unlesse he understand what I say as the Apostle teacheth 1 Cor. 14.16 so neither can I have confideâ—ce to receive any good by mine own prayer unlesse I know I pray according to Gods will as the Apostle saith 1 Iohn 5.14 Therefore hearing is the first duty that is injoined to them that goe into Gods house When thou goest into Gods house saith Solomon Eccl. 5.1 bee more ready to heare then to give the sacrifice of fooles As though he should have said All our prayers and other services we doe to God in his house are but the sacrifice of fooles till we have first by hearing beene instructed how to doe them according to Gods will For God hath no pleasure in fooles as he there saith verse â— hee taketh no pleasure in the prayers or other services that fooles and ignorant sots doe offer unto him Fiftly Our singing of Psalmes pleaseth not God nor can doe us any good unlesse we endeavour to understand what we sing Sing ye praises with understanding saith â—â—avâ—â— Psal 47.7 Sixtly and lastly No man can please God in taking of an oath which is also a part of Gods worship and a duty iâ—joined in the first table but he onely that can doe it with understanding Thou shalt swear in truth in judgement and in righteousnesse saith the Lord Ier. 4 2. As if he should say Though it be never so true that any man sweareth though the oath be taken in righteousnesse and no man wronged by it 〈◊〉 if it be not taken also iâ— judgement with good advisednesse and understanding it is an unlawfull oath Therefore in one of the best oathes that ever was taken wherein men women and children did bind themselves to walke in Gods law Nehemiah 10 28 29. there was care taken that this holy and necessary oath should yet be taken onely of every one having knowledge and having understanding You see then in all these particulars that we must labour to understand what we do in every part of Gods service and that no ordinance of God will do us any good unlesse we use it with understanding The reason of this first branch of the Doctrine is this That as God is a spirit and therefore delighteth in that service that is spirituall The true worâ—â—ippers shall worship the father in spirit and in truth saith our Saviour Ioâ— 4 23 for the father seeketh such to worship him he longeth for such worshippers as worship him with feeling and affection and they that doe not so worship him not in truth are no better then hypocrites So is it not possible to serve God spiritually and with feeling in any part of his worship if wee doe not understand what we doe in it For the devotion and good affections that grow not from knowledge are vaine and of no worth in the sight of God Knowledge is the root and foundation of all holy affections This I pray saith the Apostle Phil. 1 9. that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgement And this shall suffice to have beene spoken of the first branch of the Doctrine David did understand the meaning of the ceremoniall worship and so must we labour to understand what we do in Gods service Now wee must proceed to the second branch of the doctrine and for the plaine and distinct handling of it we must observe these foure things First Every part of Gods worship is spirituall and there is in it both an outward and bodily action done by man and an inward and spirituall worke that is done by the Lord himselfe In these purifications that David here alludeth to man did wash the body and sprinkle with hysope the water blood upon it for the legall purging and cleansing of it and God did wash the soule in the bloud of Christ and sprinkle it upon the consciences of his people So in circumcision man did cut of the fore-skin of the flesh and God did circumcise the heart Deut. 30.6 In baptisme Iohn baptized the body with water as hee saith Matth. 3.11 and God himselfe baptized the soule with the holy Ghost So in the ministery of the word man speaketh to the eare and outward man and God openeth the heart to attend unto that that is taught and beleeve it as we see in the example of Lydia Acts 16.14 Lastly In prayer man worketh and God worketh too The spirit it selfe maketh intercession for us as the Apostle speaketh Rom. 8.26 Secondly The Lord hath bound himselfe by promise to his people that hee will thus accompany his owne ordinances and worke with them in their hearts God will worke with us in every part of his worship he will doe his part if we doe ours This promise God made concerning that worship of his which he ordained under the law Exod. 20.24 In all places where I record my name where I establish my publique worship I will come unto thee and I will blesse thee saith the Lord to his people And this promise he hath likewise made concerning his worship under the Gospell Matth. 28.19 20. Goe and teach all nations baptizing them c. preach my word administer my sacraments and loe I am with you alwayes even unto the end of the world Where men do their parts in the use of any of his ordinances God will not faile to doe his part also Thirdly Whatsoever man can do in Gods worship is nothing worth unlesse God worke with it All the outward parts of Gods worship are indeed great helps to us and the least of them as we heard the last day may not be neglected by us for they are the meanes and instruments that God hath sanctified and appointed to worke by in our hearts But if God withdraw his hand and refuse to worke by them they can do us no good at all no more then the best toole that is in the world can if the workemâ—n doe not put to his hand I have planted saith Paul 1 Cor. 3.6 7. and Apollo watered but God gave the increase so then neither is he that planted any thing neither he that watered but God that giveth the increase And verse 9. Wee are labourers together with God ye are Gods husbandry ye are Gods building And that which the Prophet speaketh of the materiall building Psalme 127.1 may much more truly be said in this case Except the Lord build the house they labour in vaine that build it All that the best man can do in Gods worship is nothing worth unlesse God do his part if he worke not with him The inward vertue and power that God by his blessing and worke doth give unto it is the very life and soule of every part of Gods worship without it it is no better then a dead and loathsome carkasse The kingdome of God saith the Apostle speaking of preaching a chiefe part of Gods outward worship 1 Cor. 5 20 is not in word but in power As if he had said That is the right
for at all they will never count a man the worse subject for breaking of them they count it a most odions thing for any man yea though he be an officer that is bound by his oath to doe it to seeke or urge the execution of these lawes against any offender And so much may serve for that part of my application which is more generall The other part I must direct to you of this Towne and Congregation more specially And yet not so to them of this Towne as if I thought none of you that heare me were to be blamed for these faults that I shall now reprove but onely they of this Towne but because my selfe have discerned them and beene grieved and troubled in my soule for them in this place more then in any other But before I begin this part of my application let me by way of preface use a word or two that it may doe you the more good I know well to some hearers all that we use to say in reproofe of sinne is wont to be very unsavoury and harsh specially if it be any whit particular and sharp But I may not forbeare it because of that Remember I pray you what a necessity is laid upon us that are Gods Ministers to reprove the sinnes that we discerne to be in any of you There is nothing we are more straitly charged with by the Lord then to reprove sin plainely and particularly and vehemently too And I much feare that wee are all to blame in neglecting this part of our duty so much as wee doe I will give you but two places for this one in the Old Testament and another in the New The first is Esa. 58.1 Observe foure points in that charge 1. Cry aloud it must be done feelingly and with affection 2. Spare not it must be done without partiality 3. Lift up thy voice like a trumpet it must be done zealously and vehemently 4. Shew my people their transgressions and the house of Iacob their sinnes it must be done plainely and particularly The other place is 2 Tim. 4.1 2. I charge thee before God and the Lord Iesus Christ who shall judge the quick and dead at his appearing and in his kingdome preach the Word be instant in season and out of season reprove rebuke exhort with all long suffering and doctrine Observe three things in this place 1. That this duty of our ministery is twice pressed upon us reprove rebuke 2. That we are charged to be instant in it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 stand much upon it 3. With what a charge this is pressed upon us verse 1. As if he should say Thou canst never answer it unto God and unto Iesus Christ at the day of judgement if thou doe it not Ye see what a commission and charge wee have and that there is nothing more pertinent to our ministery then plainely and roundly to reprove sinne If we see any sinne among you and discover it not reprove it not the Lord telleth us plainely Ezek. 3.18 that he will require your bloud at our hands But if we discharge our duty this way though you will not be reclaimed and leave your sinne as I feare many of you whose sinne I shall now reprove will not yet we have delivered our owne soules as the Lord telleth us verse 19. Yea the Lord observeth this in the false Prophets as a chiefe note of an unfaithfull Minister Lam. 2.14 They have not discovered thine iniquity unto thee saith he Howsoever therefore you take it you see we must do our duty And of sundry of you I make no doubt but you will be ready to say of that which I shall deliver unto you out of Gods Word against any of your sins as good Hezekiah did in the like case 2 King 20.19 The Word of the Lord is good Whatsoever is taught me by good warrant of Gods Word though it be never so much to my reproach and shame is good and I will receive it and yeeld unto it And indeed if you yeeld to Gods Word and reforme your selves in those things that shall be reproved by it the reproofe that shall be given will be nothing to your reproach but to your credit and honour rather For so saith the Holy Ghost Pro. 25.12 As an earing of gold and an ornament of fine gold so is a wise reprover upon an obedient eare As if he should say No Iewell can so much adorne and beautifie a Christian as this will do when he can receive and submit himselfe to the word of reproofe that is wisely given and by good warrant of Gods Word And upon this ground I will now proceed Of this Towne my selfe can say that I have knowne the time when it did shine as a light to all the countrey and was famous among the Churches of Christ for the religious observation of the Sabbath day And to this day blessed be God for the meanes of sanctifying the Sabbath by the publique ministery in our Church assemblies I dare say it is little or nothing behind any other Church in the countrey And of many of the people also I may say that they doe as diligently frequent them and our Congregations on the Lords day both in the forenoone and afternoone too are as full and populous as can lightly bee found in any other place And yet for all that by many amongst us the Sabbath is as much profaned in all the three branches of the commandement touching the right observation of it which I told you of the last day as it is I thinke in any part of all the countrey besides The first and chiefe thing that God requireth in the observation of his Sabbath is this That we keepe his rest and performe the duties of his worship that day cheerefully and reverently and spiritually The true worshippers saith our Saviour Ioh. 4.23 shall worship the father in spirit and in truth for the father seeketh such to worship him And on the other side he telleth us Matth. 