and propagated it So that siue per Angelos siue per Prophetas siue per Apostolos c. Whether by Angels Patriarchs Prophets Apostles Pastors We shal still find God to be our Husbandman saith Augustine and he that laboured more abundantly then all the rest saith yet not I 1. Cor. 15.10 but the grace of God which is with mee 1. Cor. 15.10 The Papists abuse that place as also the words of this text to the establishing of the error of free will that thereon they may build their gainefull doctrine of merit How impertinently euery one may iudge that can but read and reading consider the purpose of the writer which is not to intreat of men in generall but of Ministers nor to shew any concurrence of nature with grace vnto well doing but of the sanctifyed instruments of the Holy-Ghost vnto the worke of the ministry wherein notwithstanding our blessed Apostle disclaimeth any sufficiency as of himselfe and ascribeth all to God not that wee are sufficient of our selues to thinke any thing 2. Cor. 3.5 as of our selues see how carefully hee excludeth himselfe but our sufficiency is of God Sufficiency happily they will yeeld to be of God that is of grace but yet liberty is of nature an insufficient liberty then it must needs be and so indeed it is a liberty to doe but not to doe well a liberty not constrained but yet confined vnto sinne and confined not by Creation but by the fall not by Gods default but by our one forfit we are not kept straight in him but in our owne bowels But the grace of Christ bringeth liberty to the captiues Esay 61.1 and to them that are bound the opening of the prison 1. And now as Prosper saith Libertate agimus sed libertate redemptâ we doe well freelie but that freedome is of the grace of redemption It is not by created liberty for that in regard of good was lost in Adam not by corrupted liberty for that though freely yet onely and necessarily enclineth vnto euill but by the liberty of grace the grace of Christ who as he telleth vs without me ye can do nothing Job 15.5 so the thankfull Christian heart maketh answer and saith Truth Lord loe I liue yet not I now but Christ liueth in me I worke yet not I now Gal. 2.20 but the grace of Christ which is with me Phil. 4.13 I can doe all things yet not of my selfe now but through the help of Christ which strengtheneth me Thus haue wee seene how God is a worker yea the worker being alone in the principall work and principall in the ministeriall worke who then can deny him to be an owner the husbandry and building both are Gods Hee that made all things made them for himselfe Prou. 16.4 and if the wicked for the day of euill how much more vs that are his workmanship created by him in Christ Iesus vnto good workes Eph. 2.10 He parts labor as wee shall see but not possession It is enough for the labourer if he haue his hire his penny men do not vse to diuide their ground with the plowman or their house with the Mason Iohn 3.29 Hee that hath the Bride is the Bridegroome so is not hee that prepareth 2. Cor. 11.2 and presenteth her so is not hee that standeth by and reioyceth to heare the bridegroomes voice Thus Christ differed from Moses both faithfull I say not alike but yet both faithfull But Moses as a seruant in his Lords house Heb. 3.5 6 Christ as the sonne ouer his owne house Thus the Church differeth from vs Church-men the Church is not ours but we the Churches that the Church with vs may be Christs and he Gods God therefore is both a worker and an owner 1. Cor. 3.23 The chiefe worker and the onely owner The chiefe worker both because he doth the greatest part of the worke himselfe which Paul in no sort can doe and because hee worketh by Paul that which he enableth Paul to do The onely owner because as by him onlie the work is set on foot so vnto him onely of right it tendeth for as of him and through him so for him are all things Rom. 11.36 to him bee glorie for euer Amen With which words of the Apostle according to his owne Method I passe from the doctrinall part of this point vnto some application for our vse and benefit Is it so then that God hath reserued the greatest part of the worke which is to giue increase onely vnto himselfe then surely neither is preaching enough for vs not hearing for you but it behooueth both vs and you to follow the publike action with prayer both in publike and in priuate vnto that God who only is able to