Israel and thus bless the house of Aaron yea thus bless us all both small and great Let this blessing O Lord be upon high and low rich and poor mighty and mean upon Prince and people upon Court and City and Countrey upon our Metropolis our chief and Mother-city yea and upon all her Daughters our other Cities and upon the whole Nation yea the three Nations and then shall we be blessed indeed yea Psal 115. 15. the blessed of the Lord which made heaven and earth Thus though we cannot turn our selves we may yet pray unto God to turn us and intreat his favour the want whereof as aggravating their sin the Prophet Daniel confesses and bewails All this evill is come upon us yet made we not our prayer before the Lord our God that Dan. 9. 1◠we might turn from our iniquities c. They could not turn of themselves but they might have prayed to God for grace to turn CHAP. XI The second Branch of Exhortation to adde to our Prayers our Endeavours ANd let us not onely pray but earnestly endeavour after this not onely beseech it but strenuously pursue it and follow after it let us joyn to our prayers our pains and to our desires our labour care and industry setting about it and setting our selves seriously to it and laying out our selves to the utmost for the attaining of it that we may be converted and turn'd again from our sins to God and that he may cause his face to shine on us In all labour says Solomon Prov. 14. 23. there is profit but the talk of the lips tendeth onely to penury that is nothing comes of that As the door turneth upon his hinges so doth 26. 14. the slothful upon his bed that is because of his sloath he is still where he was and hangs where he did comes not off and this is his undoing The desire of the sloathful killeth him for his Prov. 21. 25. hands refuse to labour Many wish well to themselves Immoritur optando nihil operatur non utitur mediis quibus potiri optatis queat c. Remus in locum and they say they do desire grace but refuse to labour and this kills them for grace is not had with wishing If ever we would be savingly converted we must not onely wish and desire it but labour and strive after it we must up and be doing use diligence The want of this the Lord complains of concerning that people as the cause of their ruine They will not frame Hos 5. 4. their doings to turn unto their God c. not so much as set about it nor set themselves to it nor see what they can doe They will not so much as endeavour and bend their course that way Non adjicient studia sua ut convertantur ad Deum suum Video me operam ludere quia mihi negotium est potiùs cum brutis animalibus vel cum saxis quà m cum hominibus c. Calvin in locum nor shew their good will nor make use of these means which tend towards it not do what they can do and might and therefore I do by my Prophets but spend my labour in vain and I have to do as it were but with beasts and stones rather than men Indeed I am their God by profession and I have shewn my self so by the care I have had of them and the many good offices I have done for them and yet though I am their God and the fountain and well-spring of all their good and their happiness is to turn to me yet they will not so much as once frame their doings to turn unto me And this is an heavy aggravation of peoples impenitency and leaves them altogether inexcusable when they will not endeavour nor so much as make use of the means as in reference to so great a concern not do what they might do we are not able indeed to turn our selves no conversion is too great a work and lies beyond our line and we should get a due sense thereof so as to drive us to God for help but yet we may endeavour it and attempt something as in reference to it something we may do but what you will say may we do and what would you have us for to do I shall shew you in several particulars 1. Attend constantly on the ministery of the Word wait still upon God in his ways and in the use of those means he hath instituted appointed and set apart to be instrumental as to that great work of turning you again to himself and of bringing you into favour and recovering again his face Do as those impotent folk they could not indeed heal themselves yea but they could and did lie at the Pool waiting for the moving John 5. 3. of the waters that they might be healed Get there still where Christ walks and where he works as Zacheus he got up into a tree in the Luke 19. 4. way where Christ was to pass and who knows but Christ may look upon thee as he did upon him and it may be a time of love and he may say to thee though in thy bloud live and bring saving conversion salvation home to thy soul It is good being in God's ways how many hath he savingly and graciously met there and his power hath been present to heal them to convert and save them The very work and business that he sends his Ministers about it is as he told Paul when he had converted him from a Persecutor to be a Preacher and as you have heard to open sinners eyes and to turn them from darkness to Acts 26. 18. light and from the power of Satan unto God c. And how many thousands of souls are there who have experienc'd this and for whom it hath been effected by their means and why may it not be effected for thee also The word is called a word of grace a converting word and wait on it for God to make it so to thy soul Of his own will says the Apostle begat he us by the James 1. 18. word of truth and why by the same word may he not beget thee if thou attend upon it God sends his Ministers to help people in this great work And a Vision appeared to Paul in the night Acts 16. 9. there stood a man of Macedonia and prayed him saying come over into Macedonia and help us Now be sure then to be there where he vouchsafeth such help which is the best help and better a thousand times than the having such come that might help you in other matters as in your estates and in matters of the world though it was to compass never so much of it And how sad must their condition then needs be and how inexcusable will they be found at that great day who refuse this help who carelesly neglect or despise the Ministery appointed for so blessed an end how deservedly and
