon themselves as Pro-parents and upon the Scholars under them as children and therefore ought to have special care over them and principally to enquire how it fares with their soules what knowledge they have of Jesus Christ What a comfort will it be another day when we can say Behold Lord here we are and the children which thou hast given us Thou â—ord hast made us spiritual Fathers unto these young Pupiss Now whilst the Spirit stayes waiting upon us whilst we have time talents and opportunities vouchsafed unto us whilest we live under the sound of the Gospel and hear admonitions reproofs and many Exhortations to repentance let us not put off the Spirit with any more delatory answers but resolve with the full purpose of our hearts to cleave unto the Lord. I have two or three plain moving considerations to adde for the better setting home of my Exhortation Consider the brevity of our lives What 's our life but a bubble Consid 1. The brevity of our lives John 4. a flower a vapor a shadow By these resemblances the Holy Ghost sets forth the shortness of our lives We had need be a working while day lasteth I must work the works of him that sent me while day lasteth the night cometh when no man can work A night of death is coming wherein no man can work and we must always remember that the Spirit strives not always not during the whole course of our lives It moves when it pleaseth and on a suddain ceaseth yet at the most it moveth no longer nor striveth no longer but this little moment of time whilst we are on this side the grave After death there will be no more warnings no more admonitions no place left for repentance no Purgatory that 's a Popish dream He that dieth filthy will so remain unto all Eternity Now then my Brethren considering you have but a little time and upon this moment depends Eternity and after death there will be no further tenders of Grace and Mercy let us husband this time to the best advantage Let us prize Sermons Sabbaths and all those Evangelical Dispensations vouchsafed to us more then ever we did Let us redeem the time as we are exhorted Eph. 5. 16. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eph. 5. 16. buying out or making a good market of the season Every thing is beautiful in its season there 's a season acceptable and there 's a season perilous Let 's come when God calls that 's the accepted time let 's not prescribe a time of our own that 's the perillous season let 's not account time a slight matter for each minute ought to be valued A second consideration shal be drawn from the uncertainty of the Consid 2. The uncertainty of the spirits striving Nil pretiosius tempore heu nil hodie vilius invenitur Bern. Veniet tempus quo vel unam horam ad resiâ—iscendum redimere mirum quantum optabimus Otho Casmannus spirits strivings If the holy Spirit be rejected its uncertain whether ever he will come again The Spirit will not always bear reproaches indignities If we refuse to give God the glory of his mercy he will shew upon us the glory of his Justice and Power If we will not open when God knocks at our doors he will not open when we knock at his door Unkindness will drive away a friend from our houses When the Spirit invites himself unto us if we will open he will come and dine and sup with us if we refuse this Heavenly guest how shall we escape our destruction will be inevitable This Spirit is often compared to fire nothing more comforting nothing more consuming than fire If thou wilt not suffer the Spirit to purge and refine thee it will consume thee Nothing more comfortable then light warmth and witness of the Spirit Nothing more terrible then the bondage conviction and condemnation of the Spirit Therefore beware of resisting any good motions that the Spirit of God puts into thy heart this day lest if the spirit have a repulse he may go away and never return any more 3. Thirdly Consider the certainty of the day of Judgement 2 Cor. 5. 10. For we must all appear before the judgement seat of Consid 3. The day of Iudgement Christ that every one may receive the things done in his body according to that he hath done whether it be good or bad Then there will be an account to be given for all the Sermons which we have heard for all the Sabbaths we have enjoyed for all the motions of the Spirit for all the admonitions reproofs Gospel opportunities and advantages that we have received we should therefore hear a Sermon now as for ought we know we may be presently summon'd by death to appear before the Judgement-seat of Jesus Christ Let us imagine that now we hear this day as if it might be our last day We hear for Eternity Preachers and Hearers shall be called to an account at the great Assise The Lord grant that we may all give up our accounts with joy The third Use shall be for reprehension of those who resist or Use 3. For reprehension stifle the strivings and the sweet motions of the holy Spirit To come to particulars 1. How sad is their condition who are contemners of the sweet motions of Gods Spirit Let them read Rom. 8. 9. If any man hath not the spirit of Christ he is none of his Such
conscience 2. The strivings of a mans own spirit are pacified with natural means are pacified with natural means eating drinking sleeping idle company vain pleasures quiet meer natural convictions But where Gods Spirit strives the soul cannot be quieted but by supernatural means the in omes of God the ravishing consolations of the holy Ghost a white Stone a pardon sealed no mirth sports company can satisfie a wounded conscience onely one remedy is reserved for a perfect cure and that 's the Medicine made up of the Blood of Christ 3. The strivings of a mans own spirit are flashy suddain and soon gone when the judgement ceaseth As soon as the judgement 3. The striviâ—gs of a mans own Spirit are flashy and suddain is removed the strivings cease but when Gods Spirit strives it is solid and serious If the Jvdgement be removed and the sâ—n unpardoned there can be no quiet If the Judgement be over Pharaoh is quiet but no quiet in Davids spirit till the sin be removed Q. 3. A third Quaery is How may we know whether Gods Spirit Q. 3 A. hath effectually stroven and prevailed with us 1. When we hearken to the call of Gods Spirit Psal 27. 8. Thou 1. Whâ—â— we answeâ— the call of Godâ— spirit saidst seek my face my heart said unto thee Thy face Lord will I seek 2. When we have the testimonie of Gods Spirit as Rom. 8. 16. The spirit it self beareth witness with our spirits that we are the 2. When we have the spirits testimony children of God 3 When we have the sealing of the Spirit Eph. 1. 13. In 3. When the spirit seals whom after ye believed ye were sealed with the holy Spirit of promise 4. When we have the earnest of the Spirit Eph. 1. 14. 4. When we have the earnest of the Spirit 5. When we have the spirits anointing 6. When we have the fruits of the Spirit Use 5. For direction 1. Pray for the Spirit 2. Set a high price on the Spirit 3. Cherish the motions of the Spirit 4. Observe the call and knocking of the Spirit 5 When we have the anointings of the Spirit 1 John 2. 20. Ye have an Unction from the Holy One and ye know all things 6. When we have the fruits of the Spirit Gal. 5. 22 23 24. Love joy peace long-suffering gentleness goodness faith meekness temperance The fifth Use is for direction 1. Pray for the Spirit to sanctifie and cleanse thee No work of sanctification but by the spirit 2. Set an high price of and be a diligent attendant of Gods word The Spirit usually works by the Word The Spirit and Word agree together 3. Cherish the sweet motions of Gods Spirit make much of every holy motion and inspiration O do not grieve nor sad O do not quench the Spirit of God but account Gods long-suffering your salvation God waits and is patient O do not provoke do not abuse his patience 4. Observe all the calls knocking 's and invitations of Gods Spirit The Lord calls by his word by checks of conscience by mercies and by judgements do not then bolt the doors of your hearts nor stand out against all the warnings threatnings and promises all these are upon record Heb. 2. 3. How shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation Lastly Here 's one word of comfort unto all those who make Use 6. For comfort much of the strivings of Gods Spirit These shall be filled with the consolations of the Spirit The Spirit will comfort support help them In Prayer The Spirit helpeth their infirmities Rom. 8. 26. The Spirit purgeth and purisieth them The Spirit of God is their Counsellor in doubts their Comforter in all distresses and the Spirit will guide them by his counsel till he bring them unto glory Doct. 2. It s aâ— exceeding great mercy c. I now proceed in a few words to the second Doctrine That it is an exceeding great mercy when the Lord vouchsafes unto any person time and space for repentance Here the Lord alloweth to the old World 120 years so long it was that the Spirit of God strove with the old World We read in Gen. 18. 