impieties and unrighteousnesses under the favour of grace They rejoyce in a thing of nought Amos 1. 13. When thou doest evill then thou rejoycest Jer. 11. 15. The Lords charge against wanton Israel under meanes of grace and the just reproofe of wantons under the gospell when they doe evill they rejoyce it is but looking up to Gods grace and all is well How miserable are those men who rejoyce in their losse It is wofull mournful mad joy to found on the abuses of grace and the dishonors of God the Triumphs of sin and wickedness which causeth bitternesse in the end SECT 4. 4. INference The best things have evill entertainment of hard Sect. 4. The best things have evill entertainment from hard hearts Hearts Israel had gracious Propheses but they hardned their necks did not beleeve rejected Gods statutes followed vanitie and were vaine 2 Kings 17. 14. 15. Christs familie experienced his gracious miracles but their hearts were hardned and considered not the miracle of the loaves when brought to a new strait Mark. 6. 32. If Christ upbraided their hardnesse of heart for not beleeving the reports of his Pesurrection Mark 16. 14. How blameable is that Phamonicall Hardnesse of Heart that receives no impression of grace by the priviledges promises word and spirit of grace that are pretended to The sweet inriching dewes doe no good upon the hard rock nor doe the sweet dews of instructions and motions of grace doe good upon rocky hearts Weeds spring and grow by the rain and the sun Corruptions rise up and increase by occasion of Gods grace SECT 5 5. INference The grace of God is to be appropriated and applied Sect. 5. The grace of God is to be applied with feare and trembling wi vbth feare and trembling With it worke out your salvation is the Apostles counsell Phil. 2. 12. Rejoyce with trembling the Psalmists Psal 2. 11. The fancy of saving grace is easy T is good to feare deceit about interest in Grace The Synagogue of Satan may boast themselves to be the City of God This high gospell Grace God is my reconciled father his Convenant-Promises are mine the Grace of Christ is mine is foolish and common intrusion like the vain man that sayes the house and land is his for which he hath no good title â—surping wantons are audacious and boldly write down themselves in the booke of Life living members covenanters of grace heirs of glory which happinesse many an humbled broken hearted combating Christian cannot see in many yeares attendance on the Ordinances walking with and waiting on God and are only borne up in the Waves of Doubts Despondencies and Feares with probabilities and weake hopes enough to uphold not to comfort in the wayes of Religion The grace is glorious that is contained in those exceeding great and precious promises I will be their God and they shall be my people Their sins and iniquities will I remember no more Israel shall be saved with everlasting Salvation and the like fear and tremble lest these be abused unrepented wrongs to these favours will prove their eternall forfeiture the wanton pursuit of lying vanities is the way to be outed of those mercies Think with thy selfe what if the Lord whom I take to be my gracious God prove my avenging Judge if the sinnes I conceive are blotted out shall appear against me in legible characters if instead of free love I meet with just wrath if the presumptions of everlasting salvation be confâ—ted by eternall damnation If I wrong his grace and repent not of the unkindnesse how can I escape a fearfull looking for of fiery indignation which will devoute so wicked an adversary SECT 6. 6. INference Carnal Cospellers rever knew the Grace of God Sect 6. Carnall Gospellers never knew the grace of God in truth in truth It was never known and deâ—iberately constantly abused if ye have been taught by him the truth as it is in Jesus That ye put off the old man and put on the new Eph. 4. 21. 22. Christs disciples that have learned the truth not only as in books Sermons the Letter the Notion but in the teaching Heart fixing transforming power of Jesus by the anoynting of the Holy Ghost are taught not to dandle and nourish but to put off and starve corruption not to hate but love not to oppose but to imbrace and exercise the quickning grace of God If envy and strife ragin in the heart glory not lye not against the truth Jam. 3. 14. He that saith I know him and keeps not his Commandemants is a lyar and the truth is not in him 1 Joh. 2. 4. He that consents not in Judgement and Consâ—ience to practise the Doctrine according to godlinesse is destitute of the truth I Tim. 6. 5. Sanctisie them with thy truth thy word is truth Joh. 17. 17. The grace of God known in truth sanctifies and gives no allowance to sin It is not because men know but because they truly know not the grace of God that it is so dishonoured SECT 7. 7. INference It is a safe and a wise course to be trying our Principles 7. It is a safe and a wise course to be trying our principles and practices in Christianity 1. Our Principles whether they tend to godliness whether they are not grace-destroying heart-hardning the fear God banishing carnal security nourishing Principles such as these God observes not believers sins They must live above that is in a wicked sense without Ordinances God chastifeth not his people for sin Mourning for sin is a low attainment a legal busness a double lie 1. It is so high an Attonement that the high and the holy God of all hearts in the world prefers the lowly mourning broken heart to dwell in 2. It is a meer Gospel grace the Law accepts not an Eternity of tears nor repentance This also is a loose Principle that a Christian in his obedience is to look only to the love of Christ within him not the Law a rule of life without him an impious Atheistical opinion for when the sad experience of the best of Saints gives true report that too often there are no stirrings of love to God if there be not a fixed rule of duty without what is left to hold a man in obedience â—lso this Maxime that Believers have nothing to do with the threatnings because there is no condemnation to them is an engine of the Devil to pluck out of the heart the fear of threatned sins How contrary to the Scripture is this setting the fearless daring heart out of the threatning Law yea Gospels gun-shot and so the Libertine that neither hath fear of God to love him and obey him nor fear of Hell to keep him from sin fails with full winde and tide to the dead Sea of eternal desruction Try Christian whether as the Philistins put out Sampsons eyes the Devil hath not pull'd out thine to believe Doctrinal lies to debauch thine heart and life 'T
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
