the Lord. Thus Nathan aggravats Davids guilt in his murder of Urijah 2. Sam. 12. I st gets him to confess this principle that the rich man who had wronged the poore of his one little lambe deserved to die Davids sin was contrair to the principle he himself had laid and from this Nathan aggravaâ—s it The like in the New Testament the Pharisees laid this for a principle that Moses and the Prophets should be believed and Christ frequently aggravats the guilt of their despising him and from this very principle So Peter aggravats the sin of Ananias and Saphira calling it a lying to the Holy Ghost they laid this principle that it was good to sell their goods and lay them done at the Apostles feet and yet keeped back a part had they never laid such a ground it had not bein a lying to the Holy Ghost Many such instances we might bring to confirm the truth of the point and there be these things which tend further to confirme it 1. To sin against professed principles hath in it all the aggravations that a sin against knowledge hath for to profess and acknowledge any thing for a principle necessarily supposes the knowledge of it now sins against knowledge are by some well resembled to cloath which hath an scarlet dy upon it it is the same sin an other commits but in the ignorant it is of an whit color in comparison of what it is when committed against knowledge there are two great aggravations sins against knowledge have in them i st there must be a predominant love to the sin and hatred to its contrary Though affections are not the guid of the mind yet they often bind it and it is from them men act contrary to known truth 15. John towards the close but now they have both hated me and my father Hated me why more now then before sie the reason why it must be hatred of me if I had not come and spoken to them Christ had convinced their understanding and yet they imbrace him not this must preceed his hatred 2dly sins against knowledge their greatness appears in this that they are not so easily pardoned as sins done ignorantly as Pauls persecuting the Church which he did ignorantly had he done it after he had changed his principles he had not so easily obtained mercy Secondly to sin against professed principles will make heathens in their religion's to witnesse against us often the Lord aggravats Israels sin from the practice of the heathen have any of the nations changed their God if we should look through all religions whereof histories are full we shall find the fondest and foolishest carefull to come up to their principle the Romans abounded in sacrifices because the principle they had drunk in from Numa Pompilius taught them so The Lacedemonians were famous for the like strict conformity to their principles and lawes Specially the Lacedemonians were famous for abstinence because Lycurgus lawes which were their professed principles led them to it Accosta the Jesuit in his Indian History tells us that among them the most tender-hearted Mothers would cut the throats of their own children because their Idolatrous principle led them to such sacrifices Do not Mahumitans abstain from Wyne Papists undergoe the most painfull peregrinations and scourgings multitude of Saints dayes and all that they may not contradict their principles Now all this witnesse against us when our professed principles contradict our way 3dly To contradict our professed principles makes a man a witness against himself The man who had the one talent is at a great disadvantage when his judge tells him from thy own mouth I condemn thee He had laid his principle that his Lord wes an hard man reaped wher he did not sow thou oughtest therfor sayes his Lord have put my money to the exchangers This stops a mans mouth at first and makes him utterly unexcusable when his professed principles depons against his practice Rom. 2.1 Fourthly to sin against acknowledged principles supposing the principles to be divine is the highest contempt of God that can be so Psal 50. Consider this ye that forget God least I aryse and tear you in pieces forget God who are these sie them in the preceeding part of the Psalm ye who take my Covenant in your mouth and yet when you fie a theef rune with him and become partner with the vyle adulterer They professed his Covenant and practised adultery and such are called forgetters of God and such he will aryse and tear in pieces when there shall be none to deliver To sin against acknowledged principles hath in it a despysing of the Law and he that despyseth the law sayeth Isaiah despyseth the law-giver Fifthly to sin against acknowledged principles hath affinity to the sins of those who are most signally marked for sin in the Scriptures Saul professed with tears David was Innocent and more righteous then he and professed he knew the Lord would make him King in his stead yet we find him shortly after in armes against him Judas knew Christ an Innocent and called him Master and yet betrayed him Pilat declared him an Innocent and yet delivered him to be crucified It evidenceth the rage and dominion of any lust in the heart when the accomplishment of it is driven over our very light like Saul to make a law to expell all witches out of Israel and yet himself to seek to one it evidences indeed the Lord had departed from him All these and many more might be brought to evidence the truth of the point that to sin against acknowledged divine principles is an great aggravation of our Guiltiness Application There is only one use of this I shall insist upon it serves for humiliatione and convictione of such as contradict in their practice their professed principles it is a sad complaint the Lord hath of Israel Jer. 2.10 11. Pass over to the Isles of Chittim and sie if there hath been done such a thing as