24 25. the Lord staid communing with Abraham making abatements from 50 to 45 from 45 to 40 from 40 to 30 from 30 to 20 from 20 to 10 Was it not a great mercy for the Lord to bear so long with the Amorites They had a long time of forbearance Thus did the Lord deal with Niniveh Jonah 3. 4. Yet forty days and Niniveh shall be overthrown So the Lord waited long on the Israelites Psal 95. 8. Harden not your hearts as in the provocation and as in the day of temptation in the wilderness So Jerusalem Luke 19. 42 44. If thou hadst known even thou at least in this thy day the things that belong unto thy peace but now they are hid from thine eyes The five foolish Virgins had a time allowed both wise and foolish slept and slumbred but the foolish wanted oyl and lost the accepted season Jezabel had time alloted her Rev. 2. 21. I gave her space to repent of her fornication but she repented not The Reasons are 1. To glorifie the riches of Gods mercy Mercy Reas 1. To glorifie the riches of Gods mercy waits upon us wooing and alluring us to repentance The Lord invites Isa 55. 1. Ho every one that thirsteth let him come c. He calls sinners to repentance He entreateth by his Ambassadors 2 Cor. 5. 20. He waits to be gracious Rev. 3. 20. 2. To glorifie the Justice of God and to leave a people without R. 2. To glorifie Gods justice excuse When mercy patience goodness graciousness long-suffering are all abused what remains but destruction never fruit grow on thee more Cut it down I will take this kingdom from you I will send you a famine of the word These are terrible threatnings 3. The Lord oftentimes is pleased to spare a people longer at the R. 3. God spares a people at the request of his servants request of his servants Luke 13. 8. The Vine-dresser prayed Let it alone yet longer till I dig about it and dung it Gods Ministers pray hard and tug hard at the oar they cry night and day Lord spare try this people a little longer exercise a little more patience towards them let thy Word work upon them they live under the sound of it let it effectually prevail with them The Uses are 1. For admiration O admire the infinite mercies of God who doth thus bear with sinners notwithstanding Use 1. For admiration their provocations yet he tryes waits and allows them a great deal of space when as in Justice he might cut sinners assunder in the midst of their sins This breathes terrors unto all presumptuous sinners who presume Vse 2. For terror of space and grace neither of which is in their own power To some God gives space others he
lives and keep strict Luk. 16. 2. sentinell over both That saying give an account of thy stewardship should be still ringing in the ears of Ministers Governours and Tutors We shall one day be called to an account let 's labour to be faithfull Stewards that so we may give up our account with joy and not sorrow It 's a known story that the young man committed by Euseb Hist the Apostle to the Elders care was dissolute and a companion of Theives and is there termed a dead man i. e. dead to God and goodness O let it not be our default our negligence that any under our charge are dead souls As the Captain beseeched that his life and the life of his fifty might be pretious in the Prophets eyes 2 Kings 1. 13 Whe her we have more or fewer let their souls be pretious and let us put forth our selves in all our places and capacityes to give one another a lift toward heaven A day of judgment is coming let that be a Frontlet before our eyes upon this consideration let Christians doe brotherly offices and manifest their love to the souls of their brethren Hereupon we are exhorted to avoid rash judgment Rom. 14. 10. 1 Cor. 4. 5. There 's wisdome understanding consideration all joyned together Deut. 32. 22. It s a patheticall speech and he 's a wiseman in the esteem of the Holy Ghost who considers his of latter end We should all of us fix this meditation upon our hearts entertain serious thoughts what will become of our our precious souls to all Eternity Will not a day of Judgement come May not thou or I be summon'd forthwith at that impartial Tribunal This being so What manner of persons ought we to be in all holy conversation and godliness In the second place to confirm the Point by evidence of Reason why the consideration of the Day of Judgement should engage us unto holiness 1. Because onely holy persons shall be able to stand in Judgement Reas 1. Because only holy persons shall stand in Judgement When the wicked the Goats that stand on the left hand and shall wish that the Hills might â—all on them and that the mountains might cover them from the face of the Lamb Then shall the godly lift up their heads and behold Christ who is their Judge their Redeemer This comforted Job on the Dung-hill Rev. 20. 6. Job 19. 25. Matth. 5. 8. Heb. 12. 14. I Know that my Redeemer liveth They that are holy here shall be happy to all eternity They onely shall be partakers of the blessed Visâ—on Now it s much controverted whether the Saints shall have their sins mentioned at all at the day of Judgement some conceive that their sins shall be brought in onely as a cancell'd â—ond others are of opinion that they shall be mentioned that Gods mercy may the more be glorified in the greatness of the Pardon And others say they shall not be mentioned at all because in several Scriptures the Lord saith He will remember their sins no more and that he will câ—st all our sins into the depth of the Sea and that he casteth Isa 43. 25. Mich. 7. 19. Isa 38. 17. our sins behinde his back without all controversie that shall be done that conduceth most to â—ods glory and their happiness There 's no condemnation to the Saints the day of Judgement will be a day of refreshing to them an addition to their happiness soul and body being re-united and made companions in bliss unto all â—ternity Seeing then holy persons shall be able to look the Judge in the face since they onely shall stand in judgement the consideration of this great day should sink deep into our hearts and make deep impression upon our spirits exciting alluring and prevailing with us to a sanctified life and conversation 2. â—ecause the time of this life is the onely Season appointed 2 Reas This is the present time by God to labor after holyness The Exhortation runs in the present â—ense 1 Pet. 1. 15. 1 John 3. 3. Q. 3. But can we be perfectly holy A. We must have perfection of parts i. e. Sincerity In Heaven there will be perfection of degrees we must have truth of holyness we must begin here and strive after more In Heaven we shall attain the complement thereof we may not content our selves with what we have attained unto but we must labor after perfection pressing forward toward the mark for the price of the high calling that is in Jesus Christ as Id qui faciunt fructum colligent satione sua dignum coacervabunt enim quod male dispereat Calv in loc Gal. 6. 8. the Apostle did Phil. 3. 14. Now then consider the time of this life is the Seed-time the Harvest is reserved in Heaven As you sow so you shall reap If you sow to the flesh you shall of the flesh reap corruption if you sow to the spirit you shall of the spirit reap life everlasting Therefore in your most serious thoughts consider that you deal for life and immortallity your negotiations are for the great things of Eternity In this World in this present time of life you must labor to be holy Purgatory is a Blasphemous Popish dream No purgation left for another World No Prayer no Sermon will work upon thee after this life Here then holyness is wrought lay these things to heart 3. Because Judgement returns us just as death leaves us As the 3. Reas Because judgment returns us as death lest us Tree falls so it lies and as death leaves us so judgement will finde us He that is filthy let him be filthy still He that dies unreconciled to Jesus shall be so returned The day of Judgement is most impartially just in all proceedings And Judgement returns none neither better nor worse but as death leaves them Now then if thou livest and diest in an unregenerate estate so thou wilt remain unto all Eternity After death no tears no crys will prevail There 's no door of hope the damned are without hope and this heightens their misery Time is past time is past The Judge hath vail'd his face having past a Sentence irrevo cable Noâ— whilest you are alive on this side Hell and Eternity there 's hope left you are under the sound of the Gospel and the Ambassadoâ— are sent offering unto you terms of reconciliation We pray you in Christs stead be ye reconciled to God O follow after holyness 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pursue it hard give not over This day is a working 2 Cor. 5. 20. Heb. 12. 14. day and it 's but short a day of Judgement which is a day of restitution and recompense is approaching So live as you desire to die Do you desire to be happy in your deaths Labor to live holy in your lives Thus much for the Doctrinal part Now to set all home by particular Application I have five Uses to make of this Doctrine
