raise the mist that clouds and darkens him so as to wander after vanities and lyeâ— and forsake his own mercies And all serves as I suppose to our present purpose Men are commonly worse in their practices than in their principles as I said before and yet I deny not that they are corrupted in both For it is not to me imaginable how a man should be corrupted in one and not in the other But this we find by experience which is all I mean That men commonly have better principles than practices Hence so many that are sound in the Faith as to their perswasions of the truth of Religion in their lives are most abominable And what need we any more witnesses to convince and condemn these men Their own opinions are enough to confute their practices and prove â—hem rebels against the light And can they complain they have not light to see their way â—o Heaven They have enough and too much unless they could use it better How usual is it for notorious Sinners and most abominable vicious persons to plead for the Ten Commandments when I know no body against them but such as they and their fellows They know and can repeat the Ten Commandments and say they are Gods Commandments And yet a civil man cannot abide within the breath of these men because every other word almost is an Oath with them A man would hardly believe that men should lead their lives all the week in such excess and all manner of uncleanness and yet on Sundayes cry out so devoutly as they seem to do at the reading of every Commandment Lord have mercy upon us and encline our hearts to keep this Law Do not these men proclaim Gods commands to be their principles and yet contradict them in all their practices They dare not they cannot for their hearts say with their mouths that Swearing and Drunkenness and Adultery c. are not Sins and transgressions of Gods Laws and yet they live in a constant practice of all such abominations Now what shall we think of these men They have a Light sufficient to shew them the errour of their way They do not indeed set it on a candlestick but rather under a bushel Though it be not quite put out yet it shines not so as they can see any thing by it as they ought And I can conceive no other reason Why the light in these men is so useless but only that it was never strong enough to work an absolute thorow conviction as when Gods Spirit convinceth of Sin c. Ioan. 16.8 The lusts of these men were never subdued to the power of their principles Thâ—y could perhaps some of them discourse the vanity of the creature and the emptiness of all worldly things even to admiration and yeâ— all the while love the World and the things of the World no men more Grant that there is in such men sometimes a reluctancy it cannot but be faint and feeble and in effect as good as none at all Nay what if I say it serves only to enhance their lusts the more as weak opposition gives an enemy the greater advantage 〈◊〉 let out more of his rage and strength than otherwise perhaps he would Certainly men â—o made up of a mixture of passion and some reason are as much plung'd into all sensual and beastly pleasures as any becauâ—e the stream of their lusts is stronger than to be stopt by any principles they have Yea they are in a more ready way to put darkness for light and to call evil good than any men alive so as at last the light that is in them is no better than the blackness of darkness It was even so with the Pharisees Luc. 16.14 When our Saviour had most excellently discours'd the right use of all earthly riches and shew'd that men cannot serve God and Mammon They heard these things and derided him A practice too common amongst others when a savory Doctrine about some duty press'd home upon Conscience hath found no better entertainment with many of the Auditors than a dry scoff or some bitter reproachful language against the Preacher But why did the Pharisees deride our Saviour There was a reason and it is express'd in the same place They were covetous The love of money is the root of all evil 1 Tim. 6.10 There never was an Heretique or Apostate or any man reprobate to every good work that had not this or some other root of bitterness springing up and turning him aside to be hardned past all hope in his ungodly way Demas hath forsaken me 2 Tim. 4.10 And if you read on it is to be seen in the next words Why He had embraced this present World All ages afford great store of such sâ—d Instances Many like Ionathan as one saith follow the chase with a greedy pursuit till they light on the honey Demas had no sooner left Paul but he went to Thessalonica where he became an Idol-Priest as some report When such men have been provoked by missing of expected preferments or have had the lure of promotion flung out to them the next news you hear of them is that they are not where you left them but are gone some-where and if you desire to know look in Iud. v. 11. and you shâ—ll find what way they are gone and upon what account and what will be the issue of all at last if you please to observe that also by the way They you must know hoyse up and strike sayl again as the wind serves and sometimes tack about only to steer a course that will serve for present security or future further advantages When Religion is in fashion they presently fall in with a goodly out-side profession so as few can keep pace with them But when once the wind that was on their backs begins to turn and blow in their teeth then as we say faces about and who more zealous Persecutors than such hot-spur Professors Now may I not say of these Have they not heard and known Doubtless they cannot be ignorant Balaam knew well enough that he ought not to curse Israel and yet the wretched Wizard attempted it again and again because he loved the wages of unrighteousness and Balack's proffer'd rewards blear'd his eyes as he saw not what he did see So is it with every man that hath no more grace than he 'T is no hard task for any man of ordinary understanding to conclude That the way of Uncleanness Drunkenness Swearing c. is not for professed Christians or civil rational men to walk in Yea many have sometimes resolv'd against them with vows and imprecations and yet the next opportunity of a temptation breaks all these bonds and the Doggs are turned to their vomit again The reason of all is clearly to be seen and it is this They have their lucid intervals as other madd men have and then they can see a little the baseness of their own wayes But as soon as Lust
spiritual part of worship whiles a man labours to keep his heart in a due frame and order by watching against the secret risings of his inward corruptions with all the subtle insinuations of Satan so as at all times and upon all occasions as well as in his more direct addresses to God he is put to watch and ward to fence and fight and all little enough to prevent the assaults of his enemies and preserve himself from the infection of sin Oh! What a difficulty is there in gathering up a mans thoughts and affections in duty and keeping a strait hand upon them all the while To abandon vanity in discourse and in our own hearts to curb and keep in what will be ready to break out yea and to nipp the early buddings of corruption e're they grow and get head is work that will require labour and care and pains So is it also to have our conversation alwayes in Heaven by setting our affections on things above continually musing and meditating on Eternity and that happiness which never shall have end with minding alwayes what may serve for the accomplishment of our desires in the enjoyment of God and watching against all hindrances from the World the Flesh and the Devil that may obstruct our passage whiles we are here in our pilgrimage 'T is no easie matter to deny our selves in the desires of the flesh specially when we see the most to use a liberty with a fair pretence of conveniency and necessary accommodation 'T is hard to keep a bridle on our lips and much harder to keep it on our hearts And what adâ— must there be to observe and try our wayes so as all may be according to Rule and what diligence also is required in calling our selves to an account every day so as to clear up our Evidences that there may be nothing to interruâ—â— a fair and free correspondency between God 〈◊〉 our Souls Now this harder part of Christianitâ— many curtall yea cut it off and cast it quite â—way never caring for it so much as seriously 〈◊〉 have any thoughts about it and content theâ—selves with an outside carkass as I may call it of the true Religion that hath nothing of life 〈◊〉 Soul in it However they will one day fiâ—â— that this easie and empty formality of bodily exercise will be a swift witness against theâ— that they might have done better if they would Arg. 12. TO say no more in way of Argument Let it be consider'd Whâ—t many yea most are wont to do when they arâ— in apparent hazards of death or in any deadly dangers Do they not then as the Mariners cry every man to his God Then men are affected mostly one of these two wayes Either they cry out lamentably yea even howl for vexation of Spirit bewailing their loss of precious time and their mis-spending those Talents which might have been employed for their Souls advantage Or they lye as men struck in the head and their heart as Nabals dyes within them so as they become as stones or stocks that have no sense Now what doth this signifie Even that which I have been discoursing hitherto So long as men have ease and health youth and strength and feel no evils or troubles their lusts are lively and alwayes kindling into a flame and hence there 's alwayes a mist of smoke and darkness in their