this hath a nation changed their Gods caet but my people hath changed their glory for that which doth not profit Heathens follow their acknowledged principles and are ours any worse or any thing more questionable then theirs But that this point may be the more pressing I shall not insist in opening the contradiction of the principles which even by the light of nature heathens have been taught to lay which multitudes in their lives full of adultery drunkenness swearing lying make But there are these 4 things which by the Scriptures we are taught to lay for principles and let us enquire a little how they are contradicted in our lives 1. It is a principle in our religion that the great happiness of the creatur stands in communion and fellowship with the Creator Philosophers have wandred indeed so in the search of mans cheefe good that some have reckoned up some hundreth of opinions about it But there is none among us who can answer but the first question of our
it hath so specious a profession had they against adultrie and such an abhorrencie of the Idolatrie of the heathen that they said a man should not commit adultrie and they abhorred Idolls The correction contains as Interpreters generallie observe an aggravatione of the guiltiness of their practice from the concession does thou commit the proponing by way of question is very emphatick as if it were so absurd for them that said so much that positively he will not assert it Some move a question why the Apostle changes the word Idolatrie into sacriledge He sayes not thou that abhorrest Idols does thou commit Idolatrie but Sacriledge I purpose not in this Sermon to search into the name of the things mentioned in the verse adulterie idolatrie and sacriledge only to the question some say the change is only in words not of things for Idolatrie is an eminent kind of sacriledge in regard it robs God of the worship institute by himself and gives unto an idoll false worship Others think the kind of sin is varyed indeed and which is most probable the change having a speciall Emphasis in it the Apostle by it saying this much to them that though they abhorred some kind of sins such as pagan idolatrie yet they practized of another kind no less dishonorable to God and dangerous to themselves I shall say no more for opening the meaning and scop of the words There is only one observation from them I purpose in this Sermon to insist upon but shall name two or three arising from them ere we come to it OBSERVATION I. That the bare knowledge and profession of divine truths without an answerable conversation to them can profit nothing before God THough knowledge in excellency be a qualification nixt unto grace yet where separat from practise it produces only a being beaten with many stryps yea to own a profession of holiness without the practise like to some change-houses wher ye shall find a signe of an Angel before the door and nothing within but rioting and drunkenness This is but from our profession to agrege the guilt of our conversatione If any by the present occasion here get no more but the naked knowledge of somewhat they knew not before and do not bring it home to practice hes but coled the candle to let them see better to the chambers of hell no that ye are to despise knowledge much affection and zeal many have without this is like to one who hath two strong leggs for an journey and with all two blind eyes Especially it is requisite in a time wherein so many deluded with error and wherein we are called out to give a reason of the hope that is in us OBS. 2. That one may have not only an outward profession of holyness but also some inward work on the affections and yet be in a very dangerous estate before God So these Jews they not only said but they abhorredIdols WHat a length an hypocrit may go at a like occasion to this we did lately handle only now learn not only not to glorie in a profession as I fear some among you do ye know what he was who said Come see my zeal for the Lord. Beware of glorying of this but rest not Even upon somewhat beyond some inward work amongst the affections thou may taste even of the powers of the life to come as the Author to the Hebrews Heb. 6. testifies and yet want the thing that must accompanie salvation OBS. 3. That some may be abhorring evills of some kinds and yet wallowing in others no less dangerous nor dishonorable to God THey abhorred Idolls but committed Sacriledge The Jews were so punctual observers of the Sabbath day that they will not suffer the bodies to hing on the crosse John 19.31 because of the Sabbath day But they stood not upon the murder of Him whom even Pilat judged an Innocent Here is great neid of watchfulness whill our zeall runs out against evills of our neighbours we be not intertaining worse in our selves often it is but an Imaginarie evill wee condemne in others whill reall ones are fostered in our own bosome Math Parisiensis tells us of a Bishop of Cremona who was sent Legat from Rome to England and in a Synod at Londone enveyed exceedingly against the married Clergie often saying it was an shame for an man to rise from the side of an whoore and consecrat the body of Christ and the same night he was taken in bed with an whoore himself It is true perfit cleansing though it be commanded yet it is no wher promised nor can it be expected here yet how dreadfull is it to be wallowing in things worse or as evill as that we condemn in others How many seem to close out that theef at the doore which by the window comes in and Robs them While thou condemnes the adultry drunkenness swearing of others which is thy duty watch left thou be guilty of the hypocrisie earthly mindedness that abounds in others If thou shall say this is even the thing the openly flagitious tells us