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
a wanton loosenesse and daring licentiousnes in sin This being done in the times and places amongst the persons of Gospell light that owne the name of Christian The Doctrine will be hat In Gospell times the Grace of God hath such high abuse as to Doctrine be turned into wantonnesse In handling this sad truth I shall enquire into six things Method of handling the Doctrine 1. What are the kinds of Turning Gods Grace into wantonness 2. When it is Turned into Wantonness 3. Why it is Turned into wantonnesse 4. How great is the sin thereof and 5ly What is the Punishment God usually followes this sin withall 6ly and lastly What improvement we may make of it by some usefull Application CHAP. III. Shewing in how many ways or kinds the Grace of God may be Turned into Wantonnesse 1. PREDESTINATING grace is Turned 1. Predestinating grace is turned into wantonnesse into Wantonness It is a wrested Conclusion from this glorious principle God hath chosen me to life therefore though I live as I list I shall be saved A bastard inference and practise that this chast truth never begat The Contrary deduction flowes from the grace of Election As the Elect of God holy not loose Col. 3. 12. He hath chosen us to salvation through sanctification of the spirit 2. Thes 2. 13. through it as a part of our salvation execution of Gods decree ornament of the saving Gospell fitnes for eternall life not through the filthines of flesh and spirit as if wickedness were the way to happines and God had from Eternity designed an everlasting rest to the industrious services of the Devill He hath chosen us in him that we should be holy Ephes 1. 4. That Holynesse which lay hid in the womb of Gods eternal purpose is infallibly brought forth in time in all vessels of honour The Apostle inferred Sobriety Faith and Hope in the children of Gospel light from Gods appointments not a loose sleeping in sinne Let us be sober c. For God hath not appointed us to wrath but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ 1 Thes 5. 9. God hath not appointed us the Word nor put us or set or placed us in a state of avenging 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wrath but gracious salvation He puts us in this blessed estate by predestinating calling drawing regenerating and justifying not by a fearlesse carelesse living and dying in reigning sin Musculus well taxeth this abuse The contempt of Gods Non dicas nihil periâ—uli quomodocunque vivam contemptus gratiae Dei iram illius gravissimam reddit Muscul Absit ut peccem in gratiam et voluntatem dei ac peream potius accommodabo me gratiae illius ut salver Geram me sicut homini convenit non ethnico sed christiano Muscul Annon ejusmodi verba dementis Muscul grace incurrs his heaviest wrath Wherefore say not There is no danger however I live God hath put me into a state of salvation his positive decree is firme I cannot be damned I shall be saved Rather say Farre be it that I should sinne against Gods gracious purposes and perish rather I will a commodate my self unto his gracious will and be saved He hath designed me for this would have me be a Christian therefore I must live the gracious life of a Christian not the infamous of an Heathen Hoâ— irrationall and ungodly is the inference of wickednesse from Gods pure purposes If a sick patient should say under mortall diseases It matters not what I doe I will eat and drink and doe what I list my Physician hath not appointed me to death but recovery Would you not think him a mad man and self-destroyer O impure disputer against the holy purposes of God it will appeare to be thy folly and madnesse because God thou thinkest hath not appointed thee to Hell but Heaven to live as a vessel of wrath and yet hope to be saved when the direct way to the North leads to the South shalt thou goe to glory in the way of Gods reproach the contempt of Christ and thine own damnation Gods gracious promises and decrees tune with each other As he never promised so he never purposed eternall salvation to an unregenerate heart and a loose life His Predeterminations to a blessed end involve suitable meanes As he never intended man should live by poyson but by bread so it is absolutely distant from the thoughts of his heart that a man should live to God and with God for ever by an indulgence to the flesh in its lusts and affections sensualities and Vides nautaruÌ„ ministeri is opus fuisse ut divina promissio adimpleretur Granaten delights God appointed Paul and his company to escape shipwracke but it was by swimming on boards and broken peeces of the ship Act. 27. 24. Thus God hath appointed some to escape the wrath to come but it is by faith and mortification getting on the planck of repentance swimming through by the strength of Christ not drowning in the sea of the world God appointed Noah to salvation from the worlds deluge but it was by getting into the Arke A Loose heart and life is no accommodation to execution of predestinating grace but opposition The eternall Predestinatio Dei multis est Cauta standi nemini causa labendi Aug. de Predestinatione Sanctorum saving discriminating Counsels of God are to many the cause of their standing to noâ— chosen vessell the cause of their falling The doctrine of absolute and free election rightly understood powerfully revealed in the evidences of grace well used hinders no vessell of glory but helps him to heaven They that can without any Scripture warrant any choise worke of the spirit easily and presumptuously write their names in the book of life and as the Israelites wantonly played about their golden Idol so in a lascivious mirth are loose flesh-pleasers and feast their Corruptions will have a dreadfull demonstration after death in judgment and to eternitie that their names were written in the black book of death not the white of life The most holy and righteous Judge of the world will never say Come yee blessed eternally prepared by a free choise to an heavenly kingdome to those that lived and died in their indulged cursed natures and lives but to those select happy ones whose hearts were gloriously transformed and conversation really fashioned after the Gospell pattern O the sad confutation of them that build prophane libertinisme on this firme and pure foundation Predestinating grace their pretended interest in it and pleasing conceits of it will vanish like a golden dreame They will not rise as Elect but reprobate The Lord will say with hottest indignation against unreformed Carnall Gospellers Goe yee cursed workers of iniquitie Sect. 2. 2. SParing Grace is turned into Wantonnesse It was Gods 2 Sparing grace is turned into wantonnesse complaint of the house of Israel They despised my judgements and walked not in my statutes
