and no way to scape it then goe to Christ for these two things we must doe First Wee must have our mouthes stopped that so all men may bee culpable before him Secondly Wee must bee shut up in prison hee shuts up all under sinne that the promise might bee to them that beleeve when a man is shut up under the wrath of GOD so that there is no evasion this will bring him in Indeed if the minde of a man can finde any way to get out hee will never come in to CHRIST But when hee shall not tell how to scape the wrath of GOD if hee sinne against man man shall judge him but who shall when hee sinnes against GOD If hee consider the Terrour of GODS wrath if hee shut up and his mouth stopped and hee left inexcusable and shall see himselfe a miserable man I say this will make him goe home to CHRIST And that is the use you should make of it and bee sure hee will receive you if you goe to him Sinne is like the firy Serpent and the Wrath of GOD like the Sting when you are wounded therewith then know there is no way to bee healed but to looke up unto IESUS CHRIST the Brazen Serpent and if a man bee not wounded hee will not looke up GODS promises are generall he hath bound himselfe in his Word Goe and preach the Gospell to every Creature none excepted and let him that is a thirst come and take the waters of life freely Let these drive thee to the LORD CHRIST and thou shalt certainly be accepted And so much shall serve for that point The end of the Fourth Sermon CERTAINE SERMONS VPON HVMILIATION The Fifth SERMON ROMANS 1.18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodlinesse and unrighteousnesse of men which with-hold the Truth in unrighteousnesse AND now wee have almost gone thorow these words the last part of them remains that is which with-hold the Truth in unrighteousnesse Wherein after the Apostle had declared the corruption of mans Nature in generall he now pitches on one particular especially that is such as with-hold the Truth in unrighteousnesse against whom the wrath of God is revealed In these words marke these three things First that there is a truth which God hath written in the hearts of naturall men Secondly that this truth is with-holden by them The word in the Originall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies keeping it in Prison it is kept downe not suffered to rise up and shew it selfe in practice and action Thirdly the cause of it is out of love to unrighteousnesse or delight therein that is of unrighteous lusts But we will put all these into this one Proposition It is the condition of the best men before Regeneration to with-hold the Truth in unrighteousnesse That is the point Paul speakes not of the condition of some few but of the condition of men in generall And these be the men against whom the wrath of God is chiefely revealed these be the men that of all other thinke themselves the free civill men that carry themselves soberly deale justly with men that doe well in many things that indeed know much but practise not according to knowledge these I say be the men against whom the wrath c. It may bee you will object here That is strange that the more truth is revealed to men the more knowledge they have the more morall vertues they practise the worser it shall be with them For answer to this you must know that the having of this Truth the bestowing of any of these common graces puts no man into a better condition It is Gods worke and put upon his reckoning only Indeed the using or abusing of them is his owne worke and put upon his owne reckoning And therefore in regard hee may abuse them they may doe him hurt And those that have much of these Truthes but use them not or that if they doe use some of them yet doe it for their owne Ends and not simply for Gods glory are as abominable to God as those that run into the greatest outrages Men that are more civill are like Wolves tyed up others are like Wolves at liberty It is true other men do more mischiefe that is they commit more sinfull actions and consequently run into more guilt and their Condemnation shall be greater but those that are tyed up that by civility have their lusts restrained are no lesse abominable in Gods sight than others a wolfe tied up is as hatefull to a sheepe as one that is at large and so it is with these men for it is the condition of the best men before Regeneration to with-hold the Truth in unrighteousnesse Now in this point wee will handle three things First what this truth is Secondly how it is with-holden Thirdly the greatnesse of the sinne of with-holding the Truth c. For the first what this Truth is you must know there is a three-fold kinde of Truth First a naturall Truth written in the hearts of men to whom the Scripture was never revealed Secondly a common Truth or common knowledge such as they have that live in the Church but are not sanctified Thirdly a spirituall knowledge which sanctifies the heart of them in whom it is the two first whereof natural knowledge and common knowledge naturall men may have Now the thing we have to doe is to shew you what this knowledge here meant is because the difference is not very apparant Now as to understand what an accident is you consider the subject the author and efficient and the extent thereof so consider you these three things and then you shall know what this Truth is First where this Truth is now there is a Truth placed in the speculative part of the mind or understanding which is that by which we know and judge aright concerning God and morall vertues what is good and what is bad what is just and what is unjust whereby many men can discourse learnedly and clearely as Seneca and Tully and others of the Heathen in whom we finde many glimmerings and sparkles of true light As wee may finde Flowers in the waste though the proper place be the Garden The Church is the Garden of God as in Canticles My Sister my Spouse is as a Garden inclosed and it is true these Flowers properly grow there and if you will have them you must seeke them in the Scriptures in the Church of God but we may likewise finde them abroad Secondly this Truth is placed in the practicall part of the understanding and that is when we judge of good things to be done and of ill things not to be done and that as having reference to God that judges or rewards And this is it Divines call Conscience and it differs from the other in this that that judgeth simply whether it be good or bad but this gives lawes and rules and edicts of life it
to that of Iustification which we promised to handle These words doe second the former which we have gone thorow The wrath of God is revealed from heaven c. The Apostle having set this downe hath two things to prove First that there is such a Truth revealed Secondly That they with-hold it in unrighteousnesse Both which he proves in the sequele of this Chapter First there is such a Truth revealed to men for saith he That that may be knowne of God is manifest in them that is there is a certaine portion of Truth a certaine measure of knowledge which God hath made-knowne to every man indeed there be different measures but to every one some measure is given set forth by the Author thereof God saith he hath shewed it to them Secondly it is set forth more particularly by the thing that is revealed And thirdly by the meanes whereby it is revealed Fourthly by the end Secondly the thing that is reavealed as if he had said if you will know more particularly what this knowledge is it is the knowledge of Gods eternall Power and God-head Thirdly will you know the meanes how it is revealed It is revealed by his workes and chiefly by the creation of the world But you will object his eternall power and God-head are invisible shut up from the view of men how shall men doe to see and understand these things seeing they are so remote Saith he They are knowne by the things that are seene You may see the world you may see the workes of his providence these things run into the senses and by these they are knowne As the soule of a man is a thing in it selfe invisible but yet you may see it by the motions of the body the effects of the soule in the bodie this the senses are capable of so the invisible things of God are knowne by the things that are seene Last of all this is set out by the end wherefore GOD hath done this the end is that they may be without excuse And so far he proves the first part that there is a Truth revealed to men In the next words he comes to prove That they with-hold the Truth in unrighteousnesse For they knew God but they glorified him not as God and not negatively only but affirmatively also Their foolish hearts are full of darknesse they became vaine in their imaginations But they were wise men Grecians Athenians men excelling in wisdome all other how did they detaine it one would thinke they did enlarge it It is true they were wise in their owne conceit but thinking themselves wise they became fooles how doth that appeare They turned the glory of the incorruptible God into the image of corruptible man c. So much for the scope of the words Wee will not runne to every particular because this is a place of Scripture on which wee meane not to dwell but these three points we intend to handle out of these two verses In the handling of which you shall see all these particulars will be brought in The first is That that Law or Truth or Knowledge by which every man shall be judged is made manifest by God himselfe Secondly The workes of God or the Creation are the meanes by which he hath made it knowne Thirdly They are so much made knowne to every man as will make him inexcusable To begin with the first I say That truth or that Law or that knowledge by which every man shall be judged at the last day is made evident to him by God himselfe In this proportion you must marke three things First what it is that is made knowne It is that Law or Truth by which every man shall be judged the word in the original◠is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That which may be knowne of God that is there is a certaine measure and portion of Truth which God disposes and reveales to men to some one measure to some another measure and according to the measure of Truth he must conforme himselfe and for breaking that rule onely hee shall be condemned at the last day The Gentiles have one measure of Truth the Iewes have a greater measure but Christians to whom the Gospell is revealed have the greatest measure of Truth given them Againe some Christians that live under better Ministeries they whose education is better they have more Truth than others Now seeing he saith it is made manifest the meaning is every man hath a measure and that is to be made manifest as light when it comes into a roome it showes all the glory all the beauty and deformity round about it showes the right way and the wrong way if you come to the light all things are made manifest now which were covered when you were in darknesse thus God enlightens men he kindles a certaine light in their minde for so the word signifies he puts a light into their hearts by which they are able to judge of that which is good and evill of that which is agreeable to his will and contrary to his will of that which is the way to happinesse and that which is not and this is made knowne The second thing to be marked in this proposition is to shew how it is made knowne you see that the thing is made knowne to us Not it is made knowne to us these foure wayes First it is made knowne to us by the light of Nature God hath written the Law in their hearts Rom. 2.15 They show the effects of the Law which Law is written in their hearts that is God hath implanted it there God hath written it there he hath fastned it there he hath revealed to men some Truths but the question will be how it shall be knowne that God hath done so why saith he you shall know it by the effects every man even Heathens though they have not come to the knowledge of the Scripture ye◠they have the Law written in their hearts fo◠they doe the things contained in the Law their actions show it they could not doe these things if they had not the Law written in their hearts Againe their consciences accuse and excuse Againe it is seene by their judging of others for in judging of others they judge themselves and make it evident that they doe know though they doe not practice and so it is revealed by the Law of Nature Secondly God makes it knowne by his works specially by the creation of the world by his workes of Providence which be ordinary and extraordinary as miracles that is when a man lookes on the great volume of the world there those things which God will have known are written in capitall letters and such letters as every one may understand and reade so as that which the Papists say of Images they are Lay-mens bookes and ignorant mens bookes so and in a much better sense this Booke of the world is the Heathen mans booke wherein