giue a blessing Else Paul may plant and Apollos may water 1. Cor. 3.6.7 and both their labours come to little passe One shower wee see oh that God would let vs see but wee haue seene that one shower doth more good then a great deale of pains in watering so much is God the better husbandman euen in the earthly husbandry how much more in the spirituall When God let fall his showers of spirituall operation vppon the Iewes there were at one sermon 3000 soules added to the Church Act. 2.41 a great increase none such in Christs time Ioh. 7.46 Why was Peter the better Preacher Ioh. 3.34 nay neuer man spake as hee spake for God gaue him the spirit not by measure but now the spirit was giuen plentifully to the hearers which before was either restrained or very sparingly imparted Oh then God forbid the minister should thinke all his worke done when hee hath ended his exhortation God forbid he should sinne against the Lord 1. Sam. 12.23 and cease praying for his people though he haue shewed them the good and right way But if the Lord in iudgement with-hold his blessing from his owne ordinance and deny the prayer of his seruant know for thy comfort it is Gods part that is to doe not thine who will one day make it knowne why hee denied his blessing vpon thy labours praiers Neither let the hearer imagine that when the sound is out of his eare hee hath done with God or God with him For yet the greatest doubt remaineth whether the word heard shall bee that sauor of life or of death vnto thee 2. Cor. ◠16 Of life if the Lord by his spirit settle it in thy hart and ingraffe it in thee of death if it lie like a surfet on thy stomacke to breede some deadly sicknesse in thee Iam. 1.21 Wherfore if grace after meat be requisite surely grace after the word heard is much more necessary and if much good doe it you bee good manners after dinner surely much good doe it vs much good doe it my soule is more then a complement after the Sermon The earth mee thinkes teacheth vs this lesson
sleeping or waking by reason of the stupidity that is in him more then in other liuing creatures but in Diuinity it is without doubt that since first our nature fell asleepe in Adam euery man taketh his beginning of beeing in this sleepe of sinne Behold saith Dauid I was borne in iniquity Psalm 51.5 and in sinne hath my mother conceiued me and Zophar deriding the fond conceit men haue of their owne wisedome Iob 11.12 vaine man saith hee would bee wise though man borne that is Iohn 3. till he be borne againe be a wild Asse colt 2 Called but not chosen wakened but fallen asleep againe and that more dangerously then before 2. Pet. 2. whose latter end is worse then their beginning These besides the hereditary habite of sluggishnes haue by relapse doubled the disease and are giuen ouer to the spirit of slumber Esa 29.10 Heb. 6. from henceforth neuer or very hardly to be awakened 3 Effectually called and conuerted in whom the originall sluggishnesse of nature is in part corrected and the relapse into the spirt of slumber by grace preuented yet euen in them the remainders of naturall corruption haue place and power vntill by that almighty voice of the sonne of God Ioh. 5 28. Psalm 17.15 they shall bee wakened the second time vnto immortality and perfection In this third ranke is the spouse of Christ in this place and all Gods children in the time of this life to wit sleeping but not wholy waking but not throughly Rom. 7.19 neither willing the euill that they doe nor doing the good that they would The vapours of worldly lusts not yet so dispelled but that feeling in their heart what Rebecca felt in her wombe Gal. 5.17 an intestine warre they are manie times brought on their knees to pray with Dauid Psal 119.36.37 Incline mine heart vnto thy testimonies and not vnto couetousnesse Turne away mine eies from behoulding vanity and quicken me in thy Law and many times to crie with Paule Rom. 7.24 O wretched man that I am who shall deliuer mee from the body of this death Adde heereto much wearinesse and vnwieldinesse in holy exercises much couldnesse in maintaining Gods cause and partie much partiality in zeale maintaining a priuate spirit of enmity vnder colour of the cause of religion much preiudice in hearing the word readie to count him an enemy that telleth an vntoothsome truth Galath 4. much lingering and listening after the voice of the charmer flatterie