15.8 9. that they who when they seeme to worship God have their hearts farre from him worship him in vaine It is but a mock worship when men will seeme to serve him and have no heart to it at all And against this first branch wee have many amongst us that doe transgresse notoriously Many that frequent our Church-assemblies on the Sabbath day ordinarily and constantly seeme to bee hearers of the Word upon that day yet make open profession when they are heere that they have no delight in it as the Prophet speaketh of them in his time Ieremy 6.10 they have no heart to it at all You shall hardly come into any Church upon a Sabbath day where you shall see so many sleepers old and young yea such as would bee thought to bee of cheefe credit among their neighbours not for morall honesty onely but even for religion too And this I have to my griefe heard many strangers observe and wonder at I know many of
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
I cannot I want the spirit of prayer for I have no faith and the spirit of prayer in the spirit of adoption that perswadeth us of Gods fatherly 〈◊〉 and witnesseth to our spirits that wee are his children Rom. 8.15 16. Now I have no such witnesse in mee My heart is so oppressed with sorrow that it is even utterly dead and indisposed to prayer Certainely this hath beene the case of many a good soule A tentation indeed it is but 〈◊〉 one as the best either have or may be subject unto The Apostle acknowledgeth it in the name of all the faithfull Rom. 8.26 Wee know not what to 〈…〉 For answer to this objection I have two things to say 〈…〉 What we are to judge of them that are in this estate 2. What 〈◊〉 they are to take that are in this case For the first we must know two things First They that have any truth of grace at all in them have in them certainely the spirit of prayer though it may bee they 〈◊〉 it sad they 〈◊〉 it not in themselves As the first thing the childe be in to speake is to cry my father and my mother Esa. 8.4 For this is given by the Holy Ghost as the common badge to know all Gods servants by that they are able to pray Thus Paul discribeth Gods people 1 Cor. 1.2 All that in 〈◊〉 place call upon the name of Iesus Christ our Lord. And 2 Timothy 2.12 For 〈◊〉 righteousnesse with them that call on the Lord with a pure heart 〈◊〉 4.6 Because yee are sonnes God hath sent forth the spirit of his sonne into your hearts crying Abba father So that I may reason thus with the weakest of Gods servants that are in this case thou art poore in spirit and 〈◊〉 for nothing more therefore thou hast truth of saving grace on thee for Christ calls thee blessed Matth 5.3 4. Thou lovest such as are godly even because they are godly therefore thou hast truth of grace in thee For so saith the Apostle 1 Iohn 3.14 Wee know that we have pâ—â—â—ed from â—â—â—th to life because wee love the brethren Thou art afraid to doe any thing that might offend God therefore thou hast truth of saving grace in thee For the Holy Ghost saith Psalme 128.1 Blessed is every one that feareth the Lord. Why then from hence thou maist undoubtedly conclude thou hast in thee the spirit of prayer And whereas thou 〈◊〉 than thou hast it not because thou feelest not in thy selfe the spirit of adoption thou feelest 〈…〉 in thy selfe I answer 1. Thou maist leave saith though thou seek it 〈◊〉 for a time neither maist thou judge of thy state by thy feeling In the Churches 〈…〉 her beloved had with drawne himselfe and 〈◊〉 gone Cant. 5.6 Nay in Christâ— owne feeling his father had forsaken him Matth. 37.46 â— Thou hast said though thou feelest it not 1 If thou mourne for nothing 〈◊〉 thou for the 〈◊〉 of it as that poore man did Mar 9.24 as the 〈◊〉 that cryeth was not borne dead or the man that feeleth himselfe sick hath life in 〈◊〉 If there 〈◊〉 nothing so much as to beleeve and to be rid of thy infidelity For Christ saith such are blessed Mat. 5.6 which they could not be if they had not saith Even the will is of grace Phil. 2.13 As lusting after a woman is adultery â—at 5.28 so on the contrary lusting after faith is faith The second thing we must know touching the state of these men that complaine they cannot pray is this That a man may not onely have in him the spirit of prayer though he feele it not but he may also have the use of it and pray most effectually and acceptably when in his owne feeling his heart is 〈…〉 indisposed unto prayer when he is to overwhelmed with griefe and his thoughts to distracted and troubled that he is unable to utter or conceive a prayer in any fit words or method at all this is evident both by examples and by reason also When Dâ—vidâ— spirit was overwhelmed when he was so troubled that he could not speake as he complaineth Psal. 77.3 4. yet even then he prayed and prayed most effectually as he saith verse 1. I cryed unto God with my voice even unto 〈◊〉 with my voice and he gave care unto me How could that he 〈◊〉 â—â— such verse 4. he was so troubled that he could not 〈◊〉 He 〈…〉 could not doe it distinctly and orderly but he could cry to God 〈…〉 make a noise as he saith Psal. 38.8 I have rowed 〈…〉 oâ— my heart and 55.2 I mourne in my complaint and make a noise yet God gave care to that prayer When Hezechiah was so oppressed with sorrow that he could not speake he could but chatter like a 〈…〉 mourne like 〈◊〉 as he complained Esa. 38 14. yet eveâ— then the spirit of prayer was in 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 effectually in him that chattering and mourning of his was a prayer and 〈…〉 unto God as appeareth by verse 5. I have heard thâ— prayer 〈…〉 apostle tells us Rom. 3.26 27. that the spirit it selfe maketh 〈…〉 in according to the will of God when wee are in that case that we know not what to pray when wee can doe nothing but sigh and groane unto God and can utter no requests unto him And David even when he had strong motions unto despaire prayed yet most acceptably Psal. â—1 22 And to 〈◊〉 for the Lord is able enough to understand our desires though we expresse them not to him in words You that are tender mother 〈…〉 Doe you never understand what your little ones doe 〈◊〉 and what they would have Doe you never relieve nor succour them till they can speake to you O the Lord doth as much and 〈◊〉 more 〈◊〉 you this way then you do the Dragons and Ostriches This made 〈…〉 thus to God Psal. 38.9 Lord all my desire is before thee and 〈…〉 not hiâ— from thee and 〈◊〉 7 Lord thou hast heard the desire of the 〈…〉 145 19. He will 〈…〉 of them that feare him 〈…〉 cry and will save them 〈…〉 you that are tender 〈…〉 moved with the groanes 〈…〉 of your children 〈…〉 is with the Lord the 〈…〉 of his children 〈…〉 much more and give in 〈◊〉 to our prayers then any 〈…〉 wee can 〈◊〉 Thâ— Lâ—rd is said Psalme 102.20 to 〈◊〉 the groaning of the 〈◊〉 And when Hezechiah in his prayer could but chatter God 〈◊〉 him word not â—â—ely that hee heard that prayer but tells him what it was that made that prayer so effectual with him Esa. 5â— 5 I have seene thy teares 〈…〉 faithfull themselves have had more comfort and confidence in their 〈…〉 in their prayers they could 〈◊〉 unto God then in any words 〈…〉 use in prayer Psalme 39.12 Hold not thy peace 〈…〉 My friends scorne mee but mine eye 〈…〉 is he prayed and that way sought comfort 〈…〉 expressed the desires of his heart to God by 〈…〉 by words O happy soules
were the meanes to win him to God As wee see in the affection of the Galathians towards Paul Galat. 4.15 I heare you record that if it had bin possible you would have plucked out your owne eyes to have done me good Thirdly and lastly This will be a comfortable testimony unto us of the truth and soundnesse of that grace that is in our selves when we are carefull to breed grace in all that doe belong unto us and specially in our owne children And without this we can have no such testimony and assurance of our selves Therfore wee shall find this oft observed for a note of them that were soundly converted themselves that their care was to reforme their families and make them religious also as of Abraham Gen. 18.19 of Ioshua Iosh. 24 15. of Zacheus Luke 19.9 of the Nobleman of Capernaum Iohn 4.53 of Cornelius Actes 10.2 of Lydia Acts 16.15 of the Iaylour Acts 16.33 34. of Crispus the chiefe ruler of the Synagogue Acts 18.8 Therefore the Lord in his law forbade any Proselite to be admitted to the passeover though he were himselfe circumcised and did outwardly professe the faith unlesse all the males in his house were circumcised also and did professe the faith aswell as himselfe Exod. 12.48 And in the condition of that promise he maketh to his people for delivering them out of the captivity which hee foretelleth hee would bring them into for their sins hee requireth not only that they themselves should returne unto the Lord and obey his voice but their children also Deut. 30.2 3. If thou shalt returne unto the Lord thy God and shalt obey his voice thou and thy children with all thy heart and with all thy soule then the Lord thy God will turne thy captivity c. As if hee should say Thou dost not turne to the Lord thy selfe unfeinedly with all thy heart unlesse thy care be that thy children may do so also Bat alas if that law were now in force that none