is vnchangeable and the Spirit euer like himselfe looke as his course hath been towards his children in times past so he will still deale proceeding by the same rule of iustice and mercie hee neuer takes a wicked man by the hand neither did any innocent person euer perish vnder his hand as a iust God he punisheth like sinnes with like iudgements and remembers mercy to the godly because mercy pleaseth him Thirdly God would not onely describe a way to life in the Scriptures but also hath there set before vs leaders and guides in that way whence there is not a vertue in all the Scripture commended in the precept but it is exemplifyed and made to shine in some patterne and that for these two ends First that the godly might haue full and assured direction Secondly that the wicked despising both holy doctrine and holy example might iustly be condemned Fourthly God would set a testimonie of his grace and glory in his children whom because they giue witnesse to his truth and proceedings hee calleth a cloud of witnesses Heb. 12. 1. First because in their life and conuersation they witnessed by word and deed to Gods Church Secondly in their death many of them witnessed by their blood Thirdly hereafter they shall witnesse for or against vs The Saints shall iudge the world and therefore euery godly man ought to make vse of their example And is this so then this first ouerthrowes that wicked and tyrannicall practice of the Church of Rome which takes away the Scriptures from the Laiety as vnnecessarie for simple people though they be the deeds of their inheritance as if God had onely entred couenant with Monkes Priests and Regulars and not with Christian men and women who may not know either what God hath promised on his part or expecteth on theirs But if according to our doctrine all must make vse of the foresaid examples then they must haue the Scripture to know them by being therein registred When God gaue his Word to the Hebrewes hee wrote it in the Hebrew tongue a tongue familiar to them and gaue charge that euery one should teach it their children and deriue it from one generation to another After when GOD would propagate it to the Gentiles and the Monarchy came to the Grecians God put into the heart of Ptolomie Philadelphus to prouide seuenty two of the most expert Hebrews skilfull in the Greeke to translate it into Greeke which language was generally knowne in all Nations of Europe Asia and Africa which translation of the Septuagint is extant at this day Afterward when the Roman Empire preuailed and the Latine speech began by that meanes to be most common God would haue the Scripture translated into Latine to what other end but that it should be read and vnderstood and remembred practised of all because it concerned all But why doe the Papists thus cofer vp the Scriptures now the true cause is that the light thereof may not discouer their workes of darknesse but what say they Oh it is darke and obscure hard and knotty a breeder of heretikes and matter of strife What did God giue the Scripture for a remedie and is it turned to poyson did it once serue as a hammer to bruise errors and now doeth it serue to breed them was it once profitable 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to improue and now to impaire the trueth Did God send it for a doctrine of peace and is it now no other then a make-bate All controuersies must be decided by it and peace established on earth with God and men The Word is a Lanthorne and the Commandement a Light and plaine to the simple Psal. 19. 7. and 119. 130. And is it now so darke as no man can see his way by it hath God giuen all rules of doctrine and manners of faith and life and not onely that but witnessed all his way with man in examples of mercy and iustice encouraging piety and vertue and punishing the contrary and all in vaine what could the Lord doe more to make it easie and plaine and fit for instruction then he had done In a word by remouing the Scriptures they doe not onely depriue men of sauing doctrine in the precepts but also of the chiefe helpe of godly life in the practice of beleeuers Secondly if euery godly man must make vse of Gods ordinary dealing with his children then wee must take the counsell of Bildad to Iob chap. 8. 7. I pray thee looke to the examples of the former age and prepare to search of thy fathers namely whether if thou be pure God will not awake to thee looke whether any pure in heart were euer forsaken of God and as thou shalt find so conclude that God will deale with thee too make this vse of their example And we must not onely obserue Gods waies with them but also their waies with God following their ordinarie examples in vertue and watch our selues against their vices Many search into the liues of the Fathers and there spy Abraham perhaps lying Noah drunken and Salomon with many wiues and hence they boulster themselues in sinne they alleage the example of Dauid for adultery and of Paul for rage against God and the godly but this is to walke by the darke side of the cloude with the Egyptians to destruction therefore let vs turne to the light side to the Saints graces Ye shall haue some that being exhorted to piety and to a narrow watch ouer their waies will say presently Doe any thus or thus as you would haue vs why then we shall be singular we shall haue no company I wish men would consider their waies by this rule If thou seest no godly man before thee suspect that way and get out of it but howsoeuer few in the world walk in the straight way to life because few find it yet look to the Word and thou shalt see on all hands some or other in that way there thou hast a cloude to follow to goe when it goes to stand when it stands so thou be on the light side of it a notable guide through this pilgrimage of our life Oh there is no example of such precise carriage as you would haue vs take vp none but a few strait-lac't Ministers vrge or keepe it Yes looke to the Scriptures and thou shalt finde such as haue gone before any that are now liuing it would be counted too much precisenesse now to walke with God as Enoch did or for Masters to instruct their families and call them to an account for what they haue heard and yet Abraham did so If a man should be euer plodding in the Word to draw good lessons from it he shal be counted but a Bible-carrier whereas Dauid meditated on it day and night and Marie laid vp and pondered the Word in her heart these would be surely accounted too precise if they were now liuing Oh but if a man stand on these