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 Truth for by-ends not the love of it 2 Thes 2. 10. So Heretical loose prophane spirits are not in love with truth and as a Wife who is not in love with her Husband abuseth his kindesse so do these the truth Love is kind behaveth not it self unseemly 1 Cor. 13. 4 5. True love of truth is so kind to her as not to put unseemly affronts upon her I wonder not when David setting up a pair of ballances and weighing truth in one scale and the greatest glories of the world in the other in his judicious esteem Truth as most weighty and massie did preponderate His love run out in fullest stream to the Truth O how do I love thy Law Psal 119. 97. The joy of his high love was not onely parallel to the joy of all riches V 14. accounted as a rich fee-simple an heritage for ever V. 111. but the beauty and treasure of truth was better unto him than thousands of Gold and Silver V. 72. Above Gold yea above fine Gold V. 128. And now as a faithfull Spouse deeply in love with and betrothed to her dear â—ridegroom by no difficulties and afflictions is beat off from him quickens and sharpens her zeale after him by opposition so David espoused to the pure and lovely truth of God V. 140. was faithfull to the interest of it in all affictions the whetstone of his holy profession meditation of and conversation by it This was the sweet song of his pilgrimage v. 54. Neither trouble and anguish that took hold on him v. 145. nor Princes persecutions v. 161. nor the presence of Kings v. 46. nor his enemies despising of him v. 141. nor proud mens forging lyes against him v. 69. nor their digging pits nor laying snares for him v. 85. 110. nor their waiting to destroy him v. 95. nor their almost consuming him upon earth v. 87. could bring down his high esteem nor cool his burning love to the Truth whose guiding purifying comforting influence he had found in his heart life Buy the truth and sell it not Prov. 23. 23. buy it at any reat sell it at no rate as it is with persons deeply sick of love they will have such a man or woman though they beg with them so it is with the lovers of saving truth they will be match'd to it though they perish by it though it cost them the losse of their estates liberties and lives The word of truth the Gospel of salvation hath been dearer to blessed Martyrs than their hearts blood The Apostles could doe nothing against the truth but for the truth 2 Cor. 13. 8. and then no wonder they were zelots for the truth did neither Sancti viri amando discunt quod docendo proferunt Greg. super Ezek. deny the profession of it nor wantonly abuse it Reall Saints learn the truth by loving it professe the truth they have learned and stick to the truth they professe 'T is a true and sure experience they who have not received the truth for the love of it rience they who have not received the truth for the love of it but for and by carnall ends will make it their decoy and stalking Horse and as it was never heartily loved for it selfe in time Mollior solutior vita est quast lascivia adversus Christum Calv. in loc of Temptation they will reject it or dissemble it with which they have ever played the wantons to which they never yeelded hearty obedience The Apostle tells us that younger widdows professed Christians waxed wanton against Christ in their too soft and delicate life of pleasures 1 Tim. 5. 6 11. a reason is subjoyned Nemo vel tantillum potest a Christo deflectere quin Satanam sequatur Hinc admonemar quam exitialis sit c. 1b beca use they cast off their first faith v. 12. The faith of 〈◊〉 severe mortifying Christianitie These also are said to go after Satan v. 15. A sad Text that will prove many specious pompous christians to be fatanicall Calvin beginnes his Exposition of those words Some are turned aside after Satan with a Notanda loquutio Note the words well No man can a little turn from jesus Christ but he is in a ready way to follow Satan Hence we are admonished how deadly a sinne it is to turn aside from the right course which of the sons of God will make us the slaves of Satan and being drawn off from the government of Christ sets Satan over us to be out Leader SECT 5. 5. WAnt of laying to heart Gospel threatnings contributes 5. Want of laying to heart Gospel threatnings contributes to the Gods grace to the Abuse of Gods grace The Lord hath to prevent the abuse of it annexed the threatnings of the covenant of works to the violation of the covenant of grace Death Hell the wrath to come the curses of the Law were the threats of the covenant of Works These are used to Hedge in a reverend regard to and obedience of the covenant of grace God in infinite wisdome and love jealous of the Apostasy of his peoples hearts and zealous of his own glory and their salvation hath annexed dreadfull threatnings to the Preaching of the Gospel to keep down proud wanton flesh to be a thorny thick-sett preventive of over-leaping rebellions and preservative of obedience The fear of anger is a good expedient left the hope of Gods goodnesse be abused to carnal neglect Hence we read these comminations Expedit esse sub 〈◊〉 ne 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 divinae benignitatis solvamur in negligentiam Orig. We are not of those which draw back to perdition Heb. 10. 38. Perdition is implyedly threatned against A postasie from Christ He that loveth not the Lord Jesus Christ in sinceritie let him be Anathema Maranatha accursed excommunicate for ever 1 Cor. 16. 22. The everlasting curse is threatned to Christs false friends He that believeth not is damned Joh. 3. 18. Except ye repent ye shall perish Luk. 13. 3. Yea there where the Lord proclaimes the glory of his name in grace and mercy left it should be wronged to wantonness he mentions a terrible threatning That he will by no means clear the guilty Exod. 34. 6 7. Such as by unbeleeving loose impenitent courses a second time crucisie the Son of God and prostitute his metits to wicked courses should doe well to study those angry words He will by no means clear such guilty ones Because pround secure Libertines either Impii simul metuunt contemnunt saenas Luth. in Gen consider not or fear not or positively contemn Gods threatned wrath Hence it is that they securely play the 〈◊〉 in the hopes of mercy 'T is rare these sad and serious thoughts are layd to heart If I do not beleeve in Christ I am lost for ever If I live in my sinne I shall perish If I depart from Christ I shall be 〈◊〉 one If I abuse the long-suffering goodness truth
