his blood cryed Justice Christ dyed in these later dayes and his blood cryed mercy Now by all this you may conclude what kinde of spirit the spirit of the Gospell is which he expected here his Disciples should rather have discovered in themselves and which all that live under the Gospell are bound to manifest in all their wayes it is a spirit of peace and love a spirit of meekenesse and sweetnesse of patience and forbearance it is such a spirit as Christ himselfe had which was in no sort furious or revengefull mischievous or harmefull yea such a spirit as now a dayes discovers it selfe in God our Father It is a spirit that will not suffer it selfe to be outgone by any in wayes of love or goodnesse it is a noble and a free spirit no way niggardly or unthankfull no way churlish or unkind it delights in well-doing it speakes onely glad â—ydings it cannot abide to sad or grieve the hearts of any it joyes not in wounding mens wounds or in raking in their forrowes it rather weepeth to behold them it is a healing spirit it bindes up the broken-hearted and truely compaâ—â—ionates all mens miseries and afflictions it never brake the bruised reed nor quenched the smoaking flaxe it never did discourage any in the wayes of goodnesse by word or action of unkindnesse It is an affable and a courteous spirit no way scornefull or supercilious Stand further off I am holyer than thou is not its language it was the spirit of the Phaâ—â—sees that tooke offence at Christs eating and drinking with Publicans and sinners It is a faithfull spirit that will not allow of any man in a sinfull way for any relation sake or similitude of opinion and yet a wise and sweete carriaged spirit that indevours to draw all opposites to God and to it selfe by faire meanes it affects to deale with the chaines of Love iâ— cannot abide to use the caâ—â—-ropes of feare it likes not of Satans way to hold men in a slavish awe to skare them by threatnings it is not a driving spirit but a leading spirit Let thy loving Spirit lead me in the way everlasting sayes the holy man it knoweth how to beseech and perswade it cannot tell how to terrifie or compell It is a spirit of a good language it is no railing or slandering spirit no lying nor defaming spirit it hateth to invent blame and to cast iniquâ—ty upon men that are not of the same opinion that so others might dislike them it loves not to make the worst of things but the best rather it is a charitable spirit and Charity thinkes no evill rejoyceth not in iniquity inlargeth not evill reports but suppresseth them rather it is kind-hearted and kind-spoken it beleeves hopes and speakes the best of others and is suspicious onely of it selfe It is a meeke and a milde spirit rather quietly passive then vexatiously active in dealing with opponents it is an humble and a selfe-denying spirit rather suffering ten thousand wrongs then willingly offering one it is a mercifull and a pardoning spirit no wayes inclining to blood or cruelty or to take revenge it is a prous and plaine dealing spirit it workes not by policy craft or guile in a word it is a dutifull and an obedient spirit it was never yet weary of the yoke of loyalty it quakes with abhorment to see durt cast upon Gods image it loathes the conditions both of Shimei Sheba and Achitophell King James relates in the Preface to his Remonstrace against the Cardinall of Perron that France was once reduced to such miserable termes that it was counted and become a crime for a Frenchman to stand for his King or perhaps to speake for him it was a signe that the Spirit of the Gospell swayed not there then but the spirit of Popery for it is Antichrists spirit and not Christs that ruleth in the children of disobedience the true Spirit of Christ and of the Gospell hath never yet beene wont to tread in the deadly paths of rebellion it never yet knew how to forsake infâ—nge or break in the least degree the sacred bond of Allegeance this is that sweet and blessed spirit of the Gospel And indeed Christ by the Gospel doth offer this very spirit to all that live under the Gospel if they be aware of it yea and he doth really dispense it to those that be his true servants Even this peaceable meeke and mercifull spirit this loving sweet and affable spirit this noble harmelesse and helpefull spirit this humble selfe-denying and pitifull spirit this faithfull patient and well-spoken spirit this loyall obedient and dutifull spirit this spirit which was and is his owne Spirit for he had it above measure and every one of his members have it according to their measure it was the same oyle that was powred upon Aarons head which ran downe to the skirts of his cloathing And the truth is if Christ should not bestow this spirit upon his People they would not be capable of that salvation which he came to procure for them This very spirit and none else doth fit them for that happinesse for you must remember that we had lost both salvation and a fitnesse to re-enjoy it Christ by his life and death hath recovered our salvation by his Gospell and the spirit thereof he workes this fitnesse and by no other meanes can it be effected the Law which was before Christ came was never able to doe it the spirit of that was a provoking spirit it presented wrath to the soule and so made the sinne therein more outragious more exceeding sinfull as the Apostle speakes Rom. 7. 13. not by ingenerating rage therein but by awaking the fury thereof the Law is as oyle to the flame in respect of sinne it makes it more violent and therefore in this sense it is said to be the strength ofsinne and the life of it without which sinne is dead sayes the Apostle viz. as dead in a naturall man it lyes like a dead thing and is neither felt in the Conscience nor so sensibly furious till it be stirred by the Law But now the Gospell hath an effect cleane contrary for its spirit is contrary that presents not wrath buâ— mercy and pardon to the sinfull soule it offers Christ unto it sweet Christ loving Christ patient Christ dying Christ soule-saving and soule-quickning Christ and by a certaine energeticall influence that it hath it doth calme the rage of sinne and extinguish the heate ofit it is as blood to the fire and quenches the flame it takes away the strength of sinne and quite kills it by degrees it so tames the soule of the sinner that he is cleane of another temper he hath a new frame put upon him and a new spirit put into him see the confirmation of this in Esay 11. from the sixt verse to the tenth the Prophet having spoken of the spirit of Christ and of the Gospell in the beginning of the Chapter comes there to shew
say when with griefe and sorrow we thinke of these miscarriages we cannot but be comforted to remember withall that Christs spirit is cleane contrary to the spirits of angry and revengefull men as hath appeared by the end of his comming and this passage with his Disciples It was a great comfort to the Syrian King and his Nobles when they were in the King of Israels danger to remember that the Kings of Israel were mercifull Kings so may it be to us being in Christs danger to consider that he is a Prince of a mercifull spirit onely let us be carefull not to abuse his goodnesse in after times and doubt not but we shall taste of the sweetnesse of his spirit not withstanding what is past 2. For instruction and information that we doe not henceforth molest and grieve the spirit of Christ with such unsutable motions as the Disciples here did and as we sometimes use to doe you know it is the condition of many a man if he be but crossed in his way and vext by an enemy especially unjustly presently he is ready to desire that ruine and destruction might fall upon him and perhaps by prayer or imprecations is bold to request Christs aide in the businesse nay such is the weaknesse of some that if any man or creature dogge or horse or hawke offends them they will curse the same and call upon the name of God and Christ to send some judgement from Heaven upon it to joyne with them in doing a mischiefe well I say we should never doe thus never should we make any revengefull motions to Christ to grieve his sweet spirit did we well know Christs spirit and the end of his comming therefore I say note well the nature and temper of Christs spirit 2. By being well acquainted with the end of Christs comming and with the nature of his spirit we shall come to know our owne spirits and whether the motions that come from them be good or no the Disciples here were ignorant of the evill of that motion that came from themselves because they considered not the end of Christs comming It is a matter of great concernment for a man to know himselfe Nosce teâ—psum is a necessary lesson and a mans spirit is the best part of himselfe as is the spirit such is the man and we know the spirit to bee right and straight if it concords with the rule Christs spirit must be the rule to ours and to what end Christs spirit tended to the same must ours the aimes and indeavours of our spirits must bee to save and to helpe men no man doth sufficiently know Christs spirit and the end of his comming but he that hath a spirit tending the same way for this knowledge is influentiall into the soule or subject and makes it sutable to the object or thing known so that when such a one is moved or tempted unto any thing he bethinkes himselfe Is it sutable to the end of Christs comming doth it tend to the welfare of others would Jesus Christs spirit allow of it would he if he were here and in my case doe it and even as he thinkes Christ would doe in such a case so doth he doe and no otherwise but more of this in the next point 3. We shall know the spirits of others by being acquainted with the end of Christs comming and the nature of his spirit which naturally we desire to doe more then to know our owne nor indeed is it unlawfull to desire and indeavour to discerne them we are bidden to try the spirits whether they be of God oâ— no 1 John 4. 