of ours upon his righteous wayes When God doth set his Word in the power and workings of it upon the spirit of any wicked man making his conscience to heare it as the voyce of God it usually worketh one of these two effects either it subdues the soule to the obedience of it by convincing judging and manifesting the secrets of his heart so that he falleth down on his face and worshippeth God 1 Cor. 14 25. Or else it doth by accident excite and enrage the naturall love which is in every man to his lusts stirring up all the proud arts and reasonings which the forge of a corrupt heart can shape in defence of those lusts against the sword of the spirit which would cut them off as that which hindreth the course of a river doth accidentally enrage the force of it and cause it to swell and over runne the bankes and from hence ariseth gainsaying and contradiction against the word of grace and the wayes of God as unequall and unreasonable too strict too severe too hard to be observed Ezek. 18.25 snuffing at it Mal. 1.13 gathering odious Consequences from it Rom. 3.8 Replying against it Rom. 9.19 20. casting reproaches upon it Ier. â—0 8 9. enviously swelling at it Act. 13.45 There are few sinnes more dangerous then this of picking quarrels at Gods word and taking up weapons against it It will prove a burthensome stone to those that burthen themselves with it Zach. 12.3 Math. 21.44 Therefore when ever our crooked and corrupt Reason doth offer to except against the wayes of God as unequall we must presently conclude as God doth Ezek. 18 25. that the inequality is in us and not in them When a Lame man stumbleth in a plaine path the fault is not in the way but in the foot nor is the potion but the palate too blame when a feverish distemper maketh that seeme bitter which indeed was sweet He that removeth in a Boat from the shoare in the judgement of sence seeth the houses or trees on the shoare to totter and move whereas the motion is in the Boat and not in them Uncleane and corrupt hearts have uncleane notions of the purest things and conceive of God as if he were such a one as themselves Psal. 50.21 Secondly it should teach us to come to Gods Word alwayes as to a Rule by which we are to measure our selves and take heed of wresting and wrying that to the corrupt fancies of our owne evill hearts as the Apostle saith some men do to their owne destruction 2. Pet. 3.16 Act. 13 1â— Every wicked man doth though not formally and explicitely yet really and in truth set up his owne will against Gods resolving to doe what pleaseth himselfe and not that which may please God and consequently followeth that reason and councell which waites upon his owne will and not that Word which revealleth Gods Yet because he that will serve himselfe would faine deceive himselfe too that so he may doe it with lesse regret of conscience and would faine seem Gods servant but be his owne therefore corrupt Reason sets it selfe on work to excogitate such distinctions and evasions as may serve to reconcile Gods word and a mans owne lust together Lust sayes steale God sayes no thou shalt not steale carnall Reason the advocate of Lust comes in and distinguisheth I may not steale from a neighbour but I may weaken an enemy or pay my selfe the stipend that belongs to my service if others doe not and under this evasion most innocent men may bee made a prey to violent Souldiers who use the name of publike interest to palliate their own greedinesse Certainly it is a high presumption to tamper with the word of Truth and make it beare false witnesse in favour of our owne sinnes and God will bring it to a tryall at last whose will shall stand his or ours Lastly this serveth as an excellent boundary both to the ministration of the Preacher and to the faith of the hearer in the dispensing of the Word first To us in our ministry that we deliver nothing unto the people but the Right wayes of the Lord without any Commixtures or contemperations of our owne Mixtures are usefull onely for these Two purposes either to slaken and abate something that is excessive or to supply something that is deficient and to collect a vertue and efficacy out of many things each one of which alone would have been ineffectuall and so all Heterogeneous mixtures doe plainely intimate either a vitiousnesse to be corrected or a weaknesse to be supplyed in every one of the simples which are by humane wisdome tempered together in order unto some effect to be wrought by them Now it were great wickednesse to charge any one of these upon the pure and perfect Word of God and by consequence to use deceit and insincerity by adulterating of it either by such glosses as diminish and take away from the force of it as the Pharisees did in their carnall interpretations consuted by our Saviour Matth. 5.21 27 38 43. or by such Superinducements of humane Traditions as argue any defect as they also did use Matth. 15.2 9. Humane Arts and Learning are of excellent use as Instruments in the managing and searching and as meanes and witnesses in the explication of holy Writ when piously and prudently directed unto those uses But to stampe any thing of but an humane Originall with a divine character and obtrude it upon the consciences of men as the Papists doe their unwritten traditions to binde unto obedience to take any dead child of ours as the Harlot did 1 Kings 3.20 and lay it in the bosome of the Scripture and father it upon God to build any structure of ours in the road to heaven and stop up the way is one of the highest and most daring presumptions that the pride of man can aspire unto to erect a throne in the consciences of his fellow creatures and to counterfeit the great Seale of Heaven for the countenancing of his own forgeries is a sin most severely provided against by God with speciall prohibitions and threatnings Deut. 12.32 Deut. 18.20 Ier. 26.2 Prov. 30.6 This therefore must be the great care of the Ministers of the Gosple to shew their fidelity in delivering onely the Counsell of God unto his people Acts 20.27 to be as the Two golden pipes which received oyle from the Olive branches and then emptied it into the gold Zach. 4 12. First to receive from the Lord and then to deliver to the people Ezek. 2.7 Esay 21.10 Ezek. 3.4 1 Cor. 11.23 1 Pet. 4.11 Secondly The people are hereby taught first To examine the doctrines of men by the rule and standard of the Word and to measure them there that so they may not be seduced by the craftinesse of deceivers and may be the more confirmed and comforted by the doctrine of sincere teachers for though the Iudgement of Interpretation
good one while and evill another but goodnesse is his proper and native operation he is not the author of sin that entred by the devil he is not the author of death that entred by sin but our destruction is of our selves And therefore though the Prophet say Is there any evil in the City which the Lord hath not done Yet he doth it not but onely as it is bonum justitiae good in order to his glory For it is just with God that they who run from the order of his Commands should fall under the order of his Providence and doing willingly what hee forbids should unwillingly suffer what he threatneth In one word God is the Author of All good by his grace working it the Permitter of all evill by his patience enduring it the Orderer and disposer of both by his mercy rewarding the one by his justice revenging the other and by his wisedome directing both to the ends of his eternal glory This serveth to discover the free and â—â—le working of Grace in our first conversion and the continued working of grace in our further sanctification whatsoever is good in us habitually as Grace inhering or actually as Grace working is from him alone as the Author of it For though it be certain that when we will and do our selves are agents yet it is still under and from him Certum est nos facere cum faciamus sed ille facit ut faciamus as the great champion of Grace speaketh by Grace we are that we are we do what we do in Gods service Vessels have no wine bags have no money in them but what the Merchant putteth in the bowls of the Candlesticks had no oyl but that which dropped from the Olive branches Other things which seek no higher perfection