to thine eye-lids Prov. 6. 5. So take counsel concerning flight from the gall of bitterness the bond of iniquity the bondage of Satan the infinite danger of impenitence that seals the guilt of infinite sins upon the soul Deliver thy self as a Roe from the hand of the Infernal Hunter as a Bird from the crafty destructive snare of the invisible Fowler do not creep but flie from his Hellish mortal Gun-shot His name is Abaddon Apollyon so is his disposition and conversation It was mercy that made lingring Lot to get out of Sodom and haste to Zoar It would be infinite mercy did you hasten your escape from the dominion and damnation of your pleasing Lusts to the reign and security of saving grace SECT 16. THe fourth head of causes that fathers this adulterate off-spring 16. Temptation causeth the abuse of Grace in four particulars The abuse of Gods Grace is temptation There are four temptations to this sin 1. Temptation a voluptuous life The Widow that lived in pleasures waxed wanton against Christ 1 Tim. 5. 11. As the Apostle opposeth the Spirit of God and the World 1 Cor. 2. 12. so mostly spiritual and worldly pleasures are inconsistent Such as are ravished with the delights of the Spirit are crucified to worldly delights unaiding and unconducing to higher comforts and the intemperately toxicated with worldly delights loath the delights of the Spirit Voluptuous prosperous secure ones that joy in their Possessions and Relations feast their senses with creature-suitable sweetnesses That spend their days in mirth as Job says in this wanton bruitish life disparage and abuse the God of grace and the life of grace the fountain and the streams of highest sweetness The God of Grace in these words They say unto God depart from us Job 21. 14. They had been as good have said Depart Heaven and Happiness 'T is his presence which maketh Heaven so they despise the life of Grace desire not to be acquainted with it We desire not the knowledge of thy ways v. 14. nor to walk in them all whose pathes are pleasantness yea matchless delights What is the Almighty that we should serve him or what profit should we have if we pray unto him v. 15. What profit Ah beastly Atheistical Sensualists What not The gain godliness 1 Tim. 6. 6 The Pearle of great price Jesus Christ Mal. 13. 46. Saving wisdome is better then gold or silver Prov. 3. 14. The spirit of Grace Luke 11. 13. Precious Faith 2 Pet 1. 1. The gaine of the Soule Mar. 8. 37. Treasure in Heaven Luke 12. 33. Rich commodities in which prayer in the Holy Ghost trafficks These high gaines and joyes Epicurean Pleasurists with an ignorant and supercilious disdaine abuse as not worthy their thoughts estimate affections as if they were Mahumetans not christians had only studied the Alcoran not the Bible were Deos nihil curare dicit non ira non gratia tangi infercrum poenas non esse metuendas quod animae post mortem occidant voluptatem esse summum bonuÌ„ eius causa nasci hominem Lactan. l. 3. c. 17. poysoned with the perswasion of Epicures That the Gods care not for the things below are neither pleased nor angry with humane affairs infernall punishments are not to be feared souls and bodies die together pleasure is the cheifest good that it was the end why man was borne If irreligious pleasure-hunters say they are neither Atheists nor Epicures they do as well follow Heavenly as Earthly delights they say more then their hearts and lives pâ—ove Are not the pleasures of sense their delight in good earnest the pleasures of Faith their jest their fancy their dream Can the strength of the Soule go out to both I say not 't is impossible ' â— is very rare to be high in Earthly and Heavenly delights their number is very thin of delicate high fed rich christian professors that can say and not lie high joyes below are out joyed by higher joyes above that do but use them not enjoy them that are crucified to them that can at pleasure retreat from them The better fed Quemadmodum impossible est ut ignis flammam concipiat in aqua 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 est voluptates mundi cum poenitentia Christiana manere Otho Casmannus then taught Peastiall Christians wantons in the worlds large and high Pastures speak but the flattery of the Flesh and Devill when they say the severe discipline of serious Repentance can consist with carnall earthly delights T is a saying of a good writer that hath too much experience for its Probatum est As it is impossible that fire should burne in water so its impossible that the pleasures of the world and Christian Repentance should dwell together I cannot therefore but admire and adore infinite wisdome who knowing the worlds higher ground is dangerous and high sensuall pleasures are as slippery places Psa 73. 18. Hath ordinarily made the rich Heires of Glory the poorer sort of the world Jam. 2. 5. Lest the pallate of their Soules should be vitiated and corrupted with too much savouring of Creature sweetnesse The wholesome and prudent designe of left hand streightnings is to brighten the future Crowne of Glory by coming to it through much want and labour the great Heires of Heaven are usually kept low lest they should come to their immortall inheritance Ne immortalitatem delicate assequerentur molliter Lact. l. 7. c. 5. too delicately and softly God will not honour Grace despising voluptuous worldlings so highly as to remove yea in some not to imbitter those outward delights which in angry providence he giveth and knoweth will turn to their bane T is a sad saying of Lactan. God suffers corrupt and vicious men to live a luxurious delicate life because he lookes on them as worthlesse persons and he will not honour them so as to amend them I wonder not that a poore Christian that walkes with God feasts lives hopes high values estates by their spirituallity invisibility eternity and not by the worlds accounts would not change his hard bed thred-bare garment dry crust small drinke for the gracelesse pompe and Deus corruptos vitiosos luxuriose ac delicate patitur vivere quia noÌ„putat emendatione sua dignos Lactan. l. 5. c. 23 fullnesse of beds of Down delicious Tables soft costly and shining changes of Rayment I knew a very poor and very rich godly woman that would not change her holy poverty for her rich neighbours unsanctified estate indeed the meanest judicious Christian in his spirituall wits resents not the civill honours and vast annuall wealth of carnall wantons with envy but pitty they are rather to be lookt upon with weeping then fretting whose way to Hell is strewed with Roses who go through pleasant meadowes to Execution Rejoyce poor Christian that stands in the worlds lower ground be not troubled that wicked sensualists now stand above thee thy right hand promotion is a coming thou
after saith he Was ever man thankful to the Gods that he was a good man He may be indeed that he was Rich Honored Healthy It seems they called Jupiter Optimum Maximum the greatest and best not because he makes just temperate wise but safe honored and wealthy No wonder then if Augustine called the virtues of the Heathens Glittering sins Rivius The vain shadows of virtues and Lactantius The Images of virtues All which speaks morality yea the whole Body of virtuous Paganism without God and Christ but as a Body without an head Dives quod Honoratus quod Incolumis Cicero Splendida peccata Aug. Vmbrae Rivius Imagines virtutum Lactan. Further as the better sort of Heathens were witnesses against the scandalous and profane whose yet moral Eminencies were too low and weak ladders to climb up to their Blessed Making Summum Bonum and its adjunct Perpetuity So in the evil times of Licentious Christians God hath been wont to enter in warnings and protests by his servants against them In this time saith Luther There is no discipline at all no Justice Hoc tempore nulla amplius disciplina nulla Justitia c. Luth. in Gen. Multi bodie doctrina evan gâ—lii abutuÌ„tur interim sibi ipsis blandiuntur c. Dicunt de Duce Georgio potuit in ultimo vitae articulo converti Antinomi contemnunt benedictionem suam Ecclesiam c. no modesty among men We cry we urge we are instant in season and out of season but the Magistrate winks at sin So many now adays saith he abuse the Doctrine of the Gospel and in the mean time flatter themselves though I live in my sins and am wicked I will repent at length 'T is said of Duke George He could be converted in the last Article of life So the Antinomists say They can be converted in their own time and so contemn their blessing The Church Baptism the Keys Remission Repentance Eternal life and receive the grace of God in vain Melancton though a man of a very milde Spirit thus hotly Execrandi suÌ„t Antinomi qui nolunt docere legem in Ecclesia fingunt omnes suos impetus esse motus spiritus sancti Haec deliramementa horrendi furores Diabolici Melanct. de bonis Oper. rebuked lawless Liberoines The Antinomians are to be accursed said he who will not teach the Law in the Church and fain all their Impulses to be the motions of the Spirit and will not be governed by the Law These dotages are horrible Diabolical Furies such as were of old of many Sects Zuinglius sighed out these words If we were called Satanists Si Satanici pro Christian is diceremur Nobile illud vere pretiosum Christi nomen tantâ cum infamia conspunnus perinde ac si instar Mercurii Vsurae Furti c. Deus ac Patronus sit Zuing de Intemerata virgine pag. 349. for Christians there were no need of other maners O calamity never enough to be deplored O inestimable misery We do with such infamy disgrace the noble and truly precious name of Christ as if like a Mercury he were the God and Patron of Usury Theft Rapine and Robbery Brentius thus rebuked the loose Gospellers of his Age There Quid confidas his quibus cares Brentius in c. 3. Matth. Quast Justificatis fide quidvis liceret Hemingius Opusc Ineo is so great a corruption of maners such fludious injustice that we give no occasion to our enemies to believe we trust in good works for how should you trust in what you have not Hemingius a Dane Divine observing the abuse of Justification thus writes 'T is an error of Ancient and Modern Libertines when they hear men are freely justified by anothers righteousnesse they teach carnal security as if the justified by faith many live as they list Musculus thus declaimed against visible licentiousness 'T is clearer then the Meridian light Unbridled men count nothing sin that Meridianâ luce clarius apud homines effiaenatos pro peccato nihil reputatur c. Vah quanta infamia pudendâ turpitudine notamur Musculus Dom. 1. Advent suits with their lusts The Devil doth not let loose the reins more on the necks of the Heathens Turks and Infidels than of Gospellers with what infamy and shameful turpitude are we branded our reproach is our enemies triumph Nicolaus Gallasias taxed the Anabaptists of his time that Sublimia spectare alieni esse à mundo spiritu regi videntur Nic. Gall. Annot. in Irenaeum pag. 358. they were like the Valentian Sect Various Arrogant Curious subtle in their error resembling them in despising others fained Holiness fair Speeches soaring aloft to high things seeming to be estranged from the World and governed by the Spirit Jacobus Andraeas faulted the debauched Germans The Word was preached among them with no Reformation Their life and Horrenda Epicurea bestialis vita c. Atque hoc universum genus ab illis Evangelicum dicitur Institutum Jaco Andraeas con 4. ad c. 21. Luk. conversation was Horrid Epicureal Bestial Christ was not so much blasphemed among Turks they were wanton in their most costly and foolish apparel and all this loose carriage was vailed under a Gospel cover Joannes Rivius a Saxon Divine in his Epistle to the Duke of Saxony thus complains As of old in the infancy of the Christian Church Christ sent his Apostles into the world to preach the Vt in primordio quondam exorientis Ecclesis c. Joannes Rivius Athenodorensis opera Theol. pag. 254. Gospel The Devil stirred up his Apostles under pretence of Christ and his Gospel who used Scripture testimony to corrupt the Purity of Doctrine So when Christ hath stirred up in this age pious Writers to restore the Doctrine of the Gospel The Devil hath stirred up Anabaptists and other Sectaries to defile the purity of restored truth under pretence of promoting the Gospel removing errors and restoring Orthodox Religion Thus the Prince of darkness is transformed into an Angel of light Joannes Spangeburgius thus blamed licentious Libertines that would be kept in no bonds after they saw they were set at liberty Postquam à vinculis Papatus se liberatos esse vident volunt esse liberi ab Evangelio praeceptis Dei. Joan. Spangeb in Narrar henes Dei from the chains of Popery they would be free and discharged from the Gospel and the commands of God Calvin called the Libertines of his time Evil spirits cloathed Omnium mortalium sceleratissimos Adversus Libertinos Calvinus with humane appearance of all mortals the most wicked In his Opuscula he hath written a sad and severe Tractate against Libertines Salvians words were sad What is the Assembly of Christians but a sink of sin Why do we flatter our selves with the Christian Quid est aliud caetus Christianorum quam sentina vitiorum Salv. de Gub. 91. Ideo plus sub religion is titulo Deum ludimus quia
neverthelesse mine eyes spared them from destroying them notwithstanding they rebelled against me and walked not in my statutes Ezek. 20. 16 17 21. I have spread out my hands all the day long unto a rebellious people Isa 65. 2. God is angry with the wicked every day Psal 7. 11. Sin is an abomination to him Psal 53. 1. He can in Martial Law soon arraign condemne and execute the sinner The sword is whet it is drawn is near the bold Transgressour yet it strikes not Psal 7. 12. The how is bent made ready Psal 7. 13. The arrow is on the string The divine strong hand of vengeance could every minute draw it up to the head let fly pierce ungodly men through and through shoot them into hell yee God spares the sinner and this is the unworthy and ungratefull return he spares his sinne but forsakes it not Job 20. 13. Is like the Felon that is spared burning and hanging and he grows more insolent and violent in his old wickednesse like the truantly boy that is spared whipping and he grows malepart saucy lazy stubborn in his Masters presence The Lord spares the Lyar Swearer Tipler Whoremonger Adulterer Defrauder Oppressour that Riots with the bread of deceit Prov. 20. 17. and the wine of violence Prov. 4. 17. The subtle yet foolish Hypocrite whose craft and wisdome of the flesh is to undoe his soul and yet these in a frolick dalliance and loosenesse of spirit wallow in their old wickednesse and pleasingly dance over Non dubitamus esse donum dei ut quis in see ere aliquandiu toleretur Pet. Matt. the mouth of Hell They abuse that Grace which was never offered to the faln Angels God spared them not no not a moment but cast them down to hell 2 Pet. 2. 4. Justice would spare the sinner not a moment its free Grace that spares It is an undoubted gift of God that any man in his wickednesse is spared a minute How full is the world of daring wantons that sinne securely before and against sparing Grace The interceeding kindnesse of the Lord Jesus is abused Such as are Gods provoking Rebels who are spared under the time and means of Gospel grace are beholding to the prevalent pleadings of Jesus Christ who hath dayly grants of his Father to spare carnall Gospellers ad put them to the triall whether they will repent and be fruitfull in obedience The vine dresser pleaded for the unfruitfull vineyard Let it alone this yeare till I shall digg about it and dung it and if it hear fruit well and if not then after that thou shalt cut it downe Luke 13. 8 9. This Vinedresser says one is Iesus Christ the Colonus hic est filius Dei Iesus Christus quem suae vineae sacerdotem Deus Constituit Fit Christi intercessione quod non semper illico excidunt qui hoc jampeidem suis sceleribus meruerunt Gualterus in Loc. Son of God whom he hath Constituted the Priest of his Vineyard Were it not for the intercession of Christ barren Vineyards fruiteless Churches would soon be destroyed Professed Christian Congregations Private families would by the axe of death be cut downe as fit fewell for hell fire Sect. 3. 3. LOng-suffering grace is Turned into Wantonness Because 3. Long suffering grace is turned into wantonnesse judgment is not executed speedily therefore the hearts of wicked ones are set in them to doe evil Eccles 8. 11. My Lord delays his comming and then the evil servant is tempted to smite his fellow servant and to be drunk c. Mat. 24. 28 29. How often would Christ have gathered the Jewes under his saving wings as the Hen the Chicken under hers Mat. 23. 37. But they proudly rejected subjection to him salvation from him God endures with much long suffering Vessels of wrath and they abusively and foolishly are still fillng up sin and wrath Rom. 19. 22. The 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. Deus pro sua lenitate expectabat poenitentiam atque emendationem eorum Piscat gracious long-suffering of God waited for the Repentance and Amendment of the disobedient old world 1. Pet. 3. 20. and yet the holy wooing Spirit of God speaking by Noah solliciting and striving in gracious motions to reformation was rejected Gen. 6. 3. The whole earth was corrupt and filled with violence v. 11. I gave Iezabel space to repent of her fornication and she repented not Rev. 2. 21. As a Creditor gives his Debtor long time to pay his debts and yet forbearing kindnes is abused by a profuse lavishing intemperate life and running more in debt and as a gracious Kings act of favour that gives a Condemned Traytor a long time to sue out a pardon is slighted and despised when he spends it in whoring drinking and gaming so the mercyfull and liberall allowances of large seasons of grace the Lord grants out to deeply debted and Treasonable sinners are signally wronged when the more mercy forbeares and God is slow to wrath the more sin abounds Ah daring folly is there not difference between Long suffering and Eternall suffering are there not many sad monuments of divine justice because Patience is lasting will it be everlasting Long accounts are at length stated The longest summer day of Gods sufferance will have an end and goe downe in an endles night of unappeased fury Provoking slight gospellers are every day hastning to the period of Gods reprieves Writts of execution will be opened and served upon incorrigible sinners the worse for mercys warnings and Judgments delay The Lord Christ his pleading that barren Figg-trees may stand a yeere or yeeres longer neither Non nequitiae impreborum hominum qui incurabili malitiâ peccant Christus Patronus est Gualther Deus non perpetuo parcit sterilibus in suavinea arboribus Gualth speaks him the Patron of uncurable wickednes not assures their perpetuall security they were at length cut down as withered trees and God will likewise cut down withered Professors God doth not always spare barren trees in his vineyard Those Christians that are the shame of Gods Husbandry The abusers of Christs Intercession The contemners of the Gospel they boast of that bear the name of Believers bear up in the repute of Christs domestick Family that cumber the ground where they stand useless to the purposes of holiness and righteousness in the World as dead twice dead at best but flourishing in the leaves of a worthless profession shall at length be pluckt up by the roots be cast into hell fire as the worst of men reproachers of God and his Gospel destroyers of their bodies and souls for ever The Devil the Father of lies keeps his children fast bound in the chains of destroying lies Amongst the rest this is a main one and a common damning cheat Poor deluded sinners that have numbred 40 50 years forbearance in their sins at once collect Gods allowance of them and their own Necesse est ut ipsa prorogatae pietatis
