acquainted with the holy Scriptures and could remember what ye have learned there ye should not much be moved with that that any either Hereticke or Atheist could say against the truth Thirdly and lastly By this we shall be able to convince and stoppe the mouth of any caviller and seducer if we can alleadge a direct place of Scripture for that truth that we hold The Scripture is profitable and hath great efficacy and force 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to convince saith the Apostle 2 Tim. 3.16 it is the sword of the spirit Eph. 6.17 the weapon whereby the spirit of God fighteth with great power and efficacy against every adversary Thus did our blessed Saviour put to silence the tempter himselfe the grand Master and father of all Hereticks and seducers with Scriptum est by alleadging plaine places of Scripture against him Matthew 4.4 7 10. And therefore there is in it a more divine power to convince the conscience of any gaine-sayer and to stop his mouth then in all the testimonyes of counsells or fathers that ever lived in the world And therefore to conclude this first direction as this may discover to us what small hope there is of the greatest number of those that professe the truth in these dayes of peace and joyne with us in the use of all Gods ordinances that they should ever persevere and hold fast their profession being so extreamly ignorant and unacquainted with the principles and grounds of the Religion that they doe professe strangers in the holy Scriptures so may this assure the best of us all beloved that if ever a time of tryall shall come our hearts will smart and ake for this that we have not grounded our selves better in the knowledge of the truth that when we shall heare what the adversary will object against it wee shall find our selves so apt to stagger for want of grounded knowledge when we shall find so small comfort in suffering for it which wee have so small assurance whether it bee the truth or no. Certainely hee that desires to persevere and hold fast the truth hee must while hee hath time and meanes ground himselfe well in the knowledge of the truth by acquainting himselfe and seeking to be perfect in the principles of Religion and points of the Catechisme and by getting good proofes of Scripture for every thing that hee doth hold and professe The second is this He must take to heart that which he knoweth love it and make conscience to practice it or he will never continue constant in the profession of it This is given for the reason why the elect hearers who are in the parable Luke 8.15 resembled unto the good ground did keepe the word and bring forth fruit with patience did persevere and hold out to the end and none but they because they and they only did heare the word with honest and good hearts The man that heares the word and useth the meanes of knowledge with an honest and good heart that is with desire and purpose of heart to practice that which he knowes with such a heart as was in David Psalme 86.11 Teach mee thy wayes ô LORD and I will walke in thy truth And 119.34 Give me understanding and I shall keepe thy Law yea I shall observe it with my whole heart He I say that hath such an honest and good heart he shall certainely keepe it and hold out to the end Many promises are made to such The righteous is an everlasting foundation saith the Holy Ghost Prov. 10 25. And the Prophet having spoken Psalm 112.1 5. of many priviledges that belong to the man that feareth God to the good and upright hearted man he adds this to all the rest Verse 6. surely hee shall not be moved for ever no temptations no perswasions no persecutions shall ever be able to remove him If yee will feare the Lord saith Samuel to Israel 1 Sam. 12.14 And serve him and obey his voice and not rebell against the commandement of the Lord then shall both yee and also the King that reighneth over you continue following the Lord your God Bee you confident in this beloved even such of you as when you forecast the prevailing of Popery and danger of persecution have beene most apt to feare and doubt your selves that you shall never be able to hold out to the end if you truly feare God and make conscience to practice whatsoever he hath taught you be you confident I say in these promises and how weake soever you feele your selves know that the Lord will shew his strength in your weakenesse he will certainely uphold you The eyes of the Lord saith the Prophet to King Asa 2 Chron. 16.9 runne too and fro throughout the whole earth every nation every Towne every family to shew himselfe strong in the behalfe of them whose heart is perfect towards him This the faithfull have ever had good experience of in the times of most fiery tryall What an admirable strength and constancy shall we read of in the Booke of Martyrs to have beene in sundry simple men and women whose knowledge was very weake and meane A well grounded knowledge is a notable meanes to helpe unto constancy as we have heard But there is more force this way in one ounce of true piety and uprightnesse of heart then in a pound of knowledge without this Let a man abound in knowledge never so much if he feare not God if he makes not conscience of his wayes he may turne Papist before he dye notwithstanding all the knowledge that he hath Hold faith and a good conscience saith the Apostle to Timothy 1 Tim. 1.19 20. which some having put away concerning faith have made shipwracke of whom is Hymeneus and Alexander A pure conscience is that golden Pot wherein this heavenly Mannah of faith and sound judgement in Religion must bee kept Holding the mystery of faith in a pure conscience saith hee 1 Tim. ◠9 This golden Pot this precious cabinet will keepe it safe and sure so as we shall never lose it and nothing else but this will doe it And what meaneth he by a pure conscience Surely such a one as doth not willingly admit of the least spot the least sinne that may defile it A good conscience in all things as Paul calls it Heb. 13.18 He that dares not give liberty to himselfe to offend God in any thing he and he only shall hold fast the mystery of faith That Alexander which the Apostle speaketh of had not only beene a constant hearer of the Apostle but had been his constant companion in travell a zealous professour of the truth and very neare unto Martyrdome for it also as it may appeare Acts 19.33 34. yet fell this man so fearfully from the truth that he became a blasphemer of it as is plaine 1 Tim. 1.20 and a most bitter enemy and persecutor of it one of the greatest enemies that ever Paul had Alexander the copper-smith saith he 2 Tim. 4.14
drunkards nor railers nor extortioners shall inherit the kingdome of God They that will not or cannot forsake their sinnes how can they hope to go to heaven They that spend all their time in providing for this life but make no provision for heaven have no care to doe that that may yeeld them profit and increase when they shall come thither what hope can they have to go to heaven when they die Be not deceived saith the Apostle Gal. 6.7 8. God is not mocked for whatsoever a man soweth that shall be also reape he that soweth to the flesh shall of the flesh reape corruption but he that soweth to the spirit shall of the spirit reape everlasting life Seaventhly He that would with patience and comfort beare troubles and afflictions when they shall come and stand in the evill day must be carefull before hand to lead a godly life and to get a good conscience The godly man that maketh conscience of all his waies may seeme to get no good by it at all but to be rather a great looser by it in the world while the daies of peace and plenty and jollity do last Long peace and plenty hath in all ages bred in worldly men a humour to hate and scorne true piety Ye have shamed and dashed out of countenance saith the Lord Psal 14.6 the counsell of the poore and humbled Christian because the Lord is his refuge And Esa. 59.15 He that departeth from evill and dareth not do as other men do maketh himselfe a prey every body will be apt to do him wrong But shall we thinke that piety will never stand a man in more stead then thus even in this life Yes yes beloved When the evill day shall come the godly man shall find his labour hath not beene in vaine he shall certainely find more strength and comfort in that day then any other man can do Riches profit not in the day of wrath saith Solomon Pro. 11.4 but righteousnesse doth righteousnesse delivereth from death Vnto the upright saith David Psal. 112.4 there ariseth light in the darknesse comfort in time of greatest heavinesse Thy light shall rise in obscurity saith the Lord Esa. 58.10 When there shall be a palpable darknes in all the land of Egypt Gods people shall have light in their dwellings Exod. 10.22 23. and thy darknesse thy trouble and affliction shall be for comfort and joy as the noone day The Apostle mentioning the meanes whereby he was enabled to beare with such patience such afflictions necessities distresses stripes and imprisonments among others reckoneth this 2 Cor. 6.7 by the armour of righteousnesse on the right hand and on the left And speaking of all the parts of the Christian armour Ephes. 6.14 he calleth this the brest plate Certainely the testimony that our conscience shall give us that we have endeavoured in all our waies to please God will be as armour of proofe unto us in the evill day It will be so to us that are Ministers as we shall find in two notable examples The first is Ieremies Ier. 17.16 17 I have not hastened from being a pastour to follow thee as Ionah did neither have I desired the wofull day this wofull captivity that thou hast caused me to denounce that which came out of my lips was right before thee As if he had said I have dealt faithfully in my ministery And what followeth Be not a terrour unto me thou art my hope in the day of evill God will not be a terrour to such Ministers but their hope and comfort in the evill day The other example is Pauls 2 Cor. 1. Who having spoken of the troubles he had in Asia wherein saith he ver 8. we were pressed out of measure above strength insomuch that we despaired even of life telleth you verse 12. what it was that yeelded him comfort in that great distresse even the testimony of his conscience that in simplicty and godly sincerity not in fleshly wisdome as the flaunting Corinthian preachers did he had exercised himselfe in his Ministery And as this will be a great supporter to us that are Ministers in all our afflictions so will it certainely be to you that are Gods people also See this in the example of good Hezekiah who when the dolefull message was brought him from God by the Prophet to set his house in order for he must die and not live comforteth himselfe in this testimony of his conscience Esa. 38.3 Remember now O Lord I beseech thee how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart This will comfort a man on his death bed And so our Saviour assureth us Matth. 7.24 25. that he that heareth the Word and doth it maketh conscience to practise what he knoweth is like the wise man that built his house upon a rock and though the raine fall and the winds blow and the flouds beate upon him that is the most sore and violent tentations or afflictions come that can come yet shal he be able to stand and abide them all O thinke of this you that are so carelesse of your practise carelesse of your consciences whose religion standeth onely in hearing and in a profession of the truth certainely when the evill day shall come you will be found to be foolish builders that have built upon the sand when the raine shall fall and the winds blow and the flouds beate upon you when great troubles and afflictions shall come upon you you will never be able to stand out you must needs fall and sinke under them and your fall will be great as our Saviour speaketh there Matth. 7.26 â—7 The eight and last meanes whereby this grace of Christian patience to beare all troubles and afflictions comfortably may be obtained is prayer If any man lack wisdome saith the Apostle Iam. 1.5 and by wisdome he meaneth patience in that place let him aske of God that giveth to all men liberally and upbraideth not and it shall be given him Heere is a plaine promise you see And the Apostle when he had exhorted the Romanes Rom. 12.12 to be patient in tribulation he addeth immediatly continuing instant in prayer Instant and earnest prayer and continuing in it is the meanes to make us patient in tribulation So speaking of the compleat armour whereby a Christian may be made able to beare and stand out in the evill day he nameth this as a principall part of it Ephes. 6.18 Praying alwaies not by fits and starts with all prayer and supplication according as our own and the Churches various necessities shall require in the spirit fervently not formally and with lip labour onely watching thereunto against distractions and wandring thoughts with all perseverance holding out and not giving over when we speed not at the first This was the way whereby Iob sought strength to beare his afflictions Iob 16.20 My friends scorne me but mine eye poureth out teares unto God And David when many of his mortall enemies compassed him about
they were distempered in their braines either with melancholy or Satans tentations as experience sheweth us dayly that many good soules are which made them judge worse of their estate then they had just cause to doe If they had beene their owne men and in their right minds they would easily have discerned they have no reason to be so troubled seeing they being once regenerate were not under the law but under grace and consequently their sinne whatsoever it were how hainous soever could not have dominion over them Rom. 6.14 They had not sinned nor could possibly sinne as other men did with the full sway of their soule the full consent of their will For the seed of God remaineth still in them as the Apostle speaketh 1 Iohn 3.9 They should not be damned for any sinne that they had committed or could commit For there is no condemnation to them that are once in Christ Rom. 8.1 It is not possible they should dye in their sinnes but they shall certainely be renewed by repentance No sin they can commit is able to separate them from the love of God or cast them out of his favour For whom Christ ever loved he loveth to the end Iohn 13.1 To these men that shall thus object as doubtlesse too many are apt to doe too many are apt to thinke that all Gods people whom they see humbled and much perplexed in mind for their sinnes are distempered in their braines or at least are but silly weake creatures voyd of all judgement to these men I say that those three persons whom I have brought for witnesses to confirme this truth were all in their right minds they were not mad they were not distempered in their braines either through melancholy oâ— tentation though I confesse many of Gods people are so often times they judged not otherwise of their falls then they had just cause to doe they were no more troubled for their sinnes then they had just cause to be And to prove this I will produce my second witnesse that I told you I would bring for proofe of this truth The Lord himselfe who is greater then the conscience doth thus judge of the foule sins that regenerate men fall into For notwithstanding all that hath bin sayd or can possibly be said out of Gods word touching the unchangeablenesse of Gods love to all that are in Christ or touching the perpetuity of their happy estate that are once truly regenerate yet the Lord hath both by his word and works given two testimonies in this case whereby he hath clearely declared how hee judgeth and esteemeth of the sins that his owne people fall into And the two testimonies God hath given concerning this matter are these 1. That he can no better brooke the sins of the regenerate then of other men but hateth sin as much in them as in any other person 2. That he hateth sin more in them then in any other Observe the proofe of the first of these two testimonies in three points First Of the sins of the regenerate of Gods owne people it is said that God will not pardon them Hee is an holy God hee is a jealous God saith Ioshua to Gods owne people Iosh. 24.19 hee will not forgive your transgressions nor your sinnes And even of Christ Iesus the Angel of the Covenant the Lord saith to his people Exod. 23.21 Obey his voice provoke him not for he will not pardon your transgressions and marke the reason God giveth for it For my name is in him As if he should say Because he is God therefore he will not pardon your transgressions he were not God if he should doe it What will you say cannot the sins that a regenerate man falleth into be pardoned Are all their falls impardonable sins No verily for I proved to you the last day that no Elect child of God can possibly commit the unpardonable sin that all their sins shall upon their repentance certainly be forgiven The blood of Iesus Christ his sonne cleanseth us from all sinne as the Apostle saith 1 Iohn 1.7 But in those fearefull sentences that I mentioned to you two things are to be understood 1. That God will not winke at Christ himselfe because he is God cannot brooke nor beare with the sins of his people he cannot count them innocent nor thinke well of them till they have repented 2. That though ever since they first beleeved and were converted they have had a pardon upon record in heaven that can never be revoked nor cancelled yet if they fall againe into grosse sins they shall haue no comfort at all of that pardon but be as if they had no pardon till by renewing their repentance and faith they have sued out their pardon and be able to shew and plead it in the Court of their owne conscience Secondly Of the regenerate of Gods owne people it is said that though they be not eternally damned for their sins yet the Lord will take uengeance of them and plague them for them in this life as grievouslly and sharply as any other men in all the world The Lord our God knoweth well how to love the person of his child and yet to hate his sin neverthelesse how to continue his fatherly affection towards him and yet to shew extreame detestation to his sin If they breake my statutes and keepe not my commandements saith the Lord Psalme 89.31 34. then will I visite their transgression with the rod and their iniquitie with stripes neverthelesse my loving kindnesse I will not utterly take from him nor suffer my faithfulnesse to faile my covenant will I not breake nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips And againe Psalme 99.8 Thou wast a God that forgavest them though thou didst take vengeance of their inventions Though the regenerate man hath a generall pardon and all his sins be so forgiven him as they shall never be imputed to his condemnation yet if he give himselfe liberty to sin he cannot hope to be exempted from any of Gods judgements and plagues that ever fell upon sinner in this life He may be plagued as much as ever man was in his estate in his name in his posterity in his body yea in his mind and conscience also And who can tell in what kind and in what measure God will plague him how heavy and sharpe or of how long continuance the judgement shall be wherewith he will afflict him The Lord we know hath great store and variety of judgements to punish sinners with He hath an armoury full of the weapons of his indignations as the Prophet speaketh Ieremy 50.25 O how terrible hath the Lord shewed himselfe to many of his deare servants this way He is apt indeed as we heard the last day to passe by the frailties and infirmities of his servants such as they discerne and bewaile in themselves but wilfull sins scandalous sins nay sins of negligence and carelesnesse such as themselves make no conscience of he is
15. did me much evill the Lord reward him according to his works of whom he thou aware also for he hath greatly withstood our words And what was the cause of his falling thus fearfully That the Apostle hath told us he forsook a good conscience He gave liberty to himself to sinne against his conscience to live in some knowne sinne Corruption in manners will breed corruption in judgement A man that hath once knowne and professed the truth is seldome knowne to fall into Popery or any other heresie till he had first forsaken a good conscience and by living in knowne sinnes provoked God to give him over thus farre So among other judgements this is one whereby God threatneth to punish the disobedience of his people Deut. 28.36 Thou shalt serve other gods of wood and of stone thou shalt become a grosse and senslesse idolater And the Apostle speaking of them that in this last age should be drawne unto Popery 2 Thes. 2. he speakes of it Vers. 11. as of a fearefull judgement of God upon men for some sinnes they had beene guilty of For the cause saith he God shall send them strong delusiâ—â—s that they should believe a lie They shall be strongly deluded How By the learning or holinesse or miracles of their Priests No but by the most just hand and curse of God upon them God shall send them strong delusions that there shall be no errour in Popery so grosse no lie so palpable but they shall verily and undoubtedly believe it Marvell not then at their confidence For this cause saith the Apostle For what cause What is the sinne 〈◊〉 provokes God to plague men in this manner He nameth two one in Vers. 10 because they received not the love of the truth that they might be saved the second Vers. 12. because they tooke pleasure in unrighteousnesse To conclude then this second direction what hope can there be that many common Protestants though they be willing to heare and make profession of the truth should ever be able to continue constant in the truth in the time of tryall but that they will be apt to turne Papists blasphemers and persecutors of the truth when a time of tryall shall come seeing 1 they beare no love to the truth at all take no delight in it love every trifle and vanity better than it 2 they give liberty to themselves to live in knowne sinnes and take pleasure therein 3 they content themselves with a forme of godlinsse as the Apostle speaketh 2 Tim. 3.5 but deny and renounce the power of it and hate it mortally wheresoever they see it casting the most odious aspersious upon it Lecture CXLIX On Psalme 51.7 Nouem 1. 1631. IT followeth now that we proceed unto the third Direction and that is this He that would preserve himselfe from falling quite away from the truth and forsaking his religion must take heed of declining from or forsaking of the least truth he must not give himselfe liberty to shrink and fall from the least truth that God hath revealed unto him and wherein his conscience hath beene convinced that it is indeed a truth of God Two things there be whereby men do falsly warrant themselves to take this liberty and they be both of them certaine and undeniable truths First That there be many good and worthy men that see not nor make any reckoning of such truths as themselves have been convinced in And indeed a man may bee a right good man and indued with a great measure of saving grace and yet he cannot see nor be perswaded of some truths that God hath taught us in his holy Word but his judgement is erroneous and unsound in some points yea though he hath had great meanes to informe him in the truth yet he cannot see it And that therefore difference in judgement in some things which cannot be without errour on the one side should not alienate the hearts of brethren one from another as I shewed you in my last lecture but two out of Rom. 14 1-6 Secondly That on the other side there be many in whom no life nor power of godlinesse can be discerned that busie themselves altogether and glory in these points And indeed it is an ill signe in any and a shrewd note of an hypocrite to busie his braines about truths of lesâ—e moment with neglect of greater when a man shall seeke to be expert and cunning in those truths which concerne the ceremonies and discipline of the Church and be stiffe in the holding and maintaining of them and yet be ignorant and void of all desire to learne the doctrine of faith and repentance of mortification and newnesse of life the meaning of the ten commandements and articles of our faith of the Lords Prayer and doctrine of the Sacraments For such persons are doubtlesse under that wo that Christ denounceth Mat. 23.24 against them that straine at a gnat and swallow a camell But though these two things I say be so yet for a man to be wilfully ignorant of the truth of God in any thing wherein he is pleased to reveale his will unto us in his holy Word or to forsake it when he hath once beene convinced of it out of this conceit that it is but a small matter a trifle a man may be saved though he never know nor hold such a truth is a very dangerous sinne Observe I pray you the proofe of this in three points First Though some truths of God be comparatively greater than others as our Saviour saith Mat. 23.23 some matters of the Law and Word of God are weightier than others yet is not any one truth of God to be accounted small or of little or no moment even of those points of the law which he cals but gnats in comparison of others our Saviour saith Mat. 23.23 these ought ye to have done and not to leave the other undone even those small things ought not to be neglected ought not to be left undone I have written to them saith the Lord Hos. 8.12 the great things of my Law They are all great things that God hath written and revealed to us in his holy Word All the truths of God which the Apostles when the Spirit fell upon them in cloven tongues like fire did utter and teach are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Acts 2 11. Magnalia Dei the great things of God Yea the least truth of God that he hath revealed in his Word is to be esteemed of greater moment and weight than heaven and earth and all the creatures contained in them It is easier for heaven and earth to passe saith our Saviour Luk. 16.17 than that one title of the law should faile It is therefore a great contempt done unto Gods Word to think so lightly of any thing he hath taught us in it as if it were not worth the knowing or not worth the holding and sticking to when we do know it When David hath professed his high esteeme of Gods Word
Psal. 119.127 I love thy commandements saith he above gold yea above fine gold adds presently Ver. 128. Therefore I esteem all thy precepts concerning all things to be right and I hate every false way He that doth not esteeme highly of that that God hath taught us in his Word concerning all things concerning the smallest matters as well as concerning the greatest he that doth not hate every false way every errour in the matters of religion errour about the smallest things as well as errour about the greatest certainly he doth not love and esteem of Gods Word as he ought to do Secondly As a man may make himselfe abominable unto God by transgressing wittingly the least of his commandements Ye shall not make your selves abominable saith the Lord Lev 11.43 with any creeping thing by eating of it he meaneth and what commandement did ever God give that was lesse than those concrning meat and drinke so may a man do by receiving wittingly the least known errour or forsaking wittingly the least known truth See how earnest the Apostle is 2 Thes. 2 1-3 in disswading them from receiving an errour which of all errors that they could receive might seem the least dangerous yea a most wholsome errour that is that the day of Christ was then at hand Yet see I pray you and marke how earnest he is in this matter Now I beseech you brethren by the comming of our Lord Iesus Christ and by our gathering together unto him that yee bee not soone shaken in minde or bee troubled neither by spirit nor by word nor by letter as from us as that the day of Christ is at hand Let no man deceive you by any meanes To receive any thing as a divine truth which God hath not taught us in his Word though it carie never so good a shew of piety and devotion is certainly a very dangerous thing els would not the Apostle have beene so earnest in this case as he was Thirdly and lastly The surest way to keepe our hearts from forsaking and falling from the truth in maine and fundamentall matters is to make conscience of holding fast the truth even in the least matters of cleâ—ving constantly to the least truth that God hath revealed unto us and convinced our consciences in the surest way to keepe our selves from grosse and enormious sinnes is to make conscience of the least thing we know to be a sin This Iob knew well and therefore to preserve himselfe from the odious sin of adultery or fornication he durst not give himselfe liberty to looke or think of that that might provoke him to lust I made a covenant with mine eyes saith he Iob 31.1 why then should I thinke upon a maid David also knew this well and therefore that he might keepe himselfe innocent from the great transgression he was afraid to commit any presumptuous sinne any sinne against his knowledge and conscience yea he was afraid even of his secret faults of such sinnes as he knew he was many wayes guilty of in thought word and deed though he knew them not in particular nor discerned them to be sinnes This is evident by that earnest prayer he makes Psal. 19.12 13. Who can understand his errours cleanse thou me from secret faults keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sinnes let them not have dominion over me then shall I be upright and I shall be innocent from the great transgression And even so it is in this case the surest way to keep our judgements uncorrupted in the matters of greatest moment is to keepe them sound in those matters that are of least weight He that will give liberty to himselfe to reject and forsake the truth in the smallest matters will be in danger to forsake it and fall from it in the greatest matters if hee bee pressed to it Our Saviour speaking of that marvellous blindnesse of minde that by the just judgement of God was come upon the Iewes Matthew 13.14 Hearing they should heare but should not understand and seeing they should see but they should not perceive hee gives this for one reason of it that they had closed their owne eyes first If a man do wilfully refuse to see any truth that God would reveale unto him it is just with God to blind him so that he shall not be able to see or to have any comfortable certainty in any truth of God When the Apostle speakes of his zeale and resolution against such false brethren as taught circumcision to be still necessary even after the abrogation of the ceremoniall law had beene sufficiently published for it was above foureteene yeares after Pauls conversion as you may see Gal. 2.1 We gave no place by subjection to them saith he Ver. 5. no not for one houre If some politicians had been then to confer with him they would have said to him alas Paul why art thou so obstinate and peevish in such a trifle Circumcision is nothing and uncircumcision is nothing as thy selfe hast taught 1 Cor. 7.19 But he gives this reason why he was so resolute in opposing an errour even of that nature that the truth of the gospell saith he might continue with you These errours in smaller matters being received will by little and little deprive us of the truth and sincerity of the Gospell and usher in such errours as are more grosse and fundamentall Let no man say what unlawfulnesse is there in bowing before a crucifix in a decent manner for if we shall comply with Papists in such things it may be just with God to give us over to greater delusions and to apostate quite with them When Ioshuah a little before his death exhorts Israel to cleave constantly to the Lord and to take heed of being drawne by the Canaanites that lived among them unto their idolatry he inforceth his exhortation thus Iosh. 23.12 13. Els saith he if yee doe in any wise goe backe and cleave unto the remnant of these nations know for a certainty that the Lord your God will no more drive out any of these nations from before you but they shall bee snares and traps unto you and scourges in your sides and thornes in your eyes untill you perish from the good land which the Lord your God hath given you If wee shall in any wise goe backe from the truth of God bee it in greater matters or in smaller if wee shall in any wise goe backe and decline to gratifie the Papists and to conforme unto them wee may know for a certainty that God will forsake us and Poperie will prevaile against us So that to conclude this third direction wee must every one doe that for our selves which Epaphras did for the Colossians Colossians 4.12 Wee must labour fervently in our prayers with God that wee may stand perfect and compleat in all the will of God If we be desirous to hold fast our profession we must labour to stand perfect and compleat in all the will of God stand stedfastly in
when the heart accepts of and embraceth it Ibid. 4 a resting and relying upon Christ and him alone p. 413. He that can with an humbled heart cast himselfe upon Christ alone and rely upon him for obtaining Gods favour shall certainly obtaine assurance and comfort in the end Ibid. Lect. 84. True grace goeth through the whole man and worketh a totall change in him pag. 414. Yet is 1 there in the bâ—st 2 defect throughout in the measure and degree of grace p. 415. 2 There is in every faculty much old â—even remaining still in the best 3 Corruption is more sensible in every faculty then grace is p. 416. Three things argue truth of grace to be in the whole man even where the pâ—â—ty himselfe sometimes cannot discerne it viz. conflict mourning desire Ib. p. 417. The vanity of those that glory in the uprightnesse of their hearts though no grace appeare in their outward man Ibid. 418. Lect. 85. He that hath truth of grace in him makes conscience of the whole will of God in one point as well as in another p. 419. Though no man can keepe all nor any one commandement Legally yet Evangelically every Christian doeth in his minde and will p. 420 A man may have an upright heart though he be more â—lack in some duties then in some others more apt to offend in some sins then others and two reasons of that p. 421. Yea a mans heart cannot be upright unlesse hee make more conscience of those things God hath laid most speciall charge upon us for then of others p. 422. viz. 1 matters of substance more then matters of circumstance 2 duties of our particular callings more then generall duties Ibid. 3 duties that concerne our selves more then such as concerne others p. 423. Lect 86. The upright hearted man shewes his equall respect to al the coÌ„mandements 1 He desires to know the whole will of God in all things that concerneth him to know An ill signe to desire to know more then God is pleased to reveale or to be inquisitive in that that concerneth others more then our selves or to desire to know things that are no way usefull to our edification p. 423. But it s a good signe to be desirous to know the will of God in all things that concerne us p. 424. There 's little uprightnesse of heart in them 1 That care not for knowledge but despise the meanes thereof 2 Never enquire after the will of God in those things that concerne their own practise Ibid. 3 purposely than the knowledge or some truth p. 425. 2 He maketh conscience of every sinne of one as well as another Ibid. 1 Of his darling sinne that sin which naturall inclination or custome or profit or pleasure hath made dearest to him Ibid. 2 Of secret as well as open â—â—s which are of three sorts p. 426. 3 Of small sins as well as of grosse sins Ibid. 3 Hee maketh conscience of every duty God hath commanded him of one as well as of another he desires and stâ—â—ves to attaine to every grace p 427. Lect. 87. True saving grace is durable everlasting p. 428 A man may 1 Seeme to have saving grace by profession in the judgement of the Church and fall from it Ibid. 2 Hee that hath in truth many of the common gifts of Gods Spirit may loose them and fall away p. 429. 3 He that hath saving grace in truth may seeme to himselfe to have lost it utterly p. 430. yet true saving grace is of a lasting permanent and continuing nature Ibid. We should highly prize and esteeme of grace above al other things 1 because it is the surest way to get all other good things 2 It will make all other good things comfortable to us 3 whereas all things are transitory this is durable substance p. 431. Take heed of declining and falling from grace Ibid. For 1 Though the seed of grace be incorruptible yet a Christian may loose the sense of grace and the vigour and operation of grace in these respects the Spirit may be quenced foure waies 2 Every man is of himselfe exceeding proue to quench the Spirit thus 3 Feare of falling away is the meanes to keepe us from falling 4 Constancy in well doing and an uniformity in a Christian course is an inseparable property of true grace p 432. Lect. 88. He that would approue the uprightnesse of his heart must not content himselfe to abstaine from evill and do good unlesse he do this in the right manner p. 433 viz. 1 to the right end p. 434. c. 2 Not with th' outward man only but feelingly and with the heart p. 437. 3 In humility p. 438. Lect. 89. The third and last signe of uprightnesse is when a man can finde in himselfe that notwithstanding all his failings in practise and obedience yet God hath his heart viz. hee doth 1 in his minde allow and consent to the law and word of God in all things 2 in his will unfeignedly desire and purpose to please God and doe his will p. 438. Truth of grace better discerned by this then by any performance we are able to make p. 439. as may appeare 1 by the Lords describing good men by this rather then by ought else Ibid. 2 By the comfort the best men have found in this rather then in ought else Ibid. 3 By the high account God makes of this more then of ought else p 440. for 1 hee accepts the will for the deed Ibid. 2 he esteemes more of the will then of the deed 3 where hee hath wrought the will hee will also worke ability to do p. 441. Obj. Every wicked man will blesse himselfe in this who hath good desires p. 443. Answ. 1. admit wicked men take offence this truth must not be concealed 2 No wicked man hath any good and unteigned desires to doe well as appeares by five differences betweene their desires and the desires of the regenerate p. 442 443. Lect. 90. Their folly and sinne is great that refuse Gods service and to be soundly religious out of this conceit that the conscionable profession and practise of religion is too heavie a yoake and bondage p. 444. Hee that will be Gods servant must 1 depend upon him 2 do his wil Ibid. 1 Satan hath many more servants then God Ibid. 2 yet his service most toilesome drudgery and so is not the Lords 3 The service most men doe to Satan they doe it willingly and cheerefully not so to God p. 445. Sundry reasons there are of this why men so shun Gods service viz. 1 because there bee so few goe that way 2 They should make themselves odious to all men 3 Gods servants are much subject to trouble 4 full of faults 5 Gods service is spirituall But the chiefe reason is this that they thinke Gods service an intollerable bondage p. 446 447. But this is not foe for Lect. 91. 1 Religion doth not abridge man of lawfull liberties delights
hath given to them that cleave constantly to his truth p. 769. The faithfull themselves have found much comfort in this p. 770. Lect. 145. The Spirit of God wheresoever he dwellâ— will teach and effectually perswade the heart in the truth of religion p. 771. No man can grow to certainty in matters of religion by any other meanes but by the teaching of the Spirit and proportionable to the measure of the Spirit of sanctification that a man hath shall his certainty be p. 773 774 Yet is not this to be accounted every mans private Spirit p. 775. The Spirits teaching to be judged by the Word Ibid. The ministery of the Word is the meanes whereby the Spirit useth to teach men p. 776 They whom the Spirit hath once taught and perswaded will certainely persevere in the truth Ibid. Lect. 146. Th'exhortation to constancy in the truth is very needfull and that even in these daies p. 777. by reason 1 that Papists increase 2 the multitude of other erroneous spirits 3 the generall decay of the zealous love of religion and of the life power of it p. 778. 1 Motive to constancy Corruption in judgement is the most dangerous corruption of all other p. 779 780. 2 Motive He that falls from the truth and embraceth errour was never taught of the Spirit p. 780. Though in some things of smaller moment the faithfull may be subject to errour and errors of that nature should not alienate Christians one from another yea in fundamentall points for a time Ibid. 781. Lect. 147. Though our perseverance in the truth be to be ascribed to the Lord alone yet he worketh it by meanes and will have us to bee agents in this work our selves p. 782 783. 1 We must carefully shâ—n all things whereby we may be in danger to be corrupted and drawne from the truth viz. 1. We must shun the hearing and conferring with them that are hereticks and seducers and the reading of their books We should not long to heare what they can say for their errors or against the truth p. 784. 2 Wee must take heed of affecting the knowledge of intricate curious and unprofitable points p. 785. There is a desire of knowledge which is commendable and no Minister should mislike in his hearers p. 786. Yet is there a desire of knowledge that is most dangerous Ibid. 1 When wee desire to know more of Gods matters then hee hath pleased to reveale in his Word Ibid. 2 When neglecting other things we seeke the knowledge of those high points onely that are above our capacity to understand and busie our selves in matters of controversie p. 787. 3 When wee desire knowledge onely for knowledge saâ—e without respect to the use and profit we may make of it for our edification in faith and holinesse p 788. Lect. 148. He that desires to hold fast his profession must use the meanes whereby hee may bee established in the truth and preserved from falling away from it foure directions are given us in Gods booke for this p. 788. 1 Hee must ground himselfe well in the knowledge of the truth and labour to bee assured upon good grounds that it is indeed the truth he holdeth Ibid. 1 Hee must acquâ—â—nt himselfe with the maine principles of religion and seeke to be perfect in them p. 789. 2 examine by Scripture what ever hee heareth or readeth and labour to get good proofes of Scripture for whatsoever he holdeth p. 790. 2 He must labour to take to heart that which he knoweth love it and make conscience to practise it He that by reading or hearing seeketh knowledge with an honest and good heart shall hold fast that which he professeth and none but he p. 792 793. Lect. 149. 3 He must take heed of declining from or forsaking the least truth his conscience hath beene convinced in Two things there bee that deceive men in this case p. 793 794. Though some truths be of greater moment then others yet it s a dangerous sin to be willfully ignorant of any truth God hath revealed or forsake it when we know it upon conceit that it is but a trisâ—e for 1 nothing that God hath revealed is of small moment or lightly to be accounted of 2 a man may make himselfe abominable to God by forsaking wittingly the least truth or receiving the least errour p. 794. 3 the best way to keepe us from falling from the truth in the maine points is to make conscience of falling from the least truth p. 795. 4 He must be constant in a conscionable use of all Gods ordinances 1 the ministery of the Word p. 796. 2 the Sacrament of the Lords Supper 3 prayer p. 797 798. Lect. 150. Every one that hath the Spirit of Christ will take to heart the cause of God and his holy religion p. 798. 1 No man can have the Spirit of Christs unlesse he love God unfeignedly above all things els Ibid. 2 He that doth thus love God must needs be zealous for God grieved and troubled to see him dishonoured 3 He that hath any true zeale to God in him will shew and expresse it principally towards the house and worship of God p. 799. More particularly 1 He that hath the Spirit of Christ must needs rejoyce to see or heare that the true religion of God doth prosper and that the purity of it is restored or set up any where p. 800. 2 He that hath the Spirit of Christ will rejoyce in the frequencie and fullnesse of Church-assemblies 3 In the plentifull and free preaching of the Word p. 801. 4 Hee will rejoyce to see and heare that the ministery of the Word is fruitfull among them that enjoy it and powerfull to reforme their hearts and lives p. 802 803. Lect. 151. Three Reasons and grounds of the former doctrine 1 He that hath the Spirit of Christ cannot but love the persons of all men and we love no man unlesse wee love his soule and unfeignedly desire his salvation grieve to see his soule in danger of perishing p. 803. He that desires the salvation of all will joy in the plentifull and sound preaching of the Word p. 804. Though God can save men without preaching yet he doth not ordinarily without it and its a fearefull signe hee meaneth not to save them he denieth preaching unto Ibid. 805. Though all bee not saved that have preaching yet it s a cause of comfort to see sound preachers abound p. 805. A man that hath no truth of grace in himselfe may yet be a meanes of conversion to others Ibid. 2 The respect wee have to the state and Church wherein we live which we are bound to love p. 806. 1 Nothing will make the state and Church so honourable as the liberty of the Gospell 2 nor so strong and peaceable 3 nor so prosperous and plenteous in blessings p. 806 807. On the other side nothing will sooner deprive it of all blessings then the neglect and opposing of religion p.