Souls such as hides and overwhelms all the notions they have of God or any thing that 's good so as they never consider what shall be the end of their madd mirth sinfâ—ll vanities or horrid impieties But the sense of approaching Death quenches all the â—lame of thâ—ir lusts and when the smoke of that fire is â—â—ce dispell'd their natural principles or any other light they have had appear again to act as they would have done before had they not been â—â—ppress'd and as it were buried under the rubbish of fleshly and filthy lusts To this purpose we may observe what the Psalmist hath Psal. 9.20 Put them in fear O Lord that the Nations may know themselves to be but men They were intollerably insolent and outragious taking no notice of God nor caring for him so long as they had their wills and felt no troubles Hence the Psalmist prayes God to put them in fear i. e. to bring upon them some horrible tempest of his wrath and to give a proof of his power in some remarkable judgement that so they might come to themselves I have cited this Text only to shew That David was of this mind That men will quake and tremble at the sense of Gods Judgements which they would not before so long as they feared no danger And why Because in times of prosperity the smoke of mens lusts smothers the operation of all their principles so as they can have no effect But Death hath a gastly look because it is a fore-runner of Judgement and men are appal'd at the very thoughts of it pâ—â—ting them off so long as possibly they can However at last it comes and then when there 's â—o longer help nor hope Oh no such welcome â—â—sitants as good people nothing so desirable 〈◊〉 their prayers They do not then rejoyce 〈◊〉 boast themselves in their wickedness No 〈◊〉 are sorry for their sins and wish they had 〈◊〉 their lives in wayes of godliness truth and rigâ—teousness Questionless they are then tamâ—â— and may be talk'd withall at least the most of them For now their eyes are opened to see what before they would not but might have seen if they would And is not this a cogent Argument to convince ungodly Sinners that they wittingly and willingly stifled the Light that shin'd in them to shew them the only way to rest and peace Who then shall bear the blame but themselves This one Evidence if there were no more is enough to give the Verdict for God against all ungodly men I hope now enough hath been said to prove the general Proposition laid down in the beginning so as I may now proceed to make some Application of the whole But there 's one Objection more that must be removed and it is this or to this purpose Vizt Obj. That I have discours'd a great deal to prove men guilty of their own destruction by shewing that they goe against their own Light â—nd Consciences and so condemn themselves in what they do But I have not all this while shewed them how to find that good and right way which leadeth unto life This had need be done and never more than in these and the late times You tell us will some say a great â—eal of our wilfullness and frowardness in going â—gainst our light But can you tell What light â—â—all lead us in so many perplexities of Opinions â—hen every one calls us to his way and none of â—hem knows how to assure us which is the good and â—he right way You seem to make but one right 〈◊〉 and how shall we know where
all people Ester 3.8 How should they be otherwise For they were the Laws of Iehovah the living and true God condemning all the â—dolatries and superstitious Vanities of the Heathen But the Heathen should not therefore have hated the Israelites as they did but rather have cast away their abominations and sought and served the God of Israel as he had commanded Questionless the spite of all other Nations against Israel was the old hatred that is in all men by nature against God and all that is of God It might be said of the Israelites then as some of them said of the Christians afterward They were a Sect or sort of people every where spoken against Now 〈◊〉 could never have been so but that the Gentiles had heard of the Israelites way of worshipping the Lord Iehovah and yet hated them upon that account And do not all Nations at this day hear the report of our Lord Jesus Christ Do not Turks and Tartars know the God of the Christians and blaspheme him So do Infidel Iews and all the Pagans at this day in Asia Africa and America and yet they enquire not after him care not to own or serve him but still worship the works of their own hands yea to speak with Scripture Devils May we not therefore say Have they not heard Yes verily the sound of Christ and the Gospel is gone out into all the earth Quest. If any shall yet quarrel Gods Dispensations towards the Gentiles both of old and now adayes because the light of gospel-Gospel-truth is not alike imparted to all by an equal proportion of means For that end Sol. I shall ask them Whether God may not take the same liberty that men do many times and yet are no way questioned for it Must he be tied up and bound to terms such as we our selves would not May not he take and use his liberty in the dispensing of his own gifts specially when he leaves none without witness I wish men would read and meditate on Mat. 20.15 where you may see how ill the Lord takes it to be questioned and quarrelled in that inequality which seems to be so to us What if God see that if they had more light and means than we and some others have that they would rebel the more as we and many others do Is it not enough to make them inexcusable that they hear where Life and Salvation is to be had Sure they cannot say truly They have not heard They hear for ought I know as much as Rahab did and they must say if they speak truth We have heard of Jesus Christ but we did not like him to believe in him as the Christians do And may they not then be said to perish as the men of Iericho Heb. 11.31 Who believed not They should have given credit to those common and confessed reports of God and his wonderful works for his people But they despised them as light news and refused to be at the pains of any further enquiry after God And for this they are charged with Unbelief as Rahab on the contrary is commended for her Faith And do not the Turks and Heathen now the same or the like I have yet one thing more to offer viz. That the Gentiles of old who were a people farr off had wilfully separated themselves from Noah's and Shem's Families in which the worship of God was preserved and kept pure for a while And so did others before the Flood separate themselves and therefore in their Idolatries unto which they were given up received the recompence of their errour that was meet God most righteously punishing the iniquity of the Fathers upon the Children in after-ages by leaving them without the means of grace and knowledge which some others had And yet as you heard before he left not himself without sufficient witness against them But the chief design of this Discourse being 〈◊〉 shew How inexcusable they are who have thâ— light of gospel-Gospel-truth but do nor walk in it shall proceed to enquire into the case of these that turn the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ into wantonness some way or other receiving it iâ— vain For these I say again do not perish for want of a Remedy but only for not applying it For proof hereof I appeal to Ioan 3.16 God so loved the World that he gave his only beâ—gotten Son that whosoever believeth on him shoulâ— not perish Here 's enough said to shew Thaâ— God is not wanting to men but that they arâ— wanting to themselves There 's provision made such and so much as none can perish 〈◊〉 they who refuse to make use of it Whosoeveâ— believeth on him shall have everlasting lifâ— What can be said or done more on Gods part What constructions are made of this Scripture bâ— many I shall not mention but shall give thâ— sense of Calvin upon it The Love of Goâ— here testified saith he respects Humanugenus mankind and a note of universality 〈◊〉 added to invite all promiscuously to the parâ—taking of this life and to cut off all excusâ— observe that from such as believe not Foâ— this purpose saith he the word WORLD is used to shew that though there be nothing in the World worthy of Gods love and favourâ— yet to shew himself gracious to the whole World he calls all without exception to the Faith of Christ. Indeed he saith too That life eternal is offer'd unto all so as notwithstanding Faith is not of all And in this he confesseth the special grace of God to some particular persons Let it also be considered That the word WORLD cannot rationally be taken in any other sense For in the next Verse it is meant of the World whereof some are saved and some perish as Reverend Davenant observes and that they who perish perish only because they believe not on the Son of God I shall not debate what advantage the coming of Christ into the World brought to such as make no use reap no benefit by it Certainly it states the question beyond all dispute That as Faith only saves so Unbelief only condemns which is all I have to prove For there 's not the least hint of any defect on Gods part but all the fault is said on man alone in not believing on the Son of God sent into the World not to condemn but to save it And here let Calvin speak what he thought in this case Certum quidem è non omnes ex Christi morte fructum percipere Sed hoc ideo fit quia eos impedit sua incredulitas In Ep. ad Heb. cap. 9. v. 27. 'T is only by Infidelity that all are not partakers of the benefits of Christs death Let me now argue a little further Why do we perswade all men without exception to believe on Christ with a promise of Salvation by him if they believe Is it reasonable to do so if we are not perswaded there is sucfficient provision made so as nothing is wanting if