when we reprove their sins that we are Hypocrits But how sinfully soever they act in reproaching thee thou oughtest do with their charge as Moses did Exod. 3. with the Railling of the Hebrew who told him who made thee a judge will thou kill me as thou did the Aegyptian Moses goes not to revile him again but searches what good use he may make of it surely sayeth he this thing is known and he flies to Midian Do thou so with their reproaches search if there be not some truth in the thing and flie to a place of refuge But I come to that observation I purpose to insist on and which is the chiefe scop of the verse OBS. 4. That it is a great aggravation of the guiltiness of our lives and conversations when our acknowledged and professed principles may be brought as a witness against them THus here the Apostle agreges the Guilt of their committing of adultry from this thou sayest thou shall not commit adultry this being the scop of the verse we shall insist upon it I st prove it from Scripture then give some grounds of it and so apply it The truth of the point is evident from Scripture two instances we shall give in the Old Testament and two in the New CVI. Psalm the scop of which Psalm is to exaggerat the guiltiness of Israel when in their passage throw the wilderness they tempted God and lusted in the wilderness and all aggravated from this viz. that at their passage thorow the red Sea they believed God and sang his praise and if you will look to the song they lung Exod. 15.11 Who is God save the Lord say they who is like unto the Lord among the Gods who is like say they and yet in that Psal v. 20. they changed their glorie into the similitude of an oxe that they should say who is like unto the Lord among the Gods and yet change
est amor said blessed Austin nisi quaedam vita duo aliqua copulans vel copulare appetens quod scilicet amat quod amatur This indeed is ane love which cannot be satisfied without enjoying of Christ is thine of this nature or art thou content without him Thirdly love to him darkens and abats love of all other things in the soul This Character usually practick divins give of it Tanto quisque said Bernard à superno amore disjungitur quanto inferius delectatur It sets well in tryall of our love to ask our hearts the question he himself asked Peter Symon sone of Jonas lovest thou me more then these Lastly love to him is alwayes attended with love to his people and interests 1. Epist Joh. 2. The Apostle is large in proveing this If we love him that begetts we love also them that are begotten It is true our love to them ought not to be so fervent as to him but yet it still keeps a proportione to it as the sune in the dyall though it move not so fast as in the firmament yet it keeps a proportione to it it cannot be goeing forward in the firmament and backward or standing still in the dyall Try by these your love and finding it ye may the ore chearfully come to a banquet of love SERMON On Jonah 1 6. So the Ship-master came to him and said what meanest thou O Sleeper THis Prophet prophesied in the dayes of Jeroboam the second wee find him mentioned 2 Kings 14 25. where he is called a Prophet and servant of the Lord and though he prophesied of prosperitie yet with small success in so corrupt a tyme. Wherefore the Lord sends him to Nineve the Chief city of the Assyrian Empyre which he is loath to undertake partly from fear and partlie as some think loath to Carry a Message from the Jews to the Gentills wherefore he resolves to flee by sea to Tarshish The Lord followes him with a storme and when all in the Ship are at prayer to their Gods he is asleep For which in the words read he is reprehended by the Shipmaster what meanest thou o sleeper The words though they be the words of ane heathen yet they contain a deserved reprehension of a prophet of Israell and in them are 2. things 1. A description of the persons reprehending and reprehended and both descryved from their present work and conditione the one is the Shipmaster and the other a sleeper 2dly The reprehension itself what meanest thou or as the word in the first language what to thee A short pathetick speach expressing anger in the reprehender and unreasonablness in the reprehended There is nothing difficult in the words that we need to insist in explicating sleeping however in be taken figurativly in scripture some tymes denoting the carnall security of one in a naturall conditione as Eph. 4. awak thou that sleepest sometyms the quiet repose a beleever hath in God as Psal 3 4. I will lay me downe and sleep yet here it is taken properly yet so as it denotats also untymous security when there was so great a storme and all at prayer that were in the Ship with them There is one Observation I purpose to insist upon but we shall speak a word of ane other ere we come to it Observat 1. That security when dangers are imminent is unreasonable even in the eye of nature For 1. Sudden and unexspected surprises add much to the weight of any danger as in the dayes of Noah Peter makes it a great agravatione of their stroak that they wer eating drinking marying and giveing in mariage and the deludge came a tryall hath no small advantage of us when it finds us asleep David could take Sauls spear from his head in the midst of his Army when he assaults him asleep Nature teaches men to flee to some beeld when clouds gather that threatten rain It s true the Lord would not have his people anxiously vex themselves with thoughts of the crosse before it come sufficient for the day are the sorrows of it If he bring thee to the Wilderness he can also rain Manna In it the promises of God are the promises of a Father and such a Father as in the First Article of our Creed we call a Father Almighty and so let our sorrowes which