and filthinesse we must declare 1. In our speech Col. 4.6 Let your speech be alway with grace seasoned with â—â—lt Even Ministers tho they may lawfully speake of womens matters and even of those marriage duties that are most secret Levit. 12. 1 Cor 7 â— 4 yet may they not speake of these things broadly nor rudely but with great gravity and purity 1 Tim. 5.2 2. In lookes and countenance for even therein a filthy and immodest heart is oft discovered 2 Pet. 2.14 Having eyes full of adultery 3. In our apparell and attire 1 Tim. 2.9 Let womâ—n adorne themselves in modest apparell with shamefastnesse and sobriety 4. In the conscience we make even of our very thoughts Iob 31.1 I made a covenant with mine eyes why then should I thinke of a maide Secondly this Doctrine serves to reprove the extreame immodesty of these times and that liberty men take to speake filthily And surely in respect of this all that feare God have cause to bewaile and complaine with the Prophet Esa. 6.5 I dwell in the midst of a people of uncleane lips I know the excuses men make for this sin First that though they speake so they meane no hurt but their hearts are as good as theirs that are most precise but for this I say that it is not possible the heart should be cleane when the mouth is so filthy Matth. 15.18 Those things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart and they defile the man And 12.34 Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh Secondly that they do it but in mirth and will you not say they allow men to be merry To whom I answer that this will be found a poore excuse one day For 1. Such mirth is expresly forbidden The Apostle having condemned among other sins foolish talking and jesting which are not convenient Ephes. 5.4 concludes his speech thus in the 6. verse Let no man deceive you with vaine words for because of these things commeth the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience 2. Our mirth extenuateth not our sins but aggravateth them rather and those sins are usually most outragious that we commit in our merriment Eccle. 2.2 Iâ—â—ia of laughter it is mad 3. If thou hadst grace in thee thou wouldst finde that such mirth would end in heavinesse as Salomon speaketh Pro. 14.13 and grieve Gods spirit in thee Ephes. 4.30 Thirdly that if they do no worse but speake a little idly and vainely in their mirth they doubt not but they shall do well enough But to these I say that they are fouly deceived in thinking it so small a matter to offend in their speech as they shall perceive if they would consider well what our blessed Saviour saith Matth. 12.37 By thy words thou shalt be justified and by thy words thou shalt be condemned Hitherto we have heard in what termes this sin of David is expressed Followeth now that we consider the sin it selfe that was committed and the heinousnesse of it First in respect of the kinde and nature of his sins they were 1. Adultery of which Iob faith 31.11 12. This is an heinous crime yea it is an iniquity to be punished by the judges for it is a fire that consumeth to destruction and would root out all mine increase 2. He to cloake his filthy whordome committed murder also A sin that defileth the land where it is committed and the land cannot be cleansed of the bloud that is shed therein but by the bloud of him that shed it Num. 35.33 Yea what manner of person murdered he Not an innocent onely but him that was one of his worthies as appeareth 2 Sam. 23.39 yea he murdered with him sundry others of Gods people 2 Sam. 11.17 and that by the sword of Gods enemies giving occasion of insultation thereby 2 Sam. 12.9 Secondly in respect of the circumstances whereby it was aggravated greatly that is First in respect of the person that committed these sins 1. He was a man that had the remedy that God hath sanctified to keepe men from uncleannesse as Nathan telleth him 2 Sam. 12.2.11 2. These sins were not committed by him in the heate of his youth but when he was now ancient and had many children as appeareth by 2 Sam. 3.2 5. compared with 2 Sam. 5.13 14. 3. These sins were not committed by one before his conversion or that was a novice in religion but by a man that had attained to a rare degree of knowledge as himselfe professeth Psal. 119.99.100 and one that was of great note for the profession of the truth and had most solemnely bound and devoted himselfe to God Psal. 119.106 by one that had attained to a great sense of Gods favour as appeareth by that prayer of his Psal. 51 12. by one that had beene exercised with manifold tentations and so had had great experience in cases of conscience as appeareth by that he saith Psal. 40.12 The second circumstance that aggravateth his sin was the time when this whoredome was committed even when Gods host was gone out against his enemies 2 Sam. 11.1 that greatly increased his sin Deut. 23.9 When the host goeth forth against thine enemies then keepe thee from every wicked thing This may appeare also by Vriahs example 2 Sam. 11.11 Tho he was not with the host in person now yet should he have beene so much the more earnest with God in prayer for them as Moses was Exod. 17.9.11 This sin is therefore counted his chiefe sin and such wherein he sinned in a more presumptuous manner then in any other 1 King 15.5 And yet the man that did thus heinously sin was certainly a regenerate man and upright in heart a man of whom the Lord gives testimony 1 Sam. 13.14 that he was a man according to his owne heart From all which laid together this Doctrine will arise That the man that is truly regenerate and hath attained to a great measure of saving grace may fall fearefully into most odious sins For first admit the regenerate use not to fall into the same grosse sins againe that they have formerly repented of As it is said of Iudah that after he saw his sin that he had committed with Tamar Gen. 38.26 He knew her againe no more I do not deny but the regenerate may and do fall oft into the same smaller sins and infirmities that they have oft beene humbled for and repented of Yea it is also possible that they may fall into the same grosse and scandalous sins againe that they have formerly repented of But this I can say that they use not so to do and that we cannot in all the Scripture finde an example of any regenerate person that hath done so Iehosaphat sinned greatly in joyning in league with Ahaziah an enemy of God but after his sin was effectually discovered unto him 2 Chron. â—0 37 he could not be drawne to do so againe 1 King 22 4â— The like we see in â—oah that fell
him to heare him And our Saviour was so farre from blaming them as if they neglected their worldly businesse this way that hee defendeth and praiseth Mary for doing this Luk. 10 4â— though happily she had some whatelse to do at that time Thirdly few or none are thankefull to God for this ordinance of his nor do in their hearts esteeme it any such blessing to the land or towne that enjoy it as for which they should thinke themselves much bound to praise God They can be thankefull for peace and for health and for seasonable times but for a goâ—d ministery few or none can be thankefull to God whereas we should account it our chiefe blessing from God for so the Lord speaketh of this as his chiefe blessing bestowed upon a people Iere 3 15. I will give you Pastors according to mine owne heart that shall feed you with knowledge and understanding And Amos 2.11 I raised up of your sonnes for Prophets and of your young men for Nazarites And Mic. 6.4 I sent before thee and Moses Aaron Miriam Yea such a blessing it is as should abundantly content us and assure us of Gods favour even in the want of all other blessings For so speaketh the Lord of it Esay 30.20 Though the Lord give you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction yet shall not thy teachers be removed into a corner any more but thine eyes shall see thy teachers 2. We should account a faithful ministery the very glory and strength of our land When the Arke of God was gone the glory was departed from Israel 1. Sam. 4.31 And the true ministery of the Lords Levits is said to be that that strengthened the kingdome of Iudah 2. Chron. 11.17 And Abijah makes this a maine ground of his confidence and hope of successe in his battell against Ieroboam that he in his kingdome had a true and faithfull ministery which the other had not 2 Chron. 13.9 10. Have not ye cast out the Priests of the Lord the sonnes of Aaron and the Levites and have made you priests after the manner of the nations But as for us the Lord is our God and we have not forsaken him and the Priests which minister unto the Lord are the sonnes of Aaron and the Levites waite upon their businesses Now to this first sort of persons that this Doctrine reproveth I have no more to say but this that I would have them to thinke seriously of two things First That they have cause to suspect whatsoever grace or goodnes seemes to be in them while their heart tells them they make no more reckoning of the ministery of the Word but despise it rather Two good things such men use to put most confidence in 1. They find some devotion in themselves they love prayers well and can say their owne prayers sometimes 2. They beleeve in Christ. Foolish man let not Satan deceive thee certainly while thou makest no reckning of the ministery of the Word they faith is nothing worth thy prayers will do thee no good For thy prayers know all the service thou seemest to doe unto God is no better then the sacrifice of fooles till thou be more ready to heare Eccles. 5.1 To hearken is better then the fat of Rammes 1. Sam. 15.22 And for both thy praying and thy beleeving in Christ marke well that knowne place well knowne indeed ô that it were aswell beleeved Rom. 10.14 How shall they call on him in whom they have not beleeved and how shall they beleeve in him of whom they have not heard and how shall they heare without a preacher How canst thou pray that hast no faith how canst thou have faith that camest not to it by hearing the Word preached that art no hearer But me thinks I heare many of you say this toucheth not me for I am a hearer I have heard many a Sermon O but marke what followeth in the next verse verse 15. and thou shalt find thou art no such hearer as Paul speakes of the hearers that Paul speaketh of are such as can cry O how beautifull are the feete of them that doe preach the Gospell of peace But thou seest no beauty in their feete thou hearest them but thou joyest not in them thou countest them no blessing nor art thankfull to God for them thou seest no great need of hearing of them thou art weary of them and how shouldest thou have any true faith how shouldest thou be able to pray aright The second thing I would have these men to consider is this that the holy Ghost speaketh of this as of a fearefull sinne and signe of a most gracelesse heart to be unwilling to heare the word to have no mind unto it 1. Such a one hath no care of his soule what becomes of it whether it sinke or swimme as we say whether it be saved or damned Pro 15.32 He that refuseth instruction despiseth his own soule Nay 2. more then that such a one careth not for God or the things of God regardeth him not feareth him not is in his heart a very Athiest they that desire not the knowledge of his wayes say in their hearts unto God depart from us Iob 21.14 My people would not hearken to my voice Israel would none of me saith the Lord Psal. 81.11 Nay 3. to refuse to heare the word preached when wee may and God offereth it unto us to have no mind to it no love to it is a greater sin if Christ be to be beleeved then the sinne of Sodome and Gomorrah Mat. 10.14 15. When all is done and the time of reckoning shall come this will be found to be thy chiefest sinne The second sort that are to bee reproved by this Doctrine are they which heare often seeme also to delight in the best ministry yet profit not at al by it but remaine as ignorant unreformed profane as they that never heard Sermon If tryall were taken of the most hearers they would be found such as the Apostle speaketh of 2 Tim. 3.7 ever learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth Such hearers I desire to consider and weigh well with themselves these sixe points First That it is no great matter of comfort to a man nor thing wherein any should blesse himselfe that he is a hearer a constant hearer a hearer of the best teachers and that with delight also This testimony the Lord gives of notorious hypocrites Esa. 58.2 They seeke me daily and delight to know my wayes and Ezech 33 3â— 32. They come to thee a faithfull Prophet as the people commeth and they sit before thee as my people and they heare thy words with their mouth they show much love praising the faithfull minister greatly and loe thou art unto them as a very lovely song of one that hath a pleasant voice and can play well on an instrument No musicke did ever delight them more then a good Sermon Yea of Herod himselfe it is said
must alwaies give place to edification and to further the edification of Gods people it well becomes Gods servant even to forget himselfe in a matter of decency For this we have the example of our blessed Saviour not onely in making a scourge and whipping the buyers and sellers out of the the temple where the zeale of Gods house did even eate him up Ioh. 2.15 but even in this very case of preaching Ioh. 7.37 In the last and great day of the feast he stood up and cried And if this make us contemptible in the eyes of any as Davids dancing and leaping in a zealous joy before the Arke did him in the eyes of Michal 2 Sam. 6.16 we must answer such as he did her 2 Sam. 6.21 22. It is unto the Lord that we doe thus and we will be yet more vile then thus and will be base in our owne sight and Gods people will esteeme of us never the lesse for this though such as Michal was do despise us in their hearts for it Thirdly but such of you as are alwaies chiding of us and inveighing against us shew plainely you beare no love to us nor thinke well of us but count us as reprobates or as men profane and void of all religion and how can we love or esteeme well of you that thinke no better of us or how can we profit by your ministery when we are perswaded you love us not I answer that men are greatly deceived in judging thus Gal. 4.16 Am I therefore become your enemy because I tell you the truth Certainely there is no greater argument a Minister loves his people well then this when hee doth plainely reprove their sinnes Levit. 19.17 Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thy heart then shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbour and not suffer sin upon him For 1. Though we do thinke ill of you and are perswaded you are not yet in the state of grace but profane and void of religion for how can we thinke otherwise of a great many yet may we love you unfainedly for all that if we pittie your case and pray for you and use the best meanes we can to win you to God Our Saviour did not think well of Ierusalem that killed the Prophets and stoned them that were sent unto her and yet he loved Ierusalem dearely as appeares by his pittying her case and weeping over her Luk. 19.41 He did not think well of the Iewes that crucified him and judged them to be in a fearefull state and yet he loved them for all that as appeares by his praying for them Luk. 23.34 Father forgive them for they know not what they doe The Thessalonians that might not keepe company with them that would not obey the doctrine of the Apostles declared by that that they did not thinke well of them yet so long as they did admonish them and use meanes to bring them unto repentance they did not count them as enemies but loved them as brethren 2 Thess. 3.14 15. 2. We may not onely love you well but also thinke well of you and judge you to bee in the state of grace as well as ourselves and yet sharply reprove that that wee see to be a misse in you Our Saviour loved dearely his elect Apostles and thoughtfull well of them and oft pronounceth them to be in a blessed estate Luk 6.20 Blessed are ye poore c. and Mat. 13.16 Blessed are your eyes for ye see c. And of Peter Mat. 16.17 Blessed art thou Simon Barjona Yet did he reprove them often for that that was amisse in them and that very sharply and bitterly Mat. 16.8 O yee of little faith and 17.17 O faithlesse and perverse generation And to Peter he saith Mat. 16.23 Get thee behinde me Satan for thou art an offence unto me for thou savourest not the things that be of God Fourthly I grant this is true that you say a Minister may love his people and thinke well of them too though he doe reprove their sinnes But then hee should deale with them in private if he knew ought to be amisse in them but when he will cry out against them and disgrace them publickly what love is there in that Who can take that well I answer 1. No faithfull Minister dare publickly reprove or note or disgrace any person for any sin that is private For he knoweth he is bound by the commandement of Christ Mat. 18.15 to tender the credit of the offendors but if any mans sinne be publickly notorious and scandalous he must not take it ill to be reproved publickly he must not from this argue that the Minister loves him not You doubt not I dare say but Paul loved Peter well at all times yet when he saw that he sinned scandalously and by his example drew Barnabas and others to dissemble he reproved Peter not secretly but before them all Gal. 2.14 And we have a plaine commandement for this 1 Tim. 5.20 Them that sinne he meanes openly and with scandall rebuke before all that others also may feare 2. To have any sin that thou art given unto to be sharply and publickly reproved so that thy person be not noted nor the fault that was private before made publicke and notorious by the manner of reproving it in the publick ministery is no wrong or disgrace to thee at all Yea if wee knew all the sins that any of you are given unto and did in every Sermon that we make meet with them and sharply reprove them this were a great argument of our love to you and care of your soules and would be a great benefit unto you Or els David was deceived when he prayed Psal. 141.5 Let the righteous smite me for that is a benefit and Solomon when he said Pro. 6.23 Reproofes of instruction are the way of life 3. O that men were so willing as they pretend to be admonished privately Alas few are so most men will be ready as those dogs that our Saviour speakes of Mat. 7.6 to turne againe and bite and rent them that shall offer to performe this office of love unto them But if you were so willing as you pretend yet is it not alwaies fit that we should in private admonish or charge you with the faults we heare and suspect to be in you because in personall reproofes we must be able to convince you not only that it is a sin we heare to be in you but also that you are guilty of it In personall reproofe of sin we must have better proofes then heare-say and strive to be like unto Christ our Master of whom it is said Esa. 11.3 He shall not reprove after the hearing of his eares Fiftly admit all this be so yet many of you that are Ministers blemish your selves much and loose the hearts of your people by this that you are so apt to hearken to tale-bearers and pickethankes and then to broach in the pulpit whatsoever you heare So
men certainly this is not the spirit of Christ which descended upon him in a bodily shape like a Dove Luke 3.22 this is not the spirit of Iesus the Saviour of the World whose name your hypocriticall teachers will needs beare this is the spirit of Apollyon the destroyer that teacheth men to doe so 3. They pretend the wickednesse of our nation and of our religion also Admit our religion were as bad as they can imagine Noveltie heresie Idolatry Calvino-turcism as they blasphemously terme it Admit that in our Land they were oppressed persecuted kept in extreame bondage servitude Yet 1. our religion cannot be so bad as that was in Babylon 2. nor the oppression be so great which they indure in our Land as those which Gods people indured in Babylon 3. Our Land is their native Country wherein they and their ancestours were borne and bred wherein they have many of them attained to great wealth and state the meanest to many more comforts then ever Gods people did in Babylon that strange land that land of miserable bondage and captivity And yet Gods people might not nay durst not conspire the destruction of Babylon or the betraying of it to a forraine enemy but were bound to seeke by all meanes the peace and prosperity of it and to pray to God for it as you have heard out of Ieremy 19.7 Three things there bee that move mee to insist so much upon this point 1. To instruct you how to deale with such friends of yours as are addicted to Popery I know well that that prophecy is now fulfilled which you read Rev. 17.2 the Whore of Babilon hath made the inhabitants of the earth drunke with the wine of her fornication It is vaine thing to reason with or seeke to perswade drunken men But surely if there be any of your friends that have not yet drunke so deepe of that cup that they have lost their wits this will be as likely an argument to perswade them that that religion cannot be of God as any you can use unto them 2. To confirme your selves in the dislike and detestation of Popery and that we may with comfort resist even unto bloud striving against this sinfull this bloudy religion Heb. 12.4 3. To warne you of the great danger we and our nation do continually live in that have among us so mighty a generation of these vipers that so we may be made more carefull to make sure our peace with God and to cry instantly unto him as David doth Psal. 3.7 8. Arise O Lord save me O my God salvation belongeth unto the Lord thy blessing is upon thy people Selah The second sort of those that declare themselves not to be the children of our heavenly father are such as are so farre from doing good in the places where they live that they are the undoers of men usurers extortioners decayers of townes and depopulatours of them Of whom it may be said as Esa. 59.7 Their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity wasting and destruction are in their paths Mic. 2.1 2. They devise iniquity and worke evill upon their beds there they hammer it when the morning is light they practise it because it is in the power of their hands they covet fields and take them by violence and houses and take them away so they oppresse a man and his house even a man and his heritage These men I take the readiest way to bring ruine upon their owne houses You know who it is that hath said Esa. 5.8 Wo unto them that joyne house to house and field to field till there be no place that they may be placed alone in the midst of the earth but what followeth verse 9. In mine eares said the Lord of hosts of a truth many houses shall be desolate even great and faire without inhabitant And Hab. 2.9 We to him that coveteth an evill covetousnesse to his house that he may set his nest on high Thou hast saith the Lord verse 10 11. consulted shame to thy house by cutting off many people and hast sinned against thy soule For the stone shall cry out of the wall and the beame out of the timber shall answer it 2. Certainely let all oppressours and cruell persons of what kind soever all usurers and extortioners that like great pikes devoure all the little fishes that come neere them pretend religion never so much make never so faire shewes Gods children they are not they beare not his image they are nothing like him his children they are whom they resemble in their disposition they are the children of Apollyon the children of the destroyer Thirdly All lewd persons even in this point shew themselves not to be the children of God but of the divell even because they doe no good to the place they live in but are a burden a plague and a curse to it That which the Prophet speaketh of swearers Ier. 23.10 because of oathes the land doth mourne may be said of drunkards also and whoremongers and idolaters and profane wretches they will make the place mourne they live in they are as Ionah was in the ship they will endanger all that live with them they are as Achan was to the whole host of Israel Iosh. 7.1 For Achans sake the anger of the Lord was kindled against the children of Israel Of them it may be said as Esa. 14.20 Thou shalt not be joyned with them in buriall because thou hast destroyed thy land and slaine thy people Zach. 7.14 For they laid the pleasant land desolate Therefore 1 do what you can to keepe such out to get such out of your families and townes you live in 1 Cor. 5.13 Therefore put away from among you such wicked persons 2 If you did beleeve this you would all joyne together to restraine and punish these lewd persons according to the exhortation of the Apostle Heb. 12.15 Looking diligently lest any root of bitternesse springing up do trouble you and thereby many be defiled Fourthly Such as live idly and without a calling or in such a calling as is unprofitable to the Common-wealth such as whereby others receive no benefit or profit at all that serve for no other use but to devoure Gods creatures and make a dearth This is noted for a grievous sinne and a chiefe part of the corruption of our nature Rom. 3.12 They are together become unprofitable there is none that doth good 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is profitable and usefull to others And religion and grace where ever it prevaileth maketh men profitable as it did Onesimus Phil. 11. The Papists dote much upon the monasticall life and count it a state of great perfection because in it men spend their whole time in prayer and heavenly contemplations But the Scripture teacheth us it is a state of greater perfection to live in such a calling wherein a man may be most profitable and usefull to others David counted it a great affliction and matter of humbling to him Ps. 31.12
by any authority of man hee did open penance and made publike and particular acknowledgement of his sin Matth. 2â— 3 4. but hee never had the grace to goe to God in secret and lay open his sins before him Secondly This publike confession of sin to a congregation is not of that absolute necessity that secret confession unto God is So that though we may boldly say no man hath truly repented nor can hope to find mercy with God that confesseth noâ— his sins unto God Prov. 28.13 Hee that covereth his sins shall not prosper but who confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy Yet can we not say but many a one whose sins have beene publike and notorious to the congregations where they have lived have truly repented of these sins and obtained assurance of the pardon of them though they never made publike confession of them unto the Church The sins of that woman of whom wee read Luke 7. were publike and notorious all the towne where she lived tooke notice what the lewdnes of her life had bin as appeareth verse 37.39 and that woman certainly did repent as appeareth by the teares that she out of love to Christ shed so aboundantly verse 38. and she attained also to sound assurance of the pardon of her sins for our Saviour giveth his word for that verse 48. and verse 50. telleth her her faith had saved her and biddeth her goe in peace Yet we find not that either she ever made publike confession to the congregation or that our Saviour enjoyned either her or that woman taken in adultery Iohn 8.11 or Zacheus Luke 19.9 or any other penitent sinner that he did convert to goe and make this publike confession of their sins which doubtlesse hee would have done if this had bin of absolute necessity and that without it there could bee no true repentance nor comfortable assurance gotten of the pardon of such publike and notorious sins Thirdly It is not fit and expedient that any should make or offer himselfe to make this publike confession of his sinne in the congregation that is not required to doe it by the discipline of the Church For all things in the Congregation should bee done decently and in order 1 Cor. 14.40 And there are masters of the assemblies appointed of God Ecclesi 12.11 according to whose direction all things are to be ordered that are done in the publike assemblies and not according to the spirit and devotion of any private man And this may seeme to be the reason why our Saviour enjoyned not this publike confession unto those notorious sinners I told you of before because through the extreame corruption of those times and neglect of the discipline of the Church it was not required but growne out of use in those dayes All this notwithstanding the point I taught you doth remaine a certaine and undoubted truth that they whose sins are publike and notorious scandalous and offensive unto the congregation ought to be willing to confesse their sins publikly when they shall bee required to doe it by the discipline of the Church yea I say more they ought to desire that they may doe it they should desire to make their repentance as publike and notorious as their sinnes have beene The truth of this will appeare 1. By the practise of sundry of Gods servants 2. By the reasons that moved them to do it and upon which this their practise was grounded And for the first we have the example first of three publike persons two great Kings and an Apostle such as of all others were most bound to be tender of their reputation and good name such as because they were subject to no superiour power that could enjoyne it unto them tooke it upon themselves and did voluntarily make publike acknowledgements of their sins to the Church of God David was one of these Kings whose example we have in this Psalme And Solomon his son was another who after hee had fearefully and scandalously fallen made the booke called Ecclesiastes wherein hee doth as publikely professe his repentance to the whole Church as his father did in this Psalme The Apostle that did thus was blessed Paul who doth oft take occasion publikely to confesse his sinne This hee did before a great multiude Acts 22.4 I persecuted this way unto death binding and delivering into prisons both men and women Thus hee did againe in every solemne audience before Festus and Agrippa Actes 26.11 I punished them oft in every Synagogue and compelled them to blaspheme and being exceedingly mad against them I persecuted them even unto strange Cities Thus hee did againe in that Epistle hee wrote unto the Corinthians 1 Corinthians 15.9 I am not worthy to bee called an Apostle because I persecuted the Church of God And in that to Timothy 1 Tim. 1.13.15 I was a blasphemer and a persecutor the chiefe of all sinners You see he cared not 1. How many witnesses he had of his confession and repentance 2. Nor what manner of persons they were great or small good or bad friends or enemies 3. He thought he could never make this publike confession too often 4. Nor that he could disgrace himselfe too much in it or speake too odiously of his sin And these are the three publike persons I told you of Wee have also an example of a private person which though it bee not of so great authority as the other three yet it is in this respect as fit as any of them to give us direction in this case because he made his publike profession of his repentance being enjoyned to doe it by the authority of the Church or rather by authority of the Apostle who gave order to the Church in this case by that Divine Commission and warrant hee had received from God This man I speake of was the incestuous person in Corinth who being for his scandalous sin censured excommunicated by the Church according to that direction the Apostle gave 1. Cor. 5.4 did give that satisfaction to the Church by the profession of his repentance as the Apostle was faine to intreat them to forgive and receive and comfort him as you may see 2. Cor. 2.6.8 Now the reasons that have moved Gods people thus to publish their repentance even before men for their publike and scandalous sins have bin principally three They have done it 1. Out of a respect unto God 2. Out of a respect unto themselves 3. Out of a respect unto other men First They have done this out of a respect unto God and his glory whom by their sin they have dishonoured This reason Ioshuah pressed Achan with Ioshuah 7.19 when he perswaded him to make open confession of his sin not onely to the Lord but also to him and to the whole congregation My sonne I pray thee give glory to the Lord God of Israel For as by our sinnes wee dishonour God specially by the sins committed in the Church 2 Samuel 12 14. and the more open
the truth of this in three degrees First the greatest part of men were never troubled in their mind for any sin in all their lives yea the greatest sinners are of all men least troubled in mind for sin They are not in trouble saith the Psalmist Psal. 73.5 as other men Nay their conscience is so senslesse so fast asleep as nothing will waken it Such thundring Sermons they oft heare as one would think might break the rockiest heart that is and yet they never stirre these men But they are like Iudas who though he heard Christ so speake of his sin as made all his fellowes exceeding sorrowfull Mat. 26.22 though he heard him so particularly apply his speech as he could not choose but understand hee was the man hee meant for our Saviour said Iohn 13.26 Hee it is to whom I shall give a sop when I have dipped it and when hee had dipped the sop hee gave it to Iudas And when hee asked Christ as the rest had done Master is it I Christ said unto him Thou hast said Mat. 26.25 Though he had heard Christ with his powerfull voice denounce that fearefull woe against him Mat. 26.24 Woe unto the man by whom the sonne of man is betraied it had beene good for that man if hee had never beene borne Yet did not all this move him one whit but hee became worse and worse after all this Iohn 13 27. After the sop Satan entred into him And alas how many have we that are like to Iudas in this point No sermon will move them nay the Lord oft times layeth such stroakes upon them scourgeth them with such afflictions as one would thinke might pierce the most seared conscience in the world and bring their sins unto remembrance and yet you shall see these men when they are most vexed with paines and diseases in their bodies with troubles and perplexities in their outward estate yet as quiet in their consciences as free from all remorse and trouble of mind for sin yea as confident of Gods love toward them in Christ as the holiest man in the world So God speaketh of Israel Hos. 8.2 3. When they had cast off the thing that is good and for that cause the enemie the Assyrian should pursue them yet even then in that great affliction they should crye unto God My God we know thee Certainely this is the case of many a man no afflictions will awaken their consciences even upon their death beds you shall not be able to perceive that any of their sins doe trouble them but even as Iob speaketh Iob 21.23 they are wholly at ease and quiet that is wonderfully quiet in their conscience The strong armed man keepeth the pallace as our Saviour speaketh Luke 11.21 and all his goods are in peace Secondly Nay many though they can be content in generall to confesse that they and all men are sinners yet can they not discerne any particular sin to charge themselves withall and if any other man should charge them with it they would be ready to justifie themselves as Ephraim did of whom the Prophet speaketh Hos. 12.7 8 who though he were as a false merchant and the ballances of deceit were in his hand he used deceit in his weights and in his measures yet he justifieth himselfe and saith in all my labours and tradiâ—g they shall finde none iniquity in me which is sin As if he had said Though I have done a little wrong sometimes to men in my trading in my weights and measures and shewed my selfe my crafts-master in making my wares seeme better then they were tush that is nothing all of our trade doe so and must doe so or else we could not live tush that is no sin Alas the world is full of such blind wretches as being notorious sinners yet doe secure and blesse themselves in their estate even upon this ground that they know nothing by themselves that deserveth to be counted a sin at least a mortall sin They are Papists in this as in many other point either they have no sin at all or if any none but veniall sins These mens case is notably set forth by the Lord Ier. 2.34 35. In thy skirts is found the bloud of the soules of the poore innocents I have not found it by secret search but upon all these As if he had said Every thing that was about them their garments their houshold-stuffe their faire houses c. were monuments of and carried the print of their oppression see how grosse sinners they were and yet in the next words marke their extreame blindnesse and security yet thou sayest because I am innocent surely his anger shall turne from mee In times of greatest danger they feared nothing out of this conceit that they were so innocent But what followeth Behold I will plead with thee because thou saist I have not sinned Nay thirdly The most men count it a great happinesse to forget their sins and never to thinke of them and therfore they even study the art of oblivion in this point shunning all meanes carefully that might bring their sinnes into their remembrance as Ahab did Micajahs ministery 1 Kings 22.8 and Felix Pauls Acts 24.25 and they greedily hunt after all the meanes they can devise or thinke of that they may put their sinnes out of their thoughts According to that speech of Solomon Ecclesiast 7.4 The heart of fooles is in the house of mirth Now unto these men I have three things to say First If Iob and David and Paul were in a blessed estate then must the case of these men surely be most miserable Their sin as we heard the last day was ever before them came oft into their remembrance troubled their minds much and thou never thinkest of any of thy sins art never troubled with any such matter They counted it a great happinesse to have such friends to heare such ministers as would rouse and waken their sleepy consciences put them in mind of their sins Ps. 141.5 Let the righteous smite me and let him reprove me Yea they prayed to God for this Iob 13.23 Make me to know my transgression and my sin And thou cryest God blesse me from such preachers that should so disquiet my mind Secondly the blindnes and senslesnes of thy conscience is no such benefit as thou imaginest O no it is a fearefull judgement curse of God upon thee for it maketh thee unable to repent it keepeth thee from all comfort and benefit by Christ Ioh. 12.39 40. Therefore they could not beleeve because as Esaias saith he hath blinded their eyes hardned their hearts left they should be converted and I should heale them This is a judgement wherby God punisheth other grievous sins and of all punishments the most fearefull Psal. 81.11 12. My people would not hearken unto my voice Israel would none of mee so I gave them up to the hardnes of their hearts As they did not like to retaine God in their knowledge saith