1. and no safer or quicker way to this then by knowing the end of Christs comming and then by considering whether mens spirits tend the same way if they doe we may conclude of them to be good and of God if otherwise not Christs spirit is diffused into all his true members and they all reckon themselves to be sent into the world for the same end as Christ was as Christ came not to hurt or mischiese any but to doe good to all so they and they have received vertue and power to that very end and purpose from Christ as the Apostle ingenuously confesseth 2 Cor. 13. 10. The Lord saies he hath given us power to edification and not to destruction and therfore in another place I became all things to all men that I might winne some in a word the spirit of the Gospel is in all the children of the Gospel and they account it their duty to doe nothing but what is sutable to the spirit of the Gospel which also is a matter that concernes all that live under the Gospel and that is our last point 5. It is the duty of them that live in the times of the Gospel to minde speake and doe onely that which sutes with the spirit of the Gospel This also is manifest from the text by our Saviours dislike and confutation of his Disciples motion because it did not savour of a Gospel-like spirit what doe you tell me saies he of Elias his spirit now the Sonne of man is come Now to informe you somewhat of the nature of the times of the Gospel and of the spirit thereof I must tell you that there is a great difference betweene the former times and these not in respect of time it selfe for that is alwayes the same but in respect of a new spirit which Christ by his comming brought with him we have a phrase of speech the Genius of the times or the spirit of the times some times are turbulent and then we say a turbulent spirit is in the times some times are more placable and then we say a more peaceable spirit ruleth in some times the vulgar sort of men generally are more bold and impudent with their betters and superiours then is decent and comely and then some will say the Genius of the times is a sawcy fellow sometime the world travels with perversnesse sometime with envie and hatred sometime with one domineering sinne and sometime with another and men in their language will attribute it to the spirit of the times But indeed such as the spirits and conditions of men are such are the times for men denominate times to be good or bad plenty of good men make good times and abundance of wicked men doe make the times abundantly wicked But concerning the difference between the former times and these The times before Christ were times of ignorance and darknesse men were bad and did not know it but when Christ came he brought with him a spirit of light and knowledge to discover sinne and to convince the world thereof and so the times were changed to be times of light and knowledge and Christ himselfe in this respect was called A light to lighten the Gentiles and those that sate in darknesse Againe before Christ came the times were times of terrour of the Law which was called fiery the ministration
preached his head off he preached so long against the sins of the great ones til his head was sent in for a second course And our Saviour himself preached so long and so plainely against their sinnes till they stoned him out of the Pulpit John 8. yea hee spake so home into the bosomes of the Scribes and Pharisees that were as you are the teachers of others that the text saies in another place they perceived that he meaned them And he that is truly Christs must follow him Yee have me for an example saies he yea and God promiseth us Jer. 1. Hee will make us as iron pillars and wals of brasse that though men oppose they shall not prevaile against us Nay there is no better way to get respect and esteeme to our persons then faithfulnesse and unpartialnesse in this kinde He that rebuketh a man shall find more favour in the end then he that flattereth saies wise Solomon and the Apostle chargeth Titus to looke to it that no man despise him prescribes him this course amongst the rest to rebuke with all authority Nay the Lord saies to the soothing Priests Mal. 2. 9. I have made you despised and vile before all the people because you have not kept my wayes but have beene partiall in the Law and looke about you what Preachers are most affected and followed what doe people goe out of their Parishes for to see Reeds shaken with the wind to heare those that are timerous and fearfull No but such as like John the Baptist come in the spirit of Elias as resolute as he was when he came to Ahab in the second person It is thou and thy Fathers house that troubleth Israel so John to Herod It is not lawful for thee to have thy brothers wife Therefore Brethren as the Apostle adviseth let us be carefull to quit our selves like men like Captaines and not like cowards among the people over whom God hath set us for as concerning others that are beyond our reach Kings Magistrates Bishops Governours or the like to meddle with them or their sinnes unlesse we are called to speake before them for ought I know it is beyond our Commission But I say towards them that are under our charge let us prove our selves to be of the truth as Christ did by not regarding their persons in our preaching Master say they we know that thou art of the truth and teachest the way of God truly how did they know it why thou carest not for man say they neither considerest the person of men namely in thy teaching Let us beare in mind the fearfull are in as bad a case as the unbeleevers yea as Murderers Whoremongers Sorcerers and Idolaters for all shall have a part together in the Lake Revel 21. 8. In a word remember but that woe to them that sowe pillowes under mens elbowes Ezek. 13. 18. that woe of God is more unsupportable then the malice of all men And now in the fourth place you that seeke your selves in praise by a learned and unintelligible kind of preaching that by your Cookishnesse in your Sermons as by forced sawces doe take away the wholsome relish from the good word of God when you follow these courses you doe in a speciall manner lay open your selves not onely to be vaine-glorious but also very foolish if you thinke your gawish flourishes can adde any more excellency to the Majesty of Gods word then a painted face can adde commendation to an honest woman No Brethren the Word of God when it is most naked in it selfe is then most mighty in operation most keene and cutting and our Art doth but take away its edge and this the Apostle was well aware of when he came to the Corinthians not with the inticing speech of mans eloquence but with the plaine evidence of the spirit and of power the Word of God you know is said to be as a two-edged sword now if you would have your sword cut you must unscabberd it not put it into a sheath but make it naked and bare for then it will be most sharpe and piercing Brethren I confesse it is a hard thing for a man to deny himselfe in this our Religion for the most part lies more in the head then it doth in the heart and that is the reason that our preaching for the most part is more heady then hearty yea but if we would have it goe to the heart we must have it come from the heart if we sincerely covet to make our people good Christians we must not mind to shew our selves great Schollers for then God will not blesse our labours It was said of our Saviour that he preached not as himselfe was able to speake but as they were able to heare and therefore is it said in another place the common people heard him gladly So must we Brethren if we will be like Christ and seeke the good of our people descend to their capacities be plaine that we may be profitable and alwayes pray that we may have the evidence of the spirit that we may be powerfull for this will bring a man peace at the last this course shall be rewarded with a well done good and faithfull servant In a word remember what is