are threatning us let them be what they will there is sufficient ground of a sweet and quyet repose in God But this maks nothing against the truth of the poynt we doe not onely counteract to the positive Lawes of God but to the very dictats and precepts of nature If tryals that are makeing so lowd a noise shall find us secure and asleep As it is our great mercy to be so long warned before the stroake the axe as it were lying at the root of the tree before it smit So they rightly improve these warnings that does as the Apostle Heb. 11. sayeth Noah did By faith Noah being warned by God and moved with fear prepared ane Arke to save himself and his Family But I come to the observation I purpose to insist on Observat 2d That the worshipers of the true God are sometyms outstriped and may be justly reprehended for their neglect of worship by the worshipers of Idols Thus is Jonah a Prophet of Israel and a Servant of the Lord here by a Heathen Mariner The lyke we find Gen. 20 6. Thus was she reproved this word is very remarkable to our purpose Abimelech said to Sarah behold I have given thy Brother a thousand peices of Silver and then it is added thus was shee reproved Abimelechs upright and liberal dealing reproves Sarahs deceit Sarah is not only outstriped but even deservedly reproved by Abimelech ane Heathen My purpose is not in prosecuting this poynt to compare togither Idolaters in their moral induements or the performing of the duties of the second Table with the worshipers of the true God none that are acquaint with the Histories of their lives or their writings but will easily discerne how far they have outstriped us Here it is no disparagment to Constantine the Great notwithstanding of all his victories recorded by Eusebius to say that Alexander the Great outstriped him in magnanimity and fortitude And if I should insist but upon three of them who among the worshipers of the true God can go beyond them for excellent moral precepts Plato who for his precepts is called divinus and is thought by some to have conversed with Jeremiah in Aegypt which opinion Augustin at length conâ—uts in his book of the City of the God shewing that Plato lived ane hundreth Years after Jeremiah his being in Aegypt and flowrished threescore years before the septuagints translatione or if I should name Seneca whose Epistles containe such excellent precepts for a moral life that some think he exchanged Epistles with Paul at Rome Or Cicero for whose salvation Erasmus does plead as one who had improved nature to the outmost
other things that by accident occasion this As First Many of the contents of the Gospel are altogither supernatural Mahomet his Lawes were suited well to mans corrupt nature so were these which Apolonius Lyanaeus gave to the Heathens But here if we shall either look to the duties or promises of the Gospel they are altogither supernatural 1. The duties are supernatural as beleeve deny thy self take up thy cross despise things present the promises are also of this nature if they were but such as these had under the law such as if any man come not up to the feast of Tabernacles the rain shall not fall upon his land how would this make many run to ordinances who are nothing moved with the promises of being in Christ joy in the Holy Chost and such like Beside Secondly As the contents of the Gospel are supernatural so must they be supernaturally discerned as mere sensitive faculties cannot reach the objects of reason a man cannot with his eyes ane argument so such as are truly rational cannot reach what is purely spiritual without illumination from the Spirit Rom 8 7. The wisdome of the flesh is enemity against God neither can it be subject to the Law of God for it is spiritually dicerned From all these it comes to pass that many are but almost Christians But I goe to the Application Application First Is it so that many are but almost Christians It serves for humiliation to all such as are but almost so I shall not insist in prosecuting this use in reference to such as are so in point of doctrine in regard all of us own such doctrinal principles as lead us up to be altogither Christians but shall follow it in reference to such as are so in point of practice of how many may the Lord complain as he did of Ephraim Hosea 7 8. Ephraim is a cake unturned that is raw on the one side and baken on the other In somethings Christians especially such things as may consist with their interest but in other things denying it especially such things as are most difficult and of most absolut necessity And that this use of humiliation may prove the more pressing we shall offer these things to evidence what manner of humiliation is meet First There is in resting upon the being almost a Christian a secret contempt of God He that cuts and carves upon the lawes of his Soveraigne taking what makes for him and rejecting what he pleases contemnes the authority that enjoyned them To doe something at the command of God and to reject others must flow either from some apparent iniquity in the Law which is a high reflection or a despising of the authority that enjoyned it and both reflect on God Secondly To be in part a Christian and not altogither is a temper God loaths This was the temper of the Church of Laodicea which was neither cold nor hot lukewarme which hath some degrees of heat and some of cold and he threatens he will spew her out of his mouth as one doth a thing his stomache loaths Thirdly This puts a man to serve two masters to be in some things for God and in somethings for his enemie A double minded man sayeth James is unstable in all his wayes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a man that hath a minde and a minde he must be like Israel in Elijahs time halting betwixt two