men see it not that keepes them in their old condition if we could hit on it And it is either Inconsideration men consider not what they have to doe they look not about them according to that in Deut. 29. You have seene all what the Lord did to Pharaoh but the Lord hath not given you hearts to consider it to this day Now if you aske what Consideration is I answer Consideration is nothing else but an Act superadded to Knowledge when a man not only knowes but returnes and reflects on what he knowes when he stayes and abides on it when he lookes round about a businesse not on a corner of it but fully and weighes every circumstance Therefore we are said to ponder our wayes when wee doe not onely looke to that which is present but to the time past and to come when all things are taken in Now when a man shall lay all together when he shall consider that is thinke seriously and remember that he hath but a little time to live here and that there is another place where he shall live for all eternity that he hath an immortall soule and that his state is dangerous that his sins are great and the wrath of God is as a consuming fire when these are laid together when he considers them and stayes on them by these means he comes to see with his eyes and understand with his heart and to be converted and healed but because men doe consider thence it is that they grow on their roote still and are not brought to this inexcusablenesse nor have all Arguments taken away Or another reason is some Lust there is world credit riches pleasures or something which they are loath to part with the rich man will not part with his possessions they in the twelfth of Iohn will not part with their credit with the Pharisees Ieroboam will not part with his Kingdome till these Arguments shall be answered and God shall cut off those snares for so they are termed 2 Tim. 2.25 Waiting if God will give them repentance to know the truth and to come out of the snare of the Devill who taketh them at his will The meaning is every man before he be regenerate is holden by some snare the snare is some lust the root of it is some false reasoning now when men come to know the truth and to be delivered out of the snare of the Devill when God convinceth a man and opens that truth undoes that false reasoning on which that lust is founded he cuts the snare asunder and then they are set at liberty Every man saith I cannot live without credit without my state without my kingdome as every man hath a kingdom of his owne when God teacheth that this is vanity and if we will be happy the best way is to serve God with a perfect heart when God teacheth the contrary Truth then he is out of the snare of the Devill when he hath awaked his conscience that he is sicke of sin that he feeles his rebellions then the thing he magnified before is nothing now As when a man is sicke the houses and orchards he magnified before are now not regarded his dainty fare and gorgeous apparell he hath no pleasure in them for he is sicke So it is with the Soule when God chargeth sin on the Conscience Againe when God shewes better things than these as Heb. 10.34 They had in heaven a better and an enduring substance and therefore cared for nothing They cared not for parting with their goods when they had another righteousnesse to trust to So when God opened the heavens and shewed himselfe to Paul He reckons all as dung and drosse he doth not magnifie what he did before And thus are men freed from the snare of the Devill Therefore when a man shall deferre and thinke I am ready to come but I will not yet I say these must be taken away for they are false reasonings by which we are built on our root Now when a man shall be perswaded of the danger of putting the evill day farre from him when the Holy Ghost shall give him wisdome to number his dayes then he will take to himselfe new thoughts Every man naturally feares death but because it is farre off no man regards it and so because we put the evill day farre from us we turne not to God now when God shall convince a man of the Truth and teach him to number his dayes Wel thou art now in healtâ— and strength but when thou commest to numâ—ber the dayes that remain they are very small Put case a man had an hundred dishes of meat before him if one come and sayes Take heed what you doe for one of these dishes is poison he will not taste of any of them except he have taken an Antidote before So when the Holy Ghost teacheth it is true In one of these dayes is death thou shalt finde poison that shall take away thy life whether first or last it is uncertaine if thou were wise to consider thy latter end that is if thou hadst the wisdome which God must teach thou wouldst see little reason why to venture thy soule on one of these daies if thou hast not made thy Election sure for this is as to eat of one of those dishes when there is poison in it Therefore consider beloved what uncertainty of life there is what it is to venture the soule and what eternity is When God shall each this and stirre up present affections of feare and apprehension of wrath it will teach a man not to deferre but to come home speedily Againe when this place of Scripture and the like shall be seriously considered That if the Good-man of the house knew at what time the Theefe would come he would have an eye to him That Christ hath threatned all before hand that doe not watch And I will come at a time thou thinkest not of me If thou didst consider this when thou art most secure and furthest off from God in the midst of thy jollity and fast asleepe I will come at a time when thou lookest not for me And didst thou thinke this threatning in vaine Didst thou beleeve this Scripture and lay it to heart thou wouldest not deferre thy Turning to God Againe consider put case thou hast liberty if sicknesse come and give thee warning alas how farre art thou from being able to repent Are the times in thine hand Must not the Holy Ghost change thine heart If thou dost now take resolution to amend hast not thou cause to suspect that it proceeds from selfe-love For if it had beene not of love to God wouldest thou not have turned sooner And if it be out of selfe-love God accepts it not All this while wee have spent in shewing the Disease and now wee must shew the Remedy FINIS A SERMON PREACHED AT A GENERALL FAST BEFORE THE COMmons-House of Parliament the second of Iuly 1625. In the time of
more efficacious in his life A mans weight in the ballance weighes downe the scales but if he put to his strength too that is as much more as his weight So if you have any strong sins you have cause to be humbled for it but when you put your strength to it it intends that originall habit of sin So that the necessity that lyes on thee by reason of thy nature it aggravates thy sinne Ier. 13.23 The Prophet aggravates their sinne from their custome in it they could choose not to sinne no more than the Black-moore could change his skin The Prophet I say brings it in for this purpose to aggravate sin See it in our owne case when a man comes to be accused before a Iudge if he plead he is accustomed to such a sin to swearing or drinking doth it not encrease his condemnation So that though you say I dâ—d slip through frailty yet I say you have cause to be humbled for it I will but name the second use for I have respect to the Time and Weather Secondly not only evill men but good men within the Covenant should make this use of it to humble themselves for they have need of it A man must know this when he is once humbled and come into state of Grace he hath not then done with Humiliation it is to be practised still For there is this difference between a wicked man and another Many are like a land-floud none more ready to be religious than they as your great land-flouds swell though they have no spring to feed them but with a godly man it is otherwise Humiliation is in him as a Spring he hath not done with it at his Conversion but practiseth it still And not only so but he must labour to adde to the measure of it and that will adde to his love and to his faith and drawes him nearer to Christ the more his sin is discovered It is said of the woman she loved much because much was forgiven her Others had as much mercy as she but shee had more sense of it because shee was more humbled the more you see and are sensible of your sins the more it addes to your love it makes you to prise him when you see you are so much beholden to him Againe it will adde to faith I meane not only the act of beleeving but the act of taking Christ. The more a man sees the need he stands in of Christ the more he is convinced of sin the more he takes Christ for there be degrees of taking him When a woman takes an husband there be degrees in her will there may be additions to her will shee may be morefully contented in him and more prise him And so in taking of Christ for our Lord and Husband and Saviour It is true if we will take him in earnest any measure of true faith will save us but we may doe it more abundantly for the more sense we have of sin the more greedy shall we be of him Againe the more empty the soule is the more a man is humbled the more he sees into himselfe as faith comes with an empty hand the faster hold is laid on Christ. Therefore adde still to Humiliation let it be your exercise the worser you be perswaded of your selves and the better you conceit of God it is the more for your advantage the more you can hate and abhorre your selves the more you are improved thereby for the flesh in you must be abhorred and it is our fault we doe it not enough and againe the more you apprehend Christ the nearer you draw to him And take this withall Humiliation doth not weaken assurance but workes the contrary Indeed the lesse sincerity and the lesse mourning for sin and the lesse Humiliation the lesse assurance But reckoning up and thinking on thy sinnes encreaseth it If I have so many sins how can I be saved Yes so much the rather the more thou canst see and be humbled for them the more thou addest to thy assurance and so to thy love and faith Therefore a man should make a daily practise of Humiliation for it is to a mans great advantage it is a thing too much omitted we should take time for it And thinke it your advantage to be able to see what we have in our nature how much guilt we have contracted by sinne and how our sins may bee aggravated for this will teach us to prise Christ. And so much for this point The end of the First Sermon CERTAINE SERMONS VPON HVMILIATION The second SERMON ROMANS 1.18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodlinesse and unrighteousnesse of men which with-hold the Truth in unrighteousnesse WE come now to the matter of Humiliation contained in these words which I have already opened and shew'd the points that may thence be drawn The first wherof which we will begin with is this That the Nature of man is full of all unrighteousnesse and ungodlinesse You know by that which you heard before how it is gathered It will be a vaine labour to goe about to prove it you know how plentifull the Scripture is in it and you are not so ignorant of the Grounds of Divinity as not to confesse it The businesse will be to shew wherein it consists and how the Nature of man is corrupted for by making this evident we shall by the same labour prove and confirme it to you Now the way to evidence this that the Nature of man is full of all unrighteousnes and ungodlinesse is to look to the rule If you will find out the disorder and distemper that any thing is subject to the way is to looke to the rule to amend it by Now every Creature hath a law the Fire the Water the Sea yea every Creature sensible and insensible hath a law given to it which as they observe they continue in perfection and looke how farre they goe aside that so farre they be imperfect Now the Law given to man is the Morall Law and the Gospell and these two he is to observe And if you will find out the truth of this That the nature of man is full of all ungodlinesse and unrighteousnesse looke to these two First looke to the Law of God and see if that doe not conclude all men under sin looke therein to both the Tables It is true Hypocrites make a good shew of keeping the first Table they seeme to be forward in the duties belonging to God but looke to the second Table and that discovers them Civill men seeme to be exact in the second Table in performing duties to man but look to the first Table what their carriage to God is what little conscience they make of taking his Name in vaine of sanctifying his Sabbath of performing holy duties in an holy manner of love and feare This discovers civility that is when there is nothing else but civility Againe looke to sins of all sorts some
so much preaching when they learne other Arts they are quick and dexterous but in the things belonging to Salvation how ignorant doe they continue The Schoole-men give a good reason of it and we may take it from them because spirituall light is above us it transcends us we have not enough in us to see spirituall objects for they be supernaturall and above our reach but other things are proportionable to us Bats and Owles in the night can see well because the glimmering light and their weake eyes agree well together So can we discerne vaine things but things truly spirituall we doe not 1 Cor. 2.14 Spirituall things must be discerned by spirituall light A naturall man cannot conceive of them Why They are spiritually discerned that is they are above him and his nature is not able to reach them Consider that blindnesse in the understanding that unaptnesse how quicke and ready men are to bring their owne ends to passe How wise are they for other things but they desire not to come to the knowledge of the Truth and when they apply themselves to it they profit not by it Adde to this blindnesse the unteachablenesse of the understanding the resistance that is in it for it is not a simple blindnesse but a resistance of the Truth and an unaptnesse to receive it Now this is distinct from the second which you may see by this comparison The aire is darke but it is fit to receive light if the Sun cast light into it but the understanding of a man is not so it is not fit to receive light but resists it Philosophers were wont to say that the Soule the Minde of a man is Rasa Tabula that having nothing written on it it is a Table of wax to any thing that is evill and will receive a quicke impression but a Table of Flint of Adamant to any thing that is good Therefore the mighty God must write his Law in our hearts for we want that which is good and are of our selves unteachable And therefore this disadvantage we have that preach the Gospell above others If an Astronomer come and tell a Country-man that a Starre were bigger than the earth it would seeme a strange position at the first hearing but if he might have liberty to deale with him and to demonstrate his Grounds he might make him to beleeve it and to see reason for it But we cannot doe so we can only propound things to Faith and there is not only a blindnesse in men but an unteachablenesse and resistance against the Truth Adde to this the incredulity of the understanding how unapt it is to beleeve In other things it is too credulous and apt to beleeve and to be deceived with false tales and idle stories but come to the Scripture doubts and questions arise Therefore this unaptnesse of the minde to beleeve is to be considered This I take to be the meaning of that 2 Cor. 4.4 where it is said The god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which beleeve not As if he had said The light of the Gospell is cleare you may as well see the light of it as you see the light of the Sunne at noone-day but the god of this world hath blinded your eyes not by a privative extinction of the light for that is more than the Devill can doe but by a positive blindnesse a positive ignorance that is the Devill tels you something against it and that you beleeve And that is our nature we are more ready to beleeve the Devill than God This may