then is to be found within the compasse of their own nature may by the guidance and activity of the same nature attain thereunto but man aspiring to a divine happinesse can never attain thereunto but by a divine strength impossible it is for any man to enjoy God without God The truth of this point sheweth it in five gradations 1. By Grace our mindes are enlightened to know and beleeve him for Spirituall things are spiritually discerned 2. By Grace our hearts are inclined to love and obey him for spirituall things are spiritually approved He onely by his Almighty and ineffable operation worketh in us Et veras Revelationes et bonas voluntates 3. By Grace our lives are enabled to work what our hearts do love without which though we should will yet we cannot perform no more then the knife which hath a good edge is able actually to cut till moved by the hand 4. By Grace our good works are carried on unto perfection Adam wanting the Grace of perseverance fell from innocency it self It is not sufficient for us that he prevent and excite us to will that he co-operate assist us to work except he continually follow and supply us with a residue of spirit to perfect and finish what we set about All our works are begun continued and ended in him Lastly By Grace our perseverance is crowned for our best works could not endure the triall of justice if God should enter into judgement with us Grace enableth us to work and Grace rewardeth us for working Grace beginneth and Grace finisheth both our faith and salvation The work of holinesse is nothing but Grace and the reward of holinesse is nothing but Grace for Grace Secondly this teacheth us how to know Good from Evil in our selves what we look on as good we must see how we have derived it from God the more recourse we have had unto God by prayer and faith and study of his will in the procurement of it the more goodnesse we shall find in it A thing done may be good in the substance of the work and yet evill in the manner of doing it as the substance of a vessell may be silver but the use sordid Iehu his â—eal was rewarded as an act of Iustice quoad substantiam operis and it was punished too as an act of policy quoad mâ—dum for the perverse end A thing which I see in the night may shine and that shining proceed from nothing but rottennesse We must not measure our selves by the matter of things done for there may be Malum opus in bona materia Doeg prayes and Herod hears and Hypocrites fast and Pharisees preach but when wee would know the goodness of our works look to the fountain whether they proceed from the Father of lights by the spirit of love the grace of Christ from humble penitent filiall heavenly dispositions nothing will carry the soul unto God but that which cometh from him Our Communion with the Father and the Sonne is the triall and foundation of all our goodnesse Thirdly Thiâ— should exceedingly abase us in our own eyes and stain all the pride and cast down all the Plumes of flesh and blood when we seriously consider that in us as now degenerated from our originall there is no good to be found our wine become water our Silver dresse as our Saviour saith of the devil when he lies he speaks de suo of his own so when we do evil we work de nostro of our own and secundum hominem as the Apostle speaks According unto man 1 Cor. 3.3 Lusts are g our own our very members to that body of sin which the Apostle calleth the old man with which it is as impossible to do any good as for a Toad to spit Cordiâ—ls Men are apt to glory of their good hearts and intentions only because they cannot search them Ier. 17.11 And being carnal themselves to entertain none but carnal notions of Gods service But if they knew the purity and jealousie of God their own impotency to answer so holy a wil they would lay their hands upon their mouthes and with Iob abhor themselves and with Isaiah bewail the uncleannesse of their lips and with Moses fear and quake as not being able to endure the things that are commanded and with Ioshua acknowledge that they cannot serve God because he is holy they would then remember that the Law of God is a Law of fire Deut. 33.2 and the Tribunall of God a Tribunall of fire Ezek. 1.27 that the pleading of God with sinners are in flames of fire Isa. 66.15 16. that the triall of all our works shall be by fire 1 Cor. 3.13 that the God before whom we must appear is a consuming fire Hebr. 12.29 Goe now and bring thy straw and stubble thy drowsie and sluggish devotion thy fickle and flattering repentance thy formall and demure services into the fire to the Law to measure them to the Iudge to censure them nay now carry them to thine own conscience and tell me whether that wil not passe the
of theirs brings it to passe and when by their owne intentions they are enemies to it by Gods wonderfull ordering and directing they are executioners of it Romans 9.19 Psalme 33.11.115.2 Proverbs 19.21 Esay 46.10 Ioshua 24.9 10. 5. According unto this distinction of Gods will wee are to distinguish of his Call Some are called voluntate signi by the will of his precept when they have the will of God made knowne unto them and are thereby perswaded unto the obedience of it in the ministry of the Gospel in which sense our Saviour saith many are called but few chosen Matth. 20.16 and unto those who refused to come unto him that they might have life he yet saith These things I say that you might be saved Ioh. 5.34 40. Others are called voluntate beneplaciti ordained first unto eternall life by the free love and grace of God and then thereunto brought by the execution of that his decree and purpose in the powerfull calling and translating of them from darknesse unto light And this is to bee called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 according unto purpose Rom. 8.28 namely the purpose and counsell of shewing mercy to whom he will shew mercy Rom. 9.18 6. They who are called only as the Hen calleth her chicken with the meere outward Call or voyce of Christ in the Evangelicall Ministry may and doe resist this Call and so perish Corazin and Bethsaida and Capernaum were outwardly called by the most powerfull Ministeriall meanes that ever the world enjoyed both in Doctrine and Miracles and yet our Saviour tels them that they shall be in a worse condition in the day of Judgement then Tyre Sidon or Sodom Matth. 11.21 24. So the Prophet complaines Who hath beleeved our report or to whom is the arme of the Lord revealed Esay 53.1 which the Evangelist applies unto the argument of conversion Iohn 12.37 40. for so the hand or arme of the Lord is said to be with his Ministers when by their Ministery men doe turne to the Lord Act. 11.21 And the same Prophet againe or Christ in him complaines All the day long have I stretched forth my hands unto a disobedient and gainesaying people Esay 65. 2. Rom. 10.21 So disobedient and gaine saying that wee finde them resolve sometimes point blank contrary to the Call of God Ier. 44.16 27. Ier. 18.11.12 Ier. 2.25 Matth. 23.27 7. They who are called inwardly and spiritually with an heavenly Call vocatione altâ secundum propositum with such a Call as pursueth the Counsell and purpose of God for their salvation though they doe resist quoad pugnam and corruption in them doth strive to beare up against the grace of Christ yet they doe not resist finally and quoad eventum unto the repelling or defeating of the operation of Gods effectuall grace but they are thereby framed to embrace approve and submit unto that Call God himselfe working a good will in them captivating their thoughts unto the obedience of Christ and working in them that which is pleasing in his own sight Phil. 2.13 2 Cor. 10.5 Heb. 13.21 And this is done by a double Act. 1. An act of spirituall teaching and irradiating the minde and judgement with heavenly light called by the Prophet the writing of the law in the heart and putting it into the inward parts Ier. 31.33 2 Cor. 3.3 and by our Saviour The Fathers Teaching Iob. 6.45 and the holy Spirits convincing of sinne righteousnesse and judgement Iohn 16.8 11. and by the Apostle a demonstration of the spirit and power 1 Cor. 2.4 A spirituall revelation of wisedome out of the word unto the conscience Eph. 1.17 For though we are to