sacrifices of God in the plural number as denoting the peculiar gratefulness and singular acceptableness of this above all other There were many sacrifices under the Law but none of them all so pleasing as this nor any without this this is the sacrifice of sacrifices and this God will not despise But is that all no there is more intended than spoken the meaning is Thou wilt highly esteem and account thereof it is the most acceptable It is a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 endearedst frame under heaven not onely above all sacrifices but above all meer moral performances and Pharisaical duties and perfections this made the poor Publican accepted when the proud Pharisee was rejected The spirit is the best of man and a kindly broken spirit is the best of spirits for such a spirit is ever a believing spirit they shall look upon Christ c. Zach. 12. 10. there 's faith and mourn for him there 's repentance and faith wonderfully pleases God as highly honouring his Son whom he so delights in for it makes to him and leans upon him and clasps fast to him as its peculiar object it goes into the presence of God with him and presents and urges him and him alone and his righteousness and satisfaction for acceptation and propitiation of its sins counting all but loss for the excellency of the knowledg of him and this exceedingly pleases the father that his Son so dear to him should be thus honoured in the Souls having recourse to him and relying on him and such a soul seals to the truth of what the Word says as concerning the greatness of God the vileness of sin and the excellency usefulness and all-sufficiency of Jesus Christ and the Lord cannot but have choice thoughts and an high esteem of such a frame The heaven he says is his throne and the earth is his footstool c. but Is 66. 1 2. to him will he look that is poor and of a contrite spirit and trembles at his Word that is not only with a look of bare intuition but dear affection and gracious acceptation yea such a one is the very home and habitation of God himself though so high and holy For thus says 57. 15. the high and lofty one that inhabits eternity whose name is holy I dwell in the high and holy place there 's one of his dwellings with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit to revive the spirit of the humble and to revive the heart of the contrite ones there 's his other It is not said the Angels shall dwell with him or grace and peace and joy onely though these are sweet companions but God himself and where God dwels all good dwells there dwels light life joy peace comfort happiness yea heaven it self and how acceptable must he needs be to God whom he thus honours 6. The comfortableness of it to our selves not onely to others but to our own souls It is very 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iniquitas molestia quae laborem afflictionem parit observable that as the same word that signifies iniquity signifies also pain and sorrow as occasioning the same and as being that whereof comes trouble grief misery and at last confusion and hence some render it painful iniquity or sorrowful sin so the same word in the Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doluit consolationem invenit that signifies to repent and mourn for sin signifies also to comfort and the reason may be this because such repenting and mourning is the way to comfort and true comfort arises out of Verus poenitens de peccatis dolet de dolore gaudet it and follows upon it Worldly sorrow indeed and joy are contraries but not godly for these effect and help one the other or 2. the reason may be because there is joy even in such sorrow and not onely does comfort follow it but accompany it The true penitent grieves for his sins and rejoyceth for his grief certainly there is an hundred times more true comfort in the sorrow of a truly repenting sinner than there is in all the mirth of a sinner who yet goes on in his sins how refreshing are April showers to the earth and so and much more are true penitential tears to the soul they do not only moisten and mellow the soul as it were for the reception of the word but occasion mirth Musick sounds sweetest upon the waters and sweetest is that joy that accompanies such mourning All true mirth is from a rectitude and right frame of the soul from a being well set and dispos'd as that word implies made use of by the Apostle James for being merry Is any merry the Greek is is any of a good or James 5. 13. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Aequo animo est aliquis right mind or well dispos'd is he right set or hung as we say implying that all true mirth ariseth thence and now then and only then that we repent and turn to God are our minds and hearts right and in a right frame or rightly hung or dispos'd And therefore this must needs render our state comfortable indeed when hearts are at rights and ways at rights and besides we are then turn'd to the God of all comfort to the Sun of all refreshings and the fountain of all consolations and therefore can no more want comfort than such as turn to the Sun light or to the fountain water or to the fire heat and as such sorrow is accompanied with joy so shall it be turn'd and end in joy Blessed are they that mourn for they shall Matth. 5. 4. be comforted that is with a godly sorrow for sin they that sow in such tears shall be sure to Psal 126. 5 6. reap in joy and they who so go forth weeping bearing precious seed shall doubtless come again rejoicing bringing their sheaves with them And then such have infinite cause matter and ground of joy as being blest as having Gods favour pardon of sin audience of prayer inheritance among them that are sanctified c. yea over such God himself rejoiceth with joy Zeph. 3. 17. Psal 71. 21. lia 61. 2 3. â—â—b 38. 26. c. Yea rests in his love and joyes over them with singing and shall comfort them on every side Such Jesus Christ himself was anointed to comfort and to them belong the promises of comfort â—sa 65. 13. and what cause and ground then have such to rejoice and again to rejoice Yea to shout for joy but till sinners repent and turn to God they have nothing to do with joy neither have they any true cause or ground for it but we may well say of their laughter it is mad and â—celes 2. 2. of their mirth what doth it such rejoice as are in a state of perdition and in the very gall of bitterness and whose portion in the state they are in is nothing but wrath and death and
formeth the mountains c. As if a man should run Amos 4. 13. himself against a stone-wall or set his shoulder to a wall of brass The Lord wonders at this folly Do they provoke me to anger says the Lord do they not provoke themselves to the confusion Jer. 7. 19. of their own faces As if he had said what madness is this for who are like to have the worst of it am I a match for them Let the potsheards strive with the potsheards of the earth Is 45. 9. but wo to him that strives with his maker The Jer. 10. 7. King of Nations is to be feared that appertains to him not to be fought For further discovery of this madness and folly read these and other the like places 2 King 10. 4. Job 41. 8 9 10. Prov. 16. 14. Psalm 2. 1 2 3 4 c. Luk. 14. 31 32. Psal 76. 7. Job 9. 4. 5. They being fallen refuse to arise and though going on in sin they are quite out of their way every step in sin being so as the Lord hath often out of his Word told them yet they refuse to return and the Prophet Jeremiah hath long since said what such are They have refused to return therefore I said surely these are poor How poor poor in wit for he adds they are foolish but of this I have occasionally spoken before 6. They recompense evil for good and that even Deut. 30. 6. to God himself he loads them daily with his benefits and they daily load him with their sins and foolish people and unwise thus to requite the Lord c. This is such folly and madness that the Lord calls the Heavens and the Earth to bear witness of Hear O Heavens and give ear O Earth for the Lord hath spoken I have nourished and brought up children and they have rebelled Is 1. 2 3. Jer. 18. 20. Prov. 19. 6. Rom. 2. 4. against me The oxe knoweth his owner c. Shall evil be recompensed for good To him that giveth gifts every man is a friend or despisest thou the riches of his goodness c For which of his kindnesses do you deal thus with God 7. They are taken up and trouble themselves about trifles about small matters and in the mean time neglect matters of greatest moment as their souls and the great concerns of them as if one condemn'd to dye should be taken up about his repast and neglect to sue out his pardon or as that woman whose house being on fire hasted to fetch out the lumber but forgot the child in the cradle c. but I cannot inlarge 8. They prefer things that are base and vile before things of greatest worth and excellency as if a man should prefer dross before gold pebles before pearls dirt before diamonds who would but say such were fools and Idiots When an Heir is impleaded for an Idiot the Judge commands a Counter or an Apple together with a piece of Gold to be set before him to try which he will choose and if he choose the Counter or Apple he is cast for an Idiot a natural fool And this casts all such to be spiritual fools and Idiots who yet go on in their sins because they prefer the creature before the creatour self yea sin and Satan before God broken cisterns before the fountain of living Jer. 2. 12 13. waters emptiness and vanity before fulness and all-sufficiency Swines husks before the bread in their fathers house hell before heaven and the base sensual pleasures of sin that are but for a season before pardon of sin and the pleasures that are at God s right hand for evermore c. 9. They pretend to such an end and such a place as to heaven and happiness but never go in the way nor make use of the means that lead to it and what a silliness is that 10. Whereas they might be the Lord's freemen they suffer themselves to be the vilest slaves and vassals even of sin and Satan who seek their destruction rather than their subjection and what madness and folly is this to be at their beck and command to ride them and run them and do with them what they please to do their wills and at their will if they say go they go or come they come or do this or that they do it as the servants of the Centurion and were men themselves or in their right minds would they do this no they would suffer themselves no longer to be taken captive by such at their will In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves 2 Tim. 2. 