tempora quasi damnationis tempora timeamus Greg. Mor. l. 17. c. 3. Quanto vita nostra est longier tantoculpa nostra fit numerosior gravior c. Otho Casmannus Innocence but without Book After 400 years suffering the seed of the Amorites to oppress Gods Israel Gen. 15. 13. black doom-day put a period to their Prosperities and Persecutions A long lived Libertine under the days of Grace hath more reason to fear his approaching destruction then salvation The Counsel of an ancient is wholsome well were it if accustomed slighters of Gods grace would lay it to heart it would fire them out of their perilous security It is necessary said he that we fear and tremble lest the prolonged times of Gods mercy do prove the times of our damnation It is the lamentation of a serious modern Writer The longer we live the more numerous is the account and the more heavy the weight of sin Hence when the just Judge comes he will turn the indulged times of mercy into an eternity of wrath and penalty SECT 4. 4. THe whole time of Grace is turned into Wantonnesse 4. The whole time of grace is turned into wantonness not onely sparing and long-suffering Grace but all the daies of Grace even to their late dying periods are also abused Backsliding is perpetuall The most under Gospel times refuse to return Ier. 8. 5. The Lord questions in his Word O Ierusalem how long shall vain thoughts lodge in thee Jer. 4. 14. Wilt thou not he made clean when shall it once be c. 13. 27. How long ye simple ones will ye love simplicity and the scorners delight in their scorning and fools hate knowledge Prov. 1. 22. How long The answer is not more sad then true for ever Should the loose persons of unconverted hearts and unreformed lives not bettered under a threescore years convincing and awakening Ministry and the frequent woings of the Holy Ghost be left to themselves should they live an eternity on earth they would still wrong the grace of God There is a Countrey phrase To while away the time O how many do while away precious time most do the works of darkness while Gospel light shines round about them yea in their mindes they cannot deny and yet they defame the glory of it While Christ knocks at the doors of their souls for entrance the Divel is bid welcome while the Spirit crys Repent repent the flesh wallows in the pollutions of the World while he passionatly solicits and perswades to accept of salvation upon salvations tearms the pathes of damnation are still troden in The hardened house of Israel will die While God is tendred as an everlasting portion the world is violently pursued while the pilgrimage delights of the spirit and the Heavenly Countrey Pleasures of Gods right hand are held forth to unregenerate mindes foolish souls hunt after the pleasures of sin and vanishing Creature delights While precious seasons to sue out a pardon are granted out for sins past more Treasons and Rebellions are heaped up against God while this vanishing life is proposed as a probation for Eternity lying vanities are skilfully and uncessantly pursued Five things will load this ause 1. Time one of the most precious things in the world is abused 1. Time is abused Nil pretiosius tempore heu nil hodie vilius invenitur Bernard Nothing says Bernard is more precious then it and alass nothing now a days is more slighted and vilified It is made the numbring measure of unholy and unrighteous motions but very rarely of heavenly conversation the thriving opportunity of Satans Kingdom but rarely as to the multitude of Christs The preciousness of time industriously heavenly as well as earthly merchants will tell you The worth of time an enraging afflicted Conscience on a death bed will tell you that breathed out lamentable crys Call time again call time again The excellency Veniet tempus quo vel unam horam ad resipiscendum redimere mirum quantum optabimus Otho Casmannus of time most awakened loose departing souls will tell you who will abound in fervent wishes to admiration that they might redeem but one hour to repent The dignity of time the damned in hell were they among us would tell us That had they a world they would give it to escape their torments they feel and shall endure for ever and to be in a state of Grace of Salvation The glory of time the glorified in heaven would tell us were they suffered to acquaint us with their unspeakable Joys Eternity it self will be little enough to bless God they have not lost their time but obtained salvation in the days of Grace It will ravish their hearts when as one phraseth it they shall think within themselves O blessed moment of Grace O happy days of Conversion O choicely spent time in holy mournings O beatum momentum gratiae and obedience O rarely improved time to be the shining witnesses of God against the wicked world O Heavenlized time in communion with God that contemned the world O 2. The possibility of escaping eternal misery is abused Quomodo eos pudebit pigebitque qui videbunt se opportuno tempore gratiae impenso potuisse in vita sua acerbam illam horribilem lamentabilem aeternitatem evadere the wise use of time that hath laid up treasures in Heaven and fitted espoused souls for the joyous eternal imbracements of their heavenly Bridegroom 2. The possibilities of escaping eternal misery and obtaining everlasting life are abused when the whole provisional space of preventing the wrath to come of preparing for glory in the foolish pursuit of the worlds shadows is lost when loose Prodigals of the time of Grace are impossibilitated to have a moment more What shame and grief will surprise them when they shall consider their secure neglect of the Jewel of time and the force of Eternity prevailing thoughts when set home on the conscience to make the profuse lavishers of the golden seasons of Grace the most thrifty Husbands How stinging will this sad conviction be if the opportune time of Grace were well managed they might have escaped that bitter horrible and lamentable Eternity wherein they are plunged and safely arrive to the Port of everlasting rest These things were once possible now they are not O sinners fear and tremble your sporting with sin your indignities and injuries put upon the grace of God doth exceedingly slight and despise your saving possibilities while the mouth of the bottomless pit is not shut upon you do no more disparage but honor your Gospel-seasons of Grace if you crucifie the Son of God and still despise the Spirit of Grace either laugh at or delay the necessary change of your hearts and lives be assured the next minute after your death you shall see a dreadful fixed unalterable gulf before your eyes that as the Saints in glory cannot come to your Hell so it will appear everlastingly impossible
Covenant of Salvation wherein the whole Trinity doth humble themselves The Father so much as to have thoughts of grace to relieve and succour lost sinners the Son that humbled himself to an obscuring incarnation a life of sorrows spotlesse obedience a bloudy death the price of Redemption The Holy Ghost to come into vile sinners to plead the acceptance and improvement of the Father and Sons love O inconsiderate sinners of what a scarlet tincture is your unworthy slighting of the Trinities kindness your treading under foot the blessed Gods acts of grace might he not have left you as the fall of Adam made you to be in a lost polluted helplesse and damnable estate Doth hee need your persons recovery services holynesse and happinesse Doth goodnesse in accepting Christ and his Gospel extend to him Is it his profit if you accept Is it his hurt if you despise him Psal 16. 2. Job 22. 3. 35. 6 8. Hath he humbled himself to enter into peace with you when he might have proclaimed and maintained everlasting War Will a King bear it that his descending below himself to save obstinate Traytors should be despised Surely the blessed God will not alwaies beare the insolent refusall of his mercifull condescensions who every minute could confound rebellious sinners 3. You abuse the infinite purchase of that grace that is offered 3 The infinite purchase of Grace offered is abused Now Christ hath by his active and passive obedience satisfied Justice and dearly payd for pardoning and purging grace He sits at Gods right hand to give unto Israel repentance and remission of sinnes Acts 5. 31. to offer it in common to the worst of sinners hath made an healing plaister of his blood Isa 53. 5. and offers the application of it to diseased sinners what else but a spiritual madnesse is it to cry out we will have none of the physick away with this mortifying Grace severities of repentance If we submit to unpleasing medicines of strict Gospell prescription we must never have merry dayes our deare lusts must be pinion'd and starved such adoe about Religion the new creatures that precise Puritans talk of will make our lives miserable We will not have this man to reign over us Luk. 19. 14. Take Christ who will we have made and we will keep our covenant with the world and the flesh we will have our ease and delights come what will of it Jer. 7. 9. Loose hearts and lives speak these sad things this deplorable injury to the Lord Jesus He is highly affronted that the price of grace the purchase of infinite redemption should be so unworthyly vilified 4. You abuse the heavenly messenger of Grace the Holy Ghost who proceeds from the Father and the Sonne and comes 4. The Holy Ghost the heavenly Messenger of Grace is abused with sweetest intelligence of Peace Pardon Purity and Glory The heavenly Spirits whispers would be powerfully taking if vile sinners their false loves and cursed lusts did not oppose them Hath not the Spirit told many of us a gracious conversation is incomparably better than a carnal and that there is to be found a more high noble pleasurable satisfying and gainfull life in Jesus Christ than the world flesh and devill can possibly afford Have not these inward speakings according with the outward written word the just standard awakened the soul that Sobriety Chastity Charity Liberality Faith Love Heavenly-mindednesse a fear of God a tender Conscience redeeming time c. are rather to be chosen than their contrary vices and corrupt inclinations and affections that resist them Have not many by the woings and strivings of the Holy Ghost with Agrippa not onely been almost perswaded to be reall Christians but often promised God their utmost and zealous endeavours for a through change But what is the issue a wanton loose spirit hath banished former serious gravity These warm heavenly motions are soon coold and dead by the world and the fleshes cold pourings in How ill doth the holy and delicate Spirit take it soon sensible of affronts that his gracious inspirations should either coldly be received or positively rejected or after entertainment be ungratefully forsaken The Spirits goads that prick and stir up lazy sleeping consciences are quickly blented O our unkind abuse of the good Spirit Those Divinos instinctus vel non animadvertimus vel dissimulamus in aliud tempus differrimus vel quod deterrimum est negligimus divine instincts wherewith we are excited and moved to holynesse of life and Gospell obedience either we take no notice of them or we dissemble them or we put them off to another time or which is worst of all we totally neglect them sayth an holy writer This O this is the spirits punishment not more dreadfull than disregarded the heavenly messenger bids an eternall welfare and never knocks again at those rebellious houses where he hath been never bid welcome but constantly refused My spirit shall not always strive with flesh Gen. 6. is a plague a fearfully avenging one Resolved Libertines will not follow the wisdome and saveing guidance of the spirit and the Lord chuseth their delusions Isa 66. 4. What safe Leader they will not have they shall not have they will wander from the way to heaven divine power now shall not stop them they shall dye without instruction and in the greatness of their folly they shall go astray Prov. 5. 23. Then those eyes deep securitie hath shut wrath will open either in a death-bed despaire or in hels flames after death O unkind Spirit greevers and resisters lay it to heart before it is too late Ingenspericulū divinis inspirationibus resistere Granatensis 5 The Messengers of grace are abused It is an eminent danger to oppose Divine inspirations 5. You abuse the faithly messengers of grace the Ministers of the Gospell Their worke is in the authoritie of their Master Jesus Christ to exhort and enjoyne you to beleeve and repent and if this prevaile not to beseech you in Christs stead to be reconciled 2. Cor. 5. and if this mild course speed not but gospell grace is put away as it was by the hardned Jews Act. 13. 46. Their other sad part of their Commission is to tell them He that beleeveth not shall be damned Mark 16. 16. and that very gospell grace that to others is a savour of life unto life embraced will be to them a savour of death unto death when it is despised As the Hanunites that cut of Davids Messengers garments had a warr Commenced against them for answering their kind errands with such shamefull indignities 2 Sam. 10. 3 4. 7. so the angry King of heaven will wage an eternall warre against them that unnaturally abuse the messengers and messages of grace O Take warning Loose-livers under the convictions of Gospel strictness that when you hear read of the saving overtures of the word of life you may no more be as slighty sensless under
outward Passeover Jews without and not within wicked in hearts and lives These rest on Baptismal Water Bread and Wine in the Lords Supper Christians without and not within unconverted unsanctified in hearts and lives These doe prophane offered Sacramental grace utterly voyd of Sacramental graces and lives These by their own confessions are dedicated and devoted to Jesus Christ to forsake the flesh the devill the pomp and vanities of this wicked world and they doe nothing less These by taking the Bread and Wine the lively representations of the shed blood and broken body of Jesus Christ are supposed and obliged to have grace and grow in it but they neither have the beeing nor growth of grace prophanely take the bread of the Lord with unbeleeving impenitent hearts but not the bread the Lord with faith repentance Panem Domini non panem Dominum August and other graces It will not be the least aggravation of Christians wantonnizing with the grace of God The wicked abuse of the Sacraments will prove them undeniable Libertines What affinity is there between the cleansing water of Baptisme and Baptized persons wallowing in the filthiness of flesh and spirit lying and delighting like swine in the mire in the pollutions of the world What agreement is there between a pretended feeding on the pure immortal food Jesus Christ and feeding on Satans provisions the delicious lusts and sweet pleasures of sin Is not this to turn the Table of the Lord into the Table of Devils an holy into a prophane feast as if the holy Supper were instituted to pamper and quicken not starve and mortifie corruption How epidemicall and spreading is this abuse They are the words of an holy affectionate Writer Introspicite in omnes Christini orbis partes non negabitis passim apud mulios solutarem usum Sacramentorum frigore Otho Casmannus Look into all the parts of the Christian world and you will not deny many Christians are remiss and cold concerning the saving use of the Sacraments Be they used or abused there is rarely enquiring after their efficacy or contempt what good is got by them or what defaming contradictions and wrongs there are against them 5. Good Books are abused means By them their holy Authors 5. Good Books are means abused though dead speak to the living We have in them the lasting Monuments of pious Labors the breathings of the Spirits the experiences of Satans Wiles and Methods the goings of God in his Sanctuary the shewing forth of his Power and Glory in his living Temples well-digested and heavenly directions to walk holily safely joyfully in the way to Heaven frequent and passionate woings to receive the Lord Jesus Christ in spiritual Espousals The necessity and excellency of Regeneration and the issue of it the new Creature The unbottoming and discovery of the hearts deceits kinde and affectionate warnings in time to get out of the state of sin and damnation and be delivered from the wrath to come yea further serious heart-aking and wounding discourses of the woful Eternity of Hells Torments for the loose and ungodly World and ravishing Discoveries of the blessed Eternity of Heavens Joys for exact and Religious persons with much more that may be said of the drawing excellencies of holy Writings of old and the present age Now what is the use indeed abuse of these glorious gifts of the Spirits the Births not onely of understanding Brains but holy Hearts the wasters of Blood and Spirits precious time and labor in the Lords Workmen Are not these things the sad testimonies of their dishonor some never read Vtiles pii libri quam raro pervoluuntur them others very rarely some rather judge and condemn strict truths too unpleasing Prisons and Chains for their loose hearts then fall down before the power of their truth and holiness they rather come with Satans Index Expurgatorius and by the spirit of error boldly blot out Heavenly Truths and neither suffer them to come into their Creed nor Practice then rejoyce at their Imprimatur that the helps and methods of godly lives printed in Paper might be printed in their hearts Others do with the Books they read as with the Sermons they hear lend them an eye an ear a few slighty careless thoughts but do never with Mary ponder saving Counsels in their hearts Some when they read Divine Treatises labor to pick what errors they can and like Spiders suck poyson out of the sweetest hearbs wherefore they intermix worldly Lusts the saving of their Diana and Palladium the corrupt Idols of their hearts Their darling Peccata in delici is Benjamins their sweet feasting and feasted sins and these must comment on the Text they read If precious heart-purifying life-reforming sin-reproving and conscience-smiting discourses cross error and loosness then away with the Book it is stark naught Others would read Books but valued onely by the standard of a foolish Wit accounting of Books by lofty Strains fine gaudy Phrases not the golden massy worth of the matter the Heavenly Treasures set forth in a grave and sober significant Language plain yet eloquent expression I shall enlarge this point with an hearty advice to them that have a minde and time to read Books let them take heed what they read Satan I fear hath the liberty of the Press as well as Jesus Christ There are Books of Libertinism abroad It had been well for some had they never been published in the world whose mindes are dangerously infected without infinite mercy to their destruction In the other World what if undone souls by wicked Books should wish the eyes of their flesh had been blinde and ears deaf that they could have neither read nor heard of Printed Error and Loosness to their destruction The Devil hath his market and merchants foolish Chapmen are deceived and take the bad ware of darkness for light flesh for spirit O ye simple gulled People of this Nation cheated almost of your Christianity and Civility unless ye will be foolish and proud take the advice of your learned godly Ministers of settled sollid experienced Christians and ask them what Books you should read A few words of counsel I have to you that are jocund merry ones boon Companions if you read this Section I beseech you in the bowels of Jesus Christ as you tender your Salvation and the glory of God spend your time better It will never repent you when you die you have left your covetous passionate Gaming the too frequent delights of the flesh you drench almost drown your souls in for the choosing reading meditating on Books of Mortification Heavenly-mindedness and preparation for Death and Eternity I am sure you cannot deny it now rationally I am most sure your awakened mindes cannot deny it on your death-beds that your diligent reading of Dike of the deceitfulness of the heart Baxters everlasting rest Greenham Bolton Preston Perkins c. and such Books as those were incomparably better to be