condemne fanatick revelations besides the word and without it yet wee must accknowledge spirituall revelation or manifestation of the divine light and power of the word by the holy Spirit in the mindes of men converted for the word of God being a spirituall Object doth unto the salvificall knowledge of it require such a spirituall quality in the faculty which must know it as may be able to passe a right judgement upon it for spirituall things are spiritually discerned 1 Cor. 2.14 It is true that hypocrites and other wicked men may have very much notionall and intellectuall knowledge of the Scriptures and those holy things therein revealed Heb. 6.4 2 Pet. 2.21 But none of that knowledge amounteth unto that which is called the Teaching of God and a spirituall demonstration for the mysteries of the Gospell were unto this end revealed that by them we might be brought unto the obedience of Christ and therefore the knowledge of them is never proportioned or commensurate to the object till the mind be thereby made conformed unto Christ till the conceptions which are framed in us touching God and sin and grace and heaven and eternall things be suteable to those which were in the minde of Christ 1 Cor. 2.16 Evangelicall truths are not fitted unto meere intellectuall but unto practicall judgement It is such a knowledge of Christ as may fill us with the fulnesse of God Ephe. 3.18.19 A knowledge that must work communion with Christ and conformity unto him Phil. 3.10 A knowledge that must produce a good conversation Iam. 3.13 He that saith he knoweth him and keepeth not his Commandements is a lier and the truth is not in him 1 Ioh. 2.3 4. We doe not know Christ till wee know him as our chiefest good as our choycest treasure as our unsearchable riches as Elect and precious and desireable and altogether lovely and the fairest of ten thousand and worthy of all acceptation in comparison of whom all the world besides is as dung The knowledge of Christ is not seeing onely but seeing and tasting Psal. 34.8 Psal. 119.103 And therefore they who in one sense are said to have known God Rom. 1.21 are yet in the same place verse 28. said not to have God in their knowledge It is an excellent speech of the Philosopher That such as every man is in himselfe such is the end that he works unto and such notions he hath of that good which is his end And therefore it is impossible that a wicked frame of heart can ever look upon any supernatuall object as his last end or as principally desireable If I should see a man choose a small trifle before a rich jewell however hee should professe to know the excellency and to value the richnesse of that jewell yet I should conclude that hee did not indeed understand the worth of it a right And therefore unto the perfect and proper knowledge of supernaturall things there is required a speciall work of the grace and spirit of Christ opening the heart and working it to a spirituall constitution proportionable to such kinde of truths about which it is conversant The Scripture every where attributeth this worke unto God and his Spirit It is he that giveth a heart to perceive and eyes to see and eares to heare
of it as it is contrary to the carnall wills and affections of men for as corruption doth deifie Reason in the way of wisedome not willingly allowing any mysteries above the scrutiny and comprehension of it so doth it deifie will in a way of Liberty and power and doth not love to have any authority set over that which may pinch or restraine it As Ioshua said to Israel yee cannot serve the Lord for he is an holy God Josh. 24.19 we may say of the Law we cannot submit to the Law because it is an Holy Law the carnall minde is not cannot be subject to the Law of God Rom. 8.17 Heat and Cold will ever be offensive unto one another and such are flesh and spirit Gal. 5.17 Therefore ordinarily the arguments against the wayes of God have beene drawne from politique or carnall interests Ieroboam will not worship at Ierusalem for feare least Israel revolt to the house of David 1 Kings 12.27 Amos must not prophesie against the Idolatry of Israel for the Land is not able to beare all his words Amos 7.10 The Jewes conclude Christ must not be let alone lest the Romanes come and take away their place and Nation Rom. 11.48 Demetrius and the Craftsmen will by no meanes have Diana spoken against because by making shrines for her they got their wealth Act. 19.24 25. Corruption will close with Religion a great way and heare gladly and doe many things willingly and part with much to escape damnation but there is a particular point of rigor and strictnesse in every unregenerate mans case which when it is set on close upon him causeth him to stumble and to be offended and to break the treaty The Hypocrites in the Prophet will give rammes and rivers of oyle and the first borne of their body for the sinne of their soule but to doe justly to love mercy to walke humbly with God to doe away the treasures of wickednesse the scant measure the bagge of deceitfull weights violence lies circumvention the statutes of Omri or the Counsels of the house of Ahab durus sermo this is intollerable they will rather venture smiting and desolation then bee held to so severe termes Mich. 6.6 16. The young man will come to Christ yea runne to him and kneele and desire instruction touching the way to eternall life and walk with much care in observation of the Commandments but if hee must part with all and in stead of great possessions take up a Crosse and follow Christ and fare as hee fared durus sermo this is indeed a hard saying he that came running went away grieving and displeased and upon this one point doth hee and Christ part Mark 10.17.22 Herod will heare Iohn gladly and doe many things and observe and reverence him as a just and holy man but in the case of Herodias hee must be excus'd upon this issue doth hee and Salvation shake hands Mark 6.20 27. This is the difference betweene Hypocriticall and sincere conversion that goes farre and parts with much and proceedes to almost but when it comes to the very turning point and ultimate act of Regeneration hee then playes the part of an unwise sonne and stayes in the place of the breaking forth of children Hos. 13.13 as a foolish Merchant who in a rich bargaine of a thousand pound breaks upon a difference of twenty shillings but the other is contented to part with all to suffer the lâ—sse of All to carry on the Treaty to a full and finall conclusion to have All the Armour of the strong man taken from him that Christ may divide the spoiles Luke 11.22 Psal. 119.128 to doe the hardest duties if they bee commanded Gen. 22.3 Thirdly the searching convincing and penetrating quality which is in the Word is a great matter of offence unto wicked men when it cuts them to the heart as Stephens Sermon did his hearers Act. 7.54 Light is of a discovering and manifesting property Eph. 5.13 and for that reason is hated by every one that doth evill John 3.20 for though the pleasure of sinne unto a wicked man be sweet yet there is bitternesse in the root and bottome of it hee who loves to enjoy the pleasure cannot endure to heare of the guilt Now the worke of the Word is to take men in their owne heart Ezek. 14.5 to make manifest to a man the secrets of his owne heart 1 Cor. 14.25 to pierce like arrowes the hearts of Gods enemies Psal. 45.5 to divide asunder the soule and spirits the joynts and marrow and to be a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart Hebrewes 4.12 Esay 49.2 This Act of discovery cannot but exceedingly gaul the spirits of wicked men it is like the voice of God unto Adam in Paradise Adam where art thou or like the voice of Ahijah to the wife of Ieroboam 1 King 14.6 I am sent unto thee with heavy tidings Fourthly the plainnesse and simplicity of the Gospel is likewise matter of offence to these men 2 Cor. 10.10 and that partly upon the preceding reason for the more plaine the Word is the more immediate accesse it hath unto the conscience and operation upon it So much as is meerly humane elegancy finenesse of wit and delicacy of expression doth oftentimes stop at fancy and take that up as the body of Asahel caused the passers by to stand still and gaze 2 Sam. 2.23 