he desires and endeavours after the encrease of every grace more Faith more Love more Humility thus hee cries as the Horsleach's daughter give give 8. There 's a careful strict watch set upon the heart life against Charact. 8. Ther 's a care full watch ovâ—r the heart and life bosom sins Be they ancient customary constitution complexion sins as dear as a right hand and a right eye they must be cut off pluckt out David profest I kept my self from mine iniquity Psal 18. 23. Be it peccatum in deliciis an Herodias a Delilah away with them be it a Gibeonite a pretending sinne mâ—ke no league with it be it a Benhadad an Agag give no quarter to them bid adieu to every sin though delightful and pleasing to flesh and blood say to it as to a menstruous cloath get thee hence Let Josephs resolution be as a Monitor and as a Frontlet before thine eyes How can I doe this great wickednesse and sin against God 9. Yet further the desire and endeavour must be universally extensive as to hate and turn from every sinne so to have respect to Charact. 9. The desiâ—er â—ndeavour must be vniversall every commandement Psal 119. 101. It is an argument of a gracious heart neither to divide in duties nor commands neither to pleade a dispensation in the first nor in the second Table This was Pauls exercise he as it were drove that trade 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And this is consonant to the doctrine of the Gospel Universality is a divisive difference it distinguisheth a Sheep from a â—oat a true from a formal Professour and a constitutive difference to constitute Act. 24. 16. Tiâ— 2. 11 12 Psal 119. 6. a child of God The universality respects as I now mentioned the object the whole Law all Gods Commandements the subject the whole man at all places and in all companies to walk closely with God all the daies of our lives 10. The Spirit is without guile Here 's an Israelite indeed without Charact. 10. A spirit without guile Psal 32. 2. Joh. 1. 17. guile such was that excellent commendation that Christ gave Nathaniel There are three words whereof a godly man is compounded 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 singlenesse of heart 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 simplicity and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sincerity You have two of them in one verse and thence was matter enough of rejoycing 2 Cor. 1. 12. This we must labour for even singleness simplicity and sincerity and acting upon these principles wee may with comfort look the King of terrours in the face when all carnal Machiavilian policies wil prove Physitians of no value 11. There wil bee the practise of Mortification and Vivisication Charact. 11. The practice of mortification The mortifying of the deeds of the body and the quickning of the graces of the Spirit these are fruits of Regeneration and Repentance Col. 3. 5. Rom. 8. 13. Never dream of a shorter cut to hâ—aven than the rule of the Word prescribes Mr. Perkins saith He that was never truly humbled never truly believed O set upon the practise of Mortification put to death these brâ—ts of Babylon crucifie slay mortifie thy corruptions â—et this day be a slaughter day for thy sins spare not an anâ—ient sinne let not thine eye pity thy most delightful sinne butlet thy â—ow be like the Bow of Jonathan that never returned empty without the blood of the slaine This is a severe way but there 's comfort in it The Apostle useth two words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. the making of the body black and blew and the bringing it into subjection There may be no toleration of any sinne Take heed of easie lazy wayes pleasing to thy corrupt nature they are dangerous wayes Follow the old light of the Word that presseth Repentance Humiliation Mortification that 's Gods Law Take heed of any Antinomian Ignes fatuos which decrie so row for sin if thou followest them thou wilt follow a blinde guide and if the blinde lead the blinde both will fall into the ditch 12. And lastly there wil be a burning in love to Jesus Christ Charact. 12. There wil be a burning in love to Jesus Christ such a love as many waters cannot quench nor stood-gates drown it Cant. 8. 7. The love of Christ wil conâ—â—rain him 2 Cor. 5. 14. He wil doe and suffer out of a principle of love to Jesus Christ This man loves Christs image holynesse Christs Members Joh. 13. 35. Christs â—rdinances they are his delight and counsellors Christs Messengers the appearance of Jesus Christ 2 Cor. 4. 8. Tit. 2. 13. He longs for Christs comming Rev. 22. 20. By all these signes and discriminating characters we may judge of the Tree by the fruit and conclude that heart to be a gracious heart that can produce these evidences and where the heart is upright and holy the conversation cannot but be suitable when the heart is inlarged the feet wil runne the wayes of Gods commandements Put your selves to these Tryals proved to you from the Word of God and your own consciences The foâ—rah Vse shall be for Direction how we shall make the best Use 4. For direction use of this day of Judgement In pursuance of this consideration what rules of directions must we observe that from hence we may be engaged to a holy conversation amongst many I shall presse six Rules to be reduced to point of practise 1. Pray for the Spirit of Sanctification It 's Gods will our Sanctification we must pray that his will may be done in us and by Rule 1. Pray for the Spirit of SanctificatioÌ„ us that Christs kingdome may be within us that Christ would love and wash us and make us Kings and Priests unto God This is a new creation and requires an omnipotent hand Psal 51. 10. This is the Apostles prayer for the Thessalonians that the God of peace would sanctifie them This is the prayer suitable to Gods will and if â—eâ— ask any thing according to Gods will he heareth us We read of a spirit of holynesse Rom. 1. 4. and sanctification of the spirit Pray hard for holynesse wrestle with God be importunate for Grace and when it 's begunne pray for the consummation of it that hee that hath begun a good work will not leave it unfinished till the day of Jesus Christ 2. Be much employed in washing and cleansing thy heart This Rule 2. Be much employed in washing thy heart God calls for Jer. 4. 14. There 's a great deal of filthinesse that lyes lurking in thy heart many foul corners O wash and rinse thy heart there are many vain and wicked thoughts there 's in thy heart a stye a sink of filthinesse a cage of uncleane birds Many nasty rotten thoughts and wicked imaginations doth this womb conceive Try thy heart throughly be better acquainted at home doest thou hope to have benefit by Christ see to thy duty to purifie
1 Joh 3 3. Jam. 14 8 thy self to cleanse thy hands and purifie thy heart this is a needfull study its time well imployed in searching our hearts in washing and purifying of the inward man 3. Be much exercised in divine meditation Meditate frequently Rule 3. Be exercised the divine in art of meditation of the four last things Death Judgement Hell and Heaven Entertain frequent and serious thoughts of â—ternity It 's a poynt of understanding and wisdome to consider our latter end Meditate what a holy place heaven is what holy company and what holy employments aret here Nothing that defileth shall ever come there Get up into the Mount with Moses let thy affections soare aloft being carried aloft with the wings of heavenly meditation This was Isaacs practise Davids and Pauls Were you acquainted with the singular benefit of Meditation you would not lye groveling here below your words thoughts whole conversations would bee in heaven 4. Consider the omnipresence and omniscience of God whither Rule 4. Consider Gods omnipresence canst thou goe from his presence how canst thou escape his knowledge If I sinne saith Job he marketh me Job 10. 14 15. God seeth thy secret sinnes hee knoweth all thy reservations and cunning conveyances All things are naked unto him with whom thou hast to deale and without holynesse thou shalt never see the face of God with comfort The serious consideration of the Omnipresence and Omniscience of God through the grace of God may prevaile with us to a circumspect and holy conversation 5. Set an high estimate upon and frequent diligently the holy Rule 5 Consider Gods Ordinances Ordinances of God They are called The beauties of Holynesse Psal 110. 3. There is a cleansing virtue in the Word of God Psal 119. 9. Gods face is beautifull his holynesse is his beauty Now by the face of God Calvin understands the Ordinances of God Psal 27. 