25 26. if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth and that they 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sanitate mentis recepta c. Beza may recover themselves or return to themselves the word signifies to grow sober again after drunkenness and so to be restor'd to ones senses and from the body 't is apply'd to the mind and Translatio â corporis sensu ad animum Per resipiscentiam homines antè cà ptivi Diabolo ex ejus vinculis elabuntur ita antè aegri mente sanitatem mentis recipiunt Toss when is this when sinners by repentance extricate themselves out of the snare of the Devil who before were taken captive by him at his will Thus you see and that several ways that such as still impenitently go on in their sins do not onely forget themselves but are besides themselves and as ever we would approve our selves other we must repent and turn to the Lord. Remember this says God and shew your selves men Is 46. 8. and if ever we would shew our selves men and not beasts in our right minds and not mad wise and not still out of our wits we must be sure we be such as to turn to God for till then whatever we or others may think according to what God and his Word judges we are no better yea and we shall see and say of our selves shortly as being no other we fools Wisd ◠◠accounted his life madness c. But now we see and well perceive that he was wise but we were the fools And the sinners furious reflexion upon this his own wilful folly and madnes and the woful misery he hath brought upon himself thereby is that which Divines call the worm of Conscience Oh that therefore this folly might appear to sinners now before it be too late that so getting timely cured of it they may not forever perish in it 3. Let us consider these are times of turning 1. Of sinful turning in regard of men O how strangely are many turned some to one strange opinion and way and some to another how many have turn'd away their ears from the truth and are turn'd to fables to vain 1 Tim. 6. 5. janglings to dotings about questions to perverse disputes c. and this is all the turn of many and others are turn'd but it is
to the Sea so there 's no sin so small but if a man Optima poenitentia est nova vita Luther Poenitere â malis abstinere à malis addict himself unto it and still follow and pursue it to the end it will certainly bring him to the dead salt Sea of eternal horrours and everlasting torments And therefore let us turn from all sin and every evil way to the contrary good and give me leave here to instance in some few particulars as from our pride and haughtiness of mind to humility and lowliness of mind It is very sad and bodes ill that though Trade decays and mens estates are lower yet mens minds are still high How many are poorer in purse but not in spirit their means is less and lower but pride and luxury rather greater and higher as if though God humble them they were resolv'd not to be humbled From our garish flanting and immodest attire and that allures to wantonness the great sin of these times to what is sober and modest and becoming such as profess godliness and the fear of the Lord. Tamar's apparrel made Judah to Gen. 38. 15. take her for an harlot and however such says one may be honest yet such as are honest will hardly take them to be so because they lay themselves and others open to temptation Augustus Vestitus insâ—â—nis ac mollis superbiae vexillum est luxuriae nidus Hieronymus Caesar was wont to say that stately and light Apparrel was the banner of pride and nest of luxury and if says one of the fathers women adorn themselves so as to provoke men to lust after them though no evil follow upon it yet those women shall suffer damnation because they offered poyson to others though none would drink it A very Heathen could say Cultus magna ubi cura ibi magna virtutis incuria Cato where there is great care of dressing there 's little care of goodness but now Professours themselves think it little or no fault to be as garish in their Apparrel as others and to follow every foolish strange upstart fashion exceeding in their apparrel beyond their calling and above their means c. but let such read and weigh these and the like places Is 3. 16. c. Zeph. 1. 8. 1 Pet. 3. 3 4. 1 Tim. 2. 9 10. Rom. 12. 2. 1 Pet. 1. 14. c. From our excess and riot and prodigious luxury to temperance and sobriety from all filthiness uncleanness and obscenity to purity chastity and possessing our vessels that is our bodies in sanctification and honour and not in the lust of concupiscence even 1 Thes 4. 4 5. as the Gentils which know not God From our profanations of God's name and day to the sanctifying of the same from our carelesness and security to godly fear and Christian vigilancy from our earthliness to heavenly mindedness our covetousness to contentedness with such things as Heb. 13. 5. Rom. 12. 