with such a hideous outside of apparrel camels haire course diet Luke 3. and also with the extraordinary spirit of Elia save that the people being taken at first by his guise and habit might be wrought upon the more easily by his Ministry preparing and levelling their rough and high spirits for their Lord Jesus And what other use had all those miracles wherewith the doctrine of Christ and all the preaching of the Apostles were accompanied save this that by and with them as by Tunnels the influence power and authority of truth might enter and prevaile with the mindes and consciences of the hearers ere they were aware That they being amazed and convinced by the greatnesse of those signes and effects which attended and followed the word might have no power nor spirit left in them to contradict him that spake thereby but yeeld and beleeve the truth for the workes sake The miracles themselves the healing of a leper the restoring of the lame the raising up of the dead the healing of the sicke the doing of the workes and benefiting of the persons was not the issue and intent of the worker but that the glory of that God the grace of that spirit which wrought such wonders might soke and sinke into the soules of men before and upon whose eies and persons those miracles were discovered That by this meane conversion from Idols and sinfull courses unto the living God might be effected through faith in the promise Witnesse that story of the woman of Samaria in the fourth of S. Iohn To whom the Lord Jesus did so expresse himselfe as to declare all the secrets of her heart to convince her of all the villanies that ever she had committed in all her seven husbands time and why Surely that she having her loade of heart within her might go into the City tell it her kindred and acquaintance draw them to Christ himselfe as being astonisht at his excellency and being once within his compasse might be easily pulled by his doctrine to a further pitch of grace and say Now we beleeve not because of the wordes which thou hast spoken but because we have heard him speake himselfe This should teach us a wide difference between Gods word and the writings and stories of Heathens Vse of instruct who to get themselves a name among men and to sute the eloquence of their stile either Greeke or Latine Poets and Historians have stuffed their writings with abundance of rarities and wonders for the procuring admiration of men and appetite of Readers Branch 1 curious of Novelties But alas their relations being justly suspitious Heathen stories unlike the Scripture and for the most part fabulous and vaine savoring of mans base spirit and lying invention doe as much dishonour their fidelity as they magnifie their language and skill in contriving they doe but Ape the Scriptures and steale away the minds of Students who although they may lawfully further themselves by the tongue and phrase yet ought to take heed how they bee taken too farre with them as some profane wits have beene who have not stuck to scorne some writers of Scripture in comparison of this or that Heathen writers No give all their due but reserve that preeminence of worth to the Scriptures which they deserve being as much beyond the most exact writer of Story for their Antiquity purity Majesty and authority as the Sunne is above the poorest starre in the firmament Branch 2 And secondly this observation might leave much instruction with us if we were willing to embrace it And first it might set a glasse before our eyes to behold in our nature that wofull insensiblenesse and unperceiving of holy things Rom. 8.6.7 The carnall man saith Saint Paul conceiveth not the things of God neither yet can do they are spiritually discerned by the power of another principle I say not that this course of miracles or wonderfull effects is able to overcome this stupor of our understanding no there must be a further progresse of the spirit of grace to effect that yet this externall and remote preparative may be enough to convince us what a spirit of old Adam dwels in us and what a curse lyes upon our nature for the resisting of that light of truth which was put into us in our creation And that is the losse not only of actuall light but even of disposition to apprehend the truths which are offred us for the cure of our disease Our faculty to understand is still left in us so that we are not meere blockes and beetles But in matters of God so originally are we blunted and dulled in our spirits and sences so disabled and so disguized so deeply also implunged into a life of sence and sottish sensuality that the mysteries of God are quite above us As the nature of sensible creatures in kind exceeds the vegetable and the reasonable goes beyond them so that each of them wants a faculty to reach the others object so doth the mystery of God of Christ of grace exceed the understanding of a meere reasonable creature I shall meete with a better ground of opening this point after here only let this suffice to abase us and hold us downe before God as degenerate and miserable creatures in respect of this our incapablenesse of holy things Jewes strangely insensible of Gods miracles We can cry out of the Jewes whom the Scriptures were written unto for that they were so dull and slow of heart to conceive the matters of God his workes and wayes when as yet they were beaten into every sence as it were with hammers of extraordinary and divine Prophecies Visions miracles and waies of revealing Oh! say men doubtlesse had we seene the standing up of the sea on both sides dry in the midst the returne of the waters upon the Egyptians the gushing forth of water from a Rock and the bringing in of such a number of quailes how would we have acknowledged the power and Majesty of God Had we seene the Law given by Angels with terrors and fire had we beheld with our eyes the person of Iohn a miracle without miracles and the wonders which Christ and the Apostles added to their Sermons how would we have beene ravished with them and beleeved I answer so should they have done indeed and you if you had beene in their places But alas as they did so should you have done without more grace and that appeares by this that now being under far greater convictions and a way of God as far exceeding the power of those outward signes as heaven exceeds earth yet you are as farre from conceiving and beleeving as they Thirdly it should scare and terrifie all of us who now injoy the body Vse 2 of Scripture compleate Humiliation together with all the helpes of those divine ordinances which are bestowed upon the Church of Christ both publicke and private for that notwithstanding all these the most people still remaine
to the use And first it might be instruction and admonition to such of us as goe for the forwardest Christians Use 1. of Instruct Instruction first to teach us to adore the wisedome of our God in the administration of the times in which we live in The word seemes to have done working upon the consciences of the most few are gastred by the terrors thereof few sustained by the promises few are sensible active watchfull walkers I doubt not but God hath his jewells in corners his secret ones whose hearts and waies lye close to him in these degenerate times But for the body of hearers either to bee converted or in appearance converted already strange it is what a numbe palsey what a Laodicean temper of indifference ease and selfe-love hath covered us over scarce one in a long time gastred out of his neast of forme or profanenesse and such as are keepe their consciences at such loose termes that few can discerne them to be under the Banner or authority of any Soveraigne Now what doth the Lord Surely he is faine to lay men upon the bayard and to afflict them with one yoke or other either personall or generall straights Selfe-love hath over-growne all that except God stept out of his ordinary path of speaking to doing and did cause each face to waxe pale and each hand to be on the pained plat some by poverty others by debt or imprisonment or losses or reproach or pursuite of enemies malicious tongues unreasonable men desperate unfaithfulnesse treachery and injuriousnesse of such as they live with Sure it is the word would worke but little upon us Even the wise Virgines are all fallen asleep with the rest Matth. 25. How should the Lord search us what conscience truth and sincerity lyes at the bottome Surely now if ever we should rouze our selves and say the Philistins are upon thee Samson Judges 16.22 When the power and purenesse of worship when the substance and matter of religion growes questioned when men teach professe and walke so as if any profession would serve their turne yea many such as have seemed most zealous sincere and faithfull waxe cold maintainers of disorder in their places live in contention and jealousie with the best plucke in their former hornes of forwardnesse others play the Time-servers and leave God to shift for himselfe saying now see to thine owne house David Is it not time for the Lord to come with his sharpe triall among us to search what is in us To gaster the consciences of some who were never awakened by some outward straights hardnesse to live banqueruptnesse and ruine of estate beggery and misery others by searching trialls and extremities that either they must carry their lives and states gifts and hopes in their bosomes ready to let out or else they must prostitute their consciences to sinne and treachery yes surely or else he knowes if we might be let alone we would grow to the formality softnesse security commons and fulsomenesse of others who have no sparke of grace in them But now perhaps being searcht to the quicke and put to it we dare not for shame lay our names at the stake of perpetuall reproach by giving God quite over now perhaps we will shake our selves and say shall such an one as I betray God shall I pollute his worship shall I defile that truth which I have received incorrupt from others shall I helpe to destroy Gods lawe deface the power of goodnesse sort my selfe with such as are enemies separate my selfe from my brethren No sure I wish I had looked to it sooner yet better late then never At last I will give witnesse to God to his truth honor servants Sabbaths I will no longer give aime to the religion of these times their saplesse dead and powerlesse profession my soule loathes it I long to reprove and confute all Popish Pelagian superstitious and formall religion and therefore let parts let ease let liberty preferment honor gifts outward prosperity goe where they will my darling I will not lose I will not bite off that precious stone for which I am hunted and cast it to the hounds to save my life But I am resolved through mercy to my uttermost to justifie the power of truth both in my judgement and practice Oh it is the wisedome of God to send such straights and snares among us for the discovery of hypocrites and base counterfeits and for the exercise of that secret grace in his owne which else through ease and selfe-love would rust and cankerfret Vse 2 Secondly let it teach us to lay it sadly to heart that God is so crossed of his purpose both in generall and speciall by such as abuse his judgements and terrors in the world Admonition Lay to heart the little humiliation of the land under publique straights I will more sparily touch forraine nations and Churches French Dutch or other yet let it not passe us without notice that after all these hurliburlies and havocks of warre of persecution of famines pestilences and such miseries as scarce in any age have beene heard of the hearts of those nations remaine still as secure profane contemptuous of God blasphemous drunken contentious yea in the midst of their late victories so regardlesse of Gods honor either in abandoning Papists and Popery or in setling power and purity of worship but still as desperate the Ministery as saplesse and the people as fruitlesse as ever Oh how just were it with God for these evills to turne the wheele backe and to suffer Papists and heresie to encroach againe and make their second bondage as much deeper then the former as the loines are greater then the little fingers yea as their latter evills and abuse of Gods providence have exceeded the former But to leave them and come to our selves how doe we at home generally beare off all Gods straights and pressures with head and shoulders No man laying to heart any thing but as Esay 64. saith No man seekes after the Lord nor stirres up himselfe to lay hold upon him All lick themselves whole with false tongues every man taking thought how to save one Esay 64.6.7 none understanding the Lord in his way what he should meane by his wasting us by plagues consuming our people with poverty destroying our foules with cleannesse of teeth depriving us of the lives and labours and worthy services of so many Ministers Nobles Warriours good Governours and Christian professors of his truth few consider the scope of God in these differences that are between Prince and Subject Subject and Subject Complaints are in all mens mouthes sorrowes upon all states But whereas the Lords scope is hereby rather to unite all the Nation against the common adversary to draw all to an holy consent in seeking mercie for the Church and agreement between divided parties that by a generall humiliation and preparing to meet the Lord we might prevent ruine Alas when was there more powring out of
mine eyes or bee taken lame in my hands or feet or unable to get my living or lye upon my poore husbands hand till we bee not worth a groat with a thousand such crotchets Are not these just plagues of old unbeleefe Doe not men upon their death beds cry out It is just with God thus to handle me for I never could trust him nor his word further then I saw felt and tasted him Oh God hath met with you Did he not threaten the despisers of his Law with astonishment of heart with hanging by the eye-lids an heart of heavinesse sorrow saying in the morning would God it were evening in the evening would it were morning Read Deut. 29. that roll of curses what anguish of heart fears perplexities the Lord threatens to send upon such as applauded themselves in their rotten peace and the stubbornenesse of their unbeleefe Surely we may thinke then it s juster to smite them that have abused his Gospell with spirituall penalties making a scourge of their owne cords And yet all this will not serve to drive men out of their prophanenesse and dallying with the word still they will cavill against faith and say Tush these men of the Spirit would have all men like to themselves but we cannot bee so heavenly our time is not yet come when God will it shall be and till then t is but folly for us to struggle we will doe what lies in us and put our helping hand to Gods and then hope the best Others tell the Minister they thinke it is impossible for any to know themselves happy in this life or if it be not yet it is very difficult or very unlikely Oh say they we cannot forgoe such a lust or ill custome and this faith will bereave us of all our sweet pleasures and liberties we shall never have done with it if we once beginne others come by it easilyer then we we are dull schollers poore men must doe as they may and cannot follow this learning so hard our businesse and worke hinder us and our memories are shallow we see these beleevers are as little set by among men as any a thousand of these base cavills men have But remember that these vanities will make you forsake your mercy at last Jonah 2.8 and then he that will bring you but once word to rest upon in your horrors should be as one of a thousand but then it will be too late Esay 27.11 then terrible sentences will come into your thoughts That he who made them will not save them and he who formed them will shew them no mercy And then shall that bee verefied Acts 13.40 Behold ye despisers wonder and vanish I worke a worke in your dayes which if one tell you of you will not beleeve you that wilfully stopt your eares against Gods word before shall now wish you could see the truth and beleeve it but if you would give a world for it it shall be denyed you If there bee any sparke of sense in you let this move you else you shall then catch at a word of God to comfort you but none shall be granted you So much for this first Use A second Use is Instruction to teach us the most pretious and excellent Vse 2 nature and prerogative of faith For the nature of it Instruction 1. Branch The nature of Faith is most pretious 1 Pet. 1.8 wee see this only and no other grace is allotted the soule for this end to fasten and take hold upon the Word and Promise As the Word is the only thing which beares witnesse unto us of good and his way to heaven for we see nothing as Peter speakes yet beleeve so the onely gift to cast the soule upon this word is faith And therefore it is the off-spring of God that grace which hath the birthright of all the rest and is the Reuben and strength of God such a one as if the Lord would even study how to dwell with us and in us Prov. 8.31 as wisdome saith in the Proverbs She delights to inhabit with men yea how to make us partakers of the divine nature and restore his Image in us he could not doe it by any other so excellent a grace as by this of faith Therefore Esay 57. it s called the creation of God 2 Pet. 1.2 3. I create the fruit of the lips peace if the daughter peace then much more the mother Faith its that grace which onely can say as Iob did Job 23.12 I have esteemed the words of his mouth it counts one word or promise of God as a deed done for faith is when that is done which is spoken it gives a realnesse and being to the word and promise and as you see a mould presently fashions the mettall according to it self just like it and as the seale printing upon the soft wax leaves that impression upon it which it beares it selfe even so it is with faith it fashions it selfe according to the mould of the word and beares the same stampe upon it which the seale of the word bare looke upon the one and behold the other Nay it s the instrument of the Spirit without which it workes not As Samuel said to Ishai of David send for him for wee can doe nothing till he come So till faith come into the soule to bee the organ of the Spirit to worke in us by it alas the Spirit is a stranger to our soules It s that coale from the Altar wherewith the Lord touches and inspires the soule the soule is the life of the body and faith is the soule and life of the soule causing it so much to excell it selfe as an Angel doth a man Briefly the word is a dead letter to us if faith make it not a powerfull word a word of life in us It s that which causeth out of the belly of the soule even as water from a spring to flow rivers of waters of eternall life John 7.38 even of peace through pardon and of joy unspeakable and glorious 1 Pet. 1.8 2 Pet. 1.2.3 By it as Peter saith Most great and pretious promises are given to us so that if that hand that taketh rich gifts be a pretious hand then surely so is faith which only receives the gift of Christ and all he hath and hoardeth them in the soule That Christ Eph. 3.14 may dwell in your heart by faith That you may comprehend all love even the length depth and all dimensions thereof as flesh here is able to doe as all Saints doe saith the Apostle No other grace is ordained to this end save this It was the instrument of receiving Christ into the wombe of the Virgin by which all generations should call her blessed and so it is still the same spiritually Luke 1.38 ver 48. Prov. 31.29 and therefore may say as Mary did The Almighty hath magnified me above all my fellow graces Many daughters have done well but
a servant not as a God to put confidence in and then all is well Some report of that good King of Swedes that he thought his life was but short because men did so deifie him but that was not all much more I thinke should we with Elihu tremble to give titles of God to men lest our Maker should destroy us for Esay 42. Job 31. Jam. 5. He will not give his glory to another In a word to use Saint Iames his stile you ought to take God with you saying If God will blesse it it shall heale Alas it s but a patcht remedy when it is at best howbeit it s in Gods hands to blesse or crosse it Enough of this The like counsell take we from hence touching all other earthly creatures or contentments therein Our life it selfe our strength our wealth wit experience friends parts bravery in fare dwelling retinue and any other blessing either for necessity or comfort What one is there of all these but hath in it one way as great a misery as another way an happinesse So that setting aside the sobriety of heart making it as it is pure to the pure what good is in it which in some other respect is not requited as much with an evill As that great man who threw his Diademe or Kingly wreath on the ground saying If a Subject knew what was wrapt up in it he would not stoop to take it up to have it What carking care goeth with riches A poore Cobler very merry in his songs while poore having a bagge of money cast into his puy ceased to sing At last he that threw it him in came and askt him why he was so sad all on the sudden He suspecting who it was threw him back his bagge and bid him take it for he could never bee merry with it Doe I inferre hereby that Gods blessings are to bee despised No But that God hath left a cracke in the best of them in all of them to teach poore man to Idolize none of them but to set his heart upon better things Race is not alway to the swift nor wealth to the wise nor battell to the strong Eccles 9.11 saith Eccles How many mens wealth by their sinne is given them as the bane of them that have it What prophanenesse pride boasting scorne mischiefe doe they by it How many poore mens bodies know the diseases of full diet I might bee endlesse but I cease In Gods feare look upon the wormes that breed in our Manna behold the defect the sting the penalty the vanity of the creature loath excesse in it getting having forgoing Set thine heart solidly upon perfection those dainties that have no surfet that portion which hath no sorrow with it Grace and favour of God which hath no lacke that excellent cure of faith and the new creature which is Gods cure which restores the leprous soule to such a smoothnesse as it was first created with nay much better Every gift of God is perfect Jam. 1.16 saith Iames 1.6 like himselfe Be in love with Gods remedies a quiet humble patient heart under thy afflictions which are not onely not worse then the diseases but better then prosperity it selfe such as restore the soule to such a cure as is not subject to any future decay or relapse So much for this Another thing here I observe How marvellous and soveraigne an Branch 2 effect the Lord of this water of Jorden workes by the silly creature God over-rules the silly creature to bee the instrument of working great effects The flesh of Naaman saith the Text being washt in Jorden becomes as the flesh of a little childe Not surely by any inherent quality therein by nature but by the concurrence or rather over-ruling power of Almighty God using them to be instrumentall in this kinde for the setling Naamans faith thereby as by a signe q. d. As surely as thou in obedience of faith shalt wash so surely shalt thou be cleansed Means of an unproportioned strength to effect a supernaturall effect may yet be relied upon as Gods when any direct word is given us to warrant them Learne then first by the law of contraries that all meanes used by man without a warranting word are justly to be suspected as not proceeding from God but from another principle justly permitted by God to worke for the deluding of unbeleevers who will not embrace the truth revealed All Unproportioned meanes used by men without the Word for effecting of great workes are evill and to be abhorred but detaine it in unrighteousnesse And let the colours of men be never so holy in pretence of Religion yet God is not with them As well those Exorcists of the Jewes taking upon them the dispossessing of Divels without ground Acts 19.13 As the Mayd or Pythonisse that gather Masters great gaine by her divinations Acts 16.16 was from Satan Good Witches and bad differ in colour but not in Divellishnesse Papists their exorcismes and Spelles or charmes working by words of Saint Iohns Gospel or any devout prayers Popish Miracles and cures what to bee thought of or other sentencss of Scripture because they have in them no such naturall operation to produce such effects as to heale Agues or other like diseases nor yet are determined by any expresse word of God to any such use or end are as bad as the Medicines or Charmes applied by good Witches for the cure of man or beast For why Naturall things they are not Divinely supernaturall they are not Diabolicall therefore they must needs bee Charmes and spells of good Witches to bee condemned Wee must have a word for it to enable bare dead sentences of Scripture so and so by such at such a time in such a manner to such diseased men or cattell applied to effect such a cure on Gods name else though the words be good yet the Charme is never the better but much worse Better were it and lesse sinfull for such to use prophane gracelesse words then holy to so cursed an end And although the material end be good to cure a malady yet the meanes are Divellish limitations of unlikely agents must bee warranted else their device is from man by Satan Indeed men looke so much at the apparant supposed good of things to restore things lost or the like that it tickles and withdrawes them from the suspicion of the forked hooke which lies covered under the baite Oh! say they I warrant you the Divell is a murtherer from the beginniâ—g and doth no man good but hurt But there is a white Divell like an Angell of light as well as a blacke one with horns hooâ—s and the former of the two is the more sly and dangerous The Divell spake good truthes when he confessed Christ and the Apostles that he might overthrow him by his lying witnesse and conveighes double poison hereby which else he could not For what else doth he by such wiles and tricks
five or six things pag. 579 Enlargers of promises beyond their due bounds to be reproved pag. 581 Exhortation to get the â—pirit of true grace and conversion to God 886 And such as have attained the same to stand fast therein ibid. Vrging of it upon all sorts and conditions and especially his owne congregation ibid. F. Favour of Nature in a civill person how many wayes it may be enlâ—rged As by the Lawes of men education examples of abstinent and morall persons pag. 104. 105 We must be Fools ere wee can become wise to salvation pag. 232 Faith the onely eye to behold the mysteries of salvation pag. 234 Faithfulnesse is the center whence all the graces of a servant are derived pag. 296 Faithfull servants may hee comforted 314. foure or five particulars of encouragement ibid. Faithfull ones in greater things will much more be so in smaller 427 Reasons of it ibid. Explications of the point two or three pag. 429 Faith what it is not what it is how wrought see the particulars pag. 480. It may be where assurance is not ibid. Why it is called obedience and consent pag. 486 Faith a most pretious thing in the nature of it 495. Shee hath the prerogative of all other graces of the Spirit ibid. and that in sundry respects ibid. Faith consists of two parts Selfe-renouncing and Selfe-resigning Read at â—â—rge of both ibid. Feare of God a singular meane to keep the heart close to God pag. 559 Faith in applying of promises how to be practised in our severall needs distempers 1 in the return of old guilt and accusation after mercy obtained 2. In some eclipsing of Gods gracious presence and walking darkly and deadly 3. Feare of falling into some scandall and never persevere 4. In sicknesse poverty losses and crosses enemies unfaithfull friends the prosperity of the bad 5. Not hearing of thy prayers 6. Troubles above other mens persecutions c. Feare of death pag. 584 Faith in promises and performances is a most pretious jewel and why 612 True faith is performing faith and how ibid. yea when shee is at the lowest ibid. Faith in performances must bee set on worke threewayes 1. To take measure of the promises 2. To let upon God for performance 3. To strengthen it selfe by experience 615. Contrary misery of unbeliefe Vide Vnbeliefe pag. 616 False cures have a false spirit the remedy whereof is worse then the disease pag. 864 G. Grace is free proved and discoursed and cleared 9. 10. Objections answered As first this were to translate a crâ—me upon God 2. Man hath liberty left him to receive grace or refuse 3. God will not be wanting to such as are not wanting to themselves 4. Grace is universall as the fall is 5. Else God should require obedience of man to that which hee never gave him power to doe 6. Christ the second Adam was fully and in all points contrary to the first Adam and as the offence was so is grace 7. How else shall a Minister dispence the Gospel aright 8. Else God doth unjustly in making the remedy worse then the disease or in offering it deceitfully to such as hee hath fore-barred 9. From the instance of a Prince offering pardon c. 10. The dâ—versitie in men ariseth from themselves from page 11. to page 14. God is not tied to as in outward blessings or protection 23. Nor yet in like measures of grace except we beleeve and pray 24. Nor yet in a like administration of his Church in prosperity ibid. because of her sinnes ibid. Gods courses and seasons in drawing home men are divers and manifold pag. 26 Gods will double and the difference ibid. Gods way in converting any is chiefly to subdue carnall savour to the obedience of Christ pag. 59 God useth silly instruments to doe great things or if great then either he makes them great of meane or else mean in their owne eyes pag. 67 God delights to confound great ones by small and poore things pag. 68 God is jealous of his own glory ibid. God useth mean instruments to doe his worke and why ibid. 71 Gifts and graces of themselves do no more cause pride in such as have them then ignorance causeth humility pag. 73 Godly Ministers must not onely use but also lay downe and renounce their service for God if hee shall call them to it pag. 78 Grace is best accepted by such as are most empty of it pag. 154 Gods people who have shot the gulfe of Self in conversion must also deny themselves in conversation 183. Causes why so few deny themselves for Christ ibid. Gods people must not bee ashamed or weary of sincerity because of carnall worldlings pag. 185 Godly Christians must so hate carnal reason that they also shun just aspersion of foolishnesse pag. 213 God befooles carnall reason pag. 226 God himselfe and the Word justifie policie Vide policy Grounding upon stable principles of truth necessary for each Christian 254. Good grounds must bee laid at first pag. 256 Gods people must beware of the boasting of ungrounded hypocrites pag. 260 Godly themselves so farre as led by Selfe when they are defeated rage 268. yet with difference from hypocrites ib d. Gods hearers will bee at Gods dispose for blessing pag. 273 Great men must submit their great spirits meekly to God pag. 274 God hath speciall reason to delay his work in the conversion of his pag. 282 God will never lin with his owne tiâ— he have throughly tamed their rebellion pag. 291 God stands countable to good servants pag. 295 Grace adds all qualifications to a servant 295. As first wisedome â—o behold God the authour of all relations 2. Subjection of spirit which consists of two branches 1. Selfe-deniall 2. Serviceablenesse ibid. It sets faith on worke three wayes 1. Purging out such distempers as possesse them 2. Furnisheth it with speciall gifts 3. Puts it into actual exercise pag. 301 Grace is easie to them who are bred for it pag. 363 How it is called a burden and how ease ibid. God looks that his servants should do some singular thing for him pag. 395 Gods counsels most sincere of all pag. 424 Gods faithfulnesse to us in the main things must teach us to trust him in the smaller pag. 433 God hath a season wherein at last he accomplisheth the worke of grace in his elect pag. 439 When as God is that to the soule which formerly sinne and vanity have been it 's a signe that the soule is resigned up to God pag. 500 Gods commands exceed mans in point of unlimitednesse and soveraignty pag. 524 Gods remedies are perfect but mans are crazie pag. 587 God over-rules the silly creature to worke gâ—eat effects above it selfe pag. 590 Gods performances are alway as good if not better then his promises Reasons of it 1. Because he is Iehova the being of all the promises 2. In respect of his honor 3. Whatsoever is in God is eminently so 4. For strengthning his servants
unperswaded or halfe perswaded of the truth Hebâ— 2.2.3.4 Saint Paul to the Hebrewes Cap. 2. tells us if they who despised Moses Law upon two or three witnesses were condemned what shall become of them who despise so great salvation who still distrust that truth of God which was first spoken by the Lord of heaven and earth comming in the flesh Miracles serve to convince the soule of the truth sealed thereby afterward confirmed by such as heard him by miracles and the power of the word in those who were converted So may I say here this very text of Naaman shall stand up and convince all that maintaine selfe and selfe-love carnall and corrupt reason against the truth and power of the promise yea this miracle whereby the word was strengthned with all those miracles by which any truth of Christ hath since been justified shall rise up and convince all unbeleevers I meane such as live under meanes in that day For why Though they saw none of these miracles yet hearing the word beholding the seales receiving them into all our sences I say such a word as hath beene ratified by all the wonders of the Old and New Testament serving to beare down a base heart of unbeliefe about the truth power love al-sufficiency of God if they beleeve not by all these they shall be condemned justly by that authority which they have despised yea the very frame of the Scriptures and the expressions of so many strange and admirable passages serving to raise up a base and crawling spirit to heaven if we shall be found unbeleevers in that great day of Christ shall be brought forth as a witnesse against us for our horrible insensiblenesse and stupor of minde and heart Unbeleefe of Scripture and Truth of God after so many miracles very damnable For by these the Lord hath as it were striven to engraven in our spirits as with the pen of a Diamond the truthes of God and mystery of Christ If then our soules shall be found so hard and flinty that this point hath not pierced them if wee be still unconvinced and this instrument of gold hath no more left impression upon us then if a straw or rotten sticke had beene used to write in our tables of stone oh how fearefull shall our condemnation be If any man shall step in here and demand Quest Miracles how far ceased hard to say hath God so sufficiently confirmed his truth by miracles that there shall neede no more I answer I know its the opinion of many that they are wholly ceased and that because the use of them is ceased Answ For that spirit which attends the Ministry of the word carries a conviction of the truth into the mind according to all that is in the truth Now if it be so then that spirit perswades the soule of all the truth aswell in respect of the confirmation of it by miracles as otherwise but as I stagger much about this opinion so yet I am loth to affirme that the Church hath any warrant under faith to looke for the gift of miracles to be assuredly vouchsafed her although the ends thereof may seeme very weighty Who can or dare deny but that the calling of those Americans to the knowledge of the truth may seeme a weighty occasion to expect from God the gift of miracles partly by reason of their language almost impossible to be attained except by either a miraculous or at least a marveilous gift partly because there be poore inducements to draw such imperswasible and brutish spirits to cast so much as their eyes upon any meanes to induce them to beleeve In both which respects I dare not deny but that as Satan by lying wonders prevailes much with such as perish so the Lord may vouchsafe this spirit of miracles to his Church when his time is come to effect the conversion of such Only I adde that when his time is come he will grant his Church an instinct of spirit to aske it and joyne seriously in the meanes to attaine it which else he will not incline them unto his time not being come For wee must weigh the ends of our travell into remote parts whither for our owne ends or for publique If our owne respects be chiefe we have no cause to looke for miracles But I chuse rather to leave the thing in Gods dispose Vse 4 Lastly let it exhort us both generally and specially first to sue earnestly to the Lord Jesus our Prophet Exhortation the Word of the Father and the first inditer of all Scripture Spirit of acknowledgement of God in his word is to be sought by prayer the contriver of all the passages thereof the worker of all wonders and the Author of all grace and wisedome that he would vouchsafe us the spirit of revelation and acknowledgement of him as Saint Paul speakes Ephes 1.18 That we being enlightned in our mindes may conceive aright of the true scope and intent of the Spirit in the Scriptures Branch 1. generall and that he would intimate our hearts with the purpose thereof which is that our soules might be captivated under the power and authority of the speaker That we rest not in the outside of miracles wonders parables similitudes which we heare or read but considering their aime be carried downe the streame of the thing spoken yea the power To rest in the barke of the word or of miracles Parables Similitudes is dangerous soveraignty and faithfulnesse of the speaker Not only thereby conceiving more cleerely in our mindes of the Lord his Attributes and the truths revealed but much more ravished in our affections towards him for the good things whereof we have tasted Many chuse patheticall texts histories and accidents actions and speeches of speciall note to read and please themselves in some delight to read of the building of the Temple others of the passion of Christ others other parcells of Scripture to provoke admiration and discourse even as they might read any other booke of tales and wonders some also read texts of devotion and holinesse as the Psalmes or wise sentences as the Proverbs with a morrall spirit and scope only but never muse of the severall ends of such places nor the spirit of grace therein save onely to amuse their mindes and stirre up pangs of affection But by these to come neerer to know their owne base hearts or to close with the examples of such grace to feare the judgements of God the more deepely to beleeve the promises better to subject themselves more to the commands of God and in all to see his foote-steps and to adore the speaker few attaine it Therefore let us read these texts with prayer to God for sence and savor of their meaning and scope that we may attaine the spiritualnesse of them Else we shall answer heavily to God for making the solemne and reverend truths of God an occasion to nourish and maintaine that corrupt disposition
had the proudest hearts to say we are Abrahams children and free men and never served any The cause whereof is within our wofull bosomes viz. that as we have lost our first honor of Creation so we have lost both understandings to know and wills to yeeld and bee convinced of it being like drunken slaves that dreame of liberty and make themselves merry with their owne woe Even so doe we struggle against the prerogative of God and scorne that any difference at all should be made between us and others Numb 16. Hence comes that fulsome conceit of the most that all who professe Christianity are in an equall condition to God-ward all the people of God are holy They thinke that those Ministers who put difference betweene one and other except open monsters and odious livers take too much upon them and out of singularity of spirit and factious pride doe but sow the seed of dissention betweene men and women who else would live alike in neighbourhood and amity And as for the worke of grace and conversion which indeed puts the difference either they conceit themselves to be as forward in it as the best or if they be convicted of the contrary that notwithstanding the common profession which they make with others yet they come short of them in the spirituall power and fruit of the Covenant and Word of the Seales and Sacraments oh they storme and rage as a Beare robbed of her Whelpes Judg. 18.24 Micah did not make such an out-cry after them who stole his gods as these doe after them who would rob them of their Idoll of formall profession Which in truth argueth that their hearts were never truly meekned nor subdued under this doctrine of soveraignty But let all such beware for every blow which they give to God lights upon their owne skin and they carry a blacke marke about them of such as must perish while they scorne to confesse the misery which they are fallen into and so to apply themselves to the humble seeking of that peculiar mercy in God which must if ever they be saved bring them home to him Sure it is that the winding themselves up in the common sheet of other men hoping they shall doe as well as they and abhorring to thinke that others should be better then themselves whiles yet they let others goe before them in humiliation and faith themselves rejecting the meanes of grace this pride and fulnesse of selfe conceit will sooner seale them up to hardnesse of heart and arme them with weapons of pride and envy rage and rebellion against Gods soveraignty then bring them into the least degree or step towards salvation Secondly Lie under the conviction of Soveraignty let us be exhorted to lie under the conviction of this sad Branch 2 truth that God is the Soveraigne Lord of his owne grace to do with his owne what him listeth The neglect of this duty is the meane to foster in the heart of man a roote of bitternesse and rancor against God and so of enimity treachery jealousie the high way to hell And therefore rest not till thy soule can fully accommodate her judgement to confesse this truth that grace is free and without all respect of persons To this end first consider the root of this soveraignty 1. partic Consider the root of Soveraignty I meane that infinite advantage which thou hast given the Lord by thy wilfull fall in Adam The little weighing whereof hath caused as many errors and mistakes in Religion and Divinity as any one Confesse it to be righteous with God to take the uttermost advantage against thee which the most strict justice of his can devise Admit no carnall corrupt colours of reason or cavillers against this truth but lay thine hand upon thy mouth and say Thou hast shut up all under disobedience Oh Lord most justly that thou mightst by their sinne set forth the largenesse of thy Power justice and mercy yea although thou canst not sometimes unty the knots of carnall objections comming from thy rebellious heart yet loose thy selfe in this truth of God and tremble at it saying this is a depth too deepe for me to fadom and too high for me to reach my reason is as the short arme of a poore child which cannot reach farre But whether I reach it or not I am sure there is an eternall truth in it wherein I rest And this step is a great degree towards mercy and a marke of one whom the Lord will save I meane to rest convinced and well apaid concerning this soveraigne pleasure of God A rebell hypocrite and enemy of God dare not commit himselfe to this sea he chuseth rather to creep by the shore of his owne carnall reason though it be to his owne perdition It was the speech of an Heathen man concerning a profound oration which he had heard a Philosopher make what I understood said he I admired as excellent and I beleeve also that was excellent which I understood not How much more shouldest thou bear in thy judgement such a reverend conviction of Gods matters though above thee And secondly let us rest well contented in the Lords free dispensation of the severall measures of his grace 2. Instance Be content that the Lord dispence grace in what measures he pleaseth If he please to be found of some that sought him not Esay 65.1 to make a shorter worke of it yea to intercept them ere they are aware in the midst of an evill course and to powre in mercy by large measures battering breaking and subduing them betimes and as it were all at once whereas he suffers others to goe on by the yeare and the seven yeare without working any great matter in them sensibly but suffers them to welter in their fears doubts and complaints let us not murmur but acknowledge his Soveraignty Of which more in the use following 3 Judge not God in the effects of his unlimited Soveraignty either in sinnes See also Rom. 9.17 Likewise let us not judge God in the effects of this his unlimited will I mean in the trialls commands penalties which he exercises the wicked withall for why he created them holy and accordingly may in equity trie them with strict charges though exceeding their strength to obey For he looks upon them according to that grace which they have lost not which they have So I may say touching those penalties which they incurred by their sinne they were just Had they clave to their duty 4 Or penalties of wicked but in the matter of it they had bin highly rewarded and therefore falling off in coole bloud from doing the outward act which was in their power in the midst of so many encouragements how just was their overthrow Why did the Lord inflict so heavy a plague upon all the posterity for Adams sinne Because it was a bundell of all sinne in one and if he had stood he had enjoyed all happinesse for