said 2 Cor. 10. the last vers not he that commends himselfe is approved but he whom the Lord commendeth Well in the fifth place you that seeke your selves in popularity in affecting to be followed you Rurall Gods you Pans of the Countrey that Pope-like do covet to over-top all your Brethren what have you above others that you have not received why then doe you glory as if you received it not as if you by your own power and authority had made these oâ— these men whole had converted such or such Why should Great is Diana of the Ephesians sound so sweetly in your eares What will vox populi doe you good when you are raked up in the dust it may lift you up for the present and yet clap you under hatches in the end if you take commonly with the fish you are also taken nor doe you more rob your fellow Ministers of love then you doe your selves of liberty your humour of all others is a most dangerous humour and so much the more dangerous because so pleasing to nature it puffeth up it causeth you to despise your fellow-labourers and to be to them-ward too too full of domineering yea and it occasioneth neglect to them from others and much ill will from them unto your selves nay it oft-times takes away the authority from the Word of God for with the people that relisheth well from no mans mouth but such as yours to whom they are devoted what you say is their Scripture ipse dixit he holds it that 's enough and he must needs erre from the truth in their deeme that contradicts it Ah Brethren that
times as they are good or evil to the soule is beyond their skill to discerne of the vice of the times any farther then it makes to the hindring of their outward commodities or their corporall affaires is more than they are able this our Saviour noteth of them Luke 12. 54 55 56. they cannot discerne the times saies he that is the danger of them in respect of the soule but they rather sing peace peace to themselves being the servants of corruption till sudden destruction comes upon them 1 Thes. 5. 3. For indeed evill times are most sutable to the humours and tasts of evill men they relish them best sinne is sweet to the sinner and sinfull times are sweetest to sinfull men they thinke them the best times for they call evill good and good evill bitter sweet and sweet bitter Es. 5. 20. although there is a woe belonging unto them for their so doing nor are they indued with the spirit of discerning as the godly are for these things and times in this sense are spiritually discerned and to this purpose God bestowes his Spirit upon his owne 1 Cor. 12. 10. there is mention made of the gift of discerning which the Lord bestowes and then further they are taught of God John 6. 45. It is written in the Prophets and they shall be taught of God and James 1. 6. God gives them wisdome and prudence and Ephes. 1. 8. he abounds towards them in all wisdome and prudence so that their spirits can discerne perverse things Job 6. 30. their eares are open to heare and their hearts to beleeve what is threatned by Gods Prophets against sinne and if sinne goes before they know that without repentance judgement will follow Whereas other men that are not godly promise liberty and peace to themselves and others although they be the servants of corruption 2 Pet. 2. 19. and cannot abide to heare of judgements or that the times are evill when at any time they so be you may remember to this purpose the story of the old world when Noah no doubt did preach of the insuing evill time that would come upon them but they beleeved it not And the story of Sodome when Lot preached of the same point and to as little purpose you may remember also the times wherein Jeremy lived and into what troubles he came for his fore-telling and speaking of the dangerous times that were to come upon the people see Jer. 20. 1. and chap. 26. 8 9. and chap. 38. 4. Thus you see that some men though wise enough in other matters yet not to discerne ill times nor can they abide to heare of them they will not beleeve although they bee told but hate them that speake of them and indeed what was it they had to lay to Stephens charge when they put him to death why see Act. 6. 17. they pretended that he spake blasphemous words against the holy place and the Law and what blasphemy doe you thinke it was why I warrant you he said that for their sinnes God would bring judgements upon that place and take away the Law from them and give it to others according to our Saviours doctrine in the Parable of the husbandmen Matth. 21. 41 43. which at that time also was very ill taken by them whom it did concerne as yee may see vers 45. 46. of that chap. But now with the godly and wise it is not so they like Mary lay up what they see and heare to that purpose in their hearts and wisely provide and fit themselves against those evill and dangerous times some one way and some another as it pleaseth the spirit of wisdome for to guide them Jonadab the sonne of Rechab wisely weighing the sinnes of the times and the judgements threatned by the Prophets and beleeving them to be true that they should be carried away captive into a strange country where they were like to have but course fare small drinke and hard lodging therefore doth traine up his children accordingly before-hand and sets them downe rules to live by which they observed they must drinke no Wine dwell in no Cities but lodge in Tents c. that so they might be fitted for the hardship which they and their posterity in succeeding evill times were like to indure so we reade in the booke of Martyrs of two women that hearing of Boners cruelty in Queene Maries dayes how little food in the prison was allowed to the poore prifoners of Jesus Christ and expecting that ere long themselves should be in that place did before-hand against that evill time accustome themselves to eate and drinke but the value of three farthings a day whereby they did afterward indure his hard usage So we read Rev. 12. 14. the Church foreseeing the evill times did wisely apprehend the occasion having a way made for her safety and security in the Wildernesse to Pella in the dayes of Jerusalems sacking and as some will have it upon a like foresight many doe flie to New-England now so the Spirit taught Noah to provide an Arke for his owne safety against the evill time that was comming upon the world and some by the same Spirit are inabled with faith and patience to beare the brunt Luke 21. 19. speaking of evill times they were bid to possesse their soules with patience inferring that by it as by a safe armour they might be secured and kept safe for as in dangerous times the safety of some may consist in flying so the safety of others may consist in sitting still Es. 30. 7. their strength is to sit still speaking of some and vers 15. of that chap. In rest shall yee be saved in quietnesse and confidence shall be your strength that is in a silent waiting upon God if God cals upon some to goe yet no doubt but he commands others to stay Esa. 26. 20. and as we judge not but some may beleeve that make haste to be gone so let none censure but some may beleeve that make not such haste for surely this is Scripture phrase He that beleeveth maketh not haste Es. 28. 16. A beleever may with quietnesse sit still were the times farre worse then now thâ—y be and with confidence expect better dayes he is well armed with faith patience and prudence for his owne safety and security and so we come to the Use. If the godly and wise are able to distinguish of evill times inabled of God therunto then we should not slight their judgements concerning these matters we may repent us of it afterward if we do see Acts 27. 10 11. compared with v. 21. where was an evill time toward a great tempest and Paul warned them of it but the Centurion beleeved the owner of the Ship rather then Paul for commonly indeed of all men Gods Ministers are least beleeved least credit is given to what they say for feare of making them too proud forsooth but they had as good have heeded what Paul said for I beleeve they repented