neuer wants welcome while selfe-loue is at home who hauing more of the serpent to beguile then we to beware will at times get within vs and lull vs asleepe in security and sensualitie In a word to this trueth the confessions of all the Saints touching both their generall inclination to sinne and particular falls many of them extant vnder their owne hands doe prooue plentifull testimonie shewing that as all men dwelling in houses of clay betweene whiles will they nill they sleepe by reason of bodily infirmitie and though by an vnwelcome heauinesse nod toward the earth as it were pointing to their naturall Element so euen the best of Gods children compassed with flesh and bloud cannot but at times bewray their folly and vnstedfastnesse Quandoque bonus dormitat Homerus The best Artist hath not alwaies his wits awake and the most circumspect Christian doth not alwaies stand vpon his gard of faith and a good conscience In prosperitie we are apt to be secure presuming that We shall neuer be moued Out of this sleepe the Lord seeth it needfull to waken vs by afflictions Securitie and safetie meete not together He that said Psal. 30.6.7 I shall neuer be moued immediately confesseth Thou didst hide thy face and I was troubled But hee that said my foot slideth found cause to acknowledge Psal 94.18 Thy mercie O Lord staied me vp In time of triall and trouble least cause indeede but manie times most minde to slumber at least most temptation The three Disciples neuer more heauie-headed then when Satan was now readie to sift them and good men wee see neuer more in danger to be in loue with life loath to die or vnmindefull of death then when the arrest is now granted forth The storme it selfe is not sufficient Sathan must if it be possible cast Palinurus into a sleepe that when the Pilot I meane Christian watchfulnesse is ouer-board he may be in hope to bring the Barke vnder water In times of holy exercises when the eye should bee most broad awake to behold the beautie of the Lord Psal 27.4 in visiting his Temple the eare as it were a fresh boared to heare what the Lord God will say Psal 40 Psal 85. and heart and lips enlarged to shew forth his praise euen then manie times doth Satan and our owne flesh watch vs a shrewd turne and labour to take vs napping What affinitie hath an Oratorie with a Dormitorie Ierem. 7 Ezek. 33.31 Yet euen the house of prayer is many times a priuie witnesse of our noddings or of the wandering of our hearts after couetuousnesse Pro. 5.14 and wee are in danger to be brought into all euill in the midst of the Congregation and Assembly Finally which requireth speciall consideration if euer a Christian bee like him that sleepeth in the toppe of the mast Prou. 23.34 compassed with danger voide of care it is after some spirituall feast of grace or victorie ouer sinne Wee vse to say When the belly is full the bones would be at rest In such like manner it fared here with the spouse of Christ Shee had feasted her welbeloued and was feasted by him in the verse immediately foregoing instantly shee betakes herselfe to her vndermeale or afternoones nap 2. Sam. 11.2 like Dauid with like perilous consequent Hee slipt into occasion of euill and shee letteth slip an opportunitie of grace It was a feast vnto Peter to heare that voice of Christ Matt. 16.17 Blessed art thou Simon the sonne of Iona c. but it was sower sauce that followed shortly after when vnmindfull of his confession and tendering his master but after the flesh 2. Cor. 5.16 without respect to his office hee gat a curse instead of a blessing Mat. 16 Get thee behind mee Sathan thou art an offence vnto mee c. Blessed Paul extraordinarily admitted to a tast of heauenly glorie in the Paradise of God 2. Cor. 12.2 Vers 4 how hee fared he is not able to expresse but how through infirmitie hee was in danger to haue beene transported another way that he willingly acknowledgeth and how by Gods appointment Vers 7 the messenger of Sathan was sent to buffet him and to pricke him that he might be kept awake from the danger of ouer-weening Our flesh counterpoized with the spirit maketh vs like the ballance of which if one scale be lifted vp the other will assay to goe as high as