seeme strange yet Eve you know did it and that sinne is transmitted to all our natures wee are ready to beleeve false suggestions against the Truth which weaken faith rather than the sure Word of God Last of all adde to all this the Enmity of the understanding which is more than all the rest Rom. 8.7 The carnall minde is Enmitie against God That is the understanding is not onely vaine ready to pitch on idle speculataions and not onely blinde ready to resist and not onely slow and backward to beleeve but it is an Enemie and fights against the Truth and the reason is in these words It is Enmity and why It is not subject to the Law of God neither indeed can be and therefore it is an Enemy that is when the mind of a man lookes on the exactnesse and strictnesse of holinesse and purenesse that God requires he doth not meane to be subject to it and seeing he will not be subject to it he resists it fights against it as an Enemy lookes on it as a thing contrary to him did it give more liberty he would be ready to embrace it and thinke well of it but because it is too strict he breaks these cords and casts them away and fights against the Truth and this is the nature of every man Now when we say the wisdome of thâ— flesh is Enmity we doe not say that men oppose the Truth for there is not any Truth in Divinity but a man may fully embrace and assent to it and yet be an Enemy to Holinesse to the Image of God stamped therein to the saving knowledge that is the saving manner of knowing the Truths he assents to Therefore the Apostle saith Many know much but nothing as they ought to know So many may know these spirituall Truths and confesse them to be good in themselves and yet may have a reluctance against them a distaste of them they savour not the things they understand Tit. 1. ult They are to every good work reprobate which I take not to be meant passively but actively that is men that cannot judge aright of any work that looke not on it with a right eye as a thing lovely and imitable as right and good but in this regard they strive against it Therefore the Apostle speakes of some that exalt themselves against the knowledge of the truth that is that fight and defend themselves against it that speake evill of the things they know for they know them else they would never speake of them but they know them not so as to love them and delight in them therefore they resist and fortifie themselves against the wayes of God against the strictnesse and holinesse that God requires and perswade themselves to thinke amisse of them that they need not to be so exact This is the nature of every man and the Enmity of the understanding And now my brethren if the understanding be thus bad thinke it is no small matter if the light that is in thee be darknesse how great is that darknesse The understanding is that that must guide thee and when the stearne is out of order when the Auriga the Waggoner is blind or amisse and sees not the right way think what a case you are in But you will say this is Ignorance But is not this of great Consequence When a man is blinde he knowes not whither he goes he
to particulars you should finde how exceedingly they are out of order Come to love and hatred we little thinke we hate what is good and love sin come and tell any man so much hee will not beleeve it but examine it a little Doe not you hate holinesse in others You will say No we hate no man for his Goodnesse But consider the nature of man doth so every unregenerate man doth so David was hated for that cause And Cain hated his brother because his workes were good And Gen. 3. The Enmity betweene the seed of the Woman and the seed of the Serpent Whence comes it but from the holinesse of the one and the wickednesse of the other Looke to our actions and you shall finde we doe not hate sin we doe not hate our lusts for if we did we should not be angry with them that speake evill of them if we hated these things we should like them that speak against them but we be Enemies to those that be Enemies to them and Friends to those that be Friends to them Doe we not lodge them Doe we not feed them with the things they desire They can aske nothing but they have it Godly men hate their sins though they be carried away with present objects but a wicked man loves the lust it selfe he can say I could wish I were free from this lust from the vexation it puts me to but for all this he is not angry hee may indeed be angry with it as with a friend when he hath done some unkinde Turne but he hates it not for if he hated it he would not be at peace with it againe for hatred is implacable Againe if a man hates he hates all the kinde But why doest thou love one more than another If thou didst hate any one because it is a sinne because it is a rebellion against God thou wouldest love none As the Lambe hates all Wolves Againe if thou hatest them why wilt not thou labour to have them utterly destroyed Why wilt thou cherish them a little Where hatred is it will have the thing hated utterly taken away as if there were no such thing and that shall be laboured for not remissely but we will put our strength to it and doe it with all our might and in good earnest But seeing we doe not thus it appeares we hate goodnesse and love sin It is true we are ready to lay it on other things and to say The Infirmities of the Saints which we see we hate but their goodnesse wee love if it be every way right But let me aske you a question Didst thou love them for their holinesse wouldest not thou rather labour to cover their Infirmities grieving for them Do you not so out of love then your hearts are deceived when you thinke you hate the Infirmities and not the goodnesse in them you hate the goodnesse it selfe and this is the nature of every man before Regeneration Besides these of Love and Hatred looke to your Delight and see if that be not turned upside downe The wheele turnes the quite contrary way We delight in things we should not delight in you know we delight in vain things in sinfull things in things that are sutable to our lusts and humours Againe we delight in the fals and sufferings of others as 1 Cor. 5. They were puft up when others fell and they stood It should no be so we should be humbled at the fals of others and be grieved for them that they being members of the same body with us should bee any way blemished Againe the things we should delight in are they not tedious to us are they not grievous The Sabbath should be kept with delight but how burthensome is it to give God his whole time to keepe it holy and not to rob him of any part of it That is not to pollute it with unholy actions And so holy company should be our delight wee should thinke our selves in our Element among them and so the hearing of the Word how tedious are these to our natures But I cannot stand on this Come we to Feare Doe not we feare men Doe not we feare the Creature and this and that particular evill But God we feare not Take it in that one sin of lying A man will lye to a man to keepe his credit with him but he cares not to lose it with God This is a signe you doe not sanctifie God in your hearts that is not reverence him not value him Come to Sorrow how ready are we to exceed in worldly sorrow Let us be told of an Injury in our names losse in our estate of troubles and calamities any way it affects us much but sin we make nothing of we thinke it is but a passion a trifle and it is not so great a matter to be in passion Yes my beloved it is a great matter to have passion these passions shall condemne us if they be not mortified if you kill them not they will be your death Whosoever is in Christ hath crucified these Againe consider that affections are the Principles of Actions therefore it is not so light a matter to erre in your affections for they will cause errour in your actions Consider that your estimation is taken by your affections according to them you are said to be good or evill Therefore an holy man is described to be one that loves God feares God delights in his Commandements so as it is no slight matter to be distempered in your affections and know this if it be no more than lust you know what Christ saith of that Hee that looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery already with her in his heart Now if lust breakes the match in the mariage of men these inordinate affections these whorish affections these adulterous affections will breake the marriage betweene God and us Affections are placed in us for this purpose to draw nearer to God but we misplacing them and setting them on the Creature they draw us further from God Againe when they be thus distempered they grow hinderances As the Israelites could not pray for the anguish of their hearts and Peters feare made him to deny Christ. So that this distemper of our Affections as well as the disorder of the rest of the faculties doth shew the Truth of this point That the nature of man is full of all unrighteousnesse and ungodlinesse And so much shall serve to shew the corruption of Nature by the faculties Now this is not all there are besides these actuall sins whereby likewise this Truth will be made manifest And these are of three sorts that is in Thought in Word in Action for they be all actuall sinnes though inwardly they be the Acts of the minde First let us see it by the Thoughts and you shall see in them this great corruption of Nature and the great cause you have to be humbled and it is that that should amaze us wee shall
discovers this and that to be a sin if he commits it his knowledge makes it out of measure sinfull The same Irregularity may be in others the same sinne may in it selfe be as great in another that knowes not the Commandement but the knowledge of it makes it to exceed in greatnesse for when a man knowes the will of God and yet sinnes against it it is a resisting of the Holy Ghost and such sinnes offend God more than the sinnes against the Father and the Son for the HOLY GHOST enlightens and when one is once enlightned there is a great contempt against the whole Trinity and therefore when a sin is fully against the Holy Ghost it is never forgiven Take heed of this resisting of the Spirit of this tempting of the Holy Ghost for so it is called Act. 5.9 As any man hath more knowledge hath beene more instructed so it addes the more to his sinne Rom. 2.9 Tribulation and anguish to the Iew first and then to the Greeke for the knowledge of the Iew was greater than the knowledge of the Greeke So that as any man hath more light he hath so much more condemnation his sinne is so much the more out of measure sinfull they that sin only against light of nature their sin is so much the lesse because they had but that one Law and so not so much light The Iewes that had another light above the light of Nature are sunke deeper into sin than the meere Naturalist and so are in a more miserable condition but we that live under the Gospell sin against both the former Lawes and against the Gospel too which makes our sins the greater And this is a Circumstance that should much humble us as for generall sins so for particular sins when they are committed against knowledge A third Circumstance is when sinnes are committed without Temptation or with lesse Temptation but when they proceed meerely out of the perversnesse of the will for when the Temptation is lesse the sin is greater Quantò major facilitas non peccandi tantò majus peccatum When the fault is only in the wils being amisse it is a sinne that exceeds and that is the case of many naturall men As for example suppose the will be right and the affections be well ordered and the understanding onely be ignorant this we call a sinne of Ignorance and that is a Circumstance which rather lessens a sin simply considered Secondly suppose the understanding be right and the will well disposed but passion transports a man this is a sin of Infirmity But when the understanding shall informe such a sin is a sin and no violent passion be stirred up to transport the soule but the will neverthelesse chuses it this I call a sin without Temptation and this Circumstance aggravates sin because there is more will in it and it is much to have the will stirring in a sin Therefore Hebr. 10.26 you shall finde this expression If we sinne wilfully after we have received the knowledge of the Truth there remaines no more Sacrifice for sinne It is true he speakes there of the sin of Apostacie but marke that word If we sinne wilfully that is if the will have much to doe in it when the other faculties are rightly informed and wel set when there is no Temptation no resistance it is an ill signe that the sin is out of choice It is true a man may have his minde set the right way and yet a gust of wind may come and carry him out of the way but when the wind is still and the Sea calme and there is nothing to trouble him and yet he turnes the Rudder the wrong way and aims at a wrong haven he now sins out of will and perversenesse There are many sins of this nature as swearing when there is no Temptation when the Vnderstanding knowes it to be a sin and no great affection is stirred up but men will doe it because they will doe it So ordinary neglect of the Sabbath which can have no violent Temptation to carry a man to it So neglect of hearing the Word and Prayer I speake not of fals through infirmity So the favouring of sin in others as also scornefull and corrupt speeches tending to the disgrace of holinesse and purity of Conversation These be sins out of choice which a man is not transported to not carried to through any violence of passion It is one thing for a man to sell himselfe to sin as Ahab did and another thing to be sold under sin as Paul it is one thing to goe into Captivity another thing to be led thither with a kinde of over-ruling violence for in such a case the most upright-hearted man may be miscarried when sin shall get on the hill of passion when it shall have the wind of him and stand on the higher ground he may be foiled but when a man shall be on even termes with sin when it shall have no such advantage but a man is every way himselfe and yet then sin against God this aggravates it exâ—eedingly for he doth it not out of passion but â—n cold bloud and out of choice and when he â—hooses to sin it is a fearefull thing When it â—s with him as Augustine speakes of himselfe â—ho when he had Apples enough yet out of â—elight in the action he would goe to another Orchard and rob that without Temptation beâ—ause he would doe it So that there is difference betweene a man that is over-ruled and over-come out of violence and passion and a man that seekes Company and occasions and incentives to whet and quicken his lusts that so he may have more pleasure and delight in it Let those that are guilty consider this Circumstance Fourthly sinning against Vowes and Covenants made with God aggravates sin for God hath said he will require our Vowes if a man have covenanted God wil either have the thing done or else he will surely punish the party for breaking it it is a thing he will not omit Now besides particular Vowes and Covenants consider the generall Vowes we entred into at Baptisme besides those which we have renewed at the Sacrament of the Lords Supper Gal. 5.3 When a man is once Circumcised he is bound to keepe the whole Law So he that receives this Sacrament binds himselfe in a solemne bond to keep the whole Law now it is usuall that after men have received the Sacrament we see no alteration in their carriage if they were given to swearing before they sweare still if they were given to ill company to vaine and idle courses they continue the same still and thinke the sin the same but they are deceived in that for sin after Covenant is greater than it was before Ezek. 16.32 Sin is there aggravated from this reason saith the Prophet Thou hast beene an harlot as a wife that commits adultery that taketh strangers in stead of her husband As if hee had said Thou art married