they were in the right that God must be worshipped at Jerusalem And this same difference was the ground of their quarrell which was so great that the Jewes in generall and the Samaritans in generall would have no dealings one with another as appeares Joh. 4. 9. Now our Saviour was a Jew and he was going to Jerusalem to worship there according to the Law the Passeover was neere at hand and this these Samaritans apprehended by his habit or his carriage in some sort they perceived that his face was toward Jerusalem and therefore no lodging should he get among them which when the Disciples saw their blood began to rise and their spirits began to worke and they thought to shew themselves Jewes as the other had shewed themselves Samaritans and be as cruell as those were churlish wherefore sayes the Text when the Disciples James and John saw this they said Lord wilt thou that wee command fire to come from Heaven and destroy them as Elias did And here let us observe by the way what Spirits difference in opinion will make men of how unkinde and cruell one to another be they Jewes doe they goe to Jerusalem to workship there will they kneele at the Sacrament â—â—out upon them let them have neither meat drinke nor lodging that is in plaine tearmes starve them On the other side be they Samaritans Sectaries will they sit at the Sacrament O fie upon them pitty they should live let us banish them out of the world put fire to them and burne them O these be fine doings among people that worship the same God the devill haply may delight in them but I am sure Christ doth not These be the fruits of difference in opinions abuse of each others mutuall and mortall hatred neglect of all Humanity and Divinity on both parts thus it was you see of old and I wish from my soule we had not cause to fay thus it is now but where will these things end thinke you These two in the Text the Samaritan and the Jew made not an end of this their difference untill it had made an end of both them for we read in the Jewish stories that such a like quarrell â—as this was such a like discourtesie as was here offered made way to the Jews warres whereby both Jewes and Samaritans were destroyed And I pray God these differences of opinion in our Church doth not bring a like destruction The Apostle notes it as a fearefull omen by way of caveat Gal. 5. 15. if ye bite and devoure one another ye are in danger to be consumed one of another Observe also from the Samaritans churlishnesse and inhospitality to Christ and his Disciples that where hatred is there is churlishnesse and where churlishnesse is to any the Messengers and servants of God doubtlesse there is a hatred of them they hate them that will not receive them or that deale uncivilly with them And remember what reward these Samaritans at last did get for this their churlishnesse in not receiving Christ and his followers God suffered the devill to send Simon Magus amongst them Act. 8. 9. that did most miserably seduce the whole Nation small and great adored him And so God often punisheth such people as receive not Christ and histrue Ministers he lets Satan send some paltry fellowes some wicked and worthlesse men with delusions among them whereby they are seduced and perhaps brought to ruine It were possible to give you examples of this in these times but I passe on When the Disciples James and John saw this a common courtesie denyed a nights lodging and that to Christ Jesus their Master whose wrong and abuse they could not but lay to heart more then if it had beene offered onely to themselves And to see him thus abused for his Religion sake because his face was toward Jerusalem and that a little while after they had seene him in his glory on the Mount of Transfiguration honored by Heaven to see him thus despitefully used by a company of Sâ—maritan Heretickes in a base paltry Village can you blame them if they were angry surely they had reason for it and as they thought Scripture too for say they Master Wilt thou that we command fire to come from Heaven and consume them as Elias did In which motion of theirs we see they take it for granted that these Samaritans deserve to be destroyed and that in the sharpest manner and in the most remarkable way that might be even by fire onely they take Christs advise about the matter and aske his leave to doe it and they bring in the Example of Elias to warrant their motion although our Saviour approves neither of their motion nor yet of their warrant as we shall see anon But first Observe what a woefull thing it would be if one man should sit in Judgement upon another for the sinnes committed against God if the best men that are should censure sinners or if Christ should be of the same minde as these his Disciples here were of and presently punish every indignity of this nature that is offered unto him we might say with David O Lord who could abide it Nay we may conclude out of all question if Christ should not be more mercifull then man to sinfull men that entertaine him not the whole world would long ere this have beene burnt to ashes not onely these Samaritans here but the Jewes of Jerusalem too yea James and John among the rest and the whole universe a great while agoe had beene like Sodome As for the Samaritans here they had beene burnt up presently without more adoe for denying Christ a lodging and for Jerusalem he was worse used there then at Samaria they shut him out of their City and on the Mount without the City gates they murthered him so then Jerusalem soone after had beene burnt to Ashes too as being throughly guilty of Samariaes fault And then for the Disciples themselves indeed we will doe them no wrong time was that they had received him but then afterward when most need was they forsooke him againe they ran away from him renounced him denyed him and some of them swore too they never knew him then if Christ should have beene of their mindes more fire must have beene fetched from Heaven to consume them the Disciples also James and John as well as the rest Nay further yet we read Joh. 1. 10 11. that the whole world was made by Christ and yet it knew him not nor received him then also the whole world had long agoe beene at an end even turned into a heape of Ashes And I pray now adayes who doth receive Christ as he should nay who doth not at one time or other refuse to receive him surely then if Christ were of the same minde with these his Disciples he should not so much as leave himselfe one man to save but should destroy all Blessed therefore and ever blessed be the Divine goodnesse and blessed
spared because there were so many in it that knew not their right hand from their left Therefore you see the example of Elias was not rightly alledged and good men may through ignorance misapply Scripture And if good men may then no doubt but evill men may and will too indeed not an Heretique or Schismatique that ever was but they would alledge Scripture for their opinions but it was Scripture mis-applyed and peâ—verted as the Apostle sayes many doe to their owne destruction 2 Pet. 3. 16. We have many now adayes of this ranke whom the Apostle describes by their conditions and by their followers 2 Tim. 3. from the first to the tenth verse and among other their conditions he sayes ver 5. That they have a forme of godlinesse that is they can alledge Scripture to their owne ends though they deny the power of it in their lives Secondly he sayes they are men of corrupt mindes and reprobate concerning the true faith and he compares them to a couple of Conjurers Jannes and Jambres that withstood Moses the true called servant of the Lord. Thirdly he sayes further they are housecreepers they love to worke in secret And then their followers with whom they most prevaile are silly women that are not able to withstand them that through their sillinesse do admire them these they take captive and so they doe some men too that are as silly and as weake as those women laden with sinnes and divers lusts And Oh how fast such corrupt hearers doe drinke in corrupt Doctrines Indeed corrupt hearts will always swallow downe corruptions and errours faster then truths How many yeares have many of Gods faithfull Ministers beene painefully Preaching truthes in publique as Christ did to some people and yet they have not received the same but now of late we have had a brood of Sectaries and they have whispered up and downe in corners men that have come in their owne names and what abundance of followers have they gotten upon the suddaine It was a true saying of our Saviour to such kind of followers I am come in my Fathers name and ye receive me not if another shall come in his owne name him ye will receive Joh. 5. 