read then wanton Play-Books Romances debauching Amorous Writings If you will not believe me now whether you will or no you shall in the other World Read O read what will fit you for Heaven for your souls sake do not by reading vain frothy written delight and read your selves into Hell 6. Prayer is an abused means when this holy piece of Divine 6. Prayer is a means abused Worship the most sweet and frequent way of converse with God about Heavenly affairs is totally neglected When men come unto God without any serious thoughts of his Reverend Majesty rushing to the Throne of Grace as to a Theater a Market a merry Meeting When there are attempts of drawing nigh before infinite Purity with impure hearts and unclean hands after hot pursuit of the World and fervency in the service of carnal Lusts there is bold approach unto Gods presence as if God would regard their Prayers who regard iniquity in their hearts When Supplicants do not so much pray as complement in good earnest not Petition God but mock him declaiming against the sins they love unwilling to part with the Lusts they chide that God should take them at their words One would think that hears zealous arraignment and severe condemnings of some sins in Prayer would think the hatred of them were implacable and the forsaking of them would be everlasting when at the same time there is a strong habitual league with them yea after many hard words a securing of them living and delighting in them These and many more affronts are put upon this Heavenly means of Grace Prayer 7. Education is an abused means When lewd children and 7. Education is an abused means servants are not taken with the holy Counsels and exemplary Piety of their godly Guides Some either expresly hate instruction and correction or do but dissemble holiness who while they are in strict Families eternally conform to Holy Orders like the Fish Polipus that can turn it self into the colour of the Rock but when out of the Parents Wing and the Masters Government are no more the children and servants they were than a Player is a King when he is off the Stage or an Ape in mans apparrel is a man when undressed How will houshold Governors warnings and chastizings prayers and tears sweetest wooings and drawing promises to rebellious children and graceless servants that they may minde the marchless interest of Gods glory and their own salvation rise up in judgement against them in the accounting Day when it will appear exactest educations have been abused 8. Scriptural convictions are an abused means There are 8. Scriptural convictions are abused means not a few that know their duties and their sins It is as clear as noon-light that their intemperancies incontinences unrighteous dealings oathes lies neglect of Prayer are sins From a rouzing Sermon they can go home with smitten hearts grant that Sermon-Truths have been arrows directed to the breast of their dead corruption and in vanishing fits and moods of appearing goods promise to leave their drunken company oathes lies and worldliness yea weep over their confessed wickedness but after these suddain moods and pangs of piety are vanished the convinced sinner is as jovial drunken false in his dealing mad on his reprieved not mortified Lusts his sleeping not dead corruptions as if his sins had never stared him in the conscience and been represented to him as that which unforsaken would ruine him These do the works of darkness by Gospel-light go without miraculous conversion and exact repentance with open eyes to Hell and knowing their Masters will but doing it not shall be beaten with sharper Eternal stripes then ignorant Heathens and blinde vulgar Papists O inlightned Christians bless God for your light but fear and tremble lest the wickedness of loose hearts and ungodly conversation be greatned by your clear informations They who by the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ have escaped the pollutions of the world and are out of choice and delight again intangled in them It had been better they had never known the way of righteousness then after they have known it to turn from the holy Commandment delivered unto them 2 Pet. 2. 20 21. 9. Afflictions are an abused means They ought to be the discipline 9. Afflictions are abused meanes of vertue the purgatory of corruption Isa 27. 9. the teachers of neglected holy duties Psal 94. 12. The reducers of foolish wandring sinners into their wits and way Luke 15. 17. Wearers from the worlds sweet dugs 2 Cor. 4. 16 17. Strikers of holy awe of the Divine presence in daring spirits 1 Sam. 6. 20. Snuffers of the candle of well instructed reason that it may give a clearer light to the inferior faculties Job 33. 16 19. Monitors not to commit Vexatio dat intellectum Mercerus over again the old sins John 5. 15. Abasers of proud spirits Job 33. 17 19. Converters of departed souls Psalm 119. 67. Instrumental Saviours of lost sinners 2 Chron. 33. 12 13. When the Lords rods are spent in vain These Heavenly ends of afflictions are not attained but hearts as hard as an anvile take no gracious impressions of Gods blows In Gods afflicting Furnace there is no golden refinings of Grace no purging the dross of corruption The ill humors of camal lusts and affections and loose manners under his Physick are more incurable unbettered afflicted ones will not be purged but revolt more and more Then afflictions the means of Grace are abused SECT 7. 7. THe examples of Grace are turned into wantonness They 7. Examples of Grace are turned into wantonnesse are then well used when from a right estimate of them admiration of Gods goodness in them Thankfulness for them Phil. 1. 3. Zeal to follow them Heb. 6. 12. shaming and blaming our selves for our unlikeness to them 1 Cor. 15. 14. Daily indeavoring to write after their fair holy and heavenly Copies Heb. 12. 1. Delighting in them above all persons of the World Psalm 16. 3. choosing of them to be our choice companions and bosom-friends Psal 119. 63. resenting them as shining Lights in the World Phil. 2. 15. to clear our way to the Heavenly Countrey Thus to improve the best of patterns that reflect and hold forth the glory of God in the World the fruits of the direct beams of infused holiness and to be won to Christ 1 Pet. 3. 1. and quickned to the power of Religion by others exemplary Piety Charity Innocence and Justice is to use well examples of Grace But now when men and women regard not the most shining Lights sleep and play the wantons before them and with them make them their may-game their sport the Theam of their prophane jests and scurrilous wits in their Houses Ale-benches Taverns the Road When David was the Drunkards song Psalm 69. 12. the scorn of many despised of Michal 2 Sam. 6. 16. When hypocritical mockers at Feasts make the heirs of glory
and propagate their dominions are the picture of those wanton Traitors that abuse Gods Reconciling grace That grace of God whereby he is reconciled to the sinner and the sinner to him begets an universall peace with all his laws and methods of holynesse and war with sinne At what time friendship is commenced between God and the soul war is waged and maintained against sin Reconciliation and Alteration go together Turning away his wrath from the sinner and turning of the heart of the sinner are undevided What pleaseth a pacified God pleaseth the sons of peace When the face of God shines in smiles of peace the Laws of God are favours no offences priviledges no burdens sweet delights no unpleasing tasks the liberty not prison of really pacified beleevers Great peace have they which love thy Law and nothing shall offend them Psal 119. 165. The Romans that had peace with God stood in this Gospel-grace engaged to be holy not allowed to be Libertines The exercises of graces not allowances to lusts were the fruit of this heavenly reconcilement Rom. 5. 10 11 c. It is a choice blessing purchased by Christs death Rom. 5. They are blessed who are reconciled by him and not offended in him Mat. 11. 6. But they that refuse the Laws of his government had never yet the joy of atonement though they pleasingly vote themselves the friends of God they will be made to their own smart to know it is one thing to bee reconciled when enemies it is another thing to be reconciled and abide enemies No enemies to the Laws of Christ and Gospel-holiness were ever actually reconciled they are yet under wrath that are under the reign of sin Let them consider it that take up keep and use armes of Hostilitie against the God of peace Thoughts of reconcilement may be pleasing they will be a vanishing dream Divine Pacification is in order to Communion Libertines cannot walk with God and see his smiles that turn back upon God and hate his Laws SECT 9. ADopting Grace is turned into Wantonness I have nourished 9 Adopting grace is turned into wantonness and brought up children and they have rebelled against me Isa 1. 2. Ah seed of evill doers children that are corrupters v. 4. A son honoreth his father If I be a father where is mine honour Mal. 1. 6. As Jacobs Sonnes Simeon and Levi's wickedness made him stink Gen. 34. 30. Eli's wanton sons were his reproach so Gods Adopting grace is wronged by his professed children to his dishonour As when a Beggar is an adopted sonne and is saucy scornfull stout in his fathers presence this differencing grace is turned to wantonness so when a beggarly sinner in external Adoption is admitted into Gods family his loose unmannerly carriage in his Fathers presence puts an affront upon Adopting grace To the Israelites appertained the Adoption Rom. 9. 4. They owned the promotion God is our Father Joh. 8. 41. But the high abuse of this preferment in Heathenizing like Sodom and Gomorrah Isa 1. 10. wronging the Stewards of Gods select family the holy Prophets Act. 7. 52. despising the orders of his government Jer. 13. 9 10. Idolatrizing with the Gentiles Ps 106. 35. Their a Impudence b Vniversality and c Incorrigiblenesse of sinne a Jer. 6. 15. b Jer. 6. 28. c Jer. 2. 30. turned their external adoption into exprobation Their professed owning of God their Father in an externall covenant of Grace with unchild-like rebellions did aggravate their abominations Their want on lusts spoyled their Adoption God was in Title the Devil in reallity their father Joh. 8. 44. His Lusts but not the divine Laws of Jesus Christ ruled over them Too much a kin are dissolute Christians to the Jews dishonourers of adopting grace The looser the stricter sort of Christians 1. The Looser With what boldnesse confidence yea impudence doe many say Our Father who have nothing lesse than the dispositions and affections of children as if God could own Satans image for his living pictures and perpetuall estrangements disaffections enmities yea reproaches could have any reconcilement with the heavenly dignity of Adoption God that hath taught men to pray hath bid no man to lye and to say hee is their Father in Christ when they are unchristian in heart and life I confesse the worst of men may wish they had reall interest in Adopting grace But under the Fatherhood of Satan to claim spiritual Sonship is so to call God Father as Judas called Christ Master Luk. 14. 45. a mockery but not a truth How rare is it for the prophane pretended children of God in good earnest to charge grosse hypocrisie on their profession and thus to quaere Can these oathes drunken unclean unrighteous voluptuous lives bear any fair consistency with Adopting grace Am I not an impure offspring of Hell though I pretend to an heavenly progeny Will these thoughts words and actions speak Gods children These serious reflexions are very rare The notorious seed of the Serpent will complement and write themselves in their deceitfull hearts Gods children Many of them have been the rest will be blotted out of this blessed roll Ah bold intruder ere long in this life or the next thy Conscience wil tel thee Heaven holds no such children as wil live as they list reject the paternal government of God evidently darken the glory of God in the world and yet call him father 2. The stricter sort of Christians too much follow the dissolute Jew in blemishing the glory of divine Adoption and these are of two sorts Such as really such as are opinionatively godly are indeed children and that seem to be so 1. Christians of strict profession that are indeed children What doe you for your fathers name Doe not even you that shall hear these sweet words from the mouth of your Judge and Saviour Come ye blessed of my Father hinder his renown in the world Are not you Key-cold Hard-hearted of dis-ingenuous unchild-like spirits when you see the dreadfull testimonies of his dishonour Doe not you who in the next world shall lift up his name and make his praise glorious cast down his name and make it infamous Your undutifulness to your dear Father is too much that your too loose hearts dishonour him and inward wickednesse provokes his absence but is it not enough in irreverence and disobedience within doors to wrong your childhood will you dare to dishonour him and your selves in the publick street of common notices Against the precious fame of your Father how are your tongues heated with a fiery satan and the flames of ungoverned passion to abound in transgression before malicious observers glad of your halting How unwarily doe you publish your over-eager yea it may be in some things injurious chases after the worlds gainfull prizes Why discover you the nakedness of your dis-love and hardness to forgive a saint or sinner Why doth your voluptuousness too much declare you yet live not above the world Why are you
silly chapmen to take off the braid wares of corrupt errours Have no opininions taught you looseness Why doe you not shew you are Christians to purpose in doing illustrious singular things that the neighbours that study your lives and are strangers to your inward Faith and Love may say These are children of God indeed would I were in their condition It is not the language but the power of your Profession that will draw hearts after it How have you defaced your Adoption when your sinfull omissions of convincing duties and breakings forth of corruption sharpen the edge of bitter language and tempt to these words of reproach O these are the children of God in scorn denying you the honour because you have denyed God the glory and your selves the credit of your Adoption Let this lord your hearts for your unwatchful and dishonourable conversation and call for future caution Your publick sinnes make your Father hear ill in the world 2. Christians of strict profession that have onely childrens name not nature artificial not supernaturally natural not lively in externall exercises of Religion that put over impious designs and practises the too good cover of a pious name that are adorned painted Sepulchers unclean within that make not Religion the great expedient for blessed eternity but a fair net Quidam probitate ficta c viam sibi ad potentiā muniunt Lact. de vero cult l. 6. c. 6. to catch the world in That in your zealous devotions more hot in the mouth than heart call God frequently your Father and make it the pleasing Prologue and usher of many of your Petitions Confessions and Thanksgivings and yet have no filiall affections of love and feare shame and sorrow no pleasure in pleasing him no real godly sorrow for his dishonour That betray the weaknesse of your painted piety having no real fervencie of heart for the interest of Gods name but your own concernments That betray the whole body of your Religion is a dead carkass without the life and soul of it the quickning Spirit No wonder if you stink when the ill savour of your loathed pollutions intemperance incontinence unrighteousnesse unnaturall sins betray the power of Religion was but feigned never feared in the heart that could never disperse inward nor outward beloved and delighted in imperious sins O you that are strict in the exercises of piety and do but feign not really affect and pursue Christianity Gods most heavy and smarting blows will be at you without great repentance and singular reforming sinceritie Doe no longer mock God nor men Hypocrisie at length ends in Apostasie The feigned friends of Christ are real enemies O let not Religion holy Religion be wickedly blasphemed nor be your play and game but your serious businesse in good earnest and know when you dye as well may you expect a painted fire should warm you as a painted Religion comfort your self-accused and tempted departing soules Before I close this point I must warn the loose and scoffing generation that possibly may read this page to forbear their triumph Some may say The Author hath hit the mark and ecchoes with our thoughts we are glad he hath payd the Hypocrites out upon these Precisians they are all Hypocrites And are you glad indeed Where is your charity That would not rejoice in iniquity 1 Cor. 13. 6. What if your merry sarcasmes and satyricall invectives against the Hypocrites be an arrow justly shot against your selves Did you never read there are hypocritical mockers in feasts Psal 35. 16. The severe censurers of Hypocrisie had need be upright Are not you eminently grosly guilty of the crime you cry down If you will not believe it it is easie to prove it deny it if you can Do not you profess salvation only by Jesus Christ Do not you know except you be born again you cannot enter into the kingdom of heaven Joh. 3. 5. Is it not plain Scripture He that is in Christ is a new creature 2 Cor. 5. 17. They that are Christs have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts Gal. 5. 24. Are you not commanded to redeem the time Ephes 5. 16. Are not livers in pleasures dead to God while they live 1 Tim. 5. 6. Must not he that abides in Christ walk as he walked 1 Joh. 2. 5. Now I beseech you that throw the dreadfull charge of Hypocrisie and it may be truly against some persons and yet care not though through the sides of Hypocrites yee wound the generation of Gods children are not you gross Hypocrites your selves You profess Christianity credit Gospel-revelation call Christ your Saviour dare not say you will not be ruled by his Laws expect salvation by him own his Ordinances and if asked the question before a Sacrament or on a sick bed by Ministers that please you will you follow the rules of the Gospel to fit you for heaven My charitie perswades me you would say yea God forbid but I should be ruled by Jesus Christ It is very easie then to conclude from your own concessions you are Professors now what is Hypocrisie but a constant contradiction to the profession of the power of godlinesse Is not yours such Be not angry with this home-speaking to your bosomes your consciences if you repent not will speak a thousand times more after death than a few pages Can your studious and ordinary giving up your selves to the lusts pomps and vanities of the world be interpreted a devoting or resignment of your persons up to Jesus Christ Are you born of the Spirit that shew no scripture proofs of your high heavenly birth the life of the Spirit the graces of the Spirit the leading of the Spirit that are not acquainted with the breathings of the Spirit at the throne of grace who never made your families houses of prayer Are you indeed new creatures Is it possible that the old oathes drunkennesse uncleannesse slighting and contemning the Word of God laughing at those truths you hear that should set you a trembling loathing of religious exercises living in the old affections and conversation should prove you were new creatures Can you beleeve Christ in you hath crucified the flesh with its affections and lusts which you pamper and keep alive Doe you redeem precious time all which should you live an hundred years abating the necessary and moderate attendances on the things of this life would call for all time in the numerous services of Religion conquests of Temptations subjection to the Gospel and preparation for Eternity Will you call your covetous costly passionate gaming in the afternoon till night yea sometimes from night till morning redeeming the time Is your sleeping till nine or ten a clock on the Lords day time Redemption Is your earthy frothy unedifying discourses one with another when you are commanded to provoke one another to love and good works Heb. 10. 28. To speak what may minister grace and soul advantage to the hearer Eph. 4. 29. Time improvements