est Bern. Grow in the grace and the knowledge of Jesus Christ It is a true saying of Augustine Let no man say though the longest liver and highest proficient in Religion I have enough I am righteous sufficiently He that sayes so he stayes in the way he shall never reach his journeys end Happy had it been for these wondring falling Stars had they considered there is no middle state between Proficiencie and Deficiencie going forward and going backward if they had considered it must be with Christians as it was with the Angels on Jacobs Ladder as to perpetual motion The Patriarch saw them ascending and descending but no standing still The stands of religious sufficiencie have been and are fatall to Imaginary Perfectists O the rare artifice of Satan to ruin soules where he doth it not as a Prince of darkness he speeds as an Angel of light He puts the vaile of imaginary perfection of holiness over almost perfection of sin votes a nothingness an emptyness in Religion a sufficient attainment tels real carnalists they are high spiritualists cheat them with dreams they are the darlings of heaven when they are like to prove firebrands in hell while in the pleasing folly of spiritual pride vain self-lovers admire themselves as the none such of the world and cannot judge in their coldness yea death of Charity that they are reall Saints vessels of mercy it is to be feared without extraordinary repentance these not fixed stars but blazing comets will goe out in darkness vanish in a stink and appear in the great day in the left hand as vessels of wrath SECT 12. 3. THe Frror a very sottish one of Opinion That what 12 A gross error to the the abuse of grac is this that what pleaseth the loose sinner pleaseth God Insipientes credunt does amare quicquid it si concupiscunt Lact. l. 3. 0. 6. pleaseth the loose sinner pleaseth God These things hast thou done thou thoughtest that I was altogether such a one as thy self Psal 50. 21. an erroneous and impious parallel and the cause of much looseness These things hast thou done What these sins are charged on the wicked Libertine an hypocritical owning of Gods Statutes and Covenant ver 16. His hating instruction and casting Gods word behind him v. 17. His consent to the every and partnership with adultery v. 18. His evil unbridled tongue v. 19. His slander even of a natural brother v. 20. All these are put down as the sid fruits of this cursed error and reall blasphemy God the sinner are alike Thou thoughtest I was such a one as thy self I was as well pleased with thy basenesse as thy self This is a tyring wearisom error to the pure God Ye have wearied the Lord with your words yet ye say wherein when ye say every one that doth evill is good in the sight of the Lord and be delighteth in him or where is the God of judgement Mal. 2. 17 There are not a few grosse carnal Gospellers who when their unwasht heart impure and wicked lives are covered over with a white and beautifull vaile of professed Christianity do as heartily write themselves in their absurd flattering injudicious minds the children of God the dearly beloved of his soul as if they were the exactest walkers Certainly those grosly intemperate incontinent covetous malicious unnaturall prophane ones that would rage at a Minister or private Christian that should but so much as tel them they fear and suspect their persons hearts and lives are abominable to God doe not so much as scruple it but they are the objects of divine loves and delights What doth this amount to else but this virtual and interpretative perswasion the holy God and the vile sinner are alike O that such wretches would consider as the holy Scriptures in multitudes of places so Gods angry avenging Providences are the vindicating Patrons and infallible maintainers of Gods purity and after death the great day and to all eternity he will prove by sadly convincing fierie arguments the infinite distance between the holy blessed God and the lewd cursed sinner Did either gross or close hypocrites under Gospel-profession seriously consider and deliberately reason their own wickedness and Gods holyness what likes them and what pleaseth God search Scripture Records what the Lord hates and what he is ravished with so ingeniously and faithfully conclude these and these things according to the word of truth are detested with a perfect abhorrence of the pure heavenly Majesty and we are guilty of them and are as loathsome in his sight as Toad a Carrion are in ours it were impossible there should be such liberall and large allowances of carnal liberty as there are too much under the favour of a divine approbation and delight 'T is too common an error that prospering Providences are encouragers of wicked designs and practises The Devil is a Devil still lying and unclean though his temptations prosper SECT 13. 4. The Error that false evidences of Grace are true An erronious rest on these hath begotten too much Libertinism 12. Another Error that buseth grace is That false evidences are true 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Non beat inanis theoria in the Church of God As 1. Bare knowledge of Divine things is too weak a proof of goodness The Devils know but are unclean full of wickedness In their inlightned intelligent natures there are the spiraul things of wickedness The Apostles expression Eph. 6. 12 The light of the Sun speaks not a Thief honest nor the Adulterer chaste who are both lewd by the beams of it Bare Illumination speaks no man holy nor happy to infer a good heart from a knowing head is not a more common then a foolish and pernicious inference Ah foolish impudent Christian hath God laid thee in with a stock of knowledge to licentiate thee to sin by the light of it Will the aggravation of your sin be the evidence of your good estate A stock of Knowledge is one thing of Grace another The Gnosticks that vaunted much of their knowledge were a beastly Sect The bare light of Gospel propositions will not fit for the Inheritance of the Saints in Light Surely light is never gracious and saving unless it Transform its receivers They are children of light 1 Thess 5. 5. and they do not onely see it but walk in it as children of light Eph. 5. 8. 2. An Orthodox Judgement is no conclusive ground of grace 'T is gross error from Doctrinal soundness to argue Cordial and Practical A man may be sound in the Faith Tit. 1. 13. but Metuo magnoque tremore constringer ne qui Orthodoxam sidem habere videmur eam vacuam honestarum actionum conjugio oberrare permiserimus Sophronius Hierosalymitanus Orat. in Natal Christ not by the Faith His light is sound that speaks against Theft and Adultery but he is not found by his true light that is a Thief and Adulterer Rom. 2. 21 22. A form of