43. And indeed you may alwayes know an error by peoples readinesse to receive it like will to like a corrupt Doctrine will quickly take a corrupt heart and you may discover evill men and false teachers by this they that cannot or doe not apply Scriptures to themselves for the humiliation of their owne hearts and for the sanctification of their owne tongues and lives as many of these doe not cannot rightly apply them for others instruction at least they may be suspected in their allegations for the Spirit of truth is the Spirit of sanctification good men may be mistaken in alledging Scriptures therefore much rather may evill But I will hold you no longer in the Context I come to the carriage and words of our Saviour in the Text it selfe wherein we have two things 1. Our Saviours dislike of their motion 2. His confutation of it His dislike in the first words He turned and rebuked them His confutation in the rest And first of the first He turned and rebuked them Doubtlesse the Apostles expected another kinde of turne then they here met withall they looked he should have turned and commended them for their zeale and said Well I see yet some body loves me though others care not for me yet you doe I see it grieves you that this disgrace is offered me you are worthy for this your tendernesse towards me to sit the one on my right hand and the other on my left in my kingdome Sure I say the Disciples did expect some such like words as these with the confirmation of their motion but sayes the Text He turned and rebuked them They were zealous indeed but they were rash withall and therefore he turned and rebuked them from whence we learne that Rash zeale deserves no commendation but rather to be rebuked When men out of their private spirits will goe about to revenge Gods quarrell upon sinners they shall have no thanke at his hand for their labours here was sin against God committed and as great a dis-respect offered to Christ as almost could be yet we see he doth not approve of their desires to revenge it Men of blood that have cruelty in their hearts and mouthes and hands too if they have advantage against their owne enemies that have used them ill or against Christs enemies that have used him ill are to be rebuked we Ministers may nay we must rebuke such spirits and such motions And a great many such spirits have we now adayes whom if we should rebuke as Christ here did his Disciples they would cry out upon us for no friends of Christ or of his cause no but friends of Publicans and sinners rather as the Pharisees said that Christ was when he rebuked them The Pharisees indeed would have had Christ rebuked none but those that themselves called and counted Publicans and sinners and never to have meddled with them though they were never so hypocriticall and vile for if he did at any time they would be sure to defame him and exclaime upon him and miscall him so now we have many that would have us Ministers Preach onely against the sinnes of Drunkards and prophane persons and superstitious Papists but by no meanes they would not have us touch the sinnes of Professors be they never so blameable for they cannot they will not beare it at our hands our good names at least shall surely smart for it if we doe the least glaunce in a Sermon against their hypocrisie or headlong zeale is a sufficient ground with many of them to make them whisper us about the Country to be men of most bitter spirits against all goodnesse and against Gods people Indeed few men doe we meete withall that will take rebuke as the Disciples here did specially when they are rebuked for their rash zeale in the cause of God or Christ for which they expect commendation rather and perhaps it is that onely which many of them ayme at but it shewes that such are Professors rather of the Pharisees stampe then of the Disciples However our Sâ—viours example and action doth here 〈◊〉 us that rash 〈◊〉 deserves no commendation but rebuke rather Observe againe that Christ doth not bid his Disciples consider whether the good that might come by burning the Towne would out-weigh the losse thereof as the Powder Traitors when the case was propounded among them whether the Popish Lords and Knights in the Parliament house should be blowne up among the rest they consulted whether the good that might come to the Catholique cause by that deadly blow would not out-weigh the losse of them and finding in their hellish thoughts that it would they concluded to blow up them too No our Saviour Christ did not go that way to work here with his Disciples
for we grant that flesh and blood might have found reasons enough to burne the Towne had they beene consulted with for First Hereby there would such a feare have beene strooke into all the Townes about that Christ should have beene the more respected ever after he should never have beene denyed a lodging more Secondly Hereby Christ should have salved his reputation among his owne Country-men who thought very hardly of him for being so courteous to the Samaritanes they suspected him to love them too well insomuch that they called him Samaritan Thirdly It might have beene much to Christs reputation to have had Disciples that could doe as great things as Elias and fetch fire from heaven with a word as well as he But none of these reasons could sway with our Saviour the act being evill of it selfe he would by no meanes allow of it and thereby he teacheth us that we must not doe any evill that good may come thereon We must not mischiâ—fe a Sâ—mariâ—aâ—â— nor doe hâ—â—t to any sinner to doe any good to our selves to further our owne cause or opinions no nor to get respect to Christ himselfe or glory to God It was Jobs saying to his friends when they unjustly charged him with wickednesse because God had so afflicted him that they might as they thought justifie the Lord in those his dealings sayes he to them Will you speake wickedly for Gods defence will you speake deceitfully for his cause will you make a lye for him as one man useth to tell a lye for another surely he will reprove you God needeth not mans lyes to his glory he can carry out his owne worke and gaine respect to himselfe and cause without our indirect assistance But who doe you thinke will beleeve this report how long may we Preach before this Doctrine will be credited yet you see our Saviours carriage in this businesse of the Text doth warrant it for good he would not have any man hurt by any of his servants for his sake and so at another time when Peter drew his sword in his defence and strooke of Malchus eare He bad Peter put up his sword againe and he healed Malchus eare againe for sayes he the end of my comming was not to hurt men but to doe them good to save and not to destroy Christ would have no man hurt for his sake No no But we many of us will rather approve of the Jesuites and Popish way as being more agreeing to our reasons and to flesh and blood then this is and if by destroying and ruinating such and such we may but further the cause though not the Popish or Catholique cause as they terme it but perhaps the Puritan cause Christs cause as we call it why then we conclude it lawfull to doe any thing lye slander defaâ—e vex and â—njustly grieve the spirits of our opposites doe them what mischiefe we can possibly devise and be doing God and Christ good service all the while But alasse alasse if Christ were in the right we in this are much mistaken I know friends it is not safe for a Minister if he loves his credit his safety or his peace to say thus much in the hearing of some because it is contrary to their opinions but I hope though I dye for it I shall ever say Vivat Christus pereat Barrabbas let Christ and his truth flourish and be knowne and let Barrabbas and every false heart and way perish and be overthrowne But yet againe observe this motion of the Disciples was a revengefull motion they would have payed the Samaritans their owne againe and that with an overplusse they would have required churlishnesse with cruelty and therefore our Saviour doth utterly distaste their motion and thereby doth further teach us that They that will returne like for like inpoint of wrong or rather worse then is offered them arâ— not in that their way allowed of God Such may haply like of themselves and their owne wayes but Christ likes them not you see though in their relations they are never so neere unto him Love your enemies blesse them that curse you doe good to them that hate you and pray for them that despitefully use you and persecute you there Christ gives the Precept and here you see he gives you his owne practice And so recompence no man evill for evill and see that no man render evill for evill to any man they are Evangelicall Lessons and must be learned by the professors of the Gospell nor were these precepts in the old law given to private men eye for eye tooth for tooth if they were they are out of date now Matth. 5. 38 39. c. but to Magistrates unto whom as being in Gods stead we may upon sufficient occasion declare our wrongs and what punishment is thereupon by them inflicted on our Enemies is done mediately by the hand of God to whom alone vengeance belongeth And yet neither must we make use of the Magistrates helpe purposely to revenge our selves upon an adversary for that were to make the Law the Magistrate and God himselfe too the instruments of our vile and malicious spirits no but onely to have Justice in a case of wrong as we must not rejoyce De malo inimici in the hurt of an eneny when we see it done so we must not ayme thereat before-hand but onely at the manifestation of Truth and Justice in our complainings But let me say this I am confident that at the great day that man shall have most honour and most comfort that hath put up his complaints immediately to God and referred most wrongs to him This therefore in a word discovers unto us that those spirits are not right and Christian that resolve upon it concerning others to give them as good as they bring and to deale with them as themselves by them have beene dealt withall and will be sure to indeavour it to the uttermost so long as or whensoever as power is in their hand they will persecute those that when time was did persecute them and be as mercilesse now as those were cruell when they were in place surely it becomes not Gods Children to walke in condemned paths to tread in those steps which themselves formerly did truely censure as Antichristian if cruelty and revenge be a sinne in any then most of all in Christs Disciples in Gods children whom it beseemes to approve themselves by their carriage toward their enemies to be of a better spirit then other men But I conclude this with Solomons advice Prov. 24. 29. Say not thou I will doe to him as he hath done to me I will render to the man according to his workes and remember too whoever thou beest that there be with thee even with thee sins against the Lord thy God I proceed in the Text to our Saviours confutation of their motion and of their abuse of Elias example which they brought to warrant it and this he doth