tels us this must be done and this must not be done so there is a Treasure first of speculative then of practicall Truth But besides them there is in the third place another thing issuing from both these which shoots it selfe into the wil and affections And that is it which the Schoole-men call Synteresis that is a certaine Inclination to that which is good and a reluctance to the contraâ—y There is in naturall men not onely a light to know that this is good or not good and a Conscience to dictate this you must doe or not doe but there is even an Inclination in the will and affections whereby men are provoked to doe good and to oppose the Evill And therefore the proposition is true that naturall men have some truths because they have this Inclination remaining even in the worst of them As the aire though it be darke in the night yet there is a little light though it be very little by which we can discerne something So that thus farre men may go to know the Truths of God to have a practicall knowledge of them to have an inclination to that which is good and a dislike to that which is evill Secondly whence comes this knowledge It comes from IESUS CHRIST the second Person in the Trinity Ioh. 1. Iohn was not the Light but he was the true Light which enlightâ—neth every man that comes into the world It is he that infuses light into the heart of every man as he is the true good that makes good and as it is true fire that begets fire so it is true light that enlightens Iohn was not that Light neither is any Minister of the Gospell for they enlighten onely by way of propounding the object but Christ opens the understanding and puts light within therefore he is the true Light Now thirdly for the Extent of this to know how farre it reaches It enlightens every man that comes into the world none is excepted every man hath a part in this Light And if that be questioned hath every man such light such Truths revealed to him by which he knowes what he ought to doe in a great measure and what he ought not to doe the Apostle proves it by foure Arguments in this Epistle to goe no further for proofe First they must needs know much for they have meanes to know it The invisible things of God are made knowne by the things they see The heavens are the worke of his hands and they declare it and every man understands their language If we should preach in Greeke or Latine every man haply could not understand us but their language every man understands Secondly Every man hath thoughts excusing or accusing him saith the Apostle Rom. 2.14 which shewes that he hath this Light for that proceeds from Conscience and light shewing what is evill and what is good there is a secret remorse of Conscience in the worst Thirdly They doe the things contained in the Law therefore they shew the effect of the Law written in their hearts they doe many morall things which shewes that they have the Morall Law And last of all they judge other men they are able to finde fault with the best to spie out what is amisse in the most holy man and be ready to blame him for it Rom. 2.1 Thou which judgest another doest not thou condemne thy selfe All this makes the point evident that every man is enlightned And so you see what this Truth is where it is placed whence it comes and how farre it extends And now we come to the second particular to shew how it is with-holden It is with-holden saith the Apostle out of unrighteousnesse that is after this manner When men know that such things are true and that they ought to doe them yet out of their love to and delight in their unrighteous lusts they practice not according to knowledge they have some light in them but their darknesse will not suffer that light to shoot forth it selfe into their actions into their whole Conversation As it is excellently expressed in Iohn 5. a place worth your considering The light shone in darknesse but the darknesse comprehended it not or the darknesse received it not The meaning is this When Christ shines in the hearts and Consciences of men there the light stayes it goes no further it is shut up within the wals of their Consciences within the compasse of that one faculty it doth not shed it selfe into all the rest of the soule therfore it doth not enlighten the soule though there be some light yet it doth not turne the darknesse to light and thence it is that it is imprisoned for it is shut up and cannot put it selfe forth Thus the light in a naturall man is shut up As for example Take the light of a Starre in a darke night and compare it with the light of the Sunne the Starre will shew it selfe and no more it cannot turne the darknesse to light but the light of the Sunne though never so little look in what measure it appeares it scatters the darknesse from East to West So there is light in the mindes of men which is but as a Starre in a darke night which doth not take away the darknesse but if it be a sanctifying light it is like the light of the Sunne not shut within a narrow compasse but spreading it selfe into all the parts of the soule Or as if a candle be brought into a roome it lightens all the house but if it be a sparke of fire it shewes it selfe and glowes and does no more it doth not enlighten the house It is so in carnall men before Regeneration all the light they have doth but glow in their brest shewing it selfe there and making it evident that they have such knowledge but it is not a Candle that enlightens all the roome that enlightens all the corners of the soule Therefore in Matth. 6. Christ speakes of a single eye when the eye is right it makes the whole body full of light that is when the knowledge is right indeed when the knowledge a man hath is sanctifying and powerfull then it enlightens a man round about that he may see which way to goe but if it be a common light which he termes a double eye it will not sufficiently direct Like those holy men that the Apostle speakes of Philip. 2.15 that shine as lights in the world that is men see them they looke on them but they doe not change their darknesse into light or like that light spoken of by Peter 2 Pet. 1.19 that shineth in a darke place If you will know what is the reason that there should be a light in the Conscience and the minde of a man which neverthelesse worketh not on the will and affections but is shut up there I answer There is a double reason The first is that spoken of in 2 Thess. 2.10 They received the Truth but not the love of
the Truth and therefore they hate it Now what a man hates he keeps off as much as he can it must not come neare him for he counts it his enemy and therefore will not suffer it to diffuse it selfe into the rest of the faculties of the soule Another reason which goes hand in hand with this is they love darknesse rather than light and therefore they are not every way enlightned for what a man loves he desires to preserve to hedge about and to keepe safe thus men cannot abide to have darknesse taken away by any Information or Admonition for they desire to preserve it Rom. 1.21 Their foolish heart was full of darknesse they knew God but they glorified him not as God Though there was light yet their heart was ful of darknesse and because they loved this darknesse therefore they would not have it expelled As a man commits a filthy act or unseemly thing he desires to have the light put out because it is contrary to that which should cover and cloake his action thus men imprison and shut up the light not suffering it to disperse it selfe into their soule But in this imprisoning of this light you must know all goe not the same way to worke for there be these foure different wayes of doing it First some there are which imprison this light meerely by laying it aside meerely by forgetting it by suffering it to lye still and not awaking it when men remember not what they have to doe they are so busied about other things so transported with pleasures and lusts so occupied in cares and things of the world that this comes not into their mindes they consider it not Secondly Others with-hold it out of perversnesse of opinion their judgements are not right they doe not think that such things ought to be done they are not perswaded that such an exact strictnesse of holinesse is required they thinke men may live after another manner and thus they doe imprison the light so doe all heretikes that beleeve lyes and so with-hold the Truth Thirdly There be some that faile in neither of these they remember the Truth wel enough and they have no false opinions concerning it but they resist the Truth as Stephen Act. 7.51 speakes of some that resisted the Holy Ghost that is when their opinion's right and they remembred it too but they suppresse it they keepe it downe they suffer it not to come forth out of their love to unrighteousnesse to some lust wherein they are resolved to please themselves Lastly there bee some that imprison the Truth not out of any of these three respects but because they mis-apply it men that know it that have no perverse hereticall opinions that likewise doe not resist it that make not warre against it that doe not rise in rebellion against it but yet when they come to the point out of false distinctions and evasions which they have iuvented they wrest the rule of Truth they bend it too much to their owne particular affections and practise though they know the Truth in generall yet in particulars they seeke to evade it and faile in applying it As for example Men doe not thinke Sabbath-breaking good but now the question is whether the action I doe at such a time be Sabbath-breaking or no here they finde a distinction to put it off so vaine Company I know is to be avoided but whether this be ill Company is all the question All these wayes men are said to imprison the Truth And so much for the second particular The third thing we propounded was to shew how great a sin it is to with-hold the Truth in unrighteousnesse and that will appeare from hence It is that which brings the greatest Condemnation of any thing else This is the condemnation Ioh. 3. that light is come into the world and men loved darknesse better than light As if he had said there be other things for which God will punish men but this above all the rest deserves condemnation it brings great and swift Condemnation that light is come into the world but men c. that is when men shall be informed when God shall reveale his Truth so that his light glares in their eyes and they cannot but see it and yet they love darknesse more than light this puts men into farre worse condition than if they were altogether ignorant of the Truth Else why should Peter say It had beene better they had never knowne the way of righteousnesse They shall perish that be ignorant of these Truths and of the degree of them but at the day of Iudgement it shall be a great deale harder with them that know and do not practise them As Ier. 5.4 Surely sayes the Prophet they are a poore and foolish people they know not the wayes of the Lord nor the Iudgement of their God They shall therefore perish but then there is another Generation that know God I will get me to the great men that have knowne the wayes of God but these have altogether broken the yoke and burst the bonds That is these be the men with whom God is most angry upon whom this condemnation shall fall heavie that know the Iudgement of their God and yet breake his bonds that know and doe not practice Secondly to go no further than this place The wrath of God is revealed from heaven but against whom against them that with-hold the Truth in unrighteousnesse That for which God is angry for which his wrath is revealed against men in a speciall manner must be a sinne It is true he will punish other sins but these words are not here used in vaine for they that doe thus sin out of contempt and amongst men a sin out of contempt kindles wrath so they that know Gods will but practise not according to knowledge provoke Gods wrath against them An excellent place for this is Heb. 3. you shall finde this the case of the people when they knew not God at all or but a little number of them God blessed them all that time but when he had revealed himselfe fully to them and had endured them forty yeares when they tempted him proved him and saw his workes then he sware in his wrath that they should not enter into his rest His wrath was then kindled and that in such a measure that he entred into such an oath Now when God takes an oath the decree is peremptory and never to be reversed and that is the Condition of them that with-hold the Truth in unrighteousnesse The wrath of God abides on them Ioh. 3. ult God may be angry with his owne children as a father is with his sonne but his wrath abides not on them he takes them to favour againe but they are in a miserable Condition on whom the wrath of God remaines And consider what his wrath is The violence of a Lion is terrible the wrath of a King is great but who knowes the power of Gods wrath And