And wickked men can bee contented to admit the Word any whither so they can keep it out of their conscience which is the only proper subject of it 2 Cor. 4.2 When I heare men magnifie quaint and polite discourses in the ministry of the word and speak against Sermons that are plaine and wholesome I look upon it not so much as an Act of pride though the wisedome of the flesh is very apt to scorne the simplicity of the Gospel but indeed as an act of feare and cowardize because where all other externall trimmings and dresses are wanting to tickle the fancy there the Word hath the more downright and sad operation upon the conscience and must consequently the more startle and terrifie Fifthly the great difficulty and indeed impossibility of obeying it in the strictnesse and rigor of it is another ground of scandall that God in his Word should command men to doe that which indeed cannot be done this was matter of astonishment to the Disciples themselves when our Saviour told them that it was easier for a Camell to goe through the eye of a needle then for a Rich man to enter into the Kingdome of God Mark 10.25 This was the cavill of the disputant in the Apostle against the counsels of God Why doth he yet find fault if hee harden whom he will why doth he complaine of our hardnesse which it is impossible for us to prevent because none can resist his will Rom. 9.1 Now to this scandall we answer first That the Law of God was not originally nor is
his Title is so good that he will never yeeld to a Composition hee will have all the heart or none 4. We should therefore be exhorted in time of trouble especially to set about this great worke to fall foule upon our sinnes to complaine against them to God as the Achans that trouble Israel as the corrupters and betrayers of our peace to set our selves in Gods eye and not to dare to lie unto his holy Spirit by falsenesse or hypocrisie as if wee could reserve any one sin unmortified which he should not know of But being in his sight to whom all things are naked and open to deale in all sincerity and to hate sin even as he hates it There are five notable duties which these three words Omnem tolle iniquitatem do lead us unto 1. Sense of sin as of an heavie burden as the Prophet David calls it Psal. 38.5 Such sense our Saviour requires in true penitents Come unto me all yee that are weary and heavy laden Mat. 11.28 To conceive them heavier then a Milstone Luke 17.2 Then the weight of a Mountain Luk. 23.30 O what apprehension had S. Peters converts of sin when they felt the nails wherewith they had crucified Christ sticking fast in their own hearts and piercing their spirits with torment and horror Acts 2.37 Oh what apprehensions had the poor Iaylor of his sins when he came as a prisoner before his owne prisoners springing in with monstrous amazement consternation of spirit beseeching them to tell him What he should do Acts 16.23.30 Consider it in its Nature an universall bruise and sicknesse like those diseases which Physicians say are Corruptio totius substantiae from head to foot Isa. 1.5 6. And who doth not feel such an Universall languor to be an heavie burden for a man that must needs labour to have weights hung at his hands that must needs walk to have clogs fastened to his feet how can he choose but cry out with the Apostle O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me Rom. 7.24 Consider it in the Curse that belongs unto it· A Roll written within and without with curses Look outward and behold a curse in the Creature Vanitie Emptinesse Vexation Disappointment every creature armed with a sting to revenge its Makers quarrell Look inward behold a curse in the conscience accusing witnessing condemning haling to the tribunall of vengeance first defiling with the allowance after terrifying with the remembrance of sin Look upward and behold a curse in the heavens the wrath of God revealed from thence upon all unrighteousnesse Looke downward and behold a curse in the earth Death ready to put a period to all the pleasures of sinne and like a trap-doore to let downe into Hell where nothing of sinne will remaine but the worm and the fire Look into the Scripture and see the curse there described an everlasting banishment from the glory of Gods presence an everlasting destruction by the glory of his power 2 Thes. 1.9 The Lord shewing the jealousie of his Iustice the unsearchablenesse of his severity the unconceiveablenesse of his strength the bottomless guilt and malignity of sin in the everlasting destruction of ungodly men and in the everlasting preserving of them to feele that destruction Who knoweth the power of thy anger saith Moses Even according to thy feare so is thy wrath It is impossible for the most trembling consciences or the most jealous fears of a guilty heart to looke beyond the wrath of God or to conceive more of it then indeed it is As in peace of conscience the mercy of God is revealed unto beleevers from faith to faith so in anguish of conscience the wrath of God is revealed from fear to fear A timorous man can fancy vast and terrible fears fire sword tempests wracks furnaces scalding lead boyling pitch running bell metall and being kept alive in all these to feele their torment But these come farre short of the wrath of God for first there are bounds set to the hurting power of a creature the fire can burn but it cannot drown the Serpent can sting but he cannot teare in pieces 2. The fears of the heart are bounded within those narrow apprehensions which it self can frame of the hurts which may be done But the wrath of God proceeds from an Infinite Justice and is executed by an omnipotent and unbounded power comprising all the terror of all other Creatures as the Sun doth all other light eminently and excessively in it It burns and drowns and tears and stings and bruises and consumes and can make nature feel much more then reason is able to comprehend O if we could lay these things seriously to heart and yet these are but lowe expressions of that which cannot be expressed and cometh as short of the truth it self as the picture of the Sun in a table doth of the greatnesse and brightnesse of it in its own Orbe should we not finde it necessary to cry out Take away all iniquitie this sicknesse out of my soul this sword this nayle this poysoned arrow out of my heart this Dagger of Ehud out of my belly this milstone this mountain from off my back these stings and terrors these flames and Furies out of my Conscience Lord my wounds stinke my lips quiver my knees tremble my belly rots I am feeble and broken and roar and languish thy wrath lyes hard upon me and thy waves go over my head O if we had but a view of sin as it is in its native foulnesse and did feel but a touch of that fury that God is readie to powre out upon it this would stain all the pride of man and soure all the pleasures of sin and make a man as fearfull to meddle with it as a guilty woman with the bitter water which caused the Curse Most true was that which Luther spake in this point If a man could perfectly see his own evils the sight thereof would be a perfect hell unto him and this God will bring wicked men unto Reprove them and set their sins in order before them Psal. 50.21 Make them take a view of their own hearts and lives fuller of sins then the Firmament of stars or a furnace of sparks O Consider this you that forget me saith the Lord lest I tear you in pieces and there be none to deliver you The second dutie is Confession for he that cries to have sin taken away acknowledgeth that it lyes upon him A full Confession not of many but of All sins either actually committed or habitually comprised in our body of sin As he in the Comoedian said that he had invited two guests to dinner Philocrates and Philocrates a single Man but a double Eater So in examination of our selves we shall every one finde sins enough in himself to denominate him a double and a â—â—eble sinner A free Confession not as Pharaohs extorted upon the wrack nor as that of Iudas