that hideth and fauoureth his sinnes on the other side to him that confesseth and forsaketh them assureth mercy Nothing is more easie or familiar then for a wicked man to deceiue himselfe speaking peace vnto his owne soule whiles the Lord denounceth warre and hostility against him 2. Pet. 2.19 and promising himselfe liberty whiles hee is the seruant and bondslaue of corruption apt to thinke that the infirmities of the Saints confessed and complained of should beare him out resting and reioycing in the same or the like sinnes loath to bee perswaded that any one sinne vnrepented of should proue and pronounce him to be in the gal of bitternesse Acts 8.23 and in the bond of iniquity ready to plead for his sinne as Lot for Zoar It is but one Gen. 19.20 it is but a little one and to account it little lesse then meritorious that he obserueth the publique exercises of piety is restrained from grosse and odious crimes by good nature as they terme it that is a calme temperature of body good nurture ciuility policy feare of shame and punishment desire of honour and reward or some such like snaffle whereby God keepeth vnsanctified men in peace and outward order But alas There is no peace Esa 48.22 Psalm 85.8 saith the Lord vnto the wicked He speaketh peace indeed but it is onely vnto his people and to his Saints and that with condition that they turne not againe to folly To none therefore but such as count their sinne their folly and reproach Ier. 31.19 and so turne from it that they intend neuer to returne thereto againe Peace shall bee vpon Israel saith the Psalmist Psalm 125.5 but such as turne aside by their crooked waies them shall the Lord lead with the workers of iniquity Whither but to fearefull destruction Psalm 68.21 For surely God will wound the head of his enemies and the hairy scalpe of him that walketh in his sinnes What a folly for him to dream of liberty who is taken by his owne iniquities and holden with the cordes of his owne sinne Prou. 5.22 or to rank himselfe with the penitent saints who goeth farâ—e beyond them in sinning neuer assayeth to follow them in repenting Iam. 2.10 or to count that one sinne which implieth by iust consequence the breach of the whole law and that a little sinne that is not mortified by any measure of sanctifying grace not other mens sinnes from which the Pharisee thinketh hee can cleere himselfe but thine owne wickednesse must correct thee Luke 18.11 â—er 2.19 and thine owne turnings backe reprooue thee Mar. 6.17 c. Yea amongst and aboue the rest thy speciall sinne thine Herodias best beloued of thee most preuailing with thee shall affoord a speciall triall with or against thee Against this as against the Arch-rebell euery vpright souldier of Christ chiefly warreth I was vpright also with him Psalm 18.23 saith Dauid haue kept me from my wickednes Iob. 20.12.13 This thou fauourest and wilt not forsake it but keepest it close in thy mouth and hidest it vnder thy tongue desiring secretly to suck the sweetnesse of that morsell loath by any meanes to spit it out Yea so well dost thou loue it that if at anie time thy stomacke made queazie by the threats of Gods Law or tokens of his wrath doe vomite it vp 2. Pet. 2.22 it is not long ere with the dog thou returne and licke it vp againe 1. Iam. 15.13 c. Let such a man say while hee will with Saul I haue fulfilled the commandement of the Lord I haue slaine the Amalekites c the lowing of this fat Oxe the bleating of this choice sheepe this Agag yet liuing and not fearing death will conuince him of rebellion of casting away the Word of the Lord. But as for those that possessed with the spirit of the spouse doe feelingly acknowledge and bewaile their infirmities and sins they may assure themselues to find the same fauor from the heauenly Bridegroome who in this case is faithfull and iust to forgiue our sins 1. Iohn 1.9 and to cleanse vs from all vnrighteousnes This is that voice of which hee saith Let mee heare thy voice Cant. 2.14 for thy voice is sweet So sweet that it instantly procureth both audience answer from the Lord. No sooner doth the spouse say I sleepe but immediately shee is both heard of her beloued and heareth the voice of her beloued hasting to awaken her When Ephraim lamented Ier. 31.18 v. 20. the Lord hearkned and heard him and so heard that his bowels were troubled for him Psal 32.5 And Dauid resoluing with himselfe to confesse his sinne against himselfe found present pardon both of the guilt and punishment of his sinne And if the Lord iustifie who shal condemne If a