they will ground themselves upon the wisedome of flesh and the preaching of such as seeke with curious and quaint oratory and the deceitfulnesse of man to entangle the minde or else they care not whether they heare any or no. But oh ye wise worldings know ye that God doth usually the greatest things by meanest instruments know ye not that flesh loves it selfe and that there is small hope of doing any great things by fleshly meanes should then flesh glory in her selfe and take away the glory from God by an unsanctified and unsavoury boasting of it owne strength Surely looke to it they who build their faith on man must rush their soules to destruction of necessitie And the wisedome of God hath chosen the foolishnesse of preaching to save them that beleeve If ever yee looke for this be wise intime and become fools that ye may be truly wise to salvation 1 Cor. 1.1.27 Of which I shall speake more fully in the next use Vse 5 Lastly therefore let it be use of examination to all sorts to try themselves about this issue Examin what great things God hath wrought in them by the poore and silly meanes of his Ordinances Try whether the Lord hath by them translated you from the kingdome of Satan and darknesse to the kingdome of his deare Sonne rid you out of the thraldome of your lusts and Idols to serve the living God Thinke not that the kingdome of Christ stands in a few trickes of wit or entising words of a frothy Mounteebankes tongue thinke not that fine sentences or strong lines or a jangling wit priding it selfe in a vaine-glorious Preacher will goe for pay when Christ shall come to judge Trials and markes of our fleshly wisedome subdued Luke 18.8 The great worke which hee will look for will be faith unfained a broken spirit love out of a pure heart a new creature Therefore take some markes hereof and try your selves First the Lord by poore meanes will cast downe that frame of carnall Triall 1 wisedome in you be it never so strongly setled and convince yee of your folly in that you should ever so besot your owne selves as to thinke that the way to heaven should lye in such a course as you have walked in Oh! shall you say if ever I goe to heaven God must turne a new leafe with mee flesh and bloud a curious humorous conceit will never inherit the kingdome of God The Lord I say will discover to your eye such an excellencie in his Ordinances even when they seeme weakest to your fancie that you shall fall downe and say The Lord is in you of a truth The scales of your carnall eye shall fall off Acts 9. Revel 3. Psal 119. and you shall bee annointed with eye salve to behold wonders in those poore instruments and ordinances which you have so long despised The old judgement of error and this foolish world shall be taken away and a new Spirit of discerning shall be given you to looke off from the base out-side of man of preaching of Sacraments and you shall see a divine power and majestie therein The Asse shall not seeme so base as the rider seemes glorious and you shall strew your clothes and bowes of trees in the way of Christ crying Hosanna and magnifying God that by such poore pipes and channels conveyes so great things to men Ask your selves did you ever perceive such a worke wrought in you If not you still abide in the gall of bitternesse and are pur-blinde seeing nothing a far off Secondly the Lord will make you so farre from your disdaine that he Triall 2 will make you crouch and be glad of the silliest Minister of God in all the countrey as those Acts 2. Acts 2.37 who came trembling about those same Apostles whom in the former Chapter they had flouted and mocked as drunken with new wine and said Men and brethren what shall wee doe to be saved So shall you doe such as you have jeered for zealous men of the Spirit you shall now be glad to bee admitted to aske them what course you may take to escape hell and surely try your selves in this point if still your disesteeme of Gods Ministers continue in you you are none of those in whom GOD hath wrought any great worke in Thirdly the Lord shall correct that corrupt selfe-love and partialitie in Triall 3 you whereby the affectation of some odde Minister whom you humored covered and darkened the graces gifts of God in others lesse reputed of by you Oh! now shall the Lord purge out your private judgment and put a publicke spirit of communion of Saints into you Alas you shall see all the Ministers of Christ one as well as another to bee the mutuall aiders of your faith and furtherers of your joy given by God not for this or that man but for the good of the whole body And accordingly you shall prize them even for the graces of God in them and for the use which they serve even the worke of the Ministerie 1 Cor. 3. Ephes 4. and the edifying of the Church in love Partialitie and private ends of your own shall stinke unto as knowing that if God convert you to himselfe hee makes you members of the body which beares you up not you it Not the meannesse of the vessell shall now offend you but the rich treasure in it shall ravish you now if your souls may be saved all other respects shall vanish 4 Triall Fourthly God will teach us to deny our selves in that base ease and sloth of our spirits which satisfies us in having in hearing a Minister and the sound of his words which contents us in that wee enjoy Sabbaths Sermons and Sacraments by course in a rolling succession without observing the power and savour which any of them leave in us This commonnesse and taking all for granted upon a custome blindes us even as a cloath hung before our eye hinders the action thereof and puts it out by degrees This ordinarie accustoming of our selves to that which is obvious casts a veile over our hearts so that we never come within the holinesse of the ordinances neither mark any great worke done by them either in our selves or others And by this meanes wee are hardned by them rather then wrought upon either by humbling quickning or renewing How hath the Lord then wrought in us have we after a long sleepy and drowsie hearing and receiving at last been pulld by the eare and jogged by the Spirit to stand up and be awakened to see the wonders hidden under the veile of humane infirmitie and the povertie of the Ordinances Doe we wax wearie of formall remembring of a few sentences or commending the Preacher talking of what we heard and doe our hearts begin to burne within us when the Word is opened through the evidence of that Spirit which speakes in the Word Luke 24. Doe we feel the weight of truth uttered
never hoped or beleeved in him for that Wherein they come short And why First they never came to see themselves wholly lost and forlorne in themselves but still held some prop of their owne to support them though Christ should faile them and so never feeling need of him could never savingly and cordially make to him and apply him Secondly they never looked at a promise for it selfe but from some pangs and flashes of selfe liking the newes of Christ for the good it presented taking the word to themselves rather in a dreame and a fancy after a thing they would have then for the naked truth of the promiser Thirdly or else they were led by outward sense the credit gifts and plausiblenesse of the Preacher in whose light they rejoiced while it lasted but if the minister were once removed then as a sive out of the water so they lost all their zeale againe It bred with him and died with him Fourthly they heard without discerning of truthes taking all alike not cleaving to the doctrine as such able to ground and to settle them in peace through Christ but as good thinges in generall at randome without putting difference observing order or coherence For if another Minister came who preached his owne vagrant and ungrounded fancies they were as ready to heare him and be led away as by the former Matth. 11.19 Fiftly they looked upon the zeale of others who snatch the Kingdome with violence and thought it a disgrace for them to bee more backward and so hanging upon the common haunt and multitude never examined what inward principle led them and so when zeale grew cold and profession more dead they grew as cold and dead as others Sixtly or else having no roote in them they clave to the word in peace and prosperity of the Church but when they saw the times to frowne and trouble to come then they saw they thrust themselves further in then they had strength to winde out and so withered and brought shame upon their profession Seventhly or if they were grounded in knowledge yet not in soundnesse of heart for so soone as the divell came to recover his possession Luke 11.25 hee found them empty swept and garnished that is still tainted with old lusts world and pleasures though for a while they seemed to have forsaken them Eightly though they received the truth of Jesus yet not as the truth is in Jesus not to purge them Ephes 4.21.22 to change their base qualities to transforme them from glory to glory Ninthly if they have proceeded to some shewes of holinesse yet they have not come under the authority of the commander from the faithfulnesse of the promiser who hath made his yoke easie and his burthen light Their obedience is rather in the letter and in the easier points of the Law then the hard and craggy Matth. 11.29 1 Sam. 13. they goe not up the hill with Ionathan upon all foure but downe hill They are like dead fishes which swimme downe the streame not living ones which swimme against it in some few thinges not all with an equall exact carriage in some acts not in the bent of their spirit and the stream of their life As the springs are so is their running to themselves if they be taxed for any evills 10. Then they excuse them by infirmities and lick themselves whole by the sores of the godly not remembring that the godly have sundry defects in grace but not one as themselves maine want of grace and these they pretend not as excuses but grone under as burthens also they colour themselves by this that their sinnes are few and but small or else necessary or but secret and not breaking out whereas a sound heart knowes one sinne may be as full if it runne into one channell and may be as much delighted in and fed on as many dishes also that Gods people never fall into such a necessity as to sinne are free from such straits as to stretch conscience for ease credit wealth and outward respects and lastly Lots wife paid as deare for her contemplative sinne as for her actuall And to end they abide in their evills and recover not whereas Gods people are as a blade of good mettall which beeing bent will returne and are never well till with the needle of the diall they stand just toward the North of repentance Twelfly and lastly if they goe forward to suffer for Christ it is with much adoe and struggling against it and in such sufferings as they can licke themselves whole another way or if they be driven by necessity of shame or light to it yet rather out of compulsion then purity and goodnesse of their cause and conscience And so much bee spoken for the clearing of these three branches of Selfe-religion I conclude this last branch with admonition also that we abhorre this sufficiency of selfe-religion and righteousnesse It s the stillest streame of all yet the deepest gulfe and under pretence of drawing nearest to Christ his privy chamber becomes the greatest traitor to him I condemne not morality civility religious duties and degrees As the Towne-clarke Acts 20. said to them of Ephesus Diana is a great goddesse who denies it But we must make no uproare for her So these are good but they must make no mutiny against Christ and by a sufficiency of their owne destroy his If they come under his banner to fight for him they doe well But to erect one of their owne against his is deadly treason Therefore as marriners in danger of life by shipwracke looke not at the value of their wares nor the use of them silkes velvets corne wine tacklings of ships but how they endanger their lives so in Gods feare let us doe with selfe-religion a commodity in shew farre above morality or carnall welfare but if it equally or more endanger the ship and life of the soule cast it also with the rest overboord remember not many of these five sorts of grosse self politiques carnall wizards moralists worldlings or Pharisees get into heaven Alas they stick at the porch This sufficiency of selfe must be abhorred not in the narrow gate how then should they enter If ever God make such capable of Christ he will pare off their Camels bunch and make them of Sauls Pauls who saith of this aswell as of all the rest I counted them all as losse and as dogsmeat that I might bee found in Christ not cloathed with mine owne Phil. 3. but his righteousnesse Be wise in time lay not out their mony for no bread nor your paines for that which satisfies not empty their soules of it that Christ and his good things refined wiâ—es and fatnesse may satisfie you Let others pray to God to pardon their vices Esay 55.2 doe you beg mercy and pardon for their vertues for their religion duties and performances If the heart be brought to renounce this sufficiency it s a signe there
is a better comming in place when all is done say of thy selfe as Luther of those devotions I count my selfe no nearer heaven by them then if I had plaied the Publican all this while nay in some regard further off The Divell else will cut thy veines in this warme water and cause thee to perish insensibly Consider that to have this selfe of thine may seeme somewhat But to cast all this off and be naked and nothing can onely prepare thee for that fulnesse and sufficiency of Christ which can onely save thee Which grace the Lord grant thee Thus for a more cleare handling of this argument I have digressed from the streame of my doctrine it is now high time to returne to it againe So much for this time Let us pray for a blessing c. THE FIFTH LECTVRE continued upon the eleventh Verse VERSE XI But Naaman was wroth and said Behold I thought thus in my selfe surely he will come forth and call upon the Lord his God and strike his hand upon the place and recover the leper VERSE 12. Are not Abana and Pharfar rivers of Damascus better c. HAving in the former Lecture beloved made way to settle this maine Doctrine of close Selfe upon her bottome Returne to the maine scope of the point of mixt selfe by severing from it some kindes of self more grosse and palpable I must now taking it for granted that you remember what I have said of it already proceed to the handling of the point And lest any should thinke there is no finer spunne selfe then that I have spoken of First I will mention some branches of this roote mixing themselves with the soule in her strife after faith and as the Ivy about the bow twining about the best endeavours of the poore soule to hold it off from the promise This being done I will prove the doctrine by Scripture and reasons Thirdly I will lay downe an answer to a question for the opening of the dangerous nature of this enemy And lastly come to some use of the doctrine First of the first First then that you may perceive brethren what manner of thing this mixt selfe is Mixt selfe wherein it discovers it selfe I will name some of the chiefe instances wherein this disease discovers her selfe The which I mention without any curious order and leave them to the godly wise to consider of every one to single out his owne annoyance The first is selfe error 1. Error imagining that the Lord in his promise and offer of Christ doth not so offer him as therewithall conveying power and efficacy of perswading and inabling the soule to accept and beleeve it of it owne power thereby creating in the soule the fruit of lips Esay 57. Jam. 1.16 but rather upon some condition of our owne strength mixed with the Lords goodnesse to concur of our selves with the promise Secondly selfe-conceit 2. Self-conceit such as Naamans here was fancying a way of our owne speedier and quicker then we have warrant for to wit that if once the soule bee under a condition and prepared for Christ by sorrow desire and diligence the worke of beleeving is as present as the grinding of the corne when the upper milstone runnes upon the nether whereas faith is the stampe of the spirit which bloweth when it listeth 3. Self-preparins at his pleasure Thirdly selfe-preparations that is a taking up of a rest in the soule that if she can but attaine to these she need goe no further for these can be wrought in no other then in such as shall be saved whereas first the question is whether they be truly wrought or from selfe-love and although they proceed from the promise yet happinesse consists not in them but in the omnipotent power of God carrying the soule by them into the streame of the satisfaction of Christ the onely blood whereof is sufficient to save it by faith 4. Selfe-bondage Fourthly selfe-bondage which is when the soule is so extreamly oppressed with the reliques or returnes of slavish feare through corruption and guilt too deeply apprehended that it is dazeled and held under from beholding the free and cleare truth of the promise to set her at liberty yea if melancholy and frowardnesse of will be added hereto mixed with the ill custome to conceive so deepe enmity in God against the sinfull creature that she will hold her owne peevishly against all the light of the word or counsell and perswasion to the contrary viz. that God the offended judge is the first mover in this frame of conversion and hath cut off his plea willingly and intended the way of reconciliation himselfe The fifth is selfe-love 5. Selfe-love when the soule so lookes at the promise as an object of immediate good to herselfe and for her owne ends and welfare not subordaining her owne salvation to the glory of God and the declaration of the depth of his wisdome 1 Thes 1. and the riches of his grace that he may be admired in them that beleeve 6. Sloth The Sixt is selfe-sloth when the soule hath a wambling and fulsome aime at the promise not indeed seriously and sadly digesting the ground of Gods so free offering the inestimable jewell of Christ to her for pardon and peace called in Scripture the strength of God Esay 27.5 I meane the full appeasing of his justice by the paiment of a price nor yet with how faithfull an heart full and free grace he offereth but loosely forgetting that all is yea and amen in Christ and looking at the promise as at a thing naked and unfurnished hath a strong consolation and refuge Heb. 7. Heb. 6. penult The Seventh is selfe-treachery and doubtfulnesse whereby the soule having the generall offer of God to all under the condition 7. Treachery yet because she is not named in the word therefore doubts that in speciall she is not intended in the offer and so growes to thinke that she may separate the things which God hath joyned whereas she should rest in this That the Lord debarres no soule from grace which debarres not herselfe Esay 55.1 saying Ho every one that thirsteth come c. and the particular is included in the generall and if every poore soule should thus goe betweene barke and tree and cavill who should ever come to beleeve Eightly 8. Infidelity selfe-infidelity which is a deadly dart of Satan piercing the heart even when the fruit is comming to the birth tempting thus why art thou so bent to cleave to the word How knowest thou whether it be Gods word or no If it be how canst thou prove it If not whereupon dost thou build thy great confidence And this dart often so prevailes that all the former witnesse of the spirit touching the truth of God by many evidences seemes to be lost Ninthly selfe-cavilling 9. Cavilling when the heart is set upon excepting against the promise either from her
must needs vanish and leave the soule as low as ever they found it and so the longer and closer they are clave to the greater confusion they cause till the soule being weary of her owne pride and mixtures freely resigne it selfe as empty and nothing to the meere good pleasure perswasion and leasure of the spirit to act and effect all both preventings assistings and perfectings by his owne strength which is alway strongest when the soule lies lowest as the red earth of which Adam was formed till the Lord breathed the spirit of life into it And surely to conclude there is nothing more easie then to be deluded in the triall hereof for such is the inchantment of self in this kind that no experience of disappointing the soule by her false feelings will teach her to deny her selfe and humble her self before God except only she apply her selfe closely to the rule of the word in every steppe she takes examining from what bottome her affections and preparations proceed and finding self to be chiefe in the work instantly to suspect it and constantly to resist it beleeving that the most abiding and lasting worke of humâ—liation and preparation proceeds from the sweetnesse and freedome of a promise from a reconciled God when the heart is most desolate and helplesse in her selfe By these few the reader may perceive what I meane by this privy-selfe and by these heads hee may learne to judge of other like which are infinite Now then I proceed to prove the point that this mixt selfe when all is done will deprive the soule of mercy if it be not prevented Let the first text be that Heb. 4. ult We see they were disappointed of the entring into his rest why were not they faire for it Proofes of the point yes surely they had forsaken Egypt and come a great journey in the wildernesse But what letted them Unbeleefe And what caused that Selfe Not only their wishing to be in Egypt at their fleshpots nor yet their fornication and Idolatry But as Esay tells us they rebelled against his holy spirit Esay 63.10 Their spirituall rebellings cavillings distrust were the causes They erred in heart as the Psalmist calls it that is Psal 9.2 they entertained false conceits against him sometime they asked Can God spread a table in the wildernesse Sometime they pitied their children saying Alas We shall never see Canaan Sometime they said Numb 9. the Giants were able to eat them up there were chariots of iron Sometimes they said this was not the way God might as well have brought them the right way to Canaan as the wrong if he had meant them well They made the promise of entring easily and plaine in it self to be difficulter then it was some saying it is as high as heaven how shall we get thither can we climbe up others thus it is as deep as the nethermost earth how shall we descend thither is it possible for us to construe so hard a promise whereof we see neither sense or colour to make a worke of forty daies to be forty yeares and yet meane us well Therefore Moses tells them Deut. and Rom. 10. say not the word is far off for it is neare thee in thy mouth yea thine heart that thou mightest beleeve it The deceit of the erring hearts warped these crotchets to hold them out of Canaan and to scatter their carcasses in the wildernesse Another text is Heb. 12.15 Heb. 12.15 Let no man faile of the grace of God Let there be no bitter roote springing up in you to defile you and turne you off He had spoken before of Esau who was the first borne and sought the blessing with teares yet failed of it he came too late after it was conveied away from him too sure to Iacob why he had a bitter roote springing up in him a selfe-willed peevish heart against his brother he disdained that he should be preferred The Apostle applies it to the Hebrewes who were faire for the promise read Rom. 10.1 2 3 4 Rom. 10.1 2 3 4. 5 6. c. but yet failed and lost it the Gentiles were preferred And why there was this bitter roote of selfe in them they stood upon their conceit none were the Church save they none so righteous as they They scorned that dogs should goe to heaven before those whose righteousnesse was so precise as theirs and this conceit defiled hardned them and overthrew the righteousnesse of Christ They could never submit selfe to the word preached nor comply with it but bitterly rejected it and them who preacht it as being a new way to heaven and not that which they had learned and should they stoop to this new learning of Christ This bitternesse overthrew them So Ahaz Esay 8. Esay 8. was faire for the promise of victory insomuch as the Prophet bid him demand a signe he would not why Selfe-presumption letted him he thought he was sure enough of God if once he spake the word But the Lord looked at his owne honour and therefore gave his people a signe by a Virgin that should conceive and bring forth a sonne So that the confidence of his foolish heart which thought hee beleeved God whereas in truth he sought himselfe onely and not the glory of God Luke 4. deceived him So it is said Luke 4. the Pharisees and Elders comming to Iohns baptisme despised the counsell of God touching their salvation why because they were carried with strong self-prejudice against the way of Iohns Ministery and chose rather not to bee faved at all then that way The Galathians were faire for heaven also and ran well Gal. 3. what letted them a misprision thrust into their heads by false teachers that Pauls way and Gods way agreed not and that the old way by Ceremonies was best easiest and likeliest because agreeing with flesh and this makes Paul to feare lest he had bestowed his paines upon them in vaine Our Saviour Christs Disciples were faire for faith what letted them selfe-sloth dulnesse of heart Oh you dull and slow of heart to beleeve all which is written in the Law and Prophets concerning Christ Luke 24. in what a depth of darkenesse did it hold them Their eies were held so downe that they could not discerne the Lord Jesus when hee stood and talked with them I will but adde one or two more That yong man in the Gospell was not farre from the Kingdome what stopped him Surely he came full of himselfe and had kept the Law from his youth this he had a strong conceit of but when hee was turned out of that confidence and put into a new way of selfedeniall and selling all he went away sorrowfull not onely because he was covetous but because forestalled in opinion that his way was best and is now crossed To conclude that is a solemne text which our Saviour urges Ioh. 5. Joh. 5. How can ye beleeve when ye seeke or receive
nature of this wofull Selfe A second gound of this point is from comparison with others For Reason 2 how easie a conclusion is it to make especially selfe being the Logician I see thus many adulterers From comparison with others liers and swearers despise God and all goodnesse contemne the meanes and scorne the light because their workes are evill now I for my part am a diligent hearer of the word a countenancer of Ministers a worshipper of God in my family and perhaps more yea a renouncer of all open sins and therefore must not I needs be led by a spirit of more excellent nature then they are Surely if I had their spirit I should be led to the same evills which yet now I abhorre Nay more when these hypocrites shall not onely compare themselves with others Selfe upholds herselfe by false comparisons but with themselves and say such a one was I wont to bee a grosse cozener and oppressor a cheater a covetous wretch uncleane and base but since I have heard and professed the Gospel I have abhorred such stuffe and am not onely in mine owne opinion but in the judgement of others another man Oh I say what a shrewd argument is this for one that cannot or will not compare himself with the word and trie himselfe by the markes of a beleever to give sentence on his own side which to doe for one not converted to God how doth it overthrow all his former shewes affections and duties and hinder him from true conversion indeed A third reason may be from Satan whose pillers are pitched more Reason 3 deeply and dangerously upon selfe Satan imbarks himself more deepâ—y in selfe then in other lusts then upon any other more open offender I say upon this privy-selfe especially Grosse persons doe but little hurt no nor such open hypocrites as whose shews are openly confuted by their owne practice for why each one stoppes his nose at them and they themselves comming once to the touchstone of the word have no great colour for themselves but more easily fall in peeces and give up their weapons to the battery of the law and power of the word convincing them But it is not so here For when Satan can so delude an unsound heart by the sweetnesse of selfe as to resist the dint of the truth and harden himselfe in his pretended religion and duties against the Lord Jesus and the spirit of faith and grace hee sleepes securely in his den knowing that such an one is under locke and key and is not like by any probability to get out of so excusing and erroneous a conscience and condition for he is as ready to damne himselfe for his owne ends as for Satans and therefore is under a more deepe chaine then any other sinner is True it is Satan chuseth rather out of the excesse of his wickednesse to debaush mens consciences but if once he can be resolved by sure markes that selfe beares sway above grace which is no hard thing for him to doe who can convey himselfe so cunningly into the bent and frame of mens carriages he knowes himselfe as sure of such abiding so as of men of more prophane and odious conversation Lastly how just is it with God to give over such to the hardnesse of Reason 4 their owne hearts to detaine the truth of God in unrighteousnesse Selfe deludes dangerously by Gods just giving her over to her own way and to lurke still in their owne den of ease and selfeconceit who having cleerely conceived his will and knowing that all who gather without Christ doe but scatter and except the Lord make the soule an habitation for his spirit all our building is but in vaine a meere Babell of confusion and a Castle in the aire yet shall withdraw their heart from God in the maine worke of selfedeniall and selling all that they might buy the pearle I doubt not but there are many unsound ones who know it not but doubtlesse the number of such is few in comparison of others To him that hath shall be given but from him who hath not shall bee taken away that hee seemeth to have Matth. 25.29 And so much also may serve for Reason I come now according to my order to answer a question A Question answered How may a man discover this mischiefe in his heart Since this mixt selfe is so dangerous a mischiefe as to deprive the soul of all her labour and hopes how might a man come to some discovery of selfe that so he might the more easily be prepared to cast it out and prevent the danger of it betimes ere it be remedilesse Seeing the conceiving hereof may make much for the application of the doctrine following I will a little insist in answering the question Therefore I say that the nature of this disease may partly appeare in the degrees of it and partly in the footprints and passages of it of both a little and first of the first Answ These degrees may the better be conceived if we consider that privy selfe as I have noted is that chiefe fort and refuge which old Adam imbarkes himselfe in 1. By her degrâ—es for the avoiding of Christ and the promise according then to the degrees of this bulwarke of flesh and the danger thereof Selfe may bâ—â— perceived by 3. properties the degrees of this selfe may be I conceive then that we may refer all this secret mischiefe to these three degrees The first in selfe presuming 1. Presumption The secoâ—d in selfe fearing The third in selfe withdrawing Selfe presuming is that corruption which holds off Christ in the preparation of the Law Gospel such as these feeling of the soul to be in an utter strait and in an absolute need of Christ mourning after him desiring him and taking paines for him with the like These all if they be soundly wrought in the soule proceeding not onely from legall abasement but also Evangelicall tidings of peace by the good things which onely Christ hath purchased cannot proceed from any principle in our selves Howbeit selfelove is so prone to presume of that to bee wrought truly in us which she covets and wishes to be wrought out of a desire of her own welfare that she easily mixes her selfe with the offer and promise and not staying her full time to weigh duâ—y the nature thereof takes her owne pangs and hopes and selfeloving conceits to be true preparations Now whereas every abiding worke of grace must have a principle in it above selfe-ends and selfe-love therefore what marvell if such flashes of presumptuous selfe vanish and leave the soule as new to beginne as ever it was 2. Self-fearing A second degree is selfe fearing which may befall him who hath shot the former gulfe for it lies in another extremity and runnes as much on the left hand as the other did on the right thinking though ungroundedly that although some worke hath beene
doubtfull hearts and the Lord will not bee wanting to give you now and then such handsells of mercy as are meete to stay you and to assure you of better measures afterward But say the truth is there not within you a secret loathnesse to give up your owne bottome hopes and hold to the meere freedome of eternall mercy Or have you not kept a false measure within you that is to mixe your selves with mercy being loath to deny your selves your feelings zeale labours and devotions Have you cast these out and come under the power and authority of the Word I feare there is such a pad in the straw If there be not it is some sin against conscience which hath wasted you which must be abhorred but if it be as I have said alas poor soules then wonder not that God hath crossed you for it is for good even to fasten you to himselfe and above all meanes to acquaint you with his owne power who in the midst of these distempers of yours can forgive you can imbrace you with mercy and finde in his heart to love you even then when perhaps you could bite your tongues because you are so bad and this if you can beleeve it will carry meate in the mouth when all your own mixtures must vanish Try your selves by this marke whether the Spirit of Grace have so wildred you in the best and most pleasing waies of your own Esay 26. till he have driven you into your chambers to hide your selves there under the secret of the Almighty under that free infinite full covert of the promise till the evill be overpast Tell me brethren when you can feed and revive your spirits at this feast and warme your selves at this fire is it not high holy-day with you Finde you not a difference betweene this and your owne sparkes Bee content then resigne up your soules to this worke and say the Lord hath done you no wrong to weane you from your owne breasts that you might suck at his promises Seventhly and lastly the Spirit of Grace opposeth Selfe in all her errors and subtilties For the former Selfe is a great blinder of the eyes and causes the soule to sleep in a whole skin she doth so baffle her selfe with her owne shewes and forwardnesse that shee doubts not but her estate is good She saith with Iehu 2 Kings 9. Come and see the zeale which I have for the Lord of Hosts But the Spirit of Grace is a Spirit of discerning between errour and truth it seperates between the pretious and the vile gives clearnesse to the eyes of the simple Psal 19. causing them to judge according to the grounds of the word which cannot deceive to distrust her owne conjecturall and slight bottomes Truth is able to approve both her selfe and her contrary whereas error can comprehend neither truth nor her owne vanity And secondly she discovers those subtilties of Selfe It were endlesse to mention them by a few judge of the rest Sometime she is so slye that when her affections and duties forsake her she can recover her selfe by her whinings complaints and mutterings against her selfe as if she mourned because she attaines no better fruit of her labours Sometimes she will pretend that she desires grace really and is willing to be searched and that shee knowes not that evill which she would not gladly be rid of that she might attaine it But yet she deceives herselfe with dead wishes and will not ensue those meanes closely which tend thereto nor profit by the experience of her owne basenesse but her experience leaves her dead in the nest as it found her and she will not endure the triall nor set one foot forward to remove the stumbling-blocke of her iniquity from before her Ezek. 14. and her Idols from between her brest Therein she is as she was Againe a third subtilty is that she will spare her owne lazy skin and cut her selfe off from those more convincing ordinances and more pertinent and seasonable meanes for her owne good by putting herselfe upon such as are lawfull and good in their kinde as to avoid close attendance to reading of the word by singing of a Psalme also prayer by reading a Chapter instead of secret and private prayer she will chuse to pray with others or in family or upon a booke instead of extraordinary duties shee will content herselfe with her ordinary houres and all to shew that shee is glad to put off the Lord and save herselfe harmelesse with as small a pittance and as poore measures of spirit and courage as may be And commonly when Selfe pitches upon her course this is her property she is loose with God in the best meanes Againe she will so contrive her matters that for the shifting of some close duty of worship as meditation searching her corruptions repenting after falls or renewing covenant she will alway finde some occurrent or other duty of calling conversing with others needlesly or by some worke of mercy and duty of the second Table or any other fained pretence to rid herselfe of that which would stick to her spirit and discover her loose grounds Sometime which I would have marked when she is so hunted that she cannot shelter herselfe and is pressed to leave all for a promise she will turne presumptuous and professe that she hath cast herselfe upon that also and thereby hath put an end to all her former distempers purposing to cast about and fling out no more but settle herselfe upon the truth of God But alas this her fained cleaving to the word is nothing else save a dead relyance perhaps shee quashes her former feares and doubts But how Surely by a lazy and slothfull pretence of beleeving that she might be free from any callings upon reproofes or paines taking and delude her selfe with ease for why Come to the triall of her confidence alas it is without savor peace contentation or joy of heart saplesse barren and ventrous dissembling a selfe-deniall and calmnesse of heart but indeed a lethargy of the spirit willing to deceive herselfe No true desire to honour God in the fruit of a sound course or to purge out old distempers can appeare I say all the subtill and sly tricks of selfe-delusion the Spirit of Grace pierceth into and purgeth the soule of for looke what I have said of a few might be said of all the rest Although I deny not but many a poor soule hath some secret shreds of Selfe lying hid and unknowne yet I say the nature of the Spirit is to discover them if the soule be not wanting thereto And this be said touching the former generall head of the Spirits opposing Selfe Second generall How the Spirit of grace that it serves wholly for Grace In three things 1. In discovering the mystery of it Now for the second generall a second marke of the Spirit of Grace is That it serves wholly for Grace And that both in the
be not onely willing and well content to beare for God if we be called to it justly without thrusting our selves upon troubles but especially labour to quite our selves well in our sufferings True it is to shunne God and seeke our selves our owne ease and welfare betraying our conscience is a fearefull treachery but yet there is a further mischiefe then this to be shunned and that is be we sure that wee suffer for God and have him that knowes our hearts to beare us witnesse that setting aside humane frailty the sincere aime of our hearts in suffering is the promoting of the glory of God and the entire and tender respect we have to preserve his truth inviolable There is a white divell corrupting us in the bent and aime of our sufferings as well as a blacke to disswade us from suffering at all one Divell under two colours aimes at this either at the losse of our soules when we wickedly seeke to save our selves from suffering or the losse of the honour of our sufferings when we lose our reward through our base and hollow seeking our own selves Such as suffer in these dayes for Christ had need be well bottomed and carried upon such grounds as will beare us out and save our stake For such as suffer out of a proud presumptuous singularity of their own to be thought some body hoping they shall be able to licke themselves whole by some outward encouragements or otherwise rush upon crosses in their heate and rashnesse are like in such a world as this to meet with a wrong match of it And we have seene some examples before our eies to verifie this by wofull experience Note this experience that others may learne by their shame and harmes to beware of their selfe-heate and rashnesse The Divell getting ground and the cause of God losing exceedingly by such Merchant venturers not to speake of the shipwracke that such make of their owne peace Suffer therefore for Christ and suffer so for him that thy conscience may stand by thee for the sincerity of thine intentions and the Spirit of glory shall rest upon thee and with Stephen he whose cause thou sufferest for shall discover himselfe unto thee not onely in his allowing of thee 1 Pet. 4.14 Acts 7.55 but his crowning of thee both here with the honour of suffering and hereafter with glory for suffering as 1 Pet. 4. end and in neither respect will he suffer thee to repent or bee ashamed But I must not here in this use of addition and by consequent runne out into a common place some other fitter occasion will offer it selfe for this purpose Thus much shall serve for the whole exhortation and so for the whole doctrine of Selfe so farre as the Lord hath given grace Now what shall I say brethren for conclusion but presse us all to seeke God who suffers not his raines and dew to returne in vain Esay 55.9 but to fructifie his truth in the hearts of his owne people that he would not withdraw his blessing from this doctrine which wee have at large insisted on in this and the former Sermon Let us pray that with Pauls planting and Apollo's watering God would give encrease THE SEVENTH LECTVRE upon the words following in the twelfth Verse VERSE XII VERSE 12. Are not Abana and Pharfar rivers of Damascus better then all the waters of Israel may I not wash in them and be cleane So he went away in a rage c. VERS 13. Then his servants came neere and spake unto him and said Father if the Prophet had sayd some great thing c. 2 Kings IN the former verse beloved in the Lord wee have examined the ground of Naamans distaste of the Prophets message and that was as wee have shewed a prejudice or pre-conceit of a way of his owne devising The clear ng of the coherence sense of this verse without bottome or ground of truth Touching the which as we noted whence it came even from the root of Selfe so we raised a generall ground of doctrine from it and have said what God hath suggested unto our thoughts concerning the reasons openings and severall uses of it repeating nothing thereof let us come forward to this twelfth verse For although the holy Ghost doth omit sundry passages of this story as the thing was carried yet hee will not have us ignorant of any materiall thing which might profit us And therefore here he relates the amplification of Naamans distaste from a second allegation of his and that is from a supply of Selfe by carnall reason No two friends in the world are so ready to succour each other at a pinch as carnall reason is at hand to succour Self The more is said the worse the disease rankles but yet that which sound reason cannot make good lo carnall reason must be faine to supply A poore help I grant but a poore one is better then none with a corrupt heart If the former answer and bottome of his distaste had been as good as it was large he had not now needed to have multiplied so many words as he doth but being crazie in them hee must make that good with words which wants substance and therefore hee now comes in with an argument of another kinde to stiffen himselfe in his former conceit drawne from the nature of the message it selfe to wit that it was unlikely ridiculous and in truth upon point impossible And therefore he did well to turne away and be angry as he was The words come to thus much as if he had said How he baâ—keth one evill with another There was cause enough to reject the Prophets answer because it crosseth mine expectation my thoughts were farre otherwise then his message I looked hee would have come himselfe and dispatcht it therefore I had reason enough before to recoile from his answer But now put case my conceit be ungrounded and I my selfe faulty therefore yet let me but examine the message it selfe as it lies and there is great cause to distaste it in that regard also For why What sense or reason is there in it Forsooth he bids me goe wash in Jordan And what likelihood is there that Jordan should heale leprosie When was it ever heard of till now What need Israel have one Leper in it if Jordan will heale him And sure I am if waters were able to doe it then much more would better waters doe it Wee have two famous rivers in Damascus Abana and Pharfar by name farre purer streames and in repute better waters then either Jordan or any other waters of Israel whatsoever And if they never healed a Leper much lesse I trow can Jordan This being thus who should blame me for rejecting this message Yea for distemper and anger Can flesh and bloud endure to be sent for to a Prophet and to be thus mocked I conclude therefore his meaning is nothing lesse then to cure my disease he doth but try
heare that cleaving to a promise should be of greater account with God or the deniall of our owne best duties and devotions then outward reall forbearances of sin abstinence from liberties or services of Religion carnall reason saith so much as thou esteemest thy selfe others will Seventhly let us see what carnall liberty judges of lawfull liberties Instance 7 Surely thus She puts no difference betweene the one and the other Lawfull liberties thinking all to be lawfull to them at all times in any measure with any circumstances without respect of offence or expediency nay rather such liberties games pastimes they count lawfull as their carnall sway leads them to except some great let hinder them they looke neither at rules nor ends but thinke all serve for mans content and can goe as well from one as other to their devotions sobriety and mediocrity they regard not And lastly for their common converse with men in buying selling Instance 8 Conversation with men eating drinking and other passages of life and conversation carnall reason either thinkes them quite besides the bounds of Religion at all or else goeth to worke by no rule in them but conceives in these each man left to himselfe without any controll their tongues their passions their trades and all their civill dealings they count arbitrary matters and so that they be not debauched in any notorious kinde as in oppressing wronging or foule excesses they suppose it is free for every man to get what he can to shift for himselfe and to seeke for the best gaine who shall be jolliest bravest and live at the best tearmes for the flesh This be spoken for the first generall to shew what this taint of carnall reason is how bad and incompetent a judge it is in Gods matters forestalling the soule from cleaving to his truthes As the oile in the hand cannot be hidden so it is easie to discover the nature and behaviour of this humor as she told Peter so I may say to every rationall and carnall man thy very speech thy garbe and outside bewray thee what thou art Matth 26.73 for thou wilt have one finger in each of Gods dishes his word sacraments or whatsover I come now to the second generall Proofes of the doctrine to prove the point by some texts both of truth and examples and then by reasons For the former note that 1 Cor. 2.14 The carnall man savors not the things of God for they are spiritually discerned Such as the man is such is his reason And againe The wisdome of the flesh is enmity with God It is not subject to Gods matters neither indeed can bee They that are after the flesh minde the things of it And to be carnally minded is death and so many more might be added So for examples the Scripture is full of them both of grosser and finer spunne stuffe in this kinde When our Saviour Ioh. 3.5 â— discoursed to Nicodemus of being borne againe what said he Shall a man then goe againe into his mothers wombe and be born a second time And yet what a great Doctor of Israel was he His great Mastership could read no lecture against carnall reason So againe read the example of the people which came to chuse Saul King 1 Sam. 10.27 when they saw what he was for meane breed and parentage the text tells us they despised him Shall such an one reigne over us Can hee save us So the Prince whose arme the King leaned on when he heard the promise of God that within one day the famine should be turned to plenty made this answer If there were windowes made in heaven could this be 2 King 7.3.4 I will never beleeve it It repugnes to sense and the present state of things So those Jewes who saw and heard our Saviour preach and doe miracles despised him Shall this man save us When the Messia comes no man shall know whence he is But as for this man we know him and whence he is Joh. 7.27 a poore man Ioseph and Maries sonne of no breed training or outward glee to the world-ward So those false teachers of whom Paul writes in all his Epistles were carnall ones and led by the reason of the flesh despised Paul for his meane preaching without eloquence 2 Cor. 4. 5 chap. and for his meane presence and person being as it seemes to outward appearance of no great stature nor glorious utterance And those Corinthians although not so deeply tainted yet had a dregge of this poyson when they esteemed of Preachers according to the fancie of the man 1. Cor. 3.4 some would cleave to Paul some to Cephas some to Apollo some to others as their humour led them Who cannot by these examples perceive what an ill judge carnall reason is in cleaving to the truths of the word As Naaman here was held from Gods purpose to heale him by his Abana and Pharfar so each of these examples were hindred from embracing one truth or other by the obstacle of their owne reason Nay the Scripture rests not here alone but brings in the Saints themselves with infamy for their being fore-stalled against the truth hereby Moses is taxed for distrusting God at the waters of Meriba See Texts before Gideon for cavilling against the Angels message Samuel for inclining to Eliab Sara for laughing which I named before all of them being letted by this enemy from cleaving to the truth because they felt nothing within to favour it carnall reason foisting in this cavill Tush What likelihood or proportion is there between this truth and thee Thou give sucke and bee a Nurse at ninety yeares old and so of the rest So much for proofes Reason 1 Reasons follow First the soul is stript and bereft by the sin of Adam from that holy purity of Reason Soule bereft of the puritie of reason in her first creation whereby it could conceive digest and understand the matters of God as their proper object without mistake or errours as the eye or eare can discerne colours or sounds This holy power of created nature is now turned to a meere privation sinking paper being as able to containe the distinct impression of the letters written thereon as corrupt reason can distinguish or discerne the stampe or notions of holy things It cannot reach them for it faileth as the short arme of an infant cannot reach a thing above it it cannot retain them for it vanisheth in them as sense doth in dreaming They are above the capacity of the soule as she is even as Hebrew is above the reach of an ideot no man wonders that he rejects it with indignation as exceeding his faculty Gods matters are reached by a superiour power to that which a naturall man hath as a tale told is reacht by a faculty above that which the beast hath The substance of the understanding is as it was but the excellencie of her faculty is lost Reason 2 Reas 2.