8. Wait then O Christian at the posts of Wisdoms gate lye in the way where Christ comes by tarry at these Bethesdaes The Ordinances are the golden Pipes to conveigh the golden Oyle take heed of sitting loose from them Blesse God that your eyes behold your Teachers and that your Gospel is not driven into corners Improve these prices and spiritual advantages for the good of your precious souls 6. And lastly associate your selves with holy company Love Rule 6. Associaâ—e your selves with holy company where God loves now the Lord loveth his Saints It was Davids profession that his delight was in the Saints Psal 16. 2 3. Bee a companion to those that fear God If a dead coale be neare a live coâ—le it may be inkindled by it but if two live coales be together what abundance of heate will they give We read Mal. 3. 16. That they that feared the Lord spake often one to another Let not Christians be strange and shie of one anothers company But let 's unite as one man to conserre all our interests to give each other a lift to heaven Make them thy companions on earth whom thou hopest to enjoy in heaven to all eternity The last Use and so in a few words to conclude is a word of Use 5. For Consolation Consolation unto holy persons true beleevers the adopted sonnes and daughters of God when the day of Judgement comes and the whole world is in a flame they shall bee of good comfort That day which will be a day of terrour and revenge to the wicked shall be a day of refreshing and restitution unto them The Saints that sleep in the grave shall be awakned at the sound of the Trumpet and their bodies and soules shall bee reunited and they shâ—ll receive the consummation of their happynesse The Saints that are alive shall be caught up together with those that are dead in Christ in the cloudes to meet the â—ord in the air and so shall be ever with the Lord. The inference the Apostle makes should be ours wherefore 1 Thes 4. 18. comfort one another with these words O but I cannot see this in me I would be holy yet I cannot find this growth of holynesse in me Is this thy case goe thy way to God challenge him with his promise put his bond in suit Hee commands make you a clean heart but doth he not promise to give it Ezek. 36. 25. Comfort thy self with Christs praier to the Father He prayes Father sanctifie them through thy truth And know there may be grace where feeling may be wanting It s an excellent Joh. 17. 17. Eph. 1. 13. saying of Mr. Greenham We hold Christ by faith and not by feeling Feeling is an after thing After ye beleeved ye were sealed with that holy spirit of promise Is it the desire and endeavour of thy soule to be holy Notwithstanding infirmities yet is thy heart single and without guile be of good comfort thou shalt hold up thy head with comfort at that great day of accompt when the wicked shall wish that the mountains might fall upon them and the hills cover them from the face of the Lamb thou shalt behold Christ in the face with comfort when all these visible things shall be dissolved and the elements shall melt with fervent heat thou shalt be glad and rejoice at that day and enjoy eternall felloship with the blessed Trinity in whose presence there is fulness of joy and at whose right hand there are pleasures for evermore Did we but seriously consider of Psal 16. 11. these things wee should desire to bee dissolved and to be with Christ we should cry Come Lord Jesus come quickly we should have the Moon under our feet we should negotiate for the great things of eternity May all things that have been said make deep impression upon our spirits and prevaile with us to the love and practise of holynesse looking for and hasting unto the comming of God Though at that day the world be on fire we shall be safe though there shall be a general Assize wee shall be acquitted and that day of Judgement will be the Saints refreshing day Christ is their Redeemer and Intercessour VVho would not now be in love with holyness holyness will be holyness indeed at that day Only holy persons shall hold up their heads with comfort they only shall be able to stand in judgement God onely that made the heart can cleanse it Christ doth love and wash his people Le ts therefore pray for holynesse follow after holynesse Thus our fruit being unto holynesse our end will be happynesse The Necessity of the Knowledge of Regeneration Discovered from Joh. 3. v. 10. Jesus answered and said unto him Art thou a Master of Israel and knowest not these things THE report of Christs Miracles being famous every where Serm. 5. at St. Maries Oxon. Aug. 14. 1654. v. 1. insomuch that multitudes followed him at last one of an eminent Rank comes to visit and conferre with Christ v. 1. By degree he
was a Doctor by his Sect a Pharisee by his place and calling a Ruler as is supposed an Ecclesiasticall Governour one of the Jewish Sanedrim his name was Nicodemus The time when he came to Christ was by night VVhat a Tenebrio a night Bird surely he was afraid to be seen or known by his fellow Pharisees He had riches honours dignities to lose and therefore he would carry his designs with all privacie for feare of being put out of the Synagogue Thus preferments riches degrees Joh. 9. 22. dignities fear of men are oftentimes as so many fetters and shackles to clog men and keep them off from comming unto Christ Now followeth a Dialogue between Christ and Nicodemus First Nicodemus makes a declaration of his faith in Christ grounded upon v. 2. v. 3. the great Miracles that he wrought v. 2. Christ giveâ— him an answer concerning Regeneration A Sophister would cavil as if this answer had been impertinent and not suitable to what Nicodemus spake but indeed it was the most pertinent Answer that ever was given For Christ spâ—ke to the spiritual necessities and wants of Nicodemus Hee knew wherein this Learned Doctor was ignorant and therefore Christ teacheth him his A B C the Llements and first â—udiments of Christianity Christ took the Doctor out of the School of the Pharisees and he himself becomes his teacher 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Here is a vehement asseveration in a matter of highest importance It s said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 From above some Beza Erasm reâ—d it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 From Heaven Beza and Erasmus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 again and the second time come to the same pass all which produce this fundamental assertion No Regeneration no Salvation Now Nicodemus proposeth an ignorant and un-doctorlike question v. 4. concerning entring the second time into his mothers wombe Christ takes yet more paines to instruct him v. 5. of being born of water and of the Spirit The Spirit of God is the sole Author of our Regeneration The Spirit sanctifieth and worketh like water As water washeth away the filth of our bodyes so the Spirit besprinkleth us with the blood of Christ and washeth away the filth from our soules This washing of water is mentioned Ezek. 16. 9. Hence some understand these expressions of Water and the Spirit of Spiritual water opposed to the ceremoniall washings of the Pharisees to which Nicodemus ascribed too much or else which is in effect all one to the Spirit working like water and thus Calvin and Musculus understand the words Aqua nihil aliud est quam interna Spiritus Sancti purgatio so Calvin Calvin in loc Musc in loc Omnis regenerationis operatio est Spiritus Sancti so Musculus Aqua tanquam operationis Sancti Spiritus Symbolum ac Signum adhibetur Further Christ confirmes his assertion in 2 Propohtions v. 6. That which is born of the flesh is flesh and that which is born of the Spirit is Spirit By Flesh we are to understand the corruption of our nature by reason of original sinne by Spirit the renovation of our nature by the holy spirit of God Here Christ distinguisheth of a two fold birth Natural and Spiritual to instruct Nicodemus who though a Doctor of the Law and had read Jeremy Ezekiel and other Scriptures speaking of a new heart a heart of flesh and circumcising of the heart washing of the heart yet understood not at all what those Scriptures meant and was altogether ignorant of the distinction of a naturall and spirituall birth Christ leaves not his Scholar suddenly but takes more paines yet to teach him to understand so hard a lesson v. 7 8. Christ sets it out by a similitude of the wind Motum scimus modum nescimus a man may be regenerate and yet not know how and when he came to be so How a man is made in his mothers wombe who can tell How a man lives may be told by the effects and so we may tell we are regenerate by its effects and operations as the tree is known by its fruit Som know how and when they came to be converted so Paul Lydia others say as was said of the blindman we know he was born blind but by what meanes he now sees we know not Notwithstanding all that hath been said Nicodemus is still ignorant and cannot by his reason Joh. 9. â— 21. understand these things though he cannot gainsay and disprove what Christ said yet he holdeth his conclusion and proposeth