God is come nigh unto you ver 11. As if Christ had said You had inestimable gracious proffers but you have cast them off to your damnation The like Grace of the Kingdom of Heaven was held forth to the Jews in Pauls Preaching but they answered it with contradicting and blaspheming the Gospel Acts 13. 45. Thus in too many Congregations in England where Heaven hath been clearly opened in the saving mysteries of salvation which might even ravish the hearts of humble intelligent and believing hearers what wanton eyes gestures ears fancies hearts are brought before the publick glorious discoveries of the precious methods to be holy and happy to all eternity with what levity loosness frothy spirits you have seen the slaves of carnal voluptuousness merry wantons designed and resolved for their pleasing sensualities come from Stage-plays without breach of charity huge members of Gospel-wantons have in like manner come from the sacred grave trembling Truths of the Gospel How sad is it that those not onely Law but Evangelical severities that should have set eminent sinners on trembling mourning weeping and resolving to repent the best applause of a Sermon should have Lachrymae vestrae applausus noster no better close then prophane profuse gigling and laughing it may be sporting at the Minister and his Doctrine slighting what they heard driving it out by idle talk vain worldly discourses or speaking of nothing to soul advantage carrying in uncivil and unholy carnal merriments as if they had been in a Theater not the Church and had heard a Stage-Player and not a Preacher Do Princes and States well resent the slighting and abusing of their gracious offers surely the heavenly everlasting King nor will nor can put up the despisings of his gracious invitations with everlasting patience and indempnity It is a matter of Lamentation that many faithful and painful friends of the Bridegroom have offered Espousals of highest profits pleasures preferments in Jesus Christ to Blackamore deformed worthless loveless souls and yet they had rather match with Hell then Heaven rather have the Prince of Darkness than the Lord of Glory to be their head though there be infinite more drawing incouragements for Espousals with Christ than covenanting with the Devil Let not the Phrase seem harsh There is truth in it Though few like Witches resign themselves up to Satan by an express contract yet most do by an implicite and interpretative consent Is he not the spirit that rules in the children of disobedience Eph. 2. 2. Is he not called from his destructive Soveraign Government in the World the god of this World 2 Cor. 4. 4. who hath the Harvest of Service when the Lord Jesus hath but the Gleanings Is he not called the Ruler of the darkness of this World Ephes 6. 12. that Infernal Jaylor that keeps his numerous Captives in the dark Dungeon of Ignorance and Wickedness yea Do not his miserable Subjects love to have it so Jer. 5. 31. O you Inhabitants of England that own the Christian name and that from year to year from one passionate woing to another have still turned your backs upon Angels joys and admirations the Mysteries and Miracles of Gospel Salvation be convinced of your perilous dishonorable loose refusals Are you wont to deal with necessitous Temporals as you do with Spirituals and Eternals Will not catching presented worldly advantages and opportunities by the foretop condemn your soul-undoing delays of welcoming Heavenly calls which hearkned too will make you I say not men in the Worlds Phrase but Saints and Angels fellows in glory to all Eternity offer a pardon to a condemned person on exceeding hard tearms and what Felon almost will reject it But the offers of Gospel Pardons to sinners dead in Law the Covenant of Works upon sweet easie rational honorable and profitable tearms who almost will entertain them Offer Gold and Silver to needy Beggars when is this proposal refused But Christ the Pearl of great price is offered to poor sinners that have not a dram of Grace and the Tenth Christian in external profession that bears much upon Baptismal Grace giveth no demonstration of acceptance Let a Physitian offer his best skill without a see to the mortally diseased with a promise also to pay for his Physick what patient unlesse unsensible of his danger and frantick will despise this kindnesse Christ the Almighty Soveraign Physitian offers the recovering virtue of his Spirit Grace Ordinances Afflictions to mortally diseased sinners without a fee or reward yea hath already payd dear for the Physick and its successefull application who then but self-destroying frantick sinners senslesse in a deep Lethargy of carnall security had rather perish in their sin than accept of the guiding orders of Christs healing If you say this censure is over-rigid pitty he should live that doth not take the gracious invitations of Jesus Christ into his heart We willingly own his loving calls to grace and glory It is not so soon done as said You may lodge the glorious tenders of the Gospel in your fancies understandings memories yea seem to honour them with your lips and yet your hearts may be very farre from subscribing and saying Amen to them as an Adulterous womans lips may consent to Mariage Articles professe and confirme Matrimonial union when her heart was never Married Oh Sirs that have shut your hearts against the proffers of Grace in many a Chapter Sermon motion of the Spirit me-thinkes your spirits should bee astonished and hearts broken by the serious consideration of seven things 1. You and Sathan your Father are fellow lyars You put a 1 There is a lye put upon the report of Gods race great lye upon the report of Gods grace The Bible lifts it up above the world and you almost set it below any pleasing worldly vanities It is more precious than Gold and Silver its merchandize is better than the merchandize of Silver Prov. 3. 14. so 15. v. It is above all things you desire and yet you desire other things above it Though your tongues would blush to say yet the frame of your rebellious grace-refusing hearts and lives really speak it in the notice of the infinitely understanding God the Gospel is folly 1 Cor. 1. 23. the power and practice of Religion is a vain thing Mal. 3. 14. and the Grace of God is not worth the looking after You live before God Angels and Men as if your tongues should say Solomon was deceived when he so cried up gracious wisdome Beauties are the pleasures of the Senses Riches out-worth it the Honour of the world out-shines it the glorious applause of men out-goes its commendations the short enjoyment of the flesh exceeds its eternall treasures a short lease of this lifes comforts is better than its eternall Fee-simple of delights 2. You abuse Gods condescension in the offer of grace Was 2 Gods condescension is abused in the offer of Grace there any need for God to stoope to offer you a
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
Practical Adversaries of Gods grace clearly opened to see the Insolencies Indignities and Injuries they do against it they could not but in a trembling conviction conclude these and these things are certain dishonors of grace Stains of holy Profession Inconsistencies with the new Creature Lust and Satans methods of Damnation and denials of the hope of Glory As when Paul said to Ananias God shall smite thee thou whited wall he had not said so had he known hee was the High Priest Act. 23. 3 5. â—o had the bold abusers of Gods Summus Lethargus quasi mors humanae conscientiae ignorantia voluntatis divinae grace strong and clear convincements the frame of their hearts and carriages of their lives were the high injuries of Grace eminent perils of destruction and demerits of the hottest room in Hell in the noon-light of such an acknowledgement they would feare and tremble to stumble upon their owne ruin SECT 2. 