walkes plainly in his course and deales faithfully in reproofe of evill shall at last have more peace in death and be more honoured then all crangling and worldly wise braines who have so many wayes to the wood The fox and the cat were talking of their tricks but when the hounds came the cat knew one thing worth all the foxes skill for she leapt upon the tree and was safe when the other was torne in peeces Death or the crosse will try us who hath best skill either the subtill or the simple As he once said to the Crabfish which he had alway observed to goe backward and to gather up her joynts when she was dead and lay open and spread abroad Oh so you should have lived So say I to you to such as one day shall wish plainnesse Oh you should have loved it all your life Doe so still it is never too late to amend if your hearts be not hardened Oh! turne your swords into mattocks and such of ye as have delighted to bee perillous and shrewd fellowes affect plainnesse fly with Doves as birds of that feather let the little child play at the hole of the aspe Call not in question the truth of your Religion affect not darke close and doubtfull carriages but be as little children void of guile And so doing as Peter saith 1 Epist Chap. 2.1 casting off all guile and falshood come and welcome as new borne ones to covet the milke of the word It would never trouble me then to preach to you but now I feare you defile the truth or your selves rather with that you heare An eminent patterne There comes a thing to my minde really done of which I will tell you Once a simple minded traveller upon a poore horse was overtaken by two or three swaggerers well mounted who asked him whither he would and how farre hee went that day He told them to such a place twenty or thirty mile off and he hoped to reach it if God let him not They scorning him and his poore horse pransed away having a journey also to goe but at next Alehouse or Taverne they stayed an houre or two upon their tobacco and wine and having so done to their geldings they went and put hard on by that time the poore man was gotten a good way forward keeping still his plaine course and race and being againe overtaken was againe mocked by these gallants but in fine so it fell out that their oft turnings into the Taverne at each five miles end spent their day and kept them from their journeyes end whereas the poore mans eaven and honest pace overtooke them and cast them behinde Walke plainly and hold on with simplicity and that shall bring you safer home then all the flourishings of carnall men though now and then at a start they may seeme to outstrip you So much for this second branch of the Admonition A third caveat may serve from hence Admonition Gods people must so shun carnall reason as yet not incurring the just aspersion of folly to teach Gods people to shun Branch 3 the contrary extremity of foolishnesse and indiscretion in all their course and conversation True it is carnall reason and fleshly wisdome is an excesse and overflow yet want of wisdome prevention activenesse and dexterity in managing our affaires is another extreame in the defect and to be avoided as prejudiciall to the repute of the godly dishonourable to God and occasioning base scorners to cast aspersion upon Religion as if none but fooles were so precise All that feare God therefore doe not under colour of abhorring carnall reason abandon reason and all from your attempts Wisdome makes the face of a man to shine Proverb and makes a man to stand before his betters Proverb however it is the counsell of the wise man establish thy thoughts by counsell and by counsell make way And Saint Paul saith Be not slothfull in businesse Rom. 12. Some men are like those who bend crooked sticks they cannot mend one extreame save by bowing the stick to a quite contrary bent till they breake it Some to avoid one rocke of sensuall and worldly reason rush upon another rocke of rash incogitancy and precipice running headlong about their matters Act. 20. end Right reason may be kept as the Townclarke told them of Ephesus though carnall be abhorred which is but the dregs and lees of the other God hath not for nothing planted understanding in the minde of man to bee as the Pilot to steere the motion and course of our ship through this vast sea-faring life of ours and therefore he will have all his to ponder their way and tells us Proverb That the eies of a wise man are in his head as the fooles are in his heeles And therefore as in divine especially so in humane matters also it becomes a Christian to walke as exactly as wise not as fooles It is the part of a wise man to thinke thus Ephes 5.17 I make conscience of contention and quarrells goings to law Therefore to prevent ill report reproach losse and repenting too late it behooves me to goe wiseliest to worke of all Wranglers and leud ones if they have overshot themselves will helpe themselves many waies but a Christian must forfeit and lose that which by discretion he prevents not Therefore deale and binde sure if thou wilt finde sure leave not bargaines doubtfully and rawly require bills or bonds in matters of weight take not things upon trust mens bare words and promises saying neighbour you and I shall agree take it or let me have it But take witnesse Jer. 32.10 rest not upon bare meanings and forgotten covenants which breed many differences in the upshot unwelcomely and sutes needlesse and unkinde There is I confesse diversity between men religious and carnall Sundry instances of folly in the dealings of Christians but let not that forestall discretion I have dealt saith one for so much with my friend without script scroll and I hope now we shall not disagree yes it comes in a day which falls not out in seven yeare againe and death may cause as great difference betweene the best as the worst Abraham would not take Ephrons shuffling words Gen. 23 15.16 What is that between me and thee But weighed him out the silver and tooke witnesse And David when Arauna would have given him his floore would not so slightly goe to worke 2 Sam. 24.24 but paid him his price Oh! it is not the speech of wise men but fooles to say I had thought thus and thus or I thought not of this or that Did ye not Why did ye not that in time which after will bee too late to redresse What a shame is it for a Christian who must judge the earth 1 Cor. 6.2 not to be able to manage his owne businesse Not to stoppe a breach with the cost of a shilling which after may prove a ruine
flattery of superiors Oh! there is a slavishnesse in some mens spirits that so they may bee taken up with their betters they will forfeit their Religion they will lose God rather then the company and countenance of the great An eight is base ease and formality Ease and formality of profession it is an Idoll universally received and spit out of the mouth of carnall reason the Masse as we say bites not A ninth is pollicy Equivocation when men equivocate with their owne conscience for their safety sake as those in Queene Maries time who would come to Masse to spare their skin and now adayes what dare not men doe to save a living Here perhaps it might be expected that I should say somewhat about Jesuiticall equivocations But if men of their owne side might be heard speake against them Papists against Papist I need say nothing Josephus Bâ—rnes for sundry of them have written in the open disclaiming of such villany It is sufficient Mâ—lderus Episcopus Antwerp that in such equivocations the heart thinkes one thing by reservation and speakes another and that to deceive What is lying if this be not And whereas they say that is for lawfull evasion I answer it is indeed for evasion but that which is by a lying way cannot be lawfull A Papist is asked art thou a Priest He answers no hee reserves this not a Priest of Baal or not a Priest to utter it to thee herein is a lye both for matter and manner for matter in that he utters for manner in that he means that is to deceive They object the whole proposition made both of the expression and suppression is true I answer That only which is expressed is the proposition which is a lye not that which is concealed if that were uttered the whole were true but so there were no cosenage To thinke a truth which in word they gainsay is a lye A lye properly respects another by declaring his minde by words which serve to that end no man is said to ly to himselfe but to another If I should say the fire is not hot meaning by an heate externall or a man is no reasonable creature meaning as an Angel are not here lyes Hee that denies denies whatsoever is contained under the sense of that he denies He therefore that so answers and sweares is perjured and so all sound Divines affirm Let what tricks be used that can be God takes the oath not as he intends it who makes it but as he who takes it oaths must go according to the common use of men To sweare is to call God as witnesse in things doubtfull but who doubts whether a Priest be a Priest of Apollo Truth is an act of righteousnesse not to be esteemed by conceits but words See Jerem. 9.8 2 Cor. 4.2 It is objected they maintaine not such answers alway but for uses to shunne danger death c. I answer that which is nought must never be done He that saith I saw not such a Priest reserving in his minde at Rome or Venice doth not qualifie his lye because he doth it to himselfe onely another cannot apprehend his mixture or limitation Such therefore are of Saint Iames his double minded ones It is objected that which is concealed is but onely a desperate thing not contrary to that which is uttered I answer yet it is a lye for if I affirme that of Plato which is only true of Socrates it is a lye yea this is a double lye because it is under the colour of simplicity Againe an oath is the end of all strife Heb. 6.16 But by these oaths controversies are never ended but endlesly multiplied they object the judge is incompetent or they are asked of things under the seale and secret of confession but then we must not lye but shunne such a judge or deny to answer for what is so false but may be made good if we may reserve what we list A written lye borrowes no truth from him that reads it nor a spoken lye by him that heares it a lye it is because it is so in the writer and speaker Truth must be to us as David was to his souldiers worth tenne thousand of them so worth our life goods liberty and all The speech of a woman I will not therefore deny a truth lest I should die but I will not lye lest I be damned Tell me what lawes could bridle lyers if this course were lawfull How foolish were the Martyrs who lost their life for want of this trick Whose testimony should be currant in Court These equivocators object the lies of the midwives Abraham David Rahab c. But one sinne excuses not another When 1 Sam. 16. the Prophet said he came to sacrifice he was not asked the question he spake the truth but not all neither needed he Christ seemed willing to goe further but did not and why Because he was disswaded by others Other examples which they bring are not words which require a reservation to cleare them from a lye but have an entire truth in them being aright understood The conclusion is the trade of equivocation is divellish Ambition A tenth is affectation of honour and preferment for which it is easie to lose a good conscience hee that can lose a little pompe may purchase a great deale of peace So also to end schisme and singularity these and such like Schisme and singularity are oyle to this flame of this corruption cut these off intercept these succours and through mercy this carnall reason may be starved and vanish for lack of nourishment and fewell But I insist no longer let this serve for the fourth branch and so for the whole use of Admonition A fourth use may be confutation of Popery It is a meer dunghill raked Vse 3 together by carnall reason Confutation of Popery All the world itcheth to goe after them Those that fear God should say as Peter answered Christ Joh. 6. Will ye Instance 1 also goe after them No Lord thou hast the words of eternall life Alas men are weary of spirituall worship when they have carnall The Divell and his eldest sonne know well the complexions of carnall people and when the Gospel hath beene preached twenty yeare together yet people will long after the garlick and onions of old Religion and carnall reason with her taile sweepes downe a great part of the starres of heaven we doe but gugge and tire most men with our preaching of selfe-deniall and faith Alas one carnall Popish fellow would draw more after him then tenne Preachers As one saith The Divell never shed drop of bloud for us yet he boasteth that he can have ten to one more at his beck then Christ Popish Embassadours have puld away abundance of London professors to their Masse they stablish their throne upon these two pillars of pompe and devotion both carnall and by their Circe her cup have made drunken the Princes Peeres people of
an outward manner Surely hee would declare from heaven who are for him and who against him Carnall reason wishes old waies in stead of a promise His enemies should not flourish and have their wills as they have Goates should not trample upon sheep surely he would judge the world in equity not suffer things to be so darkely carried Indeed we have the word and his promises sounding in our eares and his threats but he followes them not really with blessing the godly nor destroying the wicked Oh! those were happy times when the high Priests Ephod answered cases when God spake with voice and by miracles visions and Prophets This scurfe is lodged in our bosomes and we little ponder that Heb. 1.1 that now God speaketh by his sonne as if he should say this manner of his revealing himselfe exceeds all other to a beleeving soule Faith can make a reall presence though no carnall both in sacrament and in word preached and in crosses and in the most hidden administrations of God in the Church But it is this cursed carnall reason which darkens all and causes every object to be like the glasse through which we behold it To returne therefore if thou have beene a man given to thine appetite put thy knife henceforth to thy throate and stand not to defend or maintaine it against the Lord Bestow no more wit to cavill but fight against thy infidelity Sarah laughed behinde the doore at the message of the Angel but she was ashamed of it Heb. 11. she is said by faith to conceive seed she had cast out carnall reason ere she could breed by the promise If thou see a difficulty in the promise which thou canst not match yet turne thy struggling against thy self and give glory to God in shaming thy self that so thou maiest give him more in beleeving Oh what should it boot me to heare men say I have as morall a people as any are except it may be added as spirituall also what joy can be morall and carnall civility and rationall Religion may well agree truly this taint is deeply festred into most of us You of this congregation looke to it No congregation for this fifty years hath been so beaten and staved off from carnall reason a life of sense and unbeleefe as this and therefore looke to it Satan will more rejoyce in your flesh then in any other if he can rule in you by the scepter of carnall reason as truly he doth in most of us Oh! how will he crow upon his dunghill and exalt himselfe above the truth of God so long preached Give over this strong hold forsake and surrender this castle for God sticke no longer to it say thus If I cannot beleeve as I would yet I will set my marke upon Gods word I will honor such as can Gods truth ceases not to be faithfull because I am unbeleeving God keepe me from being unfaithfull that it may be true to me Alas if God spake never so really from heaven what were it without faith Joh. 21. And when Thomas put his finger into Christs sides what had he gained by it if still unfaithfull God hath made himselfe cleare to me by more expressions then to many I have had more patience deliverances blessings redemptions then many I have touched and tasted the Lord and groped him with hands and yet unbeleefe hath made all unsavoury So that I see it must be faith and not carnall reason which must prevaile For then Israel in the wildernesse had never beene barred from Canaan by unbelefe Oh therefore I am weary of this wofull enemy I could put tenne cavillers to silence ere I could set carnall reason at a non-plus she hath a fountaine within her springing up to death and is never weary But Oh Lord pardon what is past and through mercy for the time to come I shall turne a new leafe Oh! that I could nay the Lord prevaile but thus farre with you I dare not leave you here But Oh! that you who are not come so farre as this might at least attaine this Branch 2 Secondly therefore let me draw ye one steppe further and that is to be a foole in thy selfe Exhortation We must bee Gods fooles ere we be wise to salvation that thou maist be made wise The sunne never riseth but ye shall perceive a dimnesse and blacknesse cast upon the aire though the moone and starres shine never so brightly before So where the light of divine wisdome approacheth it causeth all the wisdome of flesh to vanish as smoke before it And this the Lord of purpose effects in all whom he converts as he rehe did to Naaman He will make all flesh to be as grasse and all the beauty of it as stubble that he may shine onely in the soule and that the Kingdome may be the Lords It is I confesse as ridiculous to us Joh. 3.5 as that a man should enter againe into his mothers wombe But such a change must there be the fruit in the wombe undergoeth not more alteration ere it see the light then carnall reason must doe ere the soule be begotten to God It must be with it as with a scholar that would learne a poore trade he must lay downe all his learning and stoop to be an idiot in that science till he be taught it It must even be as the Jesuits novice is to his superior whatsoever he teaches him or enjoynes him be it never so repugnant hee must submit he must have no understanding cavills or objections against it but freely suffer himselfe to be led into the streame of authority and captivate all feares unlikelyhood dangers to the blinde obedience of governours he must say the Crow is white and the Swan blacke yea even suffer his senses and braines to be knockt out that he may be a true novice a wise Catholicke no Jesuit will else have to doe with him if he say not yea to his assertions and nay to his denialls if he be not ready in all things to assent This I affirme of them as most unnaturall for Religion expells not reason but rectifies the carnality of it but yet in a sort the Lord requires no lesse in point of carnality then they doe in point of reason it selfe The Lord will triumph over it and say where is the Scribe The wise man 1 Cor. 1.15 He will cause this wisdome to become very madnesse ere ever he commit the seed of true wisdome to it and the soul hearing principles of Christ and faith must chaine up cavilling and thrust her eies into Gods bosome professing to know nothing in any mystery of Religion save that which truth reveales and having as Ionathan by his honey received sight Psal 73.15 he must cry out Oh foole that I was Oh beast in thy sight Oh Lord Oh now I appeare a very foole to my selfe and perceive that darkenesse cannot comprehend it selfe till a light of God be held
into the dungeon and then it falls downe as Saul with that light which shone about him Act. 9. and saith what wilt thou have me to doe I am as thou wilt have me 1 Sam. 3. my wisdome my wit shall be thine speake Lord and thy servant heareth he that formerly should have perswaded me of this might as easily have forced me to say it is light at midnight But Lord now I am a foole in my selfe meerly empty of mine owne sense and wholly thine addicted to sweare to thine edicts and if thou sâ—â—ak the word I lay hand upon mouth and have done This is to be as a little child whom ye may winne to say what ye list Oh! this is the next way to make thee wise to salvation This is to be unto Gods wisdome as the Queene of Sheba was to Salomons even to have no spirit left in her Oh! thou must say with David My fingers shall forget to play and lose all cunning Thirdly thou must so be stript of all thine owne Word of truth must cast the seed of God into the soule when once emptied of her selfe as yet thou must Branch 3 not be a meere void and empty one of all other wisdome But the word of truth must be shed as seed into thy soule and the principles thereof must be infused into it to informe it and to create of nothing a new nature of divine light into it I say as they spake in Act. 23.7 If an Angell from heaven have revealed any thing from heaven to him we will not gainesay it These words the Pharisees used of set purpose to oppose the Sadduces who denyed Angels and souls of men So must thou That which hath beene most contrary to thy wisdome must now bee all in all Now thou must oppose thy selfe thus If God have revealed any truth of his from heaven I will sooner cast thee out then resist it Be thou as parties who put their matters to compromise They are first bound in bonds to stand to award So doe thou binde thy carnall reason as a dogge to the stake that it stirre not a foote nor once mute while God is speaking yea doe thus with gladnesse as poore men are glad to be bound to arbitrement because they desire an end So thou because thou desirest to be savingly wise be glad there is such a word of truth shining in a darke place and open all windows to let it in do not stop any crevis of light which might enter but greedily attend study meditate in this word till the Lord thereby have let it into those darke corners of the heart that was before in the shadow of death and till the truth doe incorporate with thine understanding and cause the scales of darkenesse to fall off as Pauls did that thou maiest see cleerely those things that concerne thy peace All the fogs mists and cavills of carnall reason being scattered Oh! let her interrupt the Lord as she will yet the soule knowes whither to goe for deciding the question she will not forfeit her bond by which shee is bound to stand to the last decision of the word Fourthly get the spirit of the Lord Jesus into thy soule The fourth The Spirit of the Lord Jesus must create holy wisdome in the soule Joh. 1.18 who is the active worker of true and sanctified wisdome in the renued soule According as the Apostle tells us He is made unto us of the Father wisedome c. He enlightens every one that comes into the world with true light being that light which the soule must come by to the Father whose light cannot else be approached By the flesh of the Lord Jesus the soule is made capable of this light of the word else there is no capablenesse And the Spirit of the Lord Jesus workes the soule into this light because it reveales him unto it in the mystery of reconciliation and forgivenesse For why Till the soule be made wise to salvation all her wisdome is only in the brain will not hold The Spirit of Christ therefore lets into the heart as well as the head of the beleever this light and conveies the goodnesse warmth and sweet of it into the soule and that it is which causes it to dwell in the soule and to be an immortall and unâ—â— caying light which shall abide to eternall life till the soule see light in Gods light else the light of the Hypocrite is but a violent and dim twilight caused rather by a necessity of conviction then a powerfull perswasion Therefore apply thy selfe especially to such helpes as may bring Christ into thy soule The sight of his salvation to thy soule is the quintessence of spirituall wisdome this will cause thee to grow in all light when once thou art enlightned in the mystery of acknowledging Christ to be thy Saviour Ephe. 1.18 For why This will teach thee that Christ is all godlinesse in a mystery all the whole truth of God is lapped up in him as his infants body was lapped up in cloaths and swath-bands Else all knowledge is but a guessing and conjecturall thing count it then thy chiefe wisdome to be wise in escaping the snares of death and in beleeving unto salvation Oh! who shall bring me where I shall heare a Sermon of Christ to pardon me to reconcile me to God! If faith in the Lord Jesus once turne thy stream and carry thee with a fuller sway to heaven then all thy worldly wit carried thee before to thy cavills and objections there is hope thou hast well quitted thy selfe of carnall reason Faith the true eye to behold the mysteries of salvation Fifthly looke with the eye of faith into all the mysteries of godlinesse to beare downe carnall reason No mystery can be understood without faith The Spirit of God workes faith first as that instrument whereby the soule is led into all the secrets of God Faith by a promise will make carnall reason stand by as a very foole Hence it is that the spirituall man is said to judge all things even the hidden things of God And yet to be judged of no man 1 Cor. 3. Why Because the light of faith is the highest light All other lights are of a lower kinde And hence it is that a carnally wise man comming to heare a poore soule to speake by the light of faith touching the matters of God stands as a man astonished and as a foole in the presence of a wise man For why The Spirit which revealed the promise of salvation reveales therewith all other promises and all parts of the will of God So then I say in the fifth place let faith subdue thy reason and shew thee a reall sensiblenesse savour and wisdome in all the matters of God By her eye judge of the Sacraments discerne the reall presence of Christ there though not really carnall behold a sacramentall union betweene him and the Elements for the carrying of the soule into
3.8 Let things of profit and pleasure yeeld to things honest 1 Tim. 6.6 Trust not men upon faire pretences but first trie them Be neither stout to beleeve nothing nor credulous to beleeve any thing These may serve for a taste lest I digresse too far Thus much for the use of Exhortation Vse 7 Now for the other two of encouragement and comfort First let this point encourage the simple Silly ones have an advantage about carnall reason poore meane in wit and parts that though they be cast out as Ipta Judg. 20. from their brethren and as the poore blind man Joh. 9. Yet the Lord Jesus will not forsake them They want excesse of wisdome but they also are thereby rid of much carnality and savour of the flesh and so their enmity to God is the lesse Defects have made many happy they had perished if not perished A reverend man of God once said it was well for him he was lame on his hand for else he had never in shew beene either Minister or Christian Many husbands who have wives and wives who have husbands of lesse pregnancy and parts then others let them know that in this defect they have a blessing they have the lesse carnall opposition to encounter in each other and the Divell hath the lesse colour to tempt them to shrewish discontented and churlish behaviour I know that sillinesse is a want in nature yet I say weaknesse in parts if there be any competency of understanding may as soone attaine grace as greater abilities I dare not say that in sillinesse it selfe there is any praise for the silly lye open another way to bee seduced both by too much credulity and levity in minde and manners But this I say if God please to worke the fort of carnall reason is more weake in such and sooner shot downe As I say of them whose wealth credit learning birth and dexterity is small and cannot greatly commend them to the world so I say also of these both the account they are to make to God is lesse and their obstacles to beleeving are not so strong as others Is it not a cause of blessing God that he hath removed those brasen barres which doe so hold out faith in others Although then poore soules ye are slighted in the world yet if ye cast up your recknings right you may say Lord seeing it is no better I thanke thee it is no worse Except I saw more of the witty and wise to prove Religious then doe I thinke it is well enough as it is I see the least dramme of grace is so pretious and great parts doe need so great a measure of it I cannot but set mine heart at rest and content my selfe with my portion I know Lord thou art not an hard Master to gather and reape where thou neither strawest nor sowest Thou requirest no more then according to the abilities thou givest If I have poore gifts yet I blesse thee for fewer lets In this respect I can digest my weake apprehension judgement memory and parts and withall the disrepute of the world I would not for all the worldly wisdome of the ungodly change that simple facility of my heart to stoope to the word and to submit to the truths of God So long as I see Religion to consist in the denying of somewhat Religion stanus as much in denying of somewhat as the enjoying of it rather then in the addition of any thing I shall not murmure that I have bought some vacancy of distempers cavillings and resistings of grace with the paring of some superfluities which may be spared counting them happy deffects since thou wilt have it so I see although no excellency of man can resist thee if thou wilt abase it to the simplicity of Christs 2 Cor. 10. yet not many such are called 1 Cor. 1. but rather such as have little to lose and are glad that Christ will owne them Matth. 11.6 Mutter not at the worldly wise their portion and jollity for you know not with what lets they are encumbred Alas they must first consult long with their carnall wisdome and if that gainsay they must obey and how long will it be ere your stout hearts and stomacks will come down God must take them as the she-wilde Asse in her monthes when they are in straits if he will have ought from them Oh! they must have the good will of their jolly and gallant wives or husbands or kindred they must consult with their greatnesse and what carnall inconveniences follow the profession of the Gospel If these consent nor they cannot come If old customes gaming 's companionships meriments their proud wives usurious courses great businesse in the world will not stand with this simplicity they must not meddle Agrippa was in more chains upon the throne then Paul at the bar in this kinde Act. 26. he was almost perswaded but his clogs of state and bravery pulled him backe A world of Lions is in the way no hope to overcome them The lands of Elimelec they would have but Ruth they will not marry Ruth ult one objection or other is against it And therefore I conclude you that want these pulbacks beare the more indifferently some defects They who will not sow till weather be good may stand out altogether but your coast is alwaies cleare Blesse God wonder at your lot and say Lord why should such a plaine Iacob bee chosen and Duke Esau refused A poore limping halting creature be preferred to such a Potentate A poore David chosen from the sheepe and a tall Eliab rejected The rich guests excluded and poore beggers under hedges and in high wayes welcome truly because the Lord hath chosen them to confound greatnesse and carnall reason Oh! I blesse thee O father for it even so it is because thou pleasedst so to have it Branch 2 And to finish the use let me adde a word of consolation to all Gods people Thanksgiveing due to God for freedome and presse them to blesse God that they have shot this gulfe God hath not done little for such How many have been left drowned in this whirlepoole your selves escaping It is a token God meanes to impart himselfe yet more familiarily unto you and come in and sup yea dwell with you being humble and broken because he hath taken downe such a vaile of separation a wall of defiance in you He hath cast downe your high things that you might stoope to the obedience of Christ Returne with Naaman and bee thankefull No patient owes so much to a Physitian for his cure in a desperate case as thou to the Lord yea by this cure of carnall reason beleeve and get experience with David for time to come He that saved me from the Beare and Lion will also save me from this Philistin Get hope and confidence that God will cast out those remnants and roots of this poison which yet abide hold downe your corky bubbling flesh daily your
knave who is not altogether so bad as others and say thereby they doe great matters both for publique and private good ends 5. Formall policy Fifthly formall policy when men proforma as they call it or for their fee will plead a bad cause or having beene retained on the one side will afterward speake for the other which is the sinne of Ambodexters Sycophants and flatterers who speake on both sides for their vantage 6. Politicke prophanenesse Sixtly politick prophanenesse as Achitophel who for the making way for his Masters purpose plaid the traytor against his liege besides the horrible impieties committed against God 7. Politicke Religion Seventhly politicke Religion which I touched before when men devise out of their own brain a way to devotion as if Gods course were insufficient as for perswading of chastity to debase marriage under virginity To teach men diligent use of the means by overthrowing the absolutenesse of Gods decree as if these two were incompatible To provoke men to liberality to begging Friars by affirming Christ himselfe was a beggar To draw people to punctuall confessing of sinne by enjoyning auricular confession To avoid loosenesse of lust by commanding penances and fasts beside the word To put an hereticke to silence by falsifying a text as one of the Fathers to stop the mouth of the Manichees affirming two contrary principles of good and evill out of 2 Cor. 4.4 answers it thus In whom God the true God hath blinded the eies of the unbeleevers of this world transposing the Genitive cases and marring the sense so putting out both Gods eies to put out one of the Divells 8. Politicke blanching So to maintaine a carnall point with blanching it over with many rules and caveats which rules will never be observed but the evill will soone bee done as in point of scandalous games and pastimes a meere fetch to maintaine either pride in our owne abilities as if wee saw more then common folke or to establish carnall liberty Is not this to chuse to be nought with much adoe rather then to sit still and bee honest Goodnesse rather desires to bee innocent with jealousie then guilty with distinctions And thus I might bee endlesse I conclude what ever reason is carnall and what ever proceeds thence word or deed is earthly sensuall and divelish And so much for answer to the first question The second question arising hence is this whether any policy and Quest 2 wisdome may be used by Christians What policy may be used though perhaps there may be some appearance of humane mixture in it Whereto I answer that in some cases it is lawfull for a Christian to use such policy although perhaps to some simple minded ones it may be thought subtilty for the matter rests not in the judgement of men who are ready to censure whatsoever they cannot comprehend but what the word alloweth For hee is allowed not whom man but God himselfe approveth Rom. 2. end And it is an error in many weake ones that under pretence of simplicity of conversation which God expressely requireth of us 1 Cor. 1.12 they cry out of all policy as circumvention and subtilty True it is this wicked world is full of shifts and subtilties and sometimes Gods people themselves are too much given to breake their bounds as I have already shewed but yet we must neither condemne the righteous nor justifie the wicked The Scripture it selfe affords us examples and proofes of the lawfulnesse hereof Matth. 10.16 our Saviour tells his Disciples he sent them forth as sheep in the midst of wolves and therefore wills them to be wise as Serpents and innocent as Doves so farre as simplicity and purenesse will admit policy is not onely lawfull but also necessary both for the honour of the truth and the safeguard of the godly their names estates and persons God himselfe justifies policy as also for the countermining and opposing of Satans wiles and policies and the malicious plots of his instruments And the Lord himselfe doth justifie it For not onely in extraordinary cases as the borrowing of the Egyptians jewells and gold that they might robbe them by their sudden departure But also in an ordinary way he allowes policy For he taught Ioshua policy Chap. 8. to use a stratageme and circumvent the men of Ai by dissembling a flight and David 2 Sam. 5.23 bidding him to go against the Philistins by a way unlooked for And sundry patternes we have in Scripture of the practice hereof with commendation The respects therefore wherein it is lawfull must rather be understood by us then the thing in generall condemned and they are these First when it repugneth not to a word of God Upon what tearmes it is lawfull manifest or by just consequence deducted For whatsoever is against the word cannot bee well done with all the colouring in the world As for a man in any case to speake a direct untruth or deny a flat truth cannot but repugne to the word But in some cases to conceale a truth Esay 8. or forbeare the deniall of an untruth agrees well with the word Secondly when policy trencheth upon charity and is against mercy compassion love good report justice and honesty Phil. 4. As Paul saith Finally brethren whatsoever is just good of good report that ensue and the God of peace be with you Thirdly when it is against the glory of God and the honour of his name as of our profession and the Gospel Doe all saith Paul Col. 3. to the glory of God the Father In this respect as I take it some of the chiefe Martyrs imitated them Heb. 11.38 who refused to be delivered when they might not simply unwilling to be safe but lest their escape might possibly be an occasion of insulting to the enemy and an imputation to their cause and a reproach to them for deserting the truth whereas perhaps setting this regard aside some private persons might have fled to one City being persecuted in another For nature it selfe seekes her owne safety and it is a sinne to bring needlesse trouble upon our selves Fourthly when the using of such policy stands not with the peace of a mans private spirit and conscience although perhaps it be erroneous in that particular Rom. 14. The reason is because whatsoever is not of faith is sinne not onely against knowledge but without knowledge For as in the former respect it is most horrible to goe against the light though the world should judge it never so glorious and goodly as Rom. 3.8 although good should come of it so when the thing is either done against light or doubtfully though in it selfe the policy may be lawfull yet to the doer it is unlawfull and a snare as we see in the cases of some weake Christians that because they did but doubtingly cast a little frankincense into the Idolls fire without any purpose of worship for the safeguard of their lives although at the