a question full of doubting and unbeleife v. 9. How can these things be Now Christ deals roundly with him and sharply rebukes him him that was a Doctor of the Law an Interpreter of Moses and the Prophets a man ocherwise of great learning and yet unlearned in the main fundamentall doctrine A man that was a teacher of others and yet one that needs a great deal of teaching himself in the maine principle of Religion 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Which words contain a person reproving a person reproved and the Crime for which he was reproved 1. The reprover is Jesus Christ the great Prophet and Teacher Division 1. The Person reproving Christ. he that spake as never man spâ—kâ— He is a reprover and an Instructor both to Nicodemus Christ knew with whom he had to deal with a Pharisee one that stood upon outward righteousness and legall ceremonies one that was a teacher of others and yet had need of teaching himself 2. The person reproved is Nicodemus described by his degree and imployment The Article presixt is Emphatical 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. The Persons reproved Beza in loc ille Doctor hoc loco videtur Articulus suum pondus habere quo significatur Nicodemum non modo pro doctore sed etiam pro excellenti Doctore habitum fuisse ab Israelitis So Beza Nicodemus was the Master 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Doctor of the greatest repute and eminency among the Jewes he was not a Disciple but a Master the renowned teacher of all Israel as if all Israel had been his Scholars and yet this great Schollar must goe to School to Jesus Christ He Jun. in loc that was ille doctor Israelis tanta authoritate existimatione as Junius observes yet was ignorant in the maine things 3. For what was Nicodemus reproved Ans For his grosse ignorance 3. The things reproved and that not in circumstantialls but in Fundamentalls not in smaller matters but in the greatest of all 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. knowest not thou these things concerning regeneration this birth from heaven the new and second birth this being born of water and of the spirit Tu es ille magister Israelis magister insignis ad Israelitas verbo Dei erudiendos Praefectus ideoque indignissimum est c. so Calvin on the place Because the Scripture so often inculcats Calvinus in lâ—c this doctrine
It 's Arg. 5. Dâ—awn from the generall Resurrection of the Saints derived 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 caput 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 videri it signifieth the looking for something with the lifting up of the head or strerching out of the neck with earnest intention and observation Thus doe the Saints long for the appearance of Christ Heb 9. 28. it 's not an ordinary looking for it 's said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And the Saints cry Rev. 22. 20. Come Lord Jesus The Saints looke for a better life 2 Cor. 15. 10. a howse not made with hands Their desire is to be dissolved and to be with Christ and when their bodies are in the grave their souls are in heaven They wait for a glorious resurrection and at the day of judgement it will be known who are Saints who are not Many that the world accounts hypocrites will prove reall Saints then Many that the world accounâ—eâ—h Saints will then appear to be painted hypocrites Those whom the world hath falsly condemned shal then be acquitted and those whom the world hath unjustly acquitted shal then be condemned That Tribunal is impartial and just no false judgement can be given there no unjust sentence no wrong Verdict shall be given by that Judge wherefore the Saints long for that day they earnestly desire the appearance of Jesus Christ And these breathings and longings are not invain for the elects sake Christ hath promised to shorten these dayes of sin and misery The 6 and last argument shall be drawn from Gods glory To Arg. 6. Drawn from Gods glory this purpose was man created to glorify his maker unto all eternity Now God will be glorified either in our salvation or damnation God hath ordained mankind to an eternal condition either of happyness or misery Now God will glorify himself in the fight of men and Angels in an eminent manner at the day of judgement when Christ shall passe a sentence of eternal absolution and say Come ye blessed of my Father c. Then will be glorified the mercy of God when he shall say go yee cursed then will be glorified Gods justice Thus you have heard the Doctrinal part of the Text proved by Scripture and reason It now remains that I should improve all unto our consciences by some useful Application A 3 fold Use I shall now make of this Doctrine for reproof Instruction and consolation 1 Use For Reproof 1. For Reproof This brings heavy tidings to all ungodly persons who live as if there were neither death nor judgement heaven nor hell Because this great day is not yet come they put it far from them How soon a particular judgement may befal them as it did Korah Dathan and Abiram Sennacherib Herod and others none can tell And how soon the general judgement may come is a secret locked up in Gods Cabinet As for Prognosticators and Wizards who determine the time when we are not to put the least confidence in such presumptuous persons who are no better then the Devils Chaplains But here 's the great wickedness that people consider not how soon they may be surprized They have not this day in their thoughts drunkards swearers adulterers oppressours voluptuous persons they run on in their mad careere and think not of this day Flagitious profligate sinners adde iniquity unto iniquity and treasure unto themselves wrath against the day of wrath and the declaration of the righteous judgement of God against them What shall we say of hereticks and blasphemers who like that horne which was Antiochus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Dan. 8. 12. which cast the truth to the ground Desperate hereticks are broke loose Socinians Familists Enthusiasts swarm like those flyes of Egypt and make the whole land to stinke But there will be a day of visitation a day of recompence all their varnishes pretexts and dissimulations willâ—ly open to the sight of men and Angels Manes Arrius and others met with dreadful particular judgements in this life However at the general judgement Macedonians that deny the Diviny of the Holy Ghost Arrians that deny the Divinity of Christ Circumcellians whose apes the Quakers are now adays and tread their steps all these shall appear before that judgement seat which they now dread not that God whom they now vilify shall judge them What shall we say of loose Libertines Jovialists Epicures dissolute livers who are mighty to powre in strong drink game and carouse away many pretious hours what shall we say of hypocrites who dawb juggle dissemble whose words are smoother then butter but within are sharp swords What shall we say of Apostates that desert their profession and relinquish their Principles and fly from Christs colours and fight under the banners of Arrius Macedonius Donatus or some of the same bran What shall we say of abominable livers Antinomians Athists and who overthrow Laws Rule Government and live as they list who run into all sorts of lasciviousness and follow sin with greediness Let me tell all such that they are already dead dead to God and goodness they are dead in sins and follow Satan their chief commander they dance after his pipe go when he bids go come when he bids come But a day of judgement will come then thou wilt be called to account for those cups which thou hast been mighty to poure down thy own throat and for those which thou hast forced on thy brother Then thou wilt be called to an account for thy secret whoredomes and abominations committed in the darke Then thou wilt be called to an account for those Sermons which thou hast scoffed at and gave no heed unto for those Sabboths which thou hast profaned and for all thy mispent time for all those precious seasons which thou hast squandred away All the creatures will bring in their Indictments against thee Imprimis For gluttony and drunkennesse thou hast eaten not for health but gluttony drunken not for strength but drunkenness The cloaths thou wearest will come against thee Thou spendest more for superfluities then would cloath many poor servants of Jesus Christ Thou followest thy fansy the Garbe and fashion of the time these thou art curious to observe and thou harkenest after all the new fashions but in the mean time considerest not how many of Gods children want cloaths for their nakedness All thy books in thy study shall come and witness against thee such great helps thou hadst such prices were put into thy hands but they were prices put into the hands of a fool for want of a heart to improve them All thy parts and gifts shall witness against thee thou hast hidden all thy talents in a napkin thou hast let thy gifts lye rusty for want of using All the Sermons Sabboths exhortations admonitions waytings treaties and striveings of the Holy Spirit will come and preferre a black bill of Indictment against thee who notwithstanding these pretious means yet didst not regard thy