that suted not with the end of his comming and therefore our Saviour rejects it as naught so when Peter beganne to move and stirre with his sword our Saviour bade him put it up into its place for he came not to move that way not to fight against but to fight for his enemies not to kill them but to save them And so now adayes we see the world is full of motions and almost of commotions many active stirring spirits this age hath brought forth if their motions and stirrings doe tend to the destruction and hurt of others and not to the good of men if they looke not the way Christ looked if they sute not with his end they are naught and sinfull But in very deed as in our Saviours time men were much mistaken in the end of Christs comming they thought hee came to destroy his enemies and to restore againe the kingdome to Israel and to advance his servants to temporall honours and therefore as you heard hee had motions made to him tending to that purpose so in these our dayes men are much mistaken in the same at least they doe not remember it as they ought to doe whereas it is a matter of the greatest consequence to bee knowne and thought upon as appeares by those many inculcations thereof in Scripture I shall therefore for the better remembrance thereof and comfort therein a little inlarge my selfe in the discovery of it from the Word of God The end of Christs comming saies the text was not to destroy mens lives but to save them and saies the spirit in another place God sent his Sonne not to condemne the world but that the world by him might be saved and againe The Sonne of man came to seeke and save that which was lost and the Apostle It is a saying most faithfull and true and worthy of all acceptance thâ—t Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners 1 Tim. 1. 15. that was the end of his comming that he aimed at And indeed there was nothing of Christ or that Christ did but did teach the same His name Jesus that signifies a Saviour his relative names of Shepheard Husband and the like doe speake him a Helper and a Defender the similitudes used to expresse him by are of harmlesse and helpfull creatures He is called a Lamb not a Wolfe that devoures a Hen not a bird of prey a Vine not a Bramble out of which came fire to consume the trees of the Forrest Judg. 9. 15. The manner of his comming did also teach the end of it he came not in thunder and lightning as the Law did causing feare and trembling but as raine on a fleece of wooll or on the mowen grasse Psal. 72. 6. that is gently and with out noyse and Matth. 12. 19. it is said He neither strived nor cryed nor was his voyce heard in the streets at his Baptisme the holy Ghost sate on him like a Dove to shew that he should be a Dove-like Mediator and of Dove-like conditions In the execution of all his offices he onely aimed to further the comfort and salvation of men By his propheticall office hee taught us in the way and doth so still by his word and spirit he dictated a forme of prayer for us he put words into our mouths and his spirit into our hearts and still himselfe intercedes for us and with us by his Priestly office he died for us to heale our soules with a plaister of his bloud and to save us from that death which our selves had procured and by his Kingly office he defends and fights for his people as a meeke King he admits mourners to his presence he hath both beames of Majesty and bowels of mercy he is the Prince of peace yea all his actions from first to last doth prove that he came only to doe good How sweet and helpfull and affable he was in all his carriages How willing to acquaint himselfe with these churlish Samaritans to the end that he might have occasion to doe them good He vouchafed to discourse with a meane woman of that Countrey to the admiration of his Disciples John 4. 7. and sent his servants to buy meat of them as it is shewne in that Chapter and here he would have taken up his lodging amongst them and after this discourtesie was offered to him he cured a Samaritan of his leprosie Luke 17. 16. and was so courteous to that Nation that the Jewes call'd him Samaritan for his labour And how lovingly did he cure Malchus ear that came to apprehend him and how fervently did he pray for them that put him to death he came with blessings in his mouth at his first publike appearance and manifestation Matt. 5. 1 2 c. and he departed the world with prayers in his mouth Mat. 27. Father forgive them In a word Christ never did hurt or mischief to any man he never revenged himselfe on any though he had more power then any and was more wronged and abused then any but he was alwayes and to all meek gentle courteous helpfull a man might even drown himselfe in Divine pleasures by thinking and speaking of Christs conditions and of the comfortable end of his comming But I come to the Use which shall bee to advise all men to acquaint themselves well with the end of Christs comming it is worthy of all acceptance saies the Apostle i. e. of all mens knowledge to be acquainted with this that Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners to doe good to unworthy and undeserving persons it is a matter of the greatest consequence that is to know it for thereby we shall come to know Christs spirit we shall come to know our owne spirits and we shall come to know other mens spirits 1. We shall know Christs spirit which else we shall not doe as appeares in the Disciples here for had they knowne and remembred the end of Christs comming they would also have considered that he had had a spirit onely driving thereunto and so would never have made such an unsutable motion as here they did they might easily have concluded that Christ would never so farre have allowed of Elias spirit as to doe or to countenance to be done that which did contradict the end of his owne comming they would never have begg'd of the Prince of meeknesse a licence to be cruell for had he given way to this he should have seemed to come rather to destroy then to save Now this our knowledge of Christs spirit of the nature and temper of it may be usefull to us for consolation and for instruction 1. For consolation we being all men and women of a sinfull dye when we be apprehensive of our danger by sinne and how unkindly we have carried our selves towards good Christ how we have many a time denied him a lodging in our hearts as the Samaritans here did in their Village when by his motions he hath sent unto us I
the fruites and effects thereof upon the sonnes of men there intimated under the names of other creatures The Wolfe shall dwell with the Lambe and the Leopard shall lye downe with the Kid and the calfe and the young Lion and the fatling together and a little childe shall lead them And the Cow and the Beare shall feed their young ones shall lye downe together and the Lion shall eate straw like an Oxe and the sucking childe shall play on the hole of the Aspe and the weaned Childe shall put his hand on the hole of the Cockatrice den they shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy Mountaine The meaning in a word of all is this Those that were as Wolves Leopards Lions Beares and Aspes before for their doing mischiefe and cruelty shall by the sweet spirit of the Gospell be so wrought upon be so altered and so changed that they shall be in condition like those meek and harmelesse creatures that formerly were most hatefull to them they shall no more hurt as before they did but they shall be of a like disposition unto Christ himselfe who never did doe hurt to any and so shall they become fit inhabitants of Gods holy Mountaine And thus we have seene what the times of the Gospel are and what the spirit of the Gospel is and the naturall effect thereof Now to draw to an end our Use shall be onely of examination and of exhortation Frst of examination what times doe you conceive these are that we now live in are they times of the Gospel or no and whose Disciples doe we reckon our selves to be Elias his Disciples or Christs Let us remember this that the Disciple