11. we have from our lukewarmness indifferency and formality in the things of God to zeal fervency and ardency of affection From our slightings and despisings of God's ordinances to the setting of an higher value and esteem upon them from our licentiousness to more strictness and barrenness and ingratitude to greater thankfulness and fruitfulness From our divisions strifes and contentions one with another to union and indearedness of affection one towards another from our animosities to unanimity from our rash and harsh censurings and judgings of others to judging our selves from our frowardness and fierceness to gentleness and meekness from our deceitfulness and fraudulency to faithfulness and sincerity from our self-seekings and lookings every man to his own things to self denyings and looking every man also to Phil. 2. 4. the things of others from our harshness churlishness and uncharitableness to kindness and readiness to do good from speaking evil or 1 Thes 5. 15. rendring evil for evil to any man to shew all meekness and follow that which is good unto all from all errour heresie and strange doctrines and opinions to the form of sound 2 Tim. 1. 13. words and the faith once delivered to the Saints from fickleness and unstayedness in the truth Jude 3. to establishment c. In a word from what ever is offensive and displeasing to God and prejudicial to our selves or others to whatever is pleasing and acceptable to God and profitable to our selves and others And indeed the very essence of repentance lies in this in our turning with our whole man from all sin with grief and hatred of it unto God and all that is good but while we condemn sin with our tongues if yet we regard and take pleasure in any sin in our hearts we are far yet from God yea abominable to him 6. Let our turning to God be from right principles and upon right grounds spiritual grounds as in the name of Christ in his Col. 3. 17. strength and as looking for acceptance both of our persons and repentance in and through him and his merits mediation and satisfaction So let it be in conscience of his commands and out of love to God because we love God therefore let us fear any longer to displease him and turn to him that we may no longer offend nor provoke him It is said of Luther that having heard Staupi a grave Divine say that that was kind repentance which began from the love of God ever after the practice of repentance was sweeter to him So out of hatred to sin as an enemy to God and his glory and our own souls good and because of that repugnancy and contrariety that there is in it to God and his holy nature and law 7. Let it be for right ends as the glory of God this must be the main and chiefest end If whether we eat or drink or whatsoever we do we are 1 Cor. 10. 31. to do all to the glory of God how much more when we repent and turn to God must that be that he may be glorified 8. Let it be speedy Gather your selves together c. before the decree Zeph. 2. 1 2. come forth before the day pass c. O how does the Lord long and is as it were in pain and travel 'till it be 'till we leave our sins and turn to him O Jerusalem wilt thou not be made Jer. 13. 27. 14. 14. clean when shall it once be and how long shall thy vain thoughts lodg within thee and how 31. 22. long wilt thou go about O thou back-sliding daughter and how long will this people provoke Numb 14. 11. me and how long will it be e're they believe me c. And shall we make God long still in vain and be as it were in pain and travel Why God will do that which others will not do They say if a man put away his wife c but thou hast Jer. 3. 1. played the
much do we fail his expectations and what he promises to himself concerning Quasi dicat omnia tentavi media sed lusi oleum operam nec bonis nec malis estis curabilâ—s c. Pareus us so as that he is even at a stand with us and knows not what as it were to do to us as he says of Ephraim O Ephraim what shall I do unto thee c. for your goodness is as a morning cloud and as the early dew it goeth away c. Hos 6. 4. A most pathetical expostulation as if the Lord had said I have several ways try'd you and made several assays upon you sometimes one way and sometimes another sometimes by my word and sometimes with my rod one while prospering you another while áfflicting you c. and after all I profess I am even at a stand concerning you and you shew your selves such as that I know not what to do to you Your goodness if any what is it but as the morning cloud and as the early dew it goeth away it is but a meer flash an outside fickle unconstant nothing and you unsteady and deceitful So it is said of the Israelites that the Deut. 3. 2. Lord led them fourty years in the wilderness to prove them and to know what was in their hearts whether they would keep his commandements or no and what upon proof did he find them even an awker'd untoward perverse people they gave God indeed good words made him fair promises spake well but acted ill and quite 5. 27 28. contrary to what they pretended God said indeed Surely they are my people children that will Is 63. 8 9 10. not lye so he was their Saviour c. But they Deut. 32. 15. rebelled and vexed his holy Spirit c. When Jesurun waxed fat then he kicked and when lean he murmured It is said God left Hezekiah 2 Chr. 32. 31. to try him to know all that was in his heart and how much pride and vain glory and ingratitude was there found there God many times lays us low and what large promises do we make if he will but restore us which many times the Lord does but what false deceitful creatures do we shew our selves and so we think if we had but such and such mercies how would we improve them but it is quite otherwise upon tryal so before affliction comes we think many times we have a good measure of faith and patience and christian courage and submissiveness to the will of God but upon proof how little does it appear to be But now it is come upon thee and thou faintest it toucheth thee Job 4. 