therefore since the wrath of God shall in such a manner be revealed against such as with-hold the Truth in unrighteousnesse You need no other Argument to shew that the sin is great Againe One Evidence more is in this very Chapter that is from the kinde of punishment for punishments you know where the Iudge is just are according to the measure of the sinne Now marke God punishes this with giving them up to a reprobate sense For this cause saith the Apostle Rom. 1.26 God gave them up unto vile affections And afterwards in the eight and twentieth verse As they regarded not to know God even so or therefore God delivered them up to a reprobate minde that is a minde without knowledge an injudicious minde that cannot judge of things And looke in all the booke of God among all the Armies of sorrow there is not any like this to be given up to vile affections to lusts to an injudicious mind in matters of God and things belonging to their Salvation This punishment shewes the greatnesse of the sin but men slight this as it is the greatest judgement so it is the least felt men lye at rest they are cast into a dead sleepe but it is like the sleepe of them that have crazie braines they wake in a frenzie so these shall wake in an horrible astonishment their sleepe is such a calme as will end in a tempest and such a tempest as shall never be blowne over Therefore let no man blesse himselfe in this I feele none of these things for thou hast the greatest judgement on thee when thou feelest it least And so much for the three things I propounded to you what this Truth is how it is with-holden and the greatnesse of the sin now wee will come to make use of it And the first use we are to make of it is that which is the maine scope of the Apostle here and that for which we pitched on these words and that is to humble us to learne to know our selves to know in what Condition we are for the Truth is revealed to us but we with-hold it in unrighteousnesse This Truth that should rule in the hearts of men that should be as the supreme governour in the soule of which it may be said as it is said of the Peace of God let it rule in your soules that where by men should be acted is by men imprisoned Therefore Rom. 2.9 the Apostle denounceth Tribulation and anguish upon every one that disobeyes the Truth Intimating that Truth is our King that should governe and rule in our hearts now when men disobey it nay goe further imprison this Truth it is as when men imprison their lawfull King or servants their Master and they run riot and at liberty in the meane time And this is our case we doe with it as children doe with their Masters we desire to be rid of it because it watches over us and so we grow enemies to it And this is no small sinne for if we consider whence this comes who puts it into our hearts it will appeare hainous by the Law of man it is death to kill children that are begot by man but this Truth is begot by the Holy Ghost it is put in by the Spirit of God and to extinguish this Truth not to suffer it to live not to nourish it not to bring it forth is the great sin of all Even the Heathen shall rise in judgement against Christians for this who maintained the Vestall fire because they conceived it to come from heaven they for that cause never suffered it to go out But this Truth is a fire which came from heaven a sparke put into the brests of men to guide their feet into the way of Peace when men shall extinguish this Truth let it goe out and not maintaine it the Heathen shall rise against them in judgement as the men of Niniveh should rise up against the men of that Generation among whom Christ lived We were wont to take care of precious things consider the preciousnesse of this Truth what is precious we wil not be willing to destroy as the Prophet said of the bunch of Grapes Destroy it not for there is a blessing in it And what doe you thinke of this Truth is it not a precious thing Yea it is the chiefe thing in a man In a ship a wise man will have an eye to the rudder for that turnes all the rest of the body of the ship Of all things in our selves wee looke to our eye the guide of the body so we should learne to watch and be tender over this Truth as over our eye for the one is the light but of this life the other is the light of the soule to eternall life In Micah 3.5 It is threatned as a great Iudgement when God shal turne their Visions into night and their Divinations into darknesse when the Sunne shall goe downe on their Prophets and the day shall be darke on them and will you bring this Iudgement on your selves They that are guilty of this that have not used this Truth but imprisoned it and laboured as much as they can to cause the Sun to goe downe and rise no more to turne the day into night let them consider what the sin is when you reade the story of the Kings and heare them saying to the Prophets prophesie not imprisoning them as Ahab did Micaiah and slaying them as Ioash did Zecharial you will little thinke you are guilty of the same sinne but when this Truth comes as a Prophet from God and tels you such and such things ought to be done and such and such evils ought to be abstained from and you shall desire it to be silent and shall say Prophesie not when you shall not suffer it to speake freely I say your sins shall be as great as theirs therefore learne to consider of it and be humbled for it men are wont to thinke their Condition better because they know more than others but it is quite contrary for nothing aggravates sin more than that It is an extreme folly in men when they cannot deny the fact they slight the fault and will not acknowledge it It was Adams fault when God came towards him he fled and hides his sinne and it is the fault of all Adams posterity But let men know that the quite contrary way is the way to Salvation It is not with God as it is with men among whom confession makes way for condemnation for with God confession is the way to salvation Therefore be not unwilling to examine your selves consider how much you have knowne what truths have been revealed to you Do this with one eye with another eye looke on your lives and see how short your practise hath beene of your knowledge come willingly and if you confesse you shal be forgiven This wil drive you out of your selves it will be your Schoole-master to bring you to Christ. They that carry this
that It is as if he had said They that were righteous more than others that were in all their Conversation unblameable that did more good and abstained from more ill than others these men did not come to Christ for they thought themselves in a reasonable good condition already But the Publicans and sinners resorted to him So these men that have many good things in them we have most adoe to drive them out of themselves and to bring them to Christ so that they that resist Christs righteousnesse which is Gods chiefe end must needs do themselves most hurt Againe they in whom Gods Iustice doth most appeare their condition must needs be most miserable but so it is with these men they that are acquainted with his will and doe it not in them at the day of Iudgement his Iustice shall most appeare Otherwise to what end did God send the Prophets Why sent he Isaiah and Ezekiel c. it was not onely to convert men to win their soules to bring them to Salvation What then To cleare his Iustice and to increase their condemnation How was that done by making knowne these Truths that knowing them and not practising them their Condemnation might be greater So we Ministers come not only to convert the soules of men not only to build but also to plucke downe not only to open the hearts of men to beleeve the Truth but to harden mens hearts to hate the Truth not but that we long for the salvation of men and that the proper end of the Word is to save men but the use they make of it serves to encrease their condemnation So that the more Truth is revealed if it be not practised accordingly the greater is the sinne Againe these men are of all others farthest both from Iustification and Sanctification this Truth puts them farther off both I say the more knowledge is revealed the more they are acquainted with the mysteries of Salvation if they precisely answer it not in their life they are further than other men from Iustification because as I said before they thinke not themselves to be as other men as the Pharisee said I am not as other men or as this Publican Therefore sayes Christ The Publican went to his house justified rather than the other Againe they be further from Sanctification than others for they be wise in their owne eyes and will carve out their owne wayes they are not willing to resigne themselves to God they chose wayes of their owne thinking the Word to be foolish and common for the more the knowledge the stronger is the resistance and therefore they are said to contend with the Truth Rom. 2.8 To them that are contentious and obey not the Truth The meaning is Men that know much that are much enlightned but not truly sanctified they quarrell with the Truth they except against it they have many things to alleage against the wayes of God the resistance is stronger in them than in others they are contentious men that is not men that contend with men nor simply with God but they contend with the Truth not onely in will and affections but in their understandings also men reason against it and therefore are apt to disobey the Truth and so of all others furthest off from Sanctification they will goe their owne course and will not be taught So you see the second thing That the good things that are in these men doe them much hurt The end of the Fifth Sermon CERTAINE SERMONS VPON HVMILIATION The Sixth SERMON ROMANS 1.18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodlinesse and unrighteousnesse of men which with-hold the Truth in unrighteousnesse NOw to come to that which remaines which is the third thing that is to set downe how far these men may goe and yet how farre they fall short of that which is proper to the Saints that shall be saved And thus farre they may goe First they may be enlightned to understand all the truths of God there is no Truth we deliver to you but an unregenerate man may understand it wholly and distinctly and may come to some measure of approbation he may be wel acquainted with the mysteries of Faâ—th and Repentance so as he may discourse thereof better than many that have the things indeed Secondly not only so but hee may have a Conscience that shall doe its duty in many things hee may make a Conscience of many duties as you shall finde of divers in Scripture who notwithstanding were not sanctified When God sent Rohoboam that message not to goe to warre against Ieroboam knowing it was Gods command he made Conscience of obey-it and likewise for some yeares he served the Lord. So when the Lord would have Amaziah send backe the Israelites hee durst not disobey the voice of the Lord although if he had looked on all probabilities it might have ruined him So Abimelech durst not meddle with Abrahams wife when God had given a charge to the contrary So Balaam in many things restrained himselfe and would not doe but as the Lord commanded him So that an unregenerate man may keepe a good Conscience in secret when no man sees it or knowes it Thirdly he may not only have his judgement enlightned and his Conscience enabled to do its duty in many things but likewise he may have many common gifts planted in his will and affections many excellent morall vertues of Iustice and Temperance and Patience and in these he may many times exceed the godly as many times Blazing-starres goe beyond true Starres for light so may these exceed the godly in outward appearance Fourthly there is not only all this wrought within them but they doe many times expresse it in their actions Come to their lives they are able to doe many things as it is said of Herod he heard Iohn gladly and did many things So the second and third ground as they knew something so they practised according to their knowledge In their performances they may not come short of any of the godly and may for a long time have as faire specious and probable showes of goodnesse as any Fifthly and lastly they may goe thus farre they may have two men in them aswell as regenerate men one that contendes for the Truth the other that resists it And what stronger signe is there in regenerate men to evidence their regeneration than this Contention betweene the flesh and the spirit yet this may be found in them there may be strong Inclinations to that which is good and a resistance of it This Truth may lye in their brest as a fire that would rise and breake out but much quench-cole and wet stuffe within may keepe it downe so that there may be and are two men in the Civill man as well as in the Regenerate Now to shew how farre they fall short of them that be truely sanctified First in matter of light and understanding