2. VVAnt of Faith to believe the signall danger of sinne this 2 Want of Faith to beleeve the danger of sin is a wrong to Grace Caecus assensus plane temerarius sine praeeunte notitia non potest induere rationem fidei Parkerus de Traduct peccat ad Deum Thesis 56. huge sin is the wrong of Grace It is no wonder that the evill which is not known is not believed nor declined Unbeliefe is the evill heart that departs from the living God It sets not to its seal that God is true in his promises nor threatnings believes not the abominable damnable nature of sinne and dallies with it As daring wantons who know that the cup that stands before them is of poyson yet beleeve it not but drink and burst or the plague is in the house they goe into believe it not are mortally infected and die And as the Egyptians beleeved not that the cattle and men that were found abroad one storming day should die adventured abroad and were slaine so dallying adventurers that beleeve not the mischief of their sinfull pleasures contempts of Christ and his Gospel they are dancing over the mouth of Hell by the sudden push of death are kickt into it The loose old world beleeved not the destruction Preached by Noah in the making of the Ark were not moved with his holy example and penitentiall instructions The Sonnes of God playd the wantons with the fair idolatrous daughters of men Gen. 6. 2. and were at length swept away with the flood Faith would make Libertines fear and tremble Unbelief is daring Minatur Deus negligitis minatur terrenus Judex contremiscitis The wrath of man is more feared than Gods When God saith one threatens eternal punishment ye neglect it when an earthly Judge threatens temporal ye tremble at it SECT 3. 3. WAnt of Heat Intention and Livelinesse in Religion If 3 The want of life in Religion causeth abuse of Grace God be not served in fervency of Spirit Lust will If Satan cannot keep from Religious exercise he tempts to Luke-warmnesse yea Key-coldnesse in the performance of them Instinctu Satanae faith one by Satans deading and flatting instinct a drowsie tyring in good things steals upon body and spirit Faint fighting is not wont to overcome nor faint service of God to mortisie Lust How feâ— are there in a Christian congregation superabounding in spiritual joy alwaies pleasant and merry in the Lord fervent in spirit day and night meditating in the Law of God lifting up pure hands in prayer follicitous observers and students of their own hearts zealous witnesses of holy affections to good works to whom Christian discipline is amiable Fasting sweet long Watching short the whole pietie of a regular conversation is a delitious feast yea doth exceed the sweetnesse of the Quorum brevis rara compunctio animalis conversatio sermo fine circumspectione oratio sine cordis intentione lectio sine edificatione Bern. Virga calcaribus indigentes hony and the hony comb Alass how many are there who in an impartial inquest will be found remisse in the studies of Holyness fainting under Christs easie yoak and light burden whose compunction is short and rare conversation naturall speech without circumspection prayer without intention of heart reading without edification good purpose without execution religious exercise without fervencie who in the waies of godliness want the whipp and spurs but in the too prone and nimble motions of dislolute looseness need curbing bridles Licentious courses are so strong and impetuous that the modest shame of uncomeliness the bridle of reason yea the fear of Hell can hardly restrain them No wonder if corruption be daring dissolute and potent when religious exercises are flat dead cold and feeble Wee blush not Sine debita attentione fervore spiritus Bern. said one to pray to God without due attention and fervour of spirit He that hath no sweet communion with God will seek it in the world and pleasing his inticing lusts When the minde is senceless in reading and meditation and affections are dull corruption will be lively 'T is sad to consider how many seemed to discover the fervour of a pious conversation in whom by degrees charity hath waxen cold and iniquity abounded and what appeared to be begun in the Spirit ends it is to be feared in the flesh Gal. 3. 3. Draw me and we will run after thee because of the savour of thine ointments Cant. 1. 3 4. Therefore there is need of Opus habeo trahi quia refriguit pauliâ—per in nobis ignis amoris tui Bernard drawing because the divine fire of the soules love for want of fewel to it and blowing of it by degrees abates ad cooles Drawing nigh the fire is for warmth and drawing nigh of God is for holy heat In near approaches to him the new creature is a zealous enemy to wanton looseness Cockering cooleness in the severe religious exercises of Mortification is the bane of Profession Adonijah was a very goodly man David his Father displeased him not at any time in saying why hast thou done so 1 King 1. 6. In the sist verse you sinde him a daring Rebel you may read in the Contents of the Chapter Adonijah Davids darling usurpeth the Kingdome Thus is it with every fair faced goodly lust The indulgent Christian is it too remisse in rebuking and chastizing it and it riseth up in arms against him Cockering Mothers cold in rebuking wanton sons teach them to be Libertines ost-times train them up for the Gallows and Hell so when the heart is remiss and cold for good and against evill Lust will have its reins and lawlesse liberty and ruin its servants SECT 4 4. WAnt of receiving the Truth in the Truth in the love of it is an Advantage 4. Want of receiving the truth in the love is an advantage to turn a Libertine to trun a Libertine The Apostle describes the Antichristian spirit that waxed wanton in taking pleasure in unrighteousnesse receiving
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
qui alle gorica resurrectionem imaginando veram illam quae nobis promissa es solvunt Marlo in Cor. 15. 1. time His words are There are those who do wrest the resurrecion of the Body manifestly declared in Scriptures into an imaginary signification a resurrection from the death of ignorance to the life of truth Marcion Basilides Valentinus Apelles were poisoned with the same Error Marlorat noted also the same evil spirit surprized a sort of furious men possessed with Devils who called themselves Libertines who imagining an Allegorical Resurrection deny the true literal promised resurrection of the Body Satans grand design in overthrowing this great truth is a carnal voluptous dissolute life Let us eat and drink to morrow we shall die will be the counsel and practice of the flesh if the dead rise not 1 Cor. 15. 32. The genuine fruit of such a corrupt error is playing the wanton under yea against the light of nature and grace At what door any unstable licentious Christians of the present Age have suffered first the questioning then the slight assent to and lastly the positive denial of the bodily Resurrection to come in the care of good life goeth out Moreover The party of Perfectists under the pretensions of a compleat transcendent grace inherent in the regenerate having first abused the word of grace have eminently dishonoured regenerating grace That sweet grand truth whoever is born of God sinneth not Joh. 3. 9. That is either the sinne unto death or reigning sin as in the unregenerate is wrested as the support of a possible perfect innocence yea as the cover of any sinne not to be accounted sin if in the regenerate The Pelagians and Catharists abused this place so called because they seigned Beleevers in Libertinorum insana opinio qui persuadent omnem sensum peccati abjici endum quod hominum imperfectorum sit conscientiae motibus perturbari eos dicunt vere in ChrisÌ„to renatos a mortuis excitatos qui nullum peccati sensum amplius habent et existimant quicquid agant vel tentent placere fect Deo unde quum apudipsos adulteria facinora hujusmodi deprehenduntur ea ne quaquam insiciantur sed aiunt sibi non esse peccata quod ea pro peccatis non habeant sed illis ad pecca tum imputari praedicant quiper infirmita tem peccata esse existimant Marlor in 1 Cor. 9. 