of God and this is the assurance that if we aske any thing according to his will he heareth vs. Faith is an hand or arme by which wee lay hold vpon blessings if once wee bee perswaded that God hath giuen vs Christ wee will easily beleeue that hee will giue vs all things with him for he that giues the greater will not denie the lesse Our Sauiour when diseased persons came for bodily health or ease was wont to say According to thy faith be it vnto thee so in all our requests the presence or absence of faith giues our prayer returne according to the weakenesse or strength of the arme of faith so is the coldnesse or abundance of comfort to our heart so that faith onely giues taste and rellish to the prayer which a beleeuer makes Fifthly Christ in his prayer teacheth vs to begin with Our Father teaching thereby that he must call God Father who must pray acceptably and that includeth sundry child-like affections all concurring in a rightly disposed person to pray as first Reuerence and feare when hee comes before his heauenly Father A Sonne honoreth his Father If then I bee a Father where is mine honor and feare Malach. 1. 6. Secondly a child-like boldnesse comming through Christ to a Father full of mercy and compassion pittying his children more then earthly parents can Isa. 49. 15. By Christ we haue boldnesse Heb. 4. 16. Thirdly loue to God as to a Father for a godly man seekes not himselfe in prayer but Gods glory with his owne shame Fourthly charity and loue to our brethren for when wee come into the sight of our Father wee dare not bring prayers in one hand and malice in another but pray Forgiue vs as we forgiue Sixtly onely the godly man can pray acceptably because hee alone hath remoued the barre and partition-wall that stood betweene God and him bringing repentance and godly sorrow for sin with him The blinde man could say God heareth not sinners that is impenitent ones but hee heareth those that are repentant Psal. 66. 18. If I regard wickednesse in my heart the Lord will not heare me Incense in the Law was a type of prayer yet in Isa. 1. 13. the Lord tells the Iewes who came in their sinnes that incense was an abomination vnto him God hates our incense our prayer if we come with prophane hearts as they did he neither receiues it from vs nor we any good thing from him but a godly man hath remoued this rub First Note hence the miserable condition of an impenitent sinner and of an vngodly man that is without remorse and wallowes in vnconscionable sinnes hee cannot pray he neuer prayed in all his life he was neuer in mercy heard in his prayer but loseth all his labour and well if it were no worse for all his prayer is turned into sinne his prayer is abominable Prom. 28. 9. as often as he went about to pray he did nothing but multiply sinne against God he mumbled vp a few prayers and fared accordingly If this be so then it seemes vnlawfull for the wicked to pray if he pray not it is condemnation if he pray it is no lesse He is bound to pray but not to sinne in prayer in the second Commandement hee is inioyned to bow downe and worship God in prayer and the third bindes him euer to doe it well lest he pray in sinne and so take Gods name in vaine Alas then what must he doe only the grace of repentance can reconcile these two and draw the sinner out of this maze and make him pray aright Yea but God heareth the wicked often-times and granteth what they aske as peace vnto Ahab vpon his humiliation God heareth what a wicked man saith in prayer and yet heares not his prayer no not when he giues the same thing that he asketh for first all that the wicked get from him is externall and common to good and bad but no one fauour of speciall grace Secondly he giues them euen that in wrath and vengeance not for their prayers sake Thirdly when they aske things good in themselues and euill for them not knowing to vse them aright hee granteth in iustice what it had beene mercy to haue denyed as contrariwise hee heareth his children in mercy denying them that which they haue sinfully asked Fourthly that which he giues shall turne to their woe and miserie and shall but heape coles vpon their heads euen wealth prosperitie and dignitie all shall but make their sinne out of measure sinfull whereas all things shall worke together for the best to the godly euen crosses and afflictions Fifthly God giues nothing but by vertue of the promise no promise but is by Christ a wicked man hath no part in Christ and therefore neither in the promise a plaine case Sixtly neither is the wicked mans prayer a meanes of granting the request or obtayning his desire so as God stil heares not his prayer for how can that prayer finde accesse or acceptance which is not preferred in Christ but they are fed onely by a generall prouidence as the beasts are Psal. 14. 