out in dreadfull flames against all of us very mock-gods that complement God our Father and take it for granted we are his children as indeed we are in externall Baptismal Covenant when it will be found as the degenerated seed of Abraham were ranked with Sodom and Gomorrah in wickednesse so without exceeding practical repentance we shall be found no better casting off our Fathers holy government than very heathens yea worse than they by how much the more we have put the cover of an heavenly adoption over hellish rebellions 3. In the great day God will strictly examine all those that 3 In the great day God will examine Professors passed for the members of his family Admission unto his houshold and calling him Father will not secure from the wrongs of this heavenly relation It is impossible now infallibly to discern between the spurious adulterate issue of the serpents seed and the new-born reall children of the most high God but at the great day when the thoughts of all hearts shall be opened and the lives of all Professors stricter or larger shall be examined Quomodo Christus filios regni appellat qui nibil minus erant quam Abrahae filii quamvis ex Dei ecclesia vere non essent quia tamen in ecclesia locum occupabant hunc ipsis titulum concedit Marlorat in loc then which is a dreadfull place The children of the Kingdom shall be cast out Mat. 8. 12. Those that had a name without the heavenly nature dispositions affections and conversations of Children that have blotted their Fathers name with inward filthiness and outward pollutions of the World that have clearly proved Gods House hath been haunted with unclean Spirits that have owned God in title the Devil in reallity their Father that have as many times mockt God as they have called him their Father in Christ Then shall these not Children of God but Rebels not the Image of Christ but Satan not the exalters but debasers of Gods name be set on their proper side among the children of the Divel and publikely before God his holy Angels his real Saints and Children be everlastingly disowned from being reputed and rewarded as his Children and be banished from his blessed and comfortable presence to the Devil their Father to keep company with all the Apostate Angels and the Serpents seed whether Pagan abusing the light of nature or Christian the glorious Gospel of Grace O consider this all you that are called Christians that either are more open and gross or close prophaners of your Fathers Name Fear and tremble still to abuse it lest as the degenerate Children of the Kingdom ye be cast out Then all thin fig-leaves and external pretensions you are Gods Children will vanish from you as darkness before the Sun and flee away as chaff before the wind It will be found that Profession of Christianity is easie but a suitable disposition and conversation to it is hard and rare Lord Lord will not alter the purposes of that angry natural Justice that will take vengeance on the dishonors offered to adopting Grace SECT 10. 10. FReeing Grace is turned into wantonness The sweet 10. Freeing Grace is turned into wantonness name of liberty but not rightly stated and understood hath been one of Satans snares and is still to undoe precious souls We are bid to stand fast in that liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free Gal. 5. 1. but not in the liberty that Satan the lusts of men the spirit of error carnal Interests and Policy makes us free Jesus Christ never died to give the Devil a free trade Gospel-Grace hath glorious freedom from the curse of the Law â—al 3. 13. the guilt of sin the wrath to come 1 Thess 1. 10. These are purchased liberties by the blood of Christ and are all abused by licentious spirits who turn Christian liberty into un-Christian Libertinism They are free from the curse of the Law as they believe but are cursed Children 2 Pet. 2. 14. have unmortified cursed Corruptions do accursed things and lead accursed lives so their freedom from the guilt of sin is abused to wallowing in the filth of sin and their fancied liberty from the wrath to come is to enjoy the present pleasures of sin and by treasuring up of sin to treasure up wrath against the day of wrath Rom. 2. 5. Too many sleeps on this sweet pillow pleasing indempnity freedom from hell and abuse this liberty by a secure walking in the way to hell How 2 Pet. 2. 19. is liberty mistaken It is a freedom from sin not in sin It is putting the old man in chains not allowing him enlargement It is absolute denying of unlawful things yea limitation and omission of lawful It is a free service of God not a servile freedom of lust It is confined to Scripture rule not left loose to a selfish arbitrary will It is full of humility fear and trembling not audacious adventuring on any thing It must write after the copy of Heavens liberty which is to do the will of God not the flesh Holy Angels are free but it is to duty not rebellion A wonder it is that under Gospel-light Christian liberty is made so broad a cover as almost to hide any thing How many come in here for their share lavish Gaming that throws away that in an hour which would feed and cloath several poor Families for many years spotted yea painted faces shroud themselves under lawful liberty Excessive gluttonous Feasts have their freedom too A Cup too much that tempts to many more is made bold with though it load the stomach and brains to staggering vomit laying reason asleep mis-spending time and money Covetous getting and keeping Estates hath its patronage from Scripture liberty Parents must lay up for their Children 2 Cor. 12. 14. It is Infidel-like not to provide for them when under this pretence the numerous Texts of Scripture concerning giving to the poor are made of none effect Every absurd and sottish opinion in Religion among the sides of needless and offensive divisions pleads Christian liberty yea which is sad horrid not onely unchristian but uncivil and unnatural practices have the same refuge O when that arch Libertine the Devil shall once gull men that his hellish suggestions have the leave and liking of Christ and his Spirit wickedness will be boundless It is sad to think how slily and successfully the Devil hath made prodigious Errors and practices passâ—ble as in former times so in the present age O you that are falsly so called free men and women know whom the Son makes free they are free indeed You do but dream of true freedom who are the slaves Non unius hominis sed quod gravius est lot dominorum quot vitiorum servi Aug. l. 4. de Civ Dei not of one man but of as many Lords as lusts Who will believe he is free who goeth ratling up and down in chains with his keeper by
when God forgives a thousand to one shall they not blot out a few I dare boldly say Those that take it for granted their sins are pardoned that are implacable that write wrongs in marble not in the dust be their confidences never so high do both un-Christian and un-Man themselves 1. They strip themselves of Christianity It s a choice and hard rule to flesh and blood to forgive enemies but this is neglected despised How can you say Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors when your consciences tell you that you cannot forgive you doe not so much pray for as curse your selves as if you should say Lord forgive not my sinnes for I will not forgive others Doe we not read the example of Christ that forgâ—ve his enemies He prayed for it Father forgive them Luk. 23. 34. this difficult piece of Christianity was in Stephen Act. 7. 50. That choice Apostolical precept to the Colossians As Christ forgave you so also do ye Col. 3. 13. And is it Christianity never to forgive nor forget ever to treasure up wrath and revenge Certe consanguinei sumus ideo maximum scelus putandum est edisse hominem vel nocentem Propterea Deus praecepit inimicitias per nos nunquam faciendas semper esse tollendas scilicet ut eos quisint nobis inimici necessitudinis admonitos mitigemus Lactant. l. 6. c. 10. Notanda est Carnis appellatio qua intelligit universes homines quorum neminem intueri possumus quin velut in speculo carnem nostram contemplemur Summae igitur inhumanitatis est eos despicere in quibus imaginem nostram agnoscere cogimur Calv. in loc 2. They strip themselves of humanity Even the Law of nature requires forgiveness We are all the off-spring of Adam come of one blood Acts 17. 26. There is a consâ—nguinity in all man-kinde We have kindred with all the children of men It is therefore the inference of Lactantius We are all of a blood and therefore it is to be reputed the greatest wickedness to hate any man although an hurtful enemy And upon this natural consideration enmities between men and men are never to be practised but ever to be abolished Inspiration of souls forming of Bodies from the same common Heavenly Father speaks us Brethren The admonition of the universal natural kindred of the World should allay yea and break the spirit of enmity into love we little consider it but it is a real truth When we take revenge of any man we are revenged of our selves Every ones flesh is ours The Prophet Isaias calls every ones flesh our own Isaiah 58. 7. That thou hide not thy self from thine own flesh Calvins exposition is pertinent to this purpose The word flesh is to be noted whereby the Prophet understands every man of whom we can behold none but as in a glass we contemplate our own flesh It is therefore a part of highest inhumanity to despise those in whom we are constrained to behold our own likeness Consider this all ye Christians who think your selves safe under the security of Gods pardoning Grace How have you abused this Gospel-priviledge whom neither the serious sense of Christianity nor the common tie of humanity can prevail with to forgive When you cannot give nor forgive reason thus Shal I not succor and pardon mine own flesh Shall I both sin against grace and nature Shall I by my uncharitable and implacable Spirit sin both against redemption and creation goodness Such Meditations cannot be too frequent to drive away irreligious and unnatural hardheartedness and revenge out of the spirits of Christians SECT 12. 12. THe Grace of imputed righteousness is turned into wantonness 12. The grace of imputed Righteousness is turned into wantonness Even the everlasting Righteousness Daniel prophesied which should be wrought in the Person of the Messiah Dan. 9. 24. hath had no little Injury in the World This stupendious Gospel-mystery That a lost sinner should be justified by anothers righteousness which is the holy Angels wonder and will be glorified Saints ravishing admiration hath been ill intreated even of professed Christians And lest the charge seem too general I shall clear it in two particulars The Grace of imputed Righteousness is wronged when this is abusively pleaded against inherent Righteousness When inherent Righteousness is foolishly and perilously rested on for salvation without imputed Righteousness The former is a plain Libertine in wickedness the latter doth play the wanton with Christs goodness 1. The grace of imputed righteousness is abused when it is 1. Imputed righteousness is abused when it is pleaded against inherent righteousness pleaded against inherent righteousness This is an easie and common cheat Corrupt flesh and the arch Deceiver can easily please the Fancy and perswade the Judgement that the fair hand of Grace hath put the rich and large Robe of Christs Personal Righteousness on the leprous and unmortified Body of sin yea that this holy cover is so thick that in the absurd Antinomian God doth not so much as see Believers sins as if one Divine Attribute had swallowed up another his mercy his omniscience Now when the loose sinner can say the Lord is his righteousness he believes himself in a state of Grace as if now nothing could indanger his immortal Soul and he had enough for Glory If unregenerate nature give the deceived Transgressor the largest line and scope to live in sinful lusts pleasures and idolized sensualities and the Conscience begin to grumble in the free choice affections and pursuances of sinful courses This is ever the remedy at hand We are all sinners This is our infirmity Christ died for us Hath satisfied his Fathers justice He is our righteousness Thus while they plead to Christs legal righteousness without them they live without Christs Gospel righteousness within them It is enough for them they are justified above they seek not to be sanctified within as if there were not need as well of an Evidence to Salvation by inherent righteousness as of a Title to eternal life by imputed righteousness This great abuse of the glorious imputed righteousness of Jesus Christ in opposition to inherent and the singular peril to be lost for ever that they are in who are contented with a bare imputed righteousness will appear in seven things As 1. No glory will redound to God in such a contentment Can the free gift of Christs perfect obedience made over to the sinner have the glory of praise when it hath the infamy of this dishonor This heavenly Robe is purposely put on the most licentious persons to hide them not to amend them Though there be no absolute change from the state of sin to the dominion of sanctifying Grace Though the state of total unregeneracy be enmity to the holiness of Christ and his Gospel Sins servants are Heavens darlings by the favor of a pretended imputation Can God have the glory of bringing forth much fruit while there is no
the Potters shop Rom. 6. 17. The whole number of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the saved that in the word of grace have felt and demonstrated the revealing of Gods arme are mightily translated from Satans kingdom into Christs Col. 1. 13. have mightily experimented the casting out of the Prince of this world Joh. 12. 31. will be astonishing witnesses against them who indeed have heard and read and have had cold and lazy convictions of the gospel but with stony hearts resisted the fastning and saving powerfull impressions of it 2. When the Gospel doth not dismantle the Devils garrisons doth not by its storms or friendly sweet Parley get the Royal Fort the Will for Christ and doth not set him there as commander in chief When the Forts of hell doe not fall before heavenly Diabolus vinctos nos tenâ—bat 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Oecumenius Qui hujus imperium adhue ferunt scelerum licentiaÌ„ satanici regni fulcâ—a instaurant Ganlt in Luk 10 Gospel batteries when its sweet trumpet soundeth to the battle its weapons are handled and used but all the while pretenders to Christs colours fight on the side of the Prince of darkness and are faithful to him as their Liege Lord here the grace of God is iniured as being appointed to be the conquering arm of God but is blessed with no victories over formall professors Satan careth not how much we have the nations of Gospel in our minds and mouths so he may still bind us fast in the chains of our own sins They who yet can bear his destructive government they are the supporters of a sinful licentiousness the props not the ruins of Satans kingdom He will resent Gospel Faith and profession as a meer mockery that doth not deny his service nor disturb his possession He hath too clear demonstrations of a carnall gospeller that bare words cannot cast him our that nothing beneath Almightiness can do it untill the chains of our own making the reasonings lusts affections of the flesh are broken assunder he looseth no Prisoners untill the Captain of salvation lead captivity captive there neither is nor can be any deliverance Such as under Gospel-means of rescue that never yet had the victorious power of Grace Disruptis hisce vinculis ille praedâ— suà spoliatus nos liberati sumus Davenanat in Goloss Satis oftendunt se in foelicem illam-tyrannidem non agnovisse proinde Evangeliun nâ—nquam in animum admisisse Gualther in Luke 10. sufficiently declare they never had a serious sense of Satans pernicious Tyranny nor ever received the power of the Gospel in their hearts 3. When the Gospel hath no becoming conversation in the World It is so when it and the Author of it are owned in words but in works denyed Tit. 1. 16. When un-Gospel livers are so far like Demetrius to have a good report of the truth 3. Ep. Joh. 11. and adorning the Doctrine of God our Saviour Tit. 2. 10. That the word of Gods Grace is blasphemed Tit. 2. 5. and heareth ill of carping graceless Criticks almost as fabulous that is so impotent over dissolute lives Herein is Grace abused It was a sad saying of Linacre reading the severe requiries of the Aut hoc non est Evangelium out nos non sumus Evangelici Linacr Gospel Or this is no Gospel or we are no Gospellers Such as have an high calling to Earthly Crowns and Thrones usually live worthy of their high promotion Their Spirits and Places are equally high God hath called his people unto a Kingdom and Glory and this calleth upon them to walk worthy of God 1. Thess 2. 12. It was good counsel Agapetus gave to Justinian the Emperor 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Agapetus ad Justinianum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ex eod To walk worthy of God saying He indeed is worthy of God who doth nothing unworthy of him The thanks he seeks owns and delights in is not the easie tender of good words but the real production of pious works When the mouth is hot with Gospel-Redemption Reconciliation Pardon Sonship the like but the heart is cold in the thoughts of these things Gospel duties and confessions keep no even pace when there is Gospel in the lips but no tuning harmony of it in the life here the grace of God is wronged SECT 9. 6. THe Grace of God is turned into wantonness when the 9. The Grace of God is turned into wantonness when the heart carrieth wickedly as to the Creatures Difficile est ut quis de deliriis transeat ad delitias ut in utroque saeculo primus sit heart carries wickedly as to the Creatures Even these the good blessings of God through the corruption of nature are back friends to godliness It 's rare to finde the high blessings of the upper and lower Springs to kiss each other It is not ordinary to see Heavenly and Earthly riches to meet together in the fame persons It s hard said Jerome to pass from delights to delights from the pleasures of this life to those of the next to be eminet in the great Estates Honors and sweetnesses of both worlds There wants not sad and common experience This World becomes the immortal souls enemy it is an eminent part of Gods Grace when a precious soul is delivered from the burthens the snares the pollutions of it A corrupt stomack turns good meat into bad humors and a corrupt heart Creature delights into bad manners They accidentally prove the souls bane They make God and souls Strangers prove intangling snares and lead immoral mindes Captive Bruit Beasts goe heavily under a weighty pressing burthen and wealthy ones move faintly and wearily in the ways of Godliness under a great load of riches The Lord Christ knoweth well that his heavenly Racers can run best and Soldiers can fight best that are least burthened therefore ordinarily he gives not out to his people vast Estates Not many mighty 1 Cor. 1. 26. The poor in the world rich in faith The lighter the happier the speedier is motion Heavenwards As the Redeemed by Christ were given him of the Father to be taken out of the world John 17. 6. So it is a main part of first conversion to be turned from the Creatures unto God and therefore it is an abuse of Gods grace to be licentious among the Creatures That is done when the use of the Creatures is intemperate and idolatrous 1. Intemperate when so much is taken in as wholly unsuiteth Non inducunt ad bonâ—rificandum createrem potius abdus â—â— in â—bl vionem Parisiensis pars 2. de Universo for the service of God Creature-surfets unsit for glorifying of Gods grace They are not coards to draw to God to honor him but fetters to draw from God and forget him 'T is hard at once to have a full purse and belly and a soul filled with Spiritual Riches and Delights Seneca's saying is too frequent experience A liberal use