step to Salvation And so much shall serve for this third use Fourthly if this be the case and miserable Condition wherein every man is before Regeneration to with-hold the Truth in unrighteousnesse Then take heed of putting thy selfe into that Condition consider the danger of disobeying this Truth of offending it of doing any thing contrary to it of restraining and curbing it for it is of that nature that if thou offendest it it will offend thee It is a Truth that God hath set in thy heart and appointed it to rule there if thou oppose it and set up usurpers he will doe as Iehojada did that set up the right King he will even set up this Truth at the day of death to accuse thee and to raigne over thee as a Tyrant It sits in thy Conscience it markes what is done amisse and will be assuredly revenged for every rebellion and offence committed against it as it is said of Truth in generall Magna est veritas praevalet if thou be for the Truth it will be for thee and if thou be against it it will be against thee and it hath God on its side it is attended with the wrath of the Almighty who will be ready to execute upon thee whatsoever this Truth shall alleage against thee though he doth it not presently yet all the while thou art in the way to Damnation as it was with Iudas and Achitophel Therefore be sure to keepe this Truth well that thou offend it not as thou art tender over thy weake stomacke to give what contents it to avoid what may offend it and then it shall be as a continuall feast to thee otherwise it shall be as a sicke stomacke to thee that doe what thou wilt yet whether walking or sitting still it will trouble thee So this Truth thou wilt not be able to deceive it will see what is amisse whether thou wilt or no 2 Cor. 4.2 saith the Apostle Wee commend our selves to every mans Conscience in the sight of God by manifestation of the Truth That is the Conscience within will see thee thorow doe what thou canst there will be an agreement betweene it and the Truth that is presented to it it cannot but observe all the obliquities of thy life all thy errours thou canst not deceive it nor long shake it off But it may be objected May not a man observe this Truth too much may he not be too scrupulous too carefull in regarding it I answer the Conscience may mistake and give that charge that it ought not but as wee say of Thistles they are a bad weed but it is a signe of a good ground where they grow so though scrupulousnesse be not good yet it is a signe of a good heart where it is If a man be to goe thorow a narrow passage or over a narrow bridge it is good to goe in the midst so it is good not to be scrupulous and yet not to give it offence for if thou dost with-hold it imprison it or restraine it thou shalt finde it will be revenged on thee for it is attended with the wrath of God Fifthly if this be the miserable Condition of all unregenerate men thus to with-hold the Truth in unrighteousnesse As there have beene words of Humiliation and reproofe so let mee shut up with a word of exhortation Be exhorted therefore from hence to give this Truth leave to rule and governe in thy heart and life doe not make a bancke against it or an hedge about it restraine it not fetter it not but suffer it to walke freely in every part of thy conversation to rectifie and reforme every facultie speech and action for so it ought to doe and as I said before thou shalt finde it a dangerous thing to restraine it Among men he that imprisons one whom he should not runs into a Praemunire and forfeits all he hath Commonly we faile both these wayes we give Lusts liberty which should be restrained and imprison Truth which should be at liberty therefore our judgement shall be accordingly For letting thy lusts goe at liberty take heed lest God say to thee as he did to Ahab for letting King Benhadad goe Thy life shall be for his life lest on the other side by imprisoning the Truth you forfeit all things and God take advantage of your forfeiture Since the fall of Adam man doth turne all things upside downe according to that which is complained of those Prophets They did slay the soules of them that should live and gave life to the soules that should die So doe men the Truth that should live they slay and the lust that should die they give life unto But you know what Gods judgement was on them Ezek. 13. He would destroy both the dawber and the wall of untempered morter God requires at thy hands that thou give account of the Authority committed to thee and take heed of abusing it If the King send a Privie Councellour or a great man about him to reveale his will to expresse his commandement in this or that particular that so men may know it and be free from the danger of the Law if a man in stead of obeying it imprison him how will the King take it at his hands What then will God doe in this case He hath put his Truth into the hearts of men he hath sent his messengers to shew his will that this he will have done If thou imprison this Truth be assured God will not hold thee guiltlesse therefore let it have liberty let it rule and raigne in thy heart let it doe what it will This benefit thou shalt have Thou sets it at liberty and it shall set thee at liberty Ioh. 8.32 If you continue in my words c. the Truth shall make you free From what or what great benefit hath a man by this freedome a benefit unspeakable thou shalt be free from the feare of Death from the hands of all thine Enemies to serve God in holinesse and righteousnesse from the feare of Iudgement from the feare of hell from the guilt and punishment of sin from the rule and tyranny of sin and is not this to be desired Againe if thou set this at liberty if thou wilt practice and use it thou shalt finde more benefit and sweetnesse from it than from the meere contemplation of it we are deceived in thinking that the knowledge of it is pleasant but the practice hard Indeed that that keeps the world from practice is because it is accompanied with persecution whereas bare knowledge crosses not at all and therefore most men are willing to heare and know but in practice they fall short But in this they are deceived for this Truth brings more pleasure in the practice and use of it than in the knowledge and contemplation of it Instance in Faith suppose thou know all the doctrine of Faith the knowledge is pleasant much more the practise if thou wilt
let it goe at liberty if it may pacifie and purifie thy heart if thou be much in contemplating thy priviledges in Christ thou shalt finde the sweet of it And so I may say of love and patience and every grace Knowledge of things is like Wâ—ne or Cordials standing on the table thou canst view them and looke on them then and have them presented to thee but if thou feed on them by practise how doe they warme thy spirits and quicken thee and put life into thee if they be digested and distributed into all the parts into all the faculties for that is digesture till they turne to flesh and bloud and spirits as it were then thou shalt finde their sweetnesse even more than any man can expresse who himselfe hath not felt it But now all the question is how shall a man be able to doe this It may be many will be ready to say I could be content to doe it but I am not able I have many good purposes and desires and am willing to practice what I know but I am weake in performance I will onely point to the heads by these meanes thou shalt doe it First thou must seeke to God beseech him to set this Truth at liberty be convinced of thine owne disability in thy selfe that if thou goe about it by thine owne strength thou shalt lose thy labour In his owne strength no man shall be strong it is Gods power must doe it Psal. 119.22 I will run the way of thy Commandements when thou shalt enlarge my heart David had this Truth but it was not in his power to set it at liberty therefore he goes to God acknowledgâ—s his owne insufficiencie desires God to enlarge his heart and when he hath set it at liberty the harshnesse will be taken off and thou wilt run freely the way of Gods Commandements The like is in 2 Cor. 10.4 The weapons of our warfare are mighty but how Through God to bring downe the strong holds in our hearts these be strong holds in men certaine reasons in the understanding certaine lusts in the will and affections and these cannot be beaten downe by all the wit in the world and all understanding that thou canst learne out of any Morall Writer or the Scriptures themselves but there is a power through God to doe it to bring downe these strong holds to bring all into subjection therefore goe to God beg it earnestly and let him give thee no deniall Secondly as thou must goe to him so thou must do something thy selfe thou must practise thy selfe and the more thou dost so the more thou shalt be set at liberty the more thou settest thy selfe to worke the more ground thou shalt get the more Truth will be enlarged as it is in marble the more you rub it the more it will shine so the more this Truth is used the brighter it will be in our actions the more thou puttest it in practice the more power shalt thou have in thy life as Christ sayes If ye beleeve my sayings yee shall understand my words Therefore if you will have this power be doing have a good Conscience for that is the seale of this Truth How did Paul doe to give this Truth liberty to rule in his life Why saith he I exercise my selfe to keepe a good Conscience that is If I knew any thing that was to be done I set my selfe about it and as the Musitian by often practising his lesson or as one that writes by practising his hand doth increase his skill So in these Truths the more thou dost the more thou mayest doe letting them lye still extinguishes them and for that God often gives men up to a reprobate sense On the other side if thou dost use them doubt not but God will delight to enlarge them As in other Talents labouring to improve them is the way to encrease them Againe adde this to it The Communion of Saints you shall finde a great meanes to enlarge this Truth and to set it at liberty by walking with the wise you will be more wise and what is said of Wisdome may be said of Truth for they are the same Saul when he was among the Prophets had a sparke of the Spirit of Prophecie which though it was but a common action in a wicked man yet this sparke of a naturall and common gift of the Spirit Saul had when he came among the Prophets It is the Apostles direction Provoke one another to love and good workes As one souldier encourageth another and a fast goer stirres up one that is slow so good Company whets Graces On the other side ill Company imprisons the Truth If thou wilt keepe company with them that are not good thou must correspond with them and this will cause thee to choake this Truth for many times thou canst not doe duties without shame because thou canst not hold in with them and with dutie too It is not for nothing that David uses that phrase Psal. 119.115 Away from me yee evill doers for I will keepe the Commandements of my God As if he had said When I goe about to keepe the Commandements of God if I have Company about mee that is not good they will be a barre unto me and as fetters to my soule so that it is true both wayes the company of Saints enlarges Truth the other straitens it Saint Paul and others were good men yet when they were mistaken in that you shall see what a fetter it was When Saint Paul was to goe to Ierusalem to preach the Gospell of CHRIST they at Cesarea wept and wailed desiring to stay him But sayes he What doe you breaking mine heart You may see by that speech they were a great Impediment to him And as CHRIST said to Saint Peter Get thee behind me Satan And as David said to the sonnes of Zerviah 2 Sam. 16.10 What have I to doe with you yee sonnes of Zerviah when they advised him to take off Shemei his head So if you would have the Truth to have liberty take heed of ill company As Iames saith of refraining the Tongue I am 1.26 He that refraineth not his tongue his Religion is in vaine So we may say of Company Hee that lookes not to his Company his Religion is in vaine hee shall finde it so for this Truth will never be at libertie except it be among them among whom it will have its libertie The end of the Sixth Sermon CERTAINE SERMONS VPON HVMILIATION The Seventh SERMON ROMANS 1.19 20. Forasmuch as that which may be knowne of God is manifest in them for God hath shewed it unto them For the invisible things of him that is his eternall power and God-head are clearly seene by the creation of the world being considered in his workes to the intent that they should be without excuse WE have purposed still to goe on in this point of Humiliation and then God willing we will proceed
he may see there is a God and his eternall power and wherein all men may see what they ought to doe to this God Thirdly it is manifest by the Scriptures Ioh. 5.39 saith Christ Search the Scriptures for therein you thinke to have eternall life and they testifie of me This is out of question that the Scriptures testifie of GOD they make GOD knowne to men Lastly it is made knowne by the Saints as in the same Chapter Ioh. 5. Iohn bare witnesse of me and what is said of Iohn may be said of others the Saints beare witnesse of God Therefore in the second to the Philippians they are said to shine as lights in the world that is they make God knowne to men So by these foure wayes God makes it knowne namely by the Law of Nature Secondly by his workes Thirdly by the Scriptures Fourthly by the faithfull that live in the world The two first make it knowne to the Heathen the two last to them within the Church that is the faithfull and these be the meanes by which it is evident Now the third thing to be observed is That it is God that maketh this Truth evident This is enough to prove that it is God because it is universally done goe to all Nations to savage men that seeme to be most remote from the light that come not neare any meanes of the knowledge of the Truth yet these men beleeve there â—s a God every man without exception doth so now where there is an universall effect it must needs come from an universall cause therefore from God himselfe Now this is not added in vaine but this you may observe in that it comes from God First if it come from God it is not a deceiveable rule it is not a fancie but a firme Truth which you may build on Againe if God make it knowne it is not done sleightly whatsoever God doth if he make it knowne it is done to purpose and effectually if he have blessed any he shall be blest so farre as it is his will to reveale so farre it is to purpose and this makes men more without excuse Againe if God have made it knowne then it is a thing you must take heed to you must not neglect it because it is God that is the Author of it if it had beene made knowne to us by accident or any creaturâ— you might have given the lesse heed to it buâ— God having made it knowne it is of speciall moment you must in a speciall manner attend to it Lastly in that God hath made it knowne then you may know it is the rule of perfection that is given to every man in observing of which he shall finde happinesse in breaking of which consists his destruction and ruine when God gives a rule in the keeping of it man shall be made happie as in the breaking of it he shall be made miserable so you see these three things First what is made knowne A certaine measure of Truth divided according to Gods will Secondly how it is made knowne by nature by his works by Scripture by the faithfull Thirdly it is God that makes it knowne therefore not a deceiveable truth not a fancie or dreame but to purpose therefore you must not neglect it in observing of it is happinesse and in breaking of it you shall finde there will come ruine and destruction and misery upon you Now we will come to make use of it First if there be such a Truth made knowne to men by God himselfe then learne hence to aggravate your sinnes to know the greatnesse of the guilt of your sinnes Hence we may learne to know that the loosenesse and licentiousnesse men take to themselves