4. The wicked man calls not on the Lord that is either prayes not at all or as good he did not Let this be a motiue to further our repentance for else if a man vtter neuer so many words of prayer God will not heare him how iust is it that he that will not heare God when he calleth should not be heard of God when hee calleth that he that is a prophane mocker of God God should mocke him in his destruction that he that turnes his eare from the Law should haue Gods eare turned from him that he should aske and not receiue that asketh amisse How iust was it vpon the Iewes who were cruell and of bloudy hands that God should hate their persons and prayers and is it not as iust that vnmercifull men Oppressors Vsurers Ismaels Quarrellers whose hand is against euery man and euery mans against them hard-hearted persons that stop their eares against the cry of the poore that they should cry and not be heard Surely the sentence is passed already that iudgement mercilesse belongs to him that shewes no mercy Secondly this doctrine ouerthrowes the idle conceit wherewith numbers of men delude themselues O if they haue but time at their death to say Lord haue mercy then they shall doe well enough though all their life they cast off all care and counsell But what Is the godly man he that shall pray and find mercy and shall prophane wretches that haue set their faces all their dayes against heauen thinke to bee heard in the day of their distresse and death How canst thou then claime any one promise and much lesse all when thou neuer keptest the least condition of faith and repentance How then shall God be iust who hath said that he will laugh at such when their sorrow commeth Besides we must obserue a
little faith Thus the Apostle saith We are in all things more then conquerours Secondly the Prophet yeelds Psal. 34. 19. that great are the troubles of the righteous but the Lord deliuers them out of all but marke how First sometimes they are exempted from the common inundation that it doth not come neere them as those 7000. marked who bowed not their knees to Baal were saued from Iezabel and the tenth and remnant reserued from common plagues to propagate Gods grace and glory with the manner of his dealing and their deliuerance Secondly sometime they are wrapped in the common miserie as suppose the plague or fire or sword but herein finde the Lords compassion and mercy in speciall deliuerances Ieremy was taken into Babylon with the captiues but it was better with him there then among his owne people So Dauid saith Thou hast afflicted me sore but hast not deliuered me vnto death Thirdly sometimes the godly are left vnto death and led as sheepe vnto the slaughter and sustaine all the cruelty and ignominy their enemies can deuise And this the Lord doth permit first in respect of their enemies that they may by their blasphemies and cruelty prepare and hasten their owne destruction Secondly of the truth which is sealed and ratified with the blood of the Martyrs Thirdly of the growth of the Church which is sowne and watered with the bloud of the Saints as being the seede of the Church Fourthly in respect of the godly themselues to sweeten them for the fire is the fittest place for perfumes But yet First the Lord is not carelesse much lesse prodigall of the liues of his seruants but by speciall counsell thus ordereth and disposeth of them for hee numbers their flittings puts their teares into his bottle and suffers not a haire much lesse the head it selfe to fall without his prouidence Precious to the Lord is the death of his Saints Psal. 116. 15. Secondly being thus left in the enemies hand the promise of deliuerance is most true seeing first the rod of the vngodly doth not rest vpon them but by being deliuered to them are deliuered from them Secondly in the midst of death they liue conquer and raigne so saith the Apostle We are slaine but not ouer-come the reason is because Tyrants and Persecutors cannot ouercome their Faith Hope and Profession Thirdly they are deliuered from all the bands of sinne and death and the imperfect man is wholly renewed Fourthly they rest in their beds euen euery one that walketh before the Lord and are deliuered from seeing the euill to come But seeing the wicked are deliuered from troubles as well as the godly out of many iudgements what priuiledge is this First the wicked are often temporally deliuered as well as the godly but a sting is left behinde so as deliuerance is a blessing in it selfe but not to them whereas the godlies deliuerance is a true blessing both in it selfe and vnto them Secondly God deliuers either as a Creator or as a Father As a Creator and preseruer of things created hee preserues the wicked from some present euill to reserue them to a greater mischiefe Thus are the Deuils preserued by God and reserued to finall iudgement only the wicked haue offer of grace which the Deuils haue not But as a Father he deliuers his children who often deliuers his owne by correction taking them away from euill which might corrupt them so as if they be not temporally deliuered they are deliuered eternally The godly by being taken away by iudgement are freed from iudgement the wicked euery way preserued or rather reserued vnto iudgement Thirdly God deliuereth either by vertue of a promise made and applyed to the faithfull claymed and obtayned by fasting prayer and obedience as Mordecai Ester 4. 16. and Iehoshaphat 2. Chron. 20. 3. or else not by vertue of any promise as the wicked who haue no promise no faith and therefore no sound blessing Thus we see the great difference betweene the deliuerance of the godly and of the wicked and as great comfort in the one which the other wants This serues to comfort the godly in that the Lord sits vpon the floods and that to this purpose to performe this gracious promise Isa. 42. 