Fourthly one may loss Heaven though he doe much for God for not doeing more there are some things absolutly necessary for salvation if we should be never so righteous in our dealing with men yet he that beleeves not is condemned already because he bath not beleeved in the only begotten Son of God Now how lamentable is it to doe much for Christ and yet come short of Heaven for not doeing more Lastly This to be in part a Christian deprives a man for the present of the sweetest part of Christian Religion the peace and joy promised in the Gospel is attained by performing the most in ward duties of it the neglect of which makes many find godliness a kinde of Labyrinth to them they are continually breaking shells that hath no kirnel in them All these laid togither evidence what matter of humiliation ariseth from this to be almost only a Christian Use second Is it so that many are but almost most Christians then in the next place labour thou to be not only almost but altogither a Christian In this Use I shall 1st Open to you the scope I dryve at into it 2dly Give you some directions for promoving it The scope of it is not First To press you to eshew a manger I hotchpotch Kinde of Religion such as sometimes the Jewes had of old and the Papists have of late I shall suppose our tentations blessed be the Lord shall not carry to so great ane evil as this Neither 2dly Is the scope of this use to condemne that Christian moderation which in lesser truths may be somtimes very profitable for the peace of the Church Neither 3dly Is it to condemne all kinds of zeal in following our greater duties in Christian Religion which ought alwayes to be regulat with wisdom and knowledge Neither Lastly Doe we suppose that a Christian in this life can reach ane absolut perfection in his Christian course without any defect at all At these things this use does not drive But it drives at pressing these things 1 To exhort all while they are eshewing some sins in practice whereby they become in part Christians that they sitt not down contenteldy there while they are practising others no less dangerous While they eshewe for instance scandalous breach of the Sabboth they doe not contendedly practise hypocrisie naked formality Or 2dly While there is the practise of some duties whereby one becomes almost a Christian and not far from the Kingdome of God there be not a voluntary neglect of others possibly more necessary Or 3dly To exhort the eshewing the practice of Christianity at sometimes when there is the quite contrary at another time ebbing and flowing in Christianity as the Sea with the course of the Moon serving times and occasions with our Religion and not keeping ane even pace at these the point dryves and that we may be helped thus to labour to be not only almost but altogither Christians I shall offer these following directions First Christian labour to be very serious in the performance of holy duties be careful to joyne therein attention of minde Ezek 33. vers 32. Singleness of heart Psal 145 18. Intention of affection Rom. 12 11. Holy fear and reverence Heb 12 18 The want of these makes even our Religious duties to be performed but almost as Christians There is not that reverence of God in them that delight that intercourse and communion with God which they that endevour to be altogither Christians doe attain Therefore consider well the nature of God whose service it is His Majesty Mal. 1. v last His
by way of tryal and a tempting by way of seducement God tempted Abraham with the first kinde of tentation and James speaks of the second kinde of tentations that seduce and lead to sin as is evident first from the word used by the Apostle there 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which usually is â—â—â—erstood of tentation to sin 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being the proper word for the other tryals or tentations Thus the Devil is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the tempter Matth. 4. vers 3. and in the Lords prayer we pray that we may not be led 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 into tentation Beside the Apostle in the Antithesis used in the verse saves God cannot be tempted with evil neither does be tempt must be relative to that same 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 evil before mentioned Now these tentations as they cannot proceed from God so for God to tempt by way of tryal is ordinary for him in all afflictions There is one observation from the words I purpose to insist most upon but shall name some few ere I come to it Observation I. That often great mercits are accompanied with great tentations and tryals So here after these things Abraham was tempted And the constant tract of providence from Adam to Christ proves the truth of it yea scarcely in Scripture one instance which is rare in providential actings against it For 1. Great mercies are often accompanied with great abuses and therefore no wonder followed with great tryals The Lord does sometymes to his vineyard till he come to say What can I do more and yet sour Graps Isai 5. What wonder then he pluck downe his hedge Beside all that receive mercies doe not receive them with the like integrity they fall sometimes as some drops of rain that only makes a thistle or weeds to grow and therefore need of winnowing by tentations Yea 2dly Usually those who are most in receiving mercies from God are most invyed by Sathan ye shall find him in Scripture choosing out Gods greatest favourits and following them most with his tentations such as Job David Asaph Christ and Peter I shall not dwell on this point only doe not think God is out of the road way of his providence when he does this whither to his Church or particular persons It is ane inlet