against this Truth is more desperate and hainous and inexcusable for God himselfe hath made it known to them For every precept of men is of more or lesse moment according to the quality of the Author the Law is to be valued according to the person that gives the Law therefore mens Lawes are of some moment but Gods Lawes are of more moment This Truth is most pressed in Scripture when CHRIST preacheth the Word he saith every sin is encreased that is committed against this Word When Ionas came to Niniveh it had beene a great sin if they had not repented God would have visited them for neglecting the word of Ionas but a greater than Ionas is here saith Christ So the Queen of the South came to heare the wisdome of Salomon but a greater than Salomon is here That is every sin committed against this Truth is out of measurable sinfull Therefore if they that breake Moses Law shall die under two or three witnesses how shall they escape that neglect so great Salvation which began to be preached by the Lord himselfe He hath made it knowne therefore it is a fearefull thing to neglect it Therefore you may see what an Emphasis God puts on that Hast thou eaten of the tree of which I bade thou shouldest not eat As if he had said the thing is a small matter in it selfe yet it being the Commandement of the great GOD I have commanded it and thou didst neglect it therefore thou shalt die the death And there is good reason for it if we consider it if God giveth the Law it is his now Gods name is taken in vaine when his Law is now observed fro though the disobedience be immediately against the Law yet it is terminately against God himselfe for whatsoever is done against the Scripture is done against God himselfe Therefore saith God to Saul In that thou hast cast me away I will cast thee away And so siath Christ to his Disciples Whatsoever is done against you is done against me it is terminated in me Therefore thinke when you shall come to die or to any case of extremity and God shall speake to your consciences and tell you Thou hast broken the Law I gave thee thou hast rebelled against me thou hast given thy members as weapons of unrighteousnesse against me now I will be avenged of thee thou shalt know I am Iust thou shalt know who it is that thou hast offended this is no small matter If we Ministers come and tell you you must not sweare but your yea must be yea and your nay nay and whatsoever more is evill you must sweare no kinde of oathes if we tell you you must not dissemble not lye not keepe vaine company not mispend your Talents not restrain prayer from the Almighty if we tell you this it is no small matter to neglect it it being the Commandement of God doe not say of sinne as you were wont Indeed it is a fault and I would I could doe otherwise but seeing they be sinnes against God know what it is to sinne against the Iudge of all the world this wil make thee thinke of sinne in another manner Therefore in your sinnes labour to fix your eyes on God and it will aggravate
ought to pray fervently and frequently I ought to sanctifie the Lords Sabbath but out of an unlistinesse to it out of love to ease and pleasure that carries him another way he neglects it and so the dutie lyes undone This is the Commission of a knowne sinne So againe I know I ought not to remember an injury I ought to forgive mine Enemy yet thou invitest him to doe thee a new injury when this is knowne and not practised in this case men commit a knowne sinne so againe dost thou not know that thou oughtest not to use any dalliance any touch of uncleannesse any chambering or wantonnesse if a man know this and yet will commit it because his lusts intend his minde to such a sinne and it is a thing to which he is strongly inclined this is a knowne sinne so in many other things in cases of election or in doing of businesses this man ought to be chosen and businesses ought to be carried thus but yet out of some by-respects a man will have it carried otherwise this is committing of a knowne sinne so in case of Envie this mans preferment may be profitable but because his eminencie may be hurtfull to me I cannot affect him this is a knowne sinne so in Case of the Sacrament doe you not know you ought to receive often and not to neglect it in the Congregation where you are Are you not bound to that You thinke it a sinne not to heare the Word and is it not so not to receive the Sacrament If he shall be cut off that came not to the Passeover shall not he be cut off that comes not to the Sacrament So you know you must renew your repentance are not these Truthes knowne and yet will you commit these sins Goe thorow any knowne sin and in this Case you doe with-hold the Truth in unrighteousnesse But what is it to commit a knowne sin because it may be I am not convinced sufficiently of that By this thou mayest know it if thou finde thy Conscience to give a secret intimation that it is naught it is a signe it is a knowne sin though thou hast got many Arguments for it and canst dispute for it for thy Conscience shall witnesse against thee as in case of Vsury and inordinate gaine and matters of the Sabbath many of which things be in question see what thy Conscience saith and take heed of disobeying the secret intimations of thy Conscience whatsoever thou hast to say for thy sin before men Men think a sin not to be a knowne sin because they are not willing to search it out Now if thou finde this to be thy Case that thou art not willing to search it out to see all that can be said for it or against it thou shalt finde it a knowne sin And this is a notable difference betweene the faithfull and others A godly man whose heart is set to serve God with a perfect heart in all things there is nothing that comes under the name of a sin nothing that hath the shadow of a sin but he is willing to search it out to examine it to the full he is willing to let all say what they can against it and when all is done he desires God to try him Another is not willing to search because he is willing to lye in some sin or because he will not have his Conscience troubled with it This is a signe of a false heart though they doe not know that this is a sin yet it having the shadow of a sin and they being unwilling to examine it to the full it shewes it is no lesse Secondly the second Case wherein a man with-holds this knowledge and detaines this Truth which God hath made manifest is when he is not willing to enlarge it a man that hath already some knowledge as every man hath some and is not willing to adde to this knowledge to encrease it that man properly with-holds the Truth in unrighteousnesse For he that with-holds fewell puts out the fire as wel as he that casts water on it and he that takes away food from a living Creature kils it as well as he that takes away its life with violence so if thou dost not feed this with fewell with that which may make it grow and encrease if thou dost not labour to inlarge it thou dost extinguish it And of these men there be two sorts First such as doe not care for any knowledge at all or if they doe come to heare yet they recall it not meditate not upon it and so as good never a whit as never the better some things they must doe for fashion sake but if they doe heare they doe it in a negligent manner they be ever learning and never come to the knowledge of the truth These be the first sort of men But there is a second sort and that is those which have knowne much have heard much have gone very farre in the knowledge of this Truth yet will not goe to the uttermost I may resemble them by Felix he went not farre but I use it as a resemblance when Paul preached and began to know some measure of this Truth when some of these sparks began to be revived and stirred up in him he bade him goe away and said he would call for him another time but he was not so good as his word so when a man is loth to be brought to that strictnesse and exactnesse that is required as our duty when he is not willing to be strait laced that lives at liberty and thinkes he will doe it before he dies but puts it off this man imprisons the Truth when the Truth is brought to their doores to such an high degreee that it is almost loose yet they let it lye there still when they shall come to Agrippa's Case to be almost a Christian this is to with-hold it the uttermost end and finishing of the worke is all and that is the reason men are so shie of it So when we care not for admonition to live exactly and perfectly in all things when there shall be little reservation when we wil have a little liberty in this or that I say the not admitting of this the not going through with the work is an imprisoning of the Truth When men shall come to be unwilling to be called on it is as if a man shut the doore and draw the curtens about him it showes that he delights to sleepe that he meanes to sleepe and to continue so when a man puts off the Truth and will not be brought to the uttermost this is the second way of imprisoning the Truth when he is not willing to adde fewell to give that which may strengthen and encrease it Thirdly I will name but the third and that is when a man is past this degree and is come to be willing to know all Truths doth not desire to have any concealed from him doth not say to
the Prophets prophecie not but is willing to be informed to the full yet when he hath it he acts it not he doth not exercise nor practice this Truth That is another degree of with-holding it And this is a frequent Case for a man may know and be informed in all Truths yet they may lye there unused and unacted they may lye there idle Now when a man is not willing to practice the meanes by which these Truths are used he doth properly with-hold the Truth in unrighteousnesse As for example the way to act the Truths we have to stirre them up to blow up these coales to bring them to present memory so as they may be brought to present practise is the Communion of Saints the company of holy men that when a man hath forgot godly company may bring to minde againe so frequent reading and hearing these doe act the Truth for the end of our ministery is not onely to make you to know these things but to bring those things to minde which you have forgot if we will not use but neglect the meanes of acting the Truth then we with-hold it So for private prayer whereas a man should bring his heart to God every day should doe it throughly should call himselfe to a reckoning for every sin for all sorts of Omissions or of Commissions this is a meanes to act this Truth this good purpose and inclination this sparke which God hath kindled were it not for this they would be raked up in the ashes againe now performing prayer in a devout and fervent manner doth liven them whereas to doe things for fashion or to satisfie naturall conscience and not throughly is to neglect them so that when a man doth not practice not exercise the Truths hee hath as the very exercise quickens them againe when he doth neglect any of the means by which these coales are blowne up by which these Truths are to be stirred up he properly imprisons the Truth Let no man say But when a man imprisons a thing he barres the doore but to let the Truth lye is a matter of negligence how is it then an imprisoning Yes it is an imprisoning a surprising of it as it is with fire if it have not a vent though you cast no water upon it yet you put it out as on the contrary side if you give it vent you encrease it so you are guilty in this Case of murdering the Truth of putting it out As in any Art that a man learnes if he let his Art or Trade lye still and unused he forgets it so these Truths are extinguished when a man is not diligent in using all meanes of grace The receiving of the Sacrament is a meanes to quicken and Act these Truths fasting and prayer when God cals for it is a meanes to quicken them goe through all meanes which God hath ordained to put us in minde of these Truths and so farre as you neglect the meanes so farre you detaine these Truths in unrighteousnesse The end of the Seventh Sermon CERTAINE SERMONS VPON HVMILIATION The Eighth SERMON ROMANS 1.19 20. Forasmuch as that which may be knowne of God is manifest in them for God hath shewed it unto them For the invisible things of him that is his eternall power and God-head are clearly seene by the creation of the world being considered in his workes to the intent that they should be without excuse THe fourth Case wherein we withhold this truth in unrighteousnesse and imprison it is when we directly suppresse it when we doe indeed suffocate it when we doe this of purpose this is an evident Case when a man not only withdrawes fewell when he doth not only not act it neglecting the meanes but doth purposely suppresse it As for example when God shall kindle a good sparke in any mans heart and put in a good motion not only reveales but stirres up some Truths which concerne his salvation and hee doth endeavour to put it out to quench it and labours to lay that truth asleepe and is glad when by any meanes he can forget it lest it should trouble him this is a great suppessing of the Truth and by this we not only suppresse this Truth but we doe harden our owne hearts exceedingly as in iron when we quench it we doe not only put out the fire but harden the Iron so when God stirs up many Truths as it is in hearing the Word in apprehension of death in suffering some calamity in a good mood the putting out of these doth harden the heart Therefore when a man shall have good purposes and thinke with himselfe I will now begin to be another man and to change my courses and yet shall goe into ill company such as it may be he hath kept before this is an evident suffocating of the Truth a thing often spoken of and blame me not that I speake of it againe for it is the great quench-coale of Religion a man cannot prosper therein if he looke not to his company because it is as a continuall dropping on a fire-brand which will be sure to put out the light and life and grace which one hath Chrysostome compares ill company to putting in of swine when a man hath planted an Orchard with tender Plants when he hath sowed it and the corne or whatsoever it is appeares leave the hedge open and let the swine come in and they will overturne all by the roots So when we Ministers have sowed the Seed and it begins to grow a little to put forth when ill company come in they spoile all they marre all they pull up all by the roots so that we have lost our labour it is indeed so effectuall to keepe downe the Seed and to make us imprison the Truth Againe custome in sin giving your selves liberty in any sin that keepes downe the Truth and nothing more Therefore of all other things you must know nothing suppresses that Truth that knowledge those beginnings of Grace those good motions in us so much as actuall sin because it is quite contrary to it Fire is not quenched so much with any thing as with water being quite contrary thereto and light is not hid so much in any thing as in darknesse Take heed then that you be not led away with the deceitfulnesse of sin you may thinke you shall be able to leave this sin afterwards but it is not in your power to do so for sin takes away the sense and a great sinne weakens the faculty that should resist it puts out the Truth because it is so directly contrary unto it And herein you must observe a notable difference betweene men that live godly and others the godly when they fall into sin it is so farre from putting out this Truth that it helps it forward for their fals doe but discover such sins and so it causes them to search themselves by which meanes they finde out that to be in them which they never