should bee admitted to the Lords Supper that had any in their family that did not make at the least an outward profession of religion how few communicants should wee have If none may be accounted unfeinedly religious themselves whose children and servants doe not live in an outward conformity and obedience to the Word how few sound-hearted Christians will there bee found in this age The third and last sort of motives doe concerne our duty to God and the respect we should have unto his glory and they are two principally First The trust that the Lord hath put us in and the charge that hee hath given us concerning our children For this we must know that our children are not our owne but the Lords I speake to such as are Gods people and members of his Church Thus speaketh the Lord to his people Ezek. 16 20. Thy sons and thy daughters whom thou hast borne unto me thou hast taken and sacrificed And as we have begotten and borne them for him so hath he charged us to educate and bring them up for him And that with such a charge as the Prophet telleth Ahab in a parable that hee had received for the keeping of a man committed to his trust in the battell 1 Kings 20.39 If by any meanes hee bee missing thy life shall be for his life If the childs soule perish through the parents default whom God put in trust to keep and looke to it the parents soule must dye for it For this is the righteous sentence of God against them whom hee hath charged with the soules of others Ezek. 3.18 Hee shall dye in his iniquitie but his bloud will I require at thy hand If any shall object that that is spoken of the charge God hath given to Prophets and Ministers concerning their flocks not of that that he hath given to parents concerning their children I answer That every parent is as deepely charged by God with the soules of his children as any Pastor is with the soules of his flocke and more deepely too You call our congregations that we are set over our charge and you say well for so they are and you can cry shame of us if we either by idlenesse or worldlinesse shew our selves carelesse of our charge and you have indeed just cause to do so But in the meane time you forget that your children family are your charge also you make no scruple of neglecting all duty all care of the soules of your owne charge Know you therefore for certaine that you are as much yea much more charged with the soules of your families and of your children especially then any Pastor is with the soules of his flocke And hearken to your charge I pray you 1. You are as oft and as expressely charged to use the meanes to save your childrens soules and to breed grace in them as any Minister is Exod. 13.8 Thou shalt shew thy sonne the meaning the end and use of the Sacrament of the Passeover Deut. 6.6 7. These words which I command thee this day thou shalt teach them diligently to thy children Psal. 78.5 He established a testimony in Iacob and appointed a law in Israel which hee commanded our fathers that they should make them knowne unto their children Ephes. 6 4. Yee fathers bring up your children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. No Minister is more straitly charged of God to teach catechise his flock then you are to instruct your children 2. Parents stand obliged to their children by more and stronger bonds then any Pastor can be to his flocke as we have heard in the first sort of motives 3. Parents have more meanes and opportunities to prevaile with their children then any Pastor can have to doe good upon his flocke The interest they have in their childrens love and affection is a great matter and so is the advantage they may take of their childrens tender yeeres and so is their continuall conversing with them and so is their authority also None have such opportunities to instruct and bring others to goodnesse as parents have This was that that good Hezechiah meant in his prayer Esa. 38.18 19. The grave cannot praise thee death cannot celebrate thee The living the living he shall praise thee and who among all the living the father to the children shall make knownâ— thy truth In which respect we have seene in those eight examples that I mentioned unto you how soone godly maisters of families have prevailed with all that were under them to bring them unto an outward profession and conformity in religion And Ioshua is bold â—4 15 to undertake for himselfe and his house that they shall serve the Lord. Some might have said to him soft Ioshuah speake this for thy selfe and that is well too Nay saith he and that before all the people I will undertake this also for my whole house And in this respect also it is that the childrens sins are said to be a blemish and reproach
parents Ephes. 6.4 Colos. 3.21 Ye fathers provoke not your children to wrath exasperate them not But this is also certaine that the best children when they are young are of a servile disposition more moved with feare then love The best mans heire as long as hee is a child saith the Apostle Gal. 4.1 differeth nothing from a servant though he be Lord of all And Solomon observeth Prov. 29.19 that a servant will not be corrected by words No parent may hope to weaken and destroy the corruption that is in his childs heart though he teach him never so well and use all the allurements he can to draw him to goodnesse if he doe not also correct him and use the rod sometimes The Lord himselfe who is both the wisest and the best father and who loveth his children a thousand times more then any of us can love ours he taketh this course with his children yea resembleth himselfe therein unto all wise parents Deut 8.5 Consider in thine heart that as a father chasteneth his sonne so the Lord God chasteneth thee And Heb. 12.6 7. Whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth and scourgeth every sonne whom hee receiveth If you endure chastening God dealeth with you as with sons for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not This is a speciall meanes commended to us by the holy Ghost and sanctified to this end even to abate the strength of naturall corruption in children and to make them capable of saving grace And therefore it is to be observed in the law that no child was to be reputed gracelesse and past hope till he had shewed himselfe not only unteachable but incorrigible also till his parents had used meanes to reforme him not onely by counsell instruction and reproofe but by correction and chastisement also and all in vaine That would not obey the voice of his father nor the voice of his mother and that when they have chastened him will not hearken unto them Deut. 21.18 Hee that spareth the rod saith Solomon Prov. 13.24 hateth his son but he that loveth him chasteneth him betimes Thou sayest it is nothing but love that maketh thee to beare with thy child and would you not have me love my child sayest thou Alas who could find in their heart to beat so sweet a child But the holy Ghost saith thou lyest it is not love indeed it is hatred We love not our children we hate them if wee correct them not nay wee love them not wee hate them if we correct them not betimes while they are such pretty ones Againe Prov. 19.18 Chasten thy son while there is hope that is while he is young then there is great hope of doing him good by it and small hope afterward if it bee neglected then O but thou wilt say I cannot endure to heare him cry But what saith the holy Ghost in the next words and let not thy soule spare for his crying It is a strange thing to observe how the holy Ghost speaketh of the efficacy and fruits of this and how hee meeteth with all excuses that foolish parents are wont to pretend for the neglect of it Foolishnesse is bound in the heart of a child saith Solomon Prov. 22.15 but the rod of correction will drive it farre from him But would you have me cruell to mine owne child sayest thou Nay saith the holy Ghost this is no cruelty thou art unmercifull to thy child if thou do not correct him Prov. 23.13 With-hold not correction from thy child for if thou beatest him with the rod he shall not dye He will dye he will perish if thou correct him not and art not thou cruell if thou wilt not doe what thou canst to keepe thy child from perishing O but thou wilt say alas childrens faults are nothing their stubbornnesse lying cursing swearing profanesâ—e But what saith the holy Ghost Prov. 23.14 Thou shalt beat him with the rod and deliver his soule from hell He will goe to hell if thou let him doe what hee list thou mayest keepe him from hell by correcting him O but this were the way to make my child hate me yea and to make him a dullard so as I should never have comfort of him No saith the holy Ghost there is no such danger in it Prov. 29 17. Correct thy son and he shall give thee rest yea hee shall give delight unto thy soule To conclude this first meanes O that parents would see their sin in the neglect of this 1. They loose that inward honour reverence and subjection also that their children owne unto them 2. They spoile and undoe their children and make themselves the authors of all their ungraciousnesse For the best natured child in the World if he bee not kept in awe if hee bee suffered to doe what he list must needs run ryot Prov. 29.15 A child left to himselfe bringeth his mother to shame yea and his father too though the mother bee there only named because she usually is most too blame in this kind 3. They dishonour God and quite pervert his ordinance For whereas by Gods ordinance their children should honour them they honour their children as the Lord told Ely 1 Sam. 2.29 Thou honourest thy sons above mee And whereas by Gods ordinance their children should feare them and be afraid to displease them they are afraid to displease their children as the holy Ghost saith of David 1 Kin. 1.6 hee durst not displease his son Adoniah no not so much as by a crosse word or by saying unto him why hast thou done so Lecture LX. On Psalme 51.5 Iune 12. 1627. THe second meanes all parents must use to destroy corruption of nature in their children and to breed grace in them is Instruction We heard in the motives that parents are as expressely and as often and as straitly charged by God to teach their children as any minister is to teach his flocke Yea this domesticall and parently instruction God hath appointed and sanctified for a speciall meanes to propagate religion and to restraine and weaken the corruption of nature and to prepare the heart and make it more capable of grace According as we heard from that speech of Hezekiah Esa. 38.19 The living the living be shall praise thee as I doe this day the father to the children shall make knowne thy truth Foure wayes there be whereby you that are parents may yea must do this First Betimes while they are very young as soone as they discover any capacity or understanding as that they will doe if you would observe it very soone teach them to know God to know what is good and what is evill teach them some few of the first and easiest principles of religion Solomon saith when he was young and tender his father taught him Pro. 4.3.4 Yea that his mother did so too Pro. 31.1 And he oft putteth Gods people in minde not onely of the instruction and charge they received from their fathers but also of the law