I was dumbe and opened not my mouth because thou hast spoken it No man should dare to oppose or reason against any truth that God hath in his Word taught and revealed but it becommeth all men to lay their hands upon their mouthes in this case according to the speech of the Prophet Hab. 2.20 Let all the earth keepe silence before him And with these disputers we may fitly rancke the most of our people that can well endure to heare the religion they professe any truth of God that they have heard and received to be gainsaid and contradicted that have no greater delight then this to heare any point of religion wittily opposed and disputed against by any man be he Papist or Anabaptist or whatsoever he be Whereas if we ever learned to justifie God when he speaketh and to beleeve undoubtedly that which God hath revealed and to receive it with love it would be a matter of extreme griefe and trouble of mind unto us to heare any thing that should give us cause to doubt of our religion as it was to the two Disciples that went towards Emaus Luk. 24.17 Yea and although difference in judgement about smaller matters ought not to cause that alienation of affection and strangenesse either among Ministers or people as with many it doth to the great hinderance of the growth of the Gospell yet towards such as oppose themselves against the truth in main and fundamentall articles thereof Christians are bound to shew themselves strange to shun all voluntary and unnecessary familiarity with them to shew them no countenance If we shall receive such into our houses or bid them God speed we make our selves partakers of their sinnes 2 Iohn 10 11. Such we are bound to shew our detestation unto and to hold them accursed though they had the gifts of Angels Gal. 1.9 If any man should goe about to touch or undermine you in your freehold and to find holes in your leases or evidence whereby you hold your lands your hearts would rise against him and you would count him as your utter enemy that seeketh your undoing And he that esteemeth not more of his religion and of the truth of God the evidence whereby he holdeth his interest to heaven and his eternall salvation did never yet find any sound comfort in it According to that saying of David Psal. 1â—9 111 Thy testimonies have I taken as an heritage for ever for they are the rejoycing of mine heart The third sort that are to be reproved by this Doctrine are they that cannot endure the word of reproofe Of such also our Congregations are full that though their sins be reproved with never so good warrant and evidence from the Word of God yet cannot submit themselves to it nor justifie the Lord in that which he speaketh against them but storme and rage against the Minister and cannot abide him for it This was wont to be counted a dangerous sin This people saith the Prophet Hos. 4.4 is as they that strive with the Priest The fourth and last sort that are to be reproved by this Doctrine are they that heare constantly and do professe they beleeve what they heare but take nothing to heart that as they feele no sweetnesse at all in any of the promises of God so do no reproofes or threatnings of the Word work any sorrow or feare in their hearts The judgements God hath threatned against any nation where such sins abound as do in ours that is to say Ier. 5.22.29 Num. 35.31.33 Ier. 17.27 c. yea those that God hath threatned against such sins as themselves live in as Zac. 5.4 1 Cor. 6.9 10. Mat. 11.24 Rev. 21.8 do not move them at all to humiliation to sorrow or feare or to any care to make their peace with God But these two last sorts I doe but point at the time being past I must leave them to be inlarged in your owne meditations Lecture XLIX On Psalme 51.4 Febru 20. 1626. IT followeth now that we proceed unto the second reason why David doth in this manner confesse his sins accuse and condemne himselfe before God which is contained in these words And be cleare when thou judgest Now for the understanding of the words foure questions are to be briefly propounded and answered First How is the Lord said heere to judge any To which I answer that not to trouble you with any other acception of this word by Gods judging David heere meaneth Gods correcting of men So that his meaning is as if he should have said that thou mayst be cleare when thou correctest And so is this word used 1 Cor. 11.32 When we are judged we are chastened of the Lord and 1 Pet. 4.17 Iudgement must begin at the house of God The second question is this What correction or chastisement of God hath David speciall reference unto in this place wherin he desireth to cleare the Lord Whereunto I answer That he meaneth 1. That correction which the Lord had already taken of him both in smiting the child he had begotten in adultery with grievous sicknesse first and then in taking it away by death 2 Sam. 12.15.18 2. Those fearefull plagues God had told him by Nathan he would bring upon him afterward which I mentioned unto you the last day out of 2 Sam. 12.10 11. Yea 3 howsoever God should be pleased to judge him for he limits not his speech either to that that the Lord had already done upon the child or to that that Nathan threatned he would further do but speaketh indefinitely as if he should have said Whatsoever thou shalt inflict upon me thou art cleare when thou judgest me The third question is How is God said to be cleare when he judgeth I answer 1. He is cleare in himselfe from the least spot or stain or mixture of injustice in any of the judgements or corrections he layeth upon men Ps. 119.137 Righteous art thou O Lord and upright are thy judgements 2. He will be cleared and acknowledged to be righteous in the judgement of all men even of them that are most apt to cavill at his judgements For so the Apostle citeth this place and interpreteth the meaning of it Rom. 3.4 That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings and mightest overcome when thou art judged Then the fourth last questioÌ„ is How could David by confessing his sin heere make the Lord cleare from al injustice in his judgements correctioÌ„s upoÌ„ him I answer He could not thereby make the Lord ever a whit more cleare from injustice for though he had not confessed his sin at all though he had continued and beene hardned in it the Lord should have beene neverthelesse cleare and pure in judging of him And thus do the Angels of God professe of the plagues that God prophesieth he would bring upon the bloudy Papists and persecuters of his Saints Rev. 16.5.7 Thou art righteous O Lord because thou hast
weepe teares they were not of repentance but of discontentment and murmuring throughout their families every man in the doore of his tent and the anger of the Lord was kindled greatly Rebellion even this kind of rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft in the sight of God 1 Sam. 15.23 Secondly on the other side by our patience we may lighten our crosses and afflictions and make them more easie and tollerable to our selves First This is the way to possesse our owne soules in any affliction how grievous soever it be Lu 21.19 In your patience possesse ye your soules saith our Saviour to his disciples when he foretelleth them of great troubles that should befall them The man that wanteth patience will be ready to loose or sell his soule in his bodily afflictions that is the peace and comfort of it the faith and holinesse that seemed to be in it but he that can in his afflictions yeeld and submit himselfe patiently to the will of God shall keepe his soule in his owne power and possession still Secondly This is the way to become conquerours in all our afflictions and to overcome and get the victory over the most proud and cruell enemy that the Lord shall use as his sword to afflict us by The Apostle hath a strange speech concerning himselfe and all the faithfull Rom. 8 37. Nay in all these thingâ— And what were those things that we shall see verse 35. Tribulation distresse persecution famine nakednesse perill and sword in all these things saith he we are more then conquerours through him that lovâ—d us Why how were they conquerours of whom he saith verse 36. that they were killed For thy sake are we killed all the day long Yes though they were killed yet they were conquerours yea because they were killed and willing to lay downe their lives for the Lord and his truths sake and so to confirme and seale with their blood the truth of God therefore were they conquerours yea more then conquerours over their enemies So it is sayd of the faithfull Râ—vel 1â— 11 that they overcame the devill the great dragon the old serpent with all his instruments the persecuting Emperours and Popes of Rome And how did they overcome him Surely by the bloud of the Lambe and by the word of the testimony and they loved not their lives unto death They that love not their lives unto death but can be willing to suffer even unto death it selfe for the truths sake they shall be conquerours over the proudest enemy that Satan can stir up to persecute and oppresse them Thus did the blessed Martyrs in Queene Maries dayes overcome all their bloudy persecutours it was not Boner nor Gardiner but they and the truth of God which they suffered for that prevailed that won the field and got the day according to to that old saying The blood of the Martyrs became the seed of the Church of God Thirdly This is the way even to overcome the Lord and to put an end to our afflictions when our hearts are by it subdued and we can thus stoope and yeeld our selves unto the Lord that correcteth us Even the fiercest and cruellest man that is will be apt to relent towards him that hee hath beene most incensed against when having brought him under and almost crushed him by his power he findeth him to yeeld and to humble himselfe unto him So did Ahab a man cruell and fierce enough towards Benhadad a mischievous enemy of his 1 Kin 20.31 32. And the Lord our God is a thousand times more ready to relent towards us when we have most provoked him to afflict us if hee see his corrections have mastered and subdued us that wee are willing to yeeld our selves to his will he hath done Turne unto the Lord your God saith the Prophet Ioel 2.13 for hee is gracious and mercifull flow to anger and of great kindnesse and repenteth him of the evill Ye have heard saith the Apostle Iames 5.11 of the patience of Iob and have seene the end of the Lord. What was that why so soone as Iob was subdued saw his owne folly in the impatiency he had shewed and yeelded himselfe unto God as we may see Iob 40.4 5. 42.5 6 the Lord made an end of correcting him presently And what reason doth the Apostle give for this Surely this that the Lord is very pitifull and of tender mercy Yea there is a gracious promise made to them that are willing to suffer for his Name that they shall suffer never a whit the more but the lesse for that Luke 9.24 Whosoever will save his life and resolve with himselfe he will suffer nothing for religion or any other righteous cause but whatsoever times shall come he will be sure to save one he will yeeld to any thing rather then he will loose either life or liberty or goods this man saith our Saviour shall loose it he meaneth he shall either loose the thing he so resolveth to save or the comfort of it which if he do loose he were as good to loose the thing it selfe but on the other side saith our Saviour whosoever will loose his life for my sake that is is unfeinedly willing to suffer the losse of all even of life it selfe rather then he would forsake me the same shall save it not onely eternally and in the life to come as our Saviour speaketh Iohn 12.25 He that hateth his life in this world shall keepe it unto life eternall in which sense the promise never faileth but even in this world oftentimes he shall by his willingnes to suffer loose of life or liberty or goods in obedience unto God save his life liberty and goods according to which sense of this promise our Saviour speaketh Mar. 10.29 30. There is no man that hath left house or brethren or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands for my sake and the Gospels but he shall receive an hundred fold now in this time houses brethren and sisters and mothers and children and lands with persecutions and in the world to come eternall life Certainly the suffering of any thing in obedience unto God is not the way to undoe a man or to make him miserable it is the way to lighten our crosses and make us lesse miserable even in this life The third and last motive to perswade us to patience is the consideration of the hand that the Lord hath in all our afflictions Affliction saith Eliphaz Iob 5.6 commeth not forth of the dust neither doth evill spring out of the ground Shall there bee evill in the City saith the Prophet Amos 3.6 and the Lord hath not done it This consideration hath bin of great force to quiet the hearts of Gods people 1. From extreame feare of misery and trouble before it commeth 2. From being too much dejected with it when it doth come For the first If Satan himselfe or any wicked men in the world our enemies either at home
strength in the soule as ever there was in any corporall food to strengthen the body My flesh is meat indeed saith our Saviour Ioh. 6.55 57 and my bloud is drink indeed he that eateth me even be shall live by me Wilt thou say then thou hast fed on Christ that hast received no strength by this food to resist tentation that hast not bin able to go in the strength of that meat forty dayes nor forty houres No no trust not to such a faith as this this will never abide the fornace of affliction nor beare thee up in it Secondly Let me apply this to the comfort of the weakest soule among you even to thy comfort that because of the weaknesse of thy faith tremblest when thou hearest of the troublesome times we are to looke for tremblest when thou thinkest of death ô sayest thou I shall never be able to endure in the evill day Yet hast thou truth of faith in thee though in great weaknes For 1. thou mournest unfeinedly for the weakenes of thy faith and desirest to beleeve all the promises of God and neglectest no meanes wherby thy faith may grow like to that poore man Mar. 9.24 2. This weake faith of thine hath drawne vertue from Christ whereby the issue and fountaine of thy corruption beginneth to be dryed up and is not so strong as once it was and wherby also thou hast received some strength even to resist tentation as Ioseph did Gen. 39.9 Be thou of good comfort certainly if thou hast the least measure and degree of true faith in thee thou shalt be able to beare troubles when they come much more patiently and comfortably then thou thinkest For be thou assured 1. That Christ will not so overcharge thee with tryals and afflictions as to smother and put out those weak beginnings of grace that he hath wrought in thee but will tender nourish them Mat. 12.20 2. The strength wherby any of Gods people are enabled to stand in the day of tryal is not their own but the Lords only Be strong in the Lord in the power of his might Ephe. 6.10 In the deepest sense of thine own weaknes learn to flie out of thy selfe to rely wholly upon the Lord on the power of his might Know his grace is sufficient for thee 2 Cor. 12.9 Yea thou shalt be holden up for God is able to make thee to stand Rom. 14.3.3 Remēber the promises God hath made unto his people in this case Ps. 29.11 The Lord will give strength to his people The Lord delighteth to shew his might most in them that are weakest in their owne sense 2 Cor. 12.9 Gods power is made perfect in weaknes So it is said of the holy Martyrs in the dayes of the Maccabees Heb. 11.34 that by faith out of weaknes they were made strong And that made the Apostle say from his owne experience 2 Cor. 12.10 When I am weake then am I strong And if Peter had bin weaker in his owne sense before-hand he had had more strength in the day of triall then he had Mar. 14.31 Lecture LIIII On Psalme 51.4 Aprill 17. 1627. THe sixt meanes to attaine unto true patience is Hope He that would with patience comfort stand in the evill day must get assurance before-hand that when he dyeth he shall go to heaven He that knoweth not what shall become of this soule when he dieth whether it shall go to heaven or to hell can never endure any great afflictions and troubles with patience and comfort Such men must needs be through feare of death as the Apostle speaketh Hebr. 2.15 all their life time but specially when any great troubles shall come upon them subject unto bondage miserable slavery But on the other side he that knoweth death is the worst that can befall him in the most troublesome times and that death will make him a happy man he that can say to his soule as Pro. 23.18 Surely there is an end and thine expectation shall not be cut off that man must needs be patient and comfortable in any affliction that can befall him We rejoyce even in tribulations saith the Apostle Rom. 5.23 in hope of the glory of God And 12.12 Rejoycing in hope patient in tribulation What maketh Gods people not onely so patient but even so comfortable and full of joy in all tribulations Surely the hope they have of the glory that is prepared for them they know the end will pay for all This made Moses to choose rather to suffer affliction with the people of God then to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season and to esteeme the reproach of Christ greater riches then the treasures of Egypt For saith the Apostle Hebrewes 11.25 26. hee had respect to the recompense of the reward Heaven was ever in his eye and that made him to endure the reproach of Christ so comfortably And of the faithfull Hebrewes hee saith 10.34 that they tooke joyfully the spoyling of their goods knowing in themselves inwardly assuredly feelingly that they had in heaven a better and an enduring substance In which respect this hope of heaven is compared to an helmet Ephe. 6.17 that defendeth the head and keepeth us from the most Capitall tentations and dangers Heb. 6.19 The Apostle calleth it the anker of the soule both sure and stedfast It will stay the soule and make it steady against all waves and tempests And in the same chapter verse 18. he compareth it to a place of refuge Wee have strong consolation saith he who have fled for refuge to take hold upon the hope that is set before us If a poore man that had all his wealth about him should fall into the hands of theeves and be robbed and rifled by them he must needs cry and take on pitifully for alas he is cleane undone he hath nothing left at home to succour him and his family withall But a rich man that hath store of money at home safe lockt up in his chest unlesse he be a base and miserable wretch will never complaine much nor be disquieted when he hath twenty or forty shillings taken from him For worldlings to rage and take on when they must loose their life or their peace or their wealth it is no marvell for alas when these things are gone they have nothing left they are quite undone But a Christian that knoweth and considereth what hee is borne unto and what hee shall enjoy when hee comes home so soone as he dyeth hee cannot doe so O then to apply this in a word as wee desire to endure with patience and comfort the troublesome times that are at hand let us in time make this sure to our selves that when we shall dye we shall go to heaven I know most men will say they hope well to do so but it standeth us upon to examine our hope whether it be such as will abide the tryall when we shall come into the fornace of affliction The hypocrites hope
extraordinary constantly who yet cannot master nor subdue any one lust but if they did use them conscionably and in a spirituall manner certainely the strength of their corruptions would bee abated by them Walke in the spirit saith the Apostle Galat. 5 16. and yee shall not fulfill the lusts of the flesh If in this as well as in other parts of our conversation wee could walke in the spirit performe spirituall duties in a spirituall manner wee could not fulfill the lusts of our flesh as wee doe See the truth of this but in two exercises of religion not to trouble you with more that are in most dayly use with all Christians and that is the Word and Prayer First There is great force in reading of the Word and hearing of it to subdue and mortifie sin in us if it be used conscionably Now yee are cleane saith our Saviour to his Apostles Iohn 15.3 through the word which I have spoken unto you The conscionable hearing of the Word is able to cleanse the heart from the corruption that is in it It is therefore called Iamesâ— 21 because as the sciense of a good fruit that is grafted into a crab-tree-stocke will change the nature of the juyce and sap of it so the Word is able to change our natures quite See two notable instances of the power the Word hath this way 1. In the young man in whom wee know all kinds of lusts are most strong and violent and yet of him David saith Psal. 119.9 that if he would but conscionably exercise himselfe in the Word if he would take heed to his way according the Word he might be able to cleanse his way to cleanse his heart even from those unruly lusts of his 2. In a King who of all men in the world is in most danger as of other sins so specially of this to have his heart lifted and puffed up with pride and contempt of them specially that are his owne subjects and yet of him the Lord saith that if he will but exercise himselfe conscionably in the reading of the Word hee shall obtaine power over this corruption For giving the reason why hee would have him every day to read some part of the Bible he saith thus Deut. 17.20 That his heart bee not lifted up above his brethren and that he turne not aside from the commandement to the right hand or to the left As if hee should say this will subdue both the pride of his heart and every other corruption that is in it And two reasons there are why it must needs be so First Because the Word is able to discover every corruption to us how closely soever it lurke in our hearts and the loathsomnesse and odiousnesse of it also by the law commeth the knowledge of sin saith the Apostle Rom. 3.20 It is a discerner and discoverer of the very thoughts and intents of the heart as he saith Heb. 3.12 Compared therfore to a glasse Iam. 1.23 and to the light that maketh all things manifest as the Apostle speaketh Eph. 5.13 Secondly Because there is also a divine spirit life and power in it to work upon the heart to conquer and kill sin in it The words that I speake unto you saith our Saviour Iohn 6.63 they are spirit and they are life I have hid thy word in my heart saith David Psal. 119.11 that I might not sin against thee How could that keepe him from sinning Surely when any lust began to rise in his heart when he was tempted to any sin if he could then but remember some sentence of Gods word that condemned that sin that would be of force to stay him from it That even as our blessed Saviour himselfe did overcome Satan with Scriptum est It is written Matth. 4.10 so may the members of Christ bee able to overcome Satan and their owne corruptions by calling to mind and meditating and applying to themselves that which is written in the Word against them So saith David Psal. 17.4 By the words of thy lips I have kept mee from the paths of the destroyer For it is the sword of the spirit as the Apostle calleth it Ephes. 6.17 It is the weapon of our warfare mighty through God to cast downe our imaginations and every thing in us that exalteth it selfe against the knowledge of God and bringing into captivitie every thought to the obedience of Christ as the Apostle speaketh 2 Cor 10.4 5. This Divine power that is in the Word to bridle and subdue their corruptions Gods people have alwayes felt and found by experience in themselves and doe all of them to this day and that is the cause why they doe take such paines for it and esteeme more of it as Iob speaketh Iob 23.12 then of their necessary food They that regard not the Word exercise not themselves in the reading and hearing of it or if they doe read and heare it yet have no care to hide it in their hearts and to use it as the sword of the spirit against their owne corruptions certainly such are farre from mortification any have no desire at all to mortifie and kill sin in themselves The other exercise of religion that hath such force to master and conquer our corruptions is prayer if it be used conscionably and spiritually This was the meanes that Paul used when hee was troubled with the thorne in his flesh and sought to be rid of it 2 Cor. 12.8 and by it he obtained though not a full deliverance from it yet strength sufficient to master it so as he was not overcome by it That which David saith of his worldly enemies Psal. 56.9 every Christian may say of these lusts that warre against his soule When I cry unto thee then shall mine enemies turne backe When we can pray we may be sure to become conquerours over any of our lusts By our faithfull prayer we may be able to deliver any brother from the bondage of any sin that he is fallen into if it be not the unpardonable sin For so saith the Apostle 1 Iohn 5.16 How much more may wee have confidence to obtaine by prayer deliverance from the dominion of any of our owne corruptions For of all suits we can make to God we have greatest assurance to speed in this when we pray for grace How much more saith our Saviour Lut 11.13 shall your heavenly father give the holy spirit to them that aske him Certainely this is one chiefe cause why the most of us can no better prevaile against our corruptions because we doe not more heartily complaine unto God of them and pray against them And wee may say as the Church doth Esay 64.6 7. Our iniquities like a wind have taken us away they carry us headlong whether they please And the reason is given in the next words There is none that calleth upon thy name or that stirreth up himselfe to take hold of thee The fift meanes the spirit of God in the word hath
directed us unto for the mortifying of our flesh is to take up our crosse that is to beare willingly the afflictions God is pleased to exercise us by A Christian is not bound to desire affliction I have not desired the wofull day thou knowest saith the Prophet Iere. 17.16 But when hee seeth once it is his crosse the crosse that the Lord hath appointed and thinketh fit for him the cup that his father hath given him as our Saviour speaketh Iohn 18.11 then must he even take it up and undergoe it willingly This meanes our Saviour prescribeth Luke 9.23 If any man will come after mee let him deny himselfe and take up his crosse dayly these two goe together There are sundry strange things spoken in the Scripture touching affliction As 1. That Gods people have borne it willingly Lev. 26.41 They shall accept or suffer willingly the punishment of their iniquity 2. That they have professed it was good for them that they were afflicted as David did Psal. 119.71 3. That they should rejoyce when they are abased and made low Iames 1.10 Yea that they should count it all joy exceeding joy when they fall into divers tentations that is afflictions Iames 1.2 4. That they have just cause to doubt their estate if they bee without affliction Hebr. 12.8 If yee bee without chastisement whereof all are partakers then are yee bastards and not sonnes These are strange Paradoxes to flesh and bloud and yet undoubted truths And surely a chiefe reason of all this is because of the great force that affliction hath in Gods children to mortifie their lusts and to subdue sin in them By this shall the iniquity of Iacob bee purged saith the Prophet Esa. 27.9 and this is all the fruit even the taking away of his sinne Hee reapeth no fruit by his affliction profiteth not by it in whom the strength of corruption is not in some measure abated by it Affliction therefore is compared to baptizing and washing that takes away the filth of the soule Marke 10.38 39. to a winnowing that bloweth away the chaffe that is in it Amos 9.9 to fire that refineth and purgeth away the drosse that is in it Zach. 13.9 In a word that which the Apostle speaketh of the shame that is brought upon men by the censures of the Church 1 Cor. 5.5 the same may bee said of that humiliation that God bringeth his servants to by any affliction it is most effectuall to the destruction of the flesh to the mortifying of that sinfulnesse and corruption that is in their hearts If then thou desire to have thy lusts and corruptions mortified thou must bee content to beare afflictions willingly even thine owne crosse When the Apostle had exhorted Gods people to cleanse their hands and purge their hearts that so they might draw neere unto God Iames 4.8 Hee directeth them to this meanes verse 9. suffer affliction mourne and weâ—pe Yea if thou have no afflictions of thine owne it is profitable for thee to communicate in an holy sympathy with the afflictions of others specially of Gods Churches and people and to make them thine owne Remember them that are in bonds as bound with them saith the Apostle Hebr. 13.3 and them which suffer adversity as being your selves also in the body This is that which the holy Ghost teacheth us Eccle. 7.2 It is better to goe into the house of mourning then into the house of feasting Alas wilt thou say I love not to goe to them that are sicke or in any great misery it will make my heart so sad and heavy O but saith the holy Ghost that sadnesse is profitable it is good for thee to have thy heart made heavy sometimes this way Sorrow saith hee verse 3. is better then laughter for by the sadnesse of the countenance the heart is made better Corruption is weakened and destroyed by it And hee that cannot endure any affliction cannot abide to bee sad at any time certainly hath no desire to mortifie sin in himselfe he knoweth not what mortification and consequently not what true repentance meaneth The sixt meanes of Mortification is this He that desireth to have sin mortified in himselfe must be willing to dye and in his heart subscribe to that sentence of the holy Ghost Eccle. 7.1 The day of a mans death is better then the day of his birth No man may impatiently desire death wee may not desire death out of discontentment of mind because wee are weary of the miseries wee are subject unto in this life It was the sin of Moses to pray thus to God Numb 11.15 If thou deals thus with mee kill me I pray thee out of hand if I have found favour in thy sight and let mee not see my wretchednesse Nay wee may not desire death out of a longing to bee rid of our sins and to bee with Christ absolutely or impatiently but under correction as we say and with a submitting of our wills to the will of God if hee see it good for us Wee like souldiers in the field must bee content to keepe our stations wherein the Lord hath set us till he shall bee pleased to dismisse and call us away Lord now lettest thou thy servant to depart in peace saith good Simeon Luke 2.29 Though Paul knew it were farre better for him to dye then to live as hee professeth Phil. 1.23 yet durst he not desire it absolutly but was in a straight as hee saith and submitteth himselfe wholly to the will of God in it Yet is it not an unlawfull thing for a Christian to desire death in this manner yea it is a good thing and a grace wee should all strive to attaine unto not onely to bee willing to dye when God shall call us but even to desire death also Paul professeth of himselfe that hee did desire to bee dissolved Phil. 1 23. And hee speaketh thus in the name of all the faithfull 2 Cor. 5.2 In this wee grone earnestly desiring to be cloathed upon with our house which is from heaven And verse 6. Knowing that while we are at home in the body wee are absent from the Lord. And though there bee many other reasons which should make Gods people willing to dye which out of my respect to the time I will not now mention yet this is a principall that when death commeth once we shall sinne no more While this life lasteth we shall never give over sinning against God Hee that hath entred into his rest hath ceased from his owne workes saith the Apostle Hebr. 4.10 but till then no man can quite cease from his owne workes but is in continuall danger of falling Nay no man can tell how farre hee may fall and admit that the Elect cannot utterly apostate from God of whom let it bee said that hee hath everlasting life and shall not come into condemnation but is passed from death to life Iohn 5.24 Yet may such fall fearefully yea are in continuall danger of falling fearefully
who by the restraining grace of God have bin ever kept from grosse sins is not so sensible but more secret a great deale The most Christians though they bee able to say with the blind man Iohn 9.25 One thing I know whereas I was blind now I see they know well and feele there is a blessed change wrought in their hearts yet when it was wrought or how it was wrought that they know not That which Solomon saith of other of Gods works Ecclesi 11.5 is verified in this especially As thou knowest not what is the way of the spirit nor how the bones doe grow in the wombe of her that is with child even so knowest thou not the workes of God who worketh all And as our Saviour speaketh Marke 4.27 When the seed is sowen in the heart it worketh and springeth and groweth no man knoweth how And yet even in this conversion of such men though the worke of God bee more secret and insensible yet is the almighty power of God to be acknowledged as much in it as in the other As the omnipotency of Christ was as well shewed in the turning of the water into wine Iob. 2.11 and the curing of the woman that had the bloudy issue Mar. 5.29 as in the helping of him that was from his childhood possessed with a dumbe and deafe spirit Marke 9.25 26. O that wee could see and take notice of this admirable power of God in the change that he hath beene pleased to worke in our hearts O that God would bee pleased according to the prayer of the Apostle for the Ephes. 1.18 19. to inlighten the eyes of our understanding that wee may know what is the exceeding greatnesse of his power to us-ward who beleeve according to the working of his mighty power That we may accordingly admire and magnifie it and give him the glory of it And yet his goodnesse and mercy will appeare to bee no lesse admirable in this worke of our conversion then his power was if wee rightly consider what wee were by nature Observe this I pray you in three degrees First That God should seeke out any of us that like a poore lost sheepe was gone astray from him some of us in one evill way some in another according to that parable Luke 15.4 wee being so farre from seeking him from doing any thing to further our owne conversion that we desired nothing lesse but opposed and resisted it and were in our hearts ready to say with the man that had the uncleane spirit Luke 4 34. Let us alone what have wee to doe with thee thou Iesus of Nazareth That hee would take no nay at our hands but by his most effectuall grace overcame us as hee saith Revelation 3.9 Behold I will make them that are of the Synagogue of Satan which say they are Iewes and are not but doe lye behold I will make them to come and worship before thy feete He made us to turne hee made us to obey and follow his call This gracious favour I say that the Lord hath done us in the worke of our conversion ô it was his admirable mercy unto us Secondly That the Lord should seeke reconciliation with us when we were his enemies as the Apostle speaketh 2 Corinth 5.20 and make love to us when wee were such loathsome creatures that passing by us when wee were in our bloud even when wee were in our bloud as hee saith Ezek. 16.6.8 hee should looke upon us and that that should bee the time of his love as hee there speaketh That hee should never give over making love unto us till hee had wonne our hearts and made us able to affect and love him and to seeke him and his love unfeinedly who were by nature much more alienated from him then hee was from us even hated him in our hearts much more then ever hee did us this was I say his admirable mercy toward us And so the Apostle speaketh of it Colos. 1.21 And you that were sometimes alienated and enemies in your minds yet now hath hee reconciled And the Lord by the Prophet Esay 65.1 I am sought of them that asked not for me Even this that such as we were by nature should have the grace to love the Lord and to seeke his favour which we could never have done if he had not bin first reconciled unto us 1 Iohn 4.19 is the admirable goodnesse of God unto us Thirdly That God should thus change and convert our hearts unto him and give us any measure of grace to desire unfeinedly to feare and please him that hee should pull us out of our naturall estate and leave others in it that are farre our betters not onely in birth and wealth and wisedome and learning but even in the unblameablenesse of their conversation also that were never in their lives guilty of so foule sinnes as wee have beene That he should deny this grace to such as the young Noble man was that had lived so civilly and had so many good things in him Mar. 10.20 21. and grant it to such as that infamous harlot was Lu. 7.37 This is certainly the admirable and unspeakeable mercy of God to such a one And as the infinite power and goodnesse of God is to bee acknowledged and admired in the worke of our conversion in generall so is it also in every particular act of Gods grace in us That any of us should bee able to delight in the law of God in the inner man Rom. 7.22 to love the brethren 1 Iohn 3.14 to weepe and shed teares for our sins 2 King 22.19 to make any one prayer Psalme 17.1 to give any almes Matth. 10.42 in truth and uprightnesse of heart considering what we are by nature is to bee ascribed to the marvellous power and goodnesse of God toward us When David and his people had offered toward the building of Gods house it is said 1 Chron. 29.9 They rejoyced with great joy because with a perfect and upright heart they had offered willingly unto the Lord. And David himselfe burst out into words of strange admiration verse 14. But who am I Lord and what is my people that we should be able to offer so willingly after this sort For all things come of thee Now let me apply this that hath bin said in three points and so lay it somewhat neerer to our hearts First If this be so Then let no man hearken to those that reach 1. That God hath no such powerfull hand in the worke of mans conversion but that it lyeth in every mans power and will when God hath done all his worke to turne or not to turne 2. That which God doth in the conversion of any man he doth to all men For the spirit speaketh expressely in the Scriptures 1. That the Lord is not onely a perswader but the worker and mighty doer of this worke of our change and conversion It is God that worketh in us both the will and the deed Phil. 2.13
now is the acceptable time now is the day of salvation 2 Cor. 6.2 The master of the house hath not yet shut his doore upon thee but how soone it may bee shut thou knowest not Thirdly If this be so then let every one of us that feele any truth of grace wrought in our hearts rejoyce in our estate and magnifie the power and goodnesse of God towards us Indeed it behoveth us to try well whether we have it in truth 2 Cor. 13.5 and how that may be done you shall heare out of the next verse But if thou hast but the least measure of grace in truth thou hast just cause to rejoyce in this more then if God had made thee the greatest prince in the world Let the heart of them rejoyce that seeke the Lord Psal. 105.3 And the Apostle Iames 1.9 Let the brother of low degree rejoyce in that he is exalted Whatsoever men thinke of thee or thou art apt to thinke of thy selfe he that cannot deceive thee hath pronounced of thee that if thou have but any one grace in truth thou art a blessed man happy art thou that ever thou wert borne If thou canst beleeve in Christ heare what he saith Mat. 16.17 Blessed art thou Simon Bar-jona for flesh and bloud hath not revealed it unto thee but my father which is in heaven As if he had said Thou hast more in thee then flesh and bloud If thou dost feare to displease God hearken what the Holy ghost saith of thee Psal. 128.1 Blessed is every one that feareth the Lord. Nay if thou canst but unfeignedly desire to beleeve and to feare God remember this was all that Nehemiah could say of himselfe Neh. 1.11 that he desired to feare Gods name Remember what Christ pronounceth of thee Matth. 5.6 Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousnesse for they shall be filled Nay if thou have but so much grace as to feele the want of grace and unfeignedly to bewaile it hearken what thy blessed Saviour saith of thy estate Matth. 5.3 4. Blessed are the poore in spirit Blessed are they that mourne for that poverty Make thy calling and conversion sure and thou hast made thine election sure as the Apostle speaketh 2 Pet. 1.10 If thou have but the least grace in thee in truth thou hast Gods seale upon thee whereby hee hath marked and will owne thee for himselfe by the print and stampe of that seale According to that speech of the Apostle Ephes. 4.30 Grieve not the holy spirit of God whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption Wherefore let me say againe unto thee as I began in the words of David Psal. 32.11 Be glad in the Lord and rejoyce ye righteous and shout for joy all yee that are upright in heart And 33.1 Rejoyce in the Lord ô ye righteous for praise is comely for the upright O it is a seemely sight to see an upright hearted Christian cheerefull and comfortable Say not ô but I have so much corruption in me that I cannot take notice of nor rejoyce in any goodnesse that I have For 1 I bid thee not rejoyce in any corruption but dislike and bewaile it still but rejoyce in the Lord Phil. 4.4 In the very same action thou maist have just matter of mourning in respect of the worke of thine owne corruption in it and of joy in respect of the worke of Gods grace in it Rejoyce in trembling Psal. 2.11 Regard not so much thine owne corruption as to neglect altogether the grace of God in thee 2. By how much the more corruption thou findest in thy selfe by so much the more cause hast thou to rejoyce in and to admire Gods mercy that to such a wretch as thou art he should give the grace to make conscience of any sin to do any duty in truth of desire to please God Wicked men thinke it strange as the Apostle saith 1 Pet. 4.4 that we do not as they doe that we run not with them into the same excesse of riot They thinke it strange yea impossible that any man should be in deed and truth so changed in heart as Gods people in their outward conversation would seeme to be they esteeme all profession of holinesse to be no better then hypocrisy and therefore speake evill of us But we that know our owne hearts have more cause to wonder at this our selves and to praise God for it Lecture LXXI On Psalme 51.5 October 2. 1627. THE third point wherein the admirable goodnesse of God appeareth unto us who are even by nature so vile as wee all are is in the worke of his confirming grace If wee could rightly weigh what our nature is and what a strength and power of corruption there remaineth still in the best of us we would see cause to wonder that any of us after we are converted and have some measure of saving grace begun in us should stand for any time We read in Scripture of a three-fold standing and in every one of these kinds every Christian hath cause to admire Gods power and goodnesse towards his soule 1. There is a standing in the faith and in the profession of the truth Of this the Apostle speaketh 1 Cor. 15.1 I declare unto you the Gospell which I preached unto you which also you have received and wherein yee stand 2 There is a standing in the state of grace and in a comfortable assurance and feeling of Gods favour Rom. 5.2 By Christ we have accesse by faith into the grace wherein we stand and rejoyce in the hope of the glory of God 3. There is a standing in a Christian course of life and conscionable practise of godlines This Epaphras begd of God for the Colossians Col. 4.12 That they might stand perfect and compleat in all the will of God Now that any of us should bee able to stand stedfast and persevere any of these wayes that is to say either in foundnesse of judgement and profession of the truth or in the comfortable assurance of our salvation and of the favour of God or in a conscionable care to please God in our whole conversation is certainely a matter of greater wonder and admiration then the most of us doe conceive of This we would all easily discerne and acknowledge if we would but seriously consider of these foure points First what a world what an age and time we live in wherein by reason of the continuall discouragements goodnesse doth find every where and the manifold allurements and tentations unto evill by examples and other wayes wee have unto sinne it is as strange any of us should continue in the state of grace as it is for a man to keepe his health that liveth in a Towne where every house and every person and the very ayre it selfe is infected with the plague That which David saith of wicked men that live in the greatest prosperity Psalm 73.18 may truly bee said of all Gods children even of those whose soules