with the Saints Eph. 2.19 Now as amongst fellow Citizens there useth to be an intercourse of mutuall negotiation one man hath one Commodity and another another and these they usually bartar withall So amongst the Saints one man is eminent in one grace another in another and according to their mutuall indigencies or abilities they doe interchangeably minister to one another towards the growth of the whole And this is that which is here further requisite to the encrease of the Body called 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The supply of service and the supply of nourâ—shment which one part affords unto another and so to the whole This is principally from the Head to the members called by the Apostle The supply of the Spirit of Iesus Christ Phil 1.19 Of whose fulnesse wee receive grace for grace Ioh. 1.16 into whose image we are transformed from glory to glory 2 Cor. 3.18 but it is proportionably between the members amongst themselves for as severall particular ingredients make up one cordiall and severall instruments concurre to the perfâ—cting of one 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or consummate work and the beauty of every thing ariseth out of the varietie and order and mutuall serviceablenesse that the parts thereof have unto one another So is it in the Church too which Christ hath so tempered together that they might all stand mutually in need of one another Therefore we finde the Saints in Scripture communicating to one another their experiences temptations deliverances comforts for their mutuall edification Psal. 34. â— 6. Ioh. 1.41 45. Ioh. 4. â—9 2 Cor. 1.4 6. Phil. 1.12 13 14. Col. 2.1 2. And Gods dealings with Saints in particular are therefore registred in the Scripture both that we might learn that way of building up one another and that by their examples we might support our faith and through patieâ—ce and experience of the Scripture have hope because what hath been done unto one is in the like condition applicable unto everie other Iam. 5.10 11 17. Rom 15.4 1 Cor. 10 6. Heb. 13.5 5. After all this there is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an effectuall working a vis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or a vis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a faculty to forme and to concoct the matter which hath been subministred unto life and nourishment which is the work of faith and of the Spirit of Christ whereby the soule of a Believer being sensible of want desirous of supply and pressing forward unto perfection doth sweetly close with whatsoever the measure of any other part hath communicated unto it converâ—ing it into growth and nourishment to it selfe which the Apostle calls the mixing of the word with faith Hebr. 4.2 Now Fourthly He promiseth that the beauty of his Church shall be as the Olive tree that as she should have the glory of the Lilly the strength and extension of the Cedar so this spreading should not be a vain ostentation but should have joyned with it the flourishing and fruitfulnesse of the Olive Now the honour of the Olive tree standeth in two things Perpetuall greennesse and most profitable fruit which serveth both for light to cause the Lamp to burn Exod. 27.20 and for nourishment to be eaten Levit. 6.15 16. in the one respect it is an embleme of peace it maketh the face shine Psal. 104.15 and in the other it is an embleme of grace and spirituall gifts 1 Ioh. 2.20 These are the two most excellent benefits which God promiseth unto his people He will speak peace unto them Psal. 85.8 Isa. 32.17 and he will give them grace and glory Psal. 84.11 And as he promiseth so should we practice these things and learne to beautifie the Gospel of Christ first with our good works as the fruits of his grace Ioh. 15.8 Secondly with our spirituall joy and comfort as the fruits of his peace That others seeing the light and shining forth of a serene calm and peaceable conscience in our conversation may thereby be brought in love with the wayes of God These two do mutually cherish and increase one another The more conscience we make of fruitfulnesse the more way do we make for peace when the waters of lust are sunk the Dove will quickly bring an Olive branch in and the more the peace of God rules in the heart the more will it strengthen the conscience and care of obedience out of these considerations first out of thankfulnesse for so great a blessing secondly out of fear to forfeit it thirdly out of wisdome to improve and encreâ—se it Fifthly He promiseth that his Church shall be as the smell of Lebanon and that the sent of it shall be as the wine of Lebanon as elsewhere we finde her compared to a garden of spices Cant. 4.12 14. shee shall be filled with the sweet savour of the Gospel of Christ. Thanks be unto God saith the Apostle which alwayes causeth us to triumph in Christ and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place for we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ 2 Cor. 2.14 15. where there are two Metaphors one of a sweet oyntment the other of a triumph The Name of Christ is compared to an ointment Cant. 1.3 and preaching of the Gospel which is making mâ—nifest the savour of this oyntment is called the bearing of Christ's Name Act. 9.15 Now this sweet savour is annexed unto a Triumphall solemnity because in all times of publick joy they were wont to anoint themselves with sweet oyl which is therefore called Olâ—um laetitiae the oyl of gladnesse Psal. 45.7 8. Isa. 61.3 For in times of mourning they did abstaine from sweet oyntments 2 Sam. 14.2 Dan. 10.2 3. The Gospel therefore being a message of great joy Luk. 2.10 a leading of captivity captive and the meanes whereby Christ rideth forth gloriously conquering and to conquer Psal. 45.3 4. Psal. 110.2 Revel 6.2 therefore they who brought these good tydings are said to be as a sweet savour whose lips drop sweet smelling myrrhe Cant. 5 1â— and whose Doctrine is compared to the powders of the Merchant Cant. 3.6 and the time of the Gospel is called an accepted time a day of salvation 2 Corinth 6.2 that is a time of singular joy and solemnity a continuall Easter or festivall 1 Cor. 5.7 8. and herewithall he promiseth likewise That his people should offer up spirituall incense and services unto him in prayers thanksgivings almes and good workes Ezek. 20.41 And as he promiseth so we should practice these things our care should be to let our lips and lives breathe forth nothing but grace and edification Col. 4.6 To be frequent in the spirituall Sacrifices of prayer thanksgiving and good works which may be as an odour of a sweet savour in the nostrils of God Phil. 4.18 Revel 8.4 To labour to leave behinde us a good name not out of vaine glory or an empty ambitious affectation of honour but out of the conscience of an holy life which
Ionah in the Whales belly and as Daniel in Babylon pray towards his holy Temple still The woman of Canaan would not bee thrust of with a seeming rejection nor utterly despond under a grievous Tentation but by a singular acumen and spirituall sagacitie discerned matter of argument in that which looked like a deniall Math. 15.27 Sope and Fullers Earth at the first putting on seeme to staine and to foule cloaths when the use and end is to purifie them And Gods frowns and delayes may seeme to be the denials of prayer when haply his end is to make the granting of them the more comfortable Therefore in all troubles we must not gâ—ve over looking towards God but say with Iob though he slay me I will trust in him And after all afflictions we must learn to expresse the fruit of them to come out of them Refined as silver out of the fire to have thereby our faith strengthned our hope confirmed our love inflamed our fruit and obedience encreased our sinne tâ—ken away and our iniquities purged Esay 27.9 To bee Chastened and taught Psal. 84.12 to bee chastned and converted Ier. 38.18 If we have runne away from our duties and been cast into a Whales belly for it when we are delivered let us be sure to look better to our resolutions afterwards after all that is come upon us for our sinnes take heed of breaking his Commandements againe Ezra 9.13 14. As Iobs riches after his so wee should endeavour that our graces after our afflictions may be doubled upon us and that the sent of our holy example may like spices bruised or the grapes of Lebanon crushed in the Wine-presse give a more fragrant smell in the nostrils of God and man as