knew of before it may be it is Covetousnesse or it may be Envy one thing or other is discovered and when it is discovered there is a winnowing of themselves they see there is drosse and when they see it they labour to purge it by repentance It is quite contrary with the other the more they fall into sin the more they suffocate the Truth their falling into sin gives sin more ground it makes them more in love with sin it is the more prevalent against them the more they delight in it so that every sin is like the Sea getting ground of the Land which they know not how to recover So this is the fourth way by frequent quenching of good motions by ill company and falling into sin they doe harden their hearts and so suffocate and quench this Truth The fifth way is when we doe not remove the impediments which if they were taken away the Truth would rise and shew it selfe for that is it that keepes downe the Truth God hath written it plaine enough on mens hearts but when we let dust and soile lye on it we cannot reade it This Idlenesse and Lazinesse suffering these impediments to lye on you to cover the Truth in you is to with-hold the Truth Therefore Seneca hath a notion in this Case though he was an Heathen the soule of man were it free from passions and distractions and were quiet Truth should be seene clearely as you see a penny or a stone in a cleare river so Truth would appeare Doe but remove the impediments that commonly rise from us and which Satan injects and this Truth will shew it selfe for these words they with-hold the Truth shew that the Truth is ready enough of it selfe to come forth Now there be certaine impediments which we remove not and they are these two either businesse and from thence proceeds feare and care and griefe or else recreations and the pleasures and joyes that come from them one of these two are alway the impediments First for businesse when a man takes too much on him even more than hee is able to weald or doth give himselfe to too much feare and care and griefe which are contrary to this Truth as Luke 1. it is the promise that wee should serve him in holinesse and righteousnesse all our dayes without feare But let a man be filled with carnall feare it suppresseth the Truth and keepes it downe So for Care Philip. 4. Cast your care on God for he careth for you and the peace of God which passeth all understanding shall keepe your hearts and mindes in Christ Iesus The meaning is if you will care for your owne matters pester your selves with Cares and perplexities it will interrupt your Communion with Christ Iesus it will interrupt your peace and if your peace then your Communion with Christ therefore he exhorts them to cast their care on Christ. So for Griefe it is a great hinderance the Israelites could not hearken to Moses for the anguish of their hearts and he that minds things too much pierceth himselfe thorow with sorrowes this was the thing that suffocated the third ground they were kept downe partly with care and partly with divers lusts Martha was troubled with many things Therefore take heed of too much businesse or intending it too much or inordinately Secondly Sports Pleasures and Recreations things wherein men delight too much these are impediments to the Truth if any of these get predominancie in your mindes they hinder this Truth if you will set it at liberty remove this impediment divers lusts keepe it downe as cares as we may see in the third ground And Esay 1. Woe be to you that laugh If there were not something in this inordinate mirth and jollity that keepes downe the Truth why should that be added and the removall of these Impediments is of great consequence For there may be many hundreds of men which perhaps have not so ill meanings with them yet are carried away with the tract of vanity that are not so opposite to the Truth as forgetfull of it that doe not so much resist it as neglect it that yet keepe downe the truth These men partly busied with cares partly intent on pleasures death shall come upon them as a theefe in the night and shall lead them captive to hell because they held this Truth captive which had they set at liberty it would have set them at liberty free from death and condemnation That is the fifth Case The sixth Case wherein they with-hold this Truth in unrighteousnesse is when they have it and doe not use it and communicate it to the good of others and herein many faile As first Ministers that have their charge yet doe either Non residere or segniter residere but that concernes not this Auditory Therefore I will not meddle with it but it concernes not only them but common Christians likewise When men are converted a charge lyes on them to endevour to convert their brethren they should labour to use this Truth to kindle it in others the neglect thereof is a suppressing of it for there is a charge laid upon them that according to their measure in their sphere according to their callings they should endevour as much as they can to enlarge this Truth So likewise masters of families are bound to doe it shall hee bee worse than an Infidell that provides not food for his family and shall it not be a greater sin in him that provides not spirituall food doth it not concerne him in private as well as the Minister in publike Was it not that which God tooke speciall notice of in Abraham I will not hide it from Abraham for hee will instruct his family and his sonnes and they shall know the wayes of the LORD Therefore when they neglect this Charge they with-hold the Truth in unrighteousnesse So Patrons of livings if they doe not their part to bring faithfull labourers into the Vineyard and uphold them when they are there they with-hold the Truth in unrighteousnesse for they hinder it though it bee not their calling properly to bring forth fruit for that is the Ministers yet it is their part to uphold them It is the Vine that brings forth the Grapes but the Proppe is to hold it up So it is the office of Patrons to sustaine Ministers in the Lords Vineyard Likewise Lawyers and Advocates have a charge to minister the Truth not to cloake it It is the office of Iustice to rectifie the Truth and not to adulterate it but to informe rightly and properly when they doe not discover the Truth they doe with-hold the Truth if they should not labour to doe that it were a hurtfull calling but there is no calling that is not for the benefit of men but if it be thus used to conceale the Truth it were hurtfull and not usefull so likewise they that be Governours Iustices of Peace in the Countrey they with-hold this Truth if they
man what 2 73 Old man must be mortified 2 83 Old nature to be abhorred 2 114 Old custome wee are redeemed from 2 122 All that is Old must bee pulled downe 2 127 Grace takes not away Nature but the Oldnesse of it 2 129 Omission Sinnes of Omission 1 73 Omission of acts ibid. Omission of graces 1 75 Omission of occasions ibid. Opinion Opinion advanceth the Creature in our thoughts 1 266 Originall sinne Originall sinne 1 40 Originall sinne how it is one sinne and many 1 42. How it is privative and positive ibid. Actuall sinne leads us to Originall 1 103 Others Sinne excused from the badnesse of Others 1 106 Successe of Others with God should encourage us 2 29.3 21 Outward Men fare not the worse in Outward things for holinesse 2 43 Overcome To Overcome what 3 76 P Parents NAture received from Parents 2 96 Passeover Passeover why eaten with sowre herbes 1 25 Peace Peace one benefit by Christ 3 75 Pearle Zealous men Pearles 1 287 Personall Men condemned for their Personall sinnes 1 39 Perswade Hard to Perswade men in Divinitie 1 45 Perfect Of Perfect walking with God 1 260 Pleasant That which is natural is pleasant 2 110 Plentie Plentie one priviledge by Christ 3 74 Portion God is a Christians Portion 3 85 Poore Out of Christ we are Poore 2 209 To be Poore What 2 210 Power Power of Gods wrath 1 115 Practise Practise sets the Truth at liberty 1 173 Want of Practise of known truths a great sinne 1 200 Prayer prayer sets the Truth at libertie 1 172 Prayer stops Gods wrath 1 301 Prayer unites us more to Christ 2 180 Preaching The Ministers businesse in preaching 2 156 To see how the Word workes in the Preaching of it 2 164 Pride Pride of the will of man 1 50 Prize New Creature how to be Prized 2 79 See Christ. Priviledges Priviledges of a Christian reall 2 219 Prophane Difference betweene civill men and Prophane 1 127 Professe Truth not Professed is unrighteously detained 1 211 Pronenesse Pronenesse to sinne no excuse of it 1 29 Promise Promise of God should incourage us to pray 2 22 Punishment Punishment of with-holding the Truth in unrighteousnesse 1 138 Purpose Good Purposes in extremitie seldome true 2 99 Good Purposes nothing without change of nature 2 102 Q Qualitie NEw Qualitie infused in sanctification 2 71 New Qualitie what ibid. R Reason TRansubstantiation against Reason 3 11 Record Sins committed remaine on Record 1 277 Recreation Recreation too much used is an impediment 1 208 Reformation Reformation must be joyned with fasting 1 250 Reformation a remedie against Gods wrath 1 280 Relapse Relapse into sinne 1 28 Relish See Knowledge Religion Religion impaired by the neglect of the Sabbath 1 256 Reluctancie Reluctancie in the Saints when they sinne 2 134 Remaine Sinnes Remaine in Gods people 2 90 Remember Remembrance Memory corrupt in that wee ought to Remember 1 53 Conscience corrupt as it is a Remembrancer 1 55 End of the Sacrament to bring Christ to Remembrance 3 4 Renewed How to get our natures Renewed 2 116 Reprobation Election and Reprobation how frustrate 2 150 Rest. Men prone to Rest in duties 1 249 Rest a motive to take Christ 2.186.3 68 Restraine Conscience corrupted in its Restraining power 1 56 Riches Riches for what end they serve 2 210 Riches of a Christian is Christ 3 77 Riches by Christ what 3 78 Riches the property of them 3 80 Righteousnesse Righteousnesse of Christ imputed 1 39 See Iustifie S Sabbath SAbbath ought to be sanctified 1 255 Antiquitie of keeping the Sabbath 1 256 Vsefulnesse of keeping the Sabbath ibid. Sacrament Sacrament a seale of the Covenant 2 22.3 15 Sacrament the end of it 2 25.3 4 Sacrifice Two things in Sacrifice 2 86 Salvation Being in Christ the ground of all Salvation 2 171 He that beleeveth hath Salvation 2 197 Damnation and Salvation of great moment 2 199 God desires mans Salvation 3 20 Sanctification Iustification and Sanctification inseparable 2 4.17 Sanctification how it riseth from Iustification 2 5 Sanctification what 2 13 Incouragements to pray for Sanctification 2 22 Sanctification the necessity of it 2 33 Sanctification how to prise it 2 36 Not to challenge Iustification without Sanctification 2 44 Cloathing of the soule in Sanctification 3 95 Satisfie Spirituall food Satisfieth 3 89 Seales Two Seales 3 19.54 Schoole-master The Law a Schoole-master how 1 11 Scripture Gods truth manifested in the Scripture 1 182 Transubstantiation against Scripture 3 13 Secrets Secrets of God not knowne by carnall men 1 154 Selfe-love Selâ—e-love sanctified 2 13 Sense The new life hath new Senses 2 40 Present Sense a signe of the New Creature 2 49 Transubstantiation against Sense 3 10 Sensible Sensiblenesse of conscience lost 1 56 Spirituall things Sensible 2 220 Sensitive appetite Sensitive appetite corrupted 1 58 Selves Men must be humbled to know them Selves 1 14 Serve One part of the covenant to Serve Christ 3 25 Wearinesse in Serving sin 3 69 Short See Naturall Sinne. Sinnes thought to bee lesse than they be 1 27 Sinne aggravated by circumstances 1 89 Difference in Sinnes 1 96 Sinne wee should labour to see what it is 1 118 Frequencie of Sinne argues want of faith 1 255 Difference of men in regard of Sinnes 1 281 Zeale against Sinne 1 290 Striving against Sinne 2 53 Turning from Sinne a part of the Covenant 3 25 See Personall and Wrath. Sincerity Sincerity wanting in carnall mens actions 1 159 Sincerity little at the first 2 113 Sicknesse Sin the Sicknesse of the soule 3 71 Sleepe Sinne seemes dead when it is a Sleepe 2 85 Small Men excuse sinnes by thinking Them Small 1 230 No sinne Small and why 1 282 Species Hatred sets against the whole Species 1 290 Spirit Good things in evill men wrought by the Spirit 1 144 Morall vertues the gifts of the Spirit 1 158 Worke of the Spirit in sanctification 2 5 Spirit workes holinesse 2 21 Sorrow Sorrow corrupted 1 67 Sinne excused by pretended Sorrow 1 233 Soule Matters of the Soule of great moment 2 199 Soule to bee regarded especially 2 200 T Taking TAking of Christ what 2 185.3 24 No losse by Taking of Christ 2 222 Two things should invite us to Take Christ 3 45 Taught Nature cannot be Taught 2 97 Temptation The lesse Temptation the greater the sinne 1 95 Sinne excused from Temptation 1 227 Evill men doe good for want of Temptation 2 135 Thanke See Truth Thoughts Thoughts corrupted 1 68 Thoughts the importance of them 1 69 Thoughts of two sorts 1 91 Thirst. Thirst satisfied in Christ 2 202 What Thirst heal'd in the Saints 2 204 Transubstantiation Arguments against Transubstantiation 3 3 Fathers not distinct against Transubstantiation 3 66 Transubstantiation set abroach by Damascene 3 67 Transubstantiation brought into England 3 68 Treasure Gods wrath a Treasure 1 273 Trust. Trust in God the nature of it 1 258 Truth Truth with-held in