prosper and thrive most in grace Surely thou hast set them in slippery places Surely the times and places wee live in are so slippery as it is strange any of us should hold our feet or keep our selves from falling fearefully This made the Prophet complaine so Esa. 6.5 Woe is me for I am undone because I am a man of uncleane lips As if hee had said My speech is too uncleane too prophane to bee a Prophet and how can it choose but be so I dwell saith he in the midst of a people of uncleane lips Secondly Consider what the malice and subtilty and power of Satan our enemy is and wee shall see just cause to wonder that any of us should bee able to continue in the state of grace for any time When our first parents were created after the image of God in holinesse and true righteousnesse his eye was evill toward them hee could not endure they should continue in that blessed estate for any time And his envy and malice is still the same towards any in whom he seeth this image renewed he cannot rest till he have defaced it againe as our Saviour speaketh Matth. 12.43 When the uncleane spirit is gone out of a man he walketh through dry places seeking rest and findeth none And the old Serpent hath a thousand waies to worke his owne ends in this Yea his envie and malice is most bent upon them whom he discerneth the greatest measure of grace in Sathan hath desired to have you saith Christ to Peter of himselfe and all the elect Apostles Luke 22.31 that he may sift you as wheat And there is no faithfull soule that observeth himselfe well but he may oft say of this his enemy as David did of his Psal. 118.13 Thou hast thrust sore at me that I might fall but the Lord helped me This made the Apostle so jealous and fearefull of the Thessalonians that made so great proceedings in grace 1 Thess. 3 5. he sent Timothy to them to confirme them lest by some meanes the tempter might have tempted them and his labour amongst them should have beene in vaine Thirdly Consider how fearefully many others have fallen some to scandalous and foule sins some to popery and other heresies some to profanesse some to worldlinesse some to an utter hatred of all religion that were once farre before us in knowledge and profession of zeale and piety How many there be in whom we may see that fulfilled which our Saviour speaketh Matth. 19.30 Many that were the first the forwardest in their love to the Word and in every good duty are now become the last the backwardest of all others How many there be that with the dog are fallen againe to the vomit that once they had cast up and with the sow lie wallowing in that mire that once they were washed from as the Apostle speaketh 2 Pet. 2 22. And shall we not then see cause to wonder that our selves have been preserved in the state of grace thus long When we have seene so many to fall on our left hand and so many on our right hand as the Psalmist speaketh Psalme 91.7 have wee not cause to wonder that our selves stand still in any measure of uprightnesse and truth of heart But fourthly and lastly The greatest cause of all that we have to wonder at our perseverance is the state of grace is the consideration of the naughtinesse and corruption of our owne hearts For if we had better hearts of our owne then other men have had or were better by nature then they it were nothing strange that we should stand when they have fallen that we should overcome all those tentations of Satan and the world that other have bin so foiled by But alas if we know our owne hearts well if we have well observed this Doctrine of originall sinne as it hath beene delivered unto us we cannot but acknowledge we have as bad hearts as any other have had 1. We are by nature as weake as water as unable to stand against the strength of those mighty enemies we are daily in danger of and have cause to cry with Iehosaphat 2 Chron. 20.12 We have no might to withstand this great company that commeth against us 2. We have no corruption in us that we are more strongly inclined unto then to inconstancy in goodness and pronesse to decline and fall away from God to be quickly weary of well doing In respect whereof the best of us have cause to complaine of our selves as the Lord doth of Ephraim Hos. 6.4 Our goodnesse is as a morning cloud and as the early dew it goeth away This people is of a revolting heart saith the Lord of Israel Ier. 5.23 And none of us all are any better then they were in that point 3. There is such a deale of corruption remaining still in every one of our hearts of pride and infidelity and hypocrisie and malice and worldlinesse that it is certainely as great a miracle that grace should live and grow and continue in such hearts as ours are as to see a candle or fire continue burning in the water That this fire of God that came downe from heaven should burne in water as that did that consumed Elias sacrifice that lay soked in such abundance of water so as the water ran round about the altar and the trench was also filled with water as we read 1 King 18.35 38. this is doubtlesse the wonderfull and miraculous worke of God onely Our Saviour tells us Mar. 4.19 That the cares of the world and lusts of other things will choake the Word and make it unfruitfull And what heart of all ours is there that hath not in it these cares of the world and lusts of other things And is it not then strange that any grace should live and grow in us and not be quite choked with all these thornes The nature of sinne is to grieve the spirit of God and to quench grace If he see any uncleane thing in thee saith the Lord to his people Deut. 23.14 he will turne away from thee And is it not then strange that the spirit of grace should abide in us and not forsake us utterly in whose hearts he seeth so much uncleannesse as he doth in every one of us That he that once said Gen. 6.3 My spirit shall not alwaies strive with man for that he also is flesh should yet strive with us though we be flesh And whereunto then shall we ascribe this that any of us do persevere in the state of grace Surely to the Lord alone The admirable worke of God is to be acknowledged in this that the best of us have not fallen totally and finally long before now First His admirable power is the cause of this For nothing but a divine power could uphold us against such enemies and such assaults as we are subject to Be strong in the Lord saith the Apostle Ephes. 6.10.12 and in the power of his might For we wrestle against principalities
then to behold evill and canst not looke on iniquity Hee will by no meanes cleare the guilty as the Lord speaketh of himselfe Exod. 34.7 Therefore shall thy campe bee holy saith the Lord. Deuterono 23.14 lest hee see any uncleane thing in thee and turne away from thee Now let us come to the third point I told you was to bee considered though there be so much filthines in us and all our best services and though the Lord doe so loath all filthinesse of sin yet doth he not loath us nor our services but hath great respect to us and to them for all that And this shall appeare unto us in foure points especially First He taketh notice of all the good things that his poore servants doe and will not forget the least of them but keepeth a register of them I know thy works and thy labour and thy patience and how thou canst not beare them which are evill saith Christ to the poore Angell of the Church of Ephesus Rev. 2.2 that had lost his first love and was much decayed and fallen away in his goodnesse There is not any patience that the poore weake Christian hath shewed in suffering ought for Christs sake not any paines hee hath taken to get to heaven not any zeale hee hath shewed against sin but the Lord taketh notice of it bee it done never so secretly Actes 9.11 Yea he will remember it also and never forget it David knew this and therefore prayed Psal. 56.8 Put thou my teares into thy bottle are they not in thy register Hee taketh notice of the teares wee shed for our sinnes and in our prayer and will not forget them And surely this is a matter of great admiration and so David conceived of it Psal. 144.3 Lord what is man that thou takest knowledge of him or the son of man that thou makest account of him Secondly As hee doth take notice of the least good duties wee doe in love and obedience to him so he taketh not notice of nor regardeth those staines and spots whereby the best services of his children are defiled but passeth by them and imputeth them not unto them but seeth them as it were through his fingers Even as sundry blemishes that are in our children as a mole in the face or pock holes or a squint eye which to another man seeme great deformities to us seeme none at all even so is it with the Lord in this case Hee seeth no iniquitie in Iacob as Baalam himselfe was constrained in the spirit of prophecy to confesse Numbers 23.21 nor transgression in Israel Hee doth not for these spots and blemishes that are in our services wee doe unto him reject us or our services but accepteth of them and taketh them in good part as if there were no spot or defect in them at all He did not reject the service that Rahab did him in saving of the spies though she had blemished and stained it with a lye Ioshua 2.4 5. but accepted and commended it Hebrewes 11.31 The prayer that Ioshua made when out of impatiency he cryed Iosh. 7.7 Would to God wee had beene content and dwelt on the other side of Iordan and never come into Canaan the Lord rejected not for all that When David in his prayer was so full of infidelity that hee said in his hast I am cut off from before thine eyes neverthelesse saith hee Psalme 31.22 thou heardest the voice of my supplications when I cryed unto thee And at another time when he was in that distresse that he saith his soule refused to bee comforted hee remembred God and was troubled and his spirit was overwhelmed as he saith Psal. 77.2 3. A poore prayer you may thinke it was that a man in that case could make yet did not God reject that prayer that was so foully stained but as he saith verse 1. when he was in that case I cryed to God with my voice even to God with my voice and hee gave eare unto mee When Moses had shewed a great deale both of impatiency and infidelity when God bad him only speake unto the rocke before the people as you shall read Num. 20.10 11. yet did not God reject his service for this but wrought with him and shewed his marvellous power even in that work neverthelesse And surely so he doth still he doth not reject our prayers for our manifold infirmities he doth not refuse to work with and blesse our poore labours that are his ministers though alas we bewray much of our owne ignorance and other our corruptions in them when we preach best of all And even in this also his marvellous goodnesse and mercy is to be admired by us which maketh the Church breake forth into that speech of admiration and so would wee all if wee did rightly consider it Mic. 7.18 Who is a God like unto thee that pardoneth iniquitie and passeth by the transgressions of the remnant of his heritage Thirdly Hee delighteth in us and in our poore services notwithstanding all these corruptions whereby they are desiled The Lord taketh pleasure in them that feare him saith David Psal. 147.11 and 149.4 The Lord taketh pleasure in his people If yee will obey my voice indeed saith the Lord to the children of Israel Exodus 19.5 and keep my Covenant then ye shall be pecuculiar treasure vnto me above all people And Mala. 3.17 They shall be mine saith the Lord of hosts in that day when I make up my Iewels and I will spare them as a man spareth his owne sonne that serveth him Yea those poore duties wee performe to him in his service which our selves take so small comfort in yet hee delighteth in them Hee delighteth in the way of a good man saith David Psalm 37.23 And Solomon Prov. 15.8 The prayer of the upright in his delight Thy voice is sweet saith Christ to his Church Cant. 2 14 In which respect hee compareth the hearts of his people that are able to pray Revel 5 8. unto golden vialls full of sweet odours And the faithfull minister is said by the Apostle 2 Cor. 2.15 to be unto God a sweet savour of Christ in them that are saved and in them that perish whether the people receive good by our labours or no. And for this cause also hee desireth to heare us pray to see us keepe his Sabbaths preach and heare his word give almes to his poore members c. as much as ever man did desire any thing hee most delighted in Let me see thy countenance saith Christ to his Church Cant. 2.14 let me heare thy voice And Iohn 4.23 The father seeketh such worshippers as worship him in spirit and truth as a great man would seeke farre and neere for a faithfull and profitable servant And have not every one of us cause to wonder at this and to say to the Lord as Iohn Baptist did to Christ Matth. 3.14 I have need to bee baptized of thee and commest thou to me I have need to seek to
not that the thing thou lookest after in all the workes of men in all the services they doe unto thee The true worshippers saith our Saviour Iohn 4 23. shall worship the father in spirit and truth for the father seeketh such to worship him Hee even longeth for such servants as will worship him in that manner Secondly This is that that the Lord delighteth in Such as are upright in their way saith Solomon Prov. 11.20 are the Lords delight I know also my God saith David 1 Chron. 29.17 that thou hast pleasure in purightnesse We can by nothing we are able to doe gratifie and please the Lord so much as in this Thirdly This is all in all with God the onely thing that hee requireth of us let our hearts bee true to him and hee hath enough Indeed this comprehendeth much as wee shall heare and where this is nothing can be wanting and therefore the Lord asketh no more but this This is all that God required of Abram in that covenant that he made with him Genes 17.1 Walke before mee and be thou upright So speaketh Samuel also to the people when hee would renew the covenant betweene God and them 1 Sam. 12.24 Only feare the Lord and serve him in truth with all your heart So runneth the covenant also that God made with David and his posterity 1 Kin. 2.4 If thy children take heed to their wayes and walke before me in truth with all their heart and all their soule there shall not faile thee a man upon the throne of Israel Fourthly The Lord valueth and esteemeth of us and of all our words and actions according to this this is the very ballance of the Sanctuary whereby hee weigheth them all 1. Thus the Prophet describeth a good man Psal. 125.4 Doe good ô Lord to those that be good Who are they And to them that are upright in their hearts 2. A little grace a small measure of knowledge and faith the meanest and poorest service we doe unto God is of a great price and worth with him where hee seeth uprightnesse of heart Philadelphia is said Revel 3.8 to have had but a little strength and yet of all the Churches Christ wrote to hee findeth least fault with her shee pleased him best 3. Nay the Lord will beare with many frailties and faults where hee seeth there is truth in the inward parts See three notable examples of this 1. Asa had sundry great faults which you shall see recorded 2 Chron. 16.10.12 And yet because of this see what a testimony the holy Ghost giveth of him 1 Kings 15.14 Neverthelesse Asaes heart was perfect with the Lord all his dayes As if hee should have said for all his slips and frailties hee was a good man because his heart was upright 2 The second example is of Iehoshaphat his sonne of whom also we read that hee had many great frailties Hee made a league of great amity with Ahab 2 Chron. 18.3 Hee went with him to battell against Ramoth Gilead though hee had heard what Micajah the Prophet spake against it 2 Chron. 18.27 28. Though hee had beene reproved for this by Iehu the Prophet 2 Chron. 19.2 yet doth he after that againe joyne himselfe in speciall league with Ahaziah Ahabs sonne a most wicked man 2 Chron. 20.35 And he bestowed his sonne Iehoram in marriage upon Ahabs daughter 2 Chron. 21.6 And yet for all this God accounted him a good man all his dayes 1 King 22.43 Hee turned not aside from doing that which was right in the eyes of the Lord. And why did God so esteeme of him Surely because his heart was upright with God For saith the Prophet Iehu to him 2 Chron. 19.3 Neverthelesse there are good things found in thee in that thou hast prepared thine heart to seeke God And as it is said 2 Chron. 17.6 His heart was lift up in the wayes of the Lord. He was unfeinedly and zealously bent in the purpose of his heart to please the Lord. 3. The third and last example is of the people that received the passeover in Hezechiahs time of whom it is said 2 Chron. 30.18 that they did eate it otherwise then it was written they swerved in that holy service from the expresse direction and commandement of God For they had not cleansed themselves according to the purification of the Sanctuary they came not so prepared to the Sacrament as they ought to have done And yet did God passe by this fault and imputed it not unto them but at the prayer of Hezekiah healed and forgave them made his Sacrament effectuall to their comfort for all that And why so The reason is given verse 19. They had prepared their hearts to seeke God in that his ordinance the bent of their heart was upright with God in that service You see then what account God maketh of the uprightnesse of the heart 4 On the other side The greatest shewes of goodnesse that can be in a man the best workes he can doe are of no worth with him if this be wanting Iudas repented confessed his sinne in particular and made restitution also of that hee had unjustly got Matth. 27.3 4. and all to no purpose because his heart was rotten and unsound The Pharisee led so civill and honest a life that he justified himselfe before men and was highly esteemed for it as our Saviour speaketh Luk. 16.15 but was of no reckoning with God And why Our Saviour telleth us Matth. 23. â—8 Ye outwardly appeare righteous to men but within ye are full of hypocrâ—sie and iniquity The people in Ezekiels time frequented his ministery diligently tooke as great delight to heare him as as ever they did in any musicke yet were they starke naught in Gods account And the reason is given Ezek. 33.31 their heart was false their heart went after their covetousnesse Iehu shewed great zeale for Gods glory and did much for the advancement of it and gloried of it unto good Iehoâ—adab 2 King 10.16 Come with me saith he and see my zeale for the Lord. And yet did the Lord account of him no better then of a murderer I will avenge saith hee Hos. 1.4 the bloud of Iezreel upon the house of Iehu And why Because in doing that excellent peece of service his heart was not right as you shall see 2 King 10.31 Fiftly and lastly The Lord so highly esteemeth of this truth of heart that hee counteth him that hath this a perfect man a righteous man as if hee had no sinne no defect no frailty in him at all For in the phrase of the Holy Ghost an upright hearted man and a perfect man are all one So God calleth Iob 2.3 A perfect and an upright man So speaketh David Psal. 37.37 Marke the perfect man and behold the upright So Psal. 32.11 Rejoyce in the Lord ye righteous Why who can say he is righteous Hee answereth in the next words Shout for joy all ye that are upright in heart And 97.11 Light is sowen
corruptions yea that little fire they have is covered in them with such an heape of ashes that little corne that is in them is hid in them in such a deale of chaffe as they can hardly discerne that truth of grace that is them To this case that proverbe may fitly be applyed Pro. 13.7 There is that maketh himselfe rich and hath nothing there is that maketh himselfe poore yet hath great riches See an example of this in David in that prayer he maketh ver 10. of this Psalme Create in me a cleane heart ô God and renew a right spirit within me He had certainely at this time a cleane heart and a right spirit but he could not perceive nor discerne it in himselfe at this time and therefore prayeth God would create it and renew it in him as if it had beene quite gone It is a farre easier thing for a regenerate man to see and discerne the corruption that is in him then the truth of grace that is in him When the Apostle speaketh of the fruits of the flesh he saith of them Gal 5.19 The workes of the flesh are manifest but when he commeth to speake of the fruits of the spirit ver 22. he saith not so of them The grace of Gods spirit is an hidden and secret thing called therefore that hidden man of the heart 1 Pet. 3.4 and cannot be certainely knowne unlesse a man take paines to search into it In this respect it is said the wise merchant Mat. 13.44 when he had found the treasure hid in the field withdrew himselfe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as merchants use to do that have great accounts to make that he might try whether it were the true treasure or no. 2. The difficulty of this worke may appeare by the expresse testimony of the Lord himselfe Ier. 17.9 The heart is deceitfull above all things who can know it It is so deceitfull this darke den hath so many corners and turnings in it that the wisest man in the world by the strength of nature is not able to find it out to know whether it be true or false sound or rotten A man may be an hypocrite and have a false heart and himselfe not know it though some hypocrisie be grosse and palpable yet all is not so This is plaine by that which our Saviour speaketh to the Angell of the Church of Laodicea Rev. 3.17 Thou knowest not that thou art wretched and miserable and poore and blinde and naked 3. The difficulty of this worke is evident by reason also For there be many good things so like unto true grace that may be in a meere naturall man as it is no easie thing to discerne and put a difference betweene them but a man may easily be deceived and think he hath truth of saving grace when he hath nothing but nature in him 1. There are certaine remnants of Gods image in many naturall men that are very like unto true grace The Gentiles that know not the law saith the Apostle Rom. 2.14 doe by nature the things contained in the law They make conscience of and hate many sinnes they may practise many morall vertues as justice mercy and fidelity which our Saviour Matth. 23.23 calleth the weightier points in Gods law And these are certainely in themselves and materially good things and it is said Mar. 10.21 our Saviour looking upon the rich man that had these things in him loved him So that it is no marvell though so many be deceived in them and take them for true grace 2. There are certaine common graces and beginnings of sanctification in many hypocrites that live in Gods Church and in the profession of the Gospell which are yet more like to saving grace then the other are Some of those that fall into the unpardonable sinne have beene inlightned as the Apostle speaketh Heb. 6.4 5. and have tasted of the heavenly gift and have beene made partakers of the Holy Ghost Some such have escaped the pollutions of the world left their knowne sinnes even through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour as the Apostle Peter speaketh 2 Pet. 2.20 3. Yea it is certaine there is a kind of truth and uprightnesse of heart in many a man that never had any truth of saving grace in him I know saith the Lord to Abimelech the King of Gerar an heathen man Gen. 20.6 that thou didst this in the integrity of thy heart Paul even whilst he was a persecuter had a kind of truth and uprightnesse of heart in that which he did I have lived saith he Acts 23 1. in all good conscience before God unto this day He did nothing but that which he was perswaded in his heart he ought to doe I verily thought saith he Act. 26.9 with my selfe that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Iesus of Nazareth The intent and purpose of his heart was to please and honour God in it In all these three respects it is certainely an hard thing for a man to know whether his heart be right or no if he doe not carefully and diligently observe his owne heart and examine it he will never be able to know it It behoveth us to use all diligence in this businesse it will never els be well done Give diligence saith the Apostle 2 Pet. 1.10 to make your calling and election sure And by making this sure unto our selves that our hearts are upright wee shall make both our calling and election sure And this is the first Motive The second is from the possibility of this worke Though most men be deceived in this point though their heart be so deceitfull though there be so great a resemblance betweene those good things that may be in naturall men and hypocrites and the truth of grace yet if we will take paines to examine our selves well we may certainely know that our hearts are upright if they be so that there is truth of grace in us that there is more in us then can be in any naturall man or hypocrite in the world This also shall be made evident to you in three points First Because the faithfull are exhorted so oft and earnestly to prove and examine themselves whether they be in the faith or no 2 Cor. 13.5 To prove every man his owne worke Gal. 6.4 To make sure to themselves their owne calling and election 2 Pet. 1.10 Now these exhortations had beene in vaine if it were not possible for the faithfull to know they have true faith that the workes and duties they doe are done in uprightnesse if a man might not be certaine and sure that he is effectually called For though God in his law require that of the naturall man which it is impossible for him to do as the Apostle speaketh Rom. 8.3 and may justly do it 1 because when God first gave the law to mankind in Adam he made him able to keepe it 2 because by exacting this of him which he is not able to do he
himselfe 2 Cor. 1.12 that the testimony his conscience gave him of this that he had served God in his ministery in simplicity and godly sincerity that is with an upright heart was the greatest joy he had in the world Secondly This will yeeld a man comfort in the time of any affliction and susteine him from fainting under it if his conscience can then witnesse unto him that though his life hath beene full of defects and frailties yet his heart hath beene upright with God Iob found this to bee so in his extreame affliction and therefore professeth Iob 27.5 6. that hee would not loose the comfort of his integrity for all the world hee would hold it fast and would not let it goe though his friends pulled hard to get it from him Thus did Ieremy likewise comfort himselfe in the time of a great tentation Ieremy 12.3 Thou ô Lord saith hee knowest mee thou hast seene mee and tryed mine heart towards thee And so did Hezekiah when hee had received the sentence of death Esa. 38.3 Remember now ô Lord I beseech thee how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect that is an upright heart You see now how effectuall the Motives are that God in his Word hath given to stirre us up unto this duty even to examine our selves and to enquire diligently into our hearts whether there be truth of grace in them whether they be upright with God or no. O that the Lord would be pleased to give them life and power in our hearts Lecture LXXVI On Psalme 51.6 Novemb. 27. 1627. NOw we proceed to those markes and notes whereby this truth of heart may be knowne and discerned All of them I will not goe about to give you That would be an endlesse labour For looke how many saving and sanctifying graces there be in any of Gods elect so many signes there be of an upright heart He that hath any one saving grace in him he hath certainely an upright heart he cannot be an hypocrite Yea though that one grace that is in him be for measure and degree very weake and small though it be no more for quantity then so much fire as will serve to make fire to smoke it is our Saviours comfortable comparison Matth. 12. â—0 and a very little sparke you know will make flax to smoke and to burne and flame also As when a man with sicknesse is growne so weake that he can neither move nor speake nor see and they that are about him thinke he is quite gone yet if when we speake to him we can perceive that he lifteth up his hand nay though he cannot doe so much if we can perceive he breatheth still we conclude that certainely hee is not yet dead there is life in him So is it in this case If a man have true faith though it be very weake he cannot be an hypocrite For our Saviour saith Iohn 3.36 He that beleeveth on the sonne hath everlasting life If a man have truly repented of any one sinne hee cannot be an hypocrite For of Zacheus Christ pronounceth upon his repentance for the unjust gaine he had gotten Luk. 19.9 that salvation was come into his house he was become the son of Abraham If a man doe truly feare God he cannot be an hypocrite For the Holy Ghost saith Pro. 14.26 In the feare of the Lord is strong confidence As if he had said A man may confidently build upon that that he is in the state of grace If a man do truly love such as do feare the Lord he cannot be an hypocrite For so saith the Apostle 1 Iohn 3.14 We know we are translated from death to life because we love the brethren and verse 19. Hereby we know that we are of the truth sound and upright and shall assure our hearts before him So that from any one grace that a man findeth to be indeed in him he may confidently conclude that his heart is upright and true to God And though it be true that no man hath truly repented of one sinne but hee hath habitually repented of all neither hath he any one grace in truth that hath not in him the seeds and habits of every grace as we shall heare hereafter in the prosecution of this point touching the signes of uprightnesse yet maketh the knowledge of this greatly to the comfort of Gods people who may have received some one grace in farre greater measure then any other and can sometimes sensibly discerne in themselves some one grace when in their owne feeling they are utterly destitute of all the rest All the difficulty will be to prove that we have any one saving grace in us in truth and not the shew and shadow of it onely But to give you the notes whereby the truth of every grace may be discerned would be an infinite piece of worke I will therefore instance onely in three whereby a man may most sensibly discerne whether his heart be upright or no. 1. The jealousie and feare that a man findeth in himselfe lest his heart should not be upright 2. The conscience a man maketh of and the obedience he yeeldeth unto the commandements and will of God 3. The bent of his will of the purpose and desire of his heart towards God First It is a good signe a man is not an hypocrite when hee is apt to suspect himselfe and fearefull of being deceived in this point So long as this jealousie that he hath of himselfe maketh him more diligent in examining himselfe and more willing to be tryed by others he is farre enough from being an hypocrite though he suspect himselfe to be one The best and uprightest soules are of all other most subject to this jealousie as experience doth daily prove and hath proved in all ages This is certainely one part of that poverty of spirit that our Saviour commendeth when he saith Matth. 5.3 Blessed are the poore in spirit A man may be in a blessed state and therefore also sound and upright hearted though he be poore in spirit and suspect himselfe to be unâ—ound nay he is therefore in a blessed state because he is poore in spirit because he is thus jealous of himselfe For this argueth and proceedeth from an hearty dislike and feare of being an hypocrite and from a strong desire to be upright in heart He thinketh himselfe never sure enough of this See this in two notable examples The first is of David Doubtlesse he was not free from this jealousie and suspition of himselfe when he prayed Psalme 119 80. Let my heart be sound in thy statutes that I be not ashamed Nor when he prayed as he did Psal. 1â—9 23 24. Search me ô God and know my heart trie me and know my thoughts and see if there be any wicked way in me if there be any falshood in my heart and leade me in the way everlasting Make me upright and guide me in an upright course This is that that made him
pray as he doth Psal. 141.5 Let the righteous smite me it shall be a kindnesse and let him reproove me it shall be an excellent oyle As if he had said give me such friends and teachers as will helpe to search me and to discover to me that unfoundnesse and corruption that is hidden from my selfe But of all other places this most plainely appeareth to have beene in him when he made that prayer that we reade verse 10. of this Psalme Create in me a cleane heart ô God renew a right spirit within me Was David an hypocrite when he said so No no. Certainely he had at this time as cleane a heart and as right a spirit as ever he had in his life as by many passages in this Psalme is most evident But he could not perceive nor discerne it in himselfe at this time and therefore prayeth that God would create and renew it in him as if it had beene quite gone The other example is that of the elect Apostles Matth. 26.21 22. When our Saviour had said all the twelve being then together that one of them should betray him though he had plainely said it was but one of them all that should have an hand in that foule sinne yet did every one of them suspect himselfe to be that one man and out of this selfe suspition were exceeding sorrowfull and began every one of them to say unto him Lord is it I They knew no such falshood and treachery in their owne hearts nay it is certaine they were most free from it for so our Saviour himselfe saith of them all Iohn 13.10 Yee are cleane yet were they exceeding apt to suspect themselves of it And as the man whose heart is upright indeed is apt to doubt himselfe and carefull to have his heart well examined that he be not deceived So the man whose heart is most unsound and farthest of from truth of grace never suspecteth himselfe is never troubled with any such doubts but alwaies confident in this point The foole is confident saith Solomon Pro. 14.16 Many a most wicked man that hath no feare of God before his eyes yet flattereth himselfe saith David Psal. 36.1 2. in his owne eyes perswadeth himselfe verily he hath as true an heart to God as any man No affliction that God can lay upon them no mortall sicknesse can make them doubt of this or once call in question the truth of their hearts but even upon their death bed they are as Iob speaketh Iob 21.23 wholly at ease and quiet Nay it is a death to him to have any such doubt to rise in his mind He cannot abide that in his sicknesse any thing should be spoken to him that might move him to doubt of his salvation but is ready to say with that miserable man Luke 4.34 Let me alone what have I to doe with thee art thou come to torment me He cannot abide in his health to heare such preaching as by the searching power of it is wont to worke in him these doubtings of his estate and to trouble his mind thereby but shunneth it as Ahab did the ministery of Micajah I hate him saith hee 2 Chron. 18.7 for he never prophesied good to me but alwaies evill I never heare him but he troubleth and disquieteth my minde This quietnesse and peace that wicked men have when Iob did meditate and consider of he did tremble at as at a most fearefull signe of Gods wrath upon them Even when I remember it saith he Iob 21.6 I am afraid and trembling taketh hold on my flesh A godly man cannot choose but tremble to thinke how quietly many passe away without the least trouble or doubt of their estate either in life or in death Let us therefore beloved begin the examination of our hearts if we desire to know whether they be upright or no at this first note and signe 1. Art thou apt to doubt and suspect thy selfe much lest thou shouldst bee no better then an hypocrite Thinke not the worse of thine own estate for this so long as thou yeeldest not to these doubts and jelousies but art thereby made carefull to looke up thine evidences and to find in thy selfe more sure markes and notes of the uprightnesse of thy heart Remember what Christ saith of such as thou art Matth. 5.2 Consider that as thou thy selfe shewest most tender care and kind affections towards thy children that are very young and little ones specially if they be also sicke then towards all the rest so doth the Lord to his children when they are such weake little ones as thou art Psal. 103.13 Like as a father pitieth his children so doth the Lord. Remember what care Iacob had of his little children and of the lambs that were yet in the bellies of their dams Gen. 33.13 14. and know that was nothing to the tender care that the Lord who is thy father yea another manner of father more fatherly in his affection and more kinde then any upon earth ever was Matth. 23.9 and thy shepheard also Psal. 23.1 hath of his little ones of his lambs as the Prophet also describeth him Esa. 40.11 He shall feed his flocke like a shepheard he shall gather the lambs with his arme and carry them in his bosome and shall gently lead those that are with young 2. Wert thou never troubled with doubts of this kinde Never so poore in spirit Certainely thy heart is unsound And I may say to thee as our Saviour doth Luke 6.24 Wo be to you that are rich for you have received your consolation Wo be to you that are so confident for you shall see cause of despaire one day The second note to try the truth and uprightnesse of our hearts by is the conscience we make the obedience we yeeld unto the commandements of God And this is yet a more sure and sensible marke and signe of sincerity then the former is This is that which Solomon teacheth in his speech to the people at the dedication of the Temple 1 King 8.61 Let your heart be perfect with the Lord your God to walke in his statutes and to keepe his commandements As though he had said In this consisteth the soundnesse and perfectnesse of the heart by this it is to be discerned It is a mans doings the life and conversation that he leadeth that will best discover unto him the truth and uprightnesse of his heart Thus shall we find the true hearted Christian described Psal. 15.2 He walketh uprightly and worketh righteousnesse And by the Apostle 3 Iohn 4. I have no greater joy then to heare that my children walke in truth that they shew the truth of their hearts in their conversation It is not the perswasion that we have of our selves nor the good words we can speake nor the good profession we make but our doings our conversation that will shew what our hearts are Even a child saith Solomon Pro. 20.11 is knowne by his doings whether his worke be pure