thinke much to abase and humble themselves when they are to appeare before God and to speake unto him The foure and twenty Elders Rev. 4.10 cast downe their crownes when they were to speake unto God though that they were to speake were not confession of sin nor petition but praise and tanksgiving onely Yea the blessed Angels Rev. 7.11 Fell before the throne on their faces and worshipped God And the more humble we are in our selves the more hope we may have to speed well in our prayers If my people shall humble themselves and pray saith the Lord 2 Chron. 7.14 and seeke my face and to turne from their wicked waies then will I heare from heaven And Iam. 4.6 God giveth grace to the humble Wee should all judge our selves unworthy to do God any service Abraham did so Gen. 18.27 Behold I have taken upon me to speake unto the Lord. Iohn Baptist did so Mar. 1.7 I am not worthy to stoup downe and unlose the latchet of Christs shoe as if he had said to do the lowest or basest service about him And how may we bring out selves to this humility of heart when we go to God Surely the consideration of his greatnesse and our basenesse may be effectuall to do this This consideration humbled Abraham Gen. 18.27 Behold now I have taken upon me to speake unto the Lord and I am but dust and ashes And this consideration is also commended unto us by the Holy Ghost Eccl. 5 2. Be not rash with thy mouth and let not thine heart be hasty to utter any thing before God for God is in heaven and thou upon earth therefore let thy words be few Mistake not the meaning of the Holy Ghost he condemneth not all prayers that are long long prayers are not unlawfull specially upon extraordinary occasions for Christ we know continued a whole night in prayer Luk. 6.12 Yea our owne necessities and the necessities of the Church do sometimes impose a necessity upon us both to be more frequent and more long in our prayers then ordinary it were fit for us to be When Israel was in the field against Amalek Exod. 1â— 11 12. Moses held up his hands to God with the helpe of Aaron and Hur a whole day even to the going downe of the Sun Carnall men are not fit judges in this case they are apt to thinke the smallest time that is spent in Gods service too long and to cry out as Mal. 1.13 Behold what a wearinesse it is And as in Amos 8.3 When will the Sabbath be done But if we would not offend in the length of our prayers these foure cautions which God in his Word giveth us must be observed in them First That in these our long prayers we do not out of any respects affect to be long it is too possible for a man to use long prayers in the meetings he hath with other Christians even to get applause thereby and to shew how farre he excelleth others in this gift And fye upon pride at all times but specially in prayer The Pharisees are taxed for this fault Matth. 23.14 For a pretence they made long prayers Secondly That we be indeed enabled by God to do it with understanding and use not vaine repetitions in our long prayers This caution our Saviour giveth Mat. 6.7 When ye pray use not vaine repetitions as the heathen do Certainely this is a common fault in the long prayers of most men Thirdly That in our long prayers our hearts be able to hold out as long as our tongues do The true worshippers saith our Saviour Iohn 4.23 shall worship the father in spirit and in truth A short praier made with fervency of devotion prevaileth more with God then the longest and most eloquent prayer can do without it It is the effectuall fervent prayer of the righteous man that availeth much Iam. 5.16 God cannot abide the prayers that are nothing but lip labour when men draw neare to God with their mouthes as the Lord complaineth Eâ—a 29.13 and honour him with their lips but their hearts are gon Fourthly That he that conceiveth the prayer have as well respect to them that joyne with him as to himselfe whether their hearts be like to hold out so long in that duty as his heart or his tongue is I had rather saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 14.19 in the Church speake five words so as I may edifie others and that that he speaketh there of teaching is as well to be understood of prayer as appeareth by the context then ten thousand words otherwise Marvell not that I say that in prayer and in all the exercises of religion respect must bee had to the ability of them that joyne with us in these duties and not to our owne only Our blessed Saviour had respect to this in his teaching Marke 4.33 With many such parables spake hee the word unto them as they were able to heare it And this the Lord had respect unto in the appointing of all the three solemne feasts wherein all the males were to assemble themselves before the Lord. Hee appointed them at such times as all the people might with most conveniency come unto Ierusalem and goe backe againe also unto their owne homes The Passeover was about the beginning of our April the feast of Pentecost in May and the feast of Tabernacles in September And in that moneth also was the day of atonement the generall fast kept as you may see Levit. 23. and Deut. 16. Certainely Gods purpose was therein to teach us that in the exercises of his worship whether ordinary or extraordinary respect must bee had to the conveniency of Gods people Decency and order is not more necessary or comely in any thing then in the matters of Gods worship Let all things bee done saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 14 40. decently and in order You see then by that place of Eccl. 5. that the consideration of Gods glorious greatnesse and of our owne basenesse may bee effectuall to humble us whensoever wee are to goe to God and to pray unto him But the consideration of the Lords holinesse and of our owne sinfulnesse may doe it much more Not onely the consideration of the foule actuall sins that we have all of us bin guilty of as wee see in that speech of Ezra 9.6 O my God I am ashamed and blush to lift up my face to thee my God for our iniquities are increased over our heads but specially the consideration of this vile nature that remaineth still in us even after our conversion whereby wee are so prone unto sin and have in us a continuall thirst unto evill according to that speech of Eliphaz Iob 15.16 How much more abominable and filthy is man that drinketh iniquity like water The third and last case wherein we are to make use of this doctrine for our humbling is in the times when wee are to renew our repentance and to humble our selves in fasting and prayer before God for our sins
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
can do it no better wil be ready to helpe us and make that easie to us by his helpe which was full of difficulty and impossibility before Arise and be doing saith David to Solomon 1 Chron. 22.16 and the Lord will be with thee If we draw neare to God do our best endeavour God will draw neare unto us as the Apostle speaketh Iames 4.8 LECTVRES ON PSAL. LI. 6. Lecture LXXIV On Psalme LI. 6. Novemb. 6. MDCXXVII Behold thou desirest truth in the inward parts and in the hidden part thou hadst made me to know wisedome WEE have already heard out of the former verses of this Psalme that David in seeking to God for mercy in the pardon of his grievous sins doth make confession of his sinne and accuse himselfe before God and that not only in grosse and generall verse 3. but more fully in these three verses following For 1. Hee acknowledgeth his sin in particular that very sin that Nathan charged him with verse 4. I have done this evill in thy sight 2. The fountaine and root from whence this his sin did grow even his vile and cursed nature verse 5 Behold I was borne in iniquity and in sin did my mother conceive me 3. From the consideration of that uprightnesse and truth of heart which the Lord so much desireth and which he found his corrupt heart so farre from specially in the committing of this soule sin For oh what a deale of fraud and cunning did he use in this matter to hide and cloake his sin 1. Hee sent for Vriah home and perswaded him to goe and lodge at his owne house 2. Sam. 11.6 2. When perswasion would not serve hee made him drunke in hope that that would provoke him to lust verse 13. 3. When all this would not serve nor hee could get Vriah to father the child hee procureth him to bee made away that so by marrying of his wife he might cloke his sin the better ver 15. in the beginning of this sixt verse Behold thou desirest truth in the inward parts 4. From the consideration of that measure of saving knowledge and grace which hee had received from God before hee fell into this sin in the last words of this verse And in the hidden part thou hadst made me for so I read it and not thou shalt make me to know wisedome And thus you see the scope and drift of this verse and what coherence and dependance it hath on that which went before The words divide themselves naturally into two parts as they doe containe two arguments and considerations whereby David doth amplifie and aggravate his sin 1. What a one God would have David and all his children to bee that is to say Vpright in heart 2. What a one David was before hee fell into these foule sins that is God had wrought soundnesse of grace in his heart In the hidden part thou hadst made me to know wisedome In the former part three points are to bee observed 1. The thing the grace that God desired that God would have to bee in David and all his children Truth thou desirest truth that is sincerity and uprightnesse which is opposed to guile and hypocrisie So is truth taken Iosh. 24.14 Feare the Lord and serve him insincerity and in truth And 1 Cor. 5.8 Let us keepe the feast with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth And Iohn 1.47 Behold saith our Saviour of Nathanael an Israelite in truth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in whom is no guile 2. The subject the place where God would have this grace to be in the inward parts that is in the heart For so wee find this place interpreted by Iob 38.36 Who hath put wisedome in the inward parts or who hath given understanding to the heart And by our Saviour Marke 7.21 From within out of the heart of men proceed evill thoughts And by the Apostle Ephes. 