his hand to turn them back again What dumps and fits of melancholly as some call them have they had when those everlasting burnings have flash'd in their faces to fright them out of their ungodly wayes And will they yet say They had not Light enough to see the good and the right way when they notwithstanding have posted on still and press'd forward against all opposition and contradiction of Consciences For certain many wicked ones have had much of their Hâ—ll upon Earth so much as might have serv'd if they had been wise enough to mind them of Heavens way It may be that some of them have their Heaven here though a very short uncertain and inconsiderable felicity But there are few of them that meet not with rubbs enough to stop them in their career Hell-ward if they would but heed them They are not so merry as the World takes them to be But even in the midst of laughter the heart is sorrowful to think what will be the end of their madd mirth I need not say more to these than only advise them to abide at home and hear what their Consciences tell them But this perhaps is labour in vain when they are resolv'd before-hand to give Conscience as good as it brings However I cannot forbear to stick this as an Arrow in their sides and let them pluck it out again if they can That they can with no face or colour of truth say They have not Light to see the good and the right way For God hath put a Light into their hands and they have put it out on purpose that they may goe on in darkness And this God himself charges them with Psa. 14.4 Have all the workers of iniquity no knowledge c The Interrogative hath in it a more vehement deniall It is not of ignorance or infirmity they do thus wickedly but wittingly and willingly against all conviction of Conscience And therefore there will be need of no other witnesses against these men one day than what they themselves shall bring forth and God will in his judging of them appeal to their own Consciences that will then be ready to justifie him before all the World that he gave them a Light to see plainly the perverseness of their own way but they cast it away or put it out and would not walk by it I need say no more but only desire men to consider how they will answer their own Consciences in the great day of account when they have resisted so long and so often gone against what they have known by the Light that is within them If they can deal with Conscience hereafter aâ— they do at present they may do themselves a pleasure But I much doubt it Arg. 4. I Shall add another Reason to prove That men have had Light enough shining round about them and would not endure it And this is their impatiency and peevishness of Spirit when they have been again and again admonished of their faults by such as have known them and have had opportunities of doing them such a good Office And here I may upon this occasion take up a complaint and say Who or where is he that will bear a seasonable reproof when it is given him Some such I hope there are but truly it is not easie to light on them A man had need run to and fro to seek them and if any should ask me Where such dwell I cannot easily give an answer such as I would 'T is said of Cranmer That to do him a shrewd turn was the way to make him a Friend for ever If it were so indeed I cannot enough admire the most excellent frame of his Spirit that could turn Poyson into Medicine and take occasion to love even from that which only tends to hatred and strife Surely the contrary is to be seen in too many Do them the best office of love that can be done you make them your Enemies for ever they will never care for you more And this is an infallible Demonstration of what I am now discoursing How can men say they want Light when they run from it and will not suffer it to come near them The Law is a light and the reproofs of instruction are the way of life Pro. 6.23 So saith the Wiseman by the wisdome of God in him And I may say of Christian brotherly admonition that it is a a most singular help to preserve and improve the life and practice of godliness It is as it were the snuffing of the lights to make them burn more clearly I need not shew how much the Scripture commends it He that turns over the Bible cannot be ignorant of it It is in one word a Duty that lies on all men but on professed Christians more especially to give it wisely as there is occasion and take it kindly when it is given Now for men to storm and rage upon all occasions against all reproof and shew themselves such as others dare not come near them is a sufficient Argument of Conviction and cannot be answer'd For with what face can a man plead that he is well dispos'd and willing to do what 's right when be he never so much out of his way be scorns to be told of it Yet many such there are who have shut up their Consciences under hatches and for others they dare not tell them of their faults lest they be made to feel their fingers And I wish this were the fault of Ruffians and Roysters only But many more sober to look upon and perhaps inoffensive otherwise as to other men will rage like madd if you come near them with the least touch of a reproof though never so gentle and seasonable Yea a man had need beware of them Lest thâ—y make him an Offendor for a word and lay a snare for him in the gate Nor I nor others need to marvell at the great miscarriages of so many if we but duly consider what I am now speaking of There must needs be an abounding of all ungodliness when it overflows all the banks and no man dares put a stop to it by saying to another Why do you thus And this to say no more is enough to shew That men might if they would know more of God and his will but that they despise admonition and will not abide reproof They cannot pretend want of Light who put it away whensoever it is offer'd to them and would if they could put it quite out that they may goe on in darkness Arg. 5. THere is yet more Light to shew men their way if they would but heed it and not wilfully shut their eyes against it Every sincere and sound Believer is a Light shining in the midst of a crooked Nation And herein ungodly men condemn themselves that they cannot abide the light of other mens profession and practice holding forth the word of life They are ever quarrelling those that are more eminent in profession
promised Isa. 59.21 If any object That that promise is made only to the Church I may grant it and yet answer well enough thus That the Word and Spirit promised to the Church proclaim and offer Christ to the world and they that arâ— without are bound to receive what is offer'd and to joyn themselves to the Church For whaâ— is it that makes and constitutes the Church Iâ— it not hearkning to and obeying the voice oâ— God in his Word There is the sound of thâ— Gospels voice which the world is bound tâ— hearken to as I hope to shew hereafter Anâ— if the wicked world refuse and will not enâ—quire after it that is their own fault and Goâ— is not wanting as shall be more fully clear'd iâ— its due place For present it may suffice that there is aâ— abundance of the Spirit and of the Word eâ—nough to enlighten and enliven all the world if they would heed and attend them Whâ— dare say that Gods Word and Spirit are noâ— sufficient to instruct us in all things necessary and to lead us into all truth For Papists quarrelling the sufficiency of Scripture-revelation I have nothing to do with it now it serves my turn if it be acknowledged that God hath made a sufficient revelation of his will and the way of our Salvation 3. That God might not leave himself without many witnesses we have also the work of Creation that shews us the way of glorifying him else how could the Apostle upon this one ground prove the Gentiles to be inexcusable in their Idolatries Rom. 1.19 20. And is there not also a goodness of God in his providential dispensations that leads men to repentance Rom. 2.4 Yes the Psalmist shews it at large Psal. 107. And this amongst others seems to be one thing that 's very observable in that Psalm viz. That men otherwise void of all piety and such as care little for Gods company at other times when distresses and dangers assault them even by nature and natural conscience are led to call upon God This shews sufficiently that their neglect of God in times of prosperity is a stifling the natural principles of Religion implanted in all men for the improvement of divine providences 4. To say no more God hath made us reasonable creatures and given us a minde to understand so as to chuse the good and refuse the evil And have we not all of us a conscience to accuse and excuse to encourage us in that which is good and affright us from all that is evil In one word The way of Life is laid before us and we have eyes to see it if we had a minde to walk in it Men do not go to Hell as a beast goeth to the slaughter-house or as one led blindfolded not knowing whither he goeth but they refuse the way of Life and chuse the ways of Death as I hope to shew hereafter more at large Now let me summe up all that hath been said and thus argue If God hath prepared an all-sufficient salvation and provided all means necessary for the applying of it what have we to complain of more than what we finde in our selves May not the Lord say as he did Isa. 5.4 What could have been done more that I have not done or as Ier. 2.5 What iniquity have you found in me Have I been wanting to you Rather have not you wronged your