the smell of a field which the Lord hath blessed Lastly he promiseth that all these should be fruits of Lebanon of the best and perfectest kinde There are many evidences of the goodnesse of God even in the lives of Pagan men we reade of Abimelechs forbearance to sinne against God Gen. 20.4 6. and of his and Ephrons singular kindnesse to Abraham Gen. 20.14 15. Gen. 23.10 11 15. No argument more common then this of the vertues the temperance prudence justice mercy patience fidelity friendships affability magnanimity of many heathen men insommch that some have presumed so farre as to make them ex congâ—uo meritorious or dispositive to salvation But all these are but wild grapes bitter clusters the fruits of an empty Vine not worth the gathering in order to salvation But the graces which God bestoweth upon his Church are of a more spirituall and perfect nature proceeding from faith in Christ from love of God from a conscience cleansed from dead works from an intention to glorifie God and adorne the Gospel from a new naâ—ure and from the spirit of Christ conforming his servants unto himself They are not grapes of Sodom but grapes of Lebanon And as hee thus blesseth us in the like manner should we serve him not offer unto him the reâ—use the halt and blind and maimed for Sacrifice not give unto him of that which cost us nothing but goe to Lebanon for all our Sacrifices covet earnestly the best gifts presse forward and labour to perfect holinesse in the feare of God Give unto him our Lillies the beauties of our minority and our Cedars the strength of our youth and our olives and grapes and corn and wine whatever gifts hee hath bestowed on us use them unto his service and honour againe nor content our selves with the forme of godlinesse with the morality of vertues with the outside of duties with the seeds and beginnings of holinesse he hath none who thinks hee hath enough but strive who shall out-runne one another unto Christ as Peter and Iohn did towards his Sepulcher It was an high pitch which Moses aimed at when he said I beseech thee shew me thy glory Exod. 33.18 Nothing would satisfie him but fulnesse and satiety it selfe Be sure that all your graces come from Sion and from Lebanon that they grow in Immanuels Land till Christ own them God will not accept them Morall vertues and outward duties grapes of Sodom may commend us unto men nothing but inward spirituall and rooted graces the grapes of Lebanon will commend us unto God To do only the outward works of duty without the inward principle is at best but to make our selves like those mixt Beasts Elephants and Camels in the Civill Law operam praestant natura fera est which though they doe the work of tame beasts yet have the nature of wilde ones Morall vertue without spirituall piety doth not commend any man unto God for we are not accepted unto him but in Christ and we are not in Christ but by the holy Spirit THE SIXTH SERMON HOSEA Chap. 14. ver 8. Ephraim shall say what have I to doe any mor with Idols I have heard him and observed him I am like a green firre-tree from me is thy fruit found THe Conversion of Israel unto God in their trouble was accompanied with a Petition and a Covenant A Petition imploring mercy and grace from God and a Covenant promising thanksgivings and obedience unto him And God is pleased in his Answer to have a distinct respect unto both these for whereas they petition first for pardon that God would take away all iniquity he promiseth to heale their backslidings and to love them freely and whereas they pray for blessings receive us into favour doe us good God likewise maketh promises of that in great variety expressed by the severall metaphors of fertility answering to the name and blessings promised formerly unto Ephraim And all this we have handled out of the four preceding verses Now in this 8th verse God is pleased not only graciously to accept but further to put to his seale and to confirme the Covenant which they make promising that by the assistance of his spirit they should bee enabled to doe what they had undertaken This is the greatest ground of confidence that wee can have to binde our selves in holy Covenants unto God even the promise of his strength and assistance enabling us to keep Covenant with him Therefore when David had said I have sworne and will performe it that I will keepe thy righteous Iudgements it followes a little after Accept I beseech thee the free-will offerings of my mouth O Lord and teach me thy judgements Psal. 119.106 108. David was confident that God would not onely accept his Covenant but teach him how to keep it and that made him the more confident to binde himselfe by it In the Originall the words are onely thus Ephraim What have I to doe any more with Idols which therefore some would have to be the words of God spoken unto Ephraim But there is nothing more usuall in Scripture then an ellipsis of the verb and we finde this very verb omitted and yet necessary to be supplyed Esay 5.9 and in this place
the aide of God for it is he that worketh in us both to will and to do Phil. â— 11.12.13 when we Covenant to turn unto God we must withall pray unto him to turne us Lam. 5.21 Ier. 31. God commands us to turn our selves and to make us a new heart and a new spirit that we may live Ezek. 18.30.31 32. but withall he telleth us that it is hee who gives us one heart and one way and a new spirit that we may walk in his Statutes Ezek. 11.19.20 Ier. â—2 39 He giveth us posse velle agere proficere the power to make us able the heart to make us willing the Act to walk the proficiency to improve the perseverance to finish and perfect holinesse David cannot run in the way of Gods Commandements till he enlarge his heart Psal. 119.32 nothing can finde the way to heaven but that which comes first from heaven Ioh. 2.13 wee cannot give unto God any thing but of his own Who am I saith David and what is my people that we should be able to offer so willingly after this sort for all things come of thee and of thine own have we given thee 1 Chron. 29.14 For the further understanding of this point and of the sweet concord and concurrence betweene the will of man converted and the effectuall grace of God converting wee shall set down these few propositions 1. That there is in man by nature a power or faculty which wee call Free will whereunto belongeth such an indifferency and indeterminacy in the manner of working that whether a man will a thing or â—ill it choose it or turne from it hee doth in neither move contrary to his owne naturall principles of working A stone moving downward doth move naturally upward contrary to its nature and so violently But which way so ever the will moves it moves according to the condition of its created being wherein it was so made as when it chose one part of a contradiction it retained an inward and fundamentall habitude unto the other like those gates which are so made as that they open both wayes So that as the tongue which was wont to sweare or blaspheme when it is converted doth by the force of the same faculty of speaking being newly sanctified utter holy and gracious speeches so the will which being corrupted did chuse evill and only evill being sanctified doth use the same manner of operation in chusing that which is good the created nature of it remaining still one and the same but being now guided and sanctified by different principles This wee speak onely with respect to the naturall manner of its working for if we speake of liberty in a morall or theologicall sense so it is certaine that the more the will of man doth observe the right order of its proper objects and last end the more free and noble it is the very highest perfection of free will standing in an immutable adherency unto God as the ultimate end of the creature and all ability of receding or falling from him being the deficiency and not the perfection of Free-will And therefore the more the will of man doth cast off and reject God the more base servile and captive it growes In which sense we affirme against the Papists that by nature man since the fall of Adam hath no Free-will or naturall power to beleeve and convert unto God or to prepare himselfe thereunto 2. In man fallen and being thereby universally in all his faculties levened with vitious and malignant principles there is a native privitie and corrupt force which putteth forth it selfe in resisting all those powerfull workings of the word and spirit of grace that oppose themselves against the body of sinne and move the will unto holy resolutions for the wisedome of the flesh cannot bee subject unto the Law of God Rom. 8.7 The flesh will lust against the spirit as being contrary thereunto Gal. 5.17 an uncircumcisied heart will alwayes resist the holy spirit Act. 7.51 there is such a naturall antipathy between the purity of the word and the impurity of the will of man that he naturally refuseth to heare and snuffeth at it and pulleth away the shoulder and hardneth the heart and stoppeth the eare and shutteth the eyes and setteth up strong holds and high reasonings against the wayes of God and is never so well as when he can get off all sight and thoughts of God and be as it were without God in the world Ier. 5.3.6.10.17.23.19.15 Mal. 1.13 2 Chron. 