9. this life have an Angelical purity some Anabaptists have renewed this dream The same folly the Spirit of Error hath transmitted to the sottish Quakers All which depravers of the holy Text the same Apostle John that wrote it hath sufficiently confuted in these words If we say we have no sinne we decieve our selves and there is no truth in us How easie is it for ignorant loose stupid sinners to perswade themselves they are born of God And if nothing they doe is sinne with what bold security unbridled liberty and unconscionable insensibility will they give themselves up to the uncontrouled swing of their domineering Lusts How sadly hath the word of truth concerning Regeneration and Perfection been abused of old and present times The saying of Marlorat hath been transcribed in the erring braines and loose lives of some Monsters of Christian profession among us 'T is the mad opinion of Libertines who perswade said he that all sense of sin is to be cast off that it appertaines to imperfect men to be disturbed by the motions of conscience And therefore they say they are truly regenerate in Christ and raised from the dead who have no more sense of sin and think what sorever they do or hold pleaseth God When they are taken in Adultery and such kind of villanies they doe not deny them but say they are no sinnes to them because they do not account them so but they affirm they are onely imputed to them as sin who through their weakness think they are sins If this be weakness to account sin sin and to be troubled for it and it be Christian perfection not to think sin sin nor to have an awakened sensible conscience of sin I know not what wickedness is O sad and desperate delusion Here is the plain efficacy of Satan to miscall an admantine remorsless heart Chriperfection of life and healths activity Yet the of the Christian name dare call the stupidity of a dead and seared conscience Perfection If we right name and nature it let it bee called Perfection but of wickedness not holyness 'T is a character of sinners past grace They give themselves over to lasciviousnesse to work all uncleanness with greediness and that a licentious impenitent liberty may never meet with check again they are said to be past feeling the word imports past grieving Eph. 4. 19. There is some hope of recovery in a troubled conscience none a sorrowless Trouble of spirit for wickedness may stop a bold careere hel wards and beget thoughts of returning but he that gallops to destruction hath not an inward pang a sing a groan a tear in his way must infallibly perish Wel were it if this vile spirit of error had been in that hell of gross darknesse â—hence it came but the same impudent Diabolical looseness that Reformed Writers condemned and discovered long agoe a generation of false adulterate Christians have revived in our sad infamous and spotted times I mean the Ergtish Borborities impure Ranters whose toadish natures have suckt up that venome their loose fraternitie powred out in the time of Calvin Marlorat and others as Calvins Opuscula especially his judicious and Zealous Tract against Libertines and Marlorat in his New Testament Expositions But O you scandals of the English name and bolts of Christianity Heavens scorn and Hels triumph the highest form in Satans School that rant it out in most free and liberal allowances of your uncontroled Lusts that make not sins definition The transgression of Gods Law 1. loh. 3. 4. but a Thought an Opinion Nothing is sinne with you unless you think and account it so who have so much sinned against conscience that you have quite cast off the sensible conscience of sin if your debauched looseness hath not cast off the Eible and sâ—n-discovering books out of your hearts and hands and providence may lead you to the reading of this Section I beseech you fear tremble repent and know the holy Text of which your impure hearts unmotified lusts vile affections have given a depraved Exposition be no patron of but severe enemy against your monstrous impieties impurities and unrighteous dealings Wil you not be speechless in the arraignment of the Last Judgment when from a double Tribunal of Nature and Grace Reason and Religion Paganism and Christianty you will be infallibly condemned You will learn that Virtue is Virtue Vice Vice Grace is Grace and Sin is Som whether they be thought or beleeved so be or no a stupid conscience in a stupid hellish Liberty to sin is no Christian
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
holy but a part of the Devils Kingdom is slily admitted standers by seeing divided Sects and different Opinions in Religion yea each party entitling its Tenent and Practice to the Scripture the Truth the Spirit the Glory of God conclude in this dust they cannot see their way to Heaven In this season Satan the Arch Heretick Divider Deceaver and Libertine plies his Market to perswade to dissolute life some he tempts to be of any Religion some none to be stark Atheists and debauched prophane ones and many in the true Religion to be cold and formal much heat and strength being spent upon the out-side that should have been bestowed upon the in-side the vitals of Christianity In the Pro and Con Disputes about out-works the inward Guards have been neglected Sound Christians holy walking is not so lively and wicked Libertines sit down contented and resolved to allow and follow the pretended felicities of their unmortified Lusts Satan through Church contentions tempts to believe that Religion is a bottomless Pit not to be sounded a meer fancy And while men of piety and learning cannot agree there is in some a pleasing agreement about Whoredom Drunkenness railing at all Ministers contempt of Ordinances yea the bloody subtile Jesuit and his blinded Popish Votaries stand behinde the Curtain and cry Hereticks Schismaticks Libertines Among Protestants no Ministery no Ordinances no Church no Salvation Happy had it been in our sinning days if Unity Truth and Peace had prevented this great temptation Put though the healing of our deplorable diseased Zion be rather to be wished then to be hoped for yet two sorts of abusers of Gods grace discontented Protestants and seducing Papists that warm their hands by our fires will not finde the least real Sanctuary for their injurious reflexions upon the Gospel of grace in past and present Divisions and Contentions I shall apply my self to both the parties that it is to be feared are glad to see the offensive dishonors to the grace of God yea are much injurious to it themselves 1. To discontented exceptious Protestants O you Sons and Daughters of Belial Ignorant Prophane Irreligious Have you reason about differences of Religion to grow secure wantons to Sleep Drink Game Swear away your time prophane the Sabbath keep the worship of God out of your Families and the fear of God our of your hearts to live a bruitish sensual voluptuous life to resent the thoughts of Heaven and Hell as idle Fables to live as if there should be no resurrection of the Body and Judgement to come to mis-spend your precious hours in carnal visits no way relating to Gods glory and your everlasting salvation to neglect provisions for Eternity to be as great strangers to the beneficial practical thoughts of Religion as if you were born and brought up among Heathens Did the Corinthians make this use of their Divisions and Erronious Opinions to justifie and support a Godless Graceless conversation Can you prove that every different Opinion in Religion is a different Religion May not you finde in unhappily divided Christians among us an Harmony of Religion in the vitals essentials thereof referring to the life of Christ and the power of godliness May not dissenting ones tune in a thousand places of sacred Scripture which teach soundness in the Faith necessary renewing grace and godly life Will not common acknowledged Principles of Believing Repenting Obeying Persevering arraign and condemn your loosness If you Object Some Sects are Heretical and Blasphemous deny Christ the Scripture the Resurrection Let these Apostates that hold not the head Col. 2. 