3. who when hee had prayed for them verse 16. that they might be strengthened by Gods spirit in the inner man He expoundeth himselfe thus verse 17. that Christ might dwell in their hearts by faith The heart is the proper seat of this truth and sincerity For then a thing is said to be spoken or done in truth 1. When that which is said or done agreeth with the heart and proceedeth from it As a good man is said Psal. 15.2 To speake the truth in his heart He speaketh the truth in his heart because he speaketh as hee thinketh 2. When the purpose and intent of the heart is upright in that which a man speaketh or doth My father saith Solomon in his prayer 1 Kings 3.6 walked before thee in truth and uprightnesse of heart therefore in truth because in uprightnesse of heart Therfore also is this sincerity called singlenesse of heart Acts 2.46 When a man in that which he saith and doth hath but one heart not a heart and a heart a double heart Psalm 12.2 one heart for that which hee pretendeth and another for that which he intendeth It is said that the Zebulonites that came to make David King 1 Chron. 12.33 were not of a double heart And that is expounded verse 38 that they came with a perfect or an upright heart A true heart is called a whole heart also Psal. 119.10 a false heart is called a divided heart Hosea 10.2 3. and lastly The note of observation that David prefixeth before this Behold As if he should say this this is that which I cannot but take notice of and thinke much upon that whereas I am by nature so filthy and corrupt and have so much falshood and hypocrisie in my heart which hath beene the maine cause of this my fearefull fall thou art a God that lookest for and requirest yea desirest above all things and delightest in the truth and uprightnesse of the heart and where that is wanting all that a man can doe is nothing in thy sight Now all this cunning and falshood he had used doth greatly augment his griefe and shame when he considereth how much the Lord delighteth in truth and abhorreth hypocrisie Then the Doctrine that wee are to learne from the first part of the verse is this That truth and uprightnesse of heart is that which God highly esteemeth of and desireth and delighteth in above all things Observe the proofe of this Doctrine in five points and degrees First The Lord would have all his servants upright in heart hee would have that obedience and service that is done unto him to bee done in truth and sincerity that is that that hee looketh for at our hands which hee greatly desireth and longeth for Hee cannot abide hypocrisie that wee should counterfeit and halt with him My son saith the Lord Prov. 23.26 give me thine heart that is it that I looke for So Ioshua 24.14 calleth upon the people Now therefore feare the Lord and serve him in sincerity and truth Are not thine eyes upon the truth saith Iere. 5.3 As if he should say Is
sowen for the righteous and gladnesse for the upright in heart Yea Hezekiah in his sicknesse when hee thought there was no way with him but one 2 King 20.3 could say of himselfe and that was strange that hee had walked before God with a perfect heart because his conscience witnessed with him hee had walked in truth his heart was upright with God The reasons and grounds of this Doctrine are foure principally three of them taken from the nature of God and the fourth from the nature of this grace of truth and uprightnesse of heart First The Lord wee know is a spirit and therefore looketh for the service of the heart and spirit his eye is upon that rather then upon any outward thing So the Lord telleth Samuel 1 Samuel 16.7 This reason our Saviour giveth Iohn 4.24 God is a spirit and therefore they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth Secondly The Lord is a God that knoweth is able to search the heart all the corners and windings of it and it is to no purpose therefore to double with him I know Ephraim saith the Lord Hos 5.3 and Israel is not hid from me All things are naked opened saith the Apostle Heb. 4.13 unto the eyes of him with whom wee have to doe This reason the Lord giveth Iere. 17.9 10. The heart is deceitfull above all things who can know it I the Lord search the very heart and try the reines And therefore to thinke wee can flatter the Lord and please him with good words and shewes as it is said the Israelites that perished in the wildernesse did Psalme 78.36 37. They flattered him with their mouthes for their heart was not right with him is even to lye unto the holy Ghost as Peter charged Ananios Actes 5.3 Why hath Satan filled thy heart to lye unto the holy Ghost a dissembling with him that cannot bee deceived by us Thirdly The Lord is the God of truth and so is called Psal. 31.5 and the spirit of God is called the spirit of truth Iohn 14.17 In this grace specially consisteth the image of God in this wee most resemble him God made man upright Eccle. 7.29 So the Apostle speaking of the image of God according to which we were first created and unto which wee are renewed by the spirit of regeneration Ephes. 4.24 Hee calleth it righteousnesse and holinesse of truth And our Saviour describing the fall of the Angells the devills falling from God and loosing of his image he describeth it thus Iohn 8.44 Hee abode not in the truth because there is no truth in him If there bee truth in our inward parts wee resemble God our heavenly father if there bee no truth there we resemble Satan and therefore it is no marvell though the Lord take such pleasure and delight in uprightnesse Fourthly and lastly The uprightnesse of the heart will command and carry the whole man with it This reason the holy Ghost giveth Prov. 4.23 Keepe thy heart with all diligence looke that that that bee sound and upright for out of it come the issues of life Vprightnesse in the hid man of the heart is like unto the leven it is our Saviours comparison Matth. 13.33 hâ—d in three measures of meale the whole lumpe of dough will savour of it A good man cut of the good treasure of his heart saith our Saviour Matth. 12.35 will bring forth good things If the heart bee upright and good the speech will bee good and the actions also The mouth of the righteous saith David Psal 37.30 31. speaketh wisedome and his tongue talketh of judgement Why so The law of his God is in his heart none of his steps shall slide If grace and uprightnesse be in the heart it will make the speech gracious it will keepe a man from sliding and falling from God in his whole conversation It is therefore no marvell though the Lord desire that above all things and so much delight in it Lecture LXXV On Psalme 51.6 Novem. 13. 1627. IT followeth now that we proceed to shew you the uses that this Doctrine serveth unto and those are principally two 1. For examination and tryall of our selves whether wee have this grace or no. 2. For exhortation to stirre us up to seeke for it if wee want it and to make much of it to maintaine and strengthen it if wee have it already for as for the uses both of reproofe and comfort they will fitly be comprehended in these two The first use I say it serveth unto is for examination for every one of us to try our owne hearts whether there be that truth and uprightnesse in them that the Lord taketh so much delight in Now for the more orderly and profitable handling of this use I will shew you 1. The Motives that may stirre us all up to take paines in this tryall and examination of our selves 2. The Notes and Markes whereby this tryall is to bee made and whereby the truth and sincerity of the heart is to bee judged of The Motives are three principally 1. From the necessity of this worke in respect of the difficulty of it 2. From the possibility of it 3. From the benefit and fruit of it when it is well done First it is a difficult thing to find out whether our heart bee upright or no. This is evident 1. By common and daily experience all sorts of people are apt to deceive themselves in this point The worst men that are as they are the most confident people in the world and the best perswaded of their estate towards God according to that of Solomon Pro. 14.16 A wise man feareth and departeth from evill he is afraid of Gods wrath and apt to doubt much of his owne estate and that keepeth him in awe and maketh him carefull to depart from evill but the foole rageth and roareth and swaggereth and yet is confident So do they build their confidence upon this perswasion principally that though they speake foolishly now and then and do amisse through frailty yet they have as good as true hearts to God as the best There is a generation saith Solomon Pro. 30.12 that are pure in their owne eyes and yet are not washed from their filthinesse As if he had said though their lives be most filthy yet they are thus conceited of their owne purity Every way of man saith Solomon Pro. 21.2 is right in his owne eyes but the Lord pondereth the hearts As if he should say Why doe men please themselves in their owne waies and are deceived in them The reason is they cannot ponder nor know their hearts they thinke better of their hearts then they should do On the other side the best men that are are apt to charge themselves that their hearts are false and unsound that they have no more in them then may be in an hypocrite The good things that are in the regenerate are so mixed and intermingled with their owne