but Diabolical Perfection Consider from what stairs you have almost descēded into the bottomless pit Have you not in spiritual pride despised the Ministry and Ordinances of Christ Have you not been formal and dead under them when you used them Have you not often blunted by your stony hearts the home and wounding Arrows of informing reproving convictions When you could not could your workes of darknesse with the divine light of truth Have you not then to cover your old mans deeds and quiet your often barking yea sometimes byting conscience called Gods lightdarkness and Satans darkness light Yea by a surer artifice to make you quite dead as to unquiet conviction Have you not first given way to wicked scepticism doubt almost every thing and which is a further degree of soul-ruining delusion the difference between Turpe and Honestum Moral Malice Goodnesse Have you not by a cursed indiscriminating difference jumbled Holyness and Wickedness together and made nothing sin but what you thinks to be so I cannot but tell you if all the Apostate Angells should sit in counsell why would most ascertayne the the damnation of the children of men pluck up all religion and righteousness by the roots destroy Churches and common-wealths questionlesse your opinion and practises would be the Devils master-piece to doe it O Remember whence you are fal'n and repent Be convinced the Law is holy Just and good God hath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iren. adversus Hare 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iren. Ibid. pure eyes No evil can dwell with him He hath no fellowship with the unfruitfull works of darknesse Study the Ten commandements read Mr. Dod and others Know and beleeve the Rules of the Gospel are strict and severe against Libertines and be sure of it your soul wounds are so deep and dangerous that it must be an extraordinary repentance that must heal them You that have wrested the pure word of Gods grace and followed seduced Christians in the time of Ireneus who held perfection boldly asfirmed they knew more then Paul Peter or any other Apostle and yet ranted it like you in this opinion and practise they freely did all things they pleased without any fear in any things O trace the penitentiall steps of a seduced sifter of your in error the beantiful wife of a Deacon in Asia who being by an inchanting love-cup defiled in soul and Prostituted in body by one Mark an unclean Magician pretending to make the most rich and best apparell'd women Prophetesses was with much labour converted from her irreligions and impure error and practise by the Christian brethren of that time and ceased not to confesse with bitter teares and mourning the impure violation of her body and spirit from that wicked Magician Your Apostacy from Christ into the impure sinke of corrupt opinion and it may be ansverable practise is very greivous your return had need be eminent in constant mourning bitter weeping pure and strict living So I pass from you to other Abusers of the Scriptures Christian Profession and themselves The Apostle Peter hath an high expression of a real Saint the living Id est quasi Deisicari ut loquamur Marl. Notandum cst naturae nomen hic non substantiam sed qualitatem designate picture of Christ He is partaker of the divine nature anhigh expression Marlorat thinks not to be parallel'd in the Old be parallel'd in the O and New Testainment it is as if we should say the Saint were deified Quasi as if not that he is so The holy Writer well expounds the word Nature doth not design substance but qualitie or as I heard judicious Master Whitaker now with Christ interpret The divine nature is not the divine essence but the divine resemblance The Manichees a dissolute Sect dreamed wee are the offspring of Gods substance and at length after death Hodie fanatici nos in Dei naturam transire imaginattur shall return into his Being our Original so some fanatical men fancy we shall pass into the nature of God and his divine nature shall swallow us up abusing as this Text of the Apostle Peter so that of the Apostle Paul 15. 28. God shall be all in all Not that we are or shall be or can be parts of the divine essence a blasphemy against the simplicitie of God which is incapsble of composition or division but because being partakers of Quantum modulus noster feret divine created glory and immortallity we shall be as it were one with God in the light and life of a glorious estare as much as vessels of honour are capable of Some loose Libertines among us the sad monuments of Apostasie from the Truth have come near the brink yea sunk into this blasphemous error Moreover those Texts which answerable to natural reason give God as the first cause and being an universal causalitie and efficiencie in the Acts of second causes contirgent as wel natural Rational as of Sense and Vegetation as That in him we have being and motion He workssall things according to the Counsell of his will Go doth all and the Creature doth nothing without him From the wrested truth of the divine concourse to secondary acts doubt not boldly to lay their spurious wickednesse at the doores of the holy God as if Gods motions in the creature pure and innocent could justifie the irregularities and monstrous exorbitances of sinful men when they know without Coaction they with a willing spontaneity vile affection and evill custome doe mingle their corruptions with Gods innocent operations These wantons that shroud their sinnes under the Apology and sanctuary of Gods Agency in second causes will be one day without repentance informed in a distinction to their everlasting shame and punishment That Gods working in vitious Actions and theirs are as different as light and darkness His motion is Metaphysically and naturally good theirs morally evil His moving the faculries of the soul and members of the body are pure unblameable and necessary upon the presupposal of his being the first mover intimately cooperating in every second motion as also upon the necessary reputation of his infinite purity and goodness which cannot be the least causative influence in the least evil disposition or action as formally evil but it is they have blended divine pure activities with their own evil mixtures as for example It is Gods efficacious concourse that the hand with a sword in it is stretched out it is mans wickedness that hath made the motion murderous Gods motions are strait loose walkers motions are crooked Gods actions are the fruit of his operative Providence whereby being and moving is supported Their actions are the impure results of depraved corruption Last of all among many revishers of the sacred Text from its pure and chast meaning in reference to the Abuse of Grace Mammonists with their filthy lucre cast dirt on the holy Word and are cum Privilegio worldlings by Scripture licence and countenance
prophet that sayes There is no peace to the wicked Ifa 57. 21. sayes also He that made them will shew no mercy to them Ifa 27. 11. SECT 12. 12. The Presumption of Interest in the Promises is a cause Sect. 12. presumption of Interest in the promises causeth abuse of Grace why Grace is abused as unreasonably do foolish Gospellers fancy a part in the great Charter of the City of God the gra cious covenant of promises as fools oâ— madmen imagine the Immunities and Priviledges of the City of London belong to them who were never Apprentices there nor in any other regular way got their Freedome This glorious Interest a part in the Promises too many vain walkers in the Christian name no less falsly then boldly do assume T is â—ith false Christians as Jewes those made this their vaunt and proofe That the Promises belonge dunto them Rom. 9. 4. And those at every turne after renewed dishonour to the Grace of God can shelter themselves in the Promises but where in the word is there a title of a promise made to the wrongings of Grace Hath the word of Promise made a soft bed for effeminate delicate lazy lustfull carnall security to sleep in the promise of life to unreturning sinners strengthens the hands of the wicked and is a lie Ezek 13. 22. The God of Truth never promised life ever threat neth death to the impenitent The Devill the flattering world the wicked promise themselves life in the wayes of Death The word doth note soure things will discover the wickednesse of their Presumption that impudent unmortified christians lazy convictions have a right to the promises 1. They have not while the Abuse of grace raignes in them a right to Christ therefore not to the promises Christ is the great gospel Promise the great moving Wheel by which all the Whee's of the promises move In him all the promises are â—ea and Amen 2 Cor 1. 20. To him they were made therefore he is called The covenant of the people Isa 42. 6. so then no part in Christ none in Promises no taking of the person of Christ no child of promise Now its evident that unreformed abusers of the grace of God Lusts-servers Flesh-pleasers have no part in Christ for they that are Christs have crucified the flesh with the Affections and Lusts Gal. 5. 24. and therefore as yet are strangers to the promises and children of Wrath under the curse every moment in danger of Hell the promises have not a good word for them The confidence of being armed with the promises will not keep such black markes as are carnall wantons shot free from the mortall charges of the Lawes threatnings 2. The promise is an holy promise ps 105. 42. Now an holy promise was never made to encourage and bolster up unholy hearts lives T is true immediatly before the sinners taking Christ the promise found him unholy but it doth not leave him so In the first moment of taking Christ and right to the promises an holy nature is infused and its impossible that such a one should infuse the Grace of God and make void the promise 3. The Spirit that seales the promise to the beleevers Soule in an holy spirit Eph. 4. 20. Now as the seal leaves its owne print on the Wax so the holy spirit seales the holinesse of the promises on the Soul Where the heart is still unholy the Devill seals his false promise the spirit seals not his true one the spirits applications of promises are purifying and fortifying 4. The use of the promise is the improovement of Grace not dishonour it is for Gods sake service not the sinners not barely to comfort but mainly to cleanse Having these promises let us Impii rapiunt in sui consolation em promissiones grutiae Luther in Gen. cleanse our selves 2Cor 7. 1. Lust and the devill saith having these promises we may boldly sin the promise will help in case of sin guilt and disquier Most true is that of Luther The wicked filch and take the promises of Grace to themselves for their carnall comfort SECT 13. 13. The presumption of a false Peace hath betrayed many to Sect. 13. The presumption of false peace causeth the abuse of grace the injury of Gods grace quiertnesse speakes no safety nor goodnesse of conscience the Dormant Lion when awakened will roare and tear the Prisoner is neither secure nor cleane because he sleeps in a cold and filthy dungeon though he be merry and loose in his restraint he is under the lash of the Law and neer the sentence of the Judge Though there be no true Peace to the wicked Isa 57. 21. Yet they please themselves with the Devills peace Luk. 11. 21. While God lets them alone and the Devill disturbs them not in meane while the old man upon presumption of Liberty of conscience shelters himself under the Tranquiliias ista tempestas wing of grace This security is not long lived though it be lasting t is not everlasting sins calms prove the worst storms a calm air hath ushered in sea storms Earthquakes the wind in the bowells of the Earth is silent and quiet for a time at length it breaks out roars and hurls Hills Feilds and Houses into a dark and ruinous Abyss Indulged pampered sin in the soul is silent and quiet for a time but at length it breaks out and roares in horror of conscience and hurles all false comforts into the dismall pit of despaire Although blood toucheth blood Hos 4. 2. And there be a contiguity a close addition of sin to sin drunkennesse be Pax mihi futura ad appectum i. e. ad studia cordis mei ambulabo Junius added to thirst yet many blesse themselves in the imaginations of their hearts and say they shall have peace Deut. 29. 19. yea walk according to the deluding Dictates of their hearts because they say so Had it not beene for Lust and the Devills peace the awakning terrors of the spirit of bondage might have driven many out of Hells way into Christ but because stupified consciences are peaceable they dare be filthy and abominable and this is the sad tragicall issue of the merry comicall Acts of sin in the stage of this life That ease which hath first tempted to sin ends in torment The ease of the simple shall slay them and the prosperity of fooles shall destroy them Prov. 1. 32. When they shall say peace and safety then sudden destruction cometh upon them as travell upon a woman with child and they shall not escape 1 Thes 5. 3. They shall say who shall the next verse 4. Tells us they who are in darknesse and do the workes of darknesse by the comfort and confidence of peace that the day of angry Justice overtakes as a Theife they shall say peace Ah sad peace worse then war the snare and trap-doore to fall into destruction Happy had it been for the filthy Peace-dreamers of bad hearts
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