selves and been sinners against your own Souls And will not the Lord say thus one day Questionless he will else how shall he clear himself in condemning the wicked world For suppose God to be wanting in any thing necessary on his part for our salvation may not a condemned sinner justly reply thus Lord thou hast now pass'd the sentence of death upon me and thou art now sending me to dwell with everlasting burnings which I should never have run my self into if thou hadst done that which lay upon thee to do May not such a soul say alas I knew nothing of what I should have known in order to my salvation but was left in the dark without any light to shew me the way of Life Had God done his part I might have done mine and so it had never been with me as now it is Shall any of the damned think you ever have cause or just occasion to quarrel God in this manner Or if any should I must confess I know not how to clear God in his condemning the world of the ungodly But God will certainly clear himself one day and convince all the ungodly that their damnation is just Else why is God so often clearing himself upon all occasions from having any hand in the destruction of those that perish For certain God would never clear himself as often he doth if he knew not himself to be clear and he must have most unworthy thoughts of God that thinks otherwise God is not as man to justifie himself in any thing but what is right and true Now how often doth God clear himself and cast all the blame of mens destruction upon themselves Ezech. 18.31 32. Cast away all your transgressions c. for why will you die I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth Hos. 13.8 O Israel thou hast destroyed thy self To this purpose also read Esay 5. v. 1 4. Obj. But some will reply and say Who denies or questions this you labour to little purpose and might well have spared this pains Sol. To clear my self give me leave to say 1. That many are charg'd with making God the author of sin and the contriver in a sort of mans damnation I do not say they are justly charg'd but that some are so charg'd by others is most true 2. There are but too many in the world who charge God foolishly as faulty and guilty of mens destruction I say not they do it expresly and in terminis but interpretatively and by consequence they say that the fault is on Gods part and not on theirs if they die and are damn'd What else is their meaning when they pretend as they do so much love and good liking to God and the wayes of his Commandments Are there not many that say in their hearts and some upon occasion with their mouths also Far be it from us to hate God or any of his wayes God forbid that we should procure to our selves the damnation of our own souls Nay they will not be well pleas'd with any other that shall charge them for so doing If others will believe them they are as willing to be sav'd and as willing to walk in the way of Life and Salvation as any man can wish them to be But alas what would you have of them If they knew better they should do better and for their part they do the best they can and as far as God gives them grace Now is not this in effect all one as to say if we are cast away and die in our sins it is no fault of
they are without excuse vers 19. Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them For God hath shewed it unto them therefore they are without excuse Whatever serv'd to set forth the glory of God or whatever might excite and move them to glorifie God all this is manifest in them And the same Interpreter thinks there is a special emphasis in the Preposition In. It notes saith Calvin such a manifestation as would admit of no evasion they could not put it off Whatever be the emphasis of that Preposition or whether any at all it is enough for our purpose that they withheld the truth in unrighteousness vers 18. They suppressed the inbred true notions which they had of God These they kept as we use to say under hatches they obscur'd and clouded them and would not suffer them to shine out and shew themselves And this they did in unrighteousness i. e. by force and violence saith Piscator and Calvin too Some count of an Hebraism in the expression but if it be otherwise it serves our turn well enough It was the base corruption of their hearts that made them oppresse and keep under the natural light that was in them The eternal power and Godhead were manifested in them so as they were not could not be ignorant of them Hence I argue that they wanted not light or means to shew them a better way of worshipping God than the way they took which was indeed against all reason as the Apostle there proves Consider farther that they liked not to retain God in their knowledge vers 28. i. e. They hated and were willing to be rid of that knowledge of God which they had and v. 25. They changed the truth of God into a lye They heeded not the true implanted notions of God but followed their own devices which carried them to false wayes of worshipping God under the similitudes of his creatures Now this was an act of their perverse Wills in opposition to and in dispight as it were of their natural principles Nay further saith the Apostle vers 21. When they knew God they glorified him not as God neither were thankfull c. They glorified him not as became his most excellent Divine Majesty which they knew or might have known so well as to have served him in a better manner if they would They were not thankfull They had a talent and would not improve it as they might and should have done Their returns were no way suitable to their receipts Now consider the Apostles arguing in this case and it appears plainly that he clears God in condemning the Gentiles upon this account that they had means and helps to know and do better but they rejected them to follow their own inventions And the same may be said now of any of the Heathens alive to shew that they also are without excuse as others that were before them Obj. Yea but God denied them his special grace which being denied though they had done their utmost they could never have improv'd their natural Light to discover Christ who is the only name given under heaven whereby men must be saved Acts 4.12 How then had they a sufficiency of means Sol. This argument is grounded upon a supposition which the Apostle never takes notice of even when he labours ex professo to prove the Gentiles justly liable to Gods wrath and condemnation And therefore such a supposition to me seems to be of no great force though some take much notice of it in their disputings For my part I have nothing to do with the controversie that is among the learned or with stating the question between them My design in this discourse is only to remove a stumbling block out of the way of the blinde that hinders too many from walking in the way of Gods Commandments And this I may do I hope without engaging so far in the controversie as some others have done I am to prove that 't is not the want of means to be allowed on Gods part but a wilfull neglect of means on mens part that will be their condemnation And hath not the Apostle said enough to this purpose in the case of the Gentiles Rom. 1. Yet let me argue a little What will it avail those Gentiles or any the like to say in the great day By all the light which God did lend us we could never have discovered the only way of Salvation For may not God answer What 's that to you It concern'd you not at all to enquire what would or what would not be I never told you what I would or would not do more in case you had improv'd the talents which you had I gave you the knowledge of my self and mine infinite excellencies so far as to shew you a way of worshipping me in a better manner than under the resemblances of my meanest creatures But you have buried your Talent and rebelled against the Light you had and therefore are wicked and idle servants What is it to me or any others what God will or will not do in case we do our utmost with what we have God I am sure is not cannot be bound farther than he is pleas'd to binde himself And how far God hath bound himself to answer the improvement of natural gifts by an addition of super-natural grace if I have not learned I suppose I need not be ashamed Scripture indeed saith That to him that hath it shall be given Luke 8.18 And reason shews that the use of any gift natural or spiritual is a means to increase it But seeing grace and nature are not of the same kinde 〈◊〉 confess my self ignorant how far the improvement of nature will avail to the procuring oâ— grace And yet I dare not say God will noâ— give grace to such as improve nature to the utâ—most For I know not what God will do anâ— so it is meet I leave him to his liberty as hâ— hath left himself I am bold to think that sucâ— a supposition as some make in this case is alâ—most to as little purpose as that question Wheâ—ther the Son of God should have come in the flesh if Adam had never sinn'd This we are sure of that the Gentiles and others have their talents more or less and all to be imâ—proved accordingly and if they be not is Goâ— unrighteous in requiring what he hath given The idle servant indeed charged his Master with austeritie but they trifle lamentably who thereupon dispute the vigour of Gods dealing with men seeing it was not in the minde of Christ to note any such austerity more than to commend usury Yet this is worthy our notice that no servant made any complaint of his Master besides that idle one For the scope and drift of the Parable it is to shew what is to my purpose that they have no colour of excuse in the least who stifle the gifts of God and make no advantage of them Yea it