to all apostasie to be pleased with nothing but mercies here away from God If thou hath at this Sacrament tasted of Abraham's manifestations it shall be strange if after these things it come not to pass that thou tast of Abraham's tentations Our rose here must have thornes beside it and therefore say thou shall we receive good of the hands of the Lord and not evil also And bless him in both Observ II. That it is very necessary when we remember or mention the tentations God exposes his people to to remember also the mercies he bestowes on them Abraham here God tempted him but it is after these things So the Church at length in the third of the Lamentations so Jacob so David Psalm 44. and there is good reason for it For 1. This tends to keep up honourable thoughts of God If there be nothing minded but the tentations we are ready to count of him as the man who had the one talent austere and rigorous Beside this tends to keep us from fainting under tentations as Psal 13 5. It may be often the Lords quarrel with us in tryals which he had with Israel at the red Sea Psal 106. They considered not the multitude of his mercies but at the Sea even the red Sea they provocked him The first tryal they met with they sorgat all the Lord had done for them in Aegypt Many pore only upon their discouragements especially in tryals or at Sacraments like one that would be broding himself with the bryar of his role and not smelling the rose itself Haman was a foole to quarrel that Mordecay bowed not his knee to him since he was so much in the Kings savour he might have despised Mordecayes What ever besal the Church of God or thyself still remember it is after these things Observ III. That tryals and afflictions are rightly looked upon by us when we look upon them as tentations Thus Abraham's tryal here called a tentation James 1 2. My Brethren count it all joy when ye fall in divers tentations The Apostle means afflictions but thinks fitt to represent it to them under the notion of tentation So 1 Pet. 1 6. Though now for a season ye be in heaviness through manifold tentations It was the cross was on them but the Apostle calls them tentations And there are several reasons why afflictions are so called which are worthy to be remarked 1. Our tryals often are nothing but tentations our discouraged Spirits creates fears and then tosses them so that one in wrestling with their own thoughts will suffer more then another on whom the crosse is indeed inflicted And here by the way it is worthy to be noted how often we are in the wronge to God suspecting him for his providence when in the mean tyme it is but a conflict with our own apprehensions Like Hagar who was complaining for the want of water and yet close beside a fountain but her eyes were not opened to see it 2dly Trials are called tentations because of the principal and chief scope of affliction is to winnow and try That the tryal of your faith being more pretious then gold 1 Pet. 1 7. the Apostle points our their affliction there from the principal scop of it And here I would have you take notice of these three things 1. Though God know us well enough and though Saints try themselves yet we have need to be tryed by affliction There is a mystery of iniquity as well as there is a mystery of godliness oftentymes in affliction there is something discovered to us which for all our search of ourselves we could not have found out nor have beleeved had been in us like a pool troubled so are our hearts in affliction their comes up mud which we would not have thought to have been there Yea 2dly As the Lord delights in the graces of his Saints so he loves to have some occasion to commend them in his Saints He still retaineth his integrity though thou movest me without a cause against him See how he boasteth of Job as a Master when a good Scholler is examined Therefore he loves to try by affliction that He may have occasion to say O woman great is thy faith 3dly The Lord loves to discover his people to others For 1. By thy example others may be encouraged What is the end of the Lords recording the valorous acts of his Saints their reward is full without this but to incourage others Yea if thou faint in a tryal others may be bettered by it Why hath the Lord recorded in Scripture the failings of some of his Saints Is it that the Lord loves to blot their names when
Cain killed him it is the next degree to self Murther For a Father to kill his own Son so that Abraham hath not only a question about the firmeness of the promise of God and how his Command was consistant with his promise but how it was consistant with his other commands which by the light of nature were planted in the heart of man Thirdly To make his tentation the greater his love to his nearest relations is brought on the stage also Interpreters observe on the words of the following verse to what we read that every word hath a weight in it take now thy sone thy only sone Isaack-whom thou lovest and offer him for a brunt-offering How great is the love of a Father to a Sone especialy if he be ane only Sone Zach. 12 10. they shall mourne as one doth for his only begotten There is weight in his name Isaack which signifies laughter that the sone and the only sone of his Fathers Laughter should be offered in a brunt offering where all is consumed to ashes that was a tryal indeed Now when these three concurr in any trial that one is called to be denyed to his nearest relations and to part with them a mist also upon the understanding darkning the mind as to their duety and when they take them to the promises as a drowning man to a bush the bush seems to come and they cannot see how to fasten on the promise this makes a tryall that may fittly be called a tentation For First By this kind of