up wealth so they grow rich care not how they abuse one another by Impostures Frauds and Injuries As all earthy nominal Christians slight that Gospel grace in which they prosess their felicity is wrapt up and more industriously pursue that which is a shadow then substantial happiness so in spiritual real ones through the inclinations and temptations of the old man in them there is some abuse of Gods grace surely they know wherefore Grace is recieved what hinders but that it should teach them how they ought and might improve it who have more abilities then others to walk close with God deny themselves be fruitful in good works live in Heaven honor their Lord and Master Jesus Christ by a shining convincing conversation be the presidents of mortifying grace and in brief to hold forth the glory and power of Religion to make it amiable in the eyes of wicked men even these cannot but be conscious to themselves how far short they are and live up to the dignity essicacy and majesty of that Gospel Holiness and strictness they profess and in some measure but too little discover That real servant of Christ is one of an hundred yea one of a thousand that doth not in one thing or another spot the garment of his holy Profession and in some lower degree yet intolerable and unallowable of wantonness fall short of the honor and power of Gospel grace Happy is the person The None-such The Phaenix of the Countrey who is so eminently mortified so self crucified to the world impowred against Satan grown in Grace dwelling in Heaven makes the practice and power of Religion the great business hath such daily and hourly assisting grace is in such constant guard of his heart and fear of God that the transcendent Professor rather lives as an Angel then a Saint among men but it is very rare to finde Christians coming nigh this Character Who are there that know the large and hard things required in the Law and strict rules of the Gospel and his swervings from both but hath cause to charge himself with some inward or outward loosness or both and say with David I have done foolishly with Job I am vile with the Publican A sinner O God! with Paul In me in my flesh dwells no good thing though in my minde I serve the Law of God yet in my flesh I play the Wanton and serve the Law of sin This great sin The abuse of Grace is Epidemical and so much the more abominable As that Plague is worst that Eo graviora sunt peccate quo magis Catholica zanch. is generally raging and infections That of Zâ—â—by shall period this point The more Catholick sins are the greater they are Generality of any sin is its aggravation SECT 14. 14. IT is an un-Churching sin It provokes God to take away the 14. The abuse of Grace is an unchurching sin gospel the golden Chandlesticks that hold sorth glorious Gospel saving light and to give the abused good tidings of grace to them that will bring forth the fruâ—s of it Matth. 21. 43. Abusing Gods grace was the sin of Sardis who had a name to live the life of grace but was dead Rev. 3 1. It was the sin of Laodicea that boasted her self rich in gifts and graces in gospel Treasures when she was poor and miserable but rich in sin Rev. 3. 17. It was the sin of the Jews that cryed the Temple of the Lord boâ—e much on Sacrifices the types of Gods grace in Chriâ—t which was abused to stealing murther false swearing idolatry and so perverted the ceremonial Religion of Gods grace into a securing Den of Robbers Jer. 7 9. 11. but used it not as an healing Medicine If God enter into judgement with England he may and there is cause to fear he will un-Gospel and un-Church her He may justly do with than part of his loose Family as Masters do with their loose servants take away those Candles and that Food they play the wantons with Is not Evangelical Doctrine sweetly clearly plainly and commonly Preached throughout the Nation Are we not like Capernaum lifred up to Heaven in Ordinances Deserve we not to be like Capernaum too cast to Hell for our impenitence barrenness thriving wickedness wanton abuse of the means Are not the plentiful showres of Heavenly Doctrine the sweet and warm Beams of the Gospel Sun dishonored by a plentiful Spring of Thoms Hemlock noisom Weeds cursed Opinions and Practices We are Judgement proof and Sermon proof neither the voice of Gods Word nor Rod amends us O incurable England Are we not sick of the remedy Are not Soul Physitions now adays Physitians of no value And O sad truth of little yea in some places of no success Did it kill the heart of Eli that the outward glory the Ark was departed from Israel O our stupidity spiritual death hard heartedness want of zeal for the honor of God credit of his gospel salvation of Souls The inward glory of the Ark is gone or almost gone the astonishments the conversions the Devil-banishing the World-conquering the heart-changing the soul-warming the Lust-mortifying the Spirit-quickning the Grace-growing power of the Ordinances is by many deg ees from what it was gone from us Many years agoe the terrible and needful truths of the Law Preached have made the Auditors hair even stand an end trembling and weeping resolving and practicing Reformation were the happy fruits of â— rousing Ministry The same Truths with some suitable affections in their godly Messengers are Preached now but with little success How thin O how thin are the numbers of repenting reforming Believers How rarely are spiritual Fishermen and the Words Net blessed by a draught of souls How seldom do we see and feel the beauty and power of glory of Christ in the Sanctuary as experimented in former times Are not multitudes of Christians of large profession grown more debauched sensual careless of their souls Yea Are not stricter Christians grown looser then they were Is there not a sad fall from degrees of prizing the Ordinances first Love tenderness of Conscience the fear of God guard over thoughts and words Is it not true of many that have the root of the matter in them They are not so fruitful as once they were Good Trees that should be better are worse and are not evil professed Christians grown stark mught thrive onely in sin and grow worse and worse yea Do not the convictions of these truths lie dead upon the spirits of the most lively and best approved Christians Is there not even in quickned souls a kinde of dead insensibility of Gods dishonor the abuse of his Grace the reproach of his Gospel Is it not very rare to get a few hearty sighs and groans to wring a few tears that the Gospel grace of God the Christians glory is universally abused May we not fear this spiritual Judgement of hardness of heart is the fore-runner and will be the procurer of a