saith the Apostle Gal. 5.17 and the spirit against the flesh and these are contrary the one to the other Thou heartily dislikest and checkest thy selfe for the corruption thou findest in thy thoughts in thy memory in thy affections in thine eye and eare and in every other part And whence commeth this but from sanctifying grace 2. Thou mournest and art unfeinedly grieved for any corruption any untowardnesse to that that is good which thou findest in any part and canst say with Paul Rom. 7.24 O wretched man that I am who can deliver me from the body of this death 3. Thou dost unfeinedly desire endevour to be rid of that corruption that is in any faculty of thy soule and part of thy body to offer thy selfe unto God as an holocaust a whole burnt sacrifice to be sanctified throughout and canst say with David Psal. 103.1 Blesse the Lord ô my soule and all that is within me understanding memory conscience will affections blesse his holy name And certainly that man that can thus unfeinedly desire and endeavour to have better thoughts a better memory a better conscience a better will better affections a better tongue a better eye and a better eare hath grace in all these parts and is in some measure sanctified in them all Let us now make some application of this point for the tryall of our owne hearts whither they be upright or no whether there be any truth of saving grace in them that truth in the inward parts that David here speaketh of and which the Lord taketh so great delight in And certainely it will appeare by this doctrine that many that glory much in the uprightnesse of their owne hearts have no truth of grace in them because the grace they pretend to have is not totall but partiall it goeth not through the whole man Two sorts there be especially that are discovered to be void of truth in their hearts by this Doctrine First Many there bee that perswade themselves they have good hearts and truth of grace in them and yet no such thing appeareth in their outward man such liberty they give to themselves in their speech and in all their outward behaviour that all men that see them must needes judge them voyd of grace 2. Yea they perswade themselves it is utterly needlesse to restraine themselves of any liberty that way or to regard what they are in the view and judgement of men Did not the Apostle say they professe 1 Corinth 4.3 hee passed very little for the judgement and censure of men God saith 1. Sam. 16.7 hee looketh not to the outward appearance men make but to the heart 3. Nay they shun all outward shewes of goodnes specially of strictnes in religion and purposely desire to carry themselves so in their company and speech and attire and behaviour every way that they may not be thought to bee too religious because they see that is so odious a thing in the world Concerning this sect say the Iewes to Paul Act. 28.22 wee know that every where it is spoken against 4. Yea they hate those that are of any nore for more forwardnesse in religion then is in other men and confidently pronounce of them as their father the devill did of Iob 1.9 10. that they are all hypocrites they cannot abide to make shew of more goodnes then is in them indeed they hate hypocrisie with all their hearts To these men I have two things to say First If it were possible for such a one as thou art to have a good heart yet is it not possible that that should save thee For 1. Thou art bound to reforme thy outward man as well as thy inward To clense thy selfe from all filthinesse of the flesh as well as of the spirit 2 Cor 7.1 To glorifie God in thy body as well as in thy spirit for both are the Lords and both are bought with a price as the Apostle speaketh 1 Cor. 6.20 Yea thou shalt be iudged at the last day not so much according to that that hath bin in thy heart as according to that that thou hast done in thy body For so the Apostle teacheth plainly 2 Cor 5.10 We must all appeare before the judgement seat of Christ that every one may receive the things done in his body Yea God hath prepared torments in hell for every member of thy body whereby thou hast dishonoured him The rich gluttons tongue the member that none abuse more then your drunkards and gluttons we read Luke 16.24 was tormented in hell fire And 2. whereas thou gloriest that thou art no hyprocite I assure thee that as thy sin is greater then the hyprocrites and God more dishonoured by it so shall thy portion be more deeper in hell then his They declare their sin as Sodom saith the Prophet Esay 3 9. they care not who heare them blaspheme and scorne religion they care not who knoweth they are drunke they hide it not woe unto their soule 3. If ever thou wilt be saved thou must live so as men may be witnesses of thy goodnesse And those places that thou alleadgest out of 1 Sam. 16.7 and 1 Cor 4.3 are not to be understood simply but comparatively onely Let your light so shine before men saith our Saviour Matth. 5.16 that they may see your good workes With the heart man beleeveth unto righteousnesse saith the Apostle Rom. 10.10 and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation No hope of salvation without an open profession of religion And thus the faithfull are brought in by the Prophet Esay 44.5 glorying in the open profession of their religion One shall say I am the Lords another shall call himselfe by the name of Iacob and another shall subscribe with his hand unto the Lord and surname himselfe by the name of Israel And hee that is ashamed to professe religion even in the strictest manner so that the strictnesse bee no other then such as is grounded upon the word of God not upon the fancies of men certainely can have no hope to be saved For so saith our blessed Saviour that Amen that faithfull and true witnes Rev. 3.14 Mar. 8.38 Whosoever shall bee ashamed of mee and of my words in this adulterous and sinfull generation of him also shall the sonne of man bee ashamed when hee commeth in the glory of his father and of the holy Angels And this is the first thing I have to say to these kind of men if it were possible for such as they are to have good hearts yet were it not possible for them to bee saved for all that But the second thing I have to say to them is this that it is not possible there should bee any truth of grace any religion in thy heart when thy outward man thy words and works are so unreformed and irreligious as they be But for this I shall need to say no more then I have already said in the proofe of the Doctrine The second sort
but for a moment worketh for us a farre more exceeding and eternall weight of glory Rejoycing in hope saith the Apostle Rom. 12.12 patient in tribulation As though he should say The hope of this reward is able not onely to make you patient in any tribulation how great soever it may be but even comfortable and joyfull in it also O that all this that we have heard might through Gods gracious and mighty working with it become effectuall to make us all in love with Gods service O that we could count it our happinesse and honour to be admitted into it and thinke and say of it as David doth Psal. 65.4 Blessed is the man whom thou choosest and causest to approach unto thee that he may dwell in thy house and be one of thy houshold servants And 116.16 O Lord truly I am thy servant thy servant and the son of thine handmaid thou hast loosed my hands As if he had said I was a bondslave till I became thy servant but thou hast brought me out of that bondage and by making me thy servant hast loosed my bonds and made me a free man And then followeth verse 17. I will offer unto thee the sacrifice of thankesgiving As if hee should say I will praise thy name for this so long as I live Lecture XCII On Psalme 51.6 Iune 24. 1628. IT followeth now that we proceed to the third and last point which I propounded to handle in this first part of the application which concerneth those that refuse to serve God and to be religious and it is to shew the dangerous estate that they are in that doe so to reprove and terrifie all wicked men specially such as live in the Church and under the meanes of grace We have heard in the handling of this third and last note of an upright heart That if there be in a man but an unfeigned desire to be saved and to please God he is accepted of God he hath certainely truth of saving grace in him That no man is rejected of God no man shall perish that hath in him a true desire to be saved and to please God This point if it be well considered is of great force to humble all naturall men to take all excuse from them and to make them ashamed of themselves For what goodnesse can there be in that man that hath not in him so much as a desire to be good What can that man pretend why he should not be most justly condemned and cast into hell that never had in him a true desire to be saved and to flie from the wrath to come And surely thus it is with every wicked man that liveth in the Church and under the meanes of grace to that man I may boldly say thou canst not repent nor leave thy sinnes because thou dost not desire to repent and forsake thy sinnes thou hast no grace because thou dost not desire grace thou canst not beleeve because thou dost not desire to beleeve thou shalt perish everlastingly because thou hast no true desire nor will to be saved Wicked men are apt and ever have beene blasphemously to impute all this wholly unto the Lord and his will to cast all upon God and to say of their future estate I shall doe as it pleaseth God if it be the will of God and he have so decreed I shall be saved if it be otherwise how can I helpe it And of their present estate if God would give me the grace I should be better then I am and till then how should I mend Thus did our first father plead for himselfe so soone as ever he was fallen from God The woman saith he Gen. 3.12 which thou gavest to be with me she gave me of the tree and I did eate As if he had said I may thanke thee for that that I have done If thou hadst not given me this woman I had never sinned And thus did the unprofitable servant pleade for himselfe Matth. 25.14 I know thou art an hard maâ— reaping where thou never sowedst As though he had said Exacting fruit of holinesse and obedience where thou didst never bestow the seed of grace And thus the Apostle bringeth in wicked men objecting against the Lord Rom. 9 19. Why doth he yet find fault for who hath resisted his will As if he had said How can I justly be blamed or punished for being as I am if it be the will of God I shall be no better How can I be said to be the cause of mine owne damnation when it is the decree and will of God that I should perish But as I told you these are but the pleas and pretences of wicked men These pleas will not hold Certainely as God is not the cause of any mans sinne but himselfe as the Apostle teacheth us Iam. 1.13 14. Let no man say As if he had said I know men are apt to say so but it is folly and sinne for a man to say when he is tempted or moved to any sinne I am tempted of God for God cannot be tempted of evill neither tempteth he any man but every man is tempted when he is drawne away of his owne lust and enticed So neither is God the cause of mans destruction but himselfe It is the fruit of his owne way as the Holy Ghost speaketh Pro. 1.31 And as of every temporall crosse that befalleth a man in this life of what kind soever it be a man may justly smite himselfe upon the breast and say to his owne heart as the Lord speaketh Ier. 2.17 Hast thou not procured this to thy selfe He may truly say Whatsoever hand God or man had in this evill that is befaâ—len me I am sure I was the chiefe cause of it my selfe so may it truly be said to every wicked man of his spirituall and eternall death and destruction as the Lord speaketh to Israel Hos. 13.9 O Israel thou hast destroyed thy selfe but in mee is thy helpe that is though thou canst not save thy selfe nor worke any goodnesse in thy selfe that must come wholly from my meere grace By grace are ye saved through faith saith the Apostle Ephes. 2.8 and that not of your selves it is the gift of God yet thou hast destroyed thy selfe thou art thy selfe the cause why thou hast no grace why thou canst not repent nor leave thy grosse sinnes why thou canst not beleeve nor take any comfort in Christ why thou shalt be damned and perish everlastingly Yea how apt soever men are now to plead thus for themselves and to impute all unto God there will come a day when as the Apostle speaketh Rom. 3.19 every mouth shall be stopped and all the world shall become guilty before God No man shall have any such thing to say for himselfe but shall cleare the Lord he shall cry guilty and acknowledge himselfe to have beene the onely cause of his owne destruction The bookes shall be opened as the Apostle speaketh Revel 20.12 the bookes of
to be good for thee he will be a sheild to thee when the evill day shall come In the time of trouble he will hide thee in his pavillion as David speaketh Ps. 27.5 When a thousand shall fall at thy side and ten thousand and at thy right hand as the Prophet speaketh Ps 91.7 he can so hide thee that the judgement shall not touch thee Thus he did hide diverse when he sent his destroying Angell to smite the city and other parts of the land with the pestilence and thus he can hide thee when he shall send his destroying Angell to smite our land with the bloudy sword if it please him Nay thus he will hide thee if he shall see that good for thee he will be a sheild unto thee Pro. 2.7 He is a buckler to them that walke uprightly But if he will not be a sheild he will certainely be a sunne unto thee he wil be a comforter to thee in that day Vnto the upright there ariseth light in the darknesse saith the Prophet Psal. 112.4 As when there was palpable darkenesse in all the land of Egypt all the children of Israel had light in their dwellings Exod. 10.23 So in times of greatest misery and perplexity that shall come upon the land certainely God will be a sunne to them that walke uprightly to the upright there shall arise light in darkenesse they shall find comfort in God even in that day yea more then then ever before Thus you have seene how God will doe good to them that are upright in heart in outward things But that is not all he will be better to them then so he will do good to them also in spiritual things Three speciall blessings of this kind hee hath promised them First Such shall never fall away nor loose his favour and grace O continue thy loving kindnesse saith the Prophet Psal. 36.10 and a propheticall prayer hath the nature of a promise as I told you before unto them that know thee and thy righteousnesse to the upright in heart And Psal. 112.6 Surely he shall not be moved for ever Thou art oft much disquieted with the feare of this that thou shalt never be able to hold out to the end thou fearest that thou maist fall that thou shalt fall before thou dyest labour to be upright in heart and God will continue his loving kindnesse unto thee he will love thee to the end surely thou shalt never be moved Though the seed was lost upon all the other three sorts of hearers though they all fell away and lost those beginnings of grace they had received yet he that had an honest and good heart as our Saviour speaketh Luke 8.15 he kept it If thy heart be not â—ound thou that makest profession of the truth with greatest forwardnesse and zeale maist become a Papist before thou diest and a persecuter of that truth which thou now professest and thou that seemest to be most reformed and sanctified in thy life maist prove a most profane and debaushed man The Prophet speaking of those Israelites that perished in the wildernesse who though they had made a most zealous profession as you may read Deut. 5.27 Speake thou unto us all that the Lord our God shall speake unto thee and wee will heare it and doe it yet afterward became some of them grosse Idolaters some of them beastly adulterers the Prophet I say giveth the reason of this Psal. 78.37 why they were not more stedfast in his covenant for their heart saith he was not right with him and verse 8. They were a generation that set not their heart aright and whose spirit was not stedfast with God even then when they made the best shewes their heart was never right Thou canst not be sure to be preserved from any sinne how foule soever it be and how much soever thy heart seemeth now to abhorre it pay thou shalt be sure to fall fearefully one way or other if thy heart be not upright 2 Chron. 12.14 He did evill because hee prepared not his heart to seeke the Lord that was the cause of all Rehoboams lewdnesse he professed the true religion and made excellent shewes of goodnesse for three yeares 2 Chron. 11.17 but he fell fearefully hee had no care of his heart his heart was never right The Apple that is rotten at the Core though it seeme never so beautifull will quickly putrifie and so will every professour that is unsound at the heart But if thy heart be upright feare not certainely thou shalt hold out and persevere to the end Secondly Such as are upright in heart shall have strength given them of God to endure any tryall he shall be pleased to bring them unto The eyes of the Lord saith the Prophet Hanani 2 Chron. 16.9 run to and fro throughout the whole earth to shew himselfe strong in the behalfe of them whose heart is perfect towards him When thou thinkest of the fiery triall that all Gods people may be brought unto thou tremblest much and fearest that so weake a wretch as thou art shall never be able to endure it But looke thou to thy heart that that be upright and sound and certainely though thou be so weake God will shew himselfe strong in thee when that triall shall come What a measure of strength and courage shall we find in the booke of Martyrs that a number of weake and simple women and children did shew in the time of that fiery triall More a great deale it is to be feared then would bee found now if the like triall should come Wee have much more knowledge now then they had but they had better hearts then we have Feare not thine owne weaknesse if thy heart be upright For as it is not any strength that is in thee that can make thee stand in such a triall In his owne might shall no man be strong saith Anna in her song 1 Sam. 2.9 if ever we be strong at such a time it must be in the Lord onely and in the power of his might as the Apostle speaketh Ephes. 6.10 so the sense we have of our owne weakenesse is no hinderance to the Lords strengthening of us but a furtherance unto it rather His power is made perfect in weakenesse 2 Cor. 12.9 As if he had said it useth to shew it selfe most in them that have most sense of their owne weakenesse Out of weakenesse saith the Apostle of the Martyrs in the time of Antiochus Hebrewes 11.34 they were made strong Thirdly and lastly Such as are upright in heart shall be sure to have a comfortable issue and a joyfull deliverance out of all their tentations Marke the perfect man saith David Ps 3â— 37 and behold the upright for the end of that man is peace Thou art oft subject to grievous tentations and spirituall desertions that maketh thy life wearisome and burdensome unto thee Thy well-beâ—oved is gone thou hast no sense of Gods favour Thou art apt to say with Zion Esa 49.14
Iacob saith the Prophet Psal. 78.5 and appointed a law in Israel which hee commanded our fathers that they should make them knowne unto their children All parents you see are commanded to instruct their children themselves in the law of God 2. Wee are bound to bring our children and servants with us to the publique meanes of knowledge and instruction When Elkanah went to the house of God in Shilâ—h 1 Sam. 1.21 his manner was to take his whole family with him 3. We are bound to examine our children and servants what they have learned and how they have profited in knowledge by that which hath beene taught them For this we have the example of the best master of a family that ever was Matth 13.51 For though many that have beene from their childhood brought up thus in the knowledge of religion for the present seeme to be as void of grace as any other yet is not our labour lost for if they belong to God even this dead and senslesse knowledge which they have gotten by these our endeavours will be of good use unto them one day and a great advantage unto them when the time of their visitation shall come as there is good use of laying the wood together in the chimney before-hand though it will not burne till fire be put to it So that knowledge which the Iewes learned of Iohn the Baptist concerning Christ though for the present they regarded it not but rather were offended at it yet in the day of their conversion it proved a great advantage unto them and helpe unto their faith Iohn 10.41 42. Thirdly and lastly Seeing knowledge is both the foundation and seed of all other saving graces wee that are ministers must be exhorted to make it our first and chiefe care to bring the people to knowledge to ground and stablish them in it True it is this is not all that we have to doe we must apply as well as teach Hee that prophesieth saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 14.3 speaketh unto edification and exhortation and comfort Wee must labour to worke upon the heart and affection as well as upon the understanding Speake to the heart of Ierusalam saith the Lord Esay 40.2 Yet is this our first and chiefe worke to open the eyes of Gods people and to turne them from darknesse to light as the Lord told Paul Acts 26.18 to worke upon their understanding and to bring them to knowledge As he is said to bee a pastor according to the Lords owne heart Ieremy 3.15 that feedeth the people with knowledge and understanding That is that that feedeth the soule The Preachers chiefe care must be to teach the people knowledge Eccl. 12.9 The minister then that hath taken the charge of soules upon him and would approve himselfe to be a pastor according to Gods owne heart and liking must doe these things First He must hold himselfe bound to catechise as well as to preach and count catechising a chiefe part of his ministery The Apostles the great master builders tooke this course they taught first the chiefe principles of religion and laid that as a foundation to all their preaching Heb. 6.12 The Romans had a forme of Doctrine a catechisme delivered unto them this way Rom. 6.17 And so had other Churches also that the Apostles did plant Hold fast the forme of sound words saith the Apostle 2 Tim. 1.13 which thou hast heard of me Secondly Hee must not content himselfe to teach diligently but hold himselfe bound also to teach plainely that the people may understand the text that hee handleth understand how his Doctrine riseth from it understand how it is confirmed by the word Thus is the preaching of the Levites commended Nehem 8.7 8. They caused the people to understand the law they gave the sense and caused the people to understand the reading Thus it is said of Moses that hee laid before their faces all the words that the Lord had commanded him Exodus 19.7 Hee made all things most plaine and evident unto them Thirdly We must lay a good foundation of Doctrine for all our exhortations and reproofes and deale substantially and soundly in our ministery Be instant saith the Apostle 2 Tim. 4.2 reprove rebuke exhort but do it with all long suffering and doctrine Fourthly and lastly We must study and take paines for our sermons It is said of Ezra 7.10 that hee prepared his heart to teach in Israel statutes and judgements hee studied much Because the preacher was wise saith Solomon Eccles. 12.9 10. he still taught the people knowledge yea hee gave good heed and sought out and set in order many parables The preacher sought to find out acceptable words and that which was written was upright even words of truth I know well there is a great difference betweene that preacher and the best of us for hee spake and wrote by divine and immediate inspiration but that addeth much to the strength of the proofe I bring from this place For 1. If hee gave good heed to that he taught and sought out and set in order his parables was carefull both to find out good matter and to deliver it in a plaine and good method if hee had such need to take these paines If Paul the Apostle 2 Timothy 4.13 had such need of bookes and of his parchments too which may appeare to bee note-bookes of his owne making the Syriak translateth it the bundle of writings folded up together for they used then parchment to write in as wee doe paper now how much more need have wee who may expect no immediate inspirations as they had but must attaine all the knowledge wee have by reading and meditation and prayer to God for his blessing upon these ordinary helpes both to have bookes to read and note-bookes and common-place bookes of our owne and to study hard that wee may bee well furnished and prepared for this worke 2. His reasons concerne us as much as him For 1. we must still teach the people knowledge strive to teach them more then they knew before and bee as good stewards bringing forth new as well as old Matthew 13.52 2. We must labour to find out acceptable words such as may give our hearers content and make them delight to heare us 3. Yet not by humouring them but by words of truth And this cannot bee done without study Lecture XCVII On Psalme 51.6 Septemb. 9. 1628. WEE proceed now unto the second branch of the exhortation which is to stirre us up unto a duty that every one of us oweth to his owne soule And that is no other then that very exhortation the holy Ghost giveth us Pro. 4.5 Get wisedome get understanding And verse 7. Wisedome is the principall thing therefore get wisedom and with all thy getting with all that thou hast gotten with all thy wealth and substance get understanding Now when I exhort you to get knowledge and understanding I desire to perswade you unto these two things First That you would
not rest nor content your selves with any other good thing that may seeme to bee in you so long as you remaine ignorant and want knowledge not in this that your life is civill and honest and vertuous that you are just and mercifull too and doe many good deeds but joyne to your vertue knowledge saith the Apostle 2 Peter 1.5 An unblameable and a vertuous life will not serve the turne without knowledge no nor this neither that you have a good meaning and desire to doe well that you are devout and given much to prayer For the Apostle beareth record Rom. 10.2 that they had the zeale of God a zealous care to please God and to serve him and yet because it was without knowledge the wrath of God came on them to the utmost for all that as he telleth us 1 Thes 2.16 Secondly I would faine perswade you not to rest nor content your selves with some smattering or small measure of knowledge but seeke to bee rich in knowledge to increase and abound therein to attaine unto a setled and well grounded judgement in the matters of your religion to a certainty and full resolution in them Brethren saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 14.20 bee not children in understanding in malice bee yee children but in understanding bee yee men of ripe age Let every man be fully perswaded in his mind saith hee Rom. 14.5 Even in the least matter of conscience and practise a Christian should seeke for certainty and full assurance of understanding And this none of us can attaine unto unlesse the word of Christ dwell richly and plentifully in us as the Apostle speaketh Col. 3.16 But for the better enforcing of this exhortation that is so necessary I will speake distinctly of it and observe this methode in the handling of it 1. I will shew you what this knowledge is that we are bound to seeke for above all other things and to bee at such cost and charge for the obtaining of it â— I will give you Motives that may provoke us thus to seeke it 3. I will shew you the meanes we must use for the obtaining of it For the first It is certaine that not all knowledge no not all knowledge in the holy Scriptures in the true religion of God is so highly esteemed of 1. Many an hypocrite that was never converted unto God nor ever had truth of grace in him hath attained unto knowledge even unto this knowledge Therefore the Apostle speaketh of knowledge as of an ordinary gift common to all that live in the Church 1 Cor. 81. Wee know that wee have all knowledge As if hee had said That is no such great matter to bee gloried in Yea many an hypocrite hath had a great desire to get and to grow in knowledge and hath delighted much in it They seeke mee dayly saith the Lord of those hypocrites Esay 58.2 and delight to know my wayes 2. It cannot bee denyed but many an hypocrite and gracelesse man hath much excelled many of Gods dearest servants this way Iudas no doubt had more knowledge then a great number of Christs best hearers had Yea Satan himselfe the prince of darkenesse knoweth the truth much more clearely and certainely then many of Gods Elect doe and could say to Christ even then when hee was unknowne to the greatest part of the Church Marke 1.24 I know thee who thou art even the holy one of God Yea 3. there is a kind of knowledge that is a great barre and impediment unto grace and maketh men more wicked and uncapable of grace then otherwise they would bee Thy wisedome and thy knowledge saith the Lord Esa. 41.10 it hath perverted thee and thou hast sayd in thy heart I am and none else besides mee In which respect it hath beene observed in all ages that there hath beene more grace and power of godlinesse in the common sort of simple people oft-times then in the greatest schollers The common people heard Christ gladly saith the Evangelist Marke 12.37 But of the most learned men that were in those dayes it is sayd Iohn 7.48 49. Have any of the rulers or of the Pharisees beleeved on him But this people that know not the law are accursed Insomuch as it is spoken of as a matter of great wonder Acts 6.7 that a great company of the Priests were obedient unto the saith What is then the knowledge that wee should so desire and make such high account of Surely such knowledge as David heere speaketh of In the hidden part thou hadst made mee to know wisedome such knowledge as the spirit of God worketh in the hearts of such as hee doth effectually convert saving knowledge sanctifying knowledge This is called the good knowledge of God 2 Chron. 30.22 the other will doe a man no good at all unlesse it grow unto this Of all the knowledge that is in naturall and unregenerate men that may bee truly said which Salomon speaketh Eccles. 1.18 Hee that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow the more thy knowledge is unlesse it bee for the present or at least prove in the end a sanctified knowledge the more shall the sorrow and anguish of thy soule bee one day Nay this onely deserveth the name of true knowledge The knowledge of holy men saith Solomon Proverbs 9 10. of regenerate and goodly men is understanding This is the knowledge wee should seeke and make reckoning of Teach me good judgement and knowledge saith David Psalme 119.66 Though wee have but a little knowledge yet if wee can find that little knowledge wee have is sanctified knowledge the knowledge of the holy wee may take more comfort in it then the greatest Clearks in the world can doe in all their learning The want of this knowledge should humble the best of us that though wee have much light and knowledge wee have but a little of this saving and sanctified knowledge This is that the Prophet Agur complaineth of Proverbs 30.2 3. Surely I am more brutish then any man and have not the understanding of a man I have not learned wisedome nor have the knowledge of the holy As if hee should say Till I have the knowledge of the holy and regenerate till I find I have sanctified knowledge I am bruitish and voyd of understanding Every unregenerate man certainely how great a clearke soever hee bee hath no true light in him but is in darkenesse even untill now as the Apostle speaketh 1 Iohn 2.9 and with all his knowledge and learning shall perish for want of knowledge as the Lord speaketh Hosea 4.6 O let every one of us take heed it bee not so with us Take heed saith our Saviour Luke 11.35 that the light that is in thee bee not darkenesse Take heed lest that knowledge that is in thee bee no better then naturall and carnall knowledge that that is in hypocrites and cast-awaies and in the divels themselves If the light that is in thee be darknesse saith Christ Mat. 6.23 how great is that darknesse Examine thy
will one day increase thy torments Followeth the fourth and last effect of saving knowledge which I will but name It will strengthen a man and make him able to withstand any tentation A wise man is strong saith Solomon Pro. 24.5 and a man of knowledge increaseth strength As though he should say As a mans knowledge increaseth if it be spirituall and sanctified knowledge so shall his strength to resist any tentation increase likewise When wisedome entreth into thy soule saith Solomon Pro. 2.10 11. and knowledge is pleasant unto thy soule Discretion shall preserve thee and understanding shall keepe thee And he instanceth in two tentations which it will preserve a man in in the verses following which experience of all ages hath found to be most strong and prevalent 1. From the counsell and example of lewd men verse 12 15. 2. From the allurements of harlots verse 16. And therefore the knowledge of that man who hath not strength to overcome but is as weake as water to resist any tentation can both eschew evill and doe good till he be tempted but thinketh it a sufficient excuse for any sin that he was tempted as our first parents did Gen. 3.12 13. is but carnall and naturall it is no sanctified nor saving knowledge Certainely God did never yet in his hidden part make him to know wisedome as he had done unto David Know you there can be no saving knowledge nor indeed any truth of grace in that man that hath no power to resist tentation As appeareth by the conclusion Christ maketh of every Epistle that he wrote to the seven Churches Revel 2. 3. where the promise is made to him that overcommeth and to none but him Remember that this is spoken of a principall part of our miserable condition in the state of nature that we were then without strength Rom. 5.6 He that is without all strength to resist tentation certainely is still in the state of nature he is still in his sins Lecture XCIX On Psalme 51.6 October 7. 1628. NOw we proceed unto the Motives that may perswade us to seeke for this knowledge And the Motives besides those that were delivered in the reason and ground of the Doctrine may be referred to these two considerations principally Consider 1 the things themselves that we are exhorted to know and to have understanding in 2 the necessity and benefit of knowledge compared with the danger of ignorance in these things and we cannot choose but be ashamed of our ignorance in the matters of our religion and desire knowledge unfeignedly For the first There be many other things the knowledge whereof though it be profitable and usefull unto men yet doth it not concerne all men to bee skilfull in them There is great use of knowledge in law and physick and in many other liberall arts and sciences yea even in husbandry and in sundry handy-crafts And this skill many have even in handy-crafts is said to be a singular gift of God Exod. 31.3 4. And so is that skill that men have in husbandry also Esa. 28.24 26. Yet it is no shame at all to many a man to want knowledge in these things But the matters of religion concerne all alike men and women old and young poore and rich they belong to all all are equally interested in them and therefore it behoveth all to have knowledge in these things See the truth of this in two points First All men claime a common interest in God and therefore it concerneth one as well as another the Tradesman as well as the Preacher the Plowman as well as the Gentleman the poorest beggar as well as the greatest Prince to know him to know how we may best serve and please him There is no man amongst us no not the meanest of us all but would thinke himselfe greatly wronged if any should say unto him as the two tribes feared the posterity of the other ten tribes would say unto their posterity Iosh. 22.24 25. What have ye to doe with the Lord God of Israel Ye children of Ruben and of God ye haue no part in the Lord. And indeed that which the Apostle saith of Iewes and Gentiles Rom. 3. â—9 may fitly be applyed to all the severall sorts and conditions of men Is he the God of preachers of rich men of great men onely Is he not also the God of husbandmen and tradesmen and poore men Yes of these as well as of the other Vpon whom doth not his light arise saith Bildad Iob 25.3 He that is Lord over all saith the Apostle Rom. 10.12 is rich unto all that call upon him He giveth to all life and breath and all things saith the Apostle Acts 17.25 And to what end is the Lord so good and bountifull unto all men That the Apostle telleth us verse 27. That they might seeke the Lord that is to say seeke to know to serve and please him Seeing then that every man challengeth a part and interest in God as much as any other and dependeth upon him for all present comforts and for his happinesse hereafter why should any man thinke it concerneth not him to know God and his will as much as any other man See how the Lord upbraideth Israel with this Esa. 1.3 The Oxe knoweth his owner and the asse his masters crib but Israel doth not know Not to know him to have no desire to know him that made us and preserveth us and without whom wee cannot live or subsist one moment is certainely more then brutish stupidity in any man See how this consideration prevailed with David Psal. 119.73 Thy hands have made mee and fashioned me give me understanding that I may learne thy commandements As if he should have said Even because I have my being of thee therefore I desire to know thy will and verse 68. Thou art good and dost good teach mee thy statutes Every man that can say God is good and doth good to him should count it a shame for him not to know him to bee ignorant of his will Secondly All Gods people men and women rich and poore have equall right and interest in the holy Scriptures one as well as another They were written for the use not of schollers onely and learned men but even of the simplest and poorest of Gods people and therefore it concerneth all to bee well acquainted with them to be skilfull in them Those things which are revealed saith Moses speaking in the name of all Gods people Deut. 29.29 belong unto us and to our children As though he had said The whole will of God revealed in his Word concerneth us all Whatsoever things were written afore-time even in the Old Testament as well as in the New saith the Apostle speaking to all Gods people Rom. 15.4 were written for our learning As if he had said There is nothing in the holy Scripture but it concerneth us to know it and learne it to be instructed in it I have written to him saith