of carnal concupiscence 'T is a numerous pregnant mother of sins and hath a vast Womb Faecunda peccaetorum mater in which infinite transgressions are conceived out of which they are by the Midwifry of Satan and the World brought forth 'T is the standing Forest in which Beasts of prey are nourished and abound harmful destructive lusts are fed and grown that spoil the bodies and souls of men 'T is a deaf Adders ear to the Words Wisdom and Whispers of the Spirit that will not hearken to the saving voice of the Charmer charm he never so wisely will never hearken to the Counsels of true Wisdom till miraculous grace open and boar the ear 'T is a rooted and deeply fastned evil in all the faculties of man written as with a pen of Iron the point of a Diamond graven upon the hard Table of the Heart Jer. 17. 1. The deep Characters of its malignity are not soon and easily razed out 'T is a vast Sea that notwithstanding the infinite streams that Inexhauslum malum peccatum originis Luâ—h in Gen. flow from it is not drawn dry but as full as ever without the exhausting miracle of grace gradually lessening and at length quite drying it up It hath an Whores face and tongue it 's besotted Lovers believe it 's permicious bewitching flatteries are enticed by its lusts as Fishes by baits Birds and Beasts by snares Jam. 1. 14. 'T is like an untractable Heifer that will not bear the yoak of Cum carnis voluptatibus laâ—amus habenas caro redditur intractabilis Pet. Mar. in Rom 13. Cupiditates effraenes Deo adversantur Peâ—petuo velut è regione Deo opponuÌ„tur Grace but kick and winch and run away from service Deut. 32. 15. A wanton and unbridled Nag that will not be handed by the Riders pleasure will if left to it self neither be backt by reason nor the Spirit of God 'T is not onely an enemy but in the abstract enmity against God his Laws Soveraignty Holiness yea his being The Divine nature and corrupt nature are tearms which can never be reconciled The flesh uncrucified will everlastingly lust against the Spirit Gal. 5. 17. Jer. 13. 27. 'T is fortified in its ruining Art by divers Lusts and Pleasures Titus 3. 3. like an old Souldier hath many stratagems and an old Angler many Baits of ruining deceit In its methods of destruction if one way miss another will hit 'T is the Sin that easily besets Heb. 12. 1. and like an heavy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ad nos circumcingendos in cursu proinde impedieÌ„dos proclive Glass Philolog Sae Mollis carnis educatio atque indulgentia nos in spirituali studio magnepere remorantur Granaâ— Chain tied to the affections the feet of the soul hinders speedy motion in the Heavenly race set before us or like a begirting Army or long Garments that hinder running obstructs speed in the way everlasting over pampering even to an heavy sluggish sweating fatness tires the Racer So soft indulgencies to the flesh are a great Remora and constant stop to spiritual and heavenly motions 'T is a subtle Orator to defend it self when its wickedness is impeached decried discredited condemned it is the witty Mother of crafty Inventions to prove it harmless secure its Indemnity to elude all Indictments of reason and the word hath a wily head in all those distinctions extenuations mental reservations Paintry of deceiving Sophistry mis-naming and mis-naturing things for self preservation and soul ruine It 's it alone that hath made the heart desperately wicked a Concupiscentia est lenge majus malum quam ut ejus magnitudo à ratione perspici possit Melancton Catech. p. 24. Rara hora brevis mora bottomless pit of sin a nemo scit of abomination Jer. 17. 9. They that with longest Plummets would sound it cannot reach the bottom of it Hence to the old stock of corruption new sinful inventions are added 'T is the heavy Pully that hangs upon the soul when with much adoe it hath a flight Heaven-wards not more sweet then short 't is like the string tied by the leg of the Bird whereby the Boy pull'd down the nimble Creature when he pleased which occasioned Anselmes serious Meditation making it the Emblem of corrupt customary sins which pulls down the soul when alost in Heavenly things It never flies in a free air till the string of corruption be cut from it It turns spirits into Rocks and Adamants hardens them in evil yea rejoyceth and triumphs in it 'T is a stout Enemy which though often worsted is not quite Eâ—â—ugata redeunt Putata repullulant Sopita denuo accenduntur overcome will rally and recruit Though it be forced to depart the Siege yet it will set down again Like the Luxuriant Vine though pruned grows rank again Like fire though much quenched yet flames again This ugly hideous Monster the old Man is not seen but by spiritual eyes Hence it is that its wanton abuses of the Grace of God are so frequent and prevalent 2. Want of severe mortification of the flesh conduceth much to the wrong of Grace These false Christians in the Epistle of Jude who turned the grace of God into wantonness and their fellows are said to walk after their own lusts v. 16. their ungodly lusts v. 18. to walk after them not to crucisie them Indeed it cannot be otherwise for if grace be not so strong as to subdue lust Lust will be so strong as to banish grace so impudent and daring as to abuse it Corruption fed and nourished will wantonnize The hugging dandling kissing feeding carnal lusts makes wanton professors They dare sport with edge tools riot in the ways of damnation Study O you that profess Christianity and you will finde it Flesh-pleasers that in a delicate tenderness neither dare nor will nor can mortisie their corruptions these eminently abuse Gods grace SECT 9. 9. WAnt of considering the straight way to life and the 9. ◠〈◊〉 â— of ◠〈◊〉 â—ing ◠〈◊〉 streight â—ay life causeth the abuse of Grace blessed end thereof Most Gospellers would have Heaven at the close of their lives in the broad way of wanton allowances and indulgencies to the lusts and pleasures of the flesh had rather have inlargements of their desires in a way of damnation then the streightning of them in the way of salvation The wisdom of the flesh wise onely to destruction suffers not inconsidering men seriously to weigh the unspeakably safe sweet and glorious Issue of strict Christianity Holy reason would thus consider Though that great Idol carnal self were beaten down sweet lusts and pleasures were mortified dreadful guilt and dishonors to God were lookt over with broken hearts and weeping eyes the vanities and pomps of the world were renounced the frequent requiries of the Scripture and necessities of the poor call for and command costly alms Though Fastings and Watchings continual spiritual Arms and Combates Prayers
Two texts among others are the strong hold for their earthly minds Parents lay up for their children 2 Cor. 12. 14. And he that provides not for his own is worse than an Insidel 1 Tim. 5. 8 â—oth are true but miserably abused by uncompassionate covetous hearts The first of laying up for children was never intended to swallow up laying out in works of Charity and Mercy But what though Gods allowance and Parents indulgence may lawfully make their children the heirs in part of their Estates will this excuse their dis-inheriting Christ in the necessitous poor will this excuse their rebelling against the Gospel Old New Testament requities for liberal alms giving nothing or next to nothing in no proportion to estates Amongst the sayings of ancient modern holy writers yea the confessions of heathens that might easily swel into a Book Some sayings out of Salvian might make Scripture Worldlings to tremble who profess their portion is in God and give sad grounds of Jealousie 't is only in this life When they thus Apologize we know what Gods Justice demands what sacred truth requires but we â—â—rfess we are bowed under the yoak of our fleshly allience we Dedimus capâ—â—â— manus vincalâ—â— charitatis câ—ssâ— saenguint â—â—â—es vicerunt devotioneÌ„ relâ—gionis jura pictatis Salvian contra Avaâ—itiâ—â— Viâ—â—â—â— excuâ—â—â—unâ—â—â—â— non excusans have given our captive hards to the chairs of our Parental affections The voice of blood is lowder then that of faith and the rights of nature have swallowed up the devotion of Religion Something may be said to cover but not to cure the disease of worldliness a shadow of excuse not excusing giving to the guilty a shew of deprecation no security from the cry of guilt O worldly I arent whose all it is to heap up estates for thy children or the main of thy earthly travel and solace The unhappiest man in the World Doest thou think how well others shall live after thee and not how ill thou art like to die Tell me I pray thee O miser O Infidel when many are inriched with thy divided Patrimony and greedy Purchases have you so ill deserved of your self as not to advantage your soul by charity to strangers 〈◊〉 de 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 es â—am male meritus Take this choice admonition Let no man prefer his dearest childe above his soul Christians are so to consult the good of their Heirs in this life as to accommodate themselves in Eternity Facilius est hic deesse quippiaÌ„ quam parentibus in futuro multo est levior praesens tenuitas quam aeterna paupertas ib. 'T is better that children should want something here then Parients all hereafter Present mean estate is better then eternal poverty Better that Heirs want a large Patrimony then the Testators their salvation yea they to whom Inheritances are left if they have any piety bowels mercy to them that leave them should be glad of their pious liberality lest they perish Hearken hide-bound heart-bound Parents that have the judgement of withered hands upon you to the words of Christ He that loves Sonor Daughter more then me is not worthy of me Matth. 10. 37. Have ye banished self-love from your selves soul love is true self-love O unbelief O perverseness 'T is a vulgar saying Charity begins at home This is a new kinde of Monster to consult the well-fare of any one but ones self Behold thou art to goe O man of matchless misery to a sacred tryal to that trembling and intolerable Judgement where onely a good Conscience an innocent Life works of Mercy will refresh thee Where a liberal minde a fruitful repentance and copious alms will befriend thee What if immoderate scraping together for thine beiâ—s shut Heaven against thee Mens larga Paenitentia fructuosa Eleemo synae copiosae and open hell to receive thee Will the memory of thine heirs vast and voluptuous Estate ease thy Bed of flames Will the thoughts of their delitious tables even to glut and wantonness afford thee a crum of mercy a drop of water to cool abate thy torturing pangs Hadst thou not been better by a Bill of Exchange to have sent a great part of thine Estate in works of mercy into the other world As to the other refuge of Tenacious covetousnesse he that provides not for his own house is worse then an Infidell how is this Text made to speak on the Misers side and how far from his Protection The mind of the Spirit and the Apostle in those words was not to countenance a confined use of christians estates within the Pale of their own families but to taxe and caution against the Abolishment of naturall affections and necessary provisions in carelesse family-guides under the Pretensions of piety This inhumanity to ones own flesh and bloud sets professed christians Sunt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 below Heathenish Infidells who are by the guide of Nature propense to love their own Of kin to this is that Popish Inhumanity which is cryed up for superlative Piety if any leave their wife children and aged Parents or go a Pilgrimage to Jerusalem or cloyster up themselves in a Monastery The Catabaptists as Marlorat noted were besotted with the same madnesse for leaving their wives and children as astonished witlesse fanatick men they run up and down To propagate as they fancied the Dominions of Christ The same wild course the brain-sick Ita se pomeria Christi propagaturos dixerant Marloin 1 Tim. 5. besotted Quakers take in these dayes leaving their dearest Relations in tedious journyes where Satan called the spirit is pleased to send them whom the Holy Spirit calls worse then Infidells for undoing their families to propagate the light within them from County to County such as these as oppose Religion to the necessary provisions of this life are here intended But Non ita claudenda est res familiaris ut eam benignitas aperire non posset neque ita referanda ut pateat omnibus Cicero 2. Offic. what speak those words for worldly Christians of the other extream Are not they worse then Infidells whose improved naturall reason and moralities have made them liberall to the poore and needy Have not these denyed the Faith of Scripture that abundantly commands charitable distribution yea the True faith in God that is ever fruitfull in the compassionate works of Almagiving Thus too many with Scripture leave as they thinke are Bad Stewards of their Wealth let the large waters of creature mercies run out almost only in the channells of their own Families are not the blessed cisterns to convey them into wanting houses Trace all the kinds of abusing Gods Grace to their proper Oirginalls and it will be experimented the wresting of some Scriptures or others hath been the cause of loose hearts and wanton lives SECT 11. THe third head of causes why the Grace of God is abused Sect. 11. The grace of God is abused by
taken it he was twice forced from his attempt to a sad retreat by almost vehement showr of rain and is reported to say When I could I had no minde to take Rome when I would I had no power There are too many that will to all Eternity confess that when Grace hath wooed them for their eternal salvation and repentance to life they had no minde to it but when they would on a death-bed repent they could not 'T is never enough considered by them that put off their repentance what infinite hazard they run to be lost for ever Subtle Satan and the wily flesh doth against deceived sinners as ill Debtors carry to their Creditors promise to pay but beg a longer day of payment and when that is come another and so another day and never pay Flattering Lust begs a longer day of repentance and being loth to leave Lusts dear sweet services and delights craves still a longer day and so the Debt of repentance is unpaid This cursed and common frame of Spirit doth in effect speak thus to God The real love and delight of my soul is in my sin I delay repentance not out of love to the duty or hatred of my delicious Lusts but to quiet my conscience and for fear of Hell I mean not to delay a repentance once but often yea always yea should I live an Eternity in the World my delicious sins shall have my heart my service Mortification is an idle dream The death of sin shall neither have my sentence nor endeavors I am loath to leave my sweet Companions Hence is it that from youth to man-hood from that to old age from that to Eternity there is no repentance in hardned vessels of wrath A while longer and a while longer is the constant importunity of the flesh Back-sliding is perpetual Jer. 8. 5. O Jerusalem wilt thou not be made clean when shall it once be Jer. 13. 27. This lazy disease of sluggish putting off repentance was in Augustine yea had ever been in him had not Grace cured it When he could not answer the convictions of the necessity Non erat quid respondereÌ„ veritate convictus nisi tantum verba lenta somnoleÌ„ta Modo ecce modo sine paululuÌ„ sed modo modo non habebat moduÌ„ sine panlulum in longum ibat Aug. in Confes Nitido cum flore juventus Num satanae senii faex erit apta Deo of repentance he craved forbearance not to do it yet I know not said he hat to answer being convinced of the truth but onely sluggish and sleepy words Anon behold anon suffer me a little But anon and anon had no measure and bear me a little held long Thus Satan hath the flower of age the strength of man-hood and God the dregs of old age 'T is mans folly and madness to give God the worst 'T is ordinarily his angry Justice not to accept it He that is denyed the sweet Rose of the Spring cannot be pleased with the dry Thorn Had God no delight in the yong-long-standing fruitless tree surely he can take none in it when 't is withered It 's no longer for the soil but fire Matth. 3. 10. If it be said God works Grace on a sick bed as one said An early Saint now in glory answered him in two things This is extraordinary 'T is not Gods usual course to begin and period death-bed repentance and further said he Do not you trust to that How reasonable will Gods usual refusal of sick-bed and old Non illos qui necessario sed qui sponte vitiis abstinent Coronat Deus Chrysost age returning thoughts appear in the other world They that put off repentance to the last do it not out of choice but necessity and God is not on t to crown forced and artificial but free and natural repentance It is a poor weak and unconvincing demonstration that a man delights in wholsome severe exercises of repentance who never set upon them but when going out of the World Their sins leave them before they PriusquaÌ„ peccata relinquaÌ„t â— peccatis retinquuntur leave their sins They think of leaving them because they have no more active spirits strength time to besto upon them not because of holy hatred against them indignation at and weariness of them Had this frame of spirit been infused by the holy Ghost in the renewed heart long ago sin had not had so many years faithful service This adjourning repentance reprieving not executing the flesh makes foolish men like bad Gamesters that throw up the Cards when they have lost the Game so these faint woulders after repentance never think of throwing up their sins till in their disease they have lost their lives they never think of ending their iniquity till the pleasure of their iniquity be at an end Ezek. 21. 25. But O dallying sinner that hâ—st a long time been caught in the snare of deep carnal security Hear the Apostles warning Awake thou that sleepest from the dead and Christ shall give thee light Hearken not to the Ravens Song Cras Cras to morrow to morrow That morrow comes not to many lingring sinners Art thou sure the repenting morrow will come unto thee The saving motion of the spirit often abused never comes again The safer and wiser words are Cito Cito Redi Redi Quickly quickly Return return Hearken O foolish sons and daughters of men to that of the wise Solomon How long will ye love simplicity sit in the region and shadow of death be the Devils Prisoners and your Lusts Captives and abide condemned under the curse of the Law Would you quickly run out of an House fired about your ears Would you flie from a drawn pursuing Sword to run you through O while under Gospel time and means of grace you are Wantons and pamper the flesh slight and contemn the ways and methods of Eternal Life even all this while the wrath of God the malice of Satan the killing Law is pursuing you for your immortal ruine O take the counsel that once a friend gave to Brentius when his enemies were suddenly plotting determining and endeavoring his death he wrote a Letter to him Fly Brentius with all possible speed Fly for your life O lingring sinners within Cito Citius Citissime Melch Adam a little of the Grave and Eternity that have abused the grace of God Fly with all possible speed from the state of damnation the wrath to come while your day of Grace is spending and it may be shortly will be quite spent your damnation slumbers not but with terrible awakened Lion-like eyes will stare on your departing souls if you go with the un-repenred unpardoned mountain load of all your sins into the other World As Solomon spake concerning flight from ensâ—â—â—ing undoing suretiship Deliver thy self as a Roe from the hand of the Hunter and as a Bird from the hand of the Fowler Give not sleep to thine eyes nor slumber