more sad O Israel thou hast destroyed thy self Hos 13. 9. Why will you die O house of Israel The Law of sin and death are yoâ—ked together Voleutes ultronei cu iditatuvus inserviunt Pet. Mart. in Rom. Rom. 8. 2. They that will walk after their lusts wil perish 2. Pet. 2. 10 12. Now the practical adversaries of Gods grace do most willingly and freely serve their own lusts and necessitate their ruin are like Phalaris that was burnt in his own Engine of crueltie like him that hangs himself in his own Halter His own iniquities shall take the wicked himself and he shall be holden with the cords of his sins Prov. 5. 28. He shall die without refused instruction and in the greatress of his deliberate voluntary folly he shall goe astray ver 23. He shall finde no shelter in Gods decrees His wilfull abuse of grace will be his self-condemnation He shall have his sentence at the great day not qua now electus but qua impius not depart you cursed because I chose you not but because ye are workers of iniquity SECT 2. 2. Judgement of Perverting the grace of God is spiritual 2 Spiritual blindness is a judgement inflicted upon those who pervert the grace of God blindnesse I am come for judgement said Christ that they which see might be made blind Joh. 9. 39. Isaias saw the Gospel-glory of Gods grace and pâ—eached it to the loose reprobate Jews and the Lord in wrath blinded their eyes that they should not see with their eyes nor understand with their hearts Joh 12. 40 41. Who is blind as he that is perfect and blind as the Lords servant Isa 42. 19. Hear ye deaf and look ye blind ver 18. A sad reproof of the wicked Jews that did unworthily prophane the most excellent gift of gospel-light Though all others might be blind and deaf yet they that had the most bright Nulli coeciores nulli surdiores Probrose meminit Calvin Lamp of Truth shining the Silver Trumper of the Gospel sounding before them should not yet none more blind none more deaf than they an heavy judgement But if blind how Perfect how Servants They are the words of Exprobration not Commendation They should be perfect Duces via Leaders to others but were not They were punished with Blindnesse This sore punishment is clear in four things 1. They whom God punisheth with Blindness of mind are given up to the Devil to be blinded The god of this world blinds the eyes of them that beleeve not lest the light of Go spel-grace should sevingly shine in their hearts 2 Cor. 4. 4. It was a judgement on the wanton Sodomites that the Angels Diabolus est Dei carnifex atque divine ultionis execu tor Pet. Mart. blinded them Gen. 19. 11. It is a Judgement on wanton Gospellers when the evil Angels blind them with the dust dirt and srnoâ—k of abused creatures corrupt principles carnal reason their oâ—n ungoverned passions It is a Judgement when the Judge commits evil doers to the Goaler and the Hangman for execution The Devil in blinding the minds of those that are lascivious with grace is Gods Executioner 2. They whom God punisheth with Blindnesse of mind cannot find the way of Life And now sad is that to wander like the blind man that gropes for the way but finds it not The blinded Sodomites wearied themselves to find the door and found it not Gen. 19. 11. So many there be that grope after the narrow way of Life and find it not Mat. 7. 14. Strive to enter into the door of happyness but find it not The Jew wronging the grace of the gospel was blinded and found it not The Papist is blinded and finds it not the loose ignorant yea the loose though knoâ—ing Protestant yet is blind and beleeves it not How many grope for the way of eternal life in good meanings and supposed good hearts in Civilities in Formalities in Comparative goodness in partialities of Obedience and the like and yet darkness hath blinded their eyes that they see not the way of Life 3. They whom God punisheth with blindnesse of mind they fall on every stumbling-block they meet withall are taken in every snare of Company Relations Possessions Prosperity and Adversity sa 8. 14 15. yea shining spiritual gifts yea the sweet Promises of the Gospel wrested to loosenesse are turned into snares The blind man scapes not the block in his way nor the snare and gin that is layd for him Levit. 19. 14. And the blind Libertine scapes not stumbling-blocks in the wayes of death The worst things are causes the best things occasions of stumbling Yea the Lord Christ and Gods grace are a stone of stumbling unto unbeleevers 4. They whom God punisheth with blindness of mind fall into the pit of Hell Mat. 15. 14. As saving grace in Christ delivers soules from going into the bottomlesse pit Job 33. 24. So blindness of minde infallibly delivers into it The blind man falls into the Lime-pit the Cole-pit before him and the blind sinner into the pit of destruction Did he see it hee would tremble to move toward it SECT 3. 3. Iudgement of Dishonor done to the Grace of God is Hardnesse 3 Hardness is judgement inflicted upon such as abuse this grace of God instrumenta indurationis of heart The Jews abused Isaias â—ospel-ministry and God plagued them with Hard hearts Make the heart of this peopleâ— fat Isa 6. 10. He hardned their hearts Joh. 12. 40. Let my people goe that they may serve me The words of the Lord by Moses were the Instruments of Pharaohs Hardning is the Sunne the means of the Clayes Herdning â—â— grace of God in hâ—iâ— wâ—s preacheo o the Israelites in the Wilderness they heard the lively Oracles the gracious Truths of Salvation and Eternal Life in the Water from the Rock in the Manna from Heaven in the Teachings from Moses Act. 7. 37 38. in the inâ—ructions of the good Spirit of God Nehem. 9. 20. But they hardned their hearts in the provocation in the day of temptation â—eb 3. 8. they obeyed not the gracious voice of God v. 7. by the Ministry of Moses and the Lord plagued them with their own hard hearts Three things speak this an heavy judgement 1. There is no Impression of saving grace in an hard heart Where God hardens the hardens the heart he converts not he healeth it not Joh. 12. 40. A Seal leaves no print on an Anvil or an hard Cervix ferrea frons aenea flecti mitescere nescia cor intractabile quavis incude adamante darious Diaholica 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 stone but on the soft Wax The holy Spirit doth not seal his grace on an hard but a soft heart The Iron sinew Isa 48. 4. the brazen brow the untractable heart that is harder than the Anvil and the Adamant Diabolical insensbilitie an inflexible spirit to the divine pleasure are the spiritual penalties for
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