present they saw not so much evill in it yet afterward seeing the dishonour to God accruing thereby they were so wounded that they were never well till they had reversed their act and lost their lives Still I say as before that we may in some cases of extremity pitty humane feare or frailty but that makes nothing for the allowance of that policy Quest 3 Thirdly and lasty here it may be asked in what speciall cases it is lawfull for men to use these warranted policies In what cases is this policy lawfull I answer it is not easie to make an induction of all particulars yet to satisfie the minde of the Case 1 hearer I will mention some First aloofenesse and carrying of things afarre off and concealing of a truth or our selves whether in word guise and semblance act or practice for good ends either of obtaining some good or avoiding some evill inevitably like to ensue upon discovery of such a truth cannot be unlawfull so there be no direct denying truth or affirming falshood For the matter is not in this what error another is necessarily brought into but whether I lead him sinfully into it Josh 2.4 Thus Rahab in concealing the spies by all her skill and policy had not done amisse if she had not used an indirect meane also to save them to wit a flat lye which yet the Lord did mercifully pardon to her and so I say of the other examples before mentioned But commonly through the bordering of these two so neerly we are very prone to mix the one with the other 2 Sam. 17.8 Hushai did well to conceale from Absâ—lon the weaknesse of David yet it was hard for him to keep his bounds to affirm that of him for strength and courage which as the case then stood was out of Davids power to performe if he had beene suddenly surprised with such an army yet the Lord was in the counsell not allowing any untruth but ordering it to his purpose of safe conducting David So to carry our selves aloofe from the ungodly by any art of concealement to defeat their malice and intents so we flatter them not or wrong the truth is lawfull For defence of an honest man it is lawfull to present what we know by him which might blemâ—sh the accusation cast upon him but to make a lye in his defence is unlawfull Speciall is that of Zedechia consented unto as lawfull by Ieremy himselfe Jer. 38.36 where the King to prevent the suspition of the Nobles that the Prophet and he should talke of surrendring the City instructs him to answer them by a concealement of truth yet with truth Tell them saith he that thou besoughtest me that thou mightest no more be cast into the dungeon and that was true in it selfe but neither all the truth nor that which concurred with their thoughts But yet their error was no sinne in Ieremy It is a sure rule dissimulation by negative concealement is lawfull but no simulation A second instance It is lawfull for good ends to use this policy viz. Case 2 To offer the object of a thing indifferent that is such a thing as may either be offered or not offered without sin to a bad person who yet is like to accept make use of the thing so offered sinfully For example for the freeing of an innocent my selfe or another from an unjust calumny or exception it is lawfull to ascribe to a carnall man his uttermost due praise so I neither lye nor flatter though perhaps else I should not be forward in praising him considering what base evills he is fraught with Act. 26.8 Paul used this policy in praising Agrippa a Jew who beleeved Moses and the Prophets for that particular and that he was a meet judge in the cause and for the present taxed him not for his incontinency with Berenice wherein he professedly lived although perhaps this by Agrippa's sinne might possibly harden him in his course yet because it had no direct ill on Pauls part and made for a good end it was lawfull A third instance may be this It is a lawfull policy to use the unavoidable Case 3 malice or evill in any man to a good end either mine owne benefit or the good of others and so the indemnity of both If I would pursue a bad person whom I know though in other private respects whether justly or unjustly to be in the displeasure and deepe ill will of a Magistrate yet it is lawfull for me to borrow aide of that enmity and grudge of his for the punishment of the offender Although were it not in such a case I ought neither to concurre with his displeasure to aggravate it or to occasion his sinne to rankle in his bosome An example whereof we have in Paul Acts 23.6 who seeing the two strong factions of Sadduces and Pharisees bent against him to overthrow him used policy to set them together by the eares I saith he am a Pharisee and the sonne of one and am accused this day of the resurrection of the dead All this was true although more was true also But he foresaw that this speech would set a quarrell betweene them and so it did and thereby himselfe escaped the dint of their fury and drew the more potent side against the other from himselfe Some might thinke it a shift and a subtilty not caring what became of others so he might escape But he did lawfully use the unavoidable sinne in which they both lived to wit faction and discord although simply it was not a sinne to hate an hereticke and which it was not in his power to hinder for his owne safety he onely sought I say to disunite them justly who were now unjustly combined in a bad cause that himselfe might escape Case 4 Fourthly it is a lawfull course to use this policy to take the bow which a bad man shootes in to outshoot him and so to put him to silence For why Herein is no actuall but an appearing and semblable concurrence onely with him in his evill by a supposition Thus to confute a Papist out of his owne tenets though they be nought as to cut his throate with his owne knife is not unlawfull The Papists exceedingly vilifies the word written and the cleaving thereto and saith it is a nose of wax and may be turned any way But tradition he saith is surest and the voice of the Pope determining is certaine To avoide this error we urge them with their argument for the reall presence grounded upon those words This is my body When we answer that although it be the text yet not the meaning they insist thus It is the word of the Text Is it not the very word We doe not allow it in their sense but yet we so farre take the generall as granted that we say the reason is strong against themselves for if it be so essentiall to cleave to the word in one question why not in all Thus
best grounded yet alas have many feares are very much unsettled and have never done in the proving of them to be sound Answ I answer They who stagger about their grounds may be to seeke and so remaine doubtfull But yet by their studious enquiry and serious deliberating at last they come to determine whereas the prophane carelesse and Atheisticall never are troubled at all and therefore remaine in their wofull condition Psal 17. And whereas some of them as Iob and the Psalmist speaks seeme to die in peace yet that peace is accursed for though they force to themselves a wilfull peace there is none to them they goe downe to the pit with such peace as a drunken prisoner goes to execution Esay 57. ult But this doth not infringe the doctrine because although some live and dye lawlesse and senslesse yet the case of the greater sort is otherwise They rush without due consideration upon their maters and accordingly meet with sorrow and repentance onely the godly who fix their eies upon Gods stable bottomes provide best for themselves hee that walketh soundly walketh safely and although through unbeleefe Esay 26.2 weaknesse or temptation they are often appalled it is to teach them to cleave better to their grounds But ordinarily they walke by rule and finde peace when trouble befalls them it comes not by their closing with but by warping from their rule and when they recover their grounds they recover their peace So much for answer to this objection Now the uses follow First Instruction to teach us the wonderfull Vse 1 wisdome of the art of Godlinesse Instruction Râ—ligion is grounded upon most solid foundations It is grounded upon most weighty and materiall bottomes No man would suppose the Lord to be so infinitely wise as he is till he set himselfe seriously to try his conclusions Few men thinke there is any great matter in living by faith in shunning appearences of evill in cleaving to the company of the good in pitching the soule upon a truth of a promise threat or command But by that time they feele the sad fruit of their errors then they grow to looke backe and behold a most hidden excellencie in Gods principles when their peace is lost and themselves cast upon hideous sorrowes then they beginne to applaude them that goe to worke by knowledge and discerning of things that differ as Scholars never grow in love with an Artists principles till they have examined them and finde out their exactnesse then they behold the misery of an inartificiall and ungrounded course of study So is it here Art hath no enemies save idiots no more hath Religion Secondly it teaches us It is a singular favour of God to any when they are bottomed soundly how great a favour of God it is to any beginner Branch 2 in Christianity when as the Lord prevents them with wisdome in grounding themselves throughly both in point of faith and conversation Who can expresse the depth and height of that mercy which hath prevented so much sorrow Let it but appeare in this one principle That a poore soule though it have but a poore measure of grace yet is taught of God to deny herselfe and to captivate herselfe to the truth of the word not daring to goe on the right hand or left to the contrary Why This is in a sort the comprehension of all other graces the Lord herein hath laid a ground of many prevented a world of misery at once Look back into thy life past and aske who hath thus led me as a Shepherd leads his sheepe through a wildernesse Oh! Esay 63.14 the helpe of some one principle is as much as a mans soule is worth What a mercy then is it to be led on by knowledge in all our course To shunne all the snares of death Oh! be thankefull and say It is not my carnall wit Lord it is thy lore and word which hath made me wise to frame my course so that I doe now esteeme welfare not to stand in wealth or favour of men but in the losse of all these yea although persecution and the crosse should betide me for thy truth and name yet so long as conscience and peace abide and I am privy to it that thou hast lost no honour by me I count my state happy Looke upon the snares which the proud ambitious covetous flatterers and servers of the time pull upon themselves and then judge whether it be not a favour to be kept by a principle of truth from such sorrow and repentance The world boasts of her many tricks and policies but thy one is worth them all and shall preserve thee when they with all their inventions shall bee intercepted Vse 2 Secondly let it be use of Admonition to all that desire to see good dayes and a quiet life Admonition Be well grounded upon the unchangeable principles of truth 1 King 13. to ground themselves carefully upon the principles of God and to eschew all false waies and inventions Be earnest with God to remove far from thee all waies of error and to turn thee out of all crosse paths of deceit Remember still one error in the ground produces infinite many dangers in the sequell Rehoboam had better have given halfe his Kingdome then to have split himselfe so irrecoverably upon the rocke of his ill counsellers What sorrow did it worke him all his dayes Stript him of three parts of his Subjects at once What a misery did one error create to Saul to wit his owne carnall wisdome 1 Sam. 13. 15. rejecting Samuels charge What one quiet day had hee thirty yeares after in all his whole life but perpetuall vexation till he was faine to consult with a witch and to fall upon his owne sword Nay consider what Gods owne deare servants have purchased to themselves by one error and tricke put upon them by Satan As Davids lust what a world of sorrow did it procure So let it warne us to abhorre the incurring of such a premunire with God by embracing any principle of error or vanity as being once bred in the bone will never out of the flesh Beware we either of instilling or of drinking in any base error into any or from any of speciall note for parts learning or authority Let such as are men of place whose example if bad would like poyson pierce into the bowells of silly ignorant ones I say let such looke to themselves lest after in hell they cry out of them and say woe bee to such examples had not their authority beene stronger with me to draw me to formality to ambition to pleasures and lusts then the word to disswade I had never come here Beware of such offences Woe be to the world because of offences Matth. 18.7 both in laying blocks and stumbling at blocks It is just with God that one should destroy the other because neither cared for the truth nor to be principled upon
gatherings of Ephraim Oh this pleased them well and so their fiercenesse abated So David when he had the advantage of Saul twice 1 Sam. 24.4 both when hee was asleepe and tooke away the pot of water from him and his speare another time when he cut off the lap of his garment and came after him saying I could have slaine thee this day and instead of cutting thy lap cut thy throate but thy life was pretious to me This for the time shaked his fury and wildefire and although it could not wholly quench it yet his end was most desperate as commonly theirs is whose rage a calme answer and milde usage will not qualifie So Iaacob in his returne from Laban foreseeing Esau his old grudge Gen. 33.13 sets himselfe in an exquisite manner to appease him first by gifts then by great titles and humble carriage whereby he turned off that rage which else might have brake out if hee had opposed him by violence Oh! such Abigails Davids Gideons and Iaacobs are much wanting and almost out of the world 1 Sam. 25.18 Now men have justled out Divinity and made a mocke of it by their brave stomacks maintaining that a man shall bee so much reputed amongst others as he reputes himselfe and stands upon his tearmes and he that puts up one wrong or reproach provokes two And it is true if we be such indeed as stand to our owne and the worlds judgement and barre appealing from Christs we may take our course goe on without let till shame and repentance and perhaps meeting with our matches doe compell us But if Christs voice will prevaile and wee will stand to his tribunall hee hath told us plainly such cowards and white-livers we must bee and yet Christianity makes us rather as bold as Lions in a just defence if we will be his read Matth. 44.5 You heard them say of old marke revenge is the old Religion though in a new cut Thou shalt love thy friend and hate thine enemy eye for eye tooth for tooth wrath for rage But I say unto you marke the voice of the new Gospel of peace love your enemies doe for them that spite you and speake evill of you and hate you Turne the other cheeke to him that smites you on the one cheeke That thus you may be children of your father in heaven who lets his raine and sunne fall upon the ground of the bad as well as the good And this is the same with that of Paul Rom. 12. If thine enemy hunger thirst or be naked give him meate drinke and cloathing Rom. 12. thus heaping hot coales upon his head recompencing evill with good And lest ye should think there is one Divinity for plaine folke and another for Courtiers Gentlemen and brave sparkes of hot and noble bloud looke I pray upon Elisha's Divinity which hee brought to Ieroboams Court 2 King 6.21 when he had brought the Aramites blindefold to Samaria hee askes them My father shall I smite them But the Prophet answers No smite them whom thou takest in the warre kill not in coole bloud set bread and meate rather before them and feast them and so send them home to their Master and so he did and the bands of Aram came no more that yeare It was good policy and Religion too And no doubt but many of our braving and lofty stomacks when they have met with the affronts of them whom they have provoked as commonly boasters alway goe by the worse then they wish they had beene wiser and held in their stomack ill afterward But I doubt many of our challengers and duellers if they were put upon the enemy in a pitcht battell and in Gods way would prove like those sparkes spoken of in Judg. 9. I meane Gaall and his brethren who asked who is Abimelec But when they saw him their hearts fainted and they were beaten downe To conclude let this generall Instruction brethren reach to all states persons occasions Let the word dwell in us plentifully in all wisdome to guide us in our course The word is answer not a foole in his folly lest thou be like him The patient man is better then he who is hasty in his spirit and in his matters He that overcomes himselfe is better then he that overcomes a City Ecles 7.8 Rom. 12.19 Be slow to speake and slow to wrath Here be the rules If the former examples of Saints perswade not thereto let the practise of these heathen servants shame and upbraid us You husbands and wives remember Satan is alway at your elbow if he can dstemper you quickly will the whole house be distempered and out of frame and your examples will fret like a canker Doe therefore as wise Abigail did to drunken Nabal for drunkennesse and rage are both madnesse she gave way to him while hee was in his cups and in his jollity of feasting but next day when wine was out and wit in she told him of his base distemper and then he was tame So do not take your husbands or wives weapon out of their hand suddenly to wound him or her If one rage let the other pray and be innocent perhaps the Lord will do thee good for their wrath Consider each other the party in coole bloud consider of the other party as of a man in drink prevented by his passion that masters him Doe not now adde oile to the flame and drunkennesse to thirst But remember now God tries me These words are as stinging as fiery darts this tongue is set on fire by hell but now doth the Lord vex every veine in my heart to see what mettall I am made of If now I listen to my lust and outshoot the Divell I may set a marke upon my selfe and be ashamed but if I can possesse my soule with patience now and keepe my fort strong I shall shew my selfe a man or woman stronger then a conquerour Luke 21.11 I will deny my selfe therefore and take away anger from mine eyes Ecles 11.10 and distemper from my heart I will seasonably give over strife lest it become as a fire broken out or as the barres of a Palace Better so then let your shames breake out to others and so be faine to put your quarrells to arbitration and then your selves shall be the first that repent it The like I say to you all brethren in your worldly dealings and controversies or in those tetches which you take each at other Breake not out to open words of defiance upon meer conceits but weigh the reports perhaps they come from tale-bearers examine your grounds and although you finde truth in them yet see what construction they will beare Jam. 4 4. consider that the spirit that is in us lusts after envy If these reports will not beare a good censure yet coole your hearts first then debate the quarrells in coole bloud before witnesses if the fault be proved let it be sufficient that he is convinced
he might pitty and succour those who are tempted And surely wonderfull use there is of this grace For alas in these troubles many a poore soule though not wilfull yet is not her owne because it is overpowred with the violence hideousnesse and irkesome of temptations without feares and unsustained horrors within so that for the time it hath no power of fastning upon counsell be it never so strong nay the stronger it is the harder to enter It must be time and stanching the bloud and waiting by degrees putting in here a droppe a line a little and there a little into the soule which must winne such an one to some hope by degrees Some texts observe for this Elihu seeing Iobs state sore snarled by his prejudicate friends and by the self-love of his own heart that it was hard to reduce all to a mediocrity applies himselfe in the spirit of singular modesty and meeknesse to be a mediator between them Job 32. Behold saith he I will not deale harshly in misjudging thee but be unto thee as thine owne soule this was the next way to redresse his sorrowes So Paul to the Galathians when he had sharpely reproved them yet seeing many of their weake mindes entangled tells them My little children of whom I travell againe till Jesus Christ be formed in you They had fallen into the hands of false teachers who had made their state more dangerous Gal. 4.19 And what doth hee Meekely and lovingly he bestowes the paines to travell againe of them Simil. A woman hath enough of breeding her fruit once and bearing it once but wee should count her a very tender mother which should beare the paine twice and fellow-feele the infants strivings and wrastlings the second time rather then want her child So Paul here is content to beare the paine twice of travelling for these Galathians hee meanes not a second birth but a second travell to reduce them home to Christ from their errors and to sympathize them so far for their good till they felt Christ againe revived in themselves after a former miscarriage and false conception So in Gal. 6.1 The Apostle againe doth require those Galathians which were strong to restore in the spirit of meekenesse such as were fallen the word is set in joint Be meeke and worke in the bone with much oile that so it may returne againe into the socket with lesse paine And Ezekiel tells us Ezek. 34.16 that this is one peculiâ—r property of a true shepheard that hee seeke up the lost and suffer not the bitten or broken to perish but carry it home upon his shoulder tender it dresse it and binde it up againe These and the like places shew with what spirit the Lord wishes such to go to work even so be it with us in Gods fear limpe with the halting lispe with the stuttering sit still and be silent a while till deepe affliction can speake out helpe forth the words of the distressed which sticke in the passage be tender and pitifull till God draw the heart by these cords of a man Hosea 11.4.13.2 and be as the Master of the cattell who taketh off the yoke and layeth meat unto them yea as the Lord Jesus who would not breake the brused reed Matth. 12. nor quench the smoking flax till judgement brake forth into victory Iron and steele come not to an edge without much oile Thirdly 3. Branch apply counsell and remedies with all wisdome and seasonablenesse speake a word in due season Now here the maine worke lieth But some may aske and say how should I performe this duty I answer The variety and difference of estates admit no rules in generall onely to satisfie the desirous I will instance in a few kindes and shew what remedies most fitly agree with them Observe wisely and discerne the estate of the afflicted Rules for this and that will be a great helpe to tell a qualified counsellor how to judge both of the malady and medicine For as it is in bodily diseases each one hath his severall symptomes which are not easily concealed So it is here A wise man will discover the sore by the behaviour of the party both for the kinde the measure the continuance of it and accordingly apply himselfe First then let it be one caveat 1. Discerne and separate mixt sorrow from â—â—â—gle that we observe whether the dolor bee single and simple or mixt and compounded If it be simple the trouble is the lesse But if mixt that is partly temporall and that first and chiefe partly spirituall The way is first to separate the one from the other and not to multiply spirituall comforts to such a one for his disease admits none because the roote is carnall And although it have ceased also in part upon conscience yet at the second hand Here then labour to lessen and diminish carnall and worldly griefe if it can by any meanes be removed as if it be a crosse upon the name body or state see if that can be effected and then you shall see if there continue any sorrow if it doe not it was meerly carnall and no spirituall in it if that cannot be removed then labour to divert the heart from the outward to the spirituall and that thus First shewing that this without the other is fruitlesse That the soule may bee as miserable without it as with it That love or hatred stands not in it That it may easily deceive a man about his sorrow That God either sends it as a needle to draw the thred of godly sorrow after it by the stirring of the spirit or else to leave the soule worse and that if it vanish as it came it will be so That the nature of it is deadly for worldly sorrow causeth death If these motives scatter the carnall sorrow and the spirituall remaine then it is from God And then the counsell is strive not to remove it at first but to ground it well upon the word that it may seaze kindely and so deale with it accordingly as in the rules following 2. Rule Discerne diabolicall temptations from inward The next is discerne diabolicall injections and temptations from the troubles arising from our selves Here the counsell is strive by all means to resolve the party that the Divell shall pay for his own sin Suggestions terrifying the spirit from Satans malice are none of ours Judge them by the disproportion to the souls disposition their unwelcomenes their irkesomenesse desperatenesse and tenaciousnesse And if a poor soul can truly say they are none of hers although she cannot be rid of the insulting of this god of flies yet by praier for riddance constant detesting to have fellowship and consent with them whether thoughts against God his word the Ministry Heaven Hell Providence Religion or lusts and vile affections the Lord will weaken them and not suffer thee to bee held under temptation And to say truth violent externall causes
the old and new Testament For tell me why hath God so furnished his word with such stories of his power and greatnesse transcending our reason and our thoughts as much as the heavens doe the earth Esay 55.8 but that our soules might be filled with his excellency And thinke nothing too hard for such a God to doe If he have dried up the sea Jorden stopped mouthes of Lions raised up the dead and fed six hundred thousand men and women without corne or flesh of beasts made water gush twice out of a rocke give a woman of ninety years old power to conceive c. doth he not deserve to be set up above carnall reason Doth he not deserve at our hands more then a faint fulsome grant with Martha thou canst doe all things Doth he not deserve a peculiar faith for this and for that for raising this dead man now at this time For quickning this dead heart at this instant by this Sermon For softning this hard heart For converting this soule to God Oh! how justly reproveable must such a villany needs bee And surely this let me adde if it be so base an evill in respect of the dishonour to God must it needs bee so in respect of the mischiefe which it causes unto our selves Did ever any man hate his owne selfe doth he not love and cherish his owne flesh What an unnaturall evill then is this which chuseth rather here with Naaman to perish with the holding of a carnall will and conceit then by denying it and clasping to the word to be happy for ever Sure that which is so derogatory to God and so unnaturall to our selves must needs deserve sharpe reproofe Fourthly it must needs be a reproveable evill which doth so desperately Reason 4 trench upon all the Attributes of God Power Truth Mercy Justice Providence and Alsufficiency Which questions all cavills against all so that the doctrine before handled viz. That carnall reason is a maine enemy to all the matters of revealed truths is a full reason of this doctrine that it is justly reproveable Other sinnes seeme to undoe the acts of God as his morall commands But this undoes the Lord himselfe in a sort in those things wherein God is himselfe so that either God must not be God a promise must not be a promise Christ must be no Christ no satisfaction no redemption or else carnall sense must perish Both in strict tearmes cannot stand together God hath testified himselfe in his word admirable in this one attribute viz. Providence for his Churches good in the greatest straits Who reading the strange passages of that one deliverance in Esters time Esters story how God concurred just with each circumstance of time of occasion as then to cause the Kings sleepe to depart when Mordecai was in greatest perill and reproach Then when the banquet was prepared that all other opportunities should bee fore laid to oppresse Haman and to exalt Mordecai If a man would compile a story according to his owne wish for the demonstration of Providence could hee frame a more punctuall one Read Ezra's story Daniels Iosephs doth not a naked hand of God appear in them And yet carnall reason would say That if there were windowes in heaven God could not now save his Church as hee hath done in their times in Elija's Elisha's and others What is this but to limit the holy one of Israel to our owne measure of working And so I may say of all other his Attributes Nay carnall reason is such a deepe gulfe as is able to swallow downe the greatest evidence that ever God gave to the world of himselfe both his Godhead and Attributes which is the sending of the Lord Jesus in the flesh into the world to walke live suffer and dye for the salvation of the Elect What can so secure the soule of the truth of Gods nature persons and realnesse in all his promises as this to cause the eternall God to be personally one with our mortall flesh Might not the holy Ghost Heb. 1.1.2 say That this way of God hath greater demonstration in it to stablish a beleeving soule then all that ever were besides And yet what use makes carnall reason hereof Doth it not turne all to a meere story without any ground-worke of faith or perswasion We thinke that the exhibiting of Christ concerned the Jewes who saw him and if wee had lived with him as they we should have abhorred to distrust him as they Why Did not God give them full assurance of himselfe by his Sonne Read Act. 17.38 Had not they as cleere proofes out of the Prophets that he was and none save he could bee the Messia and yet their carnall reason did so abhorre him to be their Messia that they hated him to the death Justly then may I conclude that this sinne is a reproveable one So much also for reasons I proceed now to the Use If this evill be so reproveable it is pitty it Vse 1 should want her due and escape terror or reproofe Terror to sundry The first Neuters Atheists and Epicures and ignorant ones reproved Pitty that any should justifie the wicked against God! Let them therefore come in the dint of this reproofe who are grossest in this kinde Neuters and Atheists who if they do not obstinate their spirits to thinke of all Gods matters and the frame of Religion according to their carnall sence yet are as deeply careles of rejecting and bearing it down by the stream of the word as Gallio was carelesse of the Apostles and their opposites How many are there who like them in Peter mocke at the Scriptures threats and terrors of it 2 Pet. 3. saying Where is the promise of his comming Lo all things are still as they were wont to be the times seasons affaires of men and course of the world therefore wee thinke the world will endure alway Oh ye Atheists One yeare with God is as a thousand and a thousand are as one day Do ye judge the comming of Christ by that which befalls in the space of forty or fifty yeares of one mortall life Doe not all things decay and cannot the Lord shake the powers of heaven and restraine the influence of the upper bodies from the lower at his pleasure But of this saith Peter they make themselves wilfully ignorant that all things were made of nothing and shall returne to nothing they perswade themselves that they ever were and so shall continue Such a seminary there is and such a tale of scurfe here among us even of practicke Atheists who are led by sense as brute beasts that me thinkes I feele my spirit sinke and faile within me when I should scare them out of their dens These are those prophane Swine who although they rise not up openly to desie God and his word and threats yet like sensuall Epicures void of all understanding they live in a profession of infidelity onely differing from Pagans in that they carry
the badge of the resurrection about them for fashion sake but else resolved to suffer no word of truth to enter into them or trouble them and make a privy contract with Satan to hold their owne lusts against all Preaching what difference is there betweene thinking there is no God and resisting him speaking in his word Betweene open maintaining that there is no judgement resurrection or torment for sinners and the practice of blasphemies swearings breaking of Sabbaths stealth adultery and all debauchednesse What shall I say unto you Shall I say as that ancient Father once did to his people of Antioch Get yee Bibles for shame and come in O ye uncircumcised hangbyes to the congregation Howster out such vermine O ye Church offcers if ye serve for oughts out of their kennells But you are readier some of you rather to pursue the best of your neigbours take heed my words stand not upon record against you without repentance rather then hunt such as pester our Townes with Atheisme and Impiety Alas the Divell is served as well by such as by them that have read Lectures of Atheisme heretofore They professe a God you will say Tit. 1. ult what is that when they are in their workes abominable and to each good thing reprobate They live by swinish principles and customes of darkenesse they see all swayed by mony favour and pollicy they see others all for backe and belly purse and pleasures pompe and preferments and therefore further they will not stir They whom carnall reason meerly rules are negative Atheists because they admit of no principles which should make them other and cause them to tremble at themselves Oh! mourne deare brethren for this that the Land swarmes with such and pray for such as are in place that they may reforme it and consider with what fruit we requite God for this seventy yeares of his Gospel past by nouzeling up among us a generation that know no more of sinne Christ judgement day then the swine at the trough but rather trample upon these pearles Tell them of their washing brewing baking startching on the Sabbath and they answer Alas we are poore and the six daies are little enough to worke in and earne meate to our bellies we must be fed and cloathed and more then we worke we must looke for nothing Others being asked about their hope in death tell us they have had their purgatory here in want and misery and therefore hope they shall have no more hereafter Others live by a Popish mixture of some shreads with their owne wisdome and such errors of the wicked as they suck up every where The issue of all is they abhorre the word and those that live by it and doe wholly breath in the element of their owne carnall savour Oh woefull ones your damnation sleepes not and the flood of Gods wrath the fire of vengeance shall sweepe you to hell Matth. 24.38 as the waters did them who ate and dranke married and gave in marriage and would know nothing till they were under water God keepe you from it You have had your reproofe but except God ring an alarme in your eares you will not awake But alas I speake to the walles these Gibeonites come not within the Temple carry them home these newes you that dwell by such So much for the first Use Secondly is carnall sense so reproveable What is then an utter despising Vse 2 of sense and of the manifest waies of God Reproofe of sundry sorts to the very eyes of men so that they cannot deny the finger of God We have many such Sort. 1 as these among us beloved such as see the apparant hand of God upon them and among them yea the Lord comming as it were to their doores Such as sinne against sensible and ocular mercies worse then such as sinne against promises into their bosomes judgements upon their bodies children wives names even such as their owne cursed mouthes have wished pox and plague c. and their cursed workes have procured justly and yet they are as Pharaoh hardened by his inchanters even when the frogges leapt up upon his bed in his privy Chamber what is this save to fight against heaven it selfe When judgements follow not the word men cavill and say these Preachers cry aloud but no thunder or lightning followes upon it But what say they when the Lord plagues you and raines snares and tempests upon you Many of you what diseases hath the Lord cast upon you noysome and stinking Note well all these following Instances Are ye one whit moved by it You use to answer as the sorcerers did all sorts are troubled with one disease or other all sorts have some poore in reproach c. But you know that yours are sent upon you for your debauched courses Doe you see God against you Had not Thomas beene grossely reproveable if when Christ thrust his hands into his sides to feele the print of his nailes he had beene unfaithfull But these mens eyes goe out with beholding the Sunne shine in their faces How many are there of you here who have cavilled at God that hee Sort. 2 puts no difference betweene bad and good in point of blessings and lo God hath served your turne brought you out of debt set you up and planted you well so that you take roote and grow upward Is not here ocular and sensible mercy I demand now of such are you any better Doe you see God in this I denounce before the Lord unto you this day that the mercies you have wished and doe enjoy shall bee the heaviest corrasives to you that ever befell and shall sting you as fire Why Because those covenants and vowes which you made are all broken and forfeit when yet God hath fully done his part Had it not beene better that he had kept you hungry and beggerly still Others of you what mones and chatterings have you made like Sort. 3 Cranes as Hezechia did upon your sicke beds unto God Oh! should the Lord take us away in our prime of youth our best yeares ere wee have spent any time in the land of the living to prepare our selves to meete him The Lord hath heard you or else earnest praier for you I am sure of it and hath brought ye from the brinke of the grave and set you upon your feet again What is come of it Are you any more penitent then you were Doth the presence of God awe you Doe you walke softly in your house as he said as having scaped a scouring and felt Gods fingers Have not your recoveries made you more fledge and sawcy with God so that now yee fare as if the winde were turned and you had the Lord at a vantage I denounce here unto you that most of you are waxen grosse fat laden with fatnesse you have despised the God of salvation Deut. 32.13 Esay 38. And instead of Hezechias words The living the living shall praise thee
simply What then Is thy speech to be commended No in no case For why Dost thou not go by the worlds rule it seems not to be so I cannot thinke it Is this enough to bury the truth of a word of the eternall God under Doe not still speake evill of the way of salvation because God makes it not so rationall as thou wouldest and will not sell thee heaven for thy praiers and devotions He askes no more then his word beleeved will give thee power to performe if thou reject it not by distrust Instan 2 Another Instance is this Beloved so long as Gods government in the Church Administrations of God must not be quarrelled or upon our selves pleases us while hee dandles us in his lap holds off enemies enlarges our abilities keepes under our corruptions tries us by no great temptations annoints our paths for us and gives us better gifts fruit of our labours and outward blessings then we expected Oh how we can cleave to him This drawes water out of a marble stone But let our sunne enter never so little into an eclipse or if God remove our strong holds from us leave us to enemies seem to smile upon them side with them suffer them to enjoy whatsoever their heart could wish Psal 80.4 Job 1. Mica 2.7 in having their wills on us But to frown upon us not onely while we sinne but when we repent and to disregard us even in our most frequent importunate praiers Do we then persist in our uprightnes Dowe then as Micah saith beleeve that still Gods word is as good as ever it was to such as walke uprightly When neither Moon nor Sun appears for many dayes do we abhor to suffer darkenesse to possesse us within because there is such a darkenesse without Can we fall to Pauls remedy Act. 27.20 Act. 27.20 Judg. 6. Mica 7.9.10 I beleeve God No no wee cavill and say If the Lord be with us how are all these evills upon us Why I beseech you Although hee hath promised to all beleeving soules to shew them light in darkenesse and after to turne their darkenesse into light yet did hee ever promise us to keepe this darkenesse quite from us Had Christs love so appeared if he had come and kept Lazaras from dying as it did by raising him up when hee was dead and beganne to stinke Bring me forth one word sounding that way that God would alway keepe one even tenor of outward peace and prosperity over his Church and then tell him hee is not as good as his word But this is a Religion better fitting Papists who know not what faith is then such as we Oh be warned This carnality of ours sits neere Gods heart loades him as the cart with sheaves is loaden Doe not give God over thus say there will be light for the righteous it is sown for them though not come up yet God is good to Israel to the upright in heart The eternall strength of God is a brasen pillar Psal 73.1 which the soul may swing all her strength upon in the greatest straits although heaven and earth goe together such shall have peace peace that is sure peace as Esay speaks and as for carnall reason she shall see it too Esay 26.2.3 2 King 7.3 but she shall not eat thereof it is a dainty onely serving for waiters and beleevers It is faith which must doe the worke of workes keepe fire from consuming the bush or burning the three children It is faith which must doe all these feats Heb. 11.35.36.37 Carnall reason never wrought one miracle but it hath marred many Faith and the power of God hath kept a venice glasse from being broken against the wall when it was cast with violence But carnall reason breakes all it throwes Therefore to conclude take heed of her and learne admonition to lot upon the word of truth for thy selfe for the Church in the promise of God in the providence and alsufficiency of God If he satisfie not thy desires know it is not because he is weaker or falser or lesse pitifull then he was but he hath other ends then thou seest hee aimes at purging out thy canker of Selfe and perhaps hath more universall ends for the manifesting of his vengeance upon a Nation not worthy to be beloved deserving a decree to come forth This is no season for carnall sense to lowre but for faith to fall to worke if not to save others yet to save each one himselfe and lay in as Iosia did for himselfe Jer. 45. 2 Kings 22.20 that he may have his life for a prey and he may not see the evills which shall come upon others And so also to lay in pledges of hope for posterity that when Gods winter is come downe and his people scoured and his old brasse and candlesticks melted he will make better vessels of our posterities even zealous ones and prepared for every good worke And againe a third Instance may be this The outward difficulty of Instance 3 the times is great the Lord having marveilously plagued our spirituall surfeting upon his bread of life not onely with a famine of it but even with cleannesse of teeth This hath beene a sore yeare for the poore and pinched the rich What doe you poore ones now For the rich may scape better Do ye fall to fears that you shall be starven Or your do ye solace your selves that still the word abides for a stay unto hearts in these hard times Tell me truly Doth lesse meat serve you because you trust God Doth faith and a cheerfull heart make a little goe a great way Or doe ye runne to the cursed phrase If windowes were in heaven it could not be holpen Truly I hope some of ye speake the truth when you say Gods word for man is not fed with bread only doth sustaine you It is a signe that flesh and sense doe not altogether beare rule I am glad it is no worse goe on and prosper and as the Lord hath hitherto holpen you so that the scarsity of other thevish savage poore hath not oppressed you so hee shall still finde mercy in mens hearts and purses to relieve and helpe you through this famine while plenty come onely learne by this experience to build your altar with Samuel and say Hitherto the Lord hath holpen us and so hee will he hath not kept us from a Beare and a Lion that a Giant 1 Sam. 7.12 a Dog should destroy us Say thus The Lord hath not yet put us so sharply upon the pikes of famine as that we should eate our owne children or mice dogs cats and rats as in former ages of Popery they have done in this Kingdome Therefore I will trust him still and although there shall be no Calfe left in the stall Habac. 3. nor Bullocke in the flocke yet the Lord shall be my salvation I will not as poore as I am say as a Carle lately did