of men that are by this Doctrine discerned to bee void of all truth of heart are such as contenting themselves with this that they are reformed in the outward man thou shalt never heare them sweare or lye or talke either filthily or maliciously thou shalt never see them drunke or haunt evill company they constantly performe religious duties both publikely and privatly yet are they carelesse of the reforming and sanctifying of the inward man 1. their understanding is blind and blockish and full of errour 2. their thoughts are most vaine and wicked 3. their memories are like brasse for the reteining of that that is naught and like water for that that is good 4. Their affections are altogether worldly and disordered yet do these inward corruptions not trouble them at all neither doe they strive against them But to these men the time will not permit mee to say any more then this remember what you have now heard if that grace that seemeth to bee in us bee true and unfeined it will worke a totall change in us a reformation of the whole man at least in the unfeined desire and endeavour of the heart Lecture LXXXV On Psalme 51.6 March 25. 1628. THe second respect wherein the universality and large extent of true sanctifying grace appeareth is the object namely the matter wherein our goodnesse and grace is exercised it sheweth it selfe in a conscionable respect unto all the commandements of God He that hath truth of grace in him maketh conscience of every commandement of God of one as well as of another And as the sincerity of a Christians love to the brethren appeareth in this when he loveth all the Saints without respect of persons poore and rich weake and strong as the Apostle Col. 1.4 and els where oft noteth and the faithfullnesse of the governours of the Church when they observe the rules of Church governement which God hath appointed without preferring one before another and when they do nothing by partiality as the Apostle speaketh 1 Tim. 5.21 And on the other side the unfaithfullnesse of a Minister is chiefly seene in this when he is partiall in the law that is in the application of the law as the Lord chargeth the Priests to have beene Mal. 2.9 some truths they would teach that were needfull and profitable and some they would conceale some mens sinnes they would sharpely reprove and some mens faults they would winke at So doth the sincerity of our love and obedience unto God and his law appeare in this when we love and make conscience of all his commandements without preferring one before another and the hypocrisie and falshood of our hearts is seeene in this when we are partiall in the law when we will seeme to esteeme highly of some of the commandements of God with the slighting and neglecting of other some And this is that which the Apostle teacheth Iames 2.10 Whosoever shall keepe the whole law outwardly hee meaneth and in shew and yet offend in one point that is wittingly and giving himselfe liberty to breake any one commandement is guilty of all So the Lord chargeth the wicked Iewes Ier. 32.23 that they had done nothing of all that hee commanded them to doe How could that be Did they not circumcise their children and offer sacrifices and doe many other things that he had commanded Yes verily but because that in some things they had wittingly transgressed Gods commandement and namely in idolatry for that is the only particular sin that God chargeth them with in that place as you may see verse 29 34 35 therefore he saith they had done nothing of all that he commanded them to doe and verse 30. that they had done that onely that was evill before him They doe nothing with an upright heart that doe give themselves liberty in any one thing to transgresse Gods law we must either keepe all or els we keepe none at all Therefore we shall find this oft noted by the Holy Ghost for the property and marke of an upright hearted man that he maketh conscience of every thing that God hath commanded of one commandement as well as of another This you shall see in that speech of the Lord unto Sololomon 1 King 9.4 If thou wilt walke before me as David thy father walked in integrity of heart and in uprightnesse to doe according to all that I have commanded thee He onely walketh before God in truth of heart and in uprightnesse that doth according to all that God hath commanded Thus doth David also describe a perfect heart in that prayer he maketh for Solomon 1 Chron. 29.19 Give unto Solomon my sonne a perfect heart to keepe thy commandements thy testimonies and thy statutes thy precepts of every kind and to do all these things Lastly Thus is the uprightnesse of Zachary and Elizabeth described Luk 1.6 They were both righteous before God walking in all the commandements and ordinances of the Lord blamelesse The Apostle Iames 2.11 giveth two reasons for that which he had said verse 10. which to many might seeme a strange paradox that he that keepeth the whole law and yet offendeth in one point is guilty of all The first of them is in these words He that said doe not commit adultery said also doe not steale Every commandement even the least of them one as well as another hath God for the author of it God spake all these words as it is said in the preface to the law Exod. 20.1 So that every commandement ought to be of equall authority in our hearts The second iâ— like unto the first saith our Saviour Matth. 22.39 And therefore he that out of love and obedience unto God keepeth any one commandement must needs be carefull also to keepe at the rest Secondly All the commandements of God are so coupled together that they make but one sentence one copulative proposition but one law See this Deut. 5.17 21. Thou shalt not kill neither shalt thou commit adultery neither shalt thou steale c. So that as the Apostle inferreth Iames 2.11 if thou doe not commit adultery yet if thou kill thou art become a transgressour of the law Now because this is a point of manifold and daily use and one of the principall and most sensible signes of an upright heart of all those that are given us in the Word I will insist a little upon it and 1 give you certaine cautions to prevent the mis-understanding of it by answering two questions and doubts that may be moved concerning this point 2 I will make some application of it The first question is this Hath no man an upright heart that doth not live according to Gods law in all points That doth not walke in all the commandements and ordinances of the Lord blamelesse I answer first Yes verily for els there were not one upright hearted man upon earth In many things we offend all saith the Apostle Iames 3.2 Nay I say more the righteousest man upon earth
least I say and shall teach men so there have beene you see formerly as well as now that have taught men it is no matter to breake Gods small commandements hee shall bee called least in the kingdome of God he seeketh applause and credite haply by teaching such things but hee shall certainely misse of his aime but whosoever shall doe and teach them even these least commaundements loe wee must bee doers our selves before wee can preach well the same shall bee called great in the Kingdome of God As if hee had sayd He shall in the end loose no credite by it but though that bee not the thing hee may seeke or aime at yet hee shall bee sure to bee the better esteemed for it in the Church of God And thus much of the second point wherein the upright hearted mans equall respect to all the commandements of God appeareth he maketh conscience of every sin of one as well as of another Followeth the third and last of them He maketh conscience of every dutie God hath commanded him of one as well as of another not of the negative part onely of every commandement of doing any thing that God hath forbidden but of the affirmative also of doing every thing that God hath commanded As there is no one sinne that he doth give himselfe liberty to live in so is there no one grace or good thing that God requireth to bee in us but he desireth and striveth to attaine unto it As yee abound saith the Apostle 2 Corinthians 8.7 in every good thing see that yee abound in this grace also that is to say in mercifullnesse and liberality And hee saith in the next verse that hee requireth this of them to proove the sincerity of their love As if hee had said There can bee no sincerity in him that contenteth himselfe to have some good things in him if hee desire and strive not after every grace And againe Phil. 4.8 9. Whatsoever things are true whatsoever things are honest whatsoever things are just whatsoever things are pure whatsoever things are lovely whatsoever things are of good report if there bee any vertue and if there bee any praise thinke on these things Those things which yee have both learned and received and heard and seene in mee doe Whatsoever good things they had heard of Paul or seene in his example they must strive to attaine unto But the Apostle Peter goeth further 2 Peter 1. for hee is not content to say that the way to make our calling and election sure is by doing of those things that he had spoken of before that is to say by giving all diligence to adde one grace to another and eight severall graces he nameth verse 5 7. that must be thus combined in us but he saith plainly ver 9. that hee that lacketh these things is blind that is hath no truth of grace in him Alas then what assurance can they have of the truth of their hearts that in the duties God enjoyneth them will take and leave at their owne pleasure 1. They that are just in word and deed but the other two duties that God enjoyneth Mic. 6.8 mercy and humility towards God they cannot nay they strive not to attaine to 2. They that love preaching and good preaching well but there is a grace commended to them in Davids example which they will not imitate 2 Sam. 24.24 I will not offer burnt offerings to the Lord my God with that that doth cost me nothing and Gal. 6.6 Let him that is taught in the word communicate unto him that teacheth in all good things They love a life to serve God of free-cost 3. They that are zealous in frequenting the publique worship of God but have no mind to that that is commended unto them in the example of Ioshua 24.15 As for mee and mine house we will serve the Lord much lesse of that that Christ enjoyneth Matth. 6.6 When thou prayest enter into thy closet and when thou hast shut thy doore pray to thy father which is in secret 4. They that are very forward in all other duties almost and yet in one maine duty that Christ enjoyneth as strictly as any and saith Mat. 6.15 If ye forgive not men their trespasses neither will your father forgive your trespasses Yea 5.24 Leave thy gift before the altar and goe thy way first bee reconciled to thy brother and then come and offer thy gift they must bee borne with they cannot overcome themselves in this Certainly the best that these can say of themselves with truth is but that that Agrippa saith of himselfe Acts 26.28 they are almost perswaded to be Christians And as good never a whit as never the better If there be any commandement of God that thou canst not at least in the unfeined desire and endeavour of thy heart yeeld unto and obey certainely thou art no true Christian. He that saith I know Christ saith the Apostle 1 Iohn 2.4 and keepeth not his commandements is a lyar and the truth is not in him Lecture LXXXVII on Psalme 51.6 April 15. 