dispensation a beleever comes to be scourged with twisted rods at once as a load layd on above a burden Job complained of his friends as cruell that they would deall so unkindly when Gods arrows were sticking in him have ye no compassione on me my friends for the Almighty hath dealt bitterly with me When one is put to quit with friends and promises at once it is like the wind that fell upon all the corners of the house where Jobs children were feasting A man in such a case is like Israel who had the read sea before them Mountains on every syd and Egypt behind them Beside Secondly a tryall of this nature lets in affliction to the soul David complains the waters had come into his soul So long as a tryall affects only the outward man it is like a wound in the Arme which proves not deadly if the heart be not affected but when the wound is at the heart who can bear it It is a pittifull account David gives of his case Psal 116 3. The cords of death hath compassed me about and the pains of hell took hold on me I found trouble and sorrow trouble from Saul who persued him to death and sorrow from the pains of hell Now when both a stroak on our outward condition ane other on our faith comes togither â—e Hercules contraduos Thirdly It is usuall with man to counterballance any loss by any stroak of affliction by something he yet enjoyes or hopes for as the cloud of witnesses Heb. 11 did many outward loss we use to comfort ourselves from the promises but when these seem to yeeld it is like ane tree plucked up by the root that cuts off our hope of fruit afterward How sad is that complaint of Asaphs Psalm 77. In the day of his trouble his sore rane in the night and ceased not I remembred God and was troubled When his sore is runing he thinks to find ane ease by remembering God and that failing him his Spirit was overwhelmed as a boat in a storme for which no hope Lastly To evidence how great a tryall this is consider to what it hath driven many of the most excellent Same 's of God to speak unadvisedly with their lips to reflect on God as one become cruell unto them as Job to brand his Servants the Prophets as feeding them with lyes in stead of promises as David Psal 116. I said in my haste all men are lyars Samuel among the rest who had told him in Gods Name he should be King and many such like in Scripture Application The scope of this point is to put the people of God to forecast with greater trials then any they have possibly yet met with when thou may be put to part with thy nearest relations and readily no small assault upon thy mind at such a time it is true the Lord usually commands his north wind to cease in the day of the south wind and sometimes it is otherwayes but we can loss nothing by preparation for trials that may fittly be called tentations And I shall breifly shew you what incouragements he had under this tentation and exhort you when your trials shall grow upon you to imitat him in them First Abraham had the call of God to encounter his tentation God said to him take thy Sone thy only Sone Isaack as a beleever is not to sitt the call of God when called to trials nor flee from it as Jonah did so he is not to rune to meet with the cross before it come and be called to it by God There are some that like Goliah think themselves able to encounter ane host who when he comes to the trial a boy and a peible stone out of the brook will lay them on their back the hope that his strength will be ours under a trial is only well grounded when not our own simplicity or folly or pride or unconsideratness but his call hath brought us under it when his truth calls for it he calls us A Man that hath the call of God knowes this that whatsoever the event of his trial be he is about his duety and there is a great deall of peace refulting from this Secondly Abraham as he had the call of God to this tentation so he had former experience of God to this tentatione that what he called him to renounce he brought it well about in the event He had called him to forsake his Fathers house his countrey and kindred to come among strangers and there he had made him a Prince for riches and honour Now this is very comfortable under any great tentatione when one can produce experiences of Gods way formerly to them as Tamar did with Judah when she was by Judahs command brought forth to be brunt she brought forth the ringe and the staffe and asked whose these are she said as much as will the man that gave me these things burne me If thou say thou hast not Abrahams experiences of this kind against a trial certainly thou hast not observed his way to thee if it be so but if thou hast none of thy own take scriptural-experiences of Gods way and improve these under a tentatione as the Church does Psal 44. Our cars have heard our Fathers tell what great things what great things thou didst of old Even these are comfortable dounward to us that we might set our hope in God Psal 78. Thirdly Abraham was not so much