and pardoning mercy of God Ishall never be cleard of this guilt the glory of his Justice will shine in my ruin the glory of whose grace hath been darkned by my looseness The daring thoughts counsels words and practices of all Libertines doe betray such a spirit as was in Marcion of old who fancied God made all of mercy and grace and removed severities and judicial penal authorities from the good God as if he were a stupid Essence insensible of any affronts and indignities put upon him Thus as if God were not essentially just as well as mercifull he is by impudent Libertinisme spoyled of his Justice who as hee is just and a justifier of true beleevers so he is just and a condemner of all his enemies the greatest whereof are they that continue in sin because grace abounds SECT 6. 6. VVAnt of Grace changing and affecting the heart that 6 Want of Grace changing the heart causeth Gods grace to be turned into wantonnesse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 violent uÌ„ quiddam significat Beza Vsurpatur de iis qui in carcere custodia detinentur Gen. 39. 20. Quotquot in officio suo tor pent dona spiritus ignavo otio defodiunt nec propriam nec alioruÌ„ salutem provehunt Gualt in Luk 19. Hom. 174. Verba in opera Bernard shines in the Head Convictions may and doe often stand with positive Rebellion The truth of God is held prisoner in unrighteousness Rom. 1. 18. takes no hold on the wills and affections of men such violent restraint is laid upon it by over-powering worldly lusts that its sanctifying reforming liberty and authority is quite supprest It is with the lightsome beames of Gods grace as with the Sun The light may shine in the upper sleeping room but be shut out of the lower working rooms The grace of God shines often in the upper sleeping room idle drousie Speculation and conviction in the mind but is shut out of the lower working rooms the Will and the Affections Evil servants know their Masters will but have no hearts to doe it They are evill servants who in the Lords spirituall husbandry trading and occupation are negligent in their duty and hide the talents of the Spirits gifts in sluggish idlenesse and neither promote their own nor others salvation Family-guides cannot beare it who see their loose Attendants waste and abuse the light of great Candles to wantonnesse when their more conscionable Ministers doe much work by lesser lights What a shame will it bee in the reckoning day when persons of vast apprehensions but loose hearts and lives shall be condemned from the vast practice of Godliness in men of mean yet sound intellectuals who turn a few gracious notions into holy motions and words into works SECT 7. 7. WAnt of the upright and genuine use of Cods grace 7. Want of the genuine use of grace causeth it to be turned into wantonness Of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an assault because if the flesh have never so little liberty it will assault us as a Medicine to cure not as a Cloak to cover sin We read 1 Pet. 2. 16. a Cloak of maliciousness or wickedness 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the danger of usâ—rg liberty an occasion to the flesh Gal. 5. 13. which let alone will make assault upon us as the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 imports The Sheeps-skin on the Wolves back doth indeed cover not alter the ravenous Creature While the cloak of grace doth but hide not heal the old Man he will be a Libertine The matter is not with carnal Gospellers whether they sin or no but whether concealed Unsound hearts are not so much troubled with the conscience as infamy of sin Much wickedness in the world appearing in its native colours would be abominable but when it borrows a dress from the grace of God it looks lovely and is unsuspected A pitty it is so fair a cloak as Gods grace should be put on so foul a body as sin it is as if a leprous Body were covered with Purple and a Dung-hill with Scarlet It was a part of Jeremiah's Lamentations That the Sons of Zion that were cloathed in Scarlet embraced Dung-hills Lam. 4. 5. It should be for a lamentation that spurious Gospellers the false sons of Zion clad in a rich scarlet glorious profession should stain themselves with durg-hill words and works To put the cover of nature upon unnatural unmorral sins is abominable to put the cloak of grace on works of darkness to wash the Devils face with holy-water is much more detestable It is as if Satan should court God to license his wickedness as if his pure nature should priviledge uncleanness They were false Jews uncircumcised in Spirit though not in flesh who made their ceremonious services which Jer 7. 8. Plus licentiae sibi in ceremoni is sumebant quae debebant esse paenitentiae â—â—â—ercitia Calv. should have been exercises of repentance the Patrons of Licentiousness and so they are adulterate Christians who prostitute their Religious Worship to irreligious designs and practices But sure Grace was never intended to cover but cure sin As the God of grace hath clearly vindicated grace from this dishonor in his Scriptures and in the mortified conversation of his real â—aints so will he in the great day of restitution of all things all things by their proper names set them on their own bottoms arraign sin as sin grace as grace the enemies of Christ as enemies and friends as friends and avenge before the world dishonors done to his Gospel-grace and invincibly clear it to the judgement both of elect and reprobates that grace is a destroyer not a Saviour of sin an help not an hindrance of good life Take with you words and say receive us graciously Hos 14. 2. This grace was an healing remedy I will heal their backslidings v. 4. Grace like the covering wings of the Chicken like the covering Plaister of the wound doth both cover and cure Pardoning and purging Grace go together As the wisdom so the grace that is from above is pure as well as peaceable It is the constant Petition of the sound Spirit of Prayer Lord pardon Lord heal my sins SECT 8. 8. VVAnt of sound conviction of the mischief of original 8. Want of conviction of original corruption is a cause of turning the grace of God into wantonness corruption and severe mortification thereof is an experimented account why grace is abused Here are two branches 1. Want of clear convincement of the old mans mischief The Character of his wickedness is very large when it is not known at all or but slightly no wonder if the bosome Enemy play Rex and rule as he he His sinfulness as followeth not discerned nor regarded begetteth high abuse of the Grace of God Were these things known and believed concerning original corruption professed Christians could not be so licentious Sad experience will give this evil report of it One saith truly