1628. THE third and last respect wherein the universality and large extent of true saving and sanctifying grace appeareth is In respect of the time where once it is in truth it will never dye nor decay utterly Wee must therefore know that among the notes and properties of saving grace that are given us in the holy Scripture whereby wee may every one of us try our selves whether there bee in us that uprightnesse of heart and truth in our inward parts which David saith heere the Lord so much delighteth in this is one principall That true saving and sanctifying grace extendeth it selfe unto the whole course and time of a mans life that hath it in him True saving grace is durable and everlasting Now because this is a truth that behoveth all of us to bee well setled and grounded in therefore before I come to the confirmation of it I must first premise three things which are to bee granted concerning this point which if you marke them well will both make our meaning in it plaine unto you and take out of the way all the maine objections that are made against it First Then it cannot bee denied but that a man may seeme to himselfe and to the Church of God to have true grace and make a good profession of it and yet fall quite away from that againe A man that is a righteous man thus in profession and in the judgement of men may turne away from his righteousnesse as the Prophet speaketh Ezekiel 18.24 and commit iniquitie and doe according to all the abominations of the wicked and dye in that state too So Hymeneus and Alexander are said 1 Tim. 1.19 20. to have made shipwracke of saith They had made profession of the true faith and religion of God and fell quite away from it afterward And they that thus make profession of true righteousnesse and holinesse and of the true faith and
so much when we offend it is against the purpose of our heart When we can say with David Ps. 40.8 as your old translation readeth it I desire to do thy good will ô my God yea thy law is within my heart and 119.57 O Lord thou art my portion I have determined to keepe thy words and to doe nothing that might offend thee The truth of grace is in us and the uprightnesse of our hearts may be better discerned by this consent we give in our minds to Gods law in all things and by this unfeined desire and purpose of our heart to please God then by any thing we can do by any performance we are able to make Let us now see the confirmation of this point in three degrees of proofes 1 In the description that the holy Ghost maketh both of upright-hearted and good men and of such also as had no truth of grace in them 2. In the comfort that good men themselves have taken in this more then in any other good thing that hath bin in them 3. In the high account the Lord maketh of this more then of any other good thing that can be in us And for the first The holy Ghost describeth the upright hearted and good man not so much by any of their good actions as by this that their hearts were prepared and set to please God This is made the very summe of all true piety Thus speaketh the Prophet unto Iehoshaphat when hee had much offended God in joyning in affinitie with Ahab Neverthelesse saith hee to him 2 Chron. 19.3 there are good things found in thee in that thou hast taken away the groves out of the land and more then that hast prepared thine heart to seeke God thy heart is set and bent to please God Thus also doth Hezechiah describe the sincerity of them that communicated with him in the passeover 2 Chron. 30.18 19. The good Lord pardon every one that prepareth his heart to seeke God the Lord God of his fathers though hee bee not cleansed according to the purification of the sanctuary They were good men though they had failed and offended in that service because their hearts were set to please God in it This was all that Samuel required of Israel 1 Sam. 7.3 Prepare your hearts unto the Lord and serve him onely And Barnabas of the Disciples in Antiochia who were the first that were called Christians Actes 11.23 Hee exhorted them all that with purpose of heart they would cleave unto the Lord. As if all piety and truth of grace consisted in this when the bent of our mind the unfeined purpose and desire of our heart is for God And so doth David describe an upright heart 1 Chron. 28.9 Thou Solomon my sonne know thou the God of thy father and serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind And on the other side wee shall finde that men that were hypocrites and void of all truth of grace are described not so much by any of their evill actions as by this that the bent of their hearts of their minds and wills was not for God So it is said of the hypocrites that perished in the wildernesse Psalme 78.8 they are called a generation that set not their hearts aright So it is said of Rehoboam 2 Chron. 12.14 Hee did evill because hee prepared not his heart to seeke the Lord the desire and purpose of his heart was not set that way And of Simon Magus Acts 8.21 Thou hast neither part nor lot in the matter for thy heart is not right in the sight of God Secondly The best men wee can read of in Scripture when they have beene driven to search and looke out their evidences for their spirituall estate have found nothing so much comfort in any thing they have ever beene able to doe as in this that their mind and will hath beene to doe well Thus did Paul comfort himselfe in his spirituall conflict Rom. 7. 1. In the bent of his mind verse 16. I consent to the Law that it is good and verse 25. With the mind I my selfe serve the Law of God As if hee had said I obey it in my mind I know that by the mind there hee meaneth the regenerate part as by the flesh and members he meaneth the unregenerate part that was in him But why is the regenerate part called so and the grace of regeneration verse 23. the law of his mind Certainely because the truth and power of regeneration is not so much seene in our actions as in the renewing and sanctifying of our minds according to that Rom. 12.2 Bee yee transformed by the renewing of your mind 2. Hee comforteth himselfe in the bent of his will that his will and desire was for good and against all evill verse 15. What I would that doe I not but what I hate that doe I. And verse 18. to will is present with me As if hee should have said The constant desire purpose and endeavour of my heart is to doe the will of God in all things What failings soever the regenerate man is subject to yet will the worke of Gods sanctifying grace if it appeare in any thing appeare most sensibly in this will The spirit indeed is willing saith our Saviour Matth. 26.41 but the flesh is weake Even when the flesh sheweth it selfe most weake the spirit will shew it selfe willing It will stirre up in us such desires as David expresseth Psalm 119.5 O that my wayes were directed to keepe thy statutes Yee cannot doe the things that yee would saith the Apostle speaking of the confâ—ict that is in the regenerate betweene the flesh and the spirit Gal. 5.17 And this is that that Paul tooke comfort in when hee was much troubled with the sense of his inward corruption To will is present with mee saith hee So speaketh hee of himselfe also Hebrewes 13.18 that his will was to live honestly Why may you say was that all that Paul could say for himselfe that he was willing to live honestly was he not able also did he not live honestly Yes verily but yet this was the thing that yeelded him most comfort that his will and desire was better then his ability though hee slipped and failed oft in his words and actions yet his will and desire was constantly bent to please God in all things And in this also doth holy and zealous Nehemiah comfort himselfe this hee could be bold to say unto God of himselfe and his brethren and this was all he durst say Nehemiah 1.11 that they desired to feare his name And so doth the Church Esa. 26.8.9 The desire of our soule is to thy name and to the remembrance of thee with my soule have I desired thee in the night As if it had said There is nothing in the world that I desire so much as thy favour and grace And Cant. 5.2 I slept but my heart was awake As if she had said even then when I shewed that
saith Iob. 32.8 There is a spirit in man and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth them understanding Of this knowledge our Saviour saith to Peter Matth. 16.17 Blessed at thou Simon Bar-jona for flesh and bloud hath not reveiled it unto thee but my father which is in heaven Why what was it that Peter had the knowledge of Surely this as you shall find verse 16. That Iesus was Christ the sonne of the living God And could not this bee knowne without the inspiration of the Almighty Why Satan himselfe knew thus much as you shall find Marke 5.7 Yes but he knew it onely with a literall and historicall knowledge he knew it not with that full assurance with that spirituall understanding hee knew not the goodnesse the sweetnesse and power of that truth as Peter did So the Apostle saith Ephes. 4.20 21. No man hath learned Christ no man can know him rightly till he have heard him and beene taught by him Though he have heard and beene taught by the best preachers in the world if hee have not heard Christ by his spirit speaking to his heart if he have not had this inward and powerfull teacher hee can never know Christ aright And that is it which our Saviour also speaketh Iohn 6.45 It is written in the Prophets and they shall bee all taught of God every man therefore saith hee that hath heard and learned of the father commeth unto me and none but he And thus have I finished the first point I propounded for the proofe of the Doctrine 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 Now for the second point That this supernaturall grace of Gods spirit is not actually vouchsafed unto all that enjoy the meanes of instruction all are not thus taught of God is alas so evident in dayly experience that it were folly to spend time in prooving of it This as it is a miraculous and extraordinary worke of God God who commanded light to shine out of darkenesse saith the Apostle 2 Cor. 4.6 hath shined in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Iesus Christ As mighty a worke as the creating of light at the first when there was nothing but darkenesse upon the face of the deepe Gen. 1.1 2. as mighty and miraculous a worke as the opening of the eyes of them that were borne blind which could never be done but by the divine power Since the world beganne saith the man that had bin blind Iohn 9.32 was it not heard that any man opened the eyes of one that was borne blind As I say it is a mighty and extraordinary and miraculous worke of God so is it a rare worke also To you it is given saith our Saviour to his Disciples Matth. 