3. When thou passest through the waters I will be with thee and through the floods that they shall not ouerflow thee So Eliphas telleth Iob chap. 5. 19 In sixe troubles he will deliuer thee and in the seuenth euill shall not come neere thee as if hee had said Though sixe and seuen troubles beset thee yet the euill of them shall not come neere thee This presence of God with his children makes them glorie in their troubles as in a crowne vpon their heads and the Apostle Paul gloried that hee was more in affliction then al the false teachers 2. Cor. 11 and Heb. 11. 35. the Saints were in most deadly tryalls and would not bee deliuered namely vpon vnlawfull cōditions because they found God as good as his word Secondly miserable men are they that withdraw their hearts from the Lord and seeke him not in his promises nor in their prayers but trust to wind out themselues by other meanes some make falshood their refuge and some embrace the world and carnall meanes and leane vpon the arme of flesh These fly from their defence wait vpon lying vanities and forsake their owne mercy Ion. 2. 8. 't is as if Noah for feare of the inundation should haue left the Arke and flyed to the Mountaynes which had beene to haue throwne himselfe into the midst of the waters and thus doe they that to auoid troubles feare and fly their profession and so Apostasie and Idolatrie and corruption drownes them We must rather with the Church fly to the Rocke Psal. 69. 2. Saue me O God the waters are vpon me yea I am come to the deepe waters and then being deliuered we must goe backe vnto him saying Saluation is the Lords and Psal. 124. 1. If the Lord had not beene with vs the waters must needes haue drowned vs when they rored vpon vs. Thirdly this serues to perswade euery man to become godly seeing this priuiledge belongs only to such there is no man but desires safetie in danger and yet no man but the godly man can assure himselfe of safetie therein If then thou wouldest haue assurance of this promise thou must practise pietie in these seueralls First become an humble person repent and turne to God cry out of sinne sue daily for pardon as for life and death and then let all the miseries in the world come haile-shot vpon thee thou shalt be safe Only sinne is as poyson cast into the Lords cup God giues thee no poyson to drinke but that is of thy owne tempering pull the sting out of these Scorpions and the sight onely will be dreadfull but the danger is past Secondly as thou mournest for thy owne so for other mens sinnes 2.
euery particular man For a speciall attribute of God is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Answ. God loueth all men but not alike for wee must distinguish of Gods loue vnto man which is twofold 1. Vniuersall or generall by which he loues men as his creatures 2. Speciall and particular whereby hee loues them as new creatures By this speciall kinde of loue he loues onely his elect and no wicked men who yet as his creatures are loued of him but not in such effects of loue as the elect are The third obiection is taken from the generalitie of the death of Christ Christ say they died for all men and therefore all men are redeemed Answ. Christ dyed for all men that is all kinds and degrees of men but not for euery seuerall and indiuiduall person for then could there bee no place left either for election or reprobation seeing where all are taken none are either chosen or left 2. The reason of the Name of Iesus was because he must saue his people from their sinnes And the Euangelist saith he shed his bloud not for all but for many for the remission of sinne Mat. 26. 26. Yea himselfe affirmeth He gaue his life onely for his sheepe Ioh. 10. and that hee prayeth not for the world that is the wicked of the world and much lesse dyeth for them To which purpose well said Augustine In coelo interpellat pro te qui in terra pro te mortuus est 3. It is the voice of the Church Reu. 5. 9. Thou hast beene slaine and redeemed vs vnto God by thy bloud out of euery Tribe Language People and Nation She saith not Thou hast redeemed euery particular man in euery Nation but out of euery Nation and Language some 4. Caiaphas himselfe prophecying by the instinct of the Spirit as another Balaam said that Christ must dye to gather into one not all the sons of men but all the sonnes of God dispersed But the wicked are not the sonnes of God and therefore Christ was not to dye for them The fourth obiection is taken from the validitie of the merit of Christ If Christ say they payd a price of infinite value sufficient for the sinnes of the whole world and euery singular man then he hath redeemed the whole world and euery singular man But he hath paid such a price therefore c. Answ. The price which Christ payd was for the efficacie infinite as being the bloud of a Person that was God but this efficacie is twofold 1. Potentiall by which it was in it selfe sufficient for euery particular person in the world or in a thousand worlds if we suppose so many 2. Actuall and this is only where it is applied In which latter respect it was decreed by God and purposed by Christ to be paid onely for the elect and such as are predestinate to eternall life for he purposed not to be a satisfaction to any to whom he is not sanctification Heb. 9. 