answer That God did not first leave man but man first left God and judge if it were not so For God gave him a power to stand if he himself would If he gave him not a will to use that power is God to be faulted for that Would you have God to make him unchangeable Obj. But Man might have stood unmoveable though he had not been made unchangeable 〈◊〉 God had upheld him as he did the elect Anâ—gels Sol. No question but God could and mighâ— have upheld him but he was not pleased so tâ— do And yet he is not to be charged with thâ— fall of man For he gave him sufficient poweâ— and strength to stand if he would and was 〈◊〉 this enough If a Father gives his Son a stock 〈◊〉 Money or an Estate whereupon he may livâ— comfortably by his good management of it anâ— the Son do as we read of one Luc. 15. spenâ— and waste all and come to beggery can anâ— man justly say the Father did not his part for hâ—â— Sons good What would men have of God Or what they make of him God made Man 〈◊〉 glorious Creature and gave him a reasonablâ— Soul and liberty to chuse for himself such as 〈◊〉 other earthly Creature had And when God had made him a reasonable Creature He dealt with and by him as became the nature and quality of such a Creature If God had divested Man of his Liberty he had abas'd his Nature below it self and indeed made him to be no Man or reasonable Creature Obj. But God might have preserv'd him in the estate wherein he was first made holy and righteous Sol. What will men make of God We read how ill God takes it to be thought such a one as we are Psal. 50.21 The men that argue thus do much worse For they would make God to be such as they themselves would not be They will not be tyed up to the wills of other men though perhaps better than themselves in every transaction or concernment of their own They will say Why should we be bound to them These are our own concernments and why should we give others an account of them May not we do with our own as we will And no maâ— questions such men for their doings specially so long as nothing is done but what is comely and equall But when the great and mighty God doth any thing like and disposeth of his Creatures with infinite wisdome vain men will presently question Why doth he so Let any man shew any the least unrighteousness in God or that man could not have preserved himself in that blessed estate wherein God had set him and then they say somewhat But the contrary is most certain and true viz. That Man might and should have been happy if he had not wilfully cast himself away And therefore Why doth a living man complain a man for the punishment of his sin Let us search and try our wayes and turn again unto the Lord Let us lift up our hearts with our hands unto God in the Heavens We have transgressed and rebelled and thou hast not pardoned Lam. 3.39 40 41 42. Nothing becomes us in our sinfull condition so well as such a confession Do we believe there is a God that made us and dare we question his dealings as if he punish'd us upon any account but our transgressions Surely God will not do wickedly neither will the Almighty pervert judgement Job 34.12 And v. 11. You have an Argument for it The work of a man shall be render unto him and cause every man to find according to his wayes Had man continued in his obedience or being fallen humbled himself and then God had rejected him there mighâ— have been suppos'd some occasion of complaining But it is quite otherwise For God ran after man when man had run away from him anâ— provided for his recovery to a more blessed anâ— glorious estate when he could think of nothing but a few figg leaves to cover his shame Anâ— God is still reaching out his merciful armes to lay hold on him inviting and wooing him and never refuseth any Soul that turns to him and what would men have more Obj. But if it be said I cannot in the case I am turn my self Sol. I say thou lyest in what thou sayest For to speak as it is thou art not willing to turn unto the Lord and this and nothing else will be thy condemnation in the great day of account There is a price paid and a purchase made and thou art invited to come and take possession of it But thou hadst rather abide where thou art and holdest thy sins as Sweet-meats under thy tongue and wilt not let them goe though thou hast been often told they will be the bane of thy Soul And how dar'st thou say Thou canst not turn thy self when God and thine own Heart and the World too know thou art enamour'd on thy sin and hast such a liking to it â—s thou wilt by no means be perswaded to part with it Wilt thou wilfully prosecute thy sinful designs and courses and set thine heart upon â—hine iniquity and say Thou canst not turn â—rom it For shame speak sense and talk no more so absurdly Will a man be at cost and â—ains to serve and feed his lusts and he not love â—hem And if thou love them they have thy will and when thou art willing to part with â—hem I say heartily willing the work of Conversion is done But whilst thou art not willing to part with thy lusts say as it is I will â—ot I will not Say the truth for so it is Thou hadst rather part with thy Soul for ever than part with the pleasures of sin for a season Thou delightest in thy own wayes and art one of them that say unto God Depart from us for we desire not the knowledge of thy wayes It is not with ungodly ones as they pretend For they chuse their own wayes and when they eat the fruits of them they are but filled with their own devices They first sow iniquity and then reap shame and misery When they goe down to Hell they goe where they had a mind to be They have been often and earnestly call'd upon to pity and favour their poor Souls but they would not be perswaded How many a Sinner hath parted with his life for his lusts sake And all do so as to their Souls If men would study Scripture more and search their own hearts more than they do they would soon answer their own Arguments Let me now commend â—o them one place viz. Pro. 1. from v. 20. to the end of the Chapter and let them consider what the wisdome of God judgeth concerning the wicked wayes of men And O! that meâ— would read and weigh our Saviours words Ioan. 3.19 20. This is the condemnation thaâ— light is come into the world and men loved darkdess rather than light because their deeds were evil
Christ. They must have a sign from Heaven such as Ioshuâ— shewed when the Sun stood still Ios. 10.12 Or as Esaias shewed when the Sun went backward 〈◊〉 Reg. 20.11 Or as Moses shewed when he madâ— bread to come down from Heaven And thiâ— last they mention Ioan 6.30 31. What sign shewest thou that we may see and believe theâ— Our Fathers did eat Manna as it is written He gave them bread from Heaven They must have such a demonstration as might be an evidence beyond all contradiction Alas Our Saviour knew as well as themselves nothing he could do would keep them from contradicting him 'T was only a vain and wicked pretence in them that if they could be assured he was the Messias they would forthwith believe in him But they dissembled and Christ calls them Hypocrites Luc. 12.56 And he sighed deeply in his Spirit Marc. 8.12 knowing it was their hardness and malâ—ce to make so much adoe about miracles And this he proves Luc. 12.56 Ye can discern the face of the Sky c. They were wise enough in other matters and could make observations one day what weather would be the next And therefore he pincheth them close v. 57. Yea and why even of your selves judge ye not what is right If they would but have examin'd their own Consciences and enquired there what was right and to be resolved upon in the case they need be no longer in doubt I have been the larger in this Instance because it serves to shew what Spirit they are of who are ever and anon harping upon the same string and making in a manner the same demands O! If they had but a sign from Heaven if they could once be certainly assur'd of such and such matters what would not they do They are as ready as any men alive to receive and entertain whatever shall be offer'd to them as the mind and command of God 'T is pity they should live that are otherwise minded But you must bear with them if they are not so well satisfied with some things For truly believe them he that lift they never had light clear enough as yet to convince them If these Preachers and they that pretend so much to preciseness could but shew some sign from Heaven could but give some evidence of their way such as could not be contradicted they need not compass Sea and Land to make Proselytes For they and many more would be at their devotion But all this while these men that cannot be satisfied with any Arguments can satisfie themselves in the constant practice of such abominations as the Heathens would be ashamed of and swallow down every day such foul evils as the Light of Nature and Reason have sufficiently discover'd to all Truly these men are sick of the Iews disease who expected a Messiah such as God never promis'd or intended and when the Messiah came in another way than they counted on they would none of him he was not for their turn what should they do with such a one Or what could he do for them They must have a Messiah to reign in all worldly pomp and state so as they might be a people to rule over all the Nations A poor despised fellow with a few Fishermen to attend him to be the Messiah so long expected They can never be perswadeâ— to this unless there were more cogent Arguments than he had given them Just so do â—thers fancy to themselves a way to Heaven such as God never counted upon but the way of God indeed such as Christ hath laid out in his Word and traced it himself before them a way of self-deniall and crucifying the flesh with the affections and lusts who shall perswade them that this is the way to Heaven They can never believe it unless a man come from the Dead to assure them of it And so they goe on quarreling with any thing that looks but like true Religion and Holiness and circumspect walking which Scripture makes the only way to Heaven They see no such thing in Scripture nor can those strait lac'd Preachers say enough to perswade them there 's any necessity of so much preciseness unless they could work some strange and unheard of thing to demonstrate their nice opinions And for the parts and gifts of those Preachers they know not but some others have as much learning as they and yet are not of their mind They must therefore do somewhat more than ordinary or these men will never be perswaded to their way To these men I shall say no more than that the mind of God in Scripture hath as full and uncontrollable authority as any extraordinary Revelations possibly can have and let them except what they can I 'le undertake to shew as much and more to be excepted against any way of Revelation which they would have They who are not satisfied with Scripture will be satisfied with nothing whatever some pretend or imagine And to say no more it is a most absurd and unreasonable thing for any man to expect Revelations of Gods will in an extraordinary way when he hath so fully and plainly made known all things in a way less lyable to exception than any other 'T were easie to shew how hard it would be for most men to discern true miracles from false And what a business would it be for every particular person to have a particular Revelation Besides such appearances of God would be more dreadful to poor Creatures Not to say how often the Devil might transform himself into an Angel of light Whereas Scripture is a sure word that hath been tryed and alwayes found constant and consistent with it self And for the truth of it if there were no more it may contend upon rational grounds for probability with any pretence that hath been or I think can be to the contrary And therefore to those that must have extraordinary wayes to convert them I say they are tempters of God in tying him to miracles when he hath appointed ordinary means and do in effect refuse the food that 's offer'd them looking when God will rain bread from Heaven upon them Arg. 10. THat I may yet further evidence that men want not Light but only neglect the means allowed them I give this Reason That so many make a kind of profession to be what indeed they are not and cannot abidâ— to be counted as they are and to be call'd by their own names They that are as debauch'd as any misâ—reants on earth will not abide to be so accounted yea will avouch themselves to 〈◊〉 farr otherwise He that uses deceit in bargaining upon all occasions would be thought as honest as any man alive The Adulterer waitetâ— for the twilight Job 24.15 And the Adulteress wipeth her mouth and saith I have done 〈◊〉 wickedness Pro. 30.20 Now when the vilest of men give it out and would have others believe that they are such as they should and ought to be is not this an
it lyeth when â—â—ere are so many wayes cryed up and every one is â—â—tended to be the only good way We have need of â— clue to lead us out of such a labyrinth for else 't is impossible for us to find our way Sol. This is indeed a Question worth the anâ—wering and 't will not be much beside my deâ—ign to say somewhat about it For the many various and different perswasions of men in matters of Religion are enough â—o stumble those who will be glad of any occaâ—â—on to quarrel the way of their own Salvation â—nd for their sakes I shall say what I am able â—o give them satisfaction if it may be That there are many and different perswasions 〈◊〉 men about the matters of God is that which cannot be denied But that those different perswasions ought to hinder our enquiries or are a sufficient excuse for our carelessness about the concernments of our Souls I deny and for my denial I give these following Reasons First If such differences were a ground suâ—â—â—cient to excuse us then all that went Heaveâ— way since the beginning of the World almost might plead it as well as we For what age or time can be shewed when it was otherwise Differences of Religion are indeed sad but thâ—â— are no new things Adam's Children were 〈◊〉 divided about Religion or else we had not 〈◊〉 of the Sons of God and the Daughters of men 〈◊〉 early in the World 'T is plain they all 〈◊〉 profess'd not one way or if they did they 〈◊〉 farr divided in their practices As Noah walkâ—â— with God when all flesh had corrupted his way And after the Flood were they not divided iâ— their Religions as much as in their Languageâ— Who so reads the Story recorded in Genesis may see the World was peopled with those thaâ— serv'd some one God and some another and few were they that serv'd the living and truâ— God in a right manner and yet some such therâ— were in all ages How was Israel divided abouâ— the way of worshipping God after the reâ—â— made by Ieroboam And not to be tedious in Iâ—â—stances How many Sects were there in Chrisâ— time and before Yea and presently after thâ— Gospel was published how did Sects arise anâ— swarm in every corner of the World And 〈◊〉 it hath been ever since they must be very ignâ—â—rant that do not know But what of all this God had his faithâ—ul Servants that followed him in the good old way of truth and holiness in all those times and we never read or hear of any complaints they made That there were so many opinions and perswasions as they could not tell which to follow No they did as all others ought to do apply themselves to search and enquire what way God had prescribed and seeking it in sincerity with all their hearts they found out that way wherein they found rest to their Souls For this purpose observe the resolution of Gods people as you have it Micah 4.5 Though other people pleased themselves in their superstitions and opposed themselves against them yet they resolved to stick fast to the wayes of God in his Word God indeed suffered all Nations to walk in their own wayes before Christs coming in the flesh otherwise than afterwards in that Gospel-grace was not published throughout the World equally and indifferently to the Gentiles as to the Iews And God hath since suffered men to arise in the Christian Church and teach perverse things and so there have grown many Sects and Parties in matters of Religion very different and contrary But God never left men without light to discern of things that differ and to descry the good and the right way if they had pleas'd to make use of it The Apostle faith 1 Cor. 11.19 There must be Heresies or Sects and gives a good reason for it as our Saviour saith It must needs be that offences come Mat. 18.7 Yet no man hath any cause to complain and say We cannot see which is the right way because of those Heresies and Offences God by them puts us to use our best skill and endeavours for finding out the good and the right way and by those differences makes appear who are sincere and sound at heart For such there were notwithstanding those differences and such there are and will be to the Worlds end Hence nothing can be spoken more frivolous than to say There are so many Religions a man cannot tell which to chuse It is all one as for a man to say There are so many lanes and turnings in his way to such a place as he will never think of going thither though his whole Estate be in hazard and no way to help it but by such a journey What do men when they are bound to travel but resolve to goe on and make the best enquiry they can to find out the way And so should we in this case and to be otherwise minded is a very madness 2 dly The way to Heaven is not so hard to be found if we had hearts resolved to walk in it There 's a great fallacy in the Argument which had need be discovered For in truth men deceive themselves by it whiles they consider not that their hearts are naturally at enmity with God and his wayes and because they have no mind to goe where God commands and sends them they frame an excuse and pretend there are so many wayes as 't is impossible to find the right And to speak as it is this is all the cause and here lies all the fault If men were willing to goe in Gods wayes they would never complain so much of the difficulty in finding them 'T is an easie matter to find an excuse when a man wants a good will to any thing whatever it be A Lion is in all wayes where the slothful man is to goe 3 dly And for this purpose consider farther That the way to Heaven must be discern'd and discover'd by that which is the proper mark and character of it as we find it in Scripture Now in the matters of Gods Kingdom some are more essential substantial and of greater consequence than others so as they who differ about some particulars may yet be right in the main and all in Heavens way 'T were sad indeed if every difference in a punctilio should make another way to Heaven Where are there two men in all the World that are of one mind in every thing God forbid that among the different perswasions that are about some things in the way of administring Christs Ordinances we should allow of none to be in the way to Heaven that is otherwise minded in some Particulars than we our selves are There are many roads to a great City and yet they that goe the one or the other come alike to it because all those several wayes have a tendency towards it All the question is and must be Whether the way we take be such as hath a