in those torments where the worme shall never dye and the fire shall bee never quenched as our Saviour speaketh oft Marke 9.44.46.48 2. Though the ignorance of that man that wanted either meanes or capacity may find some mitigation of torments in hell yet is there no hope that thy ignorance that is willfull should doe so Secondly Knowledge I meane sanctified knowledge such as you heard described unto you the last day is a certaine signe a man is the elect child of God and in the state of grace To speake distinctly of this point 1. It is a signe of a mans election So Ananias speaketh of it as of an high favour of God unto Paul and signe of his election Actes 22.14 The God of our fathers hath chosen thee that thou shouldst know his will And so doth our blessed Saviour also unto his disciples Matthew 13.11 To you it is given to know the mysteries of the Kingdome of heaven but to them it is not given As if hee had said It is a speciall favour and gift of God And verse 16. Blessed are your eyes for they see and your â—ares for they heare Surely it is a great blessing of God or else Christ would not have said so Yea hee rejoyceth in his spirit on their behalfe for this and said Luke 10.21 I thanke thee ô father Lord of heaven and earth that thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent and hast reveiled them unto babes even so ô father for so it seemed good in thy sight Certainely it is a singular favour and blessing of God that our blessed Saviour made such high reckoning and account of 2. It is a signe a man is in covenant with God reconciled to him in Christ. So wee shall find it promised as a favour peculiar to them that are in covenant with God Ieremy 24.7 I will give them an heart to know mee that I am the Lord and they shall bee my people and I will bee their God And 31.34 They shall teach no more every man his neighbour and every man his brother saying know the Lord. As if hee had sayd They shall not bee taught of men onely nor rest upon this outward and ordinary meanes of knowledge I will bee their teacher my selfe for they shall all know mee from the least of them to the greatest of them saith the Lord for I will forgive their iniquity and will remember their sinnes no more It is a signe that God hath received thee into covenant that he hath forgiven thee thy sinnes and is reconciled to thee in Christ when hee hath given thee an heart to know him to understand what thou hearest and readest in the matters that concerne God and their owne salvation 3. It is a speciall signe of an honest and good heart a false and naughty heart cannot attaine to this What man is hee that feareth the Lord saith David Psalme 25 1â— him shall hee teach in the way that hee shall choose So speaketh the wisedome of God likewise Proverbs 28.5 Evill men understand not judgement they have no judgement in the things that belong to God and their owne salvation but they that seeke the Lord desire nothing so much as his favour and to know how they may best please him understand all things So that if God have given thee an heart to understand his word to carry away what thou hearest to profit in knowledge and to have a cleare and setled judgement in religion it may bee a comfortable testimony to thy conscience that thy heart is upright and that thou dost indeed seeke the Lord and feare him in truth On the other side 1. It is a great judgement of God and signe of his reprobation when having the meanes of knowledge hee can learne nothing nor profit by them This our Saviour giveth for the reason why many of the Iewes profited not either by his miracles or ministery Iohn 12.40 God hath blinded their eyes and hardened their heart that they should not see with their eyes nor understand with their heart and bee converted and I should heale them A signe it is God never decreed to save them whom hee so blindeth that they cannot understand and learne nothing 2. This is a signe of a man that remaineth still under Satans government and is in his power to bee led which way pleaseth him For hee is the ruler of the darkenesse of the world as the Apostle calleth him Ephes. 6.12 Therefore the Lord telleth Paul he sent him to open the eyes of the blind and to turne them from darkenesse to light and from the power of Satan unto God Acts 26. â—8 Therefore also you shall find in the parable of the sower Mat. 13.19 that of all the three sort of bad hearers hee that understandeth and learneth nothing is the worst and most under the power of Satan The wicked one commeth and catcheth away that that was sowen in his heart 3. Lastly This is a signe of an ungracious and wicked heart when a man under good meanes can learne nothing nor get any knowledge None of the wicked shall understand saith the Prophet Daniel 12.10 hee meaneth feelingly and savingly And the Apostle speaking of certaine women 2. Timothy 3.7 that were ever learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth giveth this for the reason of it verse 6. that thâ—y were laden with sinnes and led away with divers lusts A wicked and naughty heart is certainely the chiefe cause why many enjoying excellent meanes and frequenting them also diligently yet can never attaine to any cleare and certaine and savoury knowledge of the truth Thirdly He that hath knowledge and a well grounded and setled judgement will bee constant in religion and not wavering hee will hold fast the truth and not hearken unto or bee seduced by new opinions and doctrines of men The Apostle having prayed for the Collossians Col. 2.2 that God would give them all riches of the full assurance of understanding giveth this for the reason of it verse 4. This I say thus I pray for you lest any man should beguile you with entising words As if hee had said The onely meanes to preserve you from being beguiled by false teachers that will seeke to draw you from the sincerity of Gods religion and worship is to get knowledge and to ground your selves well that way On the other side They are children in understanding are apt to bee tossed too and fro as the Apostle speaketh Ephesians 4.14 and carried about with every wind of Doctrine And what kind of persons have the seducers in all ages beene wont most to prevaile withall and to lead captive That the Apostle will tell you 2 Tim. 3.6 7. silly women that were never able to come to the knowledge of the truth Such as are ignorant and have not grounds in themselves for that which they hold and professe in religion will bee apt to pinne their conscience upon other mens sleeves and to bee carried
was there in him either to further or to hinder any of them And if the efficacie of grace that God giveth to men for their conversion were no more but this that they are made thereby able to convert and repent if they will how could that bee true which the Apostle speaketh 1. Cor. 4.7 Who maketh thee to differ from another and what hast thou that thou hast not received Who made Peter to differ from Iudas that when they had both fallen the one truly repented the other did not Surely if this were so Peter might have said not the Lord but I made my selfe to differ from Iudas he had as sufficient grace given him of God for his conversion as I had he had power given him to repent if he had listed as well as I but he did not make right use of his free will for the accepting of Gods grace as I did and that was it that made the difference betweene him and me Lecture CIII On Psalme 51.6 Nouemb. 11. 1618. IT followeth now that wee proceed to the latter branch of the Doctrine namely to shew That the sound and saving knowledge of the truth that is in any man is to bee ascribed only to the worke of Gods grace and holy spirit not unto any power and ability that is in man himselfe In the hidden part saith David here thou hadst made mee to know wisedome See this confirmed unto you in three points 1. No man is able without the supernaturall grace of Gods spirit to attaine unto that knowledge of the truth as is sufficient unto his salvation 2 This supernaturall grace of Gods spirit is not common nor actually vouchsafed unto all that doe enjoy the meanes of instruction 3. No cause can bee given why this grace should bee vouchsafed unto one rather then unto another but onely the good pleasure and will of God For the first of these points I can no way better confirme it unto you then by answering two objections that may be made against it 1. Concerning the cleare and evident manifestation of the truth in the word and the ministery thereof 2. Concerning the great measure of knowledge that many a man by his naturall abilities without any supernaturall worke of Gods grace hath attained unto For the first It cannot bee denyed that all those truths the knowledge whereof is necessary unto salvation are not darkely and obscurely but plainly and clearely set downe in the holy Scriptures Thy word saith David Psal. 119.105 is a lampe unto my feet and a light unto my path And the Apostle 2 Peter 1.19 calleth the word of prophesie the Scripture of the old Testament a light that shineth in a darke place An evident demonstration of the plainnesse and easinesse of the holy Scripture to be understood is this that it was written for the use not of the learned onely but of all Gods people I have written to him saith the Lord Hosea 8.12 that is to say to Ephraim to the whole people and congregation of Israel the great things of my law but they were counted as a strange thing And how could Ephraim be blamed for counting them as a strange thing if they had beene written so obscurely and darkely that they could not bee understood by them So our Saviour speaking to the multitude to the common people Iohn 5.39 commandeth them to search the Scriptures that is to read and studie them diligently and giveth this for his reason For in them saith hee you thinke to have eternall life and they are they that testifie of mee which hee would never have done if he had thought the Scriptures had beene so darke that the common people could never understand them Neither would the Apostle have commended this in Timothy 2 Tim. 3.15 that from a child hee had knowne the holy Scriptures nor noted it to the praise of his grandmother and mother that they had trained him up so if hee had not knowne that the holy Scriptures are so plaine that even children may bee able to understand them Certainely they are so plaine in those points the knowledge whereof is necessary to the obtaining of eternall life as no man no woman no child need to bee discouraged from the reading and study of them Yea it was purposely written by the holy Ghost in that manner that it might bee understood of the simplest of them that read it and bring them unto knowledge The testimony of the Lord saith David Psal. 19.7 8. is sure making wise the simple the commandement of the Lord is pure enlightning the eyes And 119.130 The entrance of thy words saith hee or the doore of them as it is in the Originall giveth light it giveth understanding unto the simple As if he had said So soone as they doe but open the doore and make any entrance into them they shall see light and get understanding by them And if these necessary truths of God were so plainly delivered and set downe in the word of prophesie in the Scripture of the old Testament how much more in the new wherein all things are plainer then they were in the old and which doth open and interpret those things that were more darkely delivered by the prophets The mystery which was kept secret since the world began saith the Apostle Rom. 16.25 26. is now made manifest and by the Scriptures of the Prophets he meaneth as they are now opened and interpreted according to the commandement of the everlasting God made knowne to all nations for the obedience of faith And if all necessary truths be so plainely set downe and delivered in the written word how much more in the ministery of the word preached For this is a chiefe worke and duty of the ministery to open the Scriptures and make the meaning of them plaine unto the people as those Levites did Nehem. 8.8 They gave the sense of the law of God and caused the people to understand the reading And if all necessary truths be with such evidence and plainnesse delivered in the word and the ministery thereof why may not any man having the use of reason and judgement and being attentive in reading and hearing without the helpe of any supernaturall grace attaine to the sufficient knowledge of them nay how can he choose but doe it To this I answer The whole truth of God that is necessary to be knowne unto salvation is indeed plainely and clearely revealed in the holy Scriptures there is in the word and ministery thereof a bright and shining light But alas every man by nature is blind Hee that lacketh these things saith the Apostle 2 Peter 19. he that is unregenerate and lacketh saving grace is blind And what use can the blind man make of the light while he remaineth blind and till his eyes be opened Till the Lord annoint our eyes with that eye-salve that Christ speaketh of Revel 3.18 and cure us of this blindnesse till he open our eyes till he by his spirit inlighten
the eyes of our understanding as the Apostle speaketh Ephes. 1.18 all the light and clearenesse that is in the holy Scripture will doe us no good at all An this is therefore spoken of as a principall worke of the spirit of Christ in our conversion Esa. 35.5 Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened and the eares of the deafe shall bee unstopped then and never till then that we be converted and regenerated by the spirit of God That which the Apostle saith of the Iewes 2. Cor. 3.15 16. Even unto this day when Moses is read the vaile is upon their heart neverthelesse when it shall turne to the Lord the vaile shall be taken away may be sayd of every man while he is in his natural estate when the word is read or preached unto him the vaile is upon his heart and till he be regenerate and converted the vaile will never be taken away A little child that wanteth capacity though you teach him any thing never so plainely cannot possibly learne And such are wee all by nature wee have no capacity for heavenly and spirâ—tuall things The naturall man receiveth not the things of the spirit of God saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 2.14 hee is not capable of them for they are fooliâ—hnesse unto him neither can bee know them because they are spiritually discerned Till the Lord doe renew us in the spirit of our minds as the Apostle speaketh Ephes. 4.23 give us new minds till hee give us an understanding that wee may know him that is true as the Apostle 1 Iohn 5.20 saith wee have no capacity at all in us for these things Therefore the holy Ghost commending the word of God for this property among others even for the perspicuity and lightsomnesse of it telleth us who they bee to whom it is so cleare and easie to bee understood Proverbes 8.9 They are all plaine to him that understandeth saith hee A strange manner of speech this is but the meaning of it is no more but this The Scriptures are plaine indeed but to whom are they plaine Not unto all but to them onely whose eyes God hath opened from whom God hath taken the vaile that was upon their heart whom hee hath by his spirit given capacity and an understanding heart unto and to no other man Yea proportionable to the measure of this grace of this worke of Gods spirit in the opening of our eyes and curing our naturall blindnesse in the renewing of our minds and enlightning of the eyes of our understanding shall the measure of our knowledge in heavenly things bee shall the meaning of the holy Scriptures bee plaine and easie unto us For wee must understand that this cure of our naturall blindnesse is not perfected in any man in this life The best of Gods servants may say with the Apostle 1 Corinth 13.9 We know but in part Hee that hath the clearest sight in spirituall things shall have cause while hee liveth heere to cry unto God with David Psalme 119.18 Open thou mine eyes Wonder not that every one of Gods servants doth not see the truth in some points that to thee are most cleare and evident though they heare as much as thou hearest and read and study as much to understand the truth as thou dost To every one of us saith the Apostle Ephes. 4.7 is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ. So much light and understanding in heavenly things as Christ by his spirit is pleased to give unto us we shall have and no more When we shall come to heaven our blindnesse shall be perfectly cured the darknes that is in our understanding shall be fully done away as the Apostle teacheth â— Cor 13.12 All good men shall be of one mind and of one judgment in all things but never till then The second objection that may be made against this truth is this That common experience proveth that many a naturall man hath attained to the knowledge of the truth yea unto a great measure of it also so as they have beene able soundly to teach it unto others The Scribes and Pharisees sate in Moses chaire that is taught the doctrine of Moses so soundly and substantially that our Saviour commandeth the people Mat. 23 2 3. to observe and doe whatsoever they sitting thus in Moses chaire did bid and teach them to observe And the Apostle speaketh of knowledge 1 Cor. 8.1 as of a common gift that all that live in the Church under good meanes of instruction though they have no grace may easily yea cannot choose almost but attaine unto We know saith he that we all have knowledge To this I answer That a naturall man may indeed understand the literall sense and meaning of the holy Scriptures so as hee may bee able soundly to discourse dispute and write of them But this knowledge is not sufficient there is another manner of knowledge then this that is necessary to the salvation of every man Such a knowledge as you heard described to you when I delivered â—o you the properties and signes of saving knowledge 1. Such a knowledge as hath in it full assurance and undoubted perswasion of the truth full assurance of understanding as the Apostle calleth it Col. 2.2 2. Such a knowledge as is spirituall Paul prayeth Col. 1.9 that they might bee filled with the knowledge of Gods will in all wisedome and spirituall understanding Such a wisedome as worketh upon the heart and breedeth love and care to practise that wee know This was that knowledge of Christ that Paul so much desired and made such reckoning of Phil. 3.10 That I may know him saith hee and the power of his resurrection And thus wee should all desire to know every thing that we know in religion to know not onely the cleare and certeine truth of it but to know it with an experimentall knowledge to know the goodnesse the sweetnesse the life and power of it also A man may have the literall and historicall knowledge of the truth and yet want this saving and sound knowledge 1. He may be void of assurance and full perswasion of the truth of that he knoweth as they that are compared to the stony ground were Marke 4 17. 2. He may be void of spirituall understanding and have no feeling no love no conscience of the practise of that hee knoweth but scorne that and hate it and count it foolish precisenesse 1 Cor. 2.14 2 Tim. 3.5 And such is the knowledge that all naturall men have they are not fully perswaded of the truth and goodnesse of that they know their knowledge is not spirituall they feele no sweetnesse no life and power in it Now this assurance of understanding this spirituall knowledge which only deserveth the name of true knowledge and which onely is sufficient unto salvation no man with the best abilities he hath by nature without the supernaturall grace of Gods spirit is able to attaine unto Of this knowledge Elihu saith
at in all his counsels and workes is the glory of his mercy Hee delighteth in mercy saith the Prophet Mic. 7.18 Hee hath predestinated us to the adoption of children by Iesus Christ unto himselfe saith the Apostle Ephes. 1.5 6. according to the good pleasure of his will to the praise of the glory of his grace So even in his denying of the meanes of conversion and the grace of conversion to many people hee hath had respect to this even to glorifie his mercy the more towards his owne people The Apostle telleth us 2 Thess. 1.10 that at the day of judgement God shall bee made marvellous in all them that beleeve As if hee had said His mercy toward the faithfull in electing them to life in redeeming them in calling them effectually in justifying and sanctifying them shall bee admired and wondred at by men and Angels at that day When they shall see how many God hath denied this mercy unto yea to how many that were in many respects farre better then themselves then will this mercy of God towards them seeme as it is indeed admirable in their eyes If this mercy had beene universall to all men God could not have beene so glorified in it in this world if the Lord should have given this grace or meanes alike to all men the glory of his speciall mercy and free grace had not beene so manifested as in this it is Thus the Apostle speaking Romanes 9.22 23. of the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction and of the ends that the Lord aimed at and had respect unto in it hee doth not say that hee did it onely to shew his wrath and to make his power knowne upon them but that the Lord even thereby might make knowne the riches of his glory upon the vessels of mercy The reprobates are fitted to destruction effectuall grace is denied unto them that the riches of Gods grace and mercy towards his elect to whom hee vouchsafeth both might be set forth the better by this comparison and glorified the more And this was the true cause of that joy our Saviour expressed Luke 10.21 In that houre saith the Evangelist Iesus rejoyced in spirit and said I thanke thee ô father Lord of heaven and earth that thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent and hast revealed them unto babes Did hee rejoyce in the judgement of God upon the wise and prudent No verily but so farre forth onely as it served to set forth the mercy of God towards those babes This made him to admire and magnifie the mercy of God towards those babes so much the more when he considered what manner of persons that mercy was denied unto when he considered that it was no common but a rare mercy that God had vouchsafed unto them Lecture CV On Psalme 51.6 December 9. 1628. IT followeth now that wee proceed unto the uses that this Doctrine serveth unto And they are principally two First For instruction to establish our judgements in the truth and confirme us against those errours which in this great worke of mans conversion do derogate from the glory of Gods free grace and give too much unto man himselfe Secondly For exhortation to worke upon our affections and stirre us up unto sundry duties For the first This doctrine serveth notably to establish our hearts in the truth of that holy religion which wee doe professe and to assure us that it is the onely true Doctrine and religion of Christ. Yea it may serve for a touchstone to try all other Doctrines in religion by and to discover to us the falshood and vanity of all other Doctrines and religions whatsoever how faire a shew soever of truth and holinesse they doe beare or whatsoever the persons be that doe hold and professe them That Doctrine and religion that doth derogate never so little from the honour of God that doth not give the whole honour and glory of mans salvation unto him alone but giveth some cause of boasting and glorying unto man himselfe certainely that cannot bee the true Doctrine and religion of Christ. It is not that wisedome that Doctrine and religion that descendeth from above as the Apostle speaketh Iames 3.15 See this distinctly proved unto you in these three points 1. All the glory of mans salvation is due to God alone and no part of it unto man 2. All the glory of mans salvation is to be ascribed onely to the free grace and mercy of God and not unto any thing in man himselfe that might move God to it 3. The ascribing of the whole glory of mans salvation to the Lord alone and to his free grace is the chiefe rule whereby the true Doctrine and religion of God is to be tryed and judged of For the first This hath ever beene the profession of Gods true Church and servants to give all glory to God alone specially in this great worke of the salvation of man This was the song of that heavenly host the blessed Angels that came to bring the glad tidings of the birth of Christ Luke 2.14 Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace good will towards men As if hee had said It is enough for men that through Christ their peace is to bee made Gods good will and free favour is to bee purchased for them though they have no part of the glory of this worke ascribed unto them that is wholly due unto the Lord alone Glory to God in the highest This was the profession of the whole Catholike Church Revel 4.9 11. When those foure beasts representing the whole Church under the New Testament gave glory and honour and thankes to him that sat upon the throne the foure and twenty Elders representing the whole Church under the Old Testament fell downe before him that sat on the throne and cast their crownes before the throne saying thou art worthy ô Lord to receive glory As if he should say Though they had crownes and Christ had made them Kings and Priests unto God to reigne evâ—n on the earth that is to vanquish and overcome their owne corruptions and the tentations of Satan and of the world as themselves say Rev. 5.10 yet they cast downe their crownes they disclaime all honour that may seeme to be due unto themselves they ascribe all the honour and glory of whatsoever goodnesse was in them unto him that sat upon the throne unto the Lord alone Al the glory of mans salvation you see is due to the Lord alone Secondly All the glory of mans salvation is to be ascribed onely to the free grace and mercy of God This hath also ever beene the profession of Gods true Church and people Thus the blessed Apostle though hee had doubtlesse as great helpe from nature as ever man had If any other man thinketh saith he Phil. 4. â— that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh I more yet professeth 1 Cor. 15.10 By the grace of God I am what I am So the Prophet
to the man that had the palsey Matth. 9 2 Sonne be of good comfort thy sinnes are forgiven thee thou shalt be saved Why so Because he hath Gods written Word to assure him of it Els how can any particular man be assured certitudine fidei that his body shall rise againe at the last day as every Papist as well as every Protestant professeth that he is Hath he any Word of God to assure him by name that his body shall rise againe No but because God in his Word hath said Ioh. 5.28.29 that all that are dead good and bad shall rise at the last day and come unto judgement therefore every true Christian doth as undoubtedly believe it as if God had named him in his Word as he did Iosiah and Cyrus long before they were borne and said unto him thy body shall rise againe at the last day But then it is objected secondly That he that is so qualified as is mentined in these foure places that I have alledged shall indeed be certainly saved but who can be assured that he is so qualified that he hath truly repented that he truly loveth God and his children that he truly believeth in Christ Specially how can he be assured of that by the Word of God The heart of man we know is deceitfull as the Prophet speaketh Ieremie 17.9 And experience prooveth that many that seemed to have truly repented and believed have by their falling away declared that it was nothing so Two answers I have to give unto this First That though many have deceived themselves in this point yet it is evident by the Scriptures that a true Christian may be assured he hath all these foure graces in him in truth and sinceritie Hezekiah was undoubtedly assured that his life was truly reformed that he had truly repented or els he could not have said as he did in his extreamâ—â—ffliction Esa. 38.3 Remember now O Lord I beseech thee how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart and have done that which is good in thy sight Peter was undoubtedly assured and that even in the time of the great dejectednesse of his spirit that he loved the Lord in truth or els he would never have said as he did Iohn 21.17 Lord thou knowest all things thou knowest that I love thee The faithfull in whose name the Apostle speaketh 1 Iohn 3.14 were undoubtedly assured that they do truly love the children of God or els they could not have said as they did there By this we know that we are translated from death to life because we love the brethren The poore man whose child was possessed was undoubtedly assured that he had true faith or els he could never have said as hee did to the Lord himselfe Marke 9.24 even then when he was so humbled in the sense of his owne infidelity Lord I doe believe helpe thou mâ—ne unbeliefe In a word All that have true grace in them may undoubtedly know they have it in them in truth for the Spirit of God is given to that end principally to give them a comfortable assurance that they are in the state of grace We have received not the spirit of the world saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 2.12 but the spirit that is of God that we might know the things that are freely given us of God Secondly A man may be assured by the word that he hath these graces in him in truth and sincerity so as he cannot be deceived in them because the word cannot deceive him For as God gave Moses in the mount a patterne according to which he would have all things made in the Tabernacle See saith he that thou make all things according to the patterne shewed to thee in the mount Hebr. 8.5 so that when he viewed the worke and saw all was done according to that patterne he was sure they had done right and blessed them as we read Exod. 39 43. So hath the Lord given us a patterne in his Word according to which he would have everything in his spirituall Tabernacle saith repentance love obedience to be wrought And if a man can find that that grace that he hath is according to this patterne as if the fault be not in himselfe if he will take paines to view the worke well as Moses did he may Let every man prove his owne worke saith the Apostle Gal. 6.4 and then shall he have rejoycing in himselfe alone and not in another then may he be sure it is right then shall he certainly be blessed of God as Bezaliel and Abâ—liab were of Moses when all that they had done was found to be according to the patterne that was given in the mount And thus you have seene that all true assurance of salvation is grounded upon the Word of God and upon it alone Let us now make some application of this second signe in two points unto our selves and examine our owne assurance by it First canst thou prove by the Word of God that thou art in the state of salvation Then art thou an happy man If thou canst norâ— how confident soever thou seemest to be thou wilt find one day that thy state is not good For 1. Thou hast cause to distrust thy assurance that it is not sound No mans private spirit is to be trusted in this case He that trusteth in his owne heart is a foole saith Solomon Pro. 28.26 Gods Spirit must witnesse with our spirits that we are his children as the Apostle speaketh Rom. 8.16 or els we can never be sure of it And Gods Spirit giveth no testimony as we have heard but according to the Word so that no man can have any sound comfort in the assurance he seemeth to have of Gods favour unlesse he have the Word of God to confirme it unto him In God will I praise his Word saith David Psal 6.10 11. in the Lord will I praise his Word In God have I put my trust As if he had said I thank God for his Word for that is the onely ground of my comfort of all that trust and confidence I have in him of all that assurance that I have of his favour in Christ. 2. Thou must looke to have thy evidence questioned one day He that desired to have the Apostles in fingering as our Saviour telleth them Luke 22.31 that he might sift them as wheat be sure will deale with thee also in this kind one day And nothing will be able to convince him to stop his mouth and beat him from thee but the word onely That is the onely sword of the spirit as the Apostle calleth it Ephes. 6.17 That is the onely weapon whereby Christ our Captaine did fight against him and overcome him Matth. 4.4 7 10. And if thou canst be able to alledge the Word for thy assurance and claime to heaven to prove by the Word that thy faith thy repentance thy love is sincere then shalt thou be able to overcome â—im
answer That this may bee indeed for a time the case of a deare child of God as we shall heare in the next use They cannot discerne in themselves for the present any goodnesse But even in this case observation and examination of their owne waies will be of great use unto them For then it will be good for them to call to minde the times that are past and those evidences they have had of the truth of grace in them in former times This course Iob took to recover his comfort sundry times as you shall find Chap 23.11 12. and in three whole Chapters together 29.30 31. And so did the Prophet likewise Psal. 77.6 I call to remembrance my long in the night I commune with mine owne heart and my spirit made diligent search He did by communing with his own heart and searching it diligently call to mind that there was a time when hee could sing in the night when the spirit of adoption had given him such assurance of Gods love as made him full of joy and comfort even in the night season And this course the Apostle prescribeth to Gods people Heb. 10. â—2 as a singular meanes to preserve and recover their confidence and assurance of Gods favour Call to remembrance saith he the former daies in the which after ye were illuminated ye endured a great fight of afflictions Alas will you say what comfort is it to mee to remember what goodnesse hath beene in me in times past which I am now fallen from and have lost I answer That if ever thou hadst grace in thee in truth although the sense and feeling of it thou mayst loose for a time the vigour and operation of it may be nipt and interrupted for a time but the grace and seed of regeneration is an incorruptible seed as the Apostle calleth it 1 Pet. 1.23 where it is in truth it is lasting I will pray the father saith our Saviour Iohn 14.16 17. and hee shall give you another Comforter that hee may abide with you for ever Even the spirit of truth whom the world cannot receive because it seeth him not neither knoweth him but ye know him for he dwelleth in you and shall bee in you Looke what heart the spirit of God did ever dwell in there he shall be there he will abide for ever Christ hath prayed the father that it may bee so The poore humbled sinner therefore that did ever in his life at any one time in any one action discerne the truth of grace in himselfe though now he can discerne none may from thence conclude infallibly that there is truth of grace in him still and consequently may receive great helpe from thence for the recovery of his assurance againe O what cause is there then that we should continually in all our wayes commune with our owne hearts about this and search diligently to find this truth of grace in our selves seeing this will stand us in such stead at a dead lift as wee say in our spirituall desertions to recover our assurance againe Lecture CXXVI On Psalme 51.7 August 18. 1629. A Third helpe that he must use that would get assurance of the favour of God in Christ that would preserve it when hee hath it and recover it when he hath lost it is carefully to observe and call to mind the experiments he hath had of Gods speciall favour and love formerly This course Gods people have taken in this case and found great successe in it Take the Psalmist for an example of this Psal. 77. who when he had so farre lost his assurance that it was a trouble to him to remember God and his spirit was overwhelmed in him as he complaineth ver 3. and that he cryed out ver 7 8 9. Will the Lord cast off for ever and Will he be favourable no more Is his mercy cleane gone for ever Hath God forgotten to be gracious He had strong tentations to doubt he should never recover Gods favour againe Now to raise himselfe out of this wofull estate he resolveth thus with himselfe ver 10. But I will remember the yeares of the right hand of the most high that is the yeares and times of my life wherein I had sweet experience of Gods mercy and love For so is this phrase interpreted Psal. 17.7 Shew thy marvellous kindnesse ô thou that savest with thy right hand them that put their trust in thee And 80.17 Let thy hand be upon the man of thy right hand This course also David tooke at another time Psal. 143.5 6. When his spirit was overwhelmed within him and his heart within him was desolate then I remember saith he the daies of old I meditate on all thy workes I muse on the workes of thy hands Hee called to mind and seriously thought upon the passages of Gods providence toward other of his people but specially toward himselfe in former times and sought to recover his comfort and assurance this way And see what successe Gods servants have found in this case how they have grounded their assurance upon this I will cry unto thee saith David Psal. 61.2 3. when my heart is overwhelmed for thou hast beene a shelter for me and a strong tower from the enemy Because thou hast beene my helpe saith he Psal. 63.7 therefore in the shadow of thy wings will I rejoyce And 71.20 Thou which hast shewed me great and sore troubles shalt quicken me and shalt bring me up againe from the depthes of the earth And whereupon grounded hee this assurance and confidence That he had expressed before ver 5 6. Thou art my hope ô Lord God thou art my trust from my youth by thee have I beene holden up from the wombe thou art he that tooke me out of my mothers bowells my praise shall be continually of thee But you will haply object and say Can any man ground true assurance of Gods love upon the experience he hath had of Gods goodnesse towards him in these temporall and common favours Such experiments of Gods love as these are I could record a great many But alas these are poore grounds for any man to build his assurance and comfort upon 1. No man can say because God hath formerly beene good to him in this kind therefore he will be good to me againe God repented that he had made Saul King 1 Sam. 15.35 God giveth such gifts as these unto many and taketh them quite away againe and so seemeth to repent the bestowing of them Nay 2 no man can judge of Gods love or hatred by such things though he were sure to enjoy them alwaies as the Holy Ghost teacheth us plainely Eccl. 9.1 Many castawayes and Esau by name have had abundant experience of Gods goodnesse in such things and yet the Scripture saith expressely that God hated him for all that Mal. 1.3 But to this I have two things to answer First Though these outward blessings bee to reprobate men no arguments of Gods speciall