fruition thereof There 's great reason to perswade us to labour and secure our everlasting estate if we consider 1. When once wee are in eternity consider what we are freed from There are severall privative Immunities which glorified Reas 1 Saints are partakers of and Militant Saints have onely in their eye heart desires and expectation of that happy welcome day These things are in the desire hope and earnest longing of Militant Saints but gloryfied Saints have their desires accomplished and the fruition of that which on earth they hoped for And what are these privative immunities 1. Freedome from sinne Nothing that defileth is in heaven â— We are fâ—eed from sinne there is no conflict between the flesh and spirit no struggling against lust no combating with the flesh It 's the greatest desire of Gods children that they may sinne no more In this world the best of Gods children are subject to many infirmities they carry about with them a body of sinne But then there shall be no infirmities no corruptions no lusts to conflict withall as appears more fully from Isai 44. 22. Jer. 50. 20. All which Prophesies have reference unto the Triumphant Church Jerusalem which is above the Mother of us all 2. We shall in eternity be freed from all tentations to sin from 2. We are freed from all tentations the Flesh the Devil and the World 1. There we shall not be troubled with corrupt flesh to lust against the spirit There we shall not be troubled with the deeds of the flesh Envy Hatred Malice Heresies Variances c. Here we are in part carnal there we shall be wholly spiritual 2. There we shall not be troubled with the Devils temptations his methods snares depths shall doe us no harm In this world he is a Lyon let loose running about seeking whom he may devoure there he is a Lyon chained shut up he may like as dogs bark at the Moon rayle against the Saints but he can doe them no harme This Accuser of the Brethren is shut up In this world the Devil is busie to winnow the Saints as Wheat but in the world to come the Saints are like Wheat layd up in the Garner out of his reach and meddling withall as we may read Rev. 20. 10. 3. The Saints shall be freed from all the worlds temptations what 's in the world is reckoned up 1 Joh. 2. 16. viz. the lust of the flesh the lust of the eyes and the pride of life But in that day the world shall be burnt up and be dissolved There shall not remaine a wicked world to seduce the Saints The Devil cries come to me but he will deceive thee The flesh cries come to me but it will assuredly faile thy expectation The world cries come to me but it will destroy thee But in the world to come there will be neither a devil to deceive nor a flesh to faile nor a world to flay And lastly we are freed in heaven from all punishments of sin 3. Wee are freed from punishments all sorrows calamities afflictions of all sorts and sizes Rev. 21. 4. Heaven is a place of rest There the weary goe to rest Heaven is a place of security no enemy can pursue thee there no persecutor can reach thee there no slanderous tongue can there do thee harm there thou shalt be hid from the scourge of tongues there shall be neither thirst nor hunger no sorrow nor mourning All teares are then wiped away sorrow and mourning shall flee away In heaven thou shalt not bee troubled with an aking head nor with a sad heart None shall complaine there of fainting fits nor of stone chollick gout strangury tooth-ake or such like pains full of dolour and anguish Nay more than this after once thou art in heaven thou shalt no more tast of death a temporal death thou sufferedst before that was the wages of sinne but a second death thou shalt escape as we may read Rev. 20. 14. When once thou gettest into heaven thou art out of gun-shot out of all dangers out of the rage and malice of wicked men the Whip the Rack the Block the Gibbet all the threats of ungodly men can do thee no harm Thou hast a life secured from the malice of men and devils it 's a hidden life 't is in the safest custody Col. 3. 3. Your life is hid with Christ in God These are privative immunities But in the second place another Reason to perswade us to the Reas 2. Drawn from Positive Benefits search study and inquisition after eternal things shall be drawn from those positive singular benefits which the Saints shall reap in eternity Particularly 1. They shall enjoy the blessed presence of the holy Trinity the vision and fruition of God This is a transforming sight They are like unto God so far as a creature can be capable of assimilation unto a deity Though Saints are not deified become Gods yet they are in an eminent manner partakers of the divine nature They shall see in heaven God the first being of all and their gracious Father reconciled to them in Jesus Christ They shall see Christ God and man in one person their Redeemer and Intercessor and they shall see the holy Ghost their comforter Neither shall they as strangers and travellers see other mens Lands or as men by maps see farre Countries wherein they have no interest But they shall see the blessed Trinity as haveing themselves a special interest therein God as their God Christ as their Redeemer the Holy Ghost as their Comforter Tolle meum saith a Father tolle Deum In My God and my Lord there liâ—th the great consolation 2. Glorified Saints enjoy the society of Saints and Angels the 2. Glorified Saints enjoy the society of Saints spirits of just men made perfect There they shall see Abraham the father of the faithful David a man after Gods own heart Moses and Job Mirrours of meekness and patience Paul the great Dr. of the Gentiles There the godly Pastor and godly People the godly Husband and godly Wife the godly Father and godly Children shall meet together O what pretious company is there None but holy persons are admitted into the new Jerusalem Whether the Saints shall know one another in heaven who have been so well acquainted on earth is a question much controverted But there are two Scriptures that make much for the affirmative viz. Mat. 17. 4. At Christs transfiguration which was a type and glimpse of heaven Peter knew Moses and Elias who were dead many hundred years before Another is 1 Thes 2. 19 20. For what is our hope or joy or crown of rejoicing Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming For ye are our glory and joy 3. The glorified Saints shall be busied in a rare transcendent 3. Glorified Saints shall be busied in a high emâ—loyment imployment In heaven they shall be for ever praysing of
portion for eternall life is their inheritance Joh. 10. 28. Secondly Faith is a hand to lay hold on Christ But not a working hand as that hand of a labourer that earnes his living upon his desert and for his work receives his wages But faith is a receiving hand of a poore man that layes hold on a pearle and receives all of mercy and favour from God Hence faith is exprest by receiving Joh. 1. 12. Thirdly Faith gives insight into heaven and communion with God Heb. 11. 27. Fourthly From Justification by faith flowes all our comforts and priviledges Rom. 5. 1. 2. But if the Consideration of the benefit of Faith take no Motive 2. From the mischiefe of unbeliefe place on the contrary take notice of the mischiefe of Insidelity You heard before the reasons of the Doctrine after another sort how Infidelity bound Gods hands refused the remedy I will adde other great mischiefes which spring from the fountaine of unbeliefe viz. these following 1. Unbeliefe makes all our prayers unavailable To pray and not in faith is sinne for whatever is not of faith is sinne 2. Unbeliefe causeth diffidence of and staggering at promises Rom. 4. 20. 3. It hinders and deprives men of Communion with believers 2 Cor. 6. 15. 4. Every thing is uncleane and desiled to unbelivers Tit. 1. 15. Their spirituall uncleannesse makes every thing uncleane unto them The distinction of cleane and uncleane meates is disanulled by the Gospell the use of them is pure to them who are cleansed by Christs blood and sanctified by his spirit but of unbelievers it is said Their mind and Conscience is defiled 5. Unbelievers are given up to damnable delusions 2 Thes 2. 10 11 12. That they all might be damned who believed not the truth The fourth Use is for Examination and Triall of Faith and Vse 4. For Examination Infidelity Every one is ready to say he believes but the number of believers is very small But where there is true faith it hath these singular Qualifications to inlighten the understanding to purify the heart to sanctify the life and Conversation to trust God with all to live by faith for that is the life of a Christian To inlarge a little these Qualifications First True faith inlightens the understanding Paul when of Qualific 1. True faith inlightens the understanding an unbeliever he became a believer it 's said And immediatly there fell from his eyes as it had been scales Act. 9. 