19. Jesus Christ un-christian'd and become Heathens themselves answer if they can for themselves These Renegado's sad Revolters from Christs colours to the Devils Camp have a worse Judgement on them then Prisons and flaming Stakes They have denyed the Lord whom they professedly owned to be their Redeemer and in the Judgement of the Apostle Peter have brought upon themselves swift destruction These do not onely bring themselves into the Order of Heathens but are worse then they for they have cut themselves off from the way of salvation there is not another Christ to be their Mediator and there remains no more sacrifice for sin Do you that declaim against the errors of the time know any such Carnal mirth becomes not such a notice you should go into your Chambers and bitterly mourn over their Apostacy They are the black marks of Spiritual Judgement are fittest Objects for Christian compassion I beseech you after you are somewhat off the hears of pursuing in an Hellish Chase your ungodly Lusts after your fiery tongues scorching the precious name of sound Christians with the hot charge of Hypocrites Hereticks Persons unfit to live in the common Air In cool blood and serious earnest consider whether Contentions and Divisions about Truth in Religion will be a Cloak broad enough to cover your excess of Riot contempt of the Laws Requiries and Gospel-duties your Heathenish and worse then Heathenish practical Atheism whereby you live in your Families without Prayer to God Hath natural Religion taught Pagans Devotion to their apprehended Deities The Mariners in the tempest called upon their gods Jonah 1. 5. yea probably at other times also Can your Chambring and wantonness your Oathes and Scoffs at the shining presidents of practical Piety your desperate security in sin without the least remorse of conscience and least hearkning to the motions of the Spirit now and then shaking you by the conscience if it be not cauterized and dead your Graceless devouring the Creatures without serious thoughts of your deep Engagement to your abused Benefactor The blessed God your dreadful carelesness of your own souls not much mattering whether they be saved or damned your casting off the thoughts of Gods strict recording of your thoughts words and actions in the Book of his Remembrance your dissolute ill good-fellowship your treasuring up of wrath against the day of wrath your slight thoughts of the last Judgement Will this and other sad Bills of Indictment be answered and crossed out by Christians dis-agreements in controversal Points If you shall be so blinde and bold as to conclude in your Death-bed and in the accounting Day different Judgements about Religion will Apologize for your Libertinism Will not the Judge of all the world convince and condemn you out of the Ten Commandments the rules of the Gospel the Wisdom and Piety of standing Saints in evil tempting times whose soundness in the Faith Lamps burning Loyns girt Garments kept clean upright Conversation have been an Antidote against publick Infection Will not God finde plentiful matter of your damnation from your own sins Yea further which is a sad Quaere should not you who sport in sin and scoff at holiness and holy Ones live without God and Christ in the World rather make another construction of Errors Janglings and intemperate heats about Religion What if God suffer these scandals and stumbling-blocks to ruine us for our
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
is further an high point of Christian care and wisdom to try Our practices Gods grace may be and is prostitured to wickedness Is it not so with thee Inquire in thy Vocation Condition Relation wherein thou standest Hath not thine heart and conversation been tainted with this curfed Leaven The abuse of Gods grace When the Plague is at thy neighbors house there is need to watch and try the soundness of thine own Since this worst of Plagues The abuse of Gods grace is abroad happy are they that search and purge their hearts and lives from licentiousness SECT 8. 8. INference The Devil hath his snares in the most holy 8. The Devil hath his snares in the most holy things things His great fear of War is in and about heavenly things We wrastle against spiritual wickedness in high places the original is in heavenly things Eph. 6. 12. Satan stood at Joshua's right hand Zach. 3. 1. The Pulpit the praying Closet the publike Oratories humbling Sack-cloth days the great and blessed truths of the Gospel the Orthodox as well as the Heretical head is not exempted from his snares The saving things of Gods grace Christs merits the promises of the Covenint the Spirits Gifts and Operations are all made Satans occasional baits to sin Where is weak sinning man safe who is in danger of abusing the holiest things How many have been tempred to be overcome by and perish in reigning sins under the pleasing conceit and deceit of a favoring propriety in God Christ the Spirit and Grace Happy are they that fear always the sinners of the Fowler not onely laid in Creature-comforts but Ordinances of grace in the very grace of God and Christ Most happy are they that are out of the enemies Countrey and reach that are in the state of blessed Indemnity without the fear of being overcome by Satans snares laid most cunningly and vain pretences though never so fairly gilded over SECT 9. 9. INference Libertinism puts the highest affront upon God 9. LIbertinnism puts the highest affront upon God It abuseth him there where he is most glorious should have most praise his grace The praise of the glory of his grace Eph. 1. 6. Moses said to God I beseech thee shew me thy glory and God said I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious Exod. 33. 18 19. They are LIbertines in nature that abuse the Creature God hath given the sweet succors of this life to be rightly used not abused 1. Cor. 7. 31. To serve him not lusts to be stairs of Assension unto him not Aversons from him The rich wantons of the world the Apostle James tells shall pay dear for abusing his Creatures to Voluptuousness Oppression hard heartedness forgetfulness of God But the Libertines in grace are the worst and most injurious To cast dirt on Canvase is a wrong but on Scarlet is a greater To abuse a great man in his servant is an indignity but in his Wife in his Sons a greater The abused goodness of God in his grace and Christ goeth nearer his heart then in his Creatures Grace is Gods saving Arm The Libertine doth what in him lies to weaken yea wound the arm of God that it cannot save In some things Almightiness is at a stand He could in his own Countrey do no mighty works but heal a few sick ones because of unbelief Mark 6. 5 6. The grace of God cannot save the constant and wilful abuser of it Paul was careful lest he should abuse his power in the Gospel 1. Cor. 9. 