and the Master must both have one spirit if we be Christs Disciples we must shew Christs spirit in all our wayes if we live in the times of the Gospel it is our duty to mind speake and doe only that which sutes with the spirit thereof When we purpose any thing in our hearts or ruminate of any thing in our thoughts we must aske our owne consciences Is this purpose are these cogitations sutable to the spirit of the Gospel are they gratefull to Christs spirit would Jesus Christ were he in my case purpose the same thing would he ponder and meditate upon such thoughts as I now doe So for our words we must consider whether they doe become the Gospel of Christ whether they be gracious and seasoned with the right salt and doe tend to the edification of others for such words onely become the Gospel a man should aske himselfe Was it Christ Jesus his manner to speake thus to use such words as I now doe so when we act a thing we must consider and ask our consciences Whose worke is it is it such a worke as the Gospel allowes of or as Christ was wont to exercise himselfe in I live under the Gospel and it is my duty to thinke speake and doe onely that which becomes the spirit thereof I am a member and a servant of Christ and it is my duty to approve my selfe onely such a one I have heard that in Venice every one doth so mind the publike good that if a motion be propounded to any of them the first thought and question about it is how it may availe to the benefit and honour of the Common-wealth so all we should mind the honour of the Gospel in such sort that we should consider of every motion we have and of every thing we doe how it may and doth sute with the same O if every of us were but carefull in this our duty we should not behave our selves as some of us often doe If when we are tempted to any sin as to lie to raile to slander to whisper men out of credit to get our selves in to be churlish to blow the coales of contention amongst men to be disobedient to revenge and the like we would seriously consider whether these be the fruits of the spirit of the Gospel we professe and whether by maniâ—esting them wee any whit credit and honour the same or cause men to speake well of it and would we but aske our selves Did Christ use to doe so and so did he use to lie and dissemble did he use to raile upon any that disliked him was it his custome to goe up and downe a slandering of men and aggravating their faults backbiting and whispering them out of credit to get himselfe in did he use to beare malice in his heart and to take occasions to revenge himselfe did he use to curse his enemies and to returne like for like was he churlish to any did he pâ—actice to set men at oddes and to make strife and contention where ere he came did he ever by his word or practice teach disobedience and doe I professe my selfe to be his member and to have his spâ—rit and shall I doe these things I say if we would thus sift and examine all our thoughts all our words and actions whether they are the thoughts words and actions of Christ I dare say we should not doe as we often doe Beleeve it it is our duty to sift our selves in this sort nay if the spirits be truly Gospel-like it is your customes to do thus and so from hence all that ever proceeds from you will savour of meeknesse and love of sweetnesse and goodnesse all your indeavours will tend the same way as Christs did to save and helpe others to doe good to all hurt to none onely your labour will be to destroy sinne and the workes of the Devill in all for to this end Christ came 1 John 3. 8. lying slandering malice divisions churlishnesse unkindnesse disobedience and the like these are the workes of the Devill and these Christ laboured to destroy and of the same minde and indeavours are all his servants Yea if your spirits be right you will alway beleeve that you were borne into the world to this very end to imitate Christ to set forth his conditions to others eyes by your life and carriage to be an instrument of mercie as he was the author of it to manifest your strength and power even as Christ did namely in bearing wrongs in pardoning offences and in praying for offenders I say if your spirits be right indeed this is their temper for God doth frame a mans heart to the same end for which hee sends him even as he did furnish Christ himselfe with a spirit suâ—able to the end of his comming Luke 4. 18. But be you assured and let us all be assured that if our spirits be contrary to Christs if we be cruell mischievous spightfull revengefull if our aimes and indeavours be contrary to the end for which Christ came doubtlesse though we live under the Gospel we have not yet received the right spirit of the Gospel we are still in the state of sinne however we thinke of our selves or however others thinke of us for they that have received the spirit of the
it be a favour and not a duty pity to the poore spirit of the Gospell it selfe which hath of late as some of you have thought beene wounded slandered scandalized yea almost banished the Land for a rebellious factious and seditious spirit and some of you perhaps have beene banished with it by the enemies of it but now God hath removed them and remembred you and why thinke you surely that you should be meanes to recall and relieve that to justifie its Innocency its Humility and its Loyalty which was so much traduced that you might by your Preaching and by your Practice raise up againe as it were unto life this holy sweete and gracious spirit of the Lord And know this if you faile herein and doe conceale the beauty of it having now power to discover and inlarge the same God may and will for this bring you under hatches againe and your latter condition shall be worse then your former Fifthly Never had you the like occasion as now to honour Gods Spirit in the eyes of your enemies and to put forth the vertue of it for their conversion what know you but that the sight and taste of the Spirit of the Gospell in and from you may cause some of your enemies that haply now are in that darkenesse and disgrace wherein they would gladly have kept you to looke upon their owne spirits with indignation and shame surely Brethren as we should alwayes interpret an enemy his injury to be Gods call to us to pray for him so we should apprehend the sight of an enemies misery to be an indigitation of God to us to doe him good and to discover to his eyes which at such a time are at best leasure to see it the nature and disposition of Christs Spirit in our selves And thereby we may haply as was said bring such a one out of love with that spirit which he formerly traded withall when he compares the present sweetnesse of our spirit with the bitternesse of that and hereby we may bring them to love our Master Christ that rules us with a better spirit then their Master ruled them Sixthly and lastly though I might propound many particulars more if you doe not study and indevour to shew forth Christs Spirit the contrary thereunto both must and will discover it selfe in you even that which before you disliked so much in other men God will even give you up unto it now consider how uncomely it will appeare for Gods Ministers to walke in condemned paths you censured such and such men for their cruelty for their mercilessenesse and want of compassion for their pride their harshnesse and superciliousnesse towards their Brethren and for these things sake I suppose you counted them antichristian but if you now tread in those their steps wise men will thinkâ— you to be as Antichristian as they and that most truely for what ever some say doubtlesse it is not Prelacy but sin that makes men Antichristian And suppose those your enemies were altogether as bad as you thought them then those their conditions will worse become you then they did them it is cruelty in the Wolfe to hurt the Sheepe but more naturall then for the Sheepe to pursue the Wolfe they say revenge is sweet and the taste of bloud will make even a Sheepe Wolvish he that once hath drunke the bloud of an enemy will afterward thirst for the bloud of his friend upon a small occasion Doe you thinke it will be comely to heare people say of us it seemes the Lambes are let out to play the Wolves Christs Ministers are call'd from prison and banishment to revenge themselves to persecute those that hunted them their former afflictions wee had thought had meekened their spirits and taught them to be pitifull to their enemies and to them in misery as Christ was we beleeve Gods providence laied them upon them for that end but we see they have done them little good surely brethren such speeches will be but little for our credits and let us know if we turne rampant now we are got loose and deale with others as they did with us and not shew the spirit of Christ to our enemies God the great Shepheard hath an hooke to catch us by the legge againe and to hamper us worse then ever if the Wolfe could not run from him the Sheepe cannot