others to take warning by See and tremble at the examples of Ahabs ruine upon contempt of Micaja Those Jewes in Egypt for despising of Ieremy 1 King 22.32 Jer. 44. the whole Nation of them both then and after for rejecting the Prophets Christ and his Apostles and rather make use of such to prevent destruction Briefly peruse these Texts Jer 26.18 Josh 22.17 c. A second branch of Terror may reach to such 2. Branch as will first qualifie their Minister in his charges counsells and then they will obey him but not till then It is irkesome unto them to obey him in the Lord in matters of conscience For why Their hearts are licentious carnall and prophane There be other Ministers which will do the like to their people till they have made them like to themselves And yet they thinke it a disgrace to live otherwise then lovingly and curteously with their Minister What course then take they Surely this they will first try whether they can by policy by kind offices feasting and entertaining of him pull him into their company and draw him into the fellowship of their pleasures games and merriments These they thinke will be least suspected and having snared him by these then they seeke by degrees to fetch him into the Ale-house People that will seem to love their Minister that they may luâ—ke in their sins odious to drinke and be a good fellow Then they inject a suspition and jealousie into his minde against such as feare God and oppose them in their base evills Then to whet his tongue in the pulpit against them to flesh and encourage themselves in their liberties and lusts And so by these meanes having baned him and made him for their turne they will obey him good reason For they have first made him sure enough and for their tooth they have taught him to be a meet Cooke for their appetite and to dresse their meat their owne way with the sawce that likes them best therefore they may well venture to eat of it Oh base creatures Doe ye first crooke the rule by which you are to write and doe ye then write after it Thus it was with him 1 King 21. who being sent for Micaja to Ahab would needs teach him his lesson by the way Let I pray thee thy words be sutable to the words of the foure hundred Prophets and then my Master will surely doe as thou biddest him Doe thou flatter and claw him and then he will obey thee So doe many to their Ministers Note They will prescribe him what truths hee shall teach them and what he shall balke they will tell him what method he shall use be much in discourse and little in application preach smooth and pleasing things and then they will heare him But oh wofull people Is this to heare him or to obey your lusts When Iehoiada was dead the Text tells us that his Princes came to Ioash 2 Chron. 24.17 and finding him a facile and flexible man they ingratiated themselves with him by gifts and rewards by praises and flatteries till they had drawne his spirit away from God to Idolls and to serve their own base turne Oh say they We are all thy loyall subjects and friends willing to be thy servants But we see that except thou hearken in the point of Religion to thy people they will scarce continue in their loyall obedience Wherefore it is much for thy safety and honour to yeeld to them and else it will create much trouble in thy Kingdome And even thus fares it with people of this ranke towards their Minister For the love of their lusts what will they not doe Oh Sir say they we see you are a man of worth and learning and you make us good Sermons we should be glad to live and love together and we hope you will be faire and curteous to us We love to keepe our Church and live honestly Indeed we are shy of them that are so zealous and precise in their preachings as to scare their good people we would be loath the hearts of your Parish should be alienated from you which we see will be if you be against our liberties pleasures and good fellowships Hitherto we have lived well and like kinde neighbours and we hope you will further rather then hinder it and so doing we shall live in peace and good will with you Oh how such smooth persons fret like a canker How easily doe they prevaile with such as are not armed with prevention Alas they are taken and snared by such baites and that little sparkle of good which seemed to be in them is soone quenched But to finish this Use beware O Minister of God lest thou be deceived with such cunning of men and as for them that do so entice them that they might the more securely live in their lusts Woe be unto them they may seeme to make a league with hell to provide a safety and immunity to their lusts But the Lord will breake their league and put a spirit of division betweene them so that they shall be as bitter enemies as ever they were friends and all because their union was cursed and tyed by the band of their lusts As Sampsons Foxes were tyed by their tailes with firebrands to doe mischiefe but not with the band of grace and love which would have held for continuance So much for this point of Terror Now a second Use may be Reproofe of sundry sorts And first Vse 2 of all such hearers as professe to love the Minister of God Reproofe 1. Branch Lovers of the Minister in generall yet conâ—ealing their doubts and cases from them reproved and comply with him in generall but still hold off aloofe in point of counsell and advice concerning their particular actions Doubts they have many touching their estates to Godward also many difficulties they meete with in their course in matters of weight but they will never acquaint their Minister with any of them he shall bee one of the first of them that shall bee last acquainted wiâ—h them Partly through folly strangenesse and darkenesse of their spirit partly through base feare lest their wants should be discovered and especially because in truth they are not willing to bee eâ—sed thereof but still to stagger and are resolved to consult with flesh and bloud rather then to be ruled by knowledge Such as these the Minister shall never heare of till sorrow and repentance compell them to utter their folly when they see they have overshot themselves in their bargaines or marriages till conscience beginne to sting them for their unjust and unwarranted courses or God crosse them with losses shame enemies then too late they come for counsell which if they had sought for in season all this had beene prevented Others when they have taken their owne course and bound sure 2. Branch such as first vow and then enquire doe badly then for fashion they will
dally with women Or you are too idle in your calling and runne up and downe needlesly Or you faile in compassion to the poore or doe small good with that you have you are hard and sore in dealings or make no conscience of keeping promise in all which respects the Gospel suffers and the Lord with your own credit and Ministery lye at the stake I beseech you if you love me as you professe to doe amend these I say obey him in all and be earnest with God and him to make thy love effectuall herein that thou maiest appeare not to love in word but in deed and truth And so much for this Exhortation And for the Minister one word let me adde Vse ult Ministers must love only for procuring obedience to the truth That which in the greene tree is not to be suffered how much lesse in the dry If people must not equivocate with their Minister much lesse may he with them Doe not seeke favour with the people and seeme to love them to any other ends save to draw them to obey thy Doctrine If thou wilt needs seem great with them improve al thine interest for God and their good Seeke not to idolize thy selfe in any mans heart and affections for thine own ends that thou mightst either magnifie thy person above other Ministers or get the reputation of some great person as Magus did or enlarge thine estate and preferments But in all let it appeare 2 Cor. 12.14 that thou seekest them not theirs and as a servant of Christ thou seekest to set up him though with thine owne abasement As thou usest thy selfe so will it appeare in thy course what thou aimest at and if once people smell what thou seekest thou shalt both draw flatterers enough as being meet covers for thy cup and deterre all that make conscience from honouring thee from the heart For why Under colour of serving thy Master thou tradest for thy selfe and discoverest thy self to bee a meer Sycophant not caring which end goes forward so thou canst worke thine owne ends Not much unlike those timeservers the Princes of Ioash who came and did him great homage but why To draw his heart from God to Idolls and their owne purposes and those leaguers in France in King Henry the fourth his time for the aliening of his heart from the Protestant Religion which proved the ruine of them both But of this in the next Argument Lastly here is Consolation to all such as second their affection to the Vse 4 Minister of God with entire and sincere obeying his voice Comfort Thou canst doe little for thy Minister perhaps but this thou doest thou obeyest him It s a signe unto thee that thy love is sincere unto him and which is better to the Lord himselfe to the message he brings nay it s a signe thy heart is in love with the truths of God his commands threats and promises It argues thou lovest all the Ministers of God without dissimulation or partiality a rate gift and hardly found for each man will have his owne Paul Cephas or Apollo Nay to conclude 1 Cor. 3.4 it s a signe that there are many graces in thee saith purging thy conscience humility and selfe-deniall all saving gaces This obeying is above all sacrifices and fat of lambes yea more to be rejoyced in then so many Jewells Could but I prove this in you my beloved who throng to heare and looke me in the face to pull out my words out of my mouth I should not need to comfort you or praise you Matth. 11.19 Wisdome is justified by her children your selves should praise you in the gates though I were silent Luke 1. And as the babe sprang in the wombe of Elizabeth when Mary came neare her so should your hearts leap in your bosomes while you heare me speake and as those two Disciples going to Emmeus Luke 22. so should you beare me witnesse this day and say Did not our hearts burne within us while he applied his doctrine But well may this use come in the last place for they are fewest whom it may truly concerne And so much for this second Argument of the Servants drawne from his love to the Prophet Now I come to the Third And that is couched closely but effectually in these words How much more when he saith unto thee 3. Argument The sincerity of the Prophet Wash and be cleane As if they should say Alas What seekes the Prophet in all this his charging thee to wash in Jorden What doth he expect a reward of thee Doubtlesse then he would not so effectedly have kept in and refused to talke with thee he would then have sought thy face as a Prince bringing great gifts flattered and fawned on thee for his owne vantage But now behold Explication of the ground he simply and sincerely tells thee Gods message looking at nothing else That which he urges is nakedly this that for thine owne good thou mightst wash and be cleane If he had sought from thee some great matter for himselfe though no doubt thou wouldest easily have yeelded to that also yet then he might with more colour have beene suspected But now since he hath no further reach then thy cure and welfare entirely desiring thy good and loath to see thee returne home with thy disease why shouldest thou not yeeld to him and wash Shall he seeme more heartily to wish thy happinesse then thou thine owne That were to be doubly blindefolded with passion neither to see his love nor to wish thine owne good This being their argument it affords us this observation Sincerity in a counsellor claimes acceptance That its a strong motive to all who are not perversly led by their own self-love to hearken to counsell when it shall appeare that he who gives it is sincerely affected to the party counselled without any respect to his owne advantage And in very deed it is that argument by which throughout the Scriptures the holy Ghost pleads audience 1 Sam. 12.3 Samuel being to urge the Israelites to repent and return againe into covenant with God and to contest with them for their Rebellion beginnes with this argument Behold here I am witnesse against me before the Lord Whose Oxe or Asse have I taken Whom have I defrauded or oppressed Of whose hands have I taken bribes to blinde mine eies q. d. If it were thus my mouth might be stopt in my conviction The Apostle Paul Act. 20.31.23.34 being to presse those Elders of Ephesus to tread in his steps and to conceale nothing of Gods truth from his Church urges his owne patterne I have coveted no mans silver gold nor apparell yea your selves know that these hands have ministred unto my necessities and to yours who have been with me and by this rule he bids them proceed pleading that golden speech of Christ It s a more blessed thing to give then receive The same Apostle 2 Cor.
our pleasure If they see that we are all for gold and gaine little caring for a flocke save for the fleece raking all from them to fill our purses and coffers and letting their soules goe to hell I pray tell me will they care for our preachings or counsells If wee shall now and then come in with a quaint Sermon or two and speake like Angels shall our counsell prevaile When they see our lives will they heare our words Shall not some poore simple Preacher far inferiour to us in learning or parts sway more with the conscience then a thousand such as we Cease therefore our owne base ends doe not fret against them who are above us in honesty but equall them in sincerity and then wee our gifts and counsells shall beginne to perswade and as a needle draw the thred of conviction after them Feed we the flocke of Christ not of constraint for base lucre or our owne ends but of a ready minde and then the worke will succeed and prosper 1 Pet. 5.4 Parliament men 〈◊〉 Patriots The like I may say to such as when occasion serves are employed in weighty matters of Church Common-wealth I am perswaded there be many good Patriots in this Land who wish well to the publicke good but what is that which hath hitherto hindred Simil. They say there is a fish called therefore Echeneis which will take hold of a ship and stop the passage of it And there is a weed whins I thinke which will cause the plow which rends up most weeds to stand still and I thinke no lesse but that this selfe-love is the fish and weed which hath thus long in secret prejudiced the effect of our Parliaments where Sages sit to consult but they have not cast out this Davus as I may call it which disturbs all such and such abuses I could reforme thinkes one and seeke to reduce improptiations to the right of the Church but then I must restore many my self and that will pinch Such Lawes I could wish but then perhaps I should be the first that should suffer If such a Minister were in my Parish as made conscience he would spy out my base wayes and reprove them and then I should be noted and so it were better to live under a worse that I may still sleepe in a whole skin The truth is this selfe-love is the canker which ruines States and Common-wealths whiles each man lookes at the consequence of good Lawes not at their goodnesse what hurt will redound to my name and state not what good may accrew to the publicke And hence it is that although for their owne liberties and the outward welfare of the subject each one is ready to strike in yet for those things which concerne the honour of God the welfare of his Gospell and purging out abuses they are fearefull to medle Oh they feare they shall hereby bring their names in question and thus private ends crosse the publicke Oh if men in authority had sincerity sutable the North winde doth not so drive away raine as they might suppresse sin And when inferiours perceive the honest bent of governours to make and execute Lawes neither turning to the right hand nor the left neither looking at flattery feare or foolish pitty Oh how would they quaile and tremble If in our Townes and families it were thus that Headborrowes would consult and governe according to this rule not looking at their owne ends a squint but with a single eye what might not be done Whereas the most like well a good order and punishing of the unruly in generall till it come to my sonne daughter servant tenant or kinsman and then they have the disease in the nose called touch me not then their wine is water and their silver tin and their zeale turnes to ashes Others love and like order but they will not stir themselves they love to spare their travell their purses or the note of others they love ease and thereby sinne goes unpunished or foolish pitty marres the City and sinne growes so rife by custome that its past remedy To conclude if husbands would sincerely counsell their wives Husbands and Parents without selfe respects and parents their children and Masters their servants what housholds should we have But when husbands are affraid to distaste their wives and chuse rather to endure ill fashions the losse of the worship of God in family then displeasure of their wives parents chuse rather to lay the bridle on their childrens neckes then to crosse them seeking their owne ease with their ruine as Ely and David did and Masters care not how servants spend the Sabbath or carry themselves so their worke goe forward how should it be chosen but God and Religion must be cast out of the family So much shall serve for Admonition Vse 4 Next whereto as I conceive Exhortation may be added That as I have warn'd them against base respects Exhortation to sincerity in Counsell so I might perswade all sorts and especially such as whose counsell amounts to the greatest good or deepest evill to sincerity and faithfulnesse And once againe my brethren Ministers consider you shall never be able to convince by the sincerity of truth and the word till you adde sincerity of conscience and intention of the peoples good Evidence of truth from God and evidence of sincerity for God must as Aaron and Hur alway prop up your Ministery on both sides as Moses arme from flagging Ministers doe not alway prevaile when they doe thus but never when they doe otherwise Act. 26.27 Excellent was that speech of Paul to Agrippa Oh I desire that thou wert not almost but altogether as I am excepting my bands He wishes him well with integrity of love So thou were a through Christian let the chaine rest upon me I seek thy soul no ease to my self I know there be many of us who have shot those gulfes which I spake of in the Use before And I know that we would many of us abhor to crooke the rule of Truth to flatter others in their lewdnesse and sinne for our owne bellies hopes or purposes and to hold correspondence with our betters by corrupt consciences I know we dare not to curry favour and shunne the opinion of singularity sow pillowes under mens elbows cry peace peace in their ears against the word which were to put out theirs and their owne eyes both Matth. 23. ◠Jam. ult that both leader and led might fall into the pit But yet there is even in us another dreg of Selfe to bee purged out We are men of passion as Elia was and when the Divell sees that we will close with our calling be painfull or that we will not easily be seduced to open ambition epicurisme company pleasures and covetousnesse all which nourish false ends then he hath another bait for us That we may couch Selfe under our best reproofes and sometime pitch upon them with
Oh they say its pitty such Ministers should live they serve for no other save to gaster and unsetle men who are in peace They have done that with their words which all their labour with both hands cannot undoe againe Oh wofull wretch Is the Minister able to goe beyond the Lord Is he not a servant of God to doe what he will use him for Esay 10.15 Rom. 9. Shall the axe exalt it selfe against him that cutteth therewith Or the clay say to the Potter why dost thou make no more haste to fashion me No it s enough that he shall heale whom he hath wounded and make up the breach he hath made when God will use him In the meane time perhaps thy cavilling at the meanes bindes Gods hand behinde him thou needest not wonder that he doth thy wife or child so little good rather cease thy rebelling as bootlesse and yeeld thy selfe to come into Gods order that he may worke upon thy heart as he hath done theirs And so let it by the way encourage the Minister of God who pleads for the glory of God and travells with a soule burthened and despairing of ever seeing good day Oh Lord saith many a such one Vse 3 it is for thee that I have so urged the conscience of my hearer to trust upon thy accomplishment of thy word If I have deceived the people Encouragement to the Ministers of God Ezek. 14.9 Rom. 3.7 thou hast deceived me Oh if I should leave any poore soule in the briars and never see the worke of faith finisht in him I should be accounted a liar for God! what a dishonour were this Lord put to thine hand helpe thy weake servant save thine owne name and my credit Disable me not from being beleeved leave me not a reproach to vile ones Alas They whom I have to deale with are a sturdy and a rebellious people cavillers and such as will disgrace me if thy word should not prove true honour me therefore and set thy seale to my poore labours that in my truth thy name may be glorified 2 Cor. 10.4 Esay 57.18 batter and pull down their high stomacks plunge them into horrors and then create the fruit of the lips in them and strengthen me to be an able Minister of reconciliation that so the mouthes of them who would traduce thy Messengers and Ordinances may bee stopped Even as the Lord Jesus Joh. 17. praied his Father to glorifie him for the sake of them whom he had given him so doe thou entreat also Oh in thy weldoing be not discouraged by such nor be too sollicitous for God! feare not Esay 42.8 he will not give his glory to another he will not be laught at as unable to goe through that which he hath begunne These poore servants of Naaman were weake instruments to speake of but yet made strong enough by the Lord to conquer their Master so thou shalt perhaps be the instrument to water that which others have planted Gal. 2. And what if others enter into thine If God may have a Temple built by Salomon 2 Chron. 28.14 David will lay in Timber and Cedars and willinglly forgoe the name thereof And therefore distrust not God nor faint in thy service Thirdly let this be use of Admonition to us that since God hath Vse 3 said it He will not alway contend but create peace Admonition Cleere and justifie God in his delay of grace therefore wee judge not amisse of God when we see the worke deferred as if he did deserve the blame but rather cleer him and say He cannot lie the fault lyes some where else The truth is we heare of few who honour God in the improvement of this promise though it be not the fault of all for many doe beare witnesse to God in this kinde But why Because they wilfully make it a long journey which God makes short And first they will not confesse that which God hath done They think faith to be such a sensible effectuall grace that none can have it but by and by they shall see the flame of it and so not discerning any excellency of effects they consult with their owne feelings and conclude there is nothing at all Alas poore soules the beginnings of faith are poore though the encreases may be great Job 8.7 Spirituall things in a carnall subject are as hardly discerned as a pearle among much dung that which is our owne appeares easily and dismaies us But that which is Gods is more secret Againe many looke more at their owne stirrings of the poole then at Gods I can speak it by experience that whereas one hath made complaint of his not clasping to a promise and mourned simply for unbeleefe ten have bemoaned their losse of the affections which they have had in hearing praier or conference A signe that their owne is nearer then Gods worke with them Faith is not alway a victorious sensible and reflecting grace upon the soule wherein it is But a casting of her selfe after all her fruitlesse wrastlings as being convinced of the insufficiency and invalidity of them all upon the streame of the word to carry her to the haven of peace If then you have lost your first feelings and zeale give not God over but still seek him for a further spirit of recovery and encrease upon the best grounds Naaman here had lost his first hopes yet you see he recovers them againe by better insight and perswasion and that ere he looked for it Pray earnestly O Lord thou hast power to set the Sunne ten degrees backe Lord set mine ten degrees forward Thou oh Lord hast all instruments meanes seasons perswasions blessings crosses in thy hand to worke by apply them Lord and suffer not my soule which is sunke into giddinesse ease worldlinesse discontent of spirit and dead sullennesse to lye still in that dungeon Drive me out of my carnall tracke into thy Royall Rode and if I must be delaid yet keepe me in thy way presse the Lord with his owne word and say Thou canst discover to me all my steppings out of thy way all my stops and lets Thou canst uncharme Satans spell Thou canst multiply perswasion and weaken disswasion Thou canst remove that utter unwillingnesse and uncouthnesse of the soule to this work and cause lythnesse and complying therewith Thou canst pull me out of those snares which enwrapt me in bondage as the weeds did Ionah No rocks shall split me with feare no Syrens shall inchant me with baites if thou assist Thou canst menage thy Spirit with so strong an arme Esay 55.8.9 that it shall prosper to doe what thou wilt and cause that no raine no snow shall returne in vaine but doe that for which thou sentest it Take heed give not God over trifle not out thy time improve fasting to cast out the Prince of Divells Unbeleefe and frequent the Sacrament as Gods sealing Ordinance and then know that he who hath begunne will finish
except thou bee out of the way when the houre of performance is come Vse 4 But lastly and above all hearken to this all you to whom of right the Doctrine belongs Consolation to all who have found God in their conversion you who have long waited for this day behold it here even the day starre of consolation arising in you hearts 2 Pet. 1.19 I dare say for you you doe not gape after comfort to spend it upon your lusts but to heare what God will say That you returne no more to folly to your old distempers To you I apply this blessed truth to you I say whose big hearts are come downe and lye at the foot-stoole of mercy and marke what I say Come out of your ashes take unto you this white garment of joy and put it on your warfare is accomplished Oh that this day might be the time of your lifting up perhaps it may for ought I know take this handkercheife and wipe away all your teares with it let this Sun beame of comfort chase away all former mists and fogs of darkenesse and distrust and let it be as old Eli a voice from God to your sad spirits that with Hanna having received your answer you may be heavy no more 1 Sam. 1.17 1 Sam. 7.12 Set up your altar with Samuel and say Hitherto the Lord hath holpen us and adde moreover he will give me the hand and helpe me over the hill of difficulties that remaine Be so farre from distrusting this that you proceed and say He that hath thus fulfilled his word in one kinde he will doe it in all other set me beyond gun-shot of all corruptions temptations Divell opposition and malice of his instruments and keep mee till his comming and till I obtain full redemption Rather then the Lord would not accomplish that promise which was 4000. yeares old of sending the Lord Jesus hee would even strip himselfe and bee made sinne and shame of holinesse and honour Did hee so deny himselfe Galat. 4.4 and all to keep that maine promise and dare I distrust him in the rest and the smaller No surely Therefore poore soule that thou mayst be established come in and believe this maine one The night is past and the houre of darknesse is gone Now the Almond tree blossomes Cant. 2.11.12 and all the sad disasters of the Winter are passed Now in this Garden of God come meet thy beloved and let him give thee his love Henceforth say O my soule thou hast marched valiantly Thou art above all thy former feares and sorrowes Thou wert afraid lest death should prevent thee ere this day but that was impossible for then Gods word had been of no effect Say thus Now me thinkes in the comfort of this truth I could leap over a wall Oh that I should see it no sooner Now the time of God is come it is so cleare that I wonder I should ever stagger or distrust it I see it must bee wholly spun out of the Promise and not out of mine owne Bowels Gen. 28.16 Surely God was in this truth heretofore and yet till now I was never aware of it Now I am now I blesse God that ever I lived to this day that God should in such a comfortlesse world reveale such glad tidings unto me and make me to see his salvation Oft have I heard of him with mine eare but now I see him with mine eyes Now I can say Job 42.3.4 That which I have long sought I have found I have found him whom my soule loveth Why shouldst thou not say thus Psal 43.5 Why doth thy spirit fret within thee why art thou so sad when the Lord hath given thee the oyle of gladnes Doest thou not know that it hath been the portion of sundry Saints of God before thee Oh then climbe not up to heaven nor go downe into the deep to fetch Christ Thou shalt not need This day is come thy accepted time The promise is neere thee Rom. 10. even in thy heart to beleeve it As the Angell said to Peter Arise and follow me so doe thou and say Now of a truth I see the Lord hath indeed delivered me from Herod and the Jewes Acts 12.6 How went that Eunuch away from Philip rejoycing Acts 8. end What made Glover to speake when hee saw that Chariot of fire to carry him to heaven Oh! hee is come hee is come And another at the stake to take her leave not onely of her Husband Children and Countrey but of Faith and Hope saying Farewell you and welcome Love What a triumphant speech was it Speciall examples of soules deeply long loden yet at length comforted Another whose tendernesse over her children had not been ordinary and her feares great being very sicke to cry out I take no thought for them I leave them to my God and as for my distempers and temptations I have none I know I shall bee saved Another fearing hee should live in a great sicknesse asked Doe you thinke I should ever keep this assurance till another sicknesse and death come He was answered Yes and so foure yeares after at death he lay as before rapt and ravisht above world and all and being asked how he did said I am new out of a Trance I have had a doore opened and seene the glory of God and now the doore is clapt to but I peep at the crevis to keep the sight of it how loath am I to forgoe it To conclude another poore creature very weake to hold any thing all her life yet most constant in meanes till death when all thought her neere gone bade them weep no more for her nor take no thought for shee knew shee should doe well Oh the faith of these and hundreds more wee have seene and all to evidence this truth Oh! let us tread in their steps and follow their conversation and when thine end shall come Christ shall but stoop down and write upon thy heart 2 or 3 words Bee of good comfort Joh. 8.6 thy sinnes are forgiven but all thine accusers shall goe away and thy self be acquitted for ever Oh be thankfull to think of it and let no stranger world or lusts enter into this thy joy to defile it Thus much for this fourth and last use and for this doctrine Now I hasten to the next Doctrine And having ended the time when he obeyed we come now to the obedience it selfe True humilitie scornes not to learne of the meanest Hee went downe and washed himselfe in Jorden Wherein although the main thing which I intend is the Act of his faith yet one thing I must tell you of first viz. an amplifying of it by his humility that he was thus subdued by his servants and glad to yeeld at their instance counsell though their Master a great Prince An unusuall and unlikely thing that such a favourite to his Prince as hee was and so great
persons disdained not to learne of so poore a counsellour what should such as wee doe who are yet as much more stout then they as they were wiser then wee are And so much for this poynt Doct. Another poynt offers it selfe from hence also and that from the order of his obeying The Text telles us Then hee went and dipped himselfe When I pray you Surely when his stomack was brought down and sunk in him then hee went dipped himselfe in Jorden when that which all this while letted was removed then did he obey believe and doe as he was bidden and that in a moment The poynt is very speciall to prepare us to the poynt following for it acquaints us with a main barre and stop which lies in the Preachers way and the Spirits way to wit a rebellious and selfe-conceited heart and with that which makes easie and sweet that is an heart convinced and yeelding to the Word No man I suppose will expect me to be large in much opening of this disease for I have spent many Sermons in the handling of Self Self-love carnall Reason Rebellion and coy Pride in Naaman when I went over the 11. verse Now I take all that for granted and from the issue of the Lords working thus long upon Naaman his humbling of him to the command Humility alway goes before grace compared with the effect of his obeying I would present unto your eye this poynt That alway when the Lord means to create faith in the soule he doth immediatly put an end to all that stoutnesse of spirit that hindred the same The poynt is cleare No sooner had the Lord emptied Naaman here of his opposing heart but immediatly followes his obeying the charge So true is that golden speech of Ieremy Jer. 31.18.19 I heard Ephraim bemoaning himselfe Thou hast chastised me and I was chastised as an Heyfer unaccustomed to the yoke Surely after that I was turned I repented and after I was instructed I smote upon my thigh I was ashamed and confounded because I did beare the shame of my youth The summe of the words is That all the while that Ephraim was proud and wilfull no grace would enter into him But as soone as the Lord thawed his spirit and made him humble lo hee presently submitted and bare Gods yoke with meeknesse and obedience Prophets there were before who did beat upon him and tozed him with rebukes and terrors but alas they were but as the blowes of the Smith upon his Anvill which is the more hardned But at last God cast into his heart a secret thought of his long rebellion and how little good it had done him then by and by hee listned and smote upon his thigh and repented Even so all the day long sayth the Lord by Esay Chap. 52. ult have I stretched out mine arme to a people in vaine None hath beleeved my report the word of God is revealed to none Why Hee addes because it is a stiff-necked and a gain-saying people q. d. But for this they had beleeved long agoe This is that which elsewhere the Prophet foretels under the Gospell that such as should bee converted unto God Esay 2.4 Esay 2.12.17 should turne their Swords into Mattockes and their Speares into Sythes that is of warlicke and turbulent ones become peaceable Husband-men and Inhabitants The Aspe shall suffer the young childe to play at the hole of the Aspe and the Lyon shall feed with the Lamb and the Beare with the Bullocke meaning the savage and wilde dispositions of men should turn meek and tractable Iob in one place brings in the Lord asking this question Job 39.5 Wilt thou tye the Unicorne to the furrow or wilt thou make the wilde Asse feed at thy Crib q. d. No their nature is unbroken thy Oxe and thy Horse are fittest for that whom thou hast tamed to the worke Even so assure thy selfe the Divell and Christ Light and Darknesse may as soon comply as a stout rebellious heart and grace Rebellion and Unbeliefe yoke together so doe Selfe-deniall and meeknesse of Spirit with faith and obedience As while the sinewes of mans heart is of Iron the Lords heaven is Brasse so when the soul begins to melt the Lord begins to turne and convert it It is with the soule in this kinde contrary to that it was with them in Acts 27. If these goe out of the ship it must needs miscarry But if pride and rebellion abide in the heart no grace will grow the man must perish Ottomans horse they sayd wheresoever he became made the grasse that it could not grow so doth a stout heart keep grace from the heart There is a secret intelligence between hell and a proud spirit And contrarily there is an entercourse between an humble heart and heaven Hosee in one place tells us Hos 2.21 That the Lord would speake to the heavens and they should heare the earth with rains and then the earth should heare man with fruits So first heaven must grant the heart tendernesse and relenting and then that will heare the Lord commanding and promising The windes being very loud the aire is dry but if they be downe then presently we have store of raine See that 1. King 19.12 So is it here when the tempests and stormes of the heart bee up whether in morall sinnes against the Law or spirituall rebellion against the Gospell there is no obedience but if they be downe never so little the clouds will follow after raine that is faith and obedience will ensue Prov. 15. ult The feare of the Lord is instruction and wisedome And before honour goeth humility Whom shall I teach Doctrine Esay 28.7.8 Even him that is weaned from the Milke and drawne from the Breasts The sweet milke of the breasts of Selfe and carnall Wisedome are alway opposite to the wisedome of God Sacrifices thou wouldest not but an eare thou hast boared Why That I might doe thy will O God who before did mine owne Vse 1 For briefe use First it is instruction to put us out of question why an heart of unbeliefe hath so long pestered the most of our hearers Instruction Why the most hearers are pestered with unbeliefe Because the heart was never brought down and why the Lords perswasions have so little prevailed to make us believe Surely if you doubt as I feare few need to doe the enemy is this wicked Haman of a rebellious heart Perhaps some of you are of another minde because you can so colour and crust over this sore with courtesie and good words but the truth of it is There is an heart within big and high and stout This is the Camell which suffers not the soule to goe through the needles eye Somewhat is the cause why the felon upon the hand swells it is an humor which is not yet let out if that were out the felnesse would cease Enquire and consult either a cursed heart will keep some base lust
and Divellish But as for nourishing this naughtinesse in your selves and stifnesse in it to keep your fashions attires to speake your owne words as if no Lord should controll you Oh! how horrible is it Shall God beare your name and be as your husband but you will eate your owne bread weare your owne cloath and be at your own hand and finding as those women in Esay speak Esay 4.1 Then surely you must bee content to live upon your own wages and so lâ—e downe in sorrow Vse 3 Thirdly This is terror Terror to all openly proud scornfull and prophane persons who proclaime their sinne as Sodome whose hearts cast up mire and dirt like the raging Sea Esay 57.21 Those carry themselves aloft and live at the full height of a bigge and high heart without any sense of their danger Such as maintaine this rotten principle It is good to be some body in the view of men because as a man thinkes of himselfe Jam. 4.7 so will others thinke of us Which as it is false for God resists the proud crosses them so what if it were true Surely so long as my doctrine continues good there is no possibilitie for thee to obtaine grace and obedience while this spirit lasts Naaman was a great one Proud hearts terâ—ified by Gods resisting might as much stand upon it as thou yet till his stomack came downe the word of his cure was not beleeved hee was a Leper still so art thou and worse in Gods sight so long as thy lofty heart dwells in thee thy high thoughts of thy selfe cause mean thoughts of God contempt of his word and disdaine to bee a captive to Gods truths Nay it takes away all capablenesse judicious discerning remembring affecting applying or practising of any thing thou hearest save to pride thy selfe in thy knowledge and to strengthen thy selfe in a rotten peace Jerem. 48.11.29 Alas as the Prophet describes Moab that she was very proud shee had not beene rolled about and therefore was setled upon her dregges her sent still abode in her so is it with every proud wretch his own savour is in him still he is as he was as you leave him so you finde him a proud wretch rolling up and down upon his own hinges As for suspecting all is not well or laying any thing to heart hee is farre from it No winde shakes his corne he applauds himselfe in his owne conceit and saith I shall have peace though I walke in the stubbornesse of mine owne heart Mark how carelesse pride is But what comes of it Doth he meet with any grace in such a condition No the Lord will set himselfe against such a sturdy wretch Deut. 29.15.16 breake his iron sinew and the staffe of his pride the wrath of God shall smoke against him and resist him till his heart feele it and desist from fighting against God And surely if such finde small favour with men save from teeth outward they finde much lesse from God Should not this scare every such man out of himselfe saying The more I magnifie my selfe the more God vilifies me I see it hard to curb pride but it is harder to endure wrath and to be cast out from God who counts none pretious but such as count themselves vile Beware of it then the sin it selfe is sad but that it should be the canker that should eate out the foyson of grace and destroy all my hearings and make my devotions as odious as the cutting off a dogges neck Oh! this consequence of the sin is worse then the sinne it selfe Many sinnes are worse in their fruit then in themselves and this is one of them And to touch the particular of Naamans sinne here which was blustering at the Prophet and cavilling against his message we see here how God abased this spirit in him ere ever he could obey But when that was gone then the other succeeded And so I say to all proud cavillers The terror urged here is terror for them While cavilling lasts no grace enters Looke upon this patterne all you cavillers and see God branding you with a gracelesse heart as long as this humour lasts I have noted the end of such as have vented their pride in cavilling and picking knots with the Minister and his doctrine such as cannot receive or stand under a solid and sad truth with a meek heart and I never saw such come to good God hath betrayed them to shame and ill report Their knowledge hath puft them up They have some growne Alehouse-Keepers and haunters embraced the world fallen out with their brethren and forsaken their fellowship been foully tainted with grosse evils uncleannes the world contention censoriousnesse uncharitablenesse Some have proved Brownists Poynters Schismatickes and Libertines and lost their honour with God and his Church If there bee any drop of humility in you let this affright you lay downe the bucklers and as you have been proud so now be humble Say not with Gardiner I revolted with Peter but I have not repented with Peter but with this poore Proselyte Naaman I have been as stout and proud as he and now behold I repent and am humble as he Lord give me grace as thou gavest him Oh! the servants of Naaman had little cause to repent them of their counsell when such an effect followed Neither should I of mine if I could prevaile as they did God grant you and mee this grace The fourth and last use shall be exhortation to us all Exhortation and comfort to humble soules to embrace this Vse 4 grace of a subject humble spirit Oh! it is the messenger of mercy and mercy followes her at the heeles Selfe-deniall and an humbled soule are speciall ingredients of this receit of Mercy and faith to apply it When the soule is full of her owne it is empty of Gods hee counts all grace put into such a soule as water put into a top-full vessell The empty the bare the naked and poore soule is that wherewith he will betrust his grace Jâ—mes 4.7 be earnest for this as you would have faith herselfe 1 Cor. 25. As Paul calles death the last enemy which must be subdued ere we have glory so may I say that a proud selfe-sufficient heart is the last enemy which must be cast out ere we can come by any grace It is the last brat of the house which goes out The onely vice which keepes possession for old Adam to keep out Christ When wee see Gods tokens Simile we count the plague incurable and when mercy cannot conquer a rebellious heart it is past all remedy And contrariwise here is comfort to all such as are thus tamed by God they are brought to the bent of his bow I may say to thee as Martha to her sister Mary Thy Lord is come and calleth for thee And as our Lord Jesus himselfe said to Zacheus This day salvation is come unto thy house