18. Be careful O Christian lest the Indulgences Powers and Liberties of the Gospel be abused CHAP. IX Containing an use of Humiliation PErverting of Gods grace calls for Lamentation Use 2 For Humiliation if prizing the gospel the love of God the zeal of his name the honor of Christ Gratitude for the infinite mercy of redemption are mighty arguments to move serious Christians to magnifie the grace of God in their hearts and lives and to rejoyceâ— its exaltation then surely the sense of undervaluing the gospel The want of love to yea positive hatred of God luke-warmness yea key-coldness for his name The dishonors of the Mediator of Grace unthankfulness for the costly grace of Redemption should load the heart with deep sorrow and draw forth holy mourning and tears and that for two sorts of injurious dealers with Gods grace the best and the worst of persons under the profession of Gods grace SECT 1. 1. BEwail O upright tender hearted Christian thine own 1. Upright hearted persons ought to bewail their abusing of the grace of God and thy fellows unsuitableness and dishonor to the grace of God 'T is too much the old man hath been too dissolute within thee I know thou seest and when thou art thy self canst not but bewail the neglect of the holy government of grace in thy soul the wanton uproars of thy unruly affections the swarms of undisciplined unregarded loose thoughts the secret filthiness which for shame thou darest not word but shamelesly give way to in thy watchless minde thy back-sliding in heart and in some things whoring imaginations fancies contemplations affections about false loves it is too much thou hast a bosome Libertine But art thou convinced thy self and thy co-heirs of glory and livest shamefully and dishonorably below the hopes of Heaven the high holy and heavenly profession of propriety in God an everlasting Portion Doth the guilt of abusing Gods grace visibly and scandalously appear against that holy principle of immortal life that is in thee and others Never leave thinking of this till thine heart be broken before the Lord O what reproach is brought to the God and Gospel of grace when his precious name is wounded in the house of his friends when he hears ill in the world from the dishonors of his own Family As David upon the death of Saul lamented The shield of the mighty is vilely cast away in Gilboa as though Saul was not anointed with oyl 2 Sam. 1. 20. So may it be for a lamentation The shield of the mighty indowed with grace is vilely laid aside as if he were not the anointed with the Spirit As Jeremiah lamented That the precious stones of Zion comparable to fine gold were esteemed as earthen Pitchâ—â—s Lam. 4. 2. So it is deplorable that the precious living stones of Zion darkned by some loose scandals are esteemed as dirt Five things may urge thee O gracious soul to mourn over thy wrongs to Gods grace 1. Thou sinnest against a Principle of life that should and would if excited make thee sensible of Gods dishonor 2. Thou abuseth that that sets thee off from the lost world distinguishing grace 3. Thy injury against saving grace is deepest ingratitude t is walking unwoâ—thy of that which must fit thee for Heaven 4. Thine offensive discoveâ—ies of wronging grace tempts carnal observers too prone to be loose to turn more bold Libertines 5. Thy open offences may be
him and thus as the ploughing of the wicked is sin so is his câ—â—â—â—â—ment Because with some persons civill â—itles are so abominable though they are not like to read this Page yet the holy Scriptures will assure the sober Reader their folly is manifest and notoâ—ious Put case persons of honour are wicked as too many are who are like to smart for it to all Eternity for staining their oâ—n honour and Gods too Yet Paul a vessel of honor without courtship but by the teachings of the Holy Ghost had learned this good manners to give great though bad persons their civil respects Noble Felix Act. 24. 3. King Agrippa Act. 25. 26. I appeal to Caesar Act. 25. 11. Pauls persecutors at Antioch were yet stiled Honourable Women and chief Men of the city Act. 13. 50. No unmannerly railing Quakers in â—poâ—o lical times But because in civil courteous Appellations it is not more easie than common to erre there is an huge generation of vain complementists whose immoderate compellations are the froth of language the vanitie of minde the waste of time the impertinencie of Christian society I would willingly caution the gracious person convinced of his duty he must be courteous and give honour to whom honour is due to observe these Rules Christian when you give civil honour to others according to their worldly Qualitie and Precedencie 1. Do it with Reverence of the Majesty of God Persons of Honour are the Image the bright Beams of God the infinite â—â—ountâ—in of Honour 'T is he hath set the children of men in their Titles Seats Estates of Honour Neither Affliction nor Promotion comes from the ground God is the Judge sets up whom he pleaseth Ps 75. 7. As in Wisdoms left hand are riches and glory Pro. 3. 16. so he distributes worldly honours moâ—ly to vile men However they are civil honour is not vile though the persons that have it be vile come vilely by it and use it vilely 2. Give civil honour for conscience sake the sense of duty God hath commanded it not so much to please them as to please God 3. When the lip honoureth let the heart reverence Wee may neither give men civil worship nor God religious hypocritically 4. Lavish not out too many words nor time in civil courtesies 5. From a prudent observation of Persons Time and Place mix religious and spiritual with civil discourse To spend whole hours mornings afternoons as very many vain frothy persons do in air-beating soul-unbettering windy courtesies and merry discourse without a thought a word of the Majesty of God who as he hath a Book of remembrance to note down the pious words of them that fear him so he registers too the numerous superfluous words of them that fear him not will have a sad account in the great day 6. If among your civil treatments as the Spouse let your lips drop like the Honey-comb when you speak of by a secret ejaculation beg a blessing on your gracious words for your own and the companies advantage 7. Labour to affect your heart with the good things that in gravity and wisdom you deliver 8. If you see civil courtesie swalloweth up pietie your selfe and heavenly language be a burden to the company savouring not the things of God preferring a Romance before a Sermon vain chassie Tales before the precious Truths of God they had rather be foolishly carnally constantly merry than really wise goe home and mourn in secret you have given vain spirits their due honours who denyed God his they have been all for courtesie nothing for piety visited only one anothers bodies not soules spent their time and strength in outward while strangers to inward mirth SECT 9. THey without breach of Charity do grosly wrong the grace 9 They abuse grace who are eminent worldlings of God 9. Who under glorious pretensions to Saving-grace are eminent worldings When Heaven and Earth meet together then will Heavenly and Earthly minds Grace as it is heaven-born so it doth make heavenly The Mediator of Grace hath taught us We cannot serve God and Mammon How many go among us in their own thoughts and in others opinion for persons in the state of grace and yet dextrously deeply with all the powers of their understanding and carnal reason design project for the world affect it vehemently pursue it fervently keep it basely part with it sorrowfully heap it up covetously desire it endlesly admire it adore it idolatrously are afraid to put too much in Christs coffers the bellyes of the poor Is this the fruit of grace Did ever grace come with power but it did unglue the heart from the world Is not this Scripture The love of the world and the things of the world and the love of the Father dwell not together 1 Joh. 2. 