13 14. but no wicked man is sanctified Neither did hee purpose to die for any for whom hee purposed not to rise againe or whose persons he sustained not both in his death resurrection and to whom the vertue of both is not applied and at one time or other apparent in their death to sin and rising to newnesse of life In a word If Christ purposed effectually to die for wicked men then he failed of his purpose both in the matter of his Redemption as also in the effect of it The former because wheras the whole Redemption of Christ wrought by his death standeth of two parts 1. A freedome from sin in respect of the power of condemning and 2. In respect of the power of raigning he failed of both the essentiall parts of Redemption in such as they say he redeemed A strange redemption I trow must that be where is no freedom from sin neither in the guilt nor in the raigne of it The latter in that parties who they say are redeemed must yet be condemned for those sinnes from vnder which Christ is risen so was actually absolued from them then which an higher indignity cannot bee ascribed to the Sonne of God or the merite of his suffering or resurrection The fifth obiection is taken from the vniuersality of Christs calling he calleth all vnto him and therfore he died for all Answ. The antecedent is false for many haue liued who neuer heard of the Name of Christ as the Gentiles before Christ now many barbarous parts of the world want the very mention of him as our Trauellers haue found But to the consequent that also is as false for howsoeuer Christ call all vnto him within the bosome of the Church yet not al in the like manner For calling is twofold either common in respect of the meanes or speciall in respect of effectuall working By the former all are promiscuously called by the latter only the godly Secondly consider Christ himselfe in calling two waies 1. As he is one Cod with the Father and holy Ghost and thus he calleth good and bad 2. As the head of his Church and Mediator and thus he effectually calleth the elect onely who are members of his body embraced in a singular loue The sixt obiection is taken from the generall communication in the nature of Christ thus Christ tooke euery mans flesh and therefore euery man hath part in that worke of Redemption in that flesh performed Answ. In the great worke of mans Redemption two things must be considered first the Instrument and that is the flesh of Christ secondly the principall Agent which is the Spirit and power which herein puts forth itselfe If we looke vpon the former in it selfe our Sauiour himselfe saith The flesh profiteth nothing further then it is ioyned with the Spirit life of Christ which wicked men want and therefore notwithstanding the former can haue no part in this Redemption The seuenth obiection is taken from the latitude or extent of the grace in the second Adam which say they must not bee short or inferior to the guilt in the first Adam But all and euery particular man is made a sinner in the first Adam and therefore all and euery particular man is made righteous and consequently redeemed in the second Answ. The grace brought in by the second Adam is to bee considered two waies first in the weight of it secondly in the number of such as partake in it In respect of the weight and excellencie of it selfe it is not lesse to the sin of Adam for there is far more power required to the putting away of many sins yea innumerable sins of all the elect by iustification then to propagate one sin vnto all by natural pollution Whence the Apostle notably preferreth Christs power aboue Adams Rom. 5. 16. who not onely abolished one sinne brought in by him but infinite more But not as the sin so was the gift And the reason is because that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Adami
them all things falling out to the best to them that loue God Neither may it be strange that although remission of sinne be the ground of all deliuerances yet all that haue remission of sinne haue not deliuerance from temporall dangers but some of the Saints are hewne asunder tempted slaine burnt hanged and ignominiously put to death For as the subiection of the creatures to vs dependeth vpon our subiection to God and our peace with men vpon our keeping peace with God so our subiection and peace with God here being only begunne and imperfect we must recouer our safetie from the creatures and peace with men but in part and imperfectly But yet that which is wanting here is recompensed with spirituall peace euen here as Ioh. 16. 33. In the world yee shall haue affliction but in me yee shall haue peace and afterward with that peace that is euerlasting First then where God begins our safetie let vs begin it in labouring to feele our inward peace with God which will quiet our hearts in the assurance of Gods prouidence and protection in outward things it will be an easie descent from the greater to the lesse In the want of outward things say to thy selfe God out of his loue hath giuen me his owne Sonne and will hee not giue mee all things with him Shall he giue me heauen and not earth In the want of inward comforts say to thy soule Why art thou cast downe my soule while I was yet an enemie and a sinner God hath reconciled me by the death of his Sonne how should hee now cast mee off being reconciled In bodily dangers what a prop doth this doctrine giue vs Hath my Lord prouided with so much cost so great saluation for my soule and will he neglect to saue and preserue my bodie hee that doeth the greater will not hee doe the lesse In molestation by externall aduersaries What hath my Lord and head foiled the Deuill for me troden Satan vnder my feet and trampled vpon all spirituall enmities for mee and will hee not beate backe the endeuours and vniust practices of my enemies Shall I beleeue the greater and not beleeue the lesse Secondly in receiuing and enioying outward benefits labour to see them all to be the riuers streames of this fountaine for then they be sweet indeed as the streame is then sweet when the head and fountaine is so but if the Fountaine be bitter or poisoned so are the streames For first they are no further mercies then they proceede from mercy and then they be mercies indeed as they are called Secondly else we enioy them by a broken title if not by vertue of the Couenant and euen those creatures are in a kinde of bondage from which God frees them often by plucking them from vniust owners as Hos. 2. 