thy self in nothing that will serve to please the flesh This to be sure is not Heavens-way whatever it be And therefore make no more question about the many Religions that are in the World till thou art better resolved for that Religion which is plain and easie enough to be learn'd by any that hath not a wicked heart against God and all that is good Resolve once to serve Sin no more and thou wilâ— presently see the way to Heaven as plain before thee as thou knowest the way to thine own house or home AND now I shall make some Application â—f all that hath been said after I have givâ—n one Proviso to prevent a mistake that may be I have hitherto shewed How willful the wickâ—â— World is and how apt to take offence even tâ— contend with God himself about the wayes and workings of his Grace and Providence Say and do what you can or will they will not be perswaded but perhaps the more hardned Buâ— though it be so with most of the World yet beware whatever you do you give them no occasion of falling or stumbling Say not in thine heart They are such as will perish and it matters not how we carry our selves towards them if they will be offended let them be offended we cannot help it Some yea too many will be offended yet take heed of giving them the least occasion of offence For so hath the Lord commanded Levit. 19.14 Thou shalt not put a stumbling-block before the blind but shalt fear thy God Yea Deut. 27.18 There is a curse upon him that maketh the blind to wander out of the way And our Saviour denounceth a woe to him by whom the offence cometh Mat. 18.7 They are blind and out of the way but in that they deserve the rather to be the object of thy pity and prayers and endeavours to turn them from the errour of their way What knowest thou that they may not recover themselves and come to repentance Secret things belong to the Lord Deut. 29.29 That we are to labour their repentance and by all possible means to endeavour it in our capacities and relations is revealed to us as our duty and if they will perish notwithstanding we have delivered our own Souls their blood will be upon their own heads Our Saviour indeed said of some Let them alone c. Mat. 15.14 i. e. Have no regard to them trouble not your selves about them if they be offended be not you offended however because of them But he allows not his Disciples to offend them in the least If men shew themselves contentious malicious and wilfully contumacious as the Scribes and Pharisees some of them were Let them alone pass them by but yet provoke them not to be more wicked than they are True we cannot do what is our duty but some will be offended as the Scribes and Pharisees were at Christ for doing the will of him that sent him But the offence was only taken by them there was none given by him He prov'd to be by accident a stone of stumbling and a rock of offence but never offended any If we cannot do what is our duty without offence to some the fault is theirs not ours because we may not to please them offend God by disobeying his commands Some will be offended if we will not pledge them in a drunken health Let them be offended it need not trouble us If we tamely do as they do we encourage them in their debaucheries and so we offend them indeed by helping them on towards the pit of destruction Wicked men make too much hast to the Devil we need not provoke or put them forward Indeed we have need be very careful and as the Apostle Iude v. 22. adviseth To put a difference Some perhaps will rage if we will not run to the same excess of riot with them But better they rage than we by doing what they would have us to provoke Gods wrath against our own Souls A patient forbearance to do as they do and a with-drawing from them may be an effectual reproof and work upon them afterwards If there be no hope to fasten an admonition Solomon hath resolv'd the case for us Pro. 9.8 Reprove not a Scorner However comply not with him to allow of his wickedness in the least But be sure not to give any occasion of falling to such as are weak Lest thy poor Brother perish for whom Christ dyed Ro. 14.15 The Apostle was a singular Precedent for this He would eat no flesh whiles he lived rather than offend his Brother 1 Cor. 8. fin How did he yield upon occasion to avoid offence to the weak But as farr as I can remember not otherwise He yielded in those things wherein he was fully satisfied in his own conscience and judgement But how and upon what terms Never as I remember but to prevent the offence that might be taken by weak Brethren lest they might take occasion by his not yielding in some things to cast off all and turn back again with the Dogg to his vomit We do not read of his so yielding to wicked willful Sinners that would have made no other use of it than to reproach him and which is worse the Gospel too by saying He was a man of no Principles that would comply with any thing to save his skin We have a notable Instance for this in Galat. 2.3 4 5 When false Brethren went about to infringe the liberty of Christians and bring them into bondage 〈◊〉 gave no place by subjection no not for an hour For therein he had built again the things that he had destroyed and encouraged the enemies of the truth in their opposition against it Yield iâ— any thing thou canst to save a Soul to draw men on to a good liking of Gods wayes and putting them forward in them But not one hairs breadth to encourage them in their ungodliness For that 's offending them contrary to the command of Christ. And now I must call loud upon many and even conjure them to consider their wayes whereby they have given so great occcasion of offence to such as are openly and avowedly wicked O! Do not say or think Such ungodly men shew themselves what they are when they declare their sin as Sodom they are past shame and past hope Let them dye and be damn'd who can help it It may prove so that they will dye and be damn'd and nor thou nor any man else can help it because they will not help themselves But thou hast need look to it that their death and condemnation add nothing to thine account They perish for their contempt or neglect of that which they should more carefully have look'd after But what if your careless and loose walking have been the occasion of making them to think they need not be so carefull yea perhaps of slighting and setting at nought all the wayes of Gods Commandments Surely if it be so the best that can be made
in the very notion of it imports as much as hearing and understanding what the will of the Lord is Nor will the righteous Lord of all expect obedience to any will of his we â—ever heard of Sure we are that he never declared to the Sons of men any way of life but in â—he two Covenants viz. of Works before the â—all and of Grace ever since And though the means and manner of imparting to men the way of life have been various yet no man can or could ever say That God had conceal'd his mind from him that he could not know and so do it We read That there are Decrees and Counsels of God But who knows what they are besides God himself till he is pleas'd to declare them in the events of them And those events shew us only what God will do and not what we are to do 2. We shew no Faith in God otherwise than in obedience to his Commandments This is the only way of walking with God as Noah Gen. 6.9 When a man hath the Promise of God in his eye and the Commands of God in his heart and the encouragements he hath by the one lays an obligation and engagement to the other So did all those Worthies Heb. 11. who are recorded for example to all that shall come after The believing of the Promises and obedience to the Commands of God are the triall of men on Earth and that by which they shall be tried hereafter He that hath not Faith cannot forgoe what is in hand to purchase a reversion of he knoweth not what Faith alone is the ground of things hoped for c. Heb. 11 1. And so it sets a man on work to do and suffer the wills of God because it assures a man of Gods Faithfulness and All-sufficiency This obedience of Faith is that which God rewards in his Servants and nothing else This is that which as I may say takes much with God when men can pass by present enjoyments only because of his promise Who cannot forget any work or labour of love which they have shewed unto his Name 3. A man shews no Love to God in doing according to his decree and counsel because he cannot but do it whether he will or no. Now God rewards no work but the labour of love when we delight to do his will Psa. 48. and desire the knowledge of his wayes as David did Psa. 119. that we may walk in them 4. The Devil and the worst of wicked men fullfil the counsels of God in all they do and cannot do otherwise Herod and Pilate c. in crucifying Christ did nothing but what the hand and counsel of God had determined before Act. 2.23 Act. 4.28 and yet it was their sin and their condemnation too Ioseph of Arimathea is commended for a good man and a just Luc. 23.50 51. because he consented not to the counsel and deed of them who crucified Christ. The way of Gods Commandments is the only way to life and this the Devil and his followers cannot abide to walk in For the way of his Counsels they are alwayes in it and cannot go besides it even when they do their worst And indeed how should they unless we will suppose what is not to be imagin'd That God should lay by all care and looking after the affairs of the World and leave them to be managed and ordered as the Devil and his Instruments will have them To say no more of this God hath laid before us the way of Faith and Obedience or the way of Truth