5 6. and thou art troubled c. thus surely men of low Psal 62. 9. degree are vanity and men of high degree are a lye to be laid or being laid in the ballance that is put to the tryal they are altogether lighter than vanity i. e. vanity being laid in one scale Sensusest si homines ponerentur in una lance bilancis vanitas verò in altera tum comperirentur leviores esse quâ—mvanitas Pisc and all they together in the other vanity would yet outweigh them and be found weightier than the weightiest of them By a â—ye we are to understand false and deceitful and as men of high and low degree comprehend all sorts of men so vanity and a lye all sorts of deceitfulness and uncertainty But God now he upon proof is ever found what his Word declares and what he promises to be yea such as make proof of him find him to be better and more than what they expected him to be Joshua when he was Josh 23. 14. now going the way of all the earth he appeals to all Israel that not one thing had failed of all the good things God had promised all came to pass and not one thing failed thereof And Solomon declares as concerning his father David that 1 King 3. 6 God had shewed him great mercy and kept for him great kindness according as he walked before him in truth and in righteousness c. and David Psal 119. 65. himself says thou hast dealt well with thy servant O Lord according to thy word And O that England that we of this Nation would at length by true conversion but prove God and see but what would be the effect and issue thereof if he would not bless us and cause it to be well with us we have tryed others and other ways and upon proof found them vain and ineffectual O that at length we would but try here if not for our own sakes yet for the sake of the Nation or at least of our little ones if we have no regard to our selves nor any other yet at least let us have respect to them that they may be saved which are or should be so dear to us and which we especially should seek the good of because while so little they cannot seek it themselves and that when we have served the Lord in our generation they may continue after us to stand up in our stead These Ezra had a Ezr. 8. 21. special regard to in that fast he proclaim'd at Domino parvuli maximae curae sunt nec dubium Deum saepiùs urâ— ibus maximis paâ—cere propter multitudinem infantium c. Winck in loc the river Ahara it was to seek of him a right way for them and their little ones Yea what a singular respect hath God himself to such how have his bowels even yern'd towards them and shall not ours you know what he said to Jonah And should not I spare Niniveh that great City wherein are more than sixscore thousand persons that cannot discern between their right hand their left that is young children and infants And shall not Parents have a tender respect to such can ye indure to see the evil else that is like to come upon them do but read and seriously weigh what the want of turning to God hath brought upon others little ones * Lam. 2. 11. 4. 10. and shall this move us nothing O that something Hos 13. 16. Ezek. 9. 6. or other might prevail but to try what not try what is purpos'd for our own weal why the Lord you see is pleas'd to put himself to the tryal prove me and shall we refuse when as never yet any prov'd him thus in vain O did we but truly and unfeignedly repent and turn to God we should then see what was the power and prevalency thereof and we should meet with such proofs of God's favour and goodness as would fully convince us that all the while we refus'd to do it we for sook our own mercy and from Hag. 2. 19. that very day would the Lord bless us and let us all set our selves to this as belonging to all and as being the concern of all both old and young high and low rich and poor great and mean
can God withhold from those he loves Surely those his heart is set upon his hand cannot but be open to Ps 84. 11. The Lord God is a Sun and shield the Lord will give grace and glory and no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly and why not from them why is his hand so open to them because they have his heart the Lord loves them his countenance beholds them Ps 85. 1. Lord thou hast been favourable to thy land says the Psalmist and what then thou hast brought back their captivity forgiven their iniquity covered their sin taken away thy wrath c. The father loveth the Son and hath given Joh. 3. 35. Is 43. 4. all things into his hands I have loved thee therefore will I give men for thee and people for thy life c. Moses had asked very much of Exod. 33. 16. God and yet goes on to ask more And what says the Lord I will says he do this thing v. 17. also that thou hast spoken As if the Lord had said I can indeed deny thee nothing I have done it is true much already but I will do this also why for thou hast found grace in my sight and I know thee by name that is I have taken special and particular notice of thee and thy name as one whom I singularly favour and I will v. 19. make all my goodness pass before thee c. O what will not God do for such Hence Moses Exod. 33. 13. 34. 