18. Where God worketh faith he illuminates the understanding Act. 26. 18. Joh. 2. 20. Secondly faith purifieth the heart it 's a purifying grace Act. Qualific 2. Faith purifieth the heart 15. 9. The heart is purged and cleansed from malice this God calleth for Jam. 4. 8. Jer. 4. 14. Thirdly Faith reformes the life hence faith is called a holy faith Jude 20. An unfained faith the Faith of Gods elect a Pretious Qualific 3. Reformes the life Faith For a true believer is a man of another Conversation As it was said of Caleb Num. 14. 24. He had another spirit with in him So true believers are of another spirit i. e. of a gracious spirit farre different from what they were in the State of unregeneracy and farre different from the men of the world Qualific 4. Faith trusts God with all Qualific 5. the juâ—t lives by faith Fourthly Faith trusts God with all David calls God his Rock Fortresse Bulwark c. Psal 18. 2. Psal 27. 1. A Believers heart is fixed and setled in unsetled times Psal 112. 7. Fiftly Faith is that whereby the just lives Hab. 2. 4. Gal. 2. 20. A believer in a storme gets himselfe upon a Rock he hides himselfe in the clefts of a Rock Christ is the Rock of Ages A believer climbes up thither and there rests In dangers he goeth to God hee 's his Refuge strong Tower and Bulwark of defence In doubts God is his Counsellour in distresse God is his comforter Now le ts inquire after some signes and symptomes of an unbeliever The first which is to be reckoned in the fore front is partiall Signe 1. Partiall obedience obedience an unbeliever whatever he pretends is but obedient to halves so was Saul in sparing Agag c. So was Ananias and Saphira in keeping back part of the price Agrippa would be a Christian 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Act. 26. 28. We have many such al-most Christians halfe baked cakes like Ephraim a cake not turn'd Hos 7. 18. The second signe of Unbeliefe is murmuring and impatience Signe 2. Murmuring The Lord complaines often of the murmuring of the Children of Israell Psal 106. 25. vers 29. And this is forbidden 1 Cor. 10. 10. See their impatience Num. 14. 44 45. Murmuring and impatience go togeather when God answers not at our time we begin to murmur and wax exceeding impatient so did they Psal 78. 19. Can God furnish a Table in the wildernesse Thirdly Unbeliefe appeares evidently by that refuge which Signe 3. Broken Refuge men betake themselves unto in streights and difficulties Saul went to a witch Judas and Achitophel to a halter Ahaziah sent to Baalzebub the god of Ekron The Foole in the Gospell comforts himselfe with his riches voluptuous men betake themselves to their pleasures Ambitious men to their titles of honour but all these are broken and deceitfull refuges and wiâ—l faile in the greatest difficulties like cloath that shrinks in the wetting The fifth Use is for Direction And this I shall branch into a Vse 5. For Direction few Duties First be sure to act faith upon the promises have a word for Dir. 1. Act Faith upon promises your warrant I trust in this word saith David I hoped in this word Study promises and apply them live upon them we read Joh. 3. 36. He that believeth hath eternall life But I am a believer c. make good this Assumption and thou maist conclude that thou shalt be saved Secondly Content not your selves with those attainments and Dir. 2. Content not thy selfe with former attainments measures of faith you have already got but pray with the Apostles Lord increase our faith we read of some thing lacking in the faith of the Thessalonians 1 Thes 3. 10. Labour to get thy faith strengthned and thy heart established upon God It s no easy matter to believe when the Son of man comes shall he find faith in the earth Dir. 3. Be Conscientious in the use of Ordinances Dir. 4. Often search thy heart Vse 6. For Consolation Thirdly Be diligent and conscientious in the Use of Ordinances as hearing Gods Word Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God Rom. 10. 17. And adde praying and receiving the Sacraments Fourthly Often search thy heart for feare least a Temporary Faith lurke there Much unbeliefe lurketh in thy heart therefore watch and pray against it labour to get it rooted out The last Use is for Consolation unto Gods
excuses which their carnall hearts plead and reason against God Christ offered to gather them they will not Christs offers to be their King they will not be his subjects they will not have him to reigne over them unbeliefe and disobedience are mens owne faults questionlesse In the next place concerning Misbelievers there are many objections made by Jewes and Mahumetans they would be accounted Believers because they believe one God Creator and Governour but these reject Jesus Christ they believe not in him The Mahumetans preferre Mahomet before Christ The Jewes believe him not to be come now questionlesse there is no true faith but that which hath Christ for its object as we read Joh. 17. 3. The Papists go further they believe in God the Father and they professe they believe in Christ but they joyne their owne workes with Christs Merits for they joyne with Christ Mediation the Mediation of Saints and Angells and so they in a high degree derogate from Christs intercession For he is an Al-sufficient Saviour and the only Mediator Heb. 7. 25. 1 Tim. 2. 5. But whatever Jewes Turkes and Papists may object they will one day find all their devised worships and misbeliefe to be abominable in the sight of God Likewise there are multitudes of loose Protestants and formall professors they aske what need all this adoe what need so much faith We perswade our selves to be in a good condition already because we believe the Scriptures thus many perswade themselves to be in a good condition and think their condtion to be happy and yet follow those very waies that lead down unto the Chambers of death If all those that have a good perswasion of themselves had been true believers then the foolish virgins Matt. 25. 10. had not been excluded Many say Lord Lord and Christ will say he knowes them not Many will glory and say that they have heard Christ preach in their streets that they have been in his presence when he was upon earth and yet Christ will not owne them Farther yet multitudes rest contented with a temporary faith an Historicall and Dogmaticall faith and yet all this while they arrive not beyond the faith of Devills and Reprobates In the last place there are weak believers and these make many objections and because their Consciences are tender they ought to be dealt more tenderly with all First They object that they have no faith at all because it is Obj. 1 very weake and little We must know 1. That faith admits degrees There are some Ans weaker and some stronger believers the strongest believer must labour for more faith and though he have a stronger faith he may not conclude that he hath too much and he that hath a weake faith may not conclude that he hath none at all There is faith as little as a graine of mustard seed and yet it is accepted Mat. 12. 20. A bruised reed shall he not breake and smoaking flax shall he not quench till he send forth judgment unto victory There are Christians of the highest of the middle and of the lowest forme The man in the Gospell had faith and doubting togeather Mark 9. 24. Lord I believe help thou mine unbeliefe The disciples had a little faith and yet this was true and accepted 2. A weake faith if true is like precious 2 Pet. 1. 1. Simon Peter a Servant and an Apostle of Jesus Christ to them that have obtained like precious faith with us grace and peace be multiplyed unto you 3. It hath the like pretious object Jesus Cdrist and he hath lambes as well as sheep in his fold Isai 40. 11. He shall feed his flock like a Shepherd he shall gather his lambs with his arme and carry them in his bosome and shall gently leade those that are with young 4. Weak believers have Interest â—in the like precious promises Joh. 6. 37. Him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out And Joh. 6. 35. He that cometh to me shall never hunger c. Obj. 2 2. Weake believers object that they have no faith because they want feeling But we must know that faith may be where feeling may be Ans wanting so the Apostle declares Eph. 1. 13. In whom ye also trusted after that yee heard the word the Gospell of your Salvation in whom also after ye believed ye were sealed with that holy spirit of promise Who knowes how the bones of a child grow in the wombe shall we conclude that they grow not because they are not discerned But for avoiding mistakes it will be needfull to interpret a few Cautions 1. We must not measure faith by our sense and apprehension Caut. 1. We may not measure faith by sense Psal 88. 