off as it were a glimpse of light through a cloud that her estate is not quite forlorne whereupon the extremity of her former feares is much alayd and shee put out of despaire into some expectation of better things although as in the twilight much mixture of old terrors remain not quite banished as the Canaanites among Israel to teach them warre and to occupy them in combats Thus was it with those Ninevites who by the instinct of mercy darted into them by the Lord secretly lifted up their heads a little towards hope of not perishing and to the musing upon the benefit of deliverance The third is an holy compassion of heart towards him whom the soul hath pierced by sinne even the Lord of life who yet was well content to be murthered lest his murtherers should perish The due meditation whereof melts the soul into marvellous heavinesse that she should seeke his ruine who sought her making Not as mourning for his death for else she must have for ever been damned but for her treachery against the mercy of a Father who cut off his Plea and the love of a Saviour who gave his life for her This makes her impotent in her mourning and steeps her in gall and wormwood Zachar. 12.10 as not able to utter indignation enough against her selfe for it Fourthly yet as one borne downe with the singularity of such mercy and the fulnesse of that price which is paid to justice for her sinne shee is loth to let it passe without a desire to partake it yea and an ardent affection after it as one that is famished for lack of bread or drinke can be satisfied with nothing save that which it longs for though shee were offered treasures in stead of it yet shee still cries with Rachel Gen. 30.1 Give me this or else I dye And fifthly here she stoppes not but warily lookes about her that she binde not the hands of mercy from bestowing her desire upon her by her boldnesse and loosnesse of heart life and therfore she is watchful to her self lest in this her pursuit after mercy she should offend it any way by her pride frowardnesse base words passions or behaviours worldlinesse commonnesse of heart about her earthly lawfull businesse loose hearing forgetfulnesse or the like Sixthly she is marvellous restlesse in the applying of her selfe to all such meanes and ordinances as might further her desires and reveale unto her more light and evidence of Christ fearing lest by any defect of hers and letting slip the opportunities and seasons of grace and stirring motions of the Spirit shee might provoke the Spirit of grace to give her over to her owne unprofitablenesse she tries all as ascribing that honour to God to chuse what he will worke by to these hornes of the Altar she will cleave and if shee must dye shee will dye there Seventhly the more she growes in understanding of the way and mystery of salvation by Christ the more shee compares it with the best contents which this world in any kinde did ever present unto her and finding them light in the ballance and farre from being what they seeme or performing what they promise nay although they could doe both yet in comparison with mercy shee stamps them under her feet esteeming them all as drosse and dung Phil. 3. Lastly by this meanes she resolves fully in her last thoughts to sell off all whatsoever might seeme pretious unto her lusts liberties vertues Religious duties yea that onely stop of grace the mixture of Selfe with Christ that so shee might in the losse of all make up a price of grace that is that she may come with nothing and make a price of no price and so buy the Pearl till which purchase be made her own she can have no peace And this purchase stands in her faith which as an hand takes and accepts the seasin and delivery of the Lord Jesus given to her by the hand of him that surrenders him unto her by the promise Touching the which act of faith it remaines that we speake a little having said of this preparation so much as for the present wee think meet Touching faith what it is and how it is bred in the soule Concerning which and first of the nature of it so farre as it is the act of the soule obeying and yeelding to a word of promise I will say a little as may best sute the Text here under our hand Naaman then we see overswayed by his servants doth submit himselfe to the word of the Prophet and hee goes to Jorden and washeth Faith then to tell you first in what it stands not is not properly an habit of assurance or certainty of pardon through a personall and particular appropriation of Christ to her selfe Although asrance be never without faith yet assurance is not the proper act of Faith The originall of this error proceeded as many others have done from heat of confuting Papists in their opposing of possibility of Assurance That wee might the moâ—e fully confute them our first defenders would maintaine that the nature of justifying and saving faith stood in assurance which Tenet was indeed more then a confutation for although it is the portion of none save beleevers to enjoy this assurance yet neither is it the portion of all that beleeve to attaine it but only some special ones to whom it is granted neither is that assurance which such have the formal act of their faith but rather an effect or coÌ„sequent of the act of beleeving of an higher measure then that is For sure it is the greater our feeling of assurance is the lesse our faith is To shew then what it is It is such an act of the soule as upon good ground and warrant casts her selfe upon the promise for pardon and life By casting her selfe can be meant no assurance within her selfe but a submission and resigning up of her selfe to the promise in respect of that power and truth of the Promiser who bids her come and hee will ease her This is a sure word and hath neither trick nor device in it neither hooke nor crooke but is that which it imports and cannot deceive And this sure word is the object which faith lookes at Shee lookes not so much at the assurance which shee feeles within her selfe but at the certaine and infallible truth of the Word without As for her selfe shee knowes shee is full of doubts feares and unsetlednesse but so is not the Word of God nor himselfe that speakes in it She even in the very act of believing is full of strife and struggling For the making of this plaine consider faith in all her passages and you shall see it Quest 1 The soule hath three questions The first question is whither the Soule shall turne her selfe in her legall straits Flesh saith thus Goe on no further towards the promise for it is a difficult worke to believe and unlikely to take effect
till she have cast off all weights and clogges which might hold backe and with-draw her from this free and full giving up her selfe to God Simile I make this plaine by a similitude A Clergie man hath a Benefice which by his errour is fallen into the lapse if hee will still plead a true right by his preaching of his Sermons or serving Cure he loseth his living or if his stomacke be too great to confesse the lapse But if he will acknowledge his lapse and have his friend ready in the Court to begge it of the King to whom it is fallen hee may possibly save the lapse and recover his living with a better title then at first So here Grace is fallen into the lapse by Adams and thy sinne by this the right of it is forfeit into the hand of the King of heaven if thou wilt now confesse the forfeit and renounce thy crazie title if thou wilt resigne it up into the Kings hand going to thy friend the Lord Jesus to begge it for thee againe thou mayst have it better confirmed then ever Else Simile if thou plead thine owne righteousnesse thou losest Gods Another Simile As it is in the marriage union A woman cannot wholly resigne up herselfe to a man except she wholly be free from all her own cavils and exceptions which might hinder her resolution If either her minde stand to live a virgin as distasting the married estate in generall or if she like it but yet refuse except shee may have her owne ends reserve stroke in her owne hand to dispose of that she hath or have such and such liberties to goe and doe as her listeth or if shee feele the yoke of subjection heavie to her and will be eased of it or if she dislike the person or qualities of the party or his abilities or breed parentage or trade calling any of these are sufficient to hold her spirit off and to use her freedome live single Even so here Till Self and selfe-ends be all borne down by the streame of grace and the promise there is no possibility for the soule to yeeld up her selfe and resigne her liberty That which they speake in Joh. 8.33 Wee are Abrahams children were never bound unto any is the voyce of every base heart which though it ly in the deepest slavery yet thinkes her selfe free because that chaine is sweet by custome and becomes even as deere as life it selfe And to bee broken off from it is more bitter then death Oh! every one thinkes thus Rom. 7.9 Now I am alive to my will and lusts If once my necke bee under the coller of Christ I must stoope farewell then all my liberty But till the soule bee brought to see that in the promise which will equall such carnall liberties and recompence them with an hundred fold in a better kinde shee will never be perswaded to deny her selfe Shee sees her selfe warme in her nest feeles no want loves her ease and therefore will not out of her track And hence it is Psal 45. To be brought to an utter strait and a forlorne condition is one ingredient of faith that Salomon tells Pharaoh's daughter in the name of the Church that if shee will forget her selfe her Idols and heathenish heart her fathers house and contents her private wealth and honour that she may wholly bee his and according to his heart in her prizing him for himselfe and for his meere love above all other delights if she will bee subject to him and deny her owne name and will then she should bee a wife for him and hee would delight in her love not else So that resigning up her selfe wholly to bee at his dispose was one maine peece of the marriage Even so is it here That soule which will enter league with God and cast her selfe upon him for pardon and life must wholly cease to be her owne and come under both the name and authority of another or else shee equivocates and lies to the holy Ghost worse then Ananias did First that averse heart in generall to the match must be taken off that contrariety and distaste of conversion and Christianity must be abandoned Rebellion against the way of God must be abhorred then all quarrels against God the conditions of a regenerate person the difficulties the crosses annexed to it must bee devoured All the soules mixtures both in the way of beleeving and obedience afterward must bee pared away All her owne duties performances labours zeale devotion religion morality all her affections bred in her from her owne ends must bee forfeit She must be content that Grace honour her selfe with the only stroke in the worke of conversion if she beare not all the sway she will beare none at all Now if any of these sticke in her stomacke if she be willing to have the fat and sweet but shee will have none of the soure she is still within her owne bounds and cannot freely resigne up her selfe to the promise for Selfe and the Word are directly contrary No soule will cast her selfe upon a bare word of God but that which hath first renounced all that might really give her content without it And therefore to finish such a soule puts her selfe out of her owne dispose and submits her selfe to be at the dispose of God to doe with her as he pleases according to that which in his word hee hath revealed himselfe to be willing to doe She desires that she might bee more willing to have God glorified in his owne way and honoured in his mercy then to enjoy pardon and heaven in her owne way And although it bee not the case of every weake soule to come thus farre because that which drawes the soule first to seeke God is her owne pinch of guilt and curse and her desire of forgivenesse peace yet her entire desire is to cast her selfe so farre upon the bare word of God that if that can faile she is willing to perish and as she growes in light and strength she is glad to be informed what the scope and purpose of any truth of God is and being so shee desires to stoop to it most humbly and entirely that whatsoever become of her owne yet Gods will may be done in her and by her And this may serve briefly to shew what the first part of faith imports that is Selfe-deniall I have oft spoken of it before Thus much here may serve 2 Part. Resignation Resigning up of the soule to God is a second ingredient of faith The second thing in faith is Resignation of her selfe to God This is when God is fully and wholly that unto the soule which before Selfe was or any thing in the world wherein her content stood Consider good brethren I speake of a weighty thing and not for discourse sake Perhaps you may thinke I goe to deepe and indeed so I doe for a carnall fleet heart howbeit no truth of
God must bee concealed to please our basenesse therefore to cast and resigne up the soule to God is neither more nor lesse then to lot upon the Lord in the promise to become that unto the Soule which before Selfe and the world was in the uttermost of her profits and pleasures lusts and vanities which gave her that satisfaction which she desired Oh good friends that neither I nor you might utter and heare that in a few sentences which perhaps all our life hath scarcely reacht unto For I tell you plainly such a speech as this might well set us both upon scanning how the case stands with us Wee all know what our owne ends what the world 1 Joh. 2.16 Matth. 18.9 the pleasures of it the lust of the heart the lust of the eye and the pride of life have been unto us Surely as our eye and right hand When as God is to the Soule that which formerly Selfe and sin were it is a signe of resignation to God Tell me now Are any of us so cast upon the word of God and those qualities of a promise before named faithfulnesse constancy lovingnesse freedome and the rest that wee can venture all our welfare thereon That God will so alsufficiently supply us that both all our former unlawfull liberties and contents shall bee as meere losse and dung to us and wee shall think our selves never the worse Againe that all meet and lawful contents shall be ministred unto us and that by a promise Lastly that if ought bee denied us which may seeme desirable wee shall therefore not thinke it meet because God gives it not for else his love could beteame it and if wee must want it yet even therein we shall abound because wee have his promise that it shall bee an hundred for one Yea and that wee shall esteeme the presence of God his favour peace of heart in forgoing a blessing or patience in bearing a crosse greater gaine by farre then to have had our wills in kinde Truly brethren to have God that unto us which before other things were is not lesse then I have spoken and yet so is God to that poore soule which hath cast her selfe upon him for pardon and life for hee who will not faile in the greatest will not faile in the smaller Marke then Faith in casting her selfe upon the promise is an hard grace but yet wise shee will lose nothing in the Hundred but shee will get in the Shire and she is warranted so to doe by the Lord who will have her know if she will be ruled by him and trust his word she shall be no loser but an infinite gainer yea and know it also to her great content though now and then mixt with some doubtings and weaknesse And by this meane the soule waxes confident upon God in the promise and by degrees growes to see this truth as well in other promises as in the maine of which I shall after say somewhat I say faith growes by experience to an holy complacence in God by his promise to be all one with him acquainted with his truth and bounty to venture herselfe and all her happinesse thereon and so to have such an affiance and trust in God as not easily to be unsettled by each delusion or conceit of Sathan or world or herselfe But still in all her seeming straits and difficulties to rely upon the promise and to picke out the true meaning thereof even the length and depth of it and seeing God cannot lye therefore to wait for resolution in all doubtfull cases rather then rashly to question the promise and to repent her of her choice This holy obedientiall affiance and trust upon God by a promise is that happinesse of a Christian soule and that true rest of heart which she should pitch herselfe upon as that portion which she counts best an fallen into a goodly ground It is a good illusion which Saloman or Batsheba hath Prov. 31.11 of the good wife That the heart of an husband rests in her hee is so linckt in love and affection to her so experienced in her fidelity chastity helpfulnesse and gracefulnesse that his heart rests upon her and trusts to her Be the businesse never so weighty be he never so farre distant from her let never such conceits and suspitions come in his minde all are washt off the trust which hee hath in her quits his minde and hee rests upon her without casting any scruples May it bee so betweene sinfull couples who may be and are in many things unfaithfull and shall not the Lord much more be trusted Yes doubtlesse A true beleeving soule goes not to worke by guesse casts not with herselfe what if God should faile her What if she should bee defeated But because the promise hath secured her of Gods unchangeable truth she takes it Simil. and as with a knife cuts in two all such cords of withdrawing feares and throwes herselfe upon it as the anchor is cast upon the bottome under water when once the Pilot hath by his plummet sounded it and there it sticks and holds the ship from tossing too and fro with winde and waves even so doth the soule which hath known the Lord and taken sure markes of him knit and fasten it selfe upon him and stands not to descant off and on this way and that but drownes it self once for all in the sea of his Attributes no more to be distempered by any of her objections That time which others spend in asking Shall I Shall I I could be content but may I safely doe it and shall I be welcome With the like stuffe shee spends in doing as she is bidden 1 Sam. 15. Esay 26.3 and hazarding all upon the faithfulnesse of him who is the everlasting strength of Israel and cannot lye Oh thou wouldest cast thy selfe upon the truth of a man whom thou hast found to keep touch in his promises and wouldst blush if such an one should cast thee in teeth that thou didst distrust his promise having never taken him tardy in any thing Should a sinfull man so engage thine heart and so ingratiate himselfe with thee and shall not the Lord much more deserve it of thee Gen. 8 9. If ever thou wilt have thy weary wings at rest fly to this Arke and settle there Buy and sell upon the promise set downe thy staffe there for this is the way to engage the Lord to thy selfe thou honourest him above all honouring by thy faith and he will for it requite thee and trust thee for ever and bind himselfe not to leave thee because he knowes thou makest full reckoning of his helpe thou hast cast off all other props of thine owne that he might be instead of them all unto thee Such a one shall not need to feare that it shall be disappointed So much for this Use Vse 4 I come in the next place to a briefe Use of Admonition to all that would cast themselves upon
faithfull will withdraw himselfe for feare as loth to be noted afraid of his betters willing to sleep in a whole skin Try our selves by this If wee obey closely wee will not strive to quench but to quicken up our selves to pick out the best services we can for God in our places As a good Justice will straine his authority and improve the Statute to the uttermost against Sabbath-breakers drunkards and glad that hee can thus expresse his heart Another will bite it in and conceale himselfe So Parents so Officers so rich ones doe that which others cannot not else alas what singular thing doe you Triall 15 To conclude an honest heart will not weare the Divels Irons nor bee dispensed with It is well principled shee hath a sound principle and is not like to hypocrites I may compare these to Children set to Schoole some onely to read write and cast account so farre onely as will serve them to keep their Shop-booke or make their reckonings straight Others to be Grammarians and so University Scholers to learne the Arts and Tongues that afterward their learning may principle and furnish them for all studies So is it with these The formall Professor if he can pray and tip his tongue with generall religion is at a point and lookes no further hee hath enough for the attaining of his owne ends and is never troubled about his course But the sound hearted Christian who strives to bring his whole heart and life under the Rule hath never done with himselfe but workes his generall principles into an infinite bredth of particulars How shall I delight in the Sabbath How shall I hold in my heart from giddinesse and loosnesse How shall I watch to God in my thoughts affections and conscience How shall I get strength against this secret lust and that defect in duty praying hearing How shall I use the world as if not or deny my selfe God sees these errours although man doth not Oh! the principle of grace exceeds the shifting skill of an hypocrite as much as heaven doth earth These are some among many others which may serve to try our hearts brethren about this waighty businesse Set we upon this work therefore and cease not till by all or by some of these trials thou canst although but weakly yet soundly judge thy selfe to be one that endeavours closely to obey And as thou shalt by these markes discover thy selfe to be so either bee comforted or admonished To the which ends the two uses following shall pertaine Thus much for the use of Examination Vse 4 Fourthly then let all such as can prove that they receive the word of Commands according thereto with all closenesse and faithfulnesse comfort Comfort themselves in their condition I have pressed the use in part before to wit in one of the Reasons To apply my selfe more particularly this I adde That thou who closest with Gods Commands maist be doubly encouraged In 2 respects The first First in respect of thy speciall serving of thy time Thou bearest witnesse to God and to his truths when thou seest the power of godlinesse borne downe in this base world know it that as the Lord will be slight with the slight so he will bee close with the close 1 Sam. 3. It is his promise That who honour him he will honour those that esteeme preciously of Commands and walke narrowly with him in their obedience he will esteem preciously of them they shall be of his Cabinet counsell they shall be privy to his secrets he will make knowne to them his waies Joh. 7.17 So that when he is aloofe to others they shall have familiar accesse yea if he give an account to any of his administrations they shall be sure to understand it Abraham was for no other cause called the friend of God If ye doe my will you shall be my friends more then my servants for friends know secrets Gen. 18.17.18 Read that Ezek 9. Where the Lord causes them that obeyed him but in one of his charges to mourne for the iniquity of the age to be marked with a penne and inke that he might know them for his jewells for his beloved ones And againe he tells that Church in Rev. 3.19 because she had kept the word of his patience that is clave to his truths in the times of danger Therefore he would save her from the temptation which should come upon the whole earth Close obeyers of God in loose times shall have close comfort in trouble They that stand out for God and will not oppose his glory to publicke sale and reproach hee will shrowd them in the day of trouble when others shall goe from chamber to chamber with terror to cover their heads from wrath A strange promise which we can hardly see how God should performe but yet God will doe it for such as preserve themselves unspotted in conscience and cleane from the infection of others In the meane time he will be found of them in their prayers close walkers with God shall have close audience close peace close comfort inward refreshings as Esay cap. 50. speakes read the 10. vers Who is he that feareth the Lord and obeyeth his voice Let him stay himself upon his God And therefore fearing God feare nothing else Although thou be scorned and pursued for this thy closenesse as a vile person yet let not this dismay thee for thou sufferest for God and as Saint Peter saith if for a good cause and cleaving to a word 1 Pet. 3.14 thou art faine to suffer take no thought in that behalfe let them who suffer for their misdeeds looke about them but as for thy part the Spirit of glory rests upon thee and although thy face shine not as an Angells like Stephens yet thou shalt as much convince thine enemies Act. 6. ult as hee did the same Spirit of courage and patience which upheld him shall sustaine thee till thou be redeemed fully from all adversity Heb. 10.37 Beare a while and he that commeth will come not tarry in the meane time side not with them who breake Commands and would have thee follow their examples But rather if this be to be vile be thou yet more vile and the more thou avilest thy selfe for God the more honourable he shall esteeme thee The like I may say of thy obeying commands in the generall practice of Christianity take comfort in this also Canst thou say The second Branch Rom. 7.22 that thou delightest in the law of God in thy spirit and inner man I tell thee thy estate is better then to be a Prince without it The Lord hath done great things for thee if it be thus and as Paul speakes even made thee for the very nonce 2 Cor. 5. Consider the dayes past Hath it alway beene thus with thee Couldest thou alway desire to be unclothed and clothed upon Couldest thou alway desire to dye daily through the rejoycing
their left hand doth They acknowledge little to come from them Matth. 25. they keep all to themselves When did wee see thee naked and clothed thee Hungry and fed thee Sicke and in prison and visited thee Why are you such strangers to your owne duties Then shall others be strangers to your joy onely your selves shall enjoy the priviledge of your own close walking For be yee sure God will not conceale it close love shall never want close peace unknowne welfare and comfort of heart prosperity in grace growth and experience You that walke in the regeneration of obedience with Christ shall not only sit upon Thrones hereafter in stead of your dust and ashes here But in the meane while you shall fare as Christ fared he who made it his meat and drinke to doe his Fathers will had meat to eate which no man knew of Joh. 4. Nourish thou a mourning heart for sinne thine owne and others a close heart to obey and no man shall bee able to judge what thy joyes are Prov. 10.29 Thy worke is also thy wages and yet the Lord shall besides support thee otherwise so that neither spirituall nor earthly requitals shall bee wanting till at last that life of thine which was hid with Christ in God Col. 3.3 shall breake out before all Men and Angels Then shall close obedience bee swallowed up into exceeding glory and the garments of joy shall bee added to thy secret consolations in the day wherein Christ himselfe shall appeare in glory And so much also may serve for this Use and for this Doctrine Whereto I wish from my heart a blessing from God upon the Reader The next Branch of Naamans obeying was his closing with the promise The second branch arising from hence is that Naaman washed seven times according to the word of Elisha in respect of the promise added to his washing and that was That he should recover his flesh againe and be cleane This point I told you is as materiall as the other one cannot well goe without the other they are as twins which live and dye together The point I collect from it is this Gods promises must be beleeved according to the scope of promises that is according to the intent and extent thereof I say againe and marke well promises must bee beleeved according to that which is in them and that which they import neither must they bee shortned or straitned stretched or enlarged neither made lesse nor more then is in them Doctrine Promises must be beleeved according to their extent More then they are no man shall need to make them for all the store and fulnesse of God is in them Lesse then they are none may dare to make them That which the holy Ghost speakes in the conclusion of Revel 22. Hee that shall adde any thing or dâ—minish from the words of this booke the Lord shall adde to him all the plagues in this booke and diminish his name from the booke of life That I may say of the promises Let none make them greater then they are Opening of the ground of the poâ— nor yet lesser but let every one take understand and apply them to himselfe as they lye in the word not in the letter onely but in the spirituall meaning and purpose thereof Touching the ground of this point out of the Text it needs not many words to be spent about it It is evident that the obedience of Naaman in going to wash proceeded from no heat of sudden alteration of minde no pang or humour no blinde hope or had-I-wist as who say It 's but trying I will goe hit I or misse I it is but my journey No but as he was strongly held back before by a deep selfe-conceit so now hee is drawne forward by as deep an inspiration of God and a perswasion that the promise annexed to his washing was as certaine and undeceiveable as the charge was divine and absolute and therefore in obeying God commanding hee consents to God promising also in as full and absolute a degree and in all points and respects as the promise lay that is to say not that hee should perhaps be cured perhaps not but that the cure should bee whole and entire no manner of Leprosie should hereafter cleave to him any more but as now he was nasty and scurvie all over so then he should be healed by the healing of God better then if Elisha had laid his hand upon it that is as perfectly as if hee never had been Leper and his flesh should returne to him as the flesh of a little childe so clean should he become and return home and not repent him that he had beleeved the promise in the fulnesse thereof So much for the ground of the Text. Now as I noted in the former point here some may step in and object Object Why doe you ground a doctrine upon such a passage as this of Naaman Alas his washing was but an outward act and that occasionall and personall onely reaching to himselfe and determining with him Our case is otherwise and it must be a bottome of eternall truth which must ground a doctrine of this nature because it concerns the perpetuall practice of a poore soule in respect of pardon and sanctification To whom I answer in one word That the question is not here Answ what the particular of this promise to Naaman is or is not but what the nature of every promise requires whether it bee occasionall and temporall or spirituall and generall The point is this Every promise bee it what it will be whether for once and away or for adoe being from God requires an equall obedience and extent of faith to embrace it and cast the soule upon it as well as the moralest and generallest promise in the Word can doe The reason is plaine because in the one as well as the other is enclosed that power and truth of God which bindes the soule to an equall and uniforme obedience I speake now and marke well of such promises as require our faith for the performance for some promises are absolute in themselves and rest upon the naked word whether we beleeve them or not because they be universall Gen. 8.21 As that the rainebow shall be a sure signe of no more deluges That seasons of the yeare Summer and Winter sowing time and harvest shall continue That the Gospell shall bee preached to all Nations Mâ—tth 24.13 That there shall be a restoring of the Kingdome to Israel and Christ shall in this world bee knowne to bee Lord and King of his Church These promises though they deserve credit yet shall be performed howsoever being pitcht and appointed by God in their seasons But for personall promises not so That particular promise made to Abraham touching a sonne if yet it were particular or any other concerning a present mercy or deliverance Gen. 18.10 Esay 7.4 as that which was made to Ahaz of
will serve Or at some young youth who marries a woman of threescore Alas they are mismatcht all see and say money and wealth or preposterous love for their owne ends not for the due ends of marriage love made such matches No apt and meet ones may marry they onely are beyond exception So is it here Not every one who is without a promise may presently marry it not each base fellow steaming and sweating out of the Alehouse or Stewes Such little look at a promise as a promise for the honour of grace but at their owne ends to gull themselves with false hopes David saith well Psal 119. Thy promise O Lord wherein thou hast caused thy servant to trust But God causeth not every one to beleeve a promise but forbids them as presumptuous yea though they dare say that though there were but three saved they should be one and againe what a foole art thou that canst not beleeve I would beleeve I trow or else its pitty but thou shouldest perish Oh thou foole even of thine owne mouth Answ 2 This for them But secondly a promise is exclusive as well of such as are in fairer way of beleeving and that is of all such as will bring of their owne cost towards beleefe and salvation Oh thou cousenest thy selfe not knowing a promise for a promise is such a way of God as craves the onely reliance of an empty desolate soule upon it selfe That 's the nature of it it s a royall thing can endure no peere or partner So much of this 2. In the accord of promises to them in sundry parculars The second accordance of a promise stands in the qualifying of it to the person who may and doth beleeve it or if you will in the severall beneficialnes of a promise to the soul and this more directly toucheth the point in hand Concerning which to speak fully is no easie thing howbeit some particulars I will point at for your better conceiving of it And first you must know that this accord of a promise presupposes the due order in which a promise belongs to the soule This I would expresse in two branches 1. Promises must be understood as issuing from truth in generall First the promise being a parcell of the whole truth of God requires that the soule doe beleeve the whole truth before it can beleeve speciall parts of it Faith being a resolution of the soule into the meere verity of him that speakes in the Word a part whereof is a promise Why Because it savours more of Self then Faith that I beleeve those things in the word which immediately concern my own welfare except first I be concluded in this That God who is the first truth and deserves to be credited for himself only is the author of the whole word through Hence Heb. 11.2 the Apostle doubts not to affirme That by faith wee beleeve that the worlds were framed by the word of God and that things now seene were made of things not appearing This is but a remote thing to the maine object of faith which justifies But yet it s inclosed in it as the pearl in the mother of pearle he that lively beleeves one may beleeve the other more easily as deducted thence The act of justifying is an act of that lively faith which doth more then justifie Note So also true faith so beleeves a promise that it also beleeves dogmaticall truths practicall truths threats charges admonitions instructions as well as comforts and promises because it lookes at him who deserves the universall saving reliance upon Gods truth for himselfe aswell as for our owne ends This for the first branch Secondly 2. In respect of Gods order viz. first promises of reconciliation then of sanctification promises must be beleeved in that order of immediate saving of the soule in which the God of order hath propounded them to the soule then we beleeve a promise accordiâ—g to a promise when we first beleeve that promise which concernes pardon reconciliation and life and then proceed to beleeve such as concerne government and sanctification First those that are our being then our welbeing As in a fat of wares first we must unfold and take out the upper then the nether The prime and first promise must be first beleeved then the rest I speake now of the priority of order not of nature to us ward not the word ward for so every good thing is given at once to the soule Christ I meane and all he hath But for us See 1 Cor. 1.30 till we have beleeved the first of saving us we cannot beleeve any other which followes upon it viz. of mortifying a lust quickning to holinesse The like may be said of the order of spirituall and temporall promises till the former be digested the latter cannot be The reason because the first gives vertue title and claime yea influence into the other This for the first Secondly he who beleeves a promise according to a promise 2. A promise must be beleeved according to the intent of the promiser beleeves it according to the intention of the promiser Each promise swims to the soule in the bloud of Christ and therefore hath a strong bottome and undeceiveable Promises are no loose interlocutory words falling from the mouth of God when he mindes other matters Nor yet as mens promises who first garishly make them and after intend them but first God meanes them really and then fulfills them To beleeve aright is to beleeve as the promise is strongly and surely bottomed and grounded they deserve fully the soules rest and affiance not staggering and doubtfulnesse We must not use promises as we would use little pegges or tagges which though we dare hang our hat on yet we dare not sway our owne strength upon for they cannot beare it But as we use some strong brazen or iron crooke upon which we durst weigh our whole body such is the promise Es 26.3 fix thy self upon it for the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength Doe not as those two Disciples at Emmaus who said we thought and looked that he would have risen againe by this time but now wee know not what to make of it and yet Christ was even then risen and talking with them when we warpe and lye aloofe upon a peradventure this is not according to a promise but when we lye close to it as a foundation which will beare us up strongly Thirdly they beleeve a promise according to it who beleeve it in the due limitation of it and that in two regards First of the variety of estates to whom they belong 3. When a promise is beleeved according to the due limâ—tations In two respects 1. Of the variety of estates to whom they belong All beleevers are not equally capable of all Promises Promises goe according to the need of Christians Promises concerning crosses belong properly to the afflicted Promises concerning growne ones concerne the strong Promises to