15. Will this passe for good Divinity Will either the Scriptures a Death-bed or the Last Judgement own it viz. A gracious Mammonist a gracious Worldling a gracious Hold-fast a gracious Hard-heart a gracious Rebel against the Laws of Christ that commands labour for Heaven more than Earth laying up Treasure in Heaven more than in Earth more to be rich in good works than in wealth to settle the affections on things above and not on earth will cordial and practical contradiction to these and many such Laws of Christ speak a gracious person the honour of grace the power of grace O no the nullitie of grace the infamy of grace Else the Apostle would not with tears speake of earthly minds as enemies to the Cross of Christ whose end is a sad word a very sad one destruction Let the Masters of great Estates consider it that had such before the Wars among us or since the Civil bloody commotions by providence shining on gracious profession in Court City Country the Bench the Pulpit the Army who have not walked but suddenly leapt to huge riches some to hundreds others thousands by the year Whoever they are be they assured of it they grosly abuse the grace of God who give sad proof they are eminent worldlings I beseech you all who are so and shall cast your eyes on these lines seriously ask your own soules Do you not set your hearts on the Mammon of iniquity Are not your stupendious sweet possessions your Idols Are they not your treasure do not your thoughts esteems affections run out in full stream to them Do not your poor neighbours in the Countries places where you live see and bewail it your bowels move no more to them than rocks Doe you know when to say we have enough to give largely to Jesus Christ as well as to your families In these years of Judgement when Loâ—ships Farms great Riches have changed Masters are there none that say Poor creatures that think on it with tears Ah wofull change our old Masters fed and cloathed us but we may starve under our new Possessors I dare not charge you all for gracelesse worldlings God will your consciences one day
and filthy will be so still Rev. 22. 11. ye will revolt more and more Isa 1. 5. Evil men under the Abuse of grace will wax worse and worse 2 Tim. 3. 13. and under the form of godlyness increase the power of wickedness 2 Tim. 3. 5. continue in sinne because grace abounds Rom. 6. 1. It is here also as it is with two men that abuse their friends One doth it and seeth the ungrateful disingenuitie of it and mends the fault another doth it and loads his dear friend with more disgraceful insolencies So a gracious man wrongs his best friend Jesus Christ and sayes of his abuses as Ephraim of his Idols what have I to doe any more with them A gracelesse Professor wrongs the Lord Jesus his owned friend and multiplyes still ungratefull injuries SECT 5. 5. DIfference A real Christian wrongs Gods grace and as 5 A Regenerate repents and is pardoned it is repented of so it is pardoned This iniquity proves not his ruin There is pardoning grace for the abuses of pardoning grace The blood of Christ washes away beleevers wanton abuses of the blood of Christ Gospel grace like the Sun blots out the thin and thick clouds of sin A pretended Christian wrongs Gods grace and as he hath no repentance so no pardon He is not cleansed by the blood of sprinkling that hath been without ceasing and remorse abused by a prophane wanton heart and loose life The contrary events of Abusing Gods grace are like the different issue of two Subjects abusing their King The one doth it is humbled for it accepted and pardoned the other doth it is hardned rejected and hanged Be vailed pardoned Abuses of grace hinders not heirs of glory from their eternal Inheritance Unreformed wrongs of grace in vessels of wrath not blotted out by the blood of Christ will cast them into hell CHAP. XIV Containing an Vse of Exhortation 5. VSe is Exhortation in these things Observe the Use 5 for Exhortation helps to escape this great sin the Abuse of Gods grace Blesse God for Perservation Be alwaies jealous of the sin long for a riddance from it and joy in the hope of it SECT 1. 1. LEarn of the gracious and precious heart and life of Jesus Christ 1. Learne of the gracious and precious heart life of Jesus Chr. Fulnesse of grace dwelt personally in him Hee never in the least playd the wanton with his Fathers grace sought not himself in pleasing his own will nor glory had nothing of the loose spirit of the world in him was not taken with its empty pomps ever went about doing good Acts 10. 38. was his Father and his Churches faithful servant Isa 42. 1. busie in saving work while in the flesh Luk. 2. 49. wrought by did not idle and play away his light Joh. 9. 4. was solid weighty serious in all his affaires with God and men To bee still writing after his fair copy would mend the loose Errata of Christains lives 'T is the Apostles counsel Let us walk decently as in the day not in rioting and drunkenness not in chambering and wantonness Rom. 13. 13. If it be said how the next words shew But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ and make no provision for the flesh to fulfill it in the lusts thereof v. 14. Christ is two waies put on By Justification when the chief Robe of his imputed Righteousnesse is put on and by Imitation when the Garments of his communicable graces are put on Put on as the Elect of God bowels of mercy kindness c. Col. 3. 12. Did wee learn the truth as it is in Jesus and trace the steps of his Faithfulnesse Zeal Meekness Humility Heavenly mindedness Divine communion Self-denial Spiritualitie we neither should nor could be such wantons with the Gospel as our loose spirits tempt us to doe Christian set before thee the heavenly purity gravitie soliditie of the Lord Jesus it will awe thy daring insolent spirit What is Christianity but a transcript from the original copy Jesus Christ Should not servants that goe in their Masters Livery doe his work Really put on the cloaths of Heaven and thou wilt not do the work of Hell What an horrid incongruitie is it to pretend to be like Christ and act like the Devil The lazy Philosopher talked of virtue but did it not and the lazy Christian can discourse of the grace of Christ and Quid inter se simile habeat Philosophus Christianus Graeciae discipulus caeli Tertul. in Apolog c. 46. act it not As the Greeks professed Philosophy so doe Libertines Christianity The real imitation of Jesus Christ would be a prevention of loosenesse These daily thoughts would do well I am a professed Disciple of Christ Did he think as I think Reason as I doe Were his affections like mine Did such words come from his mouth Were such designs driven by him SECT 2. 2. HElp is a cleansed purged heart Legal pollutions the 2 A cleansed purged heare is a special help to avoid abusing of the grace of God Types of Moral debarred from serving the holy God An impure heart serves not God but abuseth him The purging of the conscience from dead works and serving the living God are put together As well may a dead man ferve a living Prince as a polluted heart with dead works serve the living God To the pure all things are pure to the impure all things are in their use impure Tit. 1. 15. An impure heart makes an impure use of the holy God his Prayers Confessions Confidences Hopes are impure whose heart is so Cleanse your hearts said James then draw nigh to God Jam. 4. 8. It is with a pure heart as with a pure fountain it will work out mire and dirt It is with a clean heart as with a clean stomack it turns good meat into nourishment not ill huniour Christian purge thy heart by the wholsome working Physâ—ck of Gods grace of self-love worldly lusts voluptuousness covetous proud filthy desires vain-glory vanity of mind folly caâ—nal securitie and then wholsome meat the food of blessed Angels will not accidentally prove as hurtful to thee as the carrion food of Devils 'T is a sweet truth Beleeveâ—s draw nigh Absque cruore domini nemo appropinquat Deo Hier. to God by the blood of Christ Ephes 2. 13. Without a bloody skreen God would be a consuming fire to every sinner for the least sin But what doth the impure unwashen heart coâ—nt of the blood of the Covenant but as an unholy thing Heb. 10. 29. when not used in a way of gracious cleansing but emboldning allowance of sinne A cleansed heart will neither prophane the blood spirit nor word of Christ SECT 3. 3. HElp is the fear of God It is a Soveraign remedy against all 3 The fear of God is a help against abuse of Grace Religio esse non potest ubi â—imor nullus Lact. filthâ—nesse of the flesh spirit