13.11 to know the mysteries of the Kingdome of heaven but to them it is not given Though the Lord command us to teach all men Matth. 8.19 he will not teach all men himselfe What man is hee that feareth the Lord saith David Psal. 25.12 him shall be teach the way that hee shall choose As if hee should say Hee will teach none but such as by his holy spirit hee doth also effectually convert and sanctifie such and none but such shall ever attaine to a certaine and spirituall understanding of Gods truth The secret of the Lord saith David Psalme 25.14 is with them that feare him and hee will shew them his covenant The mystery of God saith the Apostle Col. 1.16 is now made manifest as cleare as the light but to whom to his Saints saith hee and to none but them Certainly the Lord himselfe hath nothing so many hearers nothing so many schollers as we his poore servants have Many are called but few are chosen saith our Saviour more then once to his hearers Mat. 20.16 12.14 Now for the third and last point that I propounded That no cause no reason can be given why God by his holy spirit should teach and give saving knowledge to one rather then to another but only the good pleasure and will of God That he denyeth this mercy to the most yea if he had denyed it to all men there had bin cause and reason enough to be found for that in man himselfe But that he vouchsafeth it to some rather then to others of that no reason at all can bee found in man himselfe but of that we must say as our Saviour doth Mat. 11.26 Even so father for so it seemed good in thy sight And with the Apostle Eph. 1.9 He hath made knowne to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure which he had purposed in himselfe Lecture CIIII. On Psalme 51.6 Novemb. 25. 1628. NOvv it followeth that wee proceed unto the grounds and reasons of the Doctrine That it is so we have heard it proved sufficiently but now why it is so yea why it must needs be so that whatsoever goodnesse whatsoever soundnes of knowledge is in any man must be ascribed wholly to Gods grace and nothing to man himselfe that remaineth to be enquired into And we shall find in the holy Scriptures two principall reasons given of this the one of them respecteth man and the other the Lord himselfe For the first Every man by nature is not onely utterly void of all true goodnesse of all sound knowledge and understanding but unable also either to doe anything that might move God to give him his grace or to desire it or to receive and accept of it when it pleaseth the Lord to offer it unto him or to withstand and repell it when God is pleased thereby to enlighten and convert his heart For in all these respects hee is neither better nor worse then a dead man Thus speaketh the holy Ghost not only of such as have bin notorious and grosse sinners of such as by their lewdnesse may be thought to have extinguished in themselves that light and goodnes that was in them by nature Such a one was the prodigall of whom his father saith Luk. 15.24 This my sonne was dead And those widowes the Apostle speaketh of 1 Tim. 5.6 She that liveth in pleasure in wantonnesse he meaneth as appeareth ver 11. is dead while she liveth But of all naturall men indefintely the Holy Ghost speaketh so Let the dead bury the dead saith our Saviour Matth. 8.22 Even of them that God loved before all eternity and ordained unto life the Holy Ghost speaketh thus The elect Ephesians were dead men by nature Ephes. 2.1 And the elect Colossians were dead men by nature also Col. 2.13 Yea of them that have beene most civill and morall men that have lived most unblameably in whom the light of nature and the remnants of Gods image that any naturall man can have did most abound even of them I say the Holy Ghost speaketh thus that in their naturall estate they were no better
honour to God themselves The Lord upbraideth the Iewes with this as with a great sin Zach. 7.6 When ye did eat and when ye did drinke did ye not eat for your selves and drinke for your selves Why what fault was that may you say Whom should they eat and drinke for els but for themselves Yes the Apostle telleth you 1 Cor. 10.31 that whether we eat or drink or whatsoever we do we should do all to the glory of God that is eat and drink and sleep and recreate our selves that we may become the fitter to do God some honour in our places If we seek our selves only in all that we do if we live to our selves and die to our selves certainly we can never say that we are the Lords I might shew you heare how every Christian even the meanest and poorest may in this place gaine honour to God But I will tie my selfe to the methode I have already followed and instance onely in those three callings which I have given you examples of 1 the Master of the family 2 the Minister 3 the Magistrate and governour in the Common-wealth First Such as are masters of families have a great opportunity to honour God by reforming their families and planting religion in them Thus David vowed he would honour God and shew himselfe to be his servant Psal. 101.6 7. Mine eyes shall be upon the faithfull in the land that they may dwell with me As if he should say I will get me such servants as feare God if they be to be had in the whole land he that walketh in a perfect way he shall serve me He that worketh deceit and beareth a false heart and secret hatred to religion though he be not openly profane when I once know it shall not dwell in mine house Of this also Hezekiah speaketh Esa. 38.19 The living the living he shal praise thee as I do this day and who among the living hath best opportunity to praise honour God the father to the children shall make knowne thy truth As though he had said Parents by deriving religion unto their posterity may greatly honour God above others And therfore also we shal find this oft noted in the scripture that so soone as any became Gods people themselves they shewed themselves carefull that their whole families might be so too See an example of this in a meane man the Iailour of whom it is said Acts 16.34 He rejoyced that he with all his houshold beleeved in God Yea see an example of it in a weake woman Acts 16.15 Lydia was baptized and her houshold too Yea see an example of it in a souldier and great Captaine Acts 10.2 Cornelius feared God with all his house Yea see an example of it in a Magistrate and one that was in commission Acts 18.8 Crispus the chiefe ruler of the Synagogue beleeved on the Lord with all his house Lastly See an example of it in a Nobleman Ioh. 4.53 the Nobleman of Capernaum himselfe beleeved and his whole house And what shall wee say then of those men that professe confidently God is their God and they are his people and yet shew no care at all to honour God this way by reforming their families Nay it is held a great disgrace to a man to shew any care at all or endeavour this way If Ioshuah should have lived now and held that resolution which hee professed Iosh. 24.15 certainely he would have beene counted a ranke puritan amongst our gallants For a man of his place a master of so great a family to be so precise that he will keepe never a blasphemer never a whoremaster never a drunkard in his house what a base and unworthy speech would this be accounted in these daies Many professe themselves to be Gods servants but whether they of their family serve God or the divell it is all one to them so they serve their turne They like never the worse of a servant for being a common drunkard or whoremaster or blasphemer though hee dishonour God never so much so hee have any one quality whereby hee may bee usefull unto them That it may bee said now of the families of many a one that challenge as great interest in Christ as any of his people doe as the Holy Ghost speaketh of Babylon Revel 18.2 though in another sense they are become cages of every uncleane and basefull bird Secondly We that are Ministers may in our places greatly honour God above others and expresse our love to him I am glorified in them saith our Saviour Ioh. 17.10 In which respect Paul calleth the messengers of the Churches 2 Cor. 8.23 who were preachers as appeareth verse 18. the glory of Christ. And our Saviour biddeth Peter thrice Iob. 21.15 17. shew his love to him that way even by â—eeding his lambs and sheepe We can no way glorifie God so much as in winning soules unto him wee can no way expresse our love to Christ so much as by feeding his people with knowledge and understanding If it be the love of Christ that constraineth us to preach so diligently so painefully if we shew our selves in our ministery to be the friends of the bride-groome as Iohn speaketh Ioh. 3.29 we woo for him only and not for our selves we seek his honour only and not our selves we preach as we do not because we thinke this kind of preaching will gaine us more applause with the people but because we are perswaded this kind of preaching will feed them best and bee most effectuall to save their soules then may we by every Sermon we preach get further assurance to our selves that we are the Lords Otherwise if 1 either wee preach not 2 or we preach so unprofitably as we gaine God no honour by our preaching feed neither his sheep nor his lambs by our preaching or 3 if we do preach profitably yet we do it out of selfe-love we seek our selves in it not the Lord. Certainly we can have no assurance that Christ is ours how well so ever we can speake of Christ but when we have preached unto others as the Apostle speaketh 1 Cor. 9.27 our selves shall become cast awayes Thirdly and lastly Such as are Magistrates may in their places greatly honour God and that in some respects more then any other man When a number of foule sins whereby God was greatly dishonoured are mentioned the cause is oft assigned Iudg. 17.6 and elsewhere to be this that there was in those daies no King in Israel but every man did that which was right in his owne eyes And a Magistrate may by this shew himselfe to be the Lords and one that hath true assurance of his favour if he shew most zeale in executing justice upon such offences whereby God is most dishonoured God gave to Phinehas his covenant of peace that is an increase of comfortable assurance of his speciall favour as we read Num. 25.11 12. because he had shewed himselfe zealous for the Lord in punishing of filthy whordome And
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
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
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