9. Thirdly else we distinguish not our selues from the wicked scarce from the beasts who find and taste the sweetnesse of the creatures as we do but not of GOD in them Naturall men stay in the fruition and delight of the things themselues and can goe no further whereas as the riuers lead vs to the sea so ought wee to bee led by them to the minde of the Lord towards vs in them Fourthly those that delight themselues in the pleasures and delights of things below and want the pardon of sinne are as if a man should drinke off a cup of sweet poyson with much delight but presently or not long after it workes deadly Thy sinne is poyson which thou castest into the cup that the Lord hath made to run ouer Fiftly a little gift with loue and good will is more acceptable then a great deale with strife and grudging If a man can see Gods loue and good will toward him in Christ hee will be content with a little thankefull for a little cheerefull with a little and his portion though very small will bee very precious Sixtly if assurance of remission of sinnes giueth vs such ioy in trouble and affliction that the Saints can reioyce in tribulation Rom. 5. 3. how will it reioyce the heart in the fruition of Gods mercies Oh then how ought we to labour earnestly by the eye of faith to discerne the beames of Gods loue and fauour chasing away the cloud of our sinnes without which all our comforts are but bitter and vnsauorie Thirdly hence gather the priuiledge of Gods children to whom remission of sinnes is sealed vp which is to be secure either from perils or in perils For first once in Gods Couenant and euer safe for the couenant is vnchangeable as God himselfe is an euerlasting couenant Isai. 55. 3. Secondly their afflictions are not punishments of sinne but either tryals or louing corrections the sting of them is gone Thirdly whereas the wicked whose sinne is not pardoned are haunted and vexed with terrours and feare where no feare is a godly man is as bold as a Lyon yea in the presence and sense of danger Iob 5. 22. Thou shalt not bee afraid of destruction when it commeth but shalt laugh at destruction and death For the stones shall be at league with thee and the beasts c. Who would not be exempted from danger or fearelesse in danger as seeing his owne safetie Surely the way is to get the Lords louing countenance vp vpon vs and then we shall be safe Psal. 80. 3. 7 19. Thou art my secret place THe Prophet borroweth a comparison from liuing creatures who being in danger or in chase or pursuit haue their hiding places to defend themselues in the Lyon hath his denne the Foxe his hole the Conie his burrow and the Godly man hath his asyle or refuge but with this difference First the beasts haue their dens caues in the earth wherin they hide themselues but the godly hath his hiding or secret place in heauen Secondly they may be fetcht and hunted out of their hiding places and be destroyed for all them but so cannot the godly who make God their secret place seeing none is able to plucke them out of his hands who is stronger then all Hence we may note that The Lord is the hiding place of the godly in trouble and danger As a man in a storme or showre seeketh shelter so in the stormes of the Church and Common-wealth in which the enemies thunder and roare and seeme to mingle all into one confusion then the Name of the Lord is a strong Tower the righteous flye vnto it Psal. 27. 5. In the time of trouble hee hath hid me Psal. 91. 1. The godly is said to dwell in the secret of the most High How is the Lord the hiding place of the godly First by his promise Secondly by his protection First his promise couereth and compasseth his Elect vnder which they are as safe as in a towne of warre Psal. 119. 114. Thou art my shield I trust in thy Word Many were the plots which Dauids enemies impugned him withall
crooked a good signe of a right heart is to descrie and discouer but not without true sorrow and griefe the crookednesse and hypocrisie of it and to labour to correct and reforme it Psal. 119. 80. Let my heart be vpright in thy statutes that I bee not ashamed a right line shames a crooked crooked legges are ashamed to bee seene when a man feares and is ashamed of his hypocrisie and crookednesse and euer tendeth to straightnesse it is a good note of some rightnesse of heart Thirdly consider the things which flow from the heart if they be single and pure warrantable and right then a man may know his heart is vpright for such as the fruit is such is the tree if thou feedest on forbidden fruit thou art a bad tree and thy heart farre from vprightnesse an vpright heart suffereth not rotten speeches in the mouth idlenesse in the hand iniustice in the life drunkennesse in the braine and disorder in the course Fourthly consider the ends and aimes of our actions the vpright heart aimeth directly at Gods glory in all things but the crooked heart propoundeth euer some crooked end and sinister respect vnto good actions as many come to Church get knowledge and professe Religion for vaine glorie and vaine ends some thrust among godly persons and into good companie not because they are good or would be good but because they would be thought so Fiftly consider if thy heart be the same in priuate as it would be thought in publike Psal. 101. Dauid will walke wisely in the perfect way in the midst of his house and the conuersation of the Saints hath beene alwayes like it selfe Abraham walked in vprightnesse before God according to the Commandement Gen. 17. 