9. often makes use of this argument if I have found grace in thy sight c. The favour of God is all good every mercy radically as the displeasure of God is every judgment that is it is productive of all good of each mercy when a soul has this good which is the chief good it has that good from which all others spring and therefore may write under it and cut out from it any other whatsoever all particular mercies and goods being but the favour of God as it were specificated and brought as it were into this or that particular mercy or good so that such a soul may say of all its other mercies and goods this and that and the other is the favour of God So that the Soul that has it has all good all mercies in the fountain and root and well-spring of them it has that which produces and procures all good and remedies all evils Hence says the Angel to Mary Fear not Mary for Luk. 1. 30. thou hast found favour with God there is no cause why such a soul should fear either the want of any good or the feeling of any evil the favour of God being as a Sun in reference to the one so as a shield in reference to the other and so every way sufficient 5. How necessary it is indeed the one thing needful is life necessary this is life yea better than life and all true life is so much in it that a Soul is but dead without it it being more the life of the soul than the soul is of the body The Sun is not so necessary to the world rain to the earth as the favour of God to the soul the displays whereof are as the morning and as the rain the former and the latter rain unto the Hos 6. 3. earth Is to be happy necessary the favour of God is our happiness and look as we cannot but be happy with it whatever our state otherwise is so we cannot but be miserable without it As it cannot but be day when the Sun ariseth though the Stars disappear but it cannot but be night though they do appear if the Sun be set so it is as to the displayings or withdrawings of God's face and favour Thine absence was my hell And now thou art returned I am well Herbert And hence for this cause the Angel salutes Mary as being blessed because highly favoured Luk. 1. 28. Hail thou that art highly favoured the Lord is with thee blessed art thou among women In a word if to be truly happy so far as we are capable here and to be fully happy hereafter be necessary then this is so as that wherein consists both happiness in its initiation here and in its full consummation in heaven CHAP. XVIII To endeavour the Conversion of others THere is onely one thing further I have to adde and then I shall conclude viz. that this turning again being of such infinite concern unto all that being turn'd again our selves we would indeavour our utmost to be instrumental therein to others and the rather that thereby we may shew our gratitude for God's vouchsafing so great a favour to us And truly next to the conversion and salvation of our own souls we cannot busie our selves to better purpose not onely as to their and our own comfort and benefit but the good of the whole so that this is every ones concern for as one sinner still going Eccl. 9. 18. on in his sins may much hinder so one sinner being turn'd again may much further the Gen. 13. 32. good of the whole And who knows whether one or a few sinners more being turn'd again may not help to make up that number which being found God may be pleas'd for their sakes to spare the whole But the great argument I shall chiefly make use of at present is that of the Apostle James which is somewhat the same indeed with that in the Text but more amplified Brethren if any of you do erre from the truth Jam. 5. 19 20. i. e. in opinion or practice in faith or manners and one convert him that is prove instrumental therein making use of all ways and means subservient thereunto and here that is ascrib'd to the instrument and means which is properly God's work because God in and by those means Verbum servandi ad homines transfertur non quod authores sint salutis sed Ministri Calvin works and conveys a blessing And any one c. for this work is not limited to Ministers onely but belongs to others in their places and stations yea to all who some way or other may be helpful therein The Apostle Peter speaks of husbands being won by the conversation of their wives 1 Pet. â— â— now here 's the duty and then follows the dignity and commodity v. 20. Let him know that he which converteth the sinner from the errour of his way shall save a soul from death and shall hide a multitude of sins What weight is there here in every word even such as may quicken our desires and raise our endeavours to the highest pitch and it is observable that with this golden sentence the Apostle shuts up his whole Epistle there being no work as more excellent in it self so more acceptable to God nor profitable to our selves nor others for whoever is instrumental therein 1. He shall save and that 's a Animam per Synecdochen
love to others it must be by endeavouring by all possible ways and means their conversion and so their salvation Thus Paul made appear the sincerity of his love to Israel his hearts desire and prayer to God for Israel being this that they Rom. 10. 1. might be saved And so David to his son Solomon he tells us he was his father's son so were Prov. 4. 