and Holiness and commanded it as the way that leadeth unto life and in this way alone can we find rest unto our Souls Away therefore with all disputes and questions about Gods Decreâ—s in this case as being no rule for us to walk by And look only what God hath commanded and be carefull about that and you need not fear it will be well with you for ever The whole course and tenour of Scripture speaks this if it say any thing about the things of God or the concernments of mens Souls Secondly Considering the Premises we have occasion to enquire and search diligently till we come at the root of all our sinfull mistakes and miscarriages And here I shall First admonish you of that which most are not aware of And Secondly I shall advise what is best to be done about it First Whereas there is such an aptness and inclination in all to excuse and put off all from themselves yea and to put upon God himself as much as in them lieth the sin and misery which they alone have procur'd I cannot forbear to fore-warn all of that accursed bad humour which hath no other rise or root than Ignorance and want of acquaintance with themselves This and nothing else causeth them to quarrel and pick occasions of so doing with God and his wayes of Grace and Providence and any thing but that which alone is in the fault Poor Souls ever since the old Serpent dropt his poyson into them are infected with the same disease that the Devil is sick of And what is that Even all the sinfull corruption that he contracted to himself by his rebellion against God His fall began in his pride and that pride abides upon him as our saying is As proud as the Devil Certainly Man since his fall is extreamly proud and conceited of himself though there be no cause for it and cannot abide to be thought what indeed he is And yet he is but a proud fool that thinks himself somewhat when he is indeed nothing or that which is worse And this proud fool stayes not at home but is alwayes abroad looking to what others do and living in a gross mistake of himself and all his wayes He thinks little of that inbred corruption which hath leaven'd the whole lump of his nature both in soul and body He is asleep and dreams of a good nature and of an honest heart towards God and a good desire after the things that concern his Salvation He cannot believe himself to be an enemy to God and his own Soul and that he was born so Farr be it from him he thinks to be such a one as procures and works out his own damnation and is willing to think of nothing else Yea this proud fool will be very pettish if he be told that the best part about him is enmity against God and that he hates the wayes of Gods Commandments and therein shews that he loves death But whatever he thinks and will not believe it all this is true and that which he helieves of himself is a very falsity and lye And being a fool he doth as a fool and no instruction or correction will put him out of his foolish conceits Truly in this the misery of sinfull man is great upon him viz. He never looks inward or homeward to consider how it is with him notwithstanding there are so many witnesses against him
what pittifull poor sneaking worms you will then appear to be when God shall sit on the Throne of his glory and call all Nations before him to be judged by him Now this is all the work you are a doing viz. To pinion your selves and lay upon you those everlasting chains of darkness wherewith you shall be bound and cast into the fire unquenchable Every sin you commit with greediness and will not be perswaded to lay it aside is one twist more to strengthen the cords that shall bind you fast for ever and puts more fewel to those everlasting burnings If all this do not convince you cast your eyes back and take a review of all those reasons I have formerly given to prove that you your selves only are in the fault and that God is in no respect wanting to you I shall repeat and press some of them a little further Not to say what is most certainly true that Gods decrees have left you at liberty to choose the way you have most mind to and that you are not left out as excepted persons in the Act of General pardon if you will be perswaded to receive Christ as he is offered to you and also that you have a liberty to act in order to your happiness if you would use it and not wilfully run on in your own wayes 1. Consider what equity and reason there is in all the wayes of Gods commandments specially now under the New Testament when we have that which the Apostle calls our reasonable service We need not be prompted as the Iews were to understand why they are enjoyn'd us for that they are not good because they are commanded but rather commanded because they are good And for the wayes of his Providence and Grace I would have you ask your own consciences what prerogative God challengeth to himself more than even mortal men are ready to count their due Oh! that men would but think how he can be indeed a God and not have liberty to do what he himself pleaseth Though I stand still to defend that all Gods wayes are righteousness and truth being all according to the counsel of his will and managed by infinite wisdome Yea our belief of a Deity and one absolute soveraign Lord God doth necessarily inferr a belief of all his wayes to be most holy just and good And will you not then obey and submit Oh! consider what can be said against it 2. Consider further what your own consciences say in this case and if they speak out now what sometimes you would not hear how will you be able to abide the clamours of them when there will be no way left you to bribe them or stop their mouthes as now you can make a shift to do You now find them to stir and work strongly upon occasion and therefore may presume they will one day be too hard for you and have the dominion over you I tell you those consciences of yours are Gods witnesses against your wicked wayes and your forewarnings to flee from the wrath to come so that you have no excuse upon this account 3. Ask your selves so as to answer the question seriously Why you are so impatient of sharp rebukes and sound admonitions from the Word whether by faithfull Ministers or others applyed to you Will not your own Consciences then tell you that your case is the same with those sick and wounded people who had rather dye than endure the pain of having their wounds search'd or their diseases cur'd by untoothsome medicines Yea will not your Consciences say That you might have been healed as well as others that were content to submit to the methods of cure prescrib'd them You cannot say There is no balm in Gilead there is no Physician there Why then is not your health recovered Surely for this reason and no other That when the Lord would have healed you you would not be healed 4. Ask your selves again How it comes to pass that you are alwayes wharting and quarrelling those that pretend so much to God and the wayes of his Commandments Is it indeed because they are so bad and base as you would make them Or is it not rather because they shine before you to shew you the good and the right way and you have no mind to walk in it Is not their eschewing your ungodly wayes â— check upon you that you cannot so freely take your swinge in them and therefore you hate the light of their good works because it discovers the filthiness of your beastly conversation Oh! Remember and consider they shall be your witnesses to lâ—â—ve you without excuse Yea if they were as bad as you would make them yet that will be no excuse to you who should have done what they did not your own Consciences being Judges 5. Once more Do not you accuse your selves in calling so often for such extraordinary appearances of God in providence as may convince you when you have had many such and are but the more hardned and enrag'd against God How usuall is it for men to have strange and almost miraculous rescues and recoveries or to see and observe such in others and yet 't is not easie to give many instances of Converts by occasion of such wonderful deliverances To say no more the appearances of God in this age have been as remarkable and admirable almost as in any and yet the ungodliness of men generally is most notorious notwithstanding Now what have you to say against this Shall not these be witnesses against you 6. Answer me yet in one question more Why I pray you do you so much magnifie the Sainâ—â— of old who are now in Heaven Shall not they think you be your Judges Why Sirs they were all of them holy men that led their lives on earth as becommeth Saints and they were so farr from spending their time in sinfulâ— pleasures as you do That their righteous Soulâ— were vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked 2 Pet. 2.7 8. Your Consciences wilâ— tell you that you lead a life as contrary to theirs as black is to white or darkness to light Do not you then in your applauding them witâ— your mouths and confessing them to be now Saints in Heaven judge and condemn your selves and call them to witness against you that you had light held out to you by their examples but you wilfully refus'd to walk in the way to Heaven wherein they went before you 7. I shall say no more of this after I have pos'd you with this one question more There are some of your good fellows you know it to be so that have cried out most lamentably upon their death-beds as one did once O! Call time again call time again O! What would not they have given to have recovered the time which they had mis-spent Now these will be your Judges For whatever they thought before then they were of the mind that a wise and carefull expending our time here