36.16 3. According to the degrees and remainders of this naturall corruption so farre forth as it is unmortified and unsubdued by the power of grace this originall force doth proportionably put forth it selfe in withstanding and warring against the Spirit of God even in the regenerate themselves A notable example whereof wee have in Asa of whom it is said that he was wroth with Hanani the Seer and put him in a Prison-house and was in a rage with him when hee reproved him for his carnall confidence 2 Chron. 16.10 and the Apostle doth in many words both state and bewaile the warring of the Law of his members against the law of his minde so that when hee did with the one serve the law of God hee did with the other serve the law of sinne and was unable to doe the thing which hee would and the evill which he would not he did doe by the strength of sinne that dwelled in him â— Rom. 7.14 15. 4. We are to distingish of the will of God which is set forth in Scripture two manner of wayes There is voluntas signi or that will of God whereby he requires us to work and which he hath appointed to bee observed by us His will signified in precepts and prohibitions This is the will of God saith the Apostle even your sanctification 1 Thess. 4.3 So we are said to prove to try to doe Gods will or that which is pleasing in his sight Matth. 7.21 Rom. 12.2 Ioh. 8.29 and there is voluntas beneplaâ—iti the will of his purpose and counsell according unto which hee himselfe in his owne secret and unsearchable good pleasure is pleased to work for hee worketh all things after the counsell of his owne will Eph. 1.11 whatsoever the Lord pleaseth that he doth in heaven and earth Psal. 135.6 And no second causes can doe any thing else though they never so proudly break the order of Gods revealed will but what his hand and Counsell had before determined Acts 4.28 The will of Gods precept and command is every day violated resisted and broken through by wicked men unto their owne destruction How often would I and yee would not Matth. 23.37 Ierem. 13.11 But the will of Gods Counsell and purpose cannot bee resisted or withstood by all the powers of the world the Counsell of the Lord must stand and those very agents that worke purposely to disappoint and subvert it doe by those very workings
poore and slender temptation how strangely did a creature of so high and noble a constitution exchange God himselfe for the fruit of a tree believe a Serpent before a Maker and was so miserably cheated as to suppose that by casting away Gods Image he should become the more like him Who could have thought that David a man after Gods owne heart with one miscarrying glance of his eye should have been plunged into such a gulfe of sinne and misery as he fell into that so spirituall and heavenly a soule should be so suddenly overcome with so sensuall a temptation that so mercifull and righteous a man should so greatly wrong a faithfull servant as he did Vriah and then make the innocent blood of him whom hee wronged a mantle to palliate and to cover the wrong and make use of his fidelity to convey the letters and instructions for his own ruine Who could have thought that Lot so soone after he had been delivered from fire and brimstone and vexed with the filthy conversation of the Sodomites should bee himselfe inflamed with unnaturall incestuous lust who could have suspected that Peter who had his name from a Rock should be so soone shaken like a Reed and after so solemn a protestation not to forsake Christ though all else should to bee driven with the voice of a Maide from his stedfastnesse and with oaths and curses be the first that denied him Surely every man in his best estate is altogether vanity Therefore it behoveth us to be alwayes humbled in the sight of our selves and to be jealous 1. Of our originall impotency unto the doing of any good unto the forbearing of any evill unto the repelling of any temptation by our owne power In his owne might shall no man be strong 1 Sam. 2.9 To bee a sinner and to be without strength are termes equivolent in the Apostle Rom. 5.6 8. Nay even where there is a will to doe good there is a defect of power to perform it Rom. 7.18 our strength is not in our selves but in the Lord and in the power of his might and in the working of his Spirit in our inner man Eph. 6.10.3.19 Phil. 4.13 If but a good thought arise in our mind or a good desire and motion bee stirring in our heart or a good word drop from our lips we have great cause to take notice of the grace of God that offered it to us and wrought it in us and to admire how any of the fruit of Paradise could grow in so heathy a wildernesse 2. Of our naturall antipathy and reluctancy unto holy duties our aptnesse to draw back towards perdition to refuse and thrust away the offers and motions of grace our rebellion which ariseth from the law of the members against the law of the minde the continuall droppings of a corrupt heart upon any of the tender buds and sproutings of piety that are wrought within us our aptnesse to bee weary of the yoke and to shake off the burden of Christ from our shoulders Esay 43.22 our naturall levity and inconstancy of spirit in any holy resolutions continuing but as a morning dew which presently is dryed up beginning in the spirit and ending in the flesh having interchangeable fits of the one and the other like the Polypus now of one colour and anon of another now hot with zeale and anon cold with security now following Moses with Songs of Thanksgiving for Deliverance out of Egypt and quickly after thrusting Moses away and in heart returning unto Egypt againe Such a discomposednesse and naturall instability there is in the spirit of man that like strings in an instrument it is apt to be altered with every change of weather nay while you are playing on it you must ever and anon bee new turning it like water heated which is alwayes offering to reduce it selfe to its own coldnesse No longer Sun no longer light no longer Christ no longer grace If his back be at any time upon us our back will immediately be turned from him like those forgetfull Creatures in Seneca who even while they are eating if they happen to looke aside from their meat immediately lose the thoughts of it and goe about seeeking for more 3. Of the manifold decayes and abatements of the grace of God in us our aptnesse to leave our first Love Revel 2.4 How did Hezekiah fall into an impolitick vainglory in shewing all his Treasures unto the Ambassadors of a forraign Prince thereby kindling a desire in him to be master of so rich a Land as soone as God left him unto himselfe 2 King 20.12 13. How quickly without continuall husbandry will a Garden or Vineyard be wasted and overgrown with weeds How easily is a ship when it is at the very shore carried with a storme back into the Sea againe How quickly will a curious watch if it lie open gather dust into the wheeles and bee out of order Though therefore thou have found sweetnesse in Religion joy in the holy Spirit comfort yea heaven in good duties power against corruptions strength against temptations triumph over afflictons assurance of Gods favour vigour life and great enlargement of heart in the wayes of godlinesse yet