3 4 5 c. others but he in a special manner was so being singularly loved and of such a one we use to say he is his father's son and how did he manifest the truth of his love why he taught me also and said unto me let thy heart retain my words c. Get wisdom get understanding c. And we can never approve our selves sincerely to love others but in this way for if to love be to desire and endeavour the good of those we love how can it consist with the neglect of their chiefest good And that this is to love a very Heathen saw To love says he is to desire good 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arist things for those whom we love and according to our utmost ability to endeavour to accomplish them and what good things to conversion and salvation and therefore while we neglect these we do but indeed hate whom we may pretend to love Many Parents they think they love their children why because they cocker their children and provide well for them as to the world and allow them high fare and fine cloaths and it may be can tumble in silver and gold but such in the mean while neglecting their souls and the means appointed by God for their conversion and salvation they shew plainly Peremptores potiús quám parentes they do not in truth love them but rather hate them and so will be found and accounted of at the last day And how well may such Jud. 16. 15. children say to their Parents what Delilah sometimes said to Sampson in another case How can ye say ye love us when your hearts desires and prayers are no more to God for us that we may be converted and sav'd when you neglect our souls our jewel our darling our principal one and take no more care of our chief good our spiritual and eternal good of that which if we should fall short of it would avail us nothing though you should all your days gather Pearls for us or could procure the gain of a whole world for us The Lord commands Thou shalt Levit. 19. 17. not hate thy brother in thy heart and how is this prevented Thou shalt in any wise rebuke him and not suffer sin upon him so that not to rebuke not to use those ways and means appointed by God for to reclaim and reduce thy brother when he sinneth is to hate him for thereby the guilt of his sin is still suffer'd to be upon him to his soul's ruine which to suffer as it is hatred in thee so the sorest judgement upon thy brother 7. Consider others unserviceableness till they be converted they are altogether unprofitable Rom. 3. 12. Ezek. 15. 4 5. like that Vine branch in Ezekiel that was meet for no work and that girdle hid in Euphrates that was good for nothing and like Salt Jer. 13. 10. Matth. 5. 13. which has lost its savour and is fit for nothing but to be cast out and troden under foot And should we not do our utmost to get others out of such an estate that is so unprofitable wherein they neither can please God nor truly profit themselves or others wherein all their works even their best are but dead works and their Omnis vita infidelium peccatum whole life sin and is this an estate to let them lie in to let them alone in God forbid That 's very observable to this purpose which Paul says of Onesimus viz. that in time past i. e. all the Philem. 10. 11. while before his conversion he was unprofitable but after his conversion then profitable profitato Philemon yea to Paul himself before profitable to none neither to himself nor others but now to all to master and Minister and now he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dicit nunc taâ—â—messe planc qualis vocatur answers his name which he never did before to which the Apostle seems to allude 8. Beasts if fallen or strayed and so in danger Exod. 23. 4. Deut. 22. 4. to perish were to be help'd and reduc'd and not men not souls does God take care of beasts would he have us keep them from perishing and not much more men souls but shall we let them alone in the errours of their minds and in the corrupt practices of their lives to stand or fall sink or swim live or dye no matter what what uncharitableness cruelty and hard-heartedness would this argue c. and therefore upon all these considerations let us lay out our selves to the utmost as to so good and blessed a work making use of all possible ways and means as may further the same as instructions exhortations admonitions reprehensions exemplary conversations c. and with and to all let us be sure to joyn our fervent prayers and earnest supplications for unless the Lord comes in with his help and makes successful what we do what can it avail if the 2 Kings 6. 27. Gen. 9. 27. Lord help not as that King said to the woman how should we help God shall perswade Japhet c. It is of God that sheweth mercy and Rom. 9. 16. as God gave to every man else had we the wisdom of Angels what would it avail without God and therefore we must address our selves to the most High and cry unto him who as he hath performed this for us can also for others but of this I have occasionally spoken something before and therefore shall not enlarge here and as we should endeavour this unto all as occasion serves so more especially to our relations and those whose good we have stronger obligations upon us than ordinary for to seek as we who are Ministers whose proper work in a more special manner it is in reference to our people and so Parents in reference to their children and all relations in reference to each other yea if children be converted themselves and their Parents as yet unconverted they should in a special manner indeavour their conversion onely what they do they are to do in an humble way and to mannage it after a reverent manner as beseems that honour that is due to Parents from their children It is controverted by some whether children may not be instrumental of greater benefit to their Parents than they have receiv'd from them and certainly if they prove instrumental as to their conversion they may for to be instrumental of regeneration and a spiritual birth is far better than of generation and a natural birth and to be instrumental to an happy glorious and eternal life than to a