the Spirit of Praier meet not together Tempestuous minds make sad work in Praier 'T is pittiful stuff when they are in an uproar Ungoverned passion grieves and chaseth away the Spirit of God that hath sealed meek orderly regenerate souls to the day of Redemption SECT 8. THey cannot shift the charge of open abuse of Gods grace 8 They abuse Gods grace who oppose it to necessary civilities 8. Who oppose Gods grace to necessary civilities As Christ came not to destroy but establish the Law so Grace comes not to destroy but establish civilitie it teacheth no man to be Cynick morose crabbed austere to humane order calling relation but it siveetens those bosoms wherein it dwels it hath such sweet and pure Communion with God that it knows not how to be sowre and rugged with men The gracious person may be uncivil grace never is It is a great fault and dishonor to grace in persons of grace that they do not study and practise the Scriptures civil as wel as religious Precepts and Presidents For wanâ— hereof in some persons religious strictness is loathed Gods imprudent discourteous servants are called Cynicks Clowns â—loâ—k-heads Proud ones Pharisees unfit for societie their holy profession is too strait laced and shrivel'd up that it is so dainty of giving men and women be they what they will be their just external respects I confesse it is a strong temptation to contemn them that contemn God not to honour them who dishonour God to lay their honour in the dust who cast Gods commands behind their backs However God will vindicate his name and make it glorious though the ungratefull persons of civil precedency have made it by their loose lives odious Yet sin in one is no excuse for sin in another He sinneth that abuseth his civil honour and enâ—oyments to slight loyal subjection to God and he sinneth too that denies him his lawfull honour Satan hath in the postolical times in after Ages of the Church and in our present times too spoted the beauty and weakened the power of strict Practical Religion made this a case of conscience whether Beleevers should be under Civil ties to wicked men He hath tempred some when they see their high preferments as heirs of glory contemplate their high born natuâ—es that they are born of God partakers of a divine resemblance to think themselves too great and too good to be under the observance of humane civilities an un-scriptural unchristian irrational seditious and clownish temptation Whoever they are really gracious or in pretence that oppose the grace of God to civilities among men in three things they are gross abusers of Grace 1. In civil possessions 'T is not grace but spiritual Pride Erroâ— Confusion Self-love teacheth that Lesson that a wicked man hath no right to the Creature Dominion is not founded on grace but humane consitutions and providence which shines on it and approves it if just decreeth its permission futuritie and ordereth it onely if evil for good and wise ends However be Masters of Estates and Domination never so wicked yet if they have a rightful title and possession of either 't is a graceless principle not to own them Masters Though wicked Libertines Jus Evange lieum Jas Civile Dav. in Colos that possesse and devour the creatures have no Gospel-right they have a civil right though not by the Covenant of grace yet by the compacts of men though not in capiâ—e in special Tenure in Christ the â—ead yet in the Common holâ— of Providence When gracious persons especially poorer Christians see Rich Gluttons and Drunkards know they lay on beds of Down and fare deliciously every day and question themselves as to their heavenly estate how they can be the great heires of God who have neither money in the purse nor bread in the Cupboard look on them with invidious eyes and fretting hearts and think themselves have onely right to the sweet comforts of dissolute Masters let them know this perswasion is not from grace but sinne Freat not poor yet rich Christian above what the Gold of Ophir the Indian Mines Cartloads of Jewels and most Precious Stones can make thee thou art more like Christ in Poverty than Riches What though thou art an hungry sheep feeding on bare Commons and feest fat Goats in rich Pastures prosperous wicked worldlings fatted Oxen it is for an eternal slaughter Wait a while thou shalt be removed to the rich heavenly food above When the rich at once in sinne and wealth shall be outed of their deliciousdemeans and be exposed to eternal hunger 2. In 〈◊〉 subjection 'T is vanity to thinke Mastership and Grace are equipollent None but the good must be obeyed Uspers and Right Owners Godly and Vngodly Rulers in Lawful things must be obeyed Herein the National and Domestical Tyrant binds the conscience Roman Caesars in the judgement of Christ and the Apostle Paul Mat. 22. 21. Rom. 13. and froward Masters by the counsel of the Apostle Peter 1 Pet. 2. 18. are to have subjection from their inferiours 'T is pleasant to obey the good 't is necessary to obey the bad 't is commendable to obey all If bare grace be the ground of subjection the world should not stand It would run to Anarchy and Confusion For besides that very few have grace every fanatick spirit can pretend it Saint onely a party ungrace the rest vote them as wicked pull them from the Seats of their Principalities cut throats rob estates and all under the favour of this unquiet and turbulent Principle There is no subjection to be given to wicked persons The Apostle taught a better Lesson that converted Christian servants should abide with their idolatrous heathenish Masters 1 Cor. 7. 20 21. We read of Saints in Caesars house Phil. 4. 22. Good Joseph dwelt with bad Potiphar Gen. 39. 2. and Jacob with Laban en 31. 30. Indeed none should be none may be so good servants as the good This loose humour was stirring and condemned in Calvins time He wrote against this wanton Principle The same Error hath infected our times insomuch as some servants when once turn Quakers think themselves free from subjection to their Masters pleading that they ought not to yeeld honour to men 3. In Civil Compellation We live not among Angels nor all Saints but good and bad The Kingdom of Christ is in the Kingdomes of the world Civil respects are due to men as well as religious honours to God The whole Scripture is Canonical 'T is a part of divine inspiration wee are commanded as well to be courteous as to be gracious civil treatment are not unbeseeming the strictest Saints Men may yea must have their titles according to their different orders stations conditions in the world The Appellations of Worship Honour Lordship Excellency Highnesse Majesty are no sin in themselves indeed when they come from the vain mouth naughty heart and tend to a bad end of a loose sinner they are sin to
will charge those that are guilty I hope there are a few of you the successors as well of others religious Liberalitie as Patrimony As for you that are not you may be ashamed by what name soever you are called Presbyterians Independents or Anabaptists that are covetously scraping sordidly tenacious linked yea chained to your money fear and tremble in your perilous Prosperities Dominion and Riches are slippery places you that stand in Englands high ground take heed lest you fall Let not your wanton dissolutenesse give you the denomination of Kine Amos the plain country Prophet called the great wantons of Israel Kine of Bashan Amos 4. 1. for lusty fat feeding â—â—ine for rich Pastures Kine of Bashan a very fertile mountain Is this your all to graze and fill and luxuriate in the plentiful pastures of rich estates Are you Jesurun-like waxen fat better fed than taught kicking against your soveraign maintainer lightly esteeming and forgetful of the God of your salvation be sure of it the jealous God can soon pull you down from your Principalities and cause your abused Riches to take wings and fly to other owners God is no respecter of persons what is sinne in one he counts not innocence in another As the Wisdom so the Justice that is from above is without partiality God hath made many persons of sublime Honours and great Estates his angry rods to chastize others sins Successors in sinnes have reason to fear they shall be fellows in punishments White providence hath lifted you up O tremble lest black providence pull you down Do you abuse divine Protections Exaltations vast provisions for your selves and families to Pride Luxury Coverousnesse Impiety Vnrighteousnesie Are you wanton Libertines in opinion and Practise doe you fear black reckoning dayes are coming upon you lest you that have abused Providences and the grace of God drink the dregs of the cup of Trembling So I leave you and passe to another Generation of men persons of Honour and huge Estates that look upon themselves as the suffering party egregious abusers also of the grace of God in eminent worldlyness We have in this Nation a vast number of great ones who have and ought to have the civil titles of Worship and Honour that own Baptismal grace enjoy and use time and means of grace and hope to be saved by grace as well as others that give tokens of eminent earthly-mindednesse They keep not houses in their respective Country-Lordships get into Cities and Townes Corporate and either there they liberally riot in their Families Game Feast Drink away that Estate their poor naked hungry neighbours want or else if Parsimonious lay up every year vast summes for greedy Purchases and spend little or nothing in works of Mercy Though I knoâ—v not the dimensions of your yearly layings up yet it is twenty to one I may speak that which your consciences know to be true as to the secret methods and waies of your worldly increase One it may be at the years end hath layd up an hundred pound another two another five another a thousand pound another two another more And wherefore this Bank I beseech you hath the Lord Jesus for Religious uses acts of Pietie and Mercy the Tenth part the Twentieth part the Fortieth part the Hundreth part Have you honoured God with your substance your annual increase hath he had in nothing or next to nothing a thin inconsiderable charity a real-gratitude from you and will you appear good Stewards in the Accounting day When you shall be asked what you have done with Gods Money and Land and all the Items you will bring in will be Items of Pride Luxury costly fancies Coverousness c. Will he be put off with such returnes Learne Wisdom and holy Policie against the great day O all you thriving old and new Gentry rich thriving Merchants and Tradesmen wealthy Lawyers and Pulpit men and for the time to come abhorre the baseness of self-hatred which it may be you count self-love To greaten your Families and undoe your selves to make rich heirs and dis-inherit your selves to expose your selves to eteâ—nal penury that your successors may live in luxury 'T is without peradventure The grace of God that brings salvation teacheth to deny worldly lusts Tit. 2. 11. You have been bad Scholars in Christs School that fulfill them O doe no more in an hot greedy chase hunt after the Profits and Pleasures of this world Hearken to the words of one who hath spoken the true experience of present worldlings Is it not a crime that many now adaies who professe the name of Christ glue their hearts to the Mammon of Iniqurtie and the Treasures of Wickednesse 'T is a very base thing that Christians should enslave bodies and soules to the getting keeping increasing of treacherous perilous and uncertaine riches and are so captivated by them that they cannot serve the living God Take Augustines judgement of this vaine Saeculi hujus fallax suavitâ—â— perpetuus timor infructuosus labor periculosa sublimitas August world The sweetnesse of this world is deceitfull feare perpetuall labour unprofitable height perillous Why doe you set your hearts on vanitie and vexations Eccles 1. 14. Broken Cisterns Jer. 2. Lying vanities Jonah 2. 8. Shadows Psal 102. 11. Non-entitres that which is not Be ashamed O Christian Gospellers that stand on the worlds higher ground have best wages and yet doe your great Master least service to give up the strength of your soules your time your estates in the bruitish service of worldly and carnal pleasures contemning in mean time the sweet peace and joy of the Holy Ghost Such of you as serve pleasures Tit. 2. 3. Live in them 1 Tim. 5. 6. are voluptuous wantons as if you came into the world to bee as the Leviathan to take your Pastime onely to sport and feast your soules in your sensualities Seneca had a farre braver spirit than you have Hee thought it was true pleasure to contemne pleasures and is it your heaven to enjoy them you live not like men The delights of reason far excels those of sense You live not like Saints The delights of Grace transcend them both O come and see come and taste feed on the Marrow and Fatness the luscious sweet soul provisions of Gods House and the Heavenly dainties of grace will soon make you dis-rellish the perilous unsatisfying delights of this life SECT 10. THey may with little study run and read their gross abuse 10. They abuse grace who are sensless stupid lethargick Libertines of Gods grace 10. Who are senseless stupid Lethargick Libertines Are these the Darlings of Grace the Favorites of Heaven who in a dead cursed insensibility blunt the goads of Conscience are strangers to the fear of God are deaf to the Canon shot the dreadful volleys of the Laws curses who startle not when they hear Boanerges Pulpit Sons of Thunder but slight pious admonitions and grievous comminations as if they were vain Bugbears to fright
children Fantastical Poetick Hyperbolies that Pro inanibus terriculamentis hyperbolis habent have taken the Devils Opium and are cast in a dead sleep National Judgements Personal Afflictions do not awaken them Satan rocks them asleep with his sweet Lullabies of promising life interest in Christ and the hopes of Heaven And are you indeed the persons of Grace 'T is strange you should be 't is impossible Grace is a living Creature a new Câ—eature a delicate Creature a tender Creature quick and sensâ—ble feels the least grievance the least sin Alas for you stupid Libertines The Devil may lay upon you sin upon sin mountain upon mountain and yet you feel not you complain not you mourn not you weep not you weep not you cry not with strong cries and tears to Heaven to be dis-burthened I have this sad tidings to bring you your Lethargy will in spight of your hearts be cured But when I fear O I fear never till you are in Hell flames there will be no sleeping fits there O you senseless ones of the love or fear of God! Blessings or Cursings Promises or Threatnings you cannot sleep in an uneasie tormenting eternal Bed of Tribulation you will have none to make your Bed easie no Julips no Cordials to succor your fainting hearts in your hot scorching fits Will you not believe O that you would believe your fellow graceless senseless wantons in Hell would tell you could they speak with you after scores of years sleep in sin they are now with a vengeance awakned out of their dead sleep â—happy were that voice of the Son of God that would do the kindness to thee slumbring drousie Reader as to bid thee and make thee to awake O awake awake to repentance and gracious Gospel indulgency lest thou awake to eternal vengeance O shake off that cursed unbelief that makes thee an Atheist a mock-god a dissolute debauched wanton Hell is no Fable Scripture threatnings are no vain â—ancies God hath sworn in his wrath a graceless impenitent contemner of his angry words shal never enter into his resâ— If thou beest such a one he hath said it and his Almighty avenging Arm will make good his word such a wicked Wretch as thou art that forgettest God and thine own duty shall be cast into hell Psal 9. 17. O folly O madness O sadness Presumption of Gospel-grace is made a pillow for loose sinners to sleep quietly on It will not always be thus God will change thy soft downy Gospel-pillow for an hard thorny legal one Visions of wrath as well as mercy are for an appointed time they will speak and not tarry O Devil-ridden secure ones hearken to that of Chrysostome he calls secure sinners The Devils Horses He is a fierce cruel Rider he spares Diaboli equos Chrysost no flesh he spares no souls he backs He hath ridden thousands off their legs off their spirits off their strength off their lives off their pleasures off their ease off their hopes The rider and the horses both will be for ever cast into the fiery Lake and never come out again O wretched wanton secure Libertines you would be secure and you shall be secure you would not have your cursed peace disturbed and it shall not be disturbed you would be perswaded you are under the wing of saving grace though in the broad road to destruction and you shall be perswaded God chooseth your delusions Isa 66. 4. your own election will prove your destruction O Judgement of Judgements Carnal security thou doest pave the way to eternal Judgements See O see your sad resemblance Sisera slept in Jaels Tent she wooed him Turn in my Lord turn in to me and fear not she went softly to him and her nail and hammer smote his soul into the other world Judg. 4. 18 21. so loose Libertines sleep in the Tent of presumption Carnal security woes them Turn in soul turn in fear not the issue is it softly and cruelly smites sleeping souls into the other world Sampson slept on Delilahs lap and lost his locks and his strength Libertines sleep in the lap of security and loose their hopes of Heaven Eutychus slept while Paul was Preaching and fell down dead Acts 20. 9. Carnal Gospellers sleep while they enjoy the means of grace and fall dead into the bottomless Pit Crafty Ulysses gave Polyphemus a sleeping draught and when he was asleep he run an hot Iron into his eye The Devil the crafty Ulysles of Hell he gives secure sinners a sleeping Potion and when they are fast he blindes them and shoots his deadly fiery shot at them Carnal security under presumptions of Grace is both a sin and plague Gods Judgement the Devils Triumph Souls ruine SECT 11. THey are apparently gross Prophaners of the Grace of 11. They abuse Gods grace who are guilty of wrong to the creatures God 11. And lastly Who are guilty of a wrong use of the Creatures God made them that his grace by the professors of and pretenders to it should be exalted in the use of it Four things demonstrate that it is not so 1. When they are used ungraciously This is a perverting of the intention of Creation Every Creature of God is good which God hath created to be received with Thanksgiving of them that believe and to be sanctified with Prayer 1 Tim. 4. 3 4 5. A strong Implication that every one that useth the Creature aright must first be gracious and then use it graciously Three graces are here set down The grace of Prayer in Invocation for Gods not onely natural but spiritual blessing on the Creature The grace of thanksgiving in returning to God the praise of Lip Heart and Life for his good Creatures And the grace of Faith in using them in and for Christ in the strength Reverenâ—ia hospitis qui praesens est nos alit perpetuo retinet in officio disciplina sancta Marlorat of Christ to his praise Adde to these the grace of holy Fear not to offend the Author of Creature-goodness For as the Feastmakers eye is on his guests to see their behavior so the great House-Keeper of the World that feeds and cloathes millions every day is strictly observant who useth his goodness according to the rules of holy Temperance contributes to right Creature-use in guarding the sensitive appetite that it doth not clog the immortal spirit with burthensome surfeits of any kinde When the Creatures are not thus graciously used it is a wrong to grace whose office honor and power is to regulate their use 2. When they are used to a sinful end either to the satisfaction of Lusts or hinderance of Gods service 1. To the satisfaction of Lust the Israelites abuse They asked Petulantissimis hominÌ„um concupiscenti is satisfacit aliquando Deus ex ira Ames in Psal meat for their lust Psal 78. 18. not for their convenient use but for the satisfaction of their corrupt lust which God granted in wrath