beloved so many of you as have given your names unto Christ looke unto this Count it a foule shame for thee that art a Christian when a naturall man or one that thou takest to bee farre short of thee in religion shall justly taxe thee with dishonesty in any kind When Abimelech had told Sarah of her fault in dissembling her husband thus was shee reproved saith Moses Genesis 20.16 As if hee should have said That was a shamefull reproofe indeed for a woman of her note to bee taught her duty and upbraided with her fault by an heathen man Surely it cannot but grieve every good heart to heare that which is too truly spoken to the shame and reproach of the Gospell that there is more truth and fidelity more just dealing more care of their word more good neighbour-hood and kindnesse more charity and mercifullnesse among a number of meere naturall men nay among Papists nay among Turks and infidels then among a great many that are of chief note for the profession of the gospell O that God would be pleased to open the eyes of such professors to see how great their sinne and danger is To this end consider with thy selfe these three things First that for thee to faile in these duties which are cleare not by the light of the Word onely but even by the light of nature also is a greater sinne than for thee to faile in those duties onely that are cleare unto thee by the light of the Word onely I know well that the sinnes against the first Table are in some respects greater than the sinnes against the second are But in this respect it is certaine that some sinnes against the second Table these sinnes against common honestly are more hainous than the most sinnes against the first that they are committed against greater and clearer light than the other are And the greater the light is against which any man offendeth the greater is his sinne To him that knoweth to do well and doth it not to him it is sinne saith the Apostle Iames 4.17 Secondly Consider that these faults of thine will be imputed by the world not to thy self only but to all that professe that religion that thou dost they will be ready to say these are your professours they are all such Remember what Iacob said Gen. 34.30 to Simeon and Levi Ye make me to stink among the inhabitants of the land And should not this trouble thee much Let not them that wait on thee O Lord God of Israel saith David Ps. 69.6 be ashamed for my sake Let not those that seek thee be confounded for my sake O God of Israel See how earnest he was with God to keep him from doing any thing that might bring reproach upon Gods servants or make the professours of his name odious to the world And so wouldst thou be too if thy heart were truly religious as Davids was Thirdly and lastly Consider that the shame of thy sinnes resteth not upon thy selfe nor upon all men that professe as thou dost but it reacheth unto the Lord himselfe and to his holy religion which thou dost professe and causeth men to say Lo this is their religion this they learne by going to Sermons Is not this a goodly profession The name of God is blasphemed through you saith the Apostle Rom. 2.24 And doth this seeme a small thing in thine eyes Will ye pollute me among my people saith the Lord Ezek. 13.19 for handfuls of barley and for peeces of bread As if he should say thus Will ye for the gaining of a trifle make my name and religion odious and loathsome to the people When Iacobs sonnes had given that occasion to the Canaanites to reproach religion he cryeth out unto them Gen. 34.30 Ye have troubled me It was a great trouble of mind to the good man that any occasion should be given to wicked men to hate or speake evill of religion specially by him or any of his And certainly if the glory of God and the credit of his gospell be not dearer to thee than any thing in the world if thou hadst not rather die than bring reproach upon the Gospell thou canst have no comfort in thine estate If thou canst not say with David Psal. 69.9 The reproaches of them that reproached thee are fallen upon me As if he had said The words that are spoken against thee and thy holy religion are a greater burden to me and trouble me more than any thing that can be said against my selfe doth certainly thou hast no zeale of God in thee at all Now though all this be true that you have heard though the civill virtues and morall parts that are in thee be good things in themselves and pleasing unto God yet cannot all thy civility thy just dealing thy care thou hast of thy word thy kindnesse and good nature thy mercifulnesse and readinesse to helpe them that have need yeeld thee any true comfort at all till thou be in Christ and knowest that through him thy sinnes are pardoned and thou art in favour with God For this we have evident proofe in the example of sundry who though they had these civill vertues in them yet are branded by the Holy Ghost for most unhappy men and such as none of us would be in their case for all the world The Pharisee could boast Luke 18.11 that he was neither extortioner nor unjust in his dealings with men that he was no adulterer nor filthy person How dutifull a child was Esau to his father how carefull to please him how fearefull to offend him As you may read Gen. 27.31 41. and 28.8 Of how bountifull a disposition and free from covetousnesse When Iacob brought him a royall present he refused it and said Gen. 33.9 I have enough my brother keep that thou hast unto thy selfe And where shall we read of such an example of kind-heartednesse and pitifulnesse and aptnesse to forgive an insolent and proud and inveterate enemy as we have in Ahab towards Benhadad 1 King 20.31.34 And what man in the world could ever live a more unblameable and honest life than that rich man Mat. 19.20 that had kept all the commandements of the second Table from his very youth to that day Of whom yet our Saviour giveth us just cause to judge by that fearfull sentence he giveth upon that occasion of all that trust in their riches that he could never get to heaven But the example of the Apostle Paul may serve instead of a thousand for this point Never did man live a more unblameable life nor excell in all civill and morall righteousnesse than he did when he was a naturall man Insomuch as he saith of himselfe Phil. 3.4 If any other man thinketh he hath whereof he may trust in the flesh much more I. And Verse 6. he saith that touching the righteousnesse which is in the law he had been blamelesse But did he find any sound comfort in all this No no when God opened
singing of Psalmes we must looke to this wee must sing unto the Lord Ephesians 5.19 Wee must make a melody in our hearts to the Lord. As if hee had said Wee seeke in that duty not to please our selves or others but the Lord. And that which hath beene said of the Sacrament and of preaching and of singing of Psalmes must bee understood likewise of hearing the Word and of prayer and of every other good duty wee performe either of the first or second table if our hearts bee upright wee must doe it as unto the Lord the maine intent and purpose of our heart in doing of it must bee to please the Lord and approve our selves unto him So the Apostle telleth servants that in doing their service unto their masters Ephesians 6.5 7. they must doe it as to Christ as unto the Lord. And verse 9. hee telleth masters they must doe the same things unto their servants a strange speech but the meaning is that they also in their carriage towards their servants in doing the duties of masters must doe it as unto the Lord that is both the servants and masters care in their mutuall duties one to another must chiefly bee this to please and approve themselves unto God In a word The Apostle speaking of himselfe and of all the faithfull 2 Corinthians 5.9 Wherefore wee labour saith he that whether present or absent wee may bee accepted of him As if hee should say This is our maine study and endeavour that while wee live and when wee die wee may please and bee accepted of him Hee that can find this in himselfe may bee certaine that hee is no hypocrite that his heart is upright within him This is the reason the Apostle giveth Romanes 14.6 why the faithfull should not judge one another for indifferent things Hee that regardeth a day regardeth it unto the Lord and hee that regardeth not a day to the Lord hee doth not regard it As if hee should say Both hee that observeth the ceremoniall law in that point and hee that observeth it not doth it not out of any carnall or worldly respect but out of a care hee hath to please God and feare to offend him therefore you may not judge him to bee an hypocrite therefore hee hath an upright heart Hee that findeth this in himselfe may have comfort in his owne estate and none but hee Neither can any man find this in himselfe that the maine end hee aimeth at in every good thing hee doth is to please God unlesse he doth that which hee doth out of love unto God If any man love God saith the Apostle 1 Corinthians 8.3 the same is knowne of him As if hee had said The Lord approveth and highly esteemeth of that man No good thing that we doe can please God unlesse it proceed from the love wee doe beare in our hearts unto him He keepeth covenant and mercy saith Moses Deut. 7.9 with them that love him and keepe his commandements First wee must love him before wee can keepe any of his commandements so as wee may please him therein Neither can any man truly love the Lord nor doe any good thing out of love to him till hee first know that God loveth him in Christ. Herein is love saith the Apostle 1 Iohn 4.10 not that wee loved God but that hee loved us and sent his sonne to bee the propitiation for our sinnes And thus you have heard it sufficiently confirmed unto you that though there bee many good things in some hypocrites yet because they are not in Christ they have no assurance of their reconciliation with God through his bloud therefore they can have no true comfort in them Let us now come to the third part I instanced in that is to say the regenerate themselves In every regenerate man there is true goodnesse indeed and that that farre surpasseth any goodnesse that ever was found in any morall man or in an hypocrite Three notable differences you may observe betweene them First Though they may do many good things in themselves yet of them it could never be said that they were good men But of the regenerate though they themselves be apt to think they are no better then hypocrites and meere naturall men nor so good neither as some of them yet the Holy Ghost giveth testimony of them that they are good men Of Barnabas it is said Act. 11.24 that he was a good man Do good saith David Ps. 125.4 ô Lord unto them that are good and to them that are upright in their hearts As if he had said Every upright hearted man is a good man Secondly Though the other two may do such things as are good in themselves and such as God is pleased with and oft rewardeth them for yet is he never a whit the better pleased with them for them But the Lord is not onely well pleased with the goodnesse that is in the regenerate but he is pleased with them and loveth them the better for it The Lord taketh pleasure in them that feare him Psal. 147.11 Such as are upright in their way are his delight saith Solomon Pro. 11.20 Thirdly Whereas the other two though they may doe many good things yet can take no sound comfort in any of them as wee have heard the regenerate may take much comfort in that goodnesse that truth of grace that they find in themselves So did Paul in his greatest afflictions Our rejoycing is this saith he 2 Cor. 1.12 even the testimony of our conscience So did Hezekiah even then when he thought he should die Esa. 38.3 Remember now ô Lord God I beseech thee saith he how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart and have done that which is good in thy sight But though all this be so Yet could not the best of Gods servants take any comfort at all in any goodnesse that is in them were it not for this that they know themselves to bee in Christ and reconciled unto God by his bloud God forbid saith the Apostle Gal. 6.14 that I should glory save in the crosse of the Lord Iesus Christ. Make this sure to thy selfe beloved that Christ is thine and then maist thou find sound comfort in that goodnesse that God hath wrought in thee But it is but cold comfort thou canst have in any good thing that is in thee or done by thee till thou know thy selfe to bee reconciled unto God by Christ rest not in it trust not to it For alas all our righteousnesses are as filthy ragge as the Prophet speaketh Esa. 64.6 And if our high-priest did not beare the iniquity of our holy things as Aaron did Exodus 28.38 our holyest duties could never bee accepted of God but would be most loathsome unto him All our most spirituall sacrifices are acceptable to God by Iesus Christ as the Apostle speaketh 1 Pet. 2.5 and through him alone Lecture CXL On Psalme 51.7 February 16. 1629. IT followeth now that we
thy Name Many that are such as of whom Christ himselfe will professe that he never knew them yet are confidently perswaded that they have good title unto him And there is no one thing that doth more dull and deaden mens appetite unto Christ and keepe them from hungring and thirsting after him and his righteousnesse then doth this perswasion that they have him already sure enough or at least they may have him when they list Christ dyed for all men say they and therefore I were a very beast if I should make any doubt of this that Christ died for me Know therfore beloved which is I assure you a matter of great importance for you all to know that it is a most dangerous delusion of Satan whereby men are perswaded that all men shall have benefit by Christ. No no the spirit of God teacheth us expresly the contrary in the holy Scriptures that all men shall not be the better for him but only a certaine choice and peculiar people Yee are a chosen generation saith the Apostle 1 Pet. 2.9 a peculiar people Nay the Scripture teacheth us that there be but a few in comparison that shall have any benefit by him And there are three evident reasons to prove this First the pardon that Christ hath purchased for men by his death all men shall not have their part in nor receive benefit by He was in the world saith the Evangelist Ioh. 1.10 and the world knew him not No this is appropriated to the Church of Christ only The people that dwell therein saith the Prophet Esa. 33.24 shalâ— be forgiven their iniquity And the Angell giveth this for the reason why he should be called Iesus Matth. 1.21 Thou shalt call his name Iesus saith he for he shall save his people from their sinnes Hee is the Saviour of his body of his Church saith the Apostle Eph. 5.23 Now alas the Church of Christ is but a little flocke as himselfe calleth it Luk. 12 32. If the whole world were divided into thirty equall parts there would not bee found above five of them that doe so much as professe the name of Christ. And of those five the Papists and Protestants taken all together will not make three And of those three the number of the Papists whose persons I will not judge but their doctrines are damnable doth farre exceed the number of the Protestants So that you see if none but the Church of Christ shall have benefit by Christ the number of them that shall have benefit by Christ is but very small in comparison of them that shall have no benefit by him at all Secondly Not all that live in Christs Church and professe his true Religion shall have benefit by Christ. He came unto his owne saith the Evangelist Iohn 1.11 and his owne received him not There be but a few of them neither that shall have any benefit by him So that looke what the Apostle saith of Israel Rom. 9.27 may truly be said likewise of the whole Church of Christ and of such as professe the true Religion Though the number of them be as the sand of the sea yet but a remnant of them shall be saved And it is worth the observing how often and how plainly and how earnestly our Saviour himselfe was wont to presse this point in his preaching He taught his hearers in the parable of the sower Matth. 13. that this field of Christ where he is pleased to sow the seed of his word and Gospell hath foure sorts of ground in it and of those foure but one that is good Hee taught them in his Sermon on the Mount Mat. 7.14 That the way that leadeth unto life is a narrow way and that there be few that find it He taught them in the parable of them that were bidden to the Kings marriage feast Mat. 22.14 that even of them that were called to the profession of the truth by his owne gracious and powerfull Ministery there were but a few that were chosen And in the parable of the labourers that were hired to work in the Vineyard Matth. 20.16 he affirmeth the like of the state of his Church in time to come Many shall be called but few chosen As if hee had said Though the number of them that by any outward calling are brought to a profession of the truth may seeme to be great as indeed it is yet there be but a few even of them that make so good a profession that are chosen of God and consequently that are inwardly and effectually called and that shall bee saved and receive benefit by Christ. The Lord discribeth to us the course he is wont to take in calling his elect inwardly and effectually Ier. 3.14 I will take you one of a City and two of a family or tribe Thinke not beloved nor looke for it that every one that giveth his name to Christ and joyneth himselfe to Gods people and professeth the truth with much forwardnesse and zeale is inwardly and effectually called of God or shall have benefit by Christ. No no remember and forget not but thinke oft and seriously of that saying of Christ Many are called but few are chosen Thirdly Nay many that live in the Church of Christ and professe the true Religion are so farre from receiving benefit by Christ that they shall receive much hurt by him and shall have one day just cause to wish that he had never beene borne that hee had never dyed for sinners that they had never heard of him Behold saith old Simeon to the blessed Virgin Luk. 2.34 When hee had Christ in his armes Behold saith he as if he should have said It is a strange thing but yet a most certaine thing that I will tell thee Mary this child is set and appointed of God by an unchangeable decree as well for the fall as for the rising againe of many in Israel Hee is unto many in Israel to many that live in the true Church of God a stone of stumbling as the Apostle speaketh 1 Pet. 2.8 and a rocke of offence though not a cause yet an occasion of their utter ruine and perdition They would not have beene so lewd men as they are nor continued with that quietnesse and contentment of mind in many foule sinnes had it not beene for that that they have heard of Christ and for that confidence that they have in him that hee will pay all their scores and answere the justice of God for whatsoever they have done amisse But how can this bee will you say that there should be but a few that shall have benefit by Christ Seeing the Scripture saith expresly 1 Tim. 2.6 That he gave himselfe a ransome for all And Heb. 2.9 That he tasted death for every man and 1 Iohn 2.2 He is the propitiation not for our sinnes only but also for the sinnes of the whole world I answer That not to enter into the controversie of universall redemptino it is agreed on by all divines
thou art that art most bitter and violent of either side then art thou certainly thy selfe most wilfully blinde And I doe assure thee in the name of the Lord and by good warrant out of his word that if thou canst not unfeignedly love every one that truly feareth God whither he conforme or not conforme if thou canst not bewaile and strive against these hard conceits thou hast beene wont to entertaine against such thou canst have no comfort at all in thine owne estate before God Let there be no strife I pray thee saith Abraham unto Lot Gen. 13.8 betweene mee and thee for we are brethren And it is noted by the Holy Ghost Verse 7. for a circumstance that did much aggravate the sinne of Lot and the griefe of Abraham for that variance that the Cananite and the Perizzite dwelt then in the land Certainely all that truly feare God are brethren And have not we Cananites and Perizzites enough in our land Papists and Atheists and profane persons that doe mortally hate us all that have any true feare of God in us and rejoyce much in our variances Or is the number of them that truly feare God so great that we must dishearten and weaken one another by nourishing heart burning and discord among our selves But the time will not permit me to enlarge my selfe in this point as I desire to doe I will therefore conclude my speech with the words of the Apostle Iam. 5.9 Grudge not one against another brethren lest yee be condemned Lecture CXLIV On Psalme 51.7 August 2. 1631. IT followeth now that we proceed unto the second of those foure effects and fruits whereby a man may certainly know whether he hath the spirit of Christ and consequently whether he hath Christ and is by his death and obedience perfectly justified in the sight of God and that is constancy in Religion This is then the Doctrine that I am now to insist upon That he that hath the spirit of Christ in him will be constant in his Religion above all things Now before I give you the proofe of the point I must explaine first and prevent the mistaking of it by answering three questions and removing three doubts that may rise in your mindes against it First You may aske me Is it a certaine note of a man that hath the spirit of Christ to be constant in his religion I answer No unlesse it be the true Religion that he doth professe It is indeed a morall vertue and one of the best things that are to be found in a naturall man to be constant in his Religion be it true or false And so the Lord noteth it to be Ier. 2.10 11. Passe over the isles of Chittim and see and send unto Kedar and consider diligently and see of there be such a thing and to be found even among them hath a nation hath any nation changed their gods As if he should have said Hath not even the light of nature discovered thus much unto all nations that it is a shamefull and odious thing for a people to be variable and unconstant in their Religion But my people have changed their glory their Religion he meanes For this constancy in a mans Religion which he is perswaded is true though it be false argueth a zeale of God in him though it be not according unto knowledge And that the Apostle speaketh of you know Ro. 10.2 as of a good thing iâ— it selfe as of one of the best things that can be in a naturall man But yet this is no signe of grace no fruit of the spirit of Christ to be constant in an erroneous and false way It was no commendation either to Ieroboam himselfe or to Iehu or to any other of the Kings and people of Israel that they abode even to the dissolution of that state in that Religion that Ieroboam did at the first establish and would by no meanes be drawne to forsake it The children of Israel saith the Holy Ghost 2 King 17.22 walked in all the sinnes of Ieroboam that he did they departed not from them This constancy in their Religion is oft mentioned in the story to their great shame and reproach It is no praise at all nor signe of grace in a Papist or any other Heretick or Schismatick whatsoever that they have beene constant in their Religion even unto death It is not the punishment that a man indures but the cause for which he suffers that maketh him a Martyr It is not constancy but obstinacy in a man to abide so resolute and unmoveable in any errour as he will admit of no meanes that may informe him better to be like the aâ—afe Adder Psal. 58.4 5. that stoppeth her eare which will not hearken to the voice of the charmers charming never so wisely Yea it is not only a great sin but a fearefull judgement and curse of God too He hath blinded their eyes saith our blessed Saviour Ioh. 12.40 and hardned their hearts that they should not soe with their eyes and understand with their hearts and be converted and I should hâ—â—le them So that when I say constancy in Religion is a note of him that hath the spirit of Christ I meane constancy in the true Religion It is the cleaving to the truth of God that is such a note But then you will aske me secondly How shall I know in that great difference of opinions in Religion that is in the Church and that even among learned and good men too which is the truth Whether that that I hold and professe bee the truth that so I may constantly hold it and cleave unto it When our Saviour had said Ioh. 18.37 38. and it was that good confession that the Apostle 1 Tim. 6.13 saith he witnessed before Poncius Pilate to this end was I borne and for this cause came I into the world that I should beare witnesse unto the truth Pilate said unto him what is truth And certainly wee have many now that were borne and bread in the Church that know no more what the truth is then Pilate did but like men utterly ignorant and unsetled in Religion are as ready to say as he he was What is truth Now to these men I answer with the words of our Saviour Ioh. 17.17 Sanctifie them with thy truth thy word is truth If that Religion that thou professest be no other then that which God hath taught thee in his holy word then is it doubtlesse the true Religion If thou holdest nothing in Religion but that thou canst warrant and prove by Gods Word then holdest thou the truth and thou must hold it fast and cleave constantly to it It is the word of truth Eph. 1.13 it can never deceive thee Thy testimonyes are very sure saith David Psalm 93.5 This sacred booke of the holy Scriptures and writings of the Prophets and Apostles is the foundation upon which God buildeth his Church as the Apostle teacheth us Eph. 2.20 If thou
upon My first proofe is the testimony that the Lord hath given unto them that cleave constantly to his truth The second is the comfort that Gods people themselves have found and the confidence they have reposed in that Of the first sort of proofs I will give you but three The first is that which you shall find Esa. 26.2 Open ye the gates that the righteous nation which keepeth the truth may enter in Marke three things in this first proofe 1. God makes it the character of the righteous nation the true Church the whole company of true believers that are made righteous by the imputation of Christs righteousnesse unto them that they are such as keep the truth Yea that he saith they are such as 2 keepe the truths all truths every truth that God hath in his Word revealed unto them 3. Marke what is said Vers. 1. of this nation that keepeth the truth and what security they may have that are of that nation We have a strong City salvation will God appoint for wals and bulwarks The nation that keepeth the truth yea every truth of God is as a strong city Gods salvation and protection shall be in stead of all wals and bulwarks unto that nation My second proofe of the first sort is that speech of our blessed Saviour Ioh. 8.31 If ye continue in my word then are ye my disciples indeed and not in name and profession onely He that is Christs disciple indeed taught of God a true believer will continue in Christs word in the truth he hath learned of him and not be drawne away from it And the third is like unto this 2 Iohn 9. Whosoever transgresseth He meanes not in action and practice for all men are apt to transgresse so There is no man that sinneth not 1 Kings 8.46 and every one that sinneth transgresseth the law 1 Ioh. 3.4 But he speaks here of such as transgresse in judgment forsake the right way as they did 2 Peter 2.15 and fall from the truth Whosoever saith he transgresseth and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ hath not God hath no part in God no saving knowledge of God no comfort in him He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ hath both the Father and the Sonne hath God for his father and the Sonne of God for his Saviour And this is my first sort of proofe the testimony that the Lord hath given of them that cleave to the truth and are constant in his holy religion you see what account the Lord makes of such My second proofe is the testimony that Gods people themselves from their owne experience have given unto this even of the comfort that they have found in this in the times of their greatest tryals and aâ—flictions that they have been constant in their religion and faithfully persisted in the truth of God And for this kind of proofe I will give you three particular examples of most holy men and one more generall of the whole Church The first of my three examples is holy Iob who when he was overwhelmed almost with tentations of all sorts found not more comfort and strength against them all in any one thing than he did in this Iob 23.11 12. My foot hath held his steps his way have I kept and not declined neither have I gone backe from the commandement of his lips I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary food As if he had said How many and how great soever my frailties and corruptions have been whereby I have justly deserved the Lord should thus afflict me yet I thaâ—ke God this my Conscience can witnesse with me and this is my comfort that I have never been variable in my religion I have been constant in that My second example is Davids who when his soule cleaved to the dust Psal. 119.25 and melted for heavinesse as he saith Vers. 28. when he was brought very low by outward and inward affliction raiseth up himselfe with this testimony that his conscience gave him as with a principall comfort Vers. 30 31. I have chosen the way of truth thy judgements thy Word for so is that word taken most commonly in that Psalme have I laid before me I have stuck unto thy testimonies O Lord put me not to shame As if he should have said I have deliberately advisedly and upon good grounds I finde for it in thy Word not out of any carnall respects because it is the religion of the time and State I live in made choice of this religion which I do professe and I have stuck to it and would never be drawn from it therefore O Lord put me not to shame forsake me not nor leave me not without comfort My third example is that of the holy Apostle 2 Tim 4.6 7. I am now ready to be offred as a sacrifice in martyrdome and the time of my departure is at hand that was a time certainly wherein he should need to bethink himself of the best grounds of comfort he had and what was the chiefe thing that he grounds his comfort and confidence upon at that time Surely this which he expresseth in the next words I have fought a good fight I have finished my course I have kept the faith As if he had said Though by many oppositions of false teachers and bitter persecutions I have beene strongly assaulted to forsake it yet I have I praise God and this is my comfort even to the finishing of my course and end of my dayes kept the faith that is the doctrine of faith as the word is taken Acts 6.7 Rom. 1.5 Gal. 1.23 and in many other places And mark how confidently he infers even upon this ground in the next words Vers. 8. Henceforth there is laid up for me a crowne of righteousnesse which the Lord the righteous Iudge shall give me at that day My fourth and last example is more generall even of the whole body of the Church that God had then upon earth Psal. 44.17 18 19 All this is come upon us yet have we not forgotten thee neither have we dealt falsly in thy covenant our heart is not turned backe neither have our steps declined from thy way though thou hast sore broken us in the place of dragons and covered us with the shadow of death As if they had said No reproach or persecution that ever we indured all which we might easily have escaped if we would have dealt falsly in thy covenant and forsaken thy truth could make us so much as in heart to turne backe from thy way as our fore-fathers did in the wildernesse of whom it is said Acts 7.39 that in their hearts they turned backe into Egypt they could have found in their hearts to be there againe but so could not we and this testimony of our uprightnesse we have to comfort our selves with in all the miseries that have befalne us And thus have I given you the proofe of the point that a mans constancy in the
true Religion is a sure argument that he hath indeed the Spirit of Christ and that that may give him great comfort in his estate Lecture CXLV On Psalme 51.7 August 16. 1631. IT followeth now that we proceed to the reasons and grounds of this point shew you why it must needs be so that he that hath the Spirit of Christ is constant in his religion he cannot be like the reed shaken with the wind variable and wavering in his religion nor apt to be drawn away by any means from the truth that he hath learned and received from the Word of God Two evident reasons there be for this 1. The Spirit of Christ wheresoever it dwels will teach and perswade the conscience effectually in the truth of God 2. He that is taught his religion by the Spirit of God will certainly be constant in it The first reason because it is of great importance and concernes the maine ground of that certainty that any of Gods people have in their faith and religion I will distinctly and plainely for the helpe of your understanding and memory declare and confirme unto you in six severall propositions and then I will answer the maine objection that is made against it First the Lord hath promised that he will by his holy Spirit instruct and teach his people in the way to life See this promise Ioh. 14.26 The comforter which is the Holy Ghost saith our blessed Saviour whom my father will send in my name through my merit and mediation he shall teach you all things All things he meanes that are necessary unto your salvation for you to know and to be perswaded of And if any man shall say as the Papist doth tush this promise was made to the Apostles onely who represented the whole Church of Christ and that therefore from hence it may be well concluded indeed that to the whole representative Church in a generall Councell lawfully assembled the Spirit is promised to teach and guide them infallibly in all things but can every private man or woman conclude from hence that the Spirit of God will teach them all things I answer That though these words were spoken to the Apostles onely for they were spoken in that Sermon our Saviour made at his last Supper where none were present but they yet doth it not follow from thence that they were spoken of the Apostles onely as not concerning any other but them for there were many things spoken in that Sermon that do undoubtedly concerne all the faithfull as much as them viz. that which is in Chap. 13.34 â—5 14.21 23 24. 15.1 10. 16.23 24. But for further answer unto this I add this second proposition That the promise is made not unto the Apostles and Teachers of the Church onely but unto all the faithfull All thy children saith the Lord to his Church to his Catholique Church the whole company of his elect and called ones Esa. 54.13 all thy children shall be taught of the Lord. And our Saviour citing this place Iohn 6.45 delivers the promise in these generall termes It is written in the Prophets saith he and they shall be all taught of God He is then no member of the Catholike Church out of which as out of Noahs Ark there can be no salvation hee is none of Gods elect that in the matters of his religion hath no other teacher then man that is not therein taught of God and instructed by his holy spirit Ye have an unction saith the Apostle in his generall Epistle that he wrote to all the faithfull 1 Iohn 2.20 Yea even to such among them as verse 18. he calls little children the weakest and meanest of all the faithfull ye have an unction from that holy one saith he even unto them and know all things that is ye have received from Christ the Holy Ghost the Comforter and hee hath taught you and instructed you in all things that are necessary to the salvation of your soules for you to know and to be instructed in Thirdly Of all the workes of the spirit of God in the soule of man this is the first and principall to inlighten the mind and to give a man a good understanding and judgement in those things that concerne his salvation As light was the first of all Gods workes in the Creation of the world Gen. 1.3 so is it also in the new creation Be ye transformed saith the Apostle Romanes 12. â— by the renewing of your mind So soone as a man is transformed and hath that blessed change wrought in him his minde will bee renewed and his judgement cleered in spirituall things When their heart turneth unto the Lord saith hee 2 Cor. 3 16. so soone as a man is once converted by the spirit of God the vaile that darkned the understanding and kept a man from seeing and discerning the things of God shall bee taken away That man whom Gods spirit hath not enlightned to see the truth in some comfortable measure in the matter of religion that is ignorant therein or hath no knowledge but such as he hath received by tradition from men had never any other teacher then man holds nothing in religion but humanafide upon that credit that hee gives unto man it is the religion of the time of the state and countrey hee lives in it is that which he knowes many learned and good men doe teach and hold and therefore hee holdeth and professeth it but he was never inwardly and firmely perswaded in his conscience of these things that man certainely never had the spirit of Christ It cannot be idle wheresoever it is it will be working and if it have not renewed thy mind and judgement if it have not taught instructed thee which is the right way to heaven which is the true religion it never had any work in thy heart at all thou hast certainely no one work of saving and sanctifying grace wrought in thy soule Fourthly The knowledge that this heavenly teacher worketh in us is a cleare and certaine knowledge And even as Gods people when the spirit of God spake unto them in visions and dreames and other extraordinary revelations were undoubtedly certaine of that that he revealed unto them they needed not the testimony of the Church to assure them that it was indeed the will of God that was so revealed unto them If Abraham had not beene undoubtedly certaine of that he would never have beene so ready as hee was Gen. 22.2 3. to sacrifice his own sonne Neither would Ioseph being a just man have taken Mary his wife after she was found with child as he did Matth. 1.20 24. nor would he have taken her and our blessed Lord immediatly after he arose by night and have fled into Egypt as he did Mat. 2.13 14. if hee had not been certainely assured that that was the will of God that was so revealed to him the spirit spake expresly in those cases as the Apostle teacheth us 1 Tim. 4.1 So
received them by the ministery of the Church and preaching of the Word Therefore the Apostle calls the ministery of the Gospell 2 Cor. 3.8 the ministration of the spirit As if hee had said The meanes whereby the Lord conveyes his spirit into the heart of man and whereby the spirit worketh grace in mans heart is the ministery of the Word Received ye the spirit saith he Galathians 3.2 by the workes of the law or by the hearing of faith that is the Doctrine of faith preached So speaking of faith the greatest worke of the spirit he saith Rom. 10.17 faith comes by hearing Therefore when our Saviour had said Iohn 6.45 It is written in the Prophets they shall bee all taught of God hee addeth immediatly every man therefore that hath heard and learned of the father commeth unto me As if he had said The father teacheth no man ordinarily but in and by the hearing of his Word preached Therefore when the Lord makes that gracious promise to every faithfull man that hee will by his spirit plainely teach and direct him which way to take even then when he is in most danger to be mislead and seduced Esa. 30.21 Thine eares shall heare a word behind thee saying this not that but this is the way walke yee in it continue goe on in it leave it not when thou turnest unto the right hand and when thou turnest unto the left As if he should have said When thou shalt be in danger to be seduced and drawne out of the right way even then my spirit shall resolve and confirme thee in the truth and keepe thee in it I say when the Lord doth promise thus plainely and particularly to teach and guide his people aright by his spirit even in controverted truthes you shall find in the former verse 20. how and by what meanes the spirit will thus teach and guide his people Thy teachers saith he shall not bee removed into a corner any more but thine eyes shall see thy teachers and then followeth and thine eares shall heare a word behind thee As if hee should say I will accompany the ministery of my Word with the efficacy and operation of my spirit and by the ministery of thy teachers my spirit shall instruct and guide thee in the right way And thus you see the first reason of the Doctrine opened and confirmed unto you that the spirit of God wheresoever hee dwells will teach and perswade the heart in the truth of religion The second reason of it is this That when once a man is taught of God and instructed by his spirit in the truth hee will certainely cleave unto it and hold fast whatsoever hee hath learned of that heavenly teacher Teach mee O Lord saith David Psalme 119.33 the way of thy statutes that is that way unto life and salvation which thou hast in thy Word prescribed a plaine periphrasis of the true religion of God and I shall keepe it unto the end As if hee had said I shall never fall nor bee drawne away from it when once thou hast by thy spirit instructed and resolved me in it And verse 102. I have not departed from thy judgements saith he but have beene constant in thy truth for thou hast taught mee So saith the Apostle also of all that are taught of God 1 Iohn 2.27 The same anointing saith hee the spirit of God hee meanes teacheth you of all things of all things that are necessary for you to know and it is truth and is no lie this teaching of the spirit is cleare certaine and even as it hath taught you ye shall abide in him As if he should say Ye shall abide in Christ and in the profession of every truth of his because ye have beene taught by his holy spirit And thus have I shewed you the reasons and grounds of this point that he that hath the spirit of Christ will be constant in the Religion of Christ and firmly cleave unto the truth of God Lecture CXLVI On Psalme 51.7 Aug. 30. 1631. IT followeth now that we proceede to make some application of it unto our selves For seeing as wee have heard the Spirit of God wheresoever it dwels will teach and resolve the heart in the truth of Religion and he that is thus taught of God cannot but be constant in the truth seeing the Lord makes so great account of them that cleave to his truth and the faithfull themselves have found such comfort in this when they have beene in great distresse wee are therefore to be exhorted that every one of us would labour by this note to approve our selves to have the Spirit of Christ and so to be his even by our resolution and constancy in our Religion and cleaving fast unto the truth of God which we have received and doe make profession of This is an exhortation which we shall finde much pressed upon Gods people by the Holy Ghost specially in the New Testament Watch yee take heed unto your selves saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 16.13 stand fast in the faith in the Doctrine of faith quit yee like men in withstanding manfully all such as would seduce you bee strong and resolute in the truth Observe his earnestnesse in the many words he useth So Phil. 4.1 Stand fast in the Lord in the faith and Doctrine of Christ my dearely beloved And 2 Thes. 2.15 Therefore brethren saith hee sland fast and hold the traditions the doctrines delivered unto you which you have beene taught whether by word by lively voice in the Ministery of the word preached which you heare or by our Epistle or by the holy Scripture which yee reade And againe Heb. 4.14 Let us hold fast our proâ—ession saith he And againe Heb. 10.23 Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering Remember how thou hast received and heard saith our Saviour Revel 3.3 and hold fast And if the people of God then had such need to have this exhortation pressed upon them while the Apostles themselves lived by whom they had beene taught and confirmed in the truth with farre more evidence and demonstration of the spirit and of power as the Apostle speaketh 1 Cor. 2.4 then is it to bee found in the Ministery of any of Gods servants now how much more necessary is this exhortation for us all in these dayes No not so will you say For those were dayes of bloudy persecution and of a fiery tryall The Magistrate was a mortall enemy to Christ and his Gospell and the Iewes every where incensed him against it but we thankes be to God live under a Christian Magistrate and in dayes of great peace we have peace at home and peace abroad To this I answer that though we through the great mercy of God doe enjoy the Gospell in great peace and have it also maintained and countenanced by publike authority and though the religious disposition of our gracious King who hath both heretofore and of late so fully declared himselfe