finds them he hath them to draw out of some condition very unlike their following work Thus was it here with Moses as his very name Moses imports There be three things in this point to which we shall speak briefly 1. From what God usually drawes his Servants out when he calls them to his work 2dly Why he chooses this way to call such Servants as he must first draw out 3dly Apply In the First We shall have plenty of Scripture proofes of the truth of the point from what to wit he draweth them out and here take notice of these particulars 1st Sometimes when he is about to imploy Servants He hath them to draw out of a very low and obscure original in the World It s true sometimes he hath called them that are honourable in the World as Isaiah to be a Prophet who is supposed to be of the blood royal of the Kings of Judah But here he holds not many Noble he chooses the things that are not Thus Christ his Apostles a company of poor fisher-men he made them Apostles Amos ane herdsman David a Sheepherd the famous Gregory Nazianzen had it often objected to him by the Arians that he was the Son of him who was once a Begger Erasmus a Bastard obscurely borne in Rotterdam 2dly He hath them to draw out from a great deal of natural simplicity and weakness in respect of moral induements So that they may say as Moses I am not eloquent It is true some of them has been of excellent natural induements but often otherwayes Therefore Heathens used to draw the primitive Christians in their portratures with the head of ane asse on their shoulders as noting the simplicity they saw in many of them and yet eminent Servants How ignorant how timorous and despondent were the Aposties before the pouring out of the Spirit How childish were a number of their questions to Christ and how litle affrighted them And yet what excellent instruments for Christ afterwards 3dly He hath drawen some out to service when their faces has been towards another airth and their imployments lying another way in the World It is true Jeremiah is supposed to have been a Priest ere called to have been a Prophet and Ezekiel the Son of a Priest But frequently he called them goeing at the plough as Elisha when keeping sheep as David or the cattel as Amos when fishing he hath drawn them out and made them Fishers of Men when commanding Armies as the famous Ambross to be Bishop of Millan 4thly He nath drawn some out when ingadged in a great deal of opposition to him they have been as Paul persecuting him and on the way to Damascus drawn out and made chosen vessels to lift up his name How farr was famous Augustin ingadged in Manicheïsme whose principles tended to deny the Being of God and overturne his Law and yet ingadged to be as eminent a light as any since the Apostles tymes Matthew the Publican the first Writter of the New Testament and Mary Magdalen out of whom he cast seven Devils the first preacher of the resurrection and many other proofs of this 5thly He hath drawn some out from under very great oppression and persecution and made them eminent Servants Daniel a captive boy outstriped all the Caldeans in wisdom and interpretation of hidden mysteries What a great deal did many of the worthy instruments at the Counsel of Nite suffer for him so that some bore the marks of their tortures as Paphunitius the want of one of his eyes about in their bodies Multitudes of such might be instanced and all these will be the more remarkable if we consider the way of the Lords drawing out in these particulars 1st He hath made his word the mean of drawing them out to his service when they themselves have been farr from intending any such thing Augustin came from Rome to Millan meerly to hear Ambrose his eloquence and yet by his Sermon drawn out though he little regarded his doctrine Virgerius was set downe to writt a Book De Apostasia Germanorum that he might vindicat himself from the suspition of Lutheranismt and turning over Luthers Books that he might answer his arguments was drawn out to the great opposition of Popery he afterward manifested 2dly Some drawn out by occasional unexpected providence from which no such thing was expected Justin Martyr came to behold the Martyrdome of some of the Martyrs meerly as a gazer and looker on and by their constancy and cheerfulness was put to search after their doctrine and drawn out to be ane eminent Servant 3dly When they have only designed some biâ—t of service to him and to hold there when it were done he hath drawn them on step after step to great things there was no more designed by Luther at first but to overthrow Popish Indulgences but step after step he was drawn to overturne the whole body of Popish doctrine In a word a small lyne in his hand is strong enough to draw out his most resolut adversaries The Second thing we proposed was Why God so often choosed this way Here take notice of these three First He layes a foundation for his own praise 2dly For humbling his Servants 3dly For confirming the truths delivered by them First For his own praise especially of his power and grace 1. His power shynes in it that he can take any stuffe and make a vessel of honour off it to make a Rose grow out of a Thorne what a great demonstration of power was it to take Paul on his way to Damascus and draw him then out Beside 2dly That demonstrats his Grace in the riches and freedom of it that no native baseness no affliction no opposition to him can hinder him from honouring them with his honourable service Secondly It keeps his Servants humble to remember how drawn out not worthy to be called ane Apostle and why I persecuted the Church Eminent service is apt to puff up even the best but when they look on what they were and how drawn out they must let their Feathers fall Beside Thirdly This tends to confirme the doctrine delivered by them that when they first did begin to preach it their faces were another way I was no Prophet nor Son of a Prophet said Amos and the Lord said unto me Goe Prophesy at Bethel It was no design of his who was looking over his kin What can be more rational then what Paul alledges in his own defence before Aggripa that he was once zealous in the Jewish Religion and persecuted Christians but could not be disobedient to the heavenly vision Application By way of use breifly take these things First See the remarkable way which God hath been constantly using to build his Church He hath not found the stones polished to his hand which he hath been laying in his temple but had them to hew out of a hard rock and digg out of a pitt so much the more ought wee to admire his progresse