for all this be not high-minded but feare Remember the flower that is wide open in the morning when the Sunne shines upon it may be shut up in the evening before night come If the Sunne had not stood still Ioshua had not taken vengeance on the enemy Iosh. 10.13 and if the Sunne of righteousnesse doe not constantly shine upon us and supply us wee shall not be able to pursue and carry on any victorious affections While God openeth his hand thou art filled but if he withdraw his face thou wilt be troubled againe Psal. 104.28 29. Therefore take heed of resting on thine owne wisdome or strength Thou mayest after all this grieve the Spirit of God and cause him to depart and hide himselfe from thee thou mayest fall from thy stedfastnesse and lose thy wonted comforts thou mayest have a dead wiâ—ter upon the face of thy conscience and be brought to such a sad and disconsolate condition as to conclude that God hath cast thee out of his sight that he hath forgotten to be gracious and hath shut up his loving kindnesse in displeasure to roare out for anguish of spirit as one whose bones are broken thy soule may draw nigh to the grave and thy life to the destroyers and thou mayest finde it a wofull and almost insuperable difficulty to recover thy life and thy strength again It was so with Iob Chap. 10.16 17. Chap. 13.26.27.28 Chap. 16.9 13. Chap. 30.15 31. It was so with David Psal. 51.8 Psal. 77.2 3 4. It was so with Heman Psal. 88. and diverse others See Iob 33.19.22 Psal. 1â—â— 3 11. Isa 54.6 11. Ion. 2.3 4. Therefore we should still remember in a calme to provide for a storme to stirre up the graces of God continually in our selves that
enough in the Apostles judgement why we should set our affections on things above Col. 3.2 3. The grace of God doth not onely serve to bring salvation but to teach us to deny ungodlinesse and worldly lusts and to live soberly righteously and godly in this present world Tâ—t 2.11 2. He who hath decreed salvation as the end hath decreed also all the antecedent meanes unto that end to be used in a manner suteable to the condition of reasonable and voluntary agents unto whom it belongs having their minds by grace illightned and their wills by grace prevented to cooperate with the same grace in the further pursuance of their salvation And if at any time corruption should in Gods children abuse his grace and efficacy unto such presumpâ—uous resolutions they would quickly rue so unreasonable and carnall a way of arguing by the wofull sense of Gods displeasure in withdrawing the comforts of his grace from them which would make them ever after take heed how they turned the grace of God into wâ—ntonnesse any more Certainly the more the servants of God are assured of his assistance the more carefull they are in using it unto his own service Who more sure of the grace of God then the Apostle Paul who gloried of it as that that made him what he was By the grace of God I am that I am who knew that Gods grace was sufficient for him and that nothing could separate him â—rom the love of Christ who knew whom he had beleeved and that the grace of the Lord was exceeding abundant towards him and yet who more tender and fearfull of sin who more set against corruption more abundant in duty more pressing unto pâ—rfection then he This is the nature of grace to ammate and actuate the faculties of the soul in Gods service to ratifie our Covenants and to enable us to perform them Fourthly As it is singular comfort to the servants of God That their own wills and purposes are in Gods keeping and so they cannot ruine themselves so is it also That all other mens wills and râ—solutions are in Gods keeping too so that they shall not be able to purpose or resolve on any evill against the Church without leave from him So then first when the rage and passions of men break out Tribe divided against Tribe brother against brother father against childe head against body when the band of Unitie which was wont to knit together this flourishing Kingdome is broken like the Prophets staffe and therewithall the Beauty of the Nation miserably withered and decaâ—ed for these two go still together Beauty and Bands Zach. 11.10 14. we must look on all this as Gods own work It was he that sent an evill spirit between Abimelech and the men of Shechem for the mutuall punishment of the sinnes of one another Iudg. 9.23 It was he who turned the heâ—rts of the Egyptians to hate his people and to deale subtilly with them Psal. 105.25 He sent the Assyrian against his people giving them a charge to take the spoil and the prey and to tread them down like the mire of the streets Isa. â—0 16.6 Hee appointed the sword of the King of Babylon by his over-ruling direction to go against Iudah and not against the Ammonites Ezek. 21.19.22 He by the secret command of his providence marked some for safety and gave commission to kill and slay others Ezek. 9. â— 5. It is he who giveth Iacob for a spoil and Israel to the robbers and powreth out upon them the strength of battell Isa. 42.24 25. If there be evill in a City in a Kingdome the Lord hath done it Amos 3.6 Isa. 45.7 This consâ—â—eration is very usefull both to humble us when we consider that God hath a controversie against the Land and that it is he whom wee have to do withall in these sad commotions that are in the Kingdomes and to quiet and silence us that we may not dare murmurre at the course of his wise and righteous proceedings with us and to dâ—rect us with prayer faith and patience to implore and in his good time to expect such an issue and close as we are sure shall be for his own glory and for the manifestation of his mercie towards his people and his Iustice towards all that are implacable enemies unto Sion 2. In the troubles of the Church this is matter of singular comfort that however enemies may say This and that we will do hither and thither wee will go though they may combine together and be mutually confederate Psal. 83.2 5. and gird themselves and take counsell and speak the word yet in all this God hath the casting voyce There is little heed to be given unto what Ephraim saith except God say the same without him whatsoever is counselled shall come to nought whatsoever is decreed or spoken shall not stand Es. 8.9 10. We have a lively Hypotyposis or description of the swift confident and furious march of the great Hoast of Senacharib towards Ierusalem with the great terrors and consternation of the Inhabitants in every place where they came weeping flying removing their habitations Esay 10.28 29 30 31. and when he is advanced unto Nob from which place the City Ierusalem might be seen he there shook his hand against Ierusalam threatning what he would doe unto it And then when the waters were come to the very neck and the Assirian was in the hight of pride and fury God sent forth a prohibition against all their resolutions and that huge Army which was for pride and number like the thick Trees of Lebanon were suddenly cut downe by a mighty one to wit by the Angel of the Lord vers 33.34 compared with Ezek. 31.3 10. Esay 17.12 13 14.37.36 therefore 3. Our greatst businesse is to apply our selves to God who alone is the Lord that healeth us who alone can joyne the two sticks of Ephraim and Iudah and make them one Exod. 15.26 Ezek. 27.19 that he would still the raging of the Sea and command a calme againe He can say Ephraim shall say thus and thus he hath the hearts of Kings and consequently of all other men in his hands Prov. 21.1 and he can turne them as rivers of water which way soever he will as men by art can derive waters and divert them from one course to another as they did in the Siege of Babylon as Historians tell us whereunto the Scripture seemeth to referre Esay 43.15 16. Esay 44.23 28. Ier. 50 23. Ier. 51.36 he can sway alter divert over-rule the purposes of men as it pleaseth him reconciling Lambs and Lions unto one another Esay 11.6 making Israel Egypt and Assyria agree together Esay 19.24 25. hee can say to Balaam Blesse when his mind was to Curse Iosh. 24.10 he can turne the wrath of Laban into a covenant of kindnesse with Iacob Gen. 31.24 44. and when Esaâ— had advantage to execute his threats against his brother he can then turne resolutions of cruelty