Therfore I say from these considerations let us onely preach and practise the spirit of the Gospel be pitifull be courteous pity the sorrowes of our enemies but most of all their sinnes that have brought them into the same if ever we loved them according to Christs command we shall now pity them for true love alwayes turnes into pity when the parties loved fall into misery let us not delight to spur on others against them let us not aggravate and inlarge their faults let us not repeat them it is a sad thing to heare Ministers or any others to publish openly and with joy how many hundreds of their scandalous brethren have beene complained of I doe not read that ever Christs spirit delighted in such like publications Christ was mild to offenders let not us be rugged Christ indeavoured to draw men from their sinnes unto himselfe by love let not us thinke ever to doe it by currishnesse our enemies could never prevaile by this meane they that thinke by force of feare or unkind dealings to draw men either to God or to themselves will sooner drive them both from God and from themselves we must trade for Christ in Christs way else let our aimes and ends be never so good though God may haply accomplish them yet he will crosse and shame us in a word my Reverend Brethren if some of our calling and function have stumbled and fallen if they like those branches Rom. 11. are for a season broken off and any of us are ingraffed in their stead and doe now partake of the favour and fatnesse of the times let us not boast our selves against these branches but remember that we stand onely by mercie be not high-minded saies the Apostle but feare Breathing times of the Church unthankfully entertained or too wantonly proudly or unprofitably imployed have beene heretofore followed with most sharp and sad calamities 2. But now last of all a word more to all Christians in generall and then an end You redeemed of the Lord whom in mercie he hath reserved till these last dayes to live under the Gospel and to partake of the spirit thereof and to manifest the fruits of it to the honour of his name I beseech you also even by the mercies of Christ and for that honour-sake which you are bound to advance that you would lay aside all malice and all guile and hypocrisies and envies and evill speakings and that you would study by all meanes to glorifie the Gospel which you professe that you would according to your duty onely minde speake and doe that which is sutable to the spirit thereof let your intentions
of death caused trembling Elias lived in those times and had a spirit sutable unto them a fiery and a destructive spirit which haply then was not amisse but by the comming of Christ the times were altered into times of comfort of the Gospel which is the ministration of life and peace it was prophesied long before his birth that in his time abundance of peace should flourish and at his birth the Angels sang peace with heaven and God that before with earthly men had warres and difference And further yet the times before Christ were times of Justice and revenge Adam sinned and he was presently cast out of Paradise Sodome and Gomorrah sinned and they were suddainely consumed with fire Corah and his companions sinned and vengeance speedily laid hold upon them and so forth in oâ—hers for Gods name by which he was knowne in those dayes was Deus ultionum the God of Revenge and as such a one he was pleased often to approve himselfe but by Christs comming the times were turned to be times of mercy and favour times of grace of patience and forbearance acceptable times dayes of Salvation for the Samaritans sinned here yet they were spared Paul then Saul went breathing out threatnings against Gods Saints yet mercy reached him before Judgement overtooke him Mary Magdalen and the thiefe on the crosse were great sinners yet vengeance did not overwhelme them yea many of them that crucifyed Christ were not taken away in that their sinne as they deserved but were afterward taken into savour and tasted mercy being converted by Peters Sermon Act. 2. for by Christs comming God was pleased to leave his old name and be called by another not usuall before namely Pater misericordiarum the father of mercies then Deus ultionum a revenging God but now Deus consolationum the God of Consolation 2 Cor. 1. 3. And thus you see Christs comming made a great difference in the times and so ought it to doe in men in their thoughts words and carriages in all which they must conformeto the times Are the times of the Gospell times of light then men in them must walk as children of the light Ye were once darknesse but now are light in the Lord walke therefore as children of the light Are they times of peace then men must be men of peace Rom. 12. 18. If it be possible have peace wâ—th all men Are they times of mercy patience and forbearance then men that live in them must be mercifull and patient not rendring evill for evill unto any man 1 Thess. 5. 15. Doth God in these times discover himselfe to be a friend and a Father even to such as were his enemies then men must shew themselves to be his children right bred by manifesting his spirit Love your enemies blesse them that curse you doe good to them that hate you and pray for them that despitefully use you and persecute you that you may be the children of your Father which is in Heaven that is that you may approve your selves to be his children Mat. 5. 44 45. Men that live under the Gospel must beleeve that many of those things that were tolerable before are insufferable now the revenger of blood was permitted to pursue and kill the man-slayer if he found him out of the City of refuge but now the date of that permission is expired So the Prophets of old as may seeme might pray for revenge O God to whom vengeance belongeth shew thy selfe And O Lord God that tryest the reines let me see thy vengeance upon them and might curse them that abused them as Elisha did the children that mocked him and might call for fiâ—e from heaven to fall on them that intended their hurt as Elias did but now they must doe the cleane contrary the times are altered and the spirits of Gods Ministers must be sutable to the times We must pray for our Enemies as Stephen did we must beseech them to be reconciled 2 Cor. 5. 20. and we must instruct them with meeknesse so long as they are contrary-minded unto us 2 Tim. 2. 25. Paul that lived under the Gospell did not doe as Elias did that lived under the Law pray against Israel but his hearts desire to God for Israel was that they might be saved Rom. 10. 1. Yea though they sought to take away his life yet he could have wished to have beene accursed himselfe for their sakes to have done them good Rom. 9. 3. David was a right good man in his time and had this title from the Lord himselfe that he was a man after Gods owne heart but he lived in those dayes when God was called Deus ultionum and therefore David is no fit patterne for us now to imitate in some of his wayes wee must never deale so cruelly with our enemies if we have them under our power as he did with the Ammonites 2 Sam. 13-31 He put them under Sawes and Harrowes of Iron and made them passe through the Brickekill No the Spirit of the Gospell is a Noble Spirit and scornes to set a foote upon the necke of a falne foe it takes advantage of his downfall to discover it selfe to have proceeded from Christ and indevours at such a time to cause an enemy to distaste and dis-relish his owne spirit by giving him to taste of its sweetnesse it labours to gaine an adversary by unexpected compassion even as God and Christ did to gaine us when we were in our blood cast out to the loathing of our persons we must be people of Christs spirit and not of Davids It is worth our noting by the way nor is it from the purpose the difference betweene Davids manner of dying and Christs David dyed as we may say with revenge in his mouth not onely against Shimei that had abused him but also against Joab that had faithfully served him Let not his hoary head sayes he goe downe to the grave in peace but Christ dyed with mercy and pardon in his moâ—th and prayer for his enemies Father forgive them sayes he His Fatheâ— was now the Father of mercies and he well approved himselfe his Sonne and after the same sort must we approve our selves his servants Concerning David I doe confesse his manneâ— of dying might well have scandalized us in that he commands to take away mens lives when as it had beene fitter for him to have beene begging pardon for his owne sinnes but it is to be thought he had consulted with God about the businesse and God was then Deus ultiâ—num as I said before and David was a good Magistrate and so just like God as well as a good man but I am sure Christs manner of dying can scandalize or offend none in this kinde his death spake better things than the death of David as it is said his blood spake better things then the blood of Abel Abel dyed in old time and