you doe in Word and deed do all in the name of the Lord Jesus giving thanks to God and the father by him Col. 3. 17. And this will secure against loosnesse in the duties of our Relations worldly enjoyments Ordinances of Grace Talents committed to us SECT 9. 9. HElp is godly sorrow Those ill humors that are contracted 9 Godly sorrow is an help against abuse of grace Indicium re fipiscentiae sollicitudo securitatis excussio metus ne nevo peccato implicarentur Dickson by carnal mirth godly sorrow will help to cure as in Nature so in grace contraries cure Fasting is one remedy of distempering feasts Godly sorrow is the spirits sack-cloth and fast for sin When it wrought in the Corinthians repentance it wrought carefulnesse which shook off security and fear of relapse into the old sin by fresh temptation By the sadâ—ess of the countenance the heart is made better Eccles 7. 3. True sorrows eat out the love and liking of sin Men lay not to heart the abuses of grace and then adventure them The three principal things that God requires are Justice Mercy Mourning The last is a singular help to the two first Could we walk mournfully before the Lord we should love Mercy and do justly Mic. 6. 8. The Jews were wanton in their marrying Idolatrous Wives and their mourning ushered in their reformation Ezra 10. 1 3. Good natured childrens ingenuous sorrows for their soose pranks are Preservatives against like disorders In Malachy the prâ—â—â—ical Atheists did look upon Religion as vain serving God keeping his Ordinâ—nces and walking mournfully before the Lord of Hoast Mal 3. 14. Those mock-Gods and loose Libertines that laugh at mournful walking with God and are ever irreligious they keep not his Ordinances nor serve him at all The tears of repentance do sweetly water the seed of grace Zions mourners are the most thâ—â—ving Christians None are further off from the dangerous snares of soul-ruining wantonnesse then humble souls that soâ—e in tears They reap in Grace and Joy while others that soâ— in carnal security and delights reap in sin and wrath It is told in Gath and published in Askelon that many that seemed to set their faces Heaven-wards are loose â—ibeâ—tines They dâ—re to think speak and act what once to think on would make them tremble They dare sin without â—emoâ—se and count it their perfection And whence this sad â—postacy Surely as in part from an ungrateful glut of and formality in the â—rdinances of Grace partly from the spiritual pride of high attainments and partly from exchanging the house of mourning for the house of mirth walking mournfully before the Lord with them is Apochrypha sorrow for sin is legal and antiquated The holy Spirit exhorts rich Wantons to change their mirth into mourning Jam. 4. 9. But what Spirit it is that moves them to change their mourning into mirth you may easily guess It is just with God that when dissolute ones in sinful hardness have laid by sorrow for sin in judicial hardnesse they should be not more merry then mad jocund Wantons The Pulpit is no place The Sabbath no time to speak vainly I hope I speak the words of Truth and Soberness of all the holy frames of the Spirit I would desire of God in my sinful Pilgrimage of imperfection this choice gâ—â—cious indowment That the top-power of the Spirit in me might be in the Gospel-humblings of brokennesse of heart and contrition of spirit Pelievers are called should be little ones Matth. 18. 6. are ever best and safest yea nearest God when lowest SECT 10. 10. HElpe is close union to God The whorish woman at distance 10 Close union with God is a special help against abuse of grace Pe. didisti fornicantem abs te aliquid supra te amantem Pelican from her husband played the wanton Prov. 7 19. and impure soules fornicate when they thrust themselves out of Gods presence wanton spirits distance from God their choice and delight Job 21. 14. Is their damnation Lo they that are afar from thee shall perish Thou hast destroyed all them that go a whoring from thee Psal 73. 27. They that love any thing above God leave Heavens bed of Loves for Earthly delights and shall pay dear for their wantonnesse The remedy against it was close union to God But it is good for me to draw nigh to God 28. As if he had said Unchast Fornicators that leave God the Fountain of living waters for lying vanities to their eternall losse shal be indited for whoredome but my soule enter not into their secret though they are Wantons behind Gods back I see it is sâ—fe it is happinesse to me to get neer his Fâ—ce in his presence is Aâ—e Purity and Joy I dare not be loose while I see him besore mine Eyes wil a promoted favourite abuse his Prince wrong his grace before his Face the close union of Gods Reverence Love Purity Joyâ— Contentment Admiration will not be abusive Appropinquatio ad Deum elongatio ab omni corruptione Parisiensis The neerer to the Holy God the further from corruption as the neerer the fire the further from cold the neerer the sun the further from darknesse it is sinners turning their backs upon God which makes them wantons the true vision fruition of and delectation in Gods face is grave serious holy and heavenly What Christian that ever had sweet tasts and close viewes of the blessed God but his experience is sweet testimony hee feared to thinke desire do say that evil in close addresses to God which at other tims of distance hath had too sinful allowance The happinesse of the next life wil be divine sweet vision and union without darknesse and separation eternal closures betweene God souls wil shut out wantoness so much as there is of spiritual conjunction now there is provision against sinne SECT 11. 11. HElp is a constant subduing the first depraved motions 11 A constant subduing the first depraved motions is a special help to prevent abuse of grace to carnal desires and affections he that denyes the first parly and specious offers of a trecherous enemy prevents consent when we give the subtil motions of sin audience and listen to their pleasing arguments it is a thousand to one but we grant them wanton indulgence and ready obedience turning the deaf side to the whorish flatteries of sweete corruption is a soveraign Antidote against Libertinisme Are we sure an enemy knocks at the door we loâ—k and bar against him but open not unto him spirituall Judgment sayes the loose motions of sin knocks at the door sayes open not O my soule open not they are Theeves and Robbers My Son saith Solomon If sinners intice consent thou not Prov 1. 10. So say O my Soul if that great Pandor to all the Wantons of flesh and spirit corrupt nature intice consent thou not when lust hath conceived in consent it is ready to bring forth in Execution
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