1. how did he reforme his house teach his familie instruct his seruants and take God with him in prouiding a wife for Isaac and in all things Gen. 24. 63. Isaac was the same in the field as he was in the house he went out into the field to pray saith the Text. Daniel was the same after the dangerous Law that he was before he opened his windowes thrice a day as he was accustomed So vpright was Paul in his whole course as he knew nothing by himselfe 1. Cor. 4. 4. A good heart sets God often in sight as well in the Chamber as in the Church Dauid set the Lord euer in his sight and at his right hand It is as seuere and zealous against his owne crookednesse as any other and will not swallow small sinnes no more then great seeing Gods pure eyes are set vpon and against both Vprightnesse is in euery thing alike without and within it is not worse in substance then in shew nay it is better It seekes to approue it selfe before God and al men first to God whose eye is more respected then if all the world looked on and then to all men but so as if none but God looked on them It desireth to purge it selfe from all filthinesse of flesh and spirit and to grow vp to full holinesse in the feare of God That man that findes these notes in him may be a glad man nay he must be a glad man according as it followes in the Text Be glad yee righteous from the connexion of the persons to this duetie we may note that Only the godly man can truely reioyce with sound and lasting ioy Isa. 65. 13. My seruants shall reioyce and yee shall be ashamed my seruants shall sing for ioy of heart and yee shall crie for sorrow of heart and howle for vexation of spirit The stranger shall not enter into his ioy Prou. 14. 10. and it is called the ioy of Gods people Thus the Scriptures euer limit this ioy to the faithfull Psal. 40. 16. Let them that seeke the Lord reioyce and Prou. 29. 6. In the transgression of an euill man is his snare but the righteous doth sing and reioyce The reasons of this doctrine are these First because none else are commanded to ioy but the godly none else haue warrant to reioyce where doe we reade that a wicked man is bid to ioy and indeed what cause is there that he should be so bid What troubles him his sinne troubles him not it is his hearts delight not temptations for he swallowes them all not his conscience for it is asleepe not the world for it is his Darling not the Deuill for he is not cruell in his owne house not outward afflictions for he will not endure any al things are at peace with him he mournes not and therefore needes not be called to comfort the promise is Blessed are they that mourne and are troubled and persecuted for the name of Christ for they shall be comforted Nay he is called from ioy to howling Iam. 5. 1. he is alreadie glutted and drowned in worldly delights and carnall ioy from which he is euerywhere called yea a woe is pronounced on him Luc. 6. 25. Woe be to you that reioyce now for yee shall mourne and weepe Secondly onely the godly haue cause to reioyce for First they only haue the presence and fruition of the chiefe good which is God himselfe and are in couenant with God by vertue whereof they are interessed in all the good things of heauen and earth as a wife in the goods of her husband Here is a great cause of ioy indeede a godly man hath gotten this cause of ioy and therefore he may lawfully reioyce Secondly they only know that their names are written in the booke of Life which is a truer cause of ioy by our Sauiours testimonie then if by the gift of miracles they were able to subdue the Deuills Luc. 10. 20. Reioyce not in this but that your names are written in the booke of Life And then the godly know their names to be written in that booke when they write their owne names in Gods booke by becomming beleeuers for faith giues them priuiledge to be the sons of God Ioh. 1. 12. Thirdly they only haue escaped and are set free from the infinite euills and sorrowes of sinne with which all other besides themselues are beset and bound ouer to damnation And therefore as Israel hauing escaped the Sea the Mountaynes and Egyptians and gotten out of Egypt it selfe sang and reioyced Exod. 15. 1. so haue all the Israel of God being set free from hell and sinne and sinners and the curse of sinne iust cause of ioy and gladnesse which all but they want Fourthly only they haue the Spirit of God the Author and Preseruer of this ioy which is therefore called the ioy of the Holy Ghost only they are anointed with the oyle of gladnesse and clothed with the garment of gladnesse and haue the Spirit of comfort sent into their soules who is the Moouer of this ioy and not so much maketh our Spirits reioyce as himselfe reioyceth in vs as he is said not to make vs make requests but to make requests in vs