not the cold of this World When the cloathes were put off he thought of death he should be uncloathed of Flesh and of the Resurrection to put it on again as his cloathes were put on in the morning When the day-light appeared he minded Christ the light that knows no Night nor Evening but is always as bright Mid-day His Journying taught him to think this life a Pilgrimage the way is dangerous that there is need of Christ the Guide in the high way to glory How injurious are we to Gods end of his Creatures unto our own rational faculties and to the ingenuities that grace would put upon us if we gain not affective and active Meditations by what daily comes into the doors of our senses If so great be the sweetness and glory of Gods out-house the visible World what transcendencies of delight and honor are the happy reserves in the invisible state and place of heavenly glory in the next life It is an ungracious frame of spirit that is confined to the things below They are strangers and enemies to their own happiness that could take up with a visible Eternity of poor sublunary things and cannot abide the thoughts of death the destruction of their earthly Gods Thus Reader in the forementioned eleven Sections maist thou try and take a measure of thy loose heart and life if in impartial Judgement thou canst and wilt be so faithful to the Truth and thine own soul as to believe thy guilt of manifest and gross abuses of Gods grace confess it to God deeply lay it to heart repent of it lest it prove thy ruine CHAP. XI Containing a second Branch of Examination how we may know the secret close and more refined Abuses of Gods Grace HAving enquired into the more visible and notorious affronts of Gods grace My next labor shall be rifling bosom-work to go into the inward Rooms of the heart and there to finde out the inward Libertine that dares impurely and immodestly to licentiate before the Lord This searching inward filthy cells of darkness by the bright Candle of the word of Truth as it is always unpleasant to a close Hypocrite all whose Religion is a constant jugling with God and men so to soundest upright hearts it is very desirable If the secret rotten double-hearted Professor shall read the following Conceptions without a blush fear and trembling laying a better foundation for his propriety to Christ assurance of Grace and the hope of Heaven then cheating appearances If he have scarce patience and heart to try himself by ensuing discoveries yea though he read them will wickedly deny the signs of close dishonors to Gods grace are not in him he may shift of Paper Arraignments he shall not the unbosoming Judgement of the great day when his Sheeps skin shall be pluckt off the inside shall be turned outwards and the close Hypocrite shall appear a wicked impenitent abuser of Gods grace Indeed I have little hope to do good to the habitual Jugleâ— in the things of God who hath made a play of his Religion aâ—â— never been in good earnest My hope is a Blessing from Heaven may second Convictions in the sound heart searching Reader who is ever most charitable to others but most jealous off and servere against his own heart for thy sake O self-basing abhorring mourner in Zion I have endeavored to lay down the Transcript the Counterpane of thy wretched heart I know thou â—ilt say the next Pages are thine own experience look over weep over pray strive against the ungrateful unkinde wrongs to thy gracious God thy dear Redeemer the Spirit of Grace gracious motions thy principle of grace I know by the help of grace thou wilt lay to heart and repent of the secret Injuries of grace where the prophane hypocritical world scarce see any sin or if so very slightly think of it and have no care and conscience to reform Weigh and ponder then the evidences of close and less discerned abuse of Gods grace as laid down in the subsequent method SECT 1. 1. EVidence of close Abuse of Gods grace is a sinful close of spiritual Injoyments By these I mean all the Ordinances of grace whose ends and fruits are spiritual where succesful also the gifts of Grace Knowledge Judgement Invention Memory Utterance in Divine things Adde hereunto the sanctifying graces of the Spirit the sâ—eet motions of the Holy Ghost the joys of the Spirit in the light of Gods countenance in the Faith of Attonement by Christs blood in the sight of sincerity victory over Lusts c. These are all spiritual injoyments Now when the close of these is sinful there is a secret abuse of grace It is sinful in five things 1. In self-advancement Gods free grace is either wronged by his Servants as a Benefactor by a boasting Beggar he is well fed fat and fine and while he should lift up the bounty of the giver he is glorying in himself as a receiver So when the giver of grace in his heavenly Alms should be magnified how often do the best of men advance themselves The richest Saints in Earth and Heaven are but vessels of mercy Rom. 9. 22. Utensils Instruments God is pleased to use No thank to the tool but to the hand if it work No house builds it self When we see a comely building we praise the Art of the Builder The action of the Instrument is reduced to the essicient Ashur forgat himself and God when he looked not on God but himself Boasting in an Instrument is as if the Saw should magnifie it self it cut well and the Ax should magnifie it self it hewed well Isa 10. 15. If the Workman holds his hands the Tools do nothing Believers are the spirits Instruments God works in and by them and they dishonor the grace of God by transferring the work to themselves saying I prayed I preached I wept I gave alms I rejoyced in God I did this and that good As lofty Nebuchadnezzar lookt onely on his great boasting This I did this was my doing Is not this Babel that I have built for the glory of my Majesty So I have done this and that is the Poison that mars all the breathing of Satan turn'd angel of light the high abuse of Gods grace â—h Christian be humbled for it Diabolus laudat qua se perspicit superari virtutem injicit cordi jactantiam c. Fulgent ad Probam ep 3. and correct it by the Glass of Pauls self-abasing Grace and Christ-advancing I labored more than the other Apostles yet not I but the Grace of God 1 Cor. 15. 10. I live yet not I but Châ—ist lives in me Gal. 2. 20. 2. In dulling the edge of holy zeal This is the sad and frequent lacquey of spiritual injoyments We converse with them to a blunting and dulling of our spirits They should be as whetstones to set a keener sharpness on our hearts but they are as stones to the Sithes that gap and blunt them It is
Father as that he is their King Though the name Father speaks boldness yet the name King speaks greater reverence Irreverent are saucy children more bold than welcome I am a great King saith God Mal. 1. 14. His name is great Mal. 1. 11. and reverend Psal 111. 9. We need grace to serve God with reverence and godly fear because he is a consuming fire Heb. 12. 28 29. It is a wrong to grace when we do it not Is it the state of earthly gods to keep their distance with them on whom they shine the brightest beams of their royal favours and shall we think the infinite great and blessed God before whom the Kings of the Earth are as Grashoppers Worms Nothing less than Nothing will not have the rails and vails of holy reverence the humble tokens of distance The Apostate Angels at once lost their good manners and their happiness they kept not within their limited station Should the standing Angels loose their Reverence they should lose their Glory It is the â—â—lae volantes celeritatem promptitudineÌ„ significant Faciem tegentes indicant Angeli Majestatem Dei ferre nequeunt Pedes tegentts quod tenues divini splendoris radiolos in Angelis perspicere non possumus Calv. in Isa 6. Gospel Prophets Hieroglyphick The holy heavenly Angelical Hoast are Birds of Paradise and have six Wings two to cover their faces two their feet two to fly with are said to have flying wings to resemble their quick and nimble obedience facecovering wings to shadow out their reverence as not daring to pry into nor bear Gods infinite glory are said to have feetcovering wings to teach our distance from the Angels who are too weak to behold their finite little rayes of glory much lesse that infinite bright Sun of the divine Essence This Lesson the Prophet teacheth us those spotlesse Spirits that see the blessed face of God to their everlasting happinesse are ever full of a Reverential awe of Gods Majesty But how unsuitable are the heirs of salvation to their heavenly guard Angels are reverent Saints are unmannerly These are wanton those dare not bee so Believers study your hearts gestures words conversations that they all may be Holinesse to the Lord Is he sanctified in you when you draw nigh him Levit. 10. 3. When you are before him as in no minute no place no darkness no solitariness you are out of his flaming eyes piercing views your insides and external deportments are layd in his unerring ballance He tryes you every moment Job 7. 18. What mean your uncomely spirits your external indecencies your slight services Would your governour like such carriages you present to and abuse your gracious God with As Ahasuerus said to Haman Will he force the Queen before me Esth 7. 8. So lay it to heart will you abuse grace before God It was a God-wearing sin evil men did evilâ— and yet thought they were good in Gods sight Mal. 2. 17. What a God-affronting sinne is it to thinke because Free-grace hath made you good and accepted in Gods sight therefore you may abuse it to irreverence in his presence I know your hearts if sound abhorre this doctrinal inference from so glorious a principle but doth not the frame of your spirits words of your mouthes loose carriage prove you dare be irreverently and abusively bold with your Fathers kindnesse Who that seeth a grown Son come to years of understanding knowing his duty to walk mannerly yet standing with his Hat on playing ill feats before yea with his Fathers face slighting his commands but will say there is a wanton unmannerly boy It is no calumny to say so of many of Gods unmannerly children their unbecoming Irreverencies are their heavenly Fathers reproach A Reverent Christian that hath the mighty awe of God upon his spirit in all times places companies providences temptations is a Phenix an Angel among Professors Happy holy harmless preserved are they that maintain the reverent awe of God upon their spirits SECT 3. 3. EVidence of close abuse of Gods grace is Forgetfulness of God The House of Israel perverted their way and forgot 3 Forgetfulness is an evidence of abuse of grace the Lord their God Jer. 3. 22. Jesurun waxed fat and kicked Of the rock that begat thee thou art unmindfull and hast forgotten God that formed thee Deut. 32. 15 18. Too often the answers of Gods kindnesse are like the chief Butlers of Josephâ— The holy man gave a comfortable interpretation of the Butlers Drem Pharaohs restorement of him to his office with this rational caution but think of me when it shall be well with thee Yet did not the chief Butler remember Joseph but forgat him Gen. 40. 13 14 23. Thus the Holy God speaks comfort to many a gracious soul in the deeps of trouble with those equal motions upon their spirits that they would think upon this name and not return again to folly yet in sundry duties they doe not remember God but forget him They know not their own hearts that in the trust and boast of their own sufficiencies promise God if he will reveal his love in his Son to them they will be exact walleâ—s but many of his loose children after they have seen his face have opposed his will and answered the Kisses of his love by unkind Rebellions Gods Israel of the spirit have need of the same cautions the Israel of the flesh had When the Lord thy God shall give thee for his promise sake Cities Houses Wells Vineyards and Olive-trees when thou shalt have eaten and be full then beware lest thou forget the Lord thy God Deut. 6. 10 11 12. So Beleever when the Lord thy God for his covenant sake shall priviledge thee in the heavenly blessings of Reconciliation Justification Adoption the Joy of Atonement and the sweet sight of thy name written in heaven when thou shalt eat and be full of the heavenly feast of fat things beware lest thou forget the Lord thy God 'T is no seldom indignitie put upon the grace of God to forget him in Temptations Vocations Relations Conditions in the world We charge upon our servants such and such duties call them to account our pleasure is neglected The excuse is we were forgotten doth not this speak a loose careless Spirit Surely the Lords servants forgetfulnesse of their charge argues their wantonness A serious faithful considering spirit would remember Christian charge home the basenesse and unfaithfulness of thy spirit with sharp reproof Ah foolish heart and unwise How have I requited the Lords grace I forget not vanitie but how have I forgotten the great concernments of Eternity A Bride will not forget her Ornaments the Worldling his Market and Teeming summes Pleasure-hunters forget not their delights nor the children of Revenge their opportunities of doing mischief How hast thou forgotten the Lord his blessings on thee his cautions to thee his motions in thee his hoped glory laid up for thee his everlasting love designing
2 Cor. 7. It beats off satans insinuations to wanton Thoughts Reasonings Glances â—ffections Joseph would not hearken to his wanton Mistris Shall I commit this great wickednesse and sinne against God overcame the loose temptation Gen. 39. 9. When the flesh grows wanton as it is ever apt to doe it is good to look upon the sad monuments of Gods wrath his judgments and so to hedge up sinnes way with thornes David made this holy use of them My flesh trembleth for fear of thee and I am afraid of thy judgements Ps 119. 120. Judicia Dei â—ncutiunt salutarem pavotem Amesius They cast a saving fear on pious minds that teach to decline rainous sinnes Gods fear is like a stout faithful Porter that will not suffer the Kings Enemies to come within his Court-Like a resolute Steward that suppresseth loose misrule within his House These wanton Professors in the Text wanted the fear of God They feasted without fear v. 12 and they ungraciously abused the grace of God Till men that have banished the fear of God out of their hearts entertain it they will never mend their loose hearts and lives Christian when thou art tempted to abuse Gods grace or either in a grosse or close way Timor emendaotor Acerrimus Plinius secundus set the fear of God before thee and say with thy self The Lord seeth me now wronging his grace by praying for that grace I care not for I cannot abide to see in another by sheltering injustice under his grace by shamelesnesse in the sense of acknowledged sins by insensiblenesse of others sufferings by unimproving the talents of his gifts and graces Shall I not be afraid to wrong the grace of God in his presence Are not Kings Favorites afraid to abuse his goodnesse in his presence and good children afraid to be saucy in their Parents eyes wantonnesse and the holy fear of God are inconsistent We never are boldly irreverent but loosnesse ensues it The fear of God in the heart will not allow departure from him SECT 4. 4. HElp is the Christian watch It is a great advantage to holy 4. Christian watchfulness is a help against abuse of Grace Admodum pertinenter conjungit vigilantiam sobrietatem Musc Miles in exenbiis Saluti insidiosissime adversatur Muse Contine lingua meam intra cancellos ne effetiat verba indigna Pelican sobriety that it keeps from wantonnesse both in worldly and Spiritual things Watch and be sober 1 Thess 5. 6. Vigilance and Sobriety Drunkennesse and Sleeping are fitly joyned Tenebrarum Cives The dark Citizens of Satans Kingdom sleep in stupidity of Spirit incogitancy madnesse and security and then they are drunk with carnal Lusts Affections Delights Covetousness Pride and Passion whereas a perpetual watchful minde like a Soldier in duty would prevent that loosnesse that exposeth to the enemy The watchful adversary soon surprizeth the riotous drouzy Souldier in his Quarters and observing Satan the loose sleepy Professor The wanton Tongue needs a watch lest it vent indecent Impieties and Impurities Set a watch O Lord before my mouth keep the door of my lips Psal 141. 3. The wanton ear needs a watch lest from a diseased itch not enduring sound Doctrine it turn from the truth to fables watch against this t is Pauls counsel to Timothy 2 Tim. 4. 3 4 5. Delicate itching ears must have scratching Doctrine Prurientes aures delectantur â—benignâ sca patione Matl Significat non modo fastidium sanae doctrinae sedodium Maâ—lorat to please carnal Lusts and hereby sound truth is loathed and contemned It is the common bane of Sermons Humor not Health carries away the credit And loose Appetites are more for delicate sauce then wholsome food Not the goodness but the newnesse and finenesse of the Diet and Cook is regarded The wanton eye needs watching lest it be a Casement to let in Vanity I made a Covenant with mine eyes why then should I think upon a maid Job 31. 1. much lesse on anothers Wife to tempt to wanton lust I bridled mine eyes that it should neither Oculos froena vit ne aspicerit vel quod peccalum foret vel ad peccandum illiceret Mercerus ther behold sin nor the baits of sin The wanton heart needs watching without this inward guard the outward watch of the senses is in vain A loose heart is so ingenuous it can shape the Idaea's of wickednesse The prophane heart of a blinde man may burn in lust while the outward doors are lockt and barr'd the unguarded Chambers of the heart may be lascivious Sound Christianity is severe and difficult it alloweth no sleeping mindes in secure sinning in worldly ensnarements in injuries to the Gospel That sleep that chains up the senses must not close Debent omnes etiam pii cum dormiant oculis corde vigilare Cypr. de Orat. Dom. up the eyes of the minde The heart may be carnally and spiritually wanton when the Body sleeps ' â— is good to pray that spiritual wickedness may not act in natures sleep Noisome dreams secret impurities are the issues of Original sin and Satans injections Keep a strict watch against the filthinesse of the flesh and spirit The resolved vigilant Steward prevents much loose disorder in the Family and the resolved watchful Christian in his soul SECT 5. 5. HElp is Prayer in the Holy Chost Praying always was 5 Prayer in the Holy Ghost is a special help against the abuse of grace Oratio flagellum Diaboli Christs remedy against the wanton excesses of the world Luke 21. 36. It is good against Libertinism in the Church It casts out the unclean Spirit Matth. 17. 21. It will cast out unclean temptation Pray that you enter not into it that neither you tempt temptation nor temptation tempt you To pray wantonly or through wantonness not to pray at all is the ready way to open the door to all lasciviousness of flesh and spirit Fit it is that he perish under loose temptation that either slightly or not at all seeks for a defence our continual help in Grace No wonder we have it not when we ask it not or amiss The Apostle Jude propounded it as safe soveraign counsel to avoid the wantons in the Text But you beloved praying in the Holy Ghost c. Set Grace awork in Divine Holy Prayer Run to your strong hold Gods grace is able to keep you from the abuses of it It was Davids practice uphold me according to thy Word Psalm 119. 116. Hold me up and I shall be safe 117. I flie unto thee Psalm 143. 9. Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity Psalm 119. 37. Incline not mine heart to covetousness v. 36. SECT 6. 6. HElp is walking in the Spirit a safe Direction Walk 6 Walking in the spirit is an help against the abusing of grace in the Spirit and ye shall not fulfil the lusts of the flesh Gal. 5. 16. To be spiritually minded is life Rom. 8. ye