14. David complaines of God's hiding his face and so he doth frequently complaine else where and yet a believer Lord why castest thou off my Soul why hidest thou thy face from me And Gods hiding his face was a trouble unto him Psal 30. 7. Thou didst hide thy face and I was troubled Caut. 2. A weake Christian may not content himselfe with a weak faith 2. A weake Christian may not content himselfe with a weake faith but he must labour for a strong faith There are many things lacking in their faith 1 Thes 3. 10. Night and day praying exceedingly that we might see your face and might perfect that which is lacking in your faith 3. A weake believer must not neglect the Application of the Caut. 3. A weake Believer may not neglect the Application of Promises promises but search them and bring them home unto their own soules Thou hast a weake faith but the word is a strengthening and establishing word Wait believingly on God and thou shalt have renewed strength so runs the Tenor of that choice word of Promise Isai 40. 29 30 31. He giveth power unto the saint and to them that have no might he increaseth strength Even the youths shall faint and be weary and the young men shall utterly faile but they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength they shall mount up with wings as Eagles they shall run and not be weary and they shall walke and not faint 4. Neglect not observation of experiences of former dealings Caut. 4. Neglect not experiences of God towards thee how he hath delivered thee out of six and seven troubles He hath counselled and comforted thee and he is as wise and able as ever to help and relieve his people Lastly Some object against themselves and conclude their faith Obj. 2 to be none because they come so short of others For Answer hereunto and to conclude This is not a safe way Ans to argue I have not the saith of Abraham therefore I have no faith at all Should Zacheus because he was not so high as Saul conclude that he was no man at all Look chiefly to the Quality that this faith may be of a right kind a genuine faith such as purifieth the
the heart of a man glad and oyle makes him have a chearfull countenance and the field is so pretious as Solomon tells us Eccles 5. 9. The King himselfe is served by the field Moreover flocks in the fold and herds in the stalls are of continuall use and service unto man weigh them together and they will proove too light they will frustrate thy hope and renew thy feares and griefes Let me instruct thee in this truth that Gods owne people may be brought unto such great streights and miseries as all creature comforts may faile them Now it 's the time of their triall for the time of miserie tries the truth and sincerity of their faith when they are almost ready to sinke and to be overwhelmed with sorrowes then most opportunely the Lord reacheth out a Cable to draw them out In the most tempestuous weather hope remaines the Anchor of their soules be their hearts never so much over-clowded with sorrow they are revived by the joy of Gods reconciled countenance It 's God alone who is the supporter of the sinking soule they feele sweetnesse in God surpassing the sweetnesse of the fig-tree they feele refreshings in him incomparably more delightfull then those which the Vine and Olive affords and they feed on food which the world knowes not of even the bread of life which yeilds more nutritive and reall sustenance then all the flocks and herds in the universe The Lord is the Godly mans food comfort rejoycing his only joy God is all in all nay better then all unto him Hee 's a Portion Treasure Rock what not to his Children Whereupon out of the strength of faith he breakes forth with my Prophet into this heroicall resolution yet I will rejoyce c. My Text is the Triumph of a Christian or the sanctuary of an Divis afflicted soule in the very 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or highest pitch of afflictions The first word in my Text is a redditive particle tamen yet this resembles a prop and a supporter to a house which holds it up against blustering winds and stormess Secondly Here 's the person I i. e. the Prophet Habakkuk Thirdly His resolution expressing strength of affection I will rejoyce I will joy the Septuagint renders them by two words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The joy is more then ordinary for here 's an exaltation he leapes for joy and takes much delight and comfort in it Fourthly The object which is described by his names topfull of power comfort and mercy a Lord a God and a God of salvation Each Title is a severall forcible argument to excite and elevate the affection Fifthly and lastly here 's the Propriety hee 's mine The pronoune possessive mine appropriates the divine goodnesse unto a mans selfe in particular and this makes Application of this most comfortable doctrine The version of the septuagint is most Emphaticall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Each name hath an Article prefixt to make the Emphasis greater The summe and scope of all comes to this effect the prophet was very sensible of the â—violls of Gods wrath powred down upon the Nations the whole world was in a combustion one misery fell upon the neck of another as one billow in a tempestuous sea followed another how could he think himselfe secure why might not instruments of death be prepared against him and he have his share in these common calamities but this prudent man hath a remedy to apply to these sores amidst these stormes he can find a hiding place for shelter though sorrowes come thick and threefold yet heel 'e have recourse unto his God and fetch down joy and consolation from him in abundance From hence observe this experimentall truth of Doctrine which shall constitute the subject of my ensuing meditations That when all creature comforts faile us and render our outward Doct. condition disconsolate then there appeares sure mercies and comforts superabundant matter of Consolation of joy and rejoycing in the Lord our God Or take the point more briefly thus Amidst all sorrowes losses and crosses joyes supplies and comforts are to be found in the Lord our God Yet saith my Prophet I will rejoyce in the Lord. The verse immediatly following set's out the exuberance of joy pressed by strength of Argument The Lord God is my strength Look for no strength else-where in him it 's most eminent Admit thou art exceeding weake yet God is strong and his strength will be manifested in thy weaknesse The consideration of the divine supportation that it is sufficient for thee should animate thee to trust thy God with all thy comforts he goes on and he will make thy feet like hinds feet and he will make me to walke upon mine high places i. e. he will give me strength and agility to break through all oppositions and therefore the last breath he puts out is Eucharisticall To the chiefe singer on my stringed instruments You see it cleare in my Text the Prophet David professed out of universall experience that Gods rod and his staffe did comfort him and in the multitude of his sorrowes Gods comforts refresht his soule He had fainted but for the goodnesse of the Lord. This holy man was a man of sorrowes and yet a man of comforts the wrath of Saul was inkindled against him and The wrath of a King saith Salomon is like the roaring of a Lion He pursued him like a Partridge on the mountaines and when he was at the brinke of danger then appeares a method of deliverances when he was hemm'd in and compassed round about then the divine providence contrived a way to escape then there came a messenger unto Saul saying Hast thee and come for the Philistines have invaded the land wherefore Saul returned from pursuing after David and went against the Phylistines In this streight an unexpected providence procures his preservation Indeed if we had leisure to inquire into the passages of the divine disposing hand concerning this one man we should conclude them to be as so many continued Acts of the Finger of God When Ziglag was burnt and the people wept till they could weepe no more even then in that lamentable condition David encouraged himselfe 1 Sam. 30. 6. in the Lord his God His God refresht his drooping spirit he was more pretious more sweet unto his soule then a goodly habitation the wife of his bosome a numerous posterity The least glimpse of comfort from the blessed Trinity makes amends for all Not to passe by poore Hagar when her bottle was spent and she cast under a shrub her child expecting ever and anon his death and in the bitternesse of her soule she lift up her voyce and wept then God opened her eyes and she saw a wâ—ll of water and over and above God promiseth to make him a great nation Gen. 21. 18 19. Here 's sorrow turn'd into joy and God himselfe becomes the comforter The three children had the presence of God for their preservation in the flames Daniel