so mistakes and misconstrues must either deceive himselfe in looking for more or defraud himselfe in looking for lesse then the promises containe in them What a continuall vexation is it then to erre about the extent of those things wherein to erre is above all other errors most dangerous and remedilesse Many more reasons might bee added but the substance thereof will occurre otherwise Vse 1 I proceed to the Uses First this point is Terror to all in generall who doe not beleeve the whole body of truth according to it selfe Of Terror Branch 1 without the which promises cannot possibly be construed aright Now alas Truths of God must not be taken by tradition and prejudice but from the whole body of truth beleeved as Gods what a common error is this Who beleeves or deducts promises from the rocke of truth as marble pillars digged out of the whole quarry Men take the whole truth of God for the most part from the tradition of men from the interpretation of others which is no other save upon trust as their Parents Masters or teachers have instil'd it into them and I grant its meet to be so at first for so those Samaritans John 4. at first harped upon the truths preacht by Christ by the information of the woman But they did not rest there till by her they were drawne to heare him speake himselfe and then they told her plainly that they resolved their faith not into her report but Christ himself It is with many of us as with Papists who use the Church to bee the principle of their faith whereas she should onely be a guide an informer and directresse It s not to be doubted but the Church is the preserving and sustaining pillar of truth in point of guiding the soule to the truth for had not the Church nursed us taught and train'd us up where had we been But this must not be enough to stablish us except we meane to disguise our selves and bewray our sandy foundation when tempests and troubles shall try what is in us no we must put a difference betwixt our drawing to the truth and our beleeving the truth and never rest till the bright morning starre of the Word the Lord Jesus hath risen in our hearts who will cast such a through light into them as shall shine from East to West Matth. 24. and enlighten us in all truth yea lead us into all truth by his Spirit Churches judgement must guide us principle us in the truths of Scripture that Spirit I meane which assists his word in the hearts of all humble and teachable ones This will cause us not to take here a shred and there another such a command or such a promise as pleases us not knowing what to make of the rest but to set open our whole hearts unto the whole truth the whole body thereof that it may enter into us possesse and dwell in us plentifully in every part it will present to our eyes that God of truth speaking in his word and piercing thereby into the very marrow and bones dividing the thoughts and carrying the soule into the streame of that excellency of his whereby we may be convinced of his truth it will shew us the truth of the written word in the eternall word of the Father full of Grace and Truth the way the truth and the life in whom who so beleeves to salvation doth also beleeve all and every truth which ever came out of his mouth and wee shall no more doubt of that then of Christ himselfe in whom all truth is established and gathered as the whole verge of a garment into one knot so that as no man bids us to prove that its day light when the Sunne shines so wee shall need no proofe or demonstration of any particular part of the word having embraced Christ that eternall word of God into our bosomes because he brings all his truths with him and having himselfe fulfilled that one great promise of his incarnation and redemption hath also in that made good all the other promises and made them Yea and Amen to the praise of his glory Oh therefore The Spirit of Christ must be our first planter of truth in the soule how wofull is the condition of such as forsake this way of faith and goe to dig pits which will hold no water boasting that nothing shall ever pull them away from the truth no feares persecutions change of times and I know not what away with thy vain brags If thou hast not first planted thy selfe upon Jesus the body of truth thy particular knowledge of truths will vanish of it selfe for he who gathers not with Christ scatters but how much more when thy slight building shall be shaken with crosses and enemies Therefore gaster your selves from such frothy bottomes as will deceive you get truth first planted in your soules with the love of it for some reall and maine good which it hath done you Terrour to all Popish and blinde maintainers of truth upon error and opinion and when Christ shall have brought his truth with the saving comfort of it into you it will hold your hearts close to it never to goe from it it shall keepe your hearts and mindes in the knowledge of God it shall discover to you that rich hoord of promises which are hid in Christ out of whom they are but as the sound of many waters and vanish as fast as they come This will teach us a rule of conceiving truth aright This will scatter all mists of error darkenesse mistakes from the minde and purifie the heart by the obeying of the truth as Saint Peter speakes 1 Pet. 1.22 2 Pet. 1.19 yea it will be a light shining in a darke place and guiding the feet into the way of peace Abhorre then a patched confused knowledge of truth destitute of the truth in Jesus as thou wouldest abhor and loath utter blindenesse and arrant ignorance it selfe in the highest degree For indeed setting aside the shew of it it s but cousen germane to it who abhors not a misbeleeving Turke or Jew as a very infidell Who loaths not an Hereticke Papist Pelagian or a Schismaticke as we doe misbeleevers Yea in some respect worse because they are so leavened that it is easier to draw a Pagan not prejudicate to the faith then such It s true that the other have more of truth in them then the other But they doe so corrupt confound and misapply truths they maintaine not truth in the accord and the harmony of truth therefore they hold truth rather to overthrow truth then to establish it and in effect are greater enemies to the promises and to the truth in Jesus then they can seeme friends to some kindes of truth whatsoever their abettors and patrons would or can speake in their defence So much for this first Secondly and more particularly its terror to all audacious and impudent Branch 2 spirits of hypocrites Of
with it passe it by Their severall objections have been answered before Now I onely presse reproof upon them Light is sowne for them Psal 97.11 but they will not see it but goe on with their burden as if they would offer their eares to be boared for slaves As those mentioned last are in one extreame and snatch at that which is denyed them for stollen waters are sweetest so these cannot make use of that which belongs unto them when yet it is pind on their sleeves To whom I say as Esay did to Ahaz when he refused to aske a signe Is it not enough for you to grieve men Gods Prophets but you will grieve my God also What Are you too well offered Esay 7.13 and cannot see when you are well used nor discerne your friends from your foes Doe you thinke it is enough to nod your head as Asses doe at a promise beleeving it onely as a tale told but with-draw the affiance of your soules from it Is it enough for you to moane and complaine to desire and mourne Are these faith Is it better for you to shrugge in the cold weather and to wish a fire yet in the meane time to starve for lacke of that which is offered you To goe naked and let the garment lye by unoccupied Oh! checke your selves bitterly for this irregularity whatsoever the cause be whether unworthinesse or sloath or sullennesse it is not according to a promise that I am sure of Oh! get your soules out of this emptinesse into the life and marrow of a truth Learne the truth as it is in Jesus that you put him on being naked Not to marry the promise being faire for it is contrary to a promise But to beleeve and to cast your selves upon the Word to rid your selves of staggering accords most kindly with it So much for this Branch 2 Of Reproofe Ephes 3.16 Psal 78.19 Secondly this reproves all limiters and restrainers of promises for that is not according to a promise The truth in Jesus is the largenesse of it Its length depth breadth height all dimensions are in it Thus those Israelites straitned the holy One of Israel Can hee prepare a Table in the Wildernesse This is our cursed spirit when a promise seemes true in the generall yet in the particular not so as Martha confesses the power of Christ to bee able to doe all things Joh. 11.39 but when it came to the point of raising her brother then she said Lord hee hath been buried foure dayes he stinkes What a base carnall limitation of Almightinesse is this Limiters and restrainers of promises reproved See what a contrariety is in our hearts to a promise according to the extent of it As the Cable seemes to a Needles eye so doth all the points of an extended promise seeme to our hide-bound hearts Gods enlargements worke by contraries and make us the more straitned as in the point of the same or the kinds of promises and so the rest Now I thinke God hath heard my prayer but how long he will that I saith one know not it seems too much to presse hard upon him so long so often for so many favours True if he were a man Jer. 2.13 Esay 26.3 Heb 13.8 or a dry pit but hee is a God a fountaine of living waters Men will bee weary of doing good but it is Gods nature to doe it as the streames to flow Who thinkes it a wrong to a fountaine to draw from it daily Doth it not come alway more fresh and sweet It is the honour of a Prince to look at himselfe in giving not at others The ofter thou commest to a promise Sundry instances of it the welcomer It is according to the truth as it in Jesus Oh saith one I have trusted God for pardon but as for purging my corruptions of pride ease vanity the world or if so yet for purging or weakning this or that beloved lust 1 Kings 20.28 cannot beleeve it Why Is God the God of the valleyes onely not of the Hills also So saith another I can trust God for heaven but not for outward things for my selfe but not for my children while I live but not when I must dye loath I am to heare of that or for the present so farre as I finde my needs but what may hereafter betide mee in my name health state safety liberty God knowes Doth God know and dare not you beleeve Is this according to a promise and the extent thereof Truly Popery cares for no faith we have all a Pope in our belly that 's unbeleefe we go farre onward in Religion But we have hearts which shrinke in the wetting and hold not out in breath and pace with promises grudge and cannot beteame our selves the wealth and fulnesse of God lest we should be compleate in him and too wealthy by him Ionah grudged promises to others but we are envious to our owne soules I remember what once a devout â—otary prayed Lord saith he grant me my petition this once I come not often to trouble thee and on condition thou wilt grant me this I will never trouble thee more Oh base wretch Is thine eye evill because Gods is good Thirdly this reproves all such as stretch out promises beyond their Branch 3 bounds and set them on their owne Tentors till they rend them Enlargers of promises beyond their due bounds to be reproved They could beteame the temporall promises of God to themselves and the Church for deliverance and redemption from all enemies for peace protection and welfare were unlimited But those which touch their souls especially to kill their lusts they care not how narrow they frame them even as the bed and covering of which Esay speakes that is so narrow that it will not wry them warme They beleeve not promises as they are but fancy them They chuse rather that the bush would not burne at all then that it might not consume in burning where God straitens they enlarge Shalt thou teach Jesus how to frame his truths Surely this kind of receiving of truths is not according to Jesus and the honour of Jesus but according to Self and carnall selfe-love Thou maist as well take upon thee to alter the whole frame of Scripture as of promises for God hath bounded them and their land-marks cannot be removed Apply thy self unto them as they are for they will not accommodate themselves to thy humor thy seasons or contents Fourthly this is reproofe to all who beleeve not promises according Branch 4 to the intention of them Not to beleeve a promise according to the intention of it is sinfull They make them weaker and insufficienter then they are This doth intollerably trench upon the honour of Jesus this of all the rest is farre from embracing the truth as it is in Jesus What is it which Jesus hath not done or suffered to stablish and ground truthes And yet how basely doe we
handle him in this We look rather at our little sins in our beleeving then his great promises Oh saith one if my sinnes had not been so deep died so odious and long lien in I should hope well Rather thou shouldest say if mine heart were not so hardned that I am past all feeling and faith I should doe well If thy sinnes have not driven thee to be desperate in rebellion and contempt they are not surely too great for mercy to pardon Looke upon Manasse and Paul 1 Tim. 1.13 Though I were a persecutor a blasphemer and injurious Chron. 33.12 yet mercy and truth abounded in Christ Jesus He saith not sinne abounded beyond mercy Oh saith another But I have sinned since my first enlightning sin'd against the remedy adding drunkennesse to thirst What Dost thou so still and nourish a rotten peace and a secure heart still against the promise No but thou doubtest that thy abusing the meanes and hardning of heart will not be pardoned But know that the Lord Jesus his sufferings are of a deeper nature to merit then thy sinnes to destroy He was made all sinne 2 Cor. 5.21 satisfied for all sinne he was a nature of sinners not a sinfull person onely and therefore can pardon even them that murthered him and not in vain is that example set down in Acts 2.30 to prevent that feare They who come to Christ must come to him not as the greatest sinners onely but as to the greatest Saviour able perfectly to save all who come unto him The strongest eye must bee cast upon his strength Heb. 7.25 Esay 27.5 not upon thy deservings The mystery of mercy is to save to the uttermost that so the soul may break and God may be honoured to the uttermost Well but yet he pardons none save such as have faith and how shall I know that he will give it me I answer the promise that offers pardon workes faith to beleeve it and therefore it s said that it creates the fruit of the lips Esay 57.16 Matth. 11.29 which is peace it offers ease to him that is loaden if it offer the effect it must needs worke the cause But saith a poore soule this might be if mine affections would rise to it with some earnestnesse but I am dead and under infirmity Nay even then also can the Lord create this hand of faith in thee 2 Cor. 12.9 by the seed of the word how did Paul lie under sad buffetings yet this grace was sufficient for him In a word what ever the sense of thy weaknesse be yet its Gods strength which thou must take hold on to make peace and that comprehends thy weaknesse when thou canst not comprehend that strength So much for this Fifthly this reproves such as runne to promises without wisdome Branch 5 aptnesse Unapt appliers of promises or other parts of the word reproved and the particular necessities under which they live When they should runne to the promise for comfort they rather please themselves in running to the threats of the word for deeper humbling that pleases them better because they thinke it may better be felt but this course sutes not with the truth as it is in Jesus which requires that each malady apply it selfe to her proper remedy This causes the wound to rankle not to heale When men are called to doe some speciall service and duty they forsake that and rush themselves upon suffering promising to themselves that God will sustaine them and so provoke needlesse sorrow like Ionah to themselves and all by their rashnesse Others being called to suffer Jona 1.6 shunne that and promise to themselves strength in doing But this is to misapply promises for they alway attend upon commands and while we be in Gods way not our owne God payes no man wages for doing his own work Others promise themselves great blessings upon attempting difficult workes above their strength unto which they have no calling leaving their Ministery ere God knocke them off or thrusting themselves into trades in which they want skill leaving their owne and the like But the wiser way for them were to apply themselves unto promises which concerne those speciall callings conditions and waies unto which God calles them Branch 6 Sixtly and lastly those are here to be reproved who doe in any kinde goe to worke preposterously with the promises Preposterous appliers of promises reproved contrary to their nature and use or scope who separate them from their end which is to mortifie purifie and better the soule as well as to comfort and pacifie it Also all such as mistake discover darken stretch dis-joint the promises who take not such a due measure of the promises as they ought putting them on as they may best fit them and so never come to the kindly use and fruit thereof as the Lord offers them Of which I say no more this shall serve for this whole Use of reproofe Thirdly this point serves for Exhortation Exhortation to incite and draw all who Vse 3 would beleeve aright to beleeve according to the uttermost extent and purpose of a promise and not to defraud the soule of that due which the Lord allowes her This is the way to engage the soule in God to walke most comfortaly in the life and practice of faith God requires no small service and cost at his peoples hands which will hardly be except the soule be deep in Gods bookes and that cannot be till she come to beleeve promises according to their full extent To this end two things would be knowne First 2. Questions 1. How a promise beleeved what should the soule doe that she might beleeve a promise according to the reach of it Secondly how should she practise and set this grace on worke For the former of these three things would be done First 1. A promise must be sounded the soule must fathom and comprehend a promise truly Eph. 3.15.16 That you may comprehend with all Saints what is the length c. That which the woman John 4. tells our Saviour I may say of this The Well is deepe and there is nothing to draw with There is depth in a promise but few are men of understanding to fetch it out There may be enough in it for ought most men looke after their shallownesse discourages them from attempting it Vertue is gone out of the Lord Jesus into it both for life and godlinesse this and a better life in crosses and blessings for all turnes so that each idle cavill of a base heart ought not to elude it Hath God set it open for his whole Church to be filled with the fulnesse thereof and shall it not be sufficient for a poore members supply Accustome thy selfe to deal with a promise as the marriner doth with the sea whose depth he is ever and anon sounding lest his ship should runne a ground and be swallowed up Thy misunderstanding may eclipse the beauty of it
save draw the spirits of curious and distrustfull men to wofull Idolatry To put confidence in him under a Witch to expect successe from a cursed Principle to ascribe that glory which belongs to God alone to base means which all are reduced to the Divell their first mover Satan knowes he gaines more this way then he loseth by the truth he speaks or the good which followes He denies himselfe at no time save for wicked ends Beware therefore Dare not to confound those excellent wayes of God in his power providence and mercy to his creature with the Satanicall and Sorcerers courses of prophane beasts As for those miraculous operations of God in his Church throughout all ages of the Old Testament in the poole Siloam and the gift of ejecting Satan by some certaine persons there was enough to prove that they were from God John 5.4 Matth. 12.27 for the confirmation of Truth the strengthening of Faith the drawing of Proselites But as for all the other the Lord justly suffers Satan to deceive such as deceive themselves first and reject the truth as we see in Saul Esay 8.19 Should the living goe to the dead 1 Sam. 28.6.7 Jam. 3.15 and to them that whisper out oâ— the earth Geomanticks No but to the Law and to the Testimony if that favour not there is no wisdome in them save that which Saint Iames calls from beneath and divelish A most wofull thing that in a land where the Gospell hath beene preached this eighty yeares such abominations should swarme and that with impunity yea in some cases which I name not with Apology God amend it So much for this Branch Secondly Goodnesse of God in using weake and poore things to effâ—ct great is much to be admired hence acknowledge the infinite goodnesse of God in devising such aide and succour to poore creatures both their bodies and soules for the expressing of his tender mercies to us in this infirmity of our flesh That by a word speaking he should create the fruit of the lippes even peace Esay 57. by the Ministery of a sinfull man further off from power to convert a soule then Jorden to heale a leper and beget it to a lively hope and immortality and glory That thereby the word preached should carry with it the working of faith and regeneration As the Lord Jesus his own blessed words effected miracles in the speaking causing the dead to arise the lepers to be cleansed Marke ult the deafe to heare So the words of his Ministers by the same vertue from him should doe greater things then these even by instruments most weake how admirable is it To the end that our faith might not stand in man but in God! 2 Cor 4.7 That the deadly soule leprosie worse then Naamans bodily of infidelity pride hypocrisie selfe should be washt all away by the water of Baptisme through the word of the Covenant to which its annexed in all beleevers and these shall become sealing ordinances to ratifie the truth of regeneration to the soule and to confer the nourishing power of the Spirit unto life eternall how admirable is it It is the omnipotent power of God which causeth it which separates the silly creature of water bread and wine for the present from common use Sacraments how divinely appropriated to seale up to the soule strong assurance of salvation takes off the base outside of it casts an honourable mantle over it appropriates it to holy solemne and divine use and service unites the Lord Jesus himselfe with his whole merit and efficacy to it and all to effect this end to convey the Lord Jesus into the soule of the Beleever assuring it by vertue of this sealing ordinance that as verily as the body by vertue of appetite eates and drinkes the creatures so truly doth the soule take and eat the body and bloud of Christ to the souls nourishment by Gods command and promise This is a mystery and it should teach us that if God have assumed such poor creatures sacramentally into the partakership of himselfe therefore to take heed lest we vilifie the outward ordinance as pretending all the power to be from Christ but to acknowledge each part thereof to bee from him and one as true though not as effectuall a part as the other Ye parents make not Baptisme a common thing make not so solemne a thing to wait upon your leasure and complements when all your trinkets are ready then carry your childe to the Sacrament No let your bables attend it not it them Despise it not for the outside there is a blessing in it and under the basenesse of elements lies hidden a world of worth and honour Therefore not to be used as common things And you my brethren the people run not out from it so soon as the word is preached as if you discerned no Christ in and under it annexed to it for your owne speciall use and good I tell thee those silly creatures are essentiall parts of the Sacrament as well as the grace and ordinances of God to bee reverenced though I say not with our own invented yet with that esteeme with which God hath honoured them viz. to be channells and conveiors of that grace of the Lord Jesus for life and support else would he not have graced Sacraments with the like honor to Faith Except a man be borne of water and the Spirit John 3.3.4 Marke ult and He that beleeves and is baptised shall be saved God can worke without them when they cannot bee had but when they may he will have them share in point of honour with the graces sealed from which they cannot be severed nor may be rent So much for this second Use And lastly although I doe not here equall Jordens waters to a Sacrament Jordens waters a resemblance of baptisme nor dare I call it a type of Baptisme yet is there a cleere and lively resemblance thereof in it I speake not this to teach any to use their wits boldly to allegorize every thing as some have done In this its safest for us to captive our wisdome to God to bee no wiser then himselâ—e but where he pleases to expresse allusions there to follow with sobriety As in the allegory Gal. 3. end of Sina and Jerusalem to typifie the nature of bondage and of freedome So that of Noah's flood which Peter Epist 1. Cap. 3.21 tells us is semblable to Baptisme Else its best for us to forbeare types only we may make resemblances As here this healing of Naaman by Jorden and expressing of it by the flesh of a childe teaches us thus much That the Lord who occasionally used this water to such an end as to cure an incurable leprosie of an aliant and stranger from the Common-wealth of Israel doth assure us that much more by Baptisme as by an appointed and setled sealing way he is able to heale the fretting leprosie of sinne and curse in all his
his seed should be set free after it was a stranger in an heathen land for four hundred and thirty yeares and so it fell out Gen. 15.13 Exod. 12.42 when the time came that God delivered them what saith the Text That selfe same day of that terme expired the Lord brought forth Israel with her armies So in the Gospell marke how curious the Holy Ghost is in expressing of the faithfulnes of God in each passage of Christ his nativity his parentage his dwelling his person life betraying passion death buriall See throughout the Gospell Mat. 1.2 c. Forty severall times one or other of the Evangelists refer the passages that fell out to the promises themselves That it might be fulfilled which was said And thou Bethlem are not the least of the Cities of Juda That it might be fulfilled Rachel lamented for her children and would not be comforted c. That it might bee fulfilled Out of Egypt have I called my Sonne He that ate with me in the dish he betraied me And he was counted among transgressors Marke 15.28 And upon my vestures did they cast lots Matth. 27.35 And he shall make his grave with the rich And he shall be as one of no beauty like a withered branch with a great many more Not so much as his riding to Jerusalem is omitted Behold thy King commeth lowly and meeke riding upon an Asse the fole of an Asse Why is all this To let us to understand that he who would be so punctuall in all petty passages belonging to the great promise of the Messia Matth. 21.4 would be as faithfull in performing all other promises consequent upon his merit and satisfaction And the like speeches are used to this purpose in the personall promises made to the Patriarkes as to Abraham concerning Isaac to Rebecca concerning the elder serving the younger to Iacob that God would be with him in his journey and bring him backe and deliver him from Esau To the Church in the wildernesse concerning the possession of Canaan Ioshua tells them Josh 21.45 after the conquest nothing failed of any one particular promise which God had made concerning the giving of the land of Canaan to the seed of Iacob Infinite many more instances might be alledged as the fulfilling of the seventy yeares captivity and the returne of the Church backe againe to their City and Mountaine as Esay 57.13 All being pledges put into one bosome touching the maine fidelity of God in making good the promised Seed and Messiah so oft made and renewed to Adam Abraham David Ahaz and his people which though it were kept in the bowells of time for foure thousand yeares yet at last Gal. 4.4 When the fulnesse of time was come was accomplished And hence all other promises tooke their originall 2 Cor. 1.20 and derived their issue So saith the Apostle All the promises of God are in him Yea and Amen to the praise of his glory that is Luke 1.45 firme and inrepealable Thus saith Elizebth to Mary A performance shall be from the Lord of whatsoever hath beene said unto his handmaid Faithfull is he who hath promised who will also fulfill it The Lord is faithfull Heb. 6.10 and will not conceale the labour of your love 1 Tim. 5.15 This is a faithfull saying and by all meanes to be beleeved c. endlesse it were to reckon up all and as for the addition of the point that sometimes he fulfills them for the better we see what Paul saith Phil. 4.19 Our God is able to doe for us more then we can aske or think When Salomon chose to aske a wise and understanding heart to goe in and out 2 Kings 3.11 lo saith the Lord I have given thee it and moreover I have given thee such wealth honour and wisdome as never any had before nor shall have after thee Matth. 6.32 And so saith Christ Seek the Kingdome of Heaven and the righteousnesse of it and other things shall be cast in So that it was not Naamans case onely but by consent of Scripture we see that his particular case is made the case of each beleever more or lesse so farre as is meet This for proofes Reason 1 Reasons are First the name of Gods essence Jehovah argues that he performes all the promises which he makes Because he is Jehovah For as hee is an absolute and infinite being in himselfe giving to all other depending creatures their beings So by vertue hereof he vouchsafes a being to all his promises which are the most excellent parcells of all his Scriptures He gives the like substance and beeing to all his commands and threats to all other sorts of truths but especially to these being his chiefe truths Gen. 17.1 Exod. 6.3 And as he said to Moses I was not knowne to them before the flood nor to Abraham by any other name save El-shaddi alsufficient but not by the name of Iehovah this name is a more reall name and gives a reality to my promises and causes me to performe them So now may we say I was not knowne by the name of the Father of Christ Jesus in former times as I am now for in him I make good all my word he hath sealed up all my truthes my love in him is attended with all my other attributes wisdome justice and faithfulnesse all my strength and power assists that so that whatsoever I have promised I will performe for I can doe it I will doe it and I am true in promising therefore I must fulfill it God then is Jehovah the being of all his promises our God in Christ Second Reason God is faithfull in performances in respect of his Reason 2 owne honour For his owne honour He knowes that except he should keep touch with his Church and maintaine the glory of his keeping promise with her hee should destroy the credit of his Ministers the faith of his elect and in a word the hope of drawing any out of the common course of the world to the Kingdome of grace So that his unfaithfulnesse threatning utter ruine to the whole art and way of Religion either in faith or obedience and shaking the very pillars of the Churches confidence it must needs stand the Lord in hand to see his promises fulfilled Thirdly forasmuch as whatsoever is in God is eminently in him and Reason 3 by way of excellence as before I noted in the point of commands Because whatsoever is in God is eminently in him therefore his truth in fulfilling promises must also be singular and eminent It must become that excellency of his truth not onely to content himselfe with such a performing as the poore creature can expect and concur withall but such an one as is above whatsoever the soul can aske or imagine that is rather to be over then under his promises better rather then worse this makes much for the adoring of his faithfulnesse and the
or the like comes from the not suffering the word to enter but holding it out at staves end Now then must not the word of promise beleeved become as contrary to her Why did Micaiah so scare Ahab Because he never spake well to him So why doth the grace of faith so scatter these distempers Because she speakes all against them overthrowes and resists them Contraries have mutually the same respect in their consequencies The distemper of an unbeleeving spirit alway beares downe the word till the word as the stronger man armed with the power of Christ doe foile her and strip her of all The weapons of our warfare are not carnall but spirituall able to cast downe strong holds of corruption Sinnes weapons are carnall Gods are spirituall Therefore there is no proportion in the contrariety God will divide the spoyles that is cease the distempers The reason appeares from that speech of Jonah Ionah 2.8 They that embrace lying vanities forsake their owne mercy But I will looke toward thy holy Temple and promise and thereby abandon them Each destroy the other Reas 5 Fifthly the promise drownes all former distempers because it performes that really which selfe and corruption beare the soule falsly and erroneously in hand withall These afford the soule a rotten peace a deceitfull content vanishing and ending in sorrow See Esay 50.11 But the word doth it really and surely no more to be infringed No more hungring or thirsting if once satisfied with this bread and water of life The text imports it Naamans servants here tell Naaman That which all thine owne discontents and humours could never minister unto thee that the obeying of the message will really afford thee See Act. 13.38 That from which you could not be justified from by the law of Moses by this Man every beleever is justified All at once set free from outward enemies and inward distempers Reas 6 Sixthly the experience of the Saints proves this who till they have cast anchor upon the word and settled upon this center could never find rest in all the circumference as I may call it of your owne best selfe your goodnesse affections gifts or duties Bellarmine himselfe confessing that in respect of the uncertainty of our good workes or else the perill of vaine-glory issuing from thence it is most safe for us to rely upon the sole and meere mercy of God the bare word of truth and promise How much more then shall Gods people say If it had not beene for thy word I had perished in my affliction This is to a poore soule as the chaire of Saint Peter is to a deluded votary the determining voyce All eternall immutable things comprehend and devoure the fading and changeable but cannot be comprehended by them nor resisted by their opposition Lastly the maine and chiefe reason of all is because the word Reas 7 and promise of God is not the bare letter of words or syllables Many branches but furnish'd with all the power and authority of God so that who so clings and cleaves to it is out of his owne keepe and under the Lords There is as our Saviour speakes spirit and life 105. in all which he speakes This may appeare to us in these foure specials First in the wisdome thereof This way of God crosseth all Branch 1 other wayes and hedges the soule out from all sound comfort by them only fastning it upon this 1 Cor. 1. As Paul cals the Gospel in this respect the wisdome of God casting downe all those devices of mans wit wil works or wayes by which flesh would set up a peace and ease of all distempers to her selfe There is no doubt but the errantest hypocrite living would gladly if he could by his smoothing with his owne false heart come to a kind of setling that he might no more be troubled But it is as the sowing of a new peece to an old garment and the rent becomes the worse Even as a short narrow Map of a Shire makes every petty cottingers lands to vanish and causes him to account himselfe a starke begger lord of a Mole-hill not worth the owning So doth this way of God force him who thought himselfe no meane man in his Religion and hopes to seeme a starke foole in his owne eyes For why hath the Lord revealed the way to life by the reall death and resurrection of his onely Sonne glory being made shame and holinesse sinne and eternity death to satisfie justice and shall I play the Mountebank and thinke to satisfie by mine owne trickes and devices Oh foole oh beast Secondly in the righteousnesse of God As the Sunne is able Branch 2 by his heat to licke up all the dew of the earth and scatter all the mists of the aire and the Sea is able to swallow up and devoure whatsoever is cast into it never to appeare more Even so the merit of Righteousnesse and Sanctification by our Lord Jesus compared oft to both these in Scripture is able to licke up and dispell all the most desperate feares doubts and distempers of the soule So Paul speakes Whom God set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his bloud to declare his righteousnes Rom. 3.25 What righteousnesse Surely the equalnesse of pardoning them who are of the faith of Jesus because he hath received a full ransome else saith he if he should not justifie such an one he should not be just So full a content hath Christ given his Father for sinne that if the Father should not acknowledge it sufficient he should doe Christ wrong and if he should not impute it to a poore soule that beleeves he should doe the poore soule wrong nay having freely yeelded his Sonne and received the price for that very end he should doe himselfe infinite wrong by unfaithfulnesse But there is no such feare The Judge of the world will not do unrighteously he will not condemne the righteous and the unbeleever alike For he hath accepted his Sons death as a ful discharge If we should receive a summe of money for the use of an Orphan and when the Orphan comes of age should detain it should he be righteous Mercy then is of free gift and faith is a free gift But justification of a poore soule for Christs merit is an act of righteousnesse So 2 Cor. 5.20.21 Be reconciled to God Why Because he hath made him sinne who knew none that we might be Gods righteousnesse Branch 3 Thirdly all other properties of the promiser are included in the promise as the truth faithfulnesse mercy love greater then that of the creation and all the rest scattered in the booke of God his eternity and unchangeablenesse and the like are all in the Word See 1 Tim. 1.15 Psal 25.10 1 Pet. 1.25 with sundry others So that the soules doubts and distempers may easily be cast upon such promises for so the Apostle cals them 1 Cor. 7.1 as are built upon such foundations Branch 4 Fourâ—hly
God hath strength in his hand to doe this whatsoever Satan hell law or wrath should say to the contrary I say he hath enough to warrant that he hath done against all opposers See Esay 27.4 5. Anger is not in me why Lay hold upon my strength and make peace The satisfaction of Christ is the strength of mercy as truly as the law is the strength of sinne The arme of mercy is so strong through this that the strong arme of justice cannot pull it away from forgiving a poore sinner but mercy will still be above and will not be beaten downe but prevaile against justice yea triumph against judgement By this strength then which overcomes justice shall not the distempers of the soule much more be vanquished and overcome Branch 5 Lastly the intent and purpose of God is by his promise to doe this favour for the soule even to put it out of all doubt and question and to breed assurance in it Heb. 6. That by two things the word and oath of God wherein it was impossible for God to lie we might have full assurance and so twice more in that Epistle he speakes The meaning whereof is As surely as I from all eternity did intend it in the foundation of mine election that is my Sonne as verily as I accepted it at his hands when he offered it up by his eternall spirit as verily as I offer it to my Church under the word of truth which cannot lie and have pawned my Ministers credit upon it that except I speake truely they are errant dissemblers as verily as now my deare Sonne at my right hand in glory pleads for poore soules that they may partake it so truly and really without hooke or crooke doe I intend to shew them mercy Why should not every one then that needs it fasten upon it and drowne all his distempers in it decide all doubts and rest well satisfied Conclusion of reasons To these I might adde many mo As that the promise beleeved gives the soule a full requitall for all which shee forgoes As Peter said We have forsaken all and followed thee Lord what shall we have Our Saviour answers him An hundred fold here and after eternall life So perhaps thou hast forsaken thy old crasie props for Gods word what shalt thou have Even perfect peace that which they could never have bred thee Againe I might say That faith enlarges the hidebound and shrunk heart and makes it concurre with the Lord and equall his bowels I meane to be enlarged in her bowels toward him againe whereas before it was not so but she limited the holy one of Israel and restrained his compassions Besides this word of the promise sets up a light in the heart above all that light which was there before We know when it is dark we are glad of a candle But when the Sunne shines bright a candle is a poore needlesse thing and is drowned by a superiour light So here a blind dark deluded heart is glad of any dimme candle of its owne to make it thinke it sees but when the word comes that dimme light vanishes These and many more I might adde but these are sufficient I hasten to the question and objection and the answers of them Here then first it may be asked The Answer to a Question But may a poore soule truly loaden with her owne sinne and under a condition of a promise be subject to so many distempers I answer yea surely as in the wombe the woman that is conceived with child yet ere the fruit be perfected feeles abundance of inward griefes and pains strugglings and wrestlings ere the fruit be come to the full ripenesse But when it is once come to that the former distempers cease Even so is it here Till faith have formed the soule to a true quietnesse and setling there cannot chuse but be many feares and turne-againes although the seed be cast into the wombe really But what are these I answer In three kinds Such as these I may referre them to these three heads for order sake First erroneous conceits on the right hand proceeding from selfe-love flattering it selfe by her hopes her morall qualities her negative abstinences opinion of her religious duties her affections complaints her liking of goodnesse flashes of joy and the like Oh! how can she chuse but doe well how can she be out of the way Then must thousands perish if she be wrong She is not so sinfull that she should put Gods mercy too farre to straine it selfe Ah poore wretch thinkest thou to fare well by making God lesse work or by making thy selfe to need him above all sinners The Word goes not by thy small sinne but by the graciousnesse of the promiser So also of this sort are all mixtures of selfe and soderings against the Word hoping that such a degree of desire or sorrow or selfe-deniall will serve although it have no roote in the Word nor continue Seeking God so farre as will hold with such a lust liberty or evill custome To sticke to our old condition though we find it crasie by the Word and to be unwilling to goe any further and to strippe and bare herselfe of her owne bottome that Christ might come and take possession But desperately to venture and cast all upon hazard if I be not well let all goe I will take as I find but I will altar none of my course This for the first sort Secondly there are distempers on the left hand for the soule is hurried with extremities on both sides till she beleeve I meane with bondage as well as boldnesse Of this sort are all base feares and wicked conceits against our selves That we are the unhappiest of all men of more aversnesse to Gods will and way then any men or women living That our corruptions are baser then any our natures more crooked inconstant awk and perverse that such spirits as ours so sly subtill and lewd cannot belong to God For then some restraining grace or other would have kept us all this while Why oh poore soule is it not as much for the glory of mercy to save a crooked spirit as a streight dost thou so looke upon thine owne ends that Gods are forgotten Also a false opinion of Gods enmity toward us because we feele our selves as corrupt and hardhearted as ever little amendment in us but much what the same under long hearing many mercies patience crosses meanes of grace What should this argue but that our hearts are given over and left of God Surely if he had chosen us we should not be thus Some there must be after all costs and trials who must be left in their hardnesse of heart and none more like to be of that number then such as we feele our selves So tempted to vile thoughts to lewd lusts and affections So many backwarder and further off then we in shew yet have beene brought home to God before us Many of our time age and