to be licentious Oh the sad liberty the impudent old man boldly takes Where the inward discipline of a strict eye is neglected and the judgings checks and lashings of the conscience are suspended be jealous to God of the bosom traytor to thy self lest God be offended the Gospel be abused and the soul be damnified CHAP. XVII Containing an Exhortation to long for a riddance from this sin BE much in longing O Christian for a perpetual deliverance from this sin some of this leaven 4 Be much in longing for a deliverance from this sin will infect the purest mass The strictest Christian off his watch is in som things loose The pure eyes of God see every impure secret glance The inward and outward eyes are sometimes carnally or spiritually adulterous or both The purest garments in the worlds dirty Lanes are spotted When divine Light shews Gospel abusing pollutions in gracious spirits how vile how loathsome are they Then wo is me I am a man of uncleane lips the loose messengers of a filthy heart O that I were rid of this filthy body of sin The captive exile longs for his enlargement the weary traveller for his Inne the storm-scar'd sea-sick Passenger for his Harbour and the afflicted Christian under his unkindnesses to Grace for a deliverance 'T is good when the wanton flesh wrongs covenant mercies to say of a deliverance from it as Jeremiah of the Jews repentance when shall it once be Jer. 13. 27. When shall it once be that impure lusts shall never wrong the kisses of Love They that have the first fruits of the Spirit should be stil longing and groaning for their eternal holy happy harvest Pure heart-longings should be like the Harts pantings The hunting trembling creature hath an enflamed appetite after refreshing water tempted soules are or should be longing after pure communion with the blessed God Ingenuous afflicting sense of corrupting the best things the smiles the compassions the love tokens the promises of God by the loose flesh should beger doleful complaints of present pollutions and imperfections I know beleever it troubles thy precious tender spirit when thou seest thy unkindnesses to thy dearest Friend the Lord Jesus Be longing and breathing after a purer heart As Sisera's Mother said VVhy tarry the wheeles of his chariot Judg. 5. 28. So in thy devout reâ—itements say why tarry the wholly prevailing motions to heavenly perfection Oh that they were like the Chariots of Aminadab When shall I see and never asperse again the face of my dear Lord with carnal indignities Love longs for its beloved There is much grace in much and sorrowfull longing for more CHAP. XVIII Containing an Exhortation to Joy in the Hope of Glory 5. OE much upright Christian in the hope of glory 5 Be much upright in the hope of glory The Gospel eternal rewards of the next life wil be eternal security against the wrongs of grace Glory wil not admit throughout eternity the least imaginable minute of under-prizing of idle contemplating of dis-affecting precious grace it and its Author it and its Mediator it and its Messenger it and its golden Cisterns that conveighed it shall have their high account It shall have no obstructive creatures whorish lusts wily devils to wrong it It shall have no glut in its glorious exercise It s use shall be the Whetssone of use It s delight shall set a keen edge upon the Spirit still to delight in it It shall never be made an Advocate to speak for the least sinne You spiritual sonnes and daughters of Zion did the hope of Babylons Captives in the civil graves of their bondage rejoice them that they should arise and come with singing to Zion be you ever sipping through Gospel faith and hope out of the cup of everlasting consolation that though at the present you are captives of your loose flesh yet you shall with everlasting joy come to your heavenly Zion CHAP. XVIII Containing perswasive Motives to take heed that the Grace of God be not abused To stir us up to the holy practise of the forementioned Directions and Exhortations it will not I hope be impertinent to lay down some pressing Considerations that may spur our dull lazy spirits to the vigorous promoting of this great duty Exalting the Grace of God and shunning this eminent and frequent sin The wrong of his Grace These following things well digested pondered and fixed on our spirits may urge us profitably As SECT 1. 1. COnsideration The Titles given to Holy Professors in sacred Consider 1. The titles given to holy professors should excite us not to abuse Gods grace Writ should excite to use all means not to abuse Gods grace They are stiled Gods peculiar treasure Psal 135. 4. His Jewels Mal. 3. 17. Shall their worthless hearts drossie lives speak them barren commons wildernesses pebbles dunghils They are Gods Tabernacle Temple where he placeth his name Lev. 26. 11 12. and shall they that should bear it up to shine gloriously in the world darken it blaspheme it prophâ—ne it Amos 2. 7. They are the dearly beloved of his soul Jer. 12. 7. and shall their loose Apostasies provoke him that his soul should have no pleasure in them Heb. 10. 38. They are the children of the Kingdom Mat. 8. 12. and shall they carry themselves like such â—ebellious children and subjects as to provoke their angry â—â—ofessed King the Lord Jesus to cast them out They are Gods vineyard planted to bring forth sweet and ripe grapes Is 5. shall they answer Gods care and cost by the sowre grapes of ungodliness and unrighteousness They are a royal Priesthood and shall they live base abject lives 1 Pet. 2. 9. They are stiled the kingdom of Heaven Mal. 13. 47. whose conversation should be in heaven Phil. 3. 20. and shall they be worldlings in heart and life They are Christs garden Can. 8. 13. shal they be overrun with rank weeds They are The Spouse of Christ Can. 4. 11. and after Espousals to him shal they run a whoring from him Ps 73. 27. and cleave to strange loves They are Labourers Mat. 20. 1. And shal they stand idle all the day of grace Mat. 20 6. They are Christians Act. 11. 26. And shal they dishonour Christ And the Christian Name by unchristian principles and practises Sâ—CT 2. 2. COnsideration The honour of Christian Liberty civil freemen 2. The Consideration of Christian Liberty should prevent the Abuse of grace are chary of their Liberties spirituall ones must be and make their dear bought Liberty a plea to duty not a cloake of maliciousnesse being fâ—ee from the guilt and reign of sin they are De Juâ—e the servants of Righteousnesse Rom. 6. 18. â—nd as the pâ—ofessed servants of Righteousnesse they are free from the dominion of sin They are Christs freemen to do Gods worke and seâ—ve him not their Lusts under Christs Livery what honour hath liberty from the curse rigor damnation of the Law as a
covenant of works If Freemen by profession are as willing and industious flaves by dispoâ—tion and practise as if they had heard of the author of Liberty the infinite price of Libeâ—ty the bounds of Liberty the peace of Liberty the purity of Liberty the designe of Liberty which was to imprison chain up and chastise felonyous Traytors Rebells evill thoughts carnal reâ—sonings perverse desires inordinate â—ffections dissolute courses not to give them the least allowance latitude and affection What honour can this be to Christian liberty when as huge multitudes of Libertines manage it Hell is broken loose under the favour of it whose intendment was to open heaven in a free practise of piety and pardon of be vailed failings in a free assiâ—anâ—e by the spirit of Libertine to endeavour to do every part of â—ods will and a free acceptance of imperfect yet sincere service Carnal worldly Liberty saith indulge your â—enius feast your senses deny your sensitive appetite in nothing the pleasures of this life are the chiefest good be not a slave to straight laced mopish melancholly rules exercises and society but true Christian Liberty sayes use no unlawfull delights you deny your self in lawful be not under the power of Creature sweetest allowances it counts that part of life most sweet freedome that in the zeal pursuit and affection of spirituall delights can be contented without and mortified to â—eihâ—y unnecessary delights he words of Tertul. are weighty Delicatus es O Christiane si in saeculo voluptatem concuâ—iscis c. Quid jucundius quam Deâ— Patris reconciliatis quam veritatis revelatio quam errorum recognitio c. Quae majorvoluptas quam fast idium voluptatis c. Hae voluptates haec spec tacula Christianorum Tertull De spectaculis pag. 592. Thou art delicate O Christian if thou seekest worldly pleasureâ— yea a fool if thou accountest this pleasure what is more pleasant then Reconciliation with God then acknowledgment of errors then pardon of sin past What is greater pleasure then the loathing of pleasure the contempt of the whole world then true liberty then an upright conscience then a life of contentment then living above the fear of death these are the pleasures these are the spectacles the rare sights of Christians Indeed an holy authority over sensuall delights a vacation and attendance to and pursuance of spiritual pleasures do speak the only Free-man in the World T is rare to find that mighty Apostolicall spirit among professed Christians not to be under the power of any thing they use not specular delights with Liberty but slavery not being possessors of them so much as possessed by them not to help but hinder the spiritual Race not to sharpen but dul the edge of holy Devotion Meditation and delight in God not as Ladders of scension to him but as Leaden Plummers to pul down the soule from him SECT 3. 3. COnsideration The credit of the Gospel how doth the 3. The credit of the Gospel should ingage us to beware of abusing the grace of God Schoole boy honour his Master when hee is a thriving Grammarian the Pupill his Tutor when he is a rare proficient in the Liberal arts and the Beleever his great Teacher Christ when in the Gospel Schoole he is come to high attainments in the deep and holy practical mysteries of Faith T is said of Demetrius He had a good report of the truth 3 Epist Joh. v. 12. The gospel of Salvation the highest word of truth gives a good Report of its strict Professors when it is so powerfull over them as to make them stand in awe of its Lust-curbing-requiries when its spiritual weapons are mighty through God to bring every thought to the obedience of Christ to hush the peevish insurrections of discontented imaginations to curb loose inward filthy motions to purge out their defilements to bewaile inward pollutions to watch them and beat them down in holy indignation and chastity of Spirit as they rise up and importune with their flattering insinuations to Rebellion and draâ—ing aside from God When the Gospel is thus the power of God to holy strictnesse it speaks wel of itsreligious observers so taking is its Majesty in the minds and mouthes of loose wicked men â—ho commend strict Gospellers yea wish sometimes they were in their case It speakes wel of fellow conscientious Christians who are glad to see their fellow Travellers in the Road of Christianity making hast to their eternal inheritance their fathers house It speaks wel in the joyous observance of the holy Angels who rejoyce in the Teares Prayers Strict services of the penitent it wil speak wel in the Lord Christ who wil be admired in careful and conscionable Bellevers at the great day 2 Thessal 1. 10. Who have not put off themselves and others with the words but shined forth the power of the Gospel in holy humble heavenly close walking with God and living up according to the measure of Grace to its injunctions SECT 4. 4. COnsideration The strict and heavenly call of Christians they are called from the Creature to Christ from The strict high and heavenly call of Christians should keep us from abusing the grace of God dissolutenesse to regular life from lying vanities to the blessed realities of Eternity from the delights of sense to those of faith from a portion in this life to an inestimable one in God from the filthiness of the flesh and spirit to the clean paths of holiness from the cursed impure life of Devils to the holy Angels conversation Great spirits called to Court dignities and delights have ordinarily an answerablenesse of spirit to their secular greatnesse Christians are called to be the high Courtiers of the Heavenly Court their very call if seriously weighed is a mighty motive to strictnesse God hath not called us unto uncleaness but unto holinesse 1 Thes 4. 7. When God called us we were unclean lived in uncleannesse but noâ— saith Musculus He hath called us that of profane and unclean we might be holy As if Perinde ac siquis vocetur ad halneum Et puer qui mittitur ad ludum literariuÌ„ Et qui vocat ad se medicuÌ„ c. Musculus one be called to a Bath he is not called to abide in his impure distempers but to purge them out As if a boy be called to school he is not sent thither for barbarous rudenesse bâ—t to get learning Or as he that sends for the Physitian doth not call for him for siâ—kness but health to remove not to retain his disease Such is the condition of our calling in Jesus Christ to accommodate our selves to the will of God and not to wander from the scope of our calling hence the Apostle mentions Christians call as argumentative of a strict life and regular conformity to the Gospels precepts SECT 5. 5. COnsideration A lively sense of the Excellency of grace 5. A lively sense of the excellency of grace is a
means to prevent abuse of grace Homines secundum gratiam ipsam creantur i. e. constituuntur in novo esse ex nihilo Aquin. 12 ae q. 110. 2 Gratia auxilium Dei Aqu. 1 2 ae q. 113. 9. Arg. 2. Arg. 2. Gratia habituale donum excedens ordineÌ„ naturae bonum gratiae unius est magis bâ—num naturae totius universi Ib. Grace is the new Creature By it the sinner saith Aquinas is created in a new being now how unworthy is it of the new Creature to look again like the old man It must be with the supernatural as it is with common Creatures they shew according to their properties formes and inclinations what is put into them by the benefit of their creation Grace is the glory of God Let me see thy glory saith Moses God shewed it in his grace I wil be gracious to whom I wil be gracious Exod. 33. 18 19. God in his Grace is a King in his Throne The Throne of grace Heb. 4. 16. Abuse grace and you spit upon the King in his Throne this is to deal with God as Davids enemies did with him to Turn his glory into shame Grace is the arme of God his strong arm by which hee aydes and defends his people and casts down Satan to wrong grace is to weaken the arm of God Grace is a matchlesse goodnesse of finite excellencies the chiefest exceeds all the good of nature All the Creatures Riches Honours Pleasures of this world are inconsiderable to Grace the least filing of its precious gold the least dramme of its soveraign worth the lowest degree of it excells the Abstract the Quintessence the Composition the Spirits the united Glory of the whole worlds desirables The poorest Saint doth outwealth the richest sinners rich Libertines that swim in pleasures have reason to wish they could change states with poor Beleevers the rich heirs of glory but it was never yet known that a real needy Saint would change conditions with gracelesse prosperous worldlings and mighty Cedars Look not upon the wicked of the world with envy but with pitty they that see in the Sancturary of God what wil be their dreadful end fret not to see bruitish christians fatted in their wealthy pastures like Oxen for the slaughter they know their delicate and superfluous meate is sweet til the reckoning come weigh things by their ends not present enjoyments the references they bear to eternity not this life Grace is a christians holy water a christal spring the well of water springing up to eternal life is the spirit of Grace Joh. 4. Gratia caelestis rivus Justin Prot. Patriar venetiae 14. To debase the grace of God to sin is to throw dirt into a pure spring to muddy a pure stream that the christians face cannot be seen in it Grace is spirituall light a saving beam of the Sun of righteousnesse Gratia spirituale lumen Aq. 1 2 ae q. 211. 5. Arg. 3. that makes day in the soule where it is and speakes its enlightned subjects children of light Now loose wanton works of darknesse what in them lyes turn the day into night make the beautiful Sons of Zion to looke like uncomly Negroes black Ethiopians turnes Heaven into Hell the christians fairenesse into foulnesse his glory into shame Grace is the choice love token of God Hos 14. 2 4. Eph. 2 4 7. To Abuse Grace is as if a Spouse should blot and blur her Bridegroomes Love-Letters and cast his kind tokens under feet Grace is a christians ornament the ornament of a meeke and quiet spirit 1 Pet. 3 4. the ornament of grace unto the head and chaines about the neck Pro. 1. 9. a ravishing comliness to Jesus Christ Can. 4. 9. A gracious christian though his outward appearance be never so meane is a more comly peice to spiritual Dignitasin indigno est ornamentum in luto Salvian eyes then the fairest face of the Limners art yea then the most beautiful face of flesh and bloud that ever God made the filth cast upon grace is like dirt cast upon a brides ornaments or dung on scarlet Grace is a christians distinguishing character by it said Paul I am what I am 1 Cor. 15. 10. It makes the great difference in the world it differs the spiritual from the carnal as the resonable soul doth a man from a bruit to sin by grace is to make the sun darkness to turn a man into a beast to be filthy by a clean spring is a great contradiction to the nature and distinguishing formality of Gratia est similitu do Dei Aq. 3. â— 2. 10. Arg. primum Grace Grace is Gods image to wrest grace to sin is to make Gods picture look like the Devils Grace is a christians heaven begun eternal life to mingle sinwith grace is to mingle hel with heaven and death with eternal life Gratia sanitas mentis Aq. 1 2 ae q. 11 3. c. Quasi murâ— gratiae civinae circum quaque communiti fideles Chrys Grace is the soules health to abuse grace is to turn health into sickness the sweet temper of the mind into a diseased distemper Grace is a christians walled city his safety lyes in this that he is walled round with grace to shelteâ— sin under grace is to throw down a securing wall and to make it useless grace in its vigour liberty and exercise wil shelter the soul against all its assaults Grace is a christians store house gives out supply for Life and Vnico hoc gratiae vocabulo continetur ingens ille beneficiorum acervus Davâ—nant in Colos godlinesse My grace is sufficient for thee this one word grace is an Abridgment of gospel blessings all are in grace Paul was wont to begin and end his Epistles with grace as the foundation and top-stone of eternal happinesse Sin against grace by the leave of grace is the pick-lock theefe that comes into the christians store-house and robs him of all his blessings Grace is the earnest for glory to make grace give liberty to sin is to turn the earnest of Heaven into an earnest for hel it is like a wanton servant to cast his masters earnest into the gutter Thus O christian get a lively dwelling sense upon thy spirit of the fair face of grace and thou wilt not dare by thy filthy thoughts words and workes to bemire it consider the high honour of grace and thou wilt not disgrace it FINIS