by cruelty not of God 264 Remission of sins followeth a sound purpose of confession of sins 4. reasons 159 Remission followeth not confession of sins ex opere operato against Popish doctrine 163 Sound Remembrance includeth four things 270 Repentance of Gods children in respect of outward afflictions may come too late 232 Righteousnesse Legal and Euangelicall 398 Romish Religion accursed of God for the cruelty of it 205 Rules to vphold a weak Christian not feeling his reconciliation with God foure 38 Rules of limitation of godly sorrow six 86 Rules of discerning the same godly sorrow six 83 Rules to know if we haue the Spirit of God foure 131 Rules of direction what to doe in our falls foure 335 S HOw to be Safe in dangers fiue rules 251 God begins our Safety in remission of sins and so must we 255 To be Safe be syncere 265 Saints departed not to be inuocated why 215 Scriptures most wickedly taken from the Layty by the Church of Rome 187 Security may cast a godly heart asleepe till God awake it 6. reas 70 Selah what it meaneth 109 Sence of misery must go before sence of mercy 5. reas 110 Seruice of God only acceptable from mercifull men 4. reas 199 Sin a most intolerable burden fiue reasons 6 Sin a most odious thing in 3. respects 15 Sin is an infinite debt 4. reas 23 Sin Sin is only forgiuen by God 29 Sin pardoned makes an happy man 31 Sin before it be committed how it insinuates it selfe 46 God worketh a serious sight of Sin in his children for 3. causes 136 Sins against many meanes very sinfull 157 To see Sin in a true glasse 4. things 375 Songs of praise be seem seasons of ioy ' 5. reasons 287 Matter of Godlies Songs must be spirituall six reasons 302 Songs and wanton tunes mistuning the heart condemned 306 Euery godly mans sorrow is not godly sorrow 4. reas 82 Wicked mans sorrow for sin most helplesse and why 89 Sorrowes of the godly compared to the sorrowes of a woman in trauaile in 5. respects 283 Sorrowes of wicked men in this life of many kindes 370 Sorrowes of the wicked after this life in six things 371 Sorts of by-wayes beaten by many six in number condemned 330 Stayres to rise vp to happinesse three 21 Spirit of God at length preuaileth against the corruptions of flesh 4. reasons 125 We must Speake of our experience of God to euery godly man 191 State of an obstinate sinner most accursed 5. reasons 367. 372 State of Gods children not vncomfortable in their sorrowes sundry reasons 409 Summers fruits are not to be condemned for Winter-stormes 278 Syncerity of heart vrged at large 57 T THe best Teachers are they who teach out of their owne experience 5. reasons 175 Teachers must make people to vnderstand the word and their owne way two reasons 337 Testimonies of Thankefulnesse for deliuerances foure 378 Thankefulnesse is as much and as little as we can return to the Lord for all his mercies 287. Many faile in Thankefulnes many wayes 299 There is a Time when God will not be found though he be sought 4. reasons 228 Time is when God will be found of euery godly man seeking him fiue reasons 237 Times of ioy euer succeed times of sorrow to godly men 5. reas 280 No Torment in the world like torment of conscience 3. reasons 77 In Trials godly must set 3. things before them 278 Troubles of the godly are already ouercome by Christ. 281 Trusting in God hath abundant mercie 4. reasons 380 V VErtues and Vices of the Saints recorded the former for imitation the latter for our instruction 185 True Vnderstanding hath foure things 339 Vnmercifulnesse hindereth both the preferring of our prayers and preuailing of them 200 Vnthankefulnes vnbeseemeth a reasonable man and much more a Christian. 288 Uprightnes what 398 Vprightnes discerned by 5. notes or marks 404 W VVArre with thy fins brings peace by the word 140 Way of God preferred before all other in foure respects 327 Wicked men seeke not God till too late 229 Wicked men cannot be happy two reasons 376 Wicked haue temporall mercies but no true right before God 4. reasons 382 Wicked haue often some ioy but no cause 4. reasons 414 Wicked how they are heard of God or rather not heard in six particulars 196 Wicked in trouble how he seeks God fiue things 219 Willing and free subiection to God vrged by 3. reasons 365 Word of God limiteth our ioy for matter 419  manner   measure  Good Works cannot merit or iustifie 33 Works of Gods iustice recorded in Scripture for our instruction 185 Word of God must be specially applied 4. reasons 321 FINIS Errata Pag. 19. l. 26. adde Christ teacheth Pag. 24. l. 28. for seat of a debtor reade state of a debtor Pag. 25. l. 12. for are able read are not able to pay Pag. 57. l. 32. for darting reade darling sinnes Pag. 300. l. 3. put out yes Pag. 369. l. 22. for Secondly reade First the very course Elephas or elephantiosis 2. King 15. Rules of inquisition 1. 2. 3. Rules of preuention Rules of cure Verse 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 2. 3. Gal. 1. 6. 1. Proposition Mandatū dei est 1. Probationis  2 Praestationis Prius datū non vt illud facto ipso exequamur sed vt obsequiū probet posterius vt facto ipso illud impleamus Exod. 32. 2. Assumption Pro quibus Christus passus est pro ijs interpellat etiam Spiritus Ambros. li. 5 epist. 23. A communione naturae ad 〈…〉 Obserue All vse of Psalmes must edific Obseru 2. No learning to Dauids learning Vse Doctrine Sinne is an intolerable burden Isay 1. Reasons Vse 1. Vse 2. Quest. Answ. Why men feele not such an heauy burden as sin is Vse 3. Meanes to be disburdened of sinne Obiect Answ. Vse 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Obiect Answ. Vse 5. 1. Thess. 5. 14. Vse 6. Quest. Answ. Quest. Answ. Tum tecta peccata dicuntur cum Deus nolit punire August Isa 44. 22. Doctrine Sinne a most odious thing Exod. 32. Rom. 6. 21. Vse 1. Act. 15. Vse 2. Ier. 3. 3. Ier. 2. 26. Vse 3. Doctrin 2. Euery one must get a couer for his sin 2. Vse 1. Vse 2. Obiect Answ. Reuel 3. 18. Meane to get sinne couered Quest. Answ. Quest. Answ. Obiect Answ. Obiect Answ. Obiect Answ. Obiect Answ. Doctrin Sinne an infinite debt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Reasons 1. 2. 3. 4. Obiect Answ. Obiect Answ. Obiect Answ. Use 1. Vse 2. Vse 3. Vse 3. Reasons Obiect Answ. Doct. 1. Pardon of sin maketh an happie man Reasons 1. 2. 3. 4. Use 1. Sequuntur iustificatum non praecedunt iustificandum Obiect Answ. Obiect 2. Answ. Obiect 3. Answ. Obiect 4. Answ. Obiect 5. Answ. Vse 2. Obie ct 1. Answ. Obiect 2. Answ. Obiect 3. Answ. Obiect 4. Answ. Use 3. Vse 4. Answ. Rules to