so much the more and to take up Davids cry and resolution Psal. 119.126 128. It is time for thee Lord to worke and to shew thy power for the maintaining of thy truth and Gospell for they have made void thy law thy word and truth is of no reckoning and account with men therefore even for this very cause Oh happy man that can say so therefore love I thy Commandements above gold yea above fine gold therefore I esteeme all thy precepts concerning all things to bee right and I hate every false way And now that I have thus shewed you how much need we have of this exhortation to constancy in our Religion I will for the better enforcing of it first give you some motives to perswade and provoke you to it and then shew you the meanes how it may be obtained And the Motives I will give you shall be but two First take heed how you suffer your selves to be corrupted in judgement how you approve in your judgement of any erroneous Doctrine for corruption in judgement is the most dangerous corruption of all others worse then corruption in manners is specially in a man that hath beene formerly inlightned with the knowledge of the truth To allow of any evill we doe in our judgement and to defend it as lawfull is a greater sin and argues a man to be more under the power and dominion of sinne then the committing of sinne doth Therefore the Apostle in the person not of a naturall but of a regenerate man comforts himselfe in this Rom. 7.15 That which I doe I allow not and Verse 16. I consent to the Law that it is good and Verse 25. With my minde I serve the Law of God The Leprosie in the head was of all kinde of Leprosies most dangerous The Priest shall pronounce him utterly uncleane saith the Lord Leviticus 13.44 his plague is in his head As the soule is the excellency of a man so is the spirit and judgement the excellency of the soule and that that God hath set in a man to guide and governe all other the powers and facultyes of it The spirit of man is the candle of the Lord saith Salomon Prov. 20.27 a divine light set in the soule to direct the whole man And if the light that is in thee be darkenesse saith our Saviour Matth. 6.23 if thy minde and judgement be once corrupted how great how dangerous is that darkenesse Take heed therefore saith he Luke 11.35 that the light that is in thee be not darkenesse take heed that thy judgement be not corrupted Most men are of opinion that if a mans life and conversation be honest and good it is no great matter what his opinion in Religion be But they are much deceived An unsound and corrupt judgement in Religion will make a man more odious unto God then many foule corruptions in life and conversation will doe To the unbeleeving saith the Apostle Tit. 1.15 Nothing is pure for even their minde and conscience is defiled Even their minde is defiled saith he The corruption of the minde is the highest degree of corruption that can be Nay it is not only an high degree of corruption to be corrupt in judgement but it is also a grievous punishment of God when a man through want of judgement to discerne betweene truth and falshood shall receive errour and forsake the truth This is said to be the judgement that God did make choice of to punish the Gentiles for their most hainous sins God gave them over saith the Apostle Rom. 1.28 to a reprobate minde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to a minde void of judgement as your margin well renders it When thou once losest thy judgement that thou canst not discerne betweene truth and errour in the matters of thy faith and salvation know that thou art under a most heavy curse of God Secondly If any of you shall change your judgement in Religion and be apt to embrace errour and forsake the truth you shall thereby declare your selves never to have beene taught of God never to have had any truth of grace or goodnesse in you What will you say is every one that holdeth any errour in Religion utterly void of all grace For answer unto this you must understand that there is great difference in the errours that men hold and in the manner of their holding them also As in the law of God which is the rule of our practice there are some more weighty matters as our Saviour speaketh Matth. 23.23 and some that are lesse weighty So among those truths in Religion that are to be knowne and beleeved there are some that are more fundamentall of more absolute necessity to salvation to be knowne and beleeved then some others are As in the body of man some wounds are mortall Viz. such as touch the braine or heart or other vitall parts some others though they be very deepe and grievous yet are not mortall so it is in the errours of the minde some of them touch the head not holding the head saith the Apostle Col. 2.19 and destroy the faith as he speaketh 2 Tim. 2.18 they overthrow the Doctrine of justification only by faith in Christ which is the very life of a Christians soule but some of them doe not so To answer therefore more distinctly unto the question I say That errours of this latter kinde that doe not touch upon the foundation may doubtlesse be in the man that is in the state of grace He that held himselfe bound in conscience in the Apostles time to observe all those dayes that God in Moses dayes had made holy and to abstaine from all those meates that by that law were made uncleane did out of doubt hold an arrour in Religion and yet the Apostle Rom. 14.1 6. speakes of such a man as of the deare child of God and saith plainly of him Verse 3. That God had received him into favour yea hee shall bee holden up saith he Verse 4. he shall persevere in the state of grace for all the errour that he holds Yea he forbids Gods people that were sounder in judgement than he to despise him or judge him to be void of grace nay he commands them to receive him converse with him think well of him love him notwithstanding this errour of his As every errour of judgement doth not separate a man from Christ so neither should it separate the members of Christ in love and affection one from another When any two of us differ in judgement in any matter of religion whatsoever the one of us certainly must needs be in an errour And he that is in the errour so it be but an errour of this kind may be every whit as holy a man yea and holier too than he that holdeth the truth For the dearest of Gods children in this life may be subject unto such errours The best may say of themselves as the Apostle doth 1 Cor. 13.9 We know but in part And
every man is a lyar saith he Rom. 3.4 the best man is subject to erre and to be deceived in some things We shall never all come to unity of faith unity of judgement in all truths that are to be believed till we come to be perfect men as the Apostle teacheth us Eph. 4.13 While we live here there will be difference of judgement in some things betweene the best of Gods servants And that which the Apostle saith Iam. 3.1 2. My brethren be not many masters let not every one be so apt to censure and judge his brother for every failing and slip in their practice and conversation for in many things we offend all the same may fitly and truly be spoken in this case also My brethren be not many masters let not every one be so apt to censure and judge his brother for every errour that he holds in his judgement for in many things we erre all Yea I say secondly that a man that is in the state of grace may possibly hold for a time even such errours in religion as do trench upon the foundation also very neare For all the elect Apostles did believe that Christ should be a worldly king Mar. 10.37.41 Yea they held this errour even after they had been eye-witnesses both of his passion and resurrection too as is plaine by their question Acts 1.6 And the whole Church of the Galatians did for a time hold an errour in that maine fundamentall article of our religion in the doctrine of our justification For they held that a man could not be justified by faith in Christ onely without the works of the Law as is evident by that paines the Apostle takes to convince them of that errour Gal. 3 4 5 Chapters Though we may therefore judge of such errours as these that they are most odious and damnable and can never speak nor think too hardly of them yet may we not judge every one that holds them to be in a damnable estate neither must their persons be odious unto us so long as they do not trouble the Church nor seek to corrupt others by broaching of them for of such the Apostle hath a bitter speech yet not more bitter than holy and wholsome Gal. 5.12 I would they were even cut off which trouble you Thirdly These errours that are so grosse and dangerous that tend directly to the overthrow of the foundation no man that is in the state of grace can obstinately hold and continue in There be some errours in religion of which it may be said as David speaketh Psal. 119.21 Cursed are they that do erre from thy commandements None but they that are accursed of God and ordained to damnation can fall into them and persist in them If ever thou that hast known and professed the truth shalt turne Papist or Pelagian or Libertine or Antinomian certainly thou never hadst the Spirit of God there was never any true goodnesse or grace in thy heart They that worship the beast that turn Papists are many indeed they may well brag of universality and multitude the Pope could not be Antichrist he could not be that beast spoken on in the Apocalyps if he could not plead this universality for all that dwell upon the earth in a manner shall worship him saith the Holy Ghost Rev. 13.8 But who are they None but they whose names are not written in the booke of life saith the text Fourthly and lastly A wavering mind in religion an aptnesse to forsake the truth and to receive new opinions and errours is a dangerous signe of an heart that never had truth of grace in it The ungodly saith the Prophet Psal. 1.4 are like the chaffe which the wind driveth away To be so light of beliefe that every wind of Doctrine will carrie us away is a signe of an ungodly man of a naughty and unsound heart They that at such a time as there were many Antichrists and false teachers in the Church did receive their errours and were drawne from the truth did thereby make it manifest as the Apostle speaketh 1 Ioh. 2.18 19. that they were never any of Gods elect If they had beene of us saith he Vers. 19. if they had ever beene any of Gods elect they would no doubt have continued with us but they went out that they might be made manifest that all that once joyned with us in the profession of the truth were not of us but that we had some hypocrites among us And so on the other side they that in such a time when there are many heresies and false doctrines broached in the Church and that with great shew of reason and truth and holinesse too shall yet cleave constantly unto the truth are even by this made manifest to have upright hearts to be the elect of God and precious in his sight Thus our Saviour describeth his sheepe his elect Iohn 10.5 a stranger one that teacheth strange and false doctrine they will not follow but will flee from him shun and avoid him as much as they can for they know not the voice of strangers they approve not of they like not the doctrine of false teachers Yea the Lord doth for this very cause permit so many spirits of errour to swarme in his Church as there do at this day that by this meanes of tryall â—e might make it manifest which among all them that have professed his religion are his elect ones and approved of him and which are not There must be heresies among you saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 11.19 that they which are approved aâ—â— allowed of God may be made manifest among you Consider well of these motives and you shall find there is great force in them to perswade you to câ—â—ave resolutely and constantly to the truth you have received and to make you fearfull to decline and fall from it Lecture CXLVII On Psalme 51.7 Sept. 13. 1631. IT followeth now that we proceed unto the meanes that they who desire to be constant in the truth and to keepe themselves from being corrupted in their judgement by any of those erroneous spirits that the Church at this day is so pestered with must use Our standing fast in the faith dependeth chiefly indeed not upon our selves or upon any thing that is in us or upon any thing wee are able to doe but upon the Lord onely and upon these two things that are in him First Vpon that grace and free love of God that mooved him in his eternall counsell to elect and ordaine us unto life And secondly upon that omnipotent power of his whereby onely wee are preserved from falling away There shall arise saith our Saviour Matthew 24.24 false Christs and false Prophets and shall shew great signes and wonders the Priests and Iesuites boast much of miracles you know Their miracles for the most part are palpably detected to the world to be but tricks of legier de-main And if they were not so if they were indeed great signes
and wonders that they doe yet might they bee false Prophets for all that false Prophets saith our Saviour shall shew great signes and wonders in so much that if it were possible they shall deceive the very elâ—ct If it were possible saith hee It is not possible for any of Gods elect to bee so deceived by any false teachers as that they should fall into those errours that are fundamentall and persist in them The foundation of God saith the Apostle 2 Timothy 2.19 this decree of God which is the maine foundation of our whole salvation that standeth sure and can never bee mooved or altered And secondly wee are kept saith the Apostle 1 Peter 1.5 by the power of God through faith unto salvation And by our faith wee have in these things and in other the promises of God we stand as the Apostle saith 2 Corith 1.24 and not by any thing that is in our selves But though this bee so yet hath the Lord appointed some things for us to doe to preserve our selves from falling away from the truth And though he at the first made us without our selves not of our first creation only but of the first forming of the new creature principally is that to be understood which the Church speaketh Psalme 100.3 It is he that made us and not we our selves as appeares by the words that follow We are his people and the sheepe of his pasture we were meere patients in both those first workes of God yet will he not save us without our selves he will not preserve us in the state of grace nor bring us unto glory without our owne endeavour he will have us to be agents in this work our selves and co-workers with him Work out your own salvation saith the Apostle Phil. 2.12 and Iude 20 â—1 Build up your selves in your most holy faith and keep your selves in the love of God And whomsoever God hath elected and decreed to preserve so as they shall never bee deceived and drawne from the truth in them he will worke a care and endeavour to use all meanes to preserve themselves Yea he will make them to be diligent and painfull in working for themselves this way in doing their endeavour and using of the meanes whereby they may be kept from falling away from the truth The Apostle writing to the Hebrewes that had done much already to make sure to themselves their owne election and calling And wee desire saith hee Hebrewes 6.11 12. that every one of you doe shew the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end That yee bee not slothfull but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises No man can have full assurance of hope to bee preserved from falling away unlesse even to the end of his dayes hee bee diligent in using the meanes to preserve himselfe No man may looke to inherit Gods promises that is a sloathfull man that relyeth wholly upon Gods mercy and power and gracious promises and will use no endeavour take no paines to keepe himselfe from falling from God On the other side hee that will diligently endeavour himselfe to doe that that God hath directed him to doe and to use Gods meanes shall not need to doubt but that God will uphold him though the times were farre more dangerous than they are Hee that upheld Noah Genesis 6.9 and Obadiah 1 Kings 18.3 in such times as these were can certainely uphold us in these times God is able to make him stand saith the Apostle Romans 14.4 Yea and hee will cetainely doe it if wee bee not wanting to our selves Arise and bee doing saith David to Salomon 1 Chron. 22.16 and the Lord will bee with thee Do thy endeavour in the use of Gods meanes conscionably and thou shalt not need to doubt of successe In all labour there is profit saith the Holy Ghost Prov. 14.23 which is to bee understood as well of the paines wee are to take for our soules and for heaven as for that wee take for our bodies in our worldly callings Yea the Lord to shew the necessity of our own endeavour to encourage us unto this and to honour the use of his meanes is pleased to ascribe our preservation from falling and standing in the state of grace which is indeed his owne worke onely unto this our care of keeping of our selves Hee that is begotten of God keepeth himselfe and that wicked one toucheth him not saith the Apostle 1 Iohn 5.18 A regenerate man may by a conscionable use of the meanes yet not hee saith the Apostle 1 Corinthians 15.10 but the grace of God that is with him and with all others also that faithfully doe their endeavour keepe himselfe so as that Satan nor any of his agents shall ever bee able to touch him mortally to draw him to that sinne that is unto death Yea hee that will carefully doe what lyeth in him I speake still of the regenerate man may preserve himselfe though not from all sinne from all humane frailties and infirmities yet certainely from all grosse and scandalous sinnes even from such as hee hath beene by nature or custome most strongly inclined unto And I kept my selfe from mine iniquity saith David Psalme 18.23 You will aske me then what is it that God would have vs to doe to preserve our selves from falling into errour and to keepe our selves constant in his holy truth I answer they bee two things principally some things wee must avoid and some things wee must doe 1. We must carefully beware of and shun those things whereby we are in danger to be corrupted in our judgement and drawne away from the truth 2. Wee must diligently use the meanes whereby wee may bee established and preserved in it Of the first kind there are two wholsome and necessary directions given us in Gods Booke First Hee that would be constant in the truth of religion and not fall from it must shun and avoid them by whom he may be in danger to be seduced and drawne into errour Shun the hearing of them the conferring with them the reading of their bookes desire not to heare what they can say for their errours and against the truth This direction wee shall find often given unto Gods people Cease my sonne to heare saith the Holy Ghost Proverbes 19.27 the instruction that causeth to erre from the words of knowledge As if hee should have said Thou hast received the knowledge of the truth from the Word of God the writings of the Prophets and Apostles are the words of knowledge and these men would instruct thee and by great probability of reason perswade thee another way Give over hearing of such men saith the Holy Ghost This direction the Apostle gives Romanes 16.17 Now I beseech you brethren saith hee observe his earnestnesse in this matter marke them which cause divisions and offences are authors of new sects contrary to the doctrine which yee have learned and avoid them And this note our blessed Saviour
gives to know his Elect by Iohn 10.5 a stranger one that brings new and strange Doctrine other Doctrine then such as their shepheard doth teach they will not follow but will flee from him Lest they should follow him and bee mislead by him they will flee from him if they should not flee from him they feare they might bee seduced by him Yea though Timothy was himselfe a preacher and a man of rare and excellent gifts too yet the Apostle forbids him to reason much with wrangling spirits and such as would use their wits to dispute against the truth Perverse disputings saith hee 1 Timothy 6.5 of men of corrupt mindes and destitute of the truth From such withdraw thy selfe And if such a man might not bee allowed to reason much with heretickes nor to delight to heare what they could say against the truth and for their errours how much lesse may a private Christian bee allowed to doe thus Say not I shall by hearing and reading what they say discerne the absurdity of their opinions the better and bee confirmed in the truth For first This is not the meane that God hath sanctified to confirme his people in the truth but expressely forbidden it as you have heard heare them not saith hee avoid them flee from them Secondly The way that God hath sanctified to confirme thee in the truth sufficiently and abundantly is the sound ministery of his Word Paul and Barnabas by their preaching confirmed the soules of the Disciples Act. 14 21 22. And Paul sent Timothy by his ministery and preaching to establish the Thessalonians 1 Thess. 3.2 Thirdly This will be a meane to weaken thee rather and breed doubts in thee and pervert thee then to confirme thee in the truth Remember what Eve got by giving her selfe liberty to conferre and reason with the Serpent specially when she was alone yet was she then in the state of innocency Gen. 3.1 2. If thou wilt needs heare and read what such men can say bee sure thou have some with thee that is able to detect and confirme thee against their errours Neither say secondly But I know my selfe to bee so setled in the truth that nothing they can say against it shall bee able to move mee but I shall bee rather able to convince them For first Many that oppose the truth and teach errour are full of sleight and cunning craftinesse as the Apostle speaketh Ephes. 4.14 and will speake with farre greater probability and shew of reason then thou art aware of Secondly Heresies are workes of the flesh as the Apostle teacheth us Galathians 5.20 and therefore wee are all by nature much more apt and enclined to receive any heresy then the truth No tow no tinder is apter to take the fire then wee are to receive errour Thirdly Of the Minister of God it is indeed required that hee should bee able by sound Doctrine to convince the gainesayers Titus 1.9 hee hath a calling unto it and therefore hee may safely so farre as the necessity of the Church shall require it heare and read what they can say for themselves For while we walke in any of our waies that God hath appointed us to walke in wee have a promise of protection from God Psalme 91.11 Hee will give his Angels charge over us to keepe us in all our waies But of every private Christian God requireth not this that hee should bee able to convince the gaine-sayer and answer all his cavills they have no calling unto it and therefore cannot expect the like protection from God to bee kept from taking hurt by it Fourthly and lastly Thou hast just cause to feare that because thou presuming upon thine owne strength dost willfully disobey his commandement who hath forbidden thee to heare them commanded thee to avoid them to flee from them God will leave thee and suffer thee either to bee corrupted or unsetled in thy judgement by them Take Salomon for an example of this who because hee did contrary to the commandement of God presume upon his owne understanding and strength hee was so forsaken of God that every one of his strange wives corrupted him in his judgement and drew him to approve of and practise their severall idolatries 1 Kings 11.8 And certainely many now adaies are daily either altogether corrupted or made unsetled in religion by their voluntary and needlesse reasoning with and reading the bookes of Papists and other hereticks To conclude therefore this first direction Bee not so desirous to heare what such men can say but rather as our Saviour Matth. 10.16 commands us to be wise as Serpents learne that wisedome of the Serpent which the Prophet speaketh of Psalme 58.4 5. Stop thine eare and hearken not to the voice of these charmers charme they never so wisely The second direction of the first kind is this If thou do desire to be constant in thy religiō to keep thy self from being corrupted in thy judgemēt that way take heed of affecting in religiō the knowledge of intricate curious unprofitable things There is a desire of knowledg that is most necessary such as al Gods people are to be exhorted unto and there is a desire of knowledge that is most dangerous and which we must warne you all to beware of Concerning the former First It is certaine that whatsoever God hath hath revealed in his Word as it doth concerne all so all Gods people may and should desire to attaine unto the knowledge of it Nay there is not a Chapter not a verse in all the holy Bible but every one of Gods people might make a profitable use of it if the fault or defect were not in himselfe The things revealed saith Moses Deut. 29.29 belong unto us and to our children for ever that we may doe all the words of this law There is no part of Gods revealed will but it would further us in our obedience to God if we understood it as we ought to doe Rom. 15.4 Whatsoever things were written aforetime in the Old Testament and then much more in the New were written for our learning that we through patience and comfort in the Scriptures might have hope Whatsoever is written in the holy Scriptures would further us in our faith and increase our patience and comfort and hope in all our afflictions if we did understand it aright Secondly No man ought to envy unto the people of God any measure or degree of knowledge in the holy Scriptures that they are able to attaine unto but desire and rejoyce in it rather Wee doe not cease to pray for you saith the Apostle Col. 1.9 and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will Nay though any of our people should equall our selves who are their teachers in the knowledge of the Word and be able to discerne when any of us teach unsoundly or mistake the meaning of the Scripture or play the trevants study not for our Sermons but doe the worke of the Lord
he could never looke of them he had lost the joy of Gods salvation verse 12. all comfort in assurance of Gods favour he was so tormented inwardly as a man that hath all his bones broken verse 8. yet doth not be dispaire nor seeke helpe any other way but flyeth to God by prayer and seeketh comfort that way which teacheth us That Gods people when they are in any distresse must flie to God by prayer and seeke comfort that way For so did David heere and so have Gods people alwaies done in the like case Thus did David at another time Psal. 120.1 in my distresse I cryed unto the Lord. And Psal. 107 6. They cryed unto the Lord in their trouble Three cases there be wherein Gods people have beene most distressed First when some outward affliction hath beene upon them in extremity or the seare of it specially such as hath risen from the malice and fury of their enemies which is of all outward afflictions the most grievous worse then famine worse then pestilence as you may see in Davids choice 2. Sam. 24.13 14. Secondly when they have beene troubled with some strong and violent tentation either unto blasphemy or some other foule sin this hath perplexed and distressed them more then any outward affliction could doe Even the motions to sin that have risen from their owne nature have done so as we may see in the complaint of Paul Rom. 7.24 O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death Much more when God hath sent Satan to stand at their right hand as Psal. 109.6 that was a thorne in Pauls flesh 2 Cor. 12.7 For he is an enemy to be feared much more then any mortall man as we may see by that comparison Paul maketh Ephes. 6.12 We wrestle not against flesh and bloud but against principalities against powers against the rulers of the darknesse of this world c. Thirdly when their consciences have been wounded with the sense of Gods anger and wrath For that above all other things hath perplexed them most and put them to greatest anguish Pro. 18.14 The spirit of a man will sustaine his infirmity but a wounded spirit who can beare Now in all these cases Gods people have sought and found comfort by flying to God and seeking to him by prayer For the first we have the example of Iehoshaphat and the people of Iudah 2 Chron. 20.3 Iehoshaphat feared and set himselfe to seeke the Lord and cryes thus to God verse 12. We have no might to stand against this great company that commeth against us neither know we what to do but our eyes are upon thee This course tooke David when he had many enemies in the Court of Saul that by informing the King against him did seeke his life Psal. 109.4 For my love they are mine adversaries but I give my selfe unto prayer Thus Iob fought comfort Iob. 16.20 My friends scorne me but mine eye powreth out teares unto God And so did Ann 1. Sam 1.10 She was in bitternes of soule and prayed unto the Lord and wept sore For the second case of distresse we have the example of Paul who when the messenger of Satan was sent to buffet him 2. Cor. 12.7 ran to God by prayer for helpe and comfort as he saith ver 8. For this thing I besought the Lord thrice that it might depart from me And for the third case we have Davids example here and Psal. 18.5 6. The sorrowes of hell compassed me about the snares of death prevented me In my distresse I called upon the Lord and cryed unto my God Yea we have for this a greater example then David even our blessed Saviours who when he was in farre greater anguish of soule then ever all the men of the World were in through the apprehension and sense of Gods curse and fierce anger due to the sins of all the elect he sought and found comfort this way Heb. 5.7 He offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and teares unto him that was able to save him from death and was heard in that that he feared The grounds of this Doctrine and the reasons why Gods people in all their distresses have bin wont to flye to God by prayer and to seek comfort this way are principally foure First They knew that in every distresse they were in of what kind soever God had a chiefe hand It is so 1. In all outward afflictions Esa. 45.7 I forme the light and create darknesse I make peace and create evill I the Lord doe all these things 2. In all Satans tentations he could not disquiet us with any of them if the Lord sent him not and appointed him not to do it Paul saith the messenger of Sathan that buffetted him was given unto him 2. Cor. 12.7 3. In the affliction and wound of conscience it is God that makes that wound as Iob speaketh Iob 23.16 God maketh my heart soft and the almighty troubleth me And they that know this must needs hold it the wisest course in all their distresses to seek unto him for helpe and comfort For who can take of his hand Who can cure the wounds that he hath made Who can yeeld us any help and comfort while he remaines angry with us Deut 32.39 I kill and I make alive I wound and I heale neither is there any that can deliver out of my hand Therefore all Gods people should resolve in their distresses as Hosea 6.1 Come let us returne unto the Lord and flye to him for he hath torne and he will heale us he hath smitten and he will bind us up Secondly They knew the Lord was able to yeeld them helpe and comfort in all their distresses seemed their case never so desperate Psal. 68.20 He that is our God is the God of our salvation and unto God the Lord belong the issues from death For he is able as the Apostle saith Ephes. 3.20 to doe exceeding abundantly above all that we are able either to aske or thinke This reason is given why our Saviour when he was in his agony and his soule was heavy unto death did flye unto God and cry so unto him Hebr. 5 7. He knew he was able to deliver him from death Thirdly They knew the Lord himselfe had prescribed this course unto them if they would have comfort in any of their distresses to flye to him by prayer This is a helpe and remedy of Gods owne prescribing Iames 5.13 If any man be afflicted 〈◊〉 what kind soever let him pray Luke 2â— 40 Pray that ye enter not unto tentation Fourthly and lastly They knew that the Lord was ready to be found this way He is ready to be found at all times by the prayers of his people Psalmeâ—47 â—47 18 The Lord is nigh unto all them that all upon him to all that call upon him in truth Matth. 7 8. Every one that asketh receiveth and he that seeketh findeth and to him
that knocketh it shall be opened But he is never so ready to be found of them in prayer as then when they are in greatest distresse Psal. 46.1 God is our refuge and strength a very present helpe in trouble yet he hath promised Psal. 50.15 Call upon me in the day of trouble any trouble whatsoever and I will deliver thee and thou shalt glorifie me And no marvell for 1. the Lord beares to his people the affection of a father Psal. 103.13 Like as a father pitieth his children so the Lord pitieth them that feare him And what father is there that sheweth not most love to his child and readinesse to helpe him when he is in greatest misery 2. Gods people are then most humbled and thinke most basely of themselves and that is a great furtherance to the successe of their prayers 1. Pâ—t 5.5 God resisteth the proud and giveth grace to the humble 2. Chron. 7.14 If my people shall humble themselves and pray then will I heare from heaven 3. Then Gods people use to pray heartily and fervently 2. Sam. 22.7 In my distresse I called upon the Lord and cryed unto my God and he did heare my voice So saith Anna of her prayer 1 Sam. 1.15 I am a woman of a sorrowfull spirit and have powred out my soule before the Lord. And this God greatly delighteth in Iam. 5.16 The effectuall fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much And this readinesse they knew to be in the Lord to heare their prayer at such a time specially hath beene the chiefe thing that hath encouraged them to seeke to him in their distresse Psal. 65.2 O thou that hearest prayer unto thee shall all flesh come and 86.7 In the day of my trouble will I call upon thee for thou wilt answere me This Doctrine concerneth every one of us for there is not one of you that heare me this day but you are in some distresse or other or have beene or at least may be And it serveth First for reproofe for the wickednesse and Atheisme of our hearts is in no nothing more discovered then in this that in our distresses we have no mind to seeke to God Hos. 7.14 They have not cryed to me with their hearts when they bowled upon their beds Three sorts chiefly are to be reproved by this Doctrine First such as so long as they can thinke of any meanes to helpe themselves by in their distresse they will never seeke to God Like to the Prodigall who while he had any meanes though it were but by tending of swine and feeding with them he never thought of seeking to his father Luk 15.16 17 This was Asaes foule sin 2. Chron. 16.12 When his disease was exceeding grievous yet he sought not to the Lord but to the Physicians Whereas alas no sound comfort can be found in any meanes till we have first sought to God and appeased his anger If God will not withdraw his anger saith Iob. 9.13 the proud helpers do stoupe under him All meanes men seeke to may say as that counterfeit Samuel indeed the devill whom the witch that Saul sought to for comfort in his distresse as too many wretches do in these dayes raised up did say unto him 1. Sam. 28.16 Wherefore dost thou aske of me or seeke helpe of me seeing the Lord is become thinâ— enemy Secondly such as are most destitute of all meanes to helpe themselves in their distresses yet never seeke to God Poverty and want of all humane helpe shâ—uld drive men to God and cause them to seeke helpe and comfort from him and to give themselves much to prayer Thus it wrought with David Psal. 142.4 5. I looked on my right hand and beheld but there was none that would know me refuge failed me no man cared for my soule I cryed unto thee ó Lord and said thou art my refuge and my portion So saith the Apostle 1. Tim. 5.5 Shee that is a widow indeed and desolate trusteth in God and continueth in supplications and prayers night and day But alas we find that no people under the heaven pray lesse seeke lesse to God care lesse for God then the poore and miserable people doe Miserable indeed in this respect more then for any outward want that they doe endure They cry out by reason of the arme of the mighty saith Elihu Iob 35.9.10 but none saith where is God my maker that giveth songs in the night Thirdly such as when God hath begun to soften their hearts and trouble their consciences for sin as he did Davids at this time do not as David doth here seeke to God for helpe and comfort But 1. either seeke to hide themselves and flye from God by keeping themselves carefully from all such means as might touch upon that sore as Adam did Gen. 3.8 Or 2. betake themselves to mirth and all such meanes as may lull them asleepe and cause them to forget their sins and Gods anger and make them senslesse of those inward gripings and stings as Saul did and found ease by it for a short time 1. Sam. â—6 23 but alas his fitts and terrours returned and became the more extreame violent afterwards as you may see 1. Sam. 18.10 11. or else 3. fall into utter desparation of Gods mercy as Iudas did who when his conscience was deeply wounded with sense of sin could go to the chiefe Priests and Elders and confesse his sin to them but could not go to Christ himselfe to seeke mercy of him Matth. 27.3 Lecture XI On Psalme 51.1 2. Ianu. 3. 1625. THe second use now followeth which is for exhortation to stirre us up in all our distresses to seeke for helpe and comfort from God by prayer It is the Apostles exhortation Iames 5.13 Is any man afflicted let him pray Wee all have need of this exhortation For as we heard the last day there is not one of us here but either we are or have bin or may be in that distresse either through outward or inward affliction and anguish that we are ready to cry with Iehoshaphat 2. Chron. 20.12 We know not what to doe O that wee could bee perswaded when we are in that case though not then only to flye unto God One would thinke there needs no motives to be used to perswade us to this What needs any man perswade a poore wretch that hath not bread at home to seeke abroad for reliefe be he never so bashfull his necessity will perswade him to it sufficiently The poore speaketh supplications saith Solomon Prov. 18.23 You shall heare nothing from him but bewailing his wants and humble intreaties and supplications for helpe and reliefe to such as are able to doe him good But alas our hearts are so estranged from God even from the very wombe as David speakes Psal. 58.3 that no necessity no extremity will drive us to goe a begging to him We have need of strong motives to drive us to it Thinke therefore seriously of the foure reasons