disease which every man cries out of but few know how to heale and fewer apply the remedy Some tell us Melancholy will have her course when all is done the best cure is to be patient till the fewell be spent Others tell us we must be merry and cheerefull as if a man should bidde a man whose legges are cut off to goe of his errand Others make short work of it and thinke nothing but riddance of their lives will ridde them of it I doe not now speake of the meere bodily humour I leave that to the Physitians Art I meane such accidentall Melancholy as befals men from the sadde reflecting of their condition upon their owne thoughts till they have brought themselves into a maze of confusion Whither this sorrow be carnall or godly either indirectly caused by such diseasednesse of body weaknesse of constitution losses reproach as beginnes to worke the heart to a conceit of Gods displeasure or such depth of Melancholy as ariseth from a long and unprofitable struggling with our spirituall diseases without finding any issue The best cure of both these is by faith in the promises That onely like that sword of Alexander can cut the Gordian knot in pieces at once without picking it out Men spend themselves infinitely about the thought of these sadde dysasters and what may come of them how miserable a plight and pickle they have brought themselves into As if a man fallen into a deepe Well should cry out and tell folke a long tale how he fell in but still lie there and desire no man to hale him out But the best remedy is to cure one contrary by another Guilt and feare an unquiet conscience is that which causeth thy Melancholy All is not as thou wouldest have it thou feelest not thy selfe as thou wouldst be Why what wouldst thou be merry cheerefull a free man ridde of thy chaines Well goe to that which onely can ease the soule of all her distempers that is get the promise of Christ grounded upon the strength of the satisfaction bestow thy plodding thoughts upon a new subject say thus to thy selfe Did God indeed of his owne accord cut off his owne quarrell when he might have destroy'd me in a moment Hath he appointed his owne justice a ransome that he might have strength to resist and disanull it Doth he offer his bare breast and heart of love to be seen by every poore soule that is in straits for want of it and knowes not whither to turne it selfe Doth he bidde such a soule drowne all her guilt and feares in this free and full good pleasure of his to be reconciled with her May she beleeve that the requiring of this price of his owne Sonne will ridde the soule of her debt and discharge her of it Set thine heart then deeply upon this meditation pray God to turne it off from the ill custome of thy distempered thoughts and noysome feares that possesse thee And if thou canst but obtaine this grace to divert them thus I say unto thee That through Gods goodnesse a quarter of that needlesse and distressed plodding of thy misery might drowne thy distempers in the bottome of the Sea and turne thy Melancholy into freedome and joy For why so saith my doctrine Trusting to the Word will ridde the soule of all her distempers Thirdly this point strongly confuteth that Popish tenet That Use 3 no man can come to know himselfe certainly to be in the state of grace and favour with God but we must alway be in doubt Confut. betweene hope and feare and that 's the best way they say to hold us well occupied to keepe us in a wholsome awe and feare of our corruptions and to exercise us in the practice of repentance But as for this faith to ridde us of our distempers that they call a fancie and that a dangerous one as provoking a man to loosenesse and presumption But O yee hypocrites dare you thus dishonour that blessed truth of God built upon such strong foundations as to detract from it the maine prerogative of stablishing the conscience Shall the Promise have no more power in it than the vaine and carnall presumption of an unsound heart Shall both alike leave the soule in staggering Farre be it from us to yeeld so prophane an absurdity As for your revelations which you say have beene given to some speciall Saints of God to assure them of heaven although wee grant that Peter and Paul had greater measure of assurance and more than ordinary freedome from these distempers yet we affirme that the evidence which they had came from no other revelation than that which the Word breedeth by the the concurrence of the Spirit which is no other than faith and as for that greater measure of full assurance of the Spirit it was wrought in them by the promise and faith receiving the same for the Spirit although it be above the Word simply considered yet it is not without the Word Neither is that Spirit so peculiar a thing as is onely given to speciall men but even to some of all sorts of beleevers even so many as it pleases God to stablish after they have long clave to the truth and faithfulnesse of the promiser So Paul speakes Eph. 1. Ephes 1. By whom the Spirit you were sealed after yee had beleeved But to leave these deafe Adders who will not be charmed what should it need to trouble us to heare them speake against the power and authority of the Word who if the Word should prevaile must forfeit their Kingdome of Traditions unwritten verities wherewith they embondage the pretious soules of them whom Christ hath redeemed This Word of God which they so bitterly declaime against being that eternall truth which shall survive all their inventions and that breath of the mouth of God which shall one day consume whatsoever hath set up it selfe against the comfort of a poore soule and the glory of the riches of Grace Meane time we abandon this their conceit as the most horrible cut-throat of the Conscience and the greatest tyranny in the world to wit That a doubting and distempered creature wofully tired with her estate must be compelled to returne to her old misery with an encrease of her bondage worse than Egyptian Use 4 Fourthly this is Terrour Terror to all hypocrites who presumptuously will beare themselves upon the Word boasting that they have got a promise from God and they are called to beleeve they may beleeve they must beleeve They have had troubles as many as the most men have had but God bids them drown them in the freedome of his gracious promise and therefore so they will And although there were but three saved they claime to be of that number no man shall beat them off But as Samuel said to Saul when he pretended he had obeyed the command of God Whence then is the bleating of these sheep and lowing of these oxen So say I to these
them out roughly by the advantage which I have gotten by thy Word Let not the blind and the lame come any more at the City of David it is no place for them As thy Word prevailes so let doubts and distempers cease and hold this sea of my troubled heart in that calmenesse which thine owne voyce once caused when thou rebukedst the waves thereof So much for this Sixthly this is Admonition to all that would find the Promise Use 6 to cast out all their distempers Admonit that they beware of all such lets as keepe them from closing with the Promise Commonly according to our faith so is it with us Therefore let us take heed of whatsoever might cause us to warpe from the Promise For as it is in the graffing of a sien into the stocke if any thing fall into the cleft of the stocke which holds off the sien from cleaving close to the stocke thereby it comes to passe that the sap of the stocke comes not at the sien to nourish it and so in stead of growing one with the stocke it is separated therefrom and withers away so is it here Whatsoever it be that keeps off the soule from clasping to the Promise let us studiously cast it out lest the soule returne to her old distempers and communicate not of the sap and virtue of it to sustaine her in hope and comfort Who would lose his labour in so weighty a case as the returning back of such an enemy Who would not be at any cost to be rid of it We have a common speech That a man must make a silver bridge for an enemy to escape away on condition wee may be troubled with him no more So if God will chase away our distempers and help us to beat them downe from flying like bees about our eares let us be at some cost to furnish our selves with sound faith in the Promise And whatsoever it be that might keepe the heart away and cause it to lye loose to the promise let us be aware of it and abhorre it Here some may aske What are the usuall lets of this grace of faith from comming into the soule Answ I will mention some few of them Le ts of beleeving before I conclude the use The first is Mindlesnesse and Heedlesnesse of the Promise we count it not as it is a large thing but as a strange thing Nay it were well if we beheld it so for strange things are beheld with studiousnesse But rather as a slight common matter Get we therefore sound judgement of this Medicine and judge of it as a thing which will worke wonders Wee should magnifie it in this respect in our owne eyes it is said that the Lord magnified Moses and Joshua when as at their word the Sea and Jordan went backward and became a wall on both sides of them that they might goe over dry-shod If the mouth of a Promise be so honourable what is the word of the Eternal God If the feet of them be beautifull that utter it what then is the message If Heathens would so beautifie these Idols which they worshipped the better to draw their affections how should wee set up the Promise as worthy our beleeving Truly I may compare it to many things It is like Moses his speech to the Israelites Stand still and behold the salvation of God for those Egyptians which you see this day to pursue you you shall never see more Oh! if the Promise were so beheld by us as the arme of Gods power able to drowne all our distempers as in a sea that wee might never see them more What a blessed sight were it Behold it then as they did and take good marke of it as a thing not to be slighted over So it is said of our Saviour that his word rebuked the sea and her waves so that there was a great calme And the people were amazed at it saying Who is this that even the sea and the tempests obey him So shoâ—ld we be astonish't to thinke of the power of a promise saying what speciall thing is it that turnes such distempers of spirit into such a calme It s like to the hands of Ananias which being laid upon Paul caused the scales to fall off his eyes So should the promise cause thy scales of errours thy feares thy qualmes and distempers to vanish Behold it as a rare medicine which hath caused all the feares of the people of God to cease Act. and to turne to sweet ease Davids Hezekia's Jonah's Pauls theirs of Samaria at Philips preaching It s like to Peters preaching to that same City at the beleeving whereof the inchanmtents and delusions wherewith before the whole city was gulled became as smoake in the aire It s like a certaine Court-Lady called Jane Make-peace of whom in the ancient English Chronicle it s recorded that shee was of so sweet and amiable a nature that whatsoever quarrell fell out in the Kings Court among the Nobles or in the Family she presently tooke it up and made all quiet This is truly the Lady Make-peace betweene God and the soule dispelling all doubts of conscience and making it quiet againe Do we take her to be so and set by her and is she so beloved and blessed a thing in our soules as that Lady was among all the Courtiers Surely then her worth would procure honour and esteeme from us and we should not passe by the promise so slightly as wee doe Our giggish heads have not the gift to observe a Promise we are as Naaman so full of his crotchets so looking another way that his servants are here faine to tell him of it and say Father thinke better of the Prophets words do not slight them over so Verily till this be effected that the Truths of God beare eminent note in our eye there is small hope of doing us good Wee heare twenty Sermons of Promises ere our eye be turn'd the right way They are as beames and we make them but as moles Get we bookes of promises and turne our eye off the whiles from other objects that these may be dwelt upon The second is Forgetfulnesse Wee digest not the promise when as we have once observed it Wee suffer it to leake out as water by the chinkes of a vessell It becomes as meat to an ill habited stomach which regorges it as fast as it receives it and stayes not till it be altered Many pageants wee will looke at for the pleasantnesse of them which yet we instantly passe over But the Promise doth us no good nor can ease us of our distempers till it abide in us Our Saviour oft presseth this If my Word abide in you you shall be my Disciples Let the Word dwell Col. 3. As the misers chest and coffers is fraught with gold and pearles so should the soule of a good man with the promises it should be his Treasure Pondering of the Promises Matt. 12. is as the retaining of
the seed which causes the wombe to conceive Meditation and weighing of the promise is as the cleane beasts chewing of the end till it be almost made milke We are weary of the promise as they of Manna our soule loathes this dry Manna But as the Lord shames them for that by shewing how many wayes Manna might be dressed baked fryed parched it was good any way so may I shame us the promise may be taken up as a cup by many handles and that fitly whether we thinke of it as the fruit of Gods decree to save or of the Lord Jesus his death in which it is ratified or in the Fathers acceptation or in the Ministers fidelity or in the Lords prevention of us the wisedome and other properties even now named or our owne desolation without it or the Saints generall clasping about it or the universall ignorance unacquaintance of the world with so spirituall a subject surely every way wee might heale this disease of our little musing of it But above all if the freedome from all our old distempers did present it selfe to our minds How do men plod upon Purchases Pleasures Honours because thereby they imagine that they shall become new men and that they shall live no longer as they have done basely poorly mopishly So should the new happy life of faith no more to lead a sad dismall life affect us Nineveh could turne her thoughts from plodding feares and look up saying Jonah 3. Who knowes if he will turne from his fierce wrath and we perish not They mused of the happy ease which a secret hope would effect And are wee so farre from fastning these cords of direct promises about our armeholes It is a harsh worke to the flesh but sweet to the spirit and although the gains be slow yet if they be kept together they will make a heavy purse when as the neglect of this work wil leave the soule beggerly to her shifts Therfore wait upon those doores at those posts of Assemblies upon which the Proclamations of Heaven are fixed think thy self safe when those nayles given by the Master of them are driven fast to sticke in thy soule that they may not easily be unsettled So much for the second The third is estranging of our hearts from the promise and growing out of acquaintance with it so that we grow not more and more into a promise to know the worth and sweetnesse thereof Contrary to this is the welcomming and entertaining of the Promise The which phrase the Apostle uses in that place of Timothy This is a faithfull saying and worthy all entertainment the word there is taken from Inne-keepers who stand at their doores or gates of receit 1 Tim. 1.15 with both armes to welcome and lodge travellers Such a traveller the Promise is going up and downe seeking where it may be entertained Just it is with God to hold us to hard meat brethren and to straiten us in this point and I pray God it be not the lot of this place to be bereft of this traveller for these forty years hath he gone up and downe among us seeking who are good hoasts and finding few And because the Lord hath pind his promises upon our sleeves a great while wee waxe shie of them and thinke we may have too much of them But woe unto us if those pathes which have beene trodden bare by the feet of the Messengers of God become overgrowne and lye unoccupied as she speakes Judg. 5. for want of travell I tell you good guests finding bad hoasts are grieved and soone seeke them places of better resort and welcome So many as have received him among us have lost nothing save our distempers and corruptions which we were clogg'd with for this guest brings glad tidings and expels all sorrowes and old inmates which distempered the soule Let us therefore beware of this unhospitalnesse and grow glad entertainers of this guest the best which ever came within our doores Grow we as familiar and entire with the promises as the world is strange and aloofe from them Else our usuall distempers will be sure to haunt us whole mornings dayes and nights while they have tyred us But if the Promises be present and our doore stand ever open for them to enter and loath to leave them our old crochets will have small joy to salute us their roome will be better then their company The soule is carried along with delusions of selfe and molested either by false feares or false hopes as we read of Sisera's mother and her Ladies Judg. 5. Iudg 5. She was alwaies staggering betweene two rockes of feare and hope loth was she to thinke the worst and yet afraid of the worst she was willing to thinke that her husband would come and bring home his garments of divers colours captives and spoyle But then she thought his charet wheeles staid too long thus was she willing to beare her selfe in hand with the best both she and her false Ladies till the worst affronted her Oh brethren what a wofull life is this for such as may live a better Who would be a stranger to this Post from Heaven comming with swift wings and healing in them alway bringing found intelligence from thence Mal. 3. and supporting the soule with assurance that it is well betweene God and the soule Who would not do as David did I have made thy Word my Counseller to passe my matters Do Clients keepe themselves aloofe from their Counsellers Do Patients make strange to the Physitian or do friends alienate themselves from friends Oh! Hos 8. we count the Promise a strange thing which in truth by this time should have bin as sweete unto us as the honey and the honey combe as sweet and sweeter then ever our delusions were And we must thinke this will cost us good inuring and acquaintance Our old guests have the birthright and long have taken up the roome it will cost time to dislodge them againe Therefore to end this let us if we would shunne the surfet of our old distempers grow inward with the promise Esay 28. Esay 38. and as Job saith let us acquaint our selves with God Till he come and say This is your refreshing to give over your owne torrents and violent streames and to embrace the waters of Siloe which runne softly let us make the promise our Companion let it be both of our Court and counsell let us empty all our mind into the bosome thereof and hide nothing from it let us discover all our doubts and distempers unto it for it hath as Salom. is said to have the wisdome and treasures of God to supply us Marke it a Minister of the promises is as a scare-crow to the people they care not how little they acquaint with him And as scarce one of forty knowes a Minister or a Prophet in the name of one so few know or receive a promise in the name of a promise
Paul although he doe not teach us to borrow proofes of men to justifie Gods truth which needs them not yet to convince the Heathen who acknowledged no other truth doth alledge their owne writers against them both the Athenians Acts 17. and the Cretians Tit. 1. So our Saviour himselfe Matth. 12.27 askes the Scribes If I by Beelzebub cast out Divells by whom do your children cast them out Many of their children tooke upon them without warrant but if they held their call and warrant good why should they so slanderously accuse our Saviour for his casting out whose call they knew was more unquestionably good He equalls not their warrant to his but by a confessed thing he convinces them of that they would not acknowledge Case 5 Fifthly it is lawfull in policy to make shew of that I meane not so I doe it to a good end and there be no sinne in it As ex gr I intend not to punish an offender in such a course of proceeding as I use against him yea perhaps although I would yet I cannot nay more perhaps it were not lawfull yet for the attaining of a more excellent end I may make semblance of it threaten him with it and cause it to appeare unto his sense that I may and will urge it and all to breake his heart to bring the truth to light and to turne him from his evill which else of himselfe he would in no wise abandon Somewhat like to this policy was that fact of Salomon 1 King 3. to the two harlots When the question was whose the live-child was both of them stiffely maintaining to be hers God put this wisdome into him to call for a sword and make them beleeve he would cleave the child in two A thing not onely terrible and wrongfull to the true mother but also cruell and unjust But by this meanes he came to discover the affections of the naturall mother But the common course of men is to make semblance of some punishments which although they are both lawfull and necessary yet out of base Pitty or cowardise they neither doe nor meane to execute and so harden others in their sinne This is ungodly Sixtly It is a lawfull policy for us to restraine our selves in the measure Case 6 of some holy endeavours so oft as we foresee that our standing out to the uttermost were like to endanger us wholly and also stoppe the course of our endeavours in generall Thus wee see Paul preaching at Ephesus two or three whole yeares Act. 18. contented himselfe in generall to discharge his conscience and to inveigh against Idolatry although in speciall he abstained from opposing of Diana the Idolatry committed with her because either as yet he saw not the people sufficiently catechised in that point or because he saw the streame of the City wholly and irresistably to goe that way and therefore he chose rather a little to correspond with the necessity of the time then violently to oppose it with the overthrow of his Ministery But this must not warrant us therefore actually to doe any thing in maintaining the streame of such evills when we may avoid it For a negative omission of a thing unseasonable and bootlesse for us to attempt is not as a positive doing of that which might snare our conscience and strengthen that which is too strong already As for example perhaps in times of persecution to forbeare an open inveighing against the Masse whereupon both the ruine of our owne persons should ensue and no hurt at all done to the Idoll except we could prove our selves called to it were most frivolous And yet we ought else to give no negative allowance to evill But because we cannot in wisdome trust God for protection in opposing of the streame when danger is unavoidable therefore we are not called to it To serve evill times is policy to serve the evill of them is treachery Seventhly It is good policy to keepe our selves within the compasse Case 7 of our owne places and not to rush our selves under colour of zeale beyond our bounds As for example It is not meet that monuments of Idolatry be retained in any Church as Popish Images and other superstitious markes and if they be within our owne power and authority we ought our selves to deface them and abolish them as we see Deut. 7.25 Deut. 7.25.26 But to rush out of our owne places and callings without publique authority or sufficient warrant and safety to attempt the defacing of them in an open manner where our privatenesse cannot extend were foolish and a rash casting of our selves upon danger not easily remedied In such a case the Lord holds us excused when we doe that which lyes in our private power to doe by mourning prayer and abstaining from the least concurrence of evill though we proced no further If we prevaile not then to rest patient bearing that which we cannot reforme In both these two latter respects to be over just and over busie is not lawfull as Salomon saith Eccles 7.15.16 Lastly It is lawfull for the avoiding of a slander and imputation cast Case 8 upon us and the purchasing of safeguard and credit to our persons especially if publicke to doe that which otherwise we would not and wherein there is some inconvenience so there bee no direct evill in it Thus Paul Acts 21.24 was perswaded though some blame both him and them that set him on worke and that safely to purifie himselfe and take upon him a vow as being a ceremony imposed by God and then also such an one as had least evill in it to stop the slander of those Jewes which accused him for an opposer of the law of Moses That slander disabled and endangered his person among the Jewes The ceremony therefore having not wholly breathed out her last at least among the Jewes he was content to yeeld unto And the like I may say of his circumcising of Titus a thing which he was otherwise loath to doe save in the former respects for he knew it might be some occasion on â—he other side to provoke those Gentiles among whom he had preached the overthrow of Moses his law And the like may be said of the edict which the Apostles made Act. 15. and sent by Paul and Barnabas among the Gentiles who still were pestred with the opposition of Jewes resisting â—heir Ministery no doubt had it not beene such a thing as they saw very materiall for the present stopping of controversie and also that the things they enjoined had as well an naturall evill and basenesse in them as a ceremoniall as to eate strangled and bloud or a meere unlawfulnesse as to eate meates polluted by Idolls knowing them to be so or to commit fornication which the heathens thought to be a thing as arbitrary as eating and drinking They would never have once forced any ceremony upon the Gentiles But the light had not as yet discovered the abrogation of ceremonies to all
is faine to shuffle as he is able to counterfeit life and zeale and when his endeavours succeed not he commits all to hazard and shifts off a dead heart as he can with head and shoulders Thirdly these persons may be knowne by this That they discerne Marke 3 of the distempers which formerly molested them Opposite to the ten former Objections and held them off from the promise as may appeare by these particulars opposite to the former objections named in the first question First they discover a mercy in their deep castings downe and feares and in the spirit of bondage which they feele they looke upon it not as a marke of wrath but as the entrance upon the way of God for their further humbling and making their heart tender acknowledging it could not be spared and looking into the promise for some hope of redresse Secondly they wisely consider that the condition of faith and the gift of faith it selfe differ much and therefore for them to rest in any such worke of preparation as will not stablish their hearts in peace through the bloud of the Covenant were a deceit of Satan causing them to lye by the way when they have a further journey to goe Affections and Ordinances they embrace but rest not therein as wanting a bottome of the satisfaction of Christ to Gods justice and therefore in that they onely dare pitch their rest renouncing whatsoever of their owne might satisfie them Thirdly they wisely cosinder what degrees they have atained in grace and dare not forget or deny what God hath already done for them confesse that thousands want that which they have yea that it s nothing but selfe-love which buries all former mercies under a clod of discontent for that which they want and with the lowest humblenesse acknowledge themselves the least of all others and that whatsoever is not hell is more then God owes them they count themselves not worth the ground they tread on submitting themselves unto God to doe with them as he pleases and willing to be as he will have them Fourthly they moderate their own judgements touching the matter of faith and desire to looke at it as that gift which God in wisdome useth for the saving of his neither on the one side making it lesse nor on the other side more high and solemne then God would have them for though it be too good for them to enjoy yet not for God to bestow whose gifts although very precious yet are most free and so they shake off that base slavery of heart which possessed them Fifthly they consider themselves not as they shall be when faith hath clensed them but as now they lye and are objects of mercy such as God purposes to declare the riches of grace upon in due time in the meane season they are the vilest of all sinners as also Paul and others were in their corrupt estate They consider that sinne causes mercy to abound so it bee not wilfully committed See Acts 2.34.35 And this is the honour of God to beteame it to enemies hypocrites proud uncleane prophane ones yea Christ died for sinnes against the Gospel an hard dead rebellious heart of unbeleefe as well as against the Law Therefore they see in that dunghill of drosse alway steaming out of them an occasion of mercy in God not of despaire save in themselves And if they were as they would be void of such corruption they should need no mercy they might plead merit Rom. 3.19 Christ came to save sinners and hath shut up all under disobedience that he might save some even the weakest unworthiest of all others for these will cun him most thank Pharisees need him not As for the dogging of their corruptions they consider Satan most clogs and dogs that soule which is most earnest to be rid of them whereas others are shut up in false peace and feare nothing Sixtly they grow to this resolution not to cast feares aforehand more then they ought Micah ult ult if God will pardon them they doubt not but he will afterward purge them subdue their corruptions for them and finish his worke with perseverance They were not fit judges to speake of time to come What hath he who wants faith to doe with the condition of him that hath it They will therefore attend one thing at once and not many If once they can obtaine faith in that they shall have the rest For why Faith will purge the conscience and set the beleever on worke to preserve in himselfe that which is already planted Therefore they see it were a great folly to hinder themselves of a present mercy through the distrust of a future Seventhly they repent them of those ungrounded cavills from the length of time the example of others and the feare of election and with a mourning heart for that hardnesse and unprofitablenesse of theirs they acknowledge it to be none of theirs but Gods priviledge to appoint the times and seasons of grace They ought not to forestall God in this kinde but wait his leasure They must not grudge at others but follow their example Others are not gone so fast before but mercy can send them after with as good speed And as for election it is not for them its Gods secret they know no such matter that they are reprobated but when they shall beleeve they shall know that they are elect Let therefore God alone with his secrets confesse his Soveraignty and tremble but apply themselves to the revealed way of God and behold his ladder and cords of mercy put downe unto them into the dungeon and clapse about them as they are commanded to do Eightly they look up to the promise and thereby shake off their melancholy sullennes of heart see the emptinesse the absurdity of their froward hearts which God doth as much detest as they admire They see a world of pride self and rebellion in it and therefore desire to send it to hell whence it came and to turn their censure of others into imitation of their grace Ninthly and especially whatsoever hath witheld them from the promise from beholding the excellency of it in the meaning of God in the bounty truth and fidelity constancy stablenes fulnesse sufficiency of the same they shake it off Jonah 2.8 they forsake other vanities conceits of their own their morall contents their busying themselves about many things whereby Satan as by his golden apple would keep them from the silver Bell and therefore now they resolve to lay all other sacrifices by the Altar till their reconciliation be made to which end they trade with the promise by meditation and use all meanes to dive into it and to looke into it as the Angels into the Mercyseat till their misery for want of it cause them to venture themselves and jeopard their salvation upon it Lastly they correct their loose and generall hearings of the word purposing to bend their minds as
to all the truth of God without neglect so especially to those maine truths which they most sticke at and come shortest of that their insight into Gods method and way may be more evident unto them As for novelties and fancies of men of unstable minds ready to carry them away from the simplicity of the Gospell whether erroneous opinions or things which have some truth but yet for the present are not pertinent or profitable but might under some pretence of zeale and devotion withdraw them from their grounds ere they be setled which I observe to be a notable trick of the Divell to disorder the course of a soule travelling towards heaven they are shy thereof and cannot close with it Let every one that desires to know himself to thrive to Godward well marke this whole Section So much for this third marke Another is That such a soule strives after that which makes most Marke 4 for her owne good and for the justifying of God Even that foolish modesty which holds many under the hatches that they will not open themselves to any but keepe the Divells counsell to their owne hindrance and thereby nourish unbeleefe the longer in themselves when they are convinced of it as its long ere many will be they abhor it using all means with Paul if by any they may attaine faith at last They doe not as Ahaz who being willed to aske a signe from God to confirme his promise refused it and let all goe at six and sevens pretending that he needed none but would leave it to God without such adoe Esay 7. But he is rebuked for greeving of God by such slightnesse who loves that his people should take order to resist their infidelity and hasten to beleeve using every ordinance each occasion for the atchieving of such a grace Such a restlesse spirit they are led by who keepe the price of the high calling of God in their eie loth to lose it Phil. 3. and preserving the tender care and inquiry after it in their soules as an object of greatest excellency A bottomlesse carelesse spirit to get and lose as fast and to spill that pretious liquor which God hath been long putting into them they loath and detest 2 Joh. 8. and still seek to make up a full reward to themselves and cannot be quiet till the Lord give into their bosomes measure heaped up and running over that they may be at rest If they have any bottomlessenesse it is for the world and the cares of it but as for grace they keep all they have and still are on the gaining hand till they attaine their desire Psalm 84. No faintnesse there shall be but from strength to strength they goe full fast till they appeare before God in Sion Fifthly as they are alway hastening the Lord and impatient in Marke 5 respect of their importunity of desire Psal 70.5 so yet they are patient in respect of discontent unweariedly waiting upon the Lord for the accomplishing of their petition They have learned that lesson of the Psalmist Blessed are they that wait upon him and of Ieremy Lamen 3.25 It is good to wait patiently upon the Lord. It s much to them that the Lord will come and bring healing in his wings at last requiting long delay as Malachi speakes with speed Mal. 3. and as for urging the particular time when he will come and how soone they leave it to him whose the seasons of mercy are by whom onely the day of sealing is appointed they must wait They attend upon a Soveraigne God who shewes mercy to whom and when he pleases Rom. 9. yet also his mercies are fare to them whom hee hath called to the hope thereof Therefore their part is to get the spirit of supplication alway attending the Spirit of grace Zach. 12.10 which will hold out with the Lord without fainting and concurre with him in his time of ease In which respect it makes not haste but considers that each day hastens Gods time For as it is in the second comming of our Lord Jesus Matth. 24. end so it is in his first None knowes whether he will come at noonetide or at the evening midnight or cockcrowing but come he will So whether in youth or middle yeares or old age thou knowest not whether in a short time or after a long season whether in thy hearing or at the sacrament or in prayer or at a fast or in some great crosse or at thy death its unknowne Thou hast a promise come he will and therefore wait upon him thou art not too good and when he comes thou shalt not repent thee Marke 6 Againe this is another marke That such a soule suffers not it selfe to be taken up so deeply with the common mercies of the earth that the mercy of pardon and salvation should lose her price and wax stale with her Oh she strives to put difference alway between the content which blessings of this life bring and those which the mercy of heaven affords Give Esau a messe of pottage and his longing is satisfied Give a child a bright counter Heb. 12. and he will forgoe a gold angell It pleases a foole as well to have his bable as a Kings Crowne why Because he is a fool and discernes not so a wretch that never came in the favour of mercy will equall it to any common thing fill his belly give him ease cloath his body fill his purse and you may rob him of his birthright So hee have content any way and for the present he is well Not so that soule that longs for mercy For why It compares one with other and makes as much difference as between gold and drosse holds firmly the esteem of mercy to herself and will not suffer the base vanishing creature to come between her and home and steale her heart away by such rattles and feathers as these are Zach. 12.10 It comes here to minde what Zachary speakes That the spirit of grace goes with the spirit of compassions There are such compassions towards the Lord in a poore soule as there are in the Lord towards it In the Lord there are tender mercies as that other Zachary speakes Luke 1. Through the tender mercies of our God mercies of tendernesse and compassion to a poore miserable lost sinner reaching to forgivenesse These are peculiar not common or such as he bestowes upon them whom he pitties not in their miserie Now therefore that soul that partakes these tender mercies is as tender of them and doth so prize and esteem them that no other mercy can steale away the affections of the soule therefrom nor stall the heart therein much lesse make tender mercies to wax stale and common but still the price thereof rises till the Lord fill her therewith Marke 7 Lastly note this out of Naamans example That a perpetuall and sure marke of a man who is grace and faithward is this that his old perversenesse