mourning sinner shall stand before the great Iudge of all the world what need he feare the iudgment of any consistory either opposite to that high court or inferiour Satan is ready for his malice vnto Christs kingdom and subiects to shew himselfe the accuser of the brethren Reu. 12. vers 10. traducing those whom hee cannot seduce as he desireth Thus he dealt with Iob with Iehoshua charging them both with sinne though vpon contrary presumptions Iob. 1.9.10 the one with temporizing in religion because of his prosperity the other with vnworthinesse to doe God seruice by reason of the badge of afflictioÌ„ and smoake of the fiery triall Zach. 3.1.2 which was vpon him But loe the Lord vndertaketh for his weake seruants Euen the Lord that hath chosen Ierusalem reprooueth Sathan and disprooueth his accusations causing the iniquities of his elect to depart from them and cloathing them with change of raiment And not Satan only but euen men also transported with malice or with preiudice are apt seeing the infirmities of Gods children to charge their whole profession with hypocrisie and to say Is not this thy feare thy faith Iob. 4.6 thy patience and the vprightnes of thy waies It is hard not to be an hypocrite in his eyes that maketh no profession of godlinesse But that man of all others hath set his face farthest from God goodnesse that doe what he will feareth not the imputation of hypocrisie such mens censure as it is most ruthles and reasonlesse so it is least of all to be regarded For what can be more contrary to the iudgement of God and of truth The Lord seeing thy repentance turneth away his eies from beholding thy sinne but these men are so glad to see thy sinne that they are loath to take knowledge of thy repentance Against such therefore thy iust defence is to appeale to him that iudgeth righteously 1. Pet. 2.23 Iob. 16.19 saying with Iob my witnesse is in the heauens and my record is on high But of all accusations and censures that of conscience as it is neerest and most inward so doth
it most vsually exercise and most sharply afflict the weake Christian 1. Iohn 3.20 For if our heart condemne vs how much more God who is greater then our heart and knoweth all things Notwithstanding as Dauid examineth the iudgment of men Psalme 58.1 so may wee that of conscience and say is it true O conscience speakest thou iustly iudgest thou vprightly Conscience accusing iudgeth alwaies for God not alwaies with God and as God For sometimes as Iobs friends it maketh a lye for God Iob 13.9 to wit not purposely but as misenformed or not sufficiently instructed Thus many times it passeth an vniust sentence vpon the weake Christian hauing an eye onely vnto the nature and quality of the sinfull action not vnto the disposition of the heart in sinning If I regard wickednesse in mine heart saith Dauid Psalme 66.18 the Lord will not heare me Not to fall into some grieuous sinne contrary to thy purpose and course but to set thy heart vpon it argueth a child of wrath Dauid committed adulterie as did Absalom and murder as did Ioab but Dauid was of them that fall by occasion Gal. 6.1 they vpon deliberation hee with remorse and they with reioycing What difference betweene the sinne of Iudas and of Peter Iudas for gaine sold his Lord Peter for feare denied and abiured him But Iudas euer a thiefe and an hypocrite though now hee proceeded to a further degree was still in the same way of sinne wherein he had bin from the beginning Peter had alwaies an honest heart and purpose to stand by his Lord vnto the death though now by a sodaine passion of feare he was for the present driuen from his resolution In a word to shut vp this point the state of a poore Christian mourning for and striuing with the greatest sins yea and sometimes in this minoritie of the new Creature taking the foyle yet sighting againe is more comfortable and blessed then of him that sleepeth and snorteth without resistance or remorse in the embracements of the smallest reputed sinne And thus I passe from the acknowledged drowzinesse of the Spouse of Christ vnto the other part of her mixed estate to wit her watchfulnesse But mine heart waketh THe Spouse of Christ professing that while her flesh was a sleepe her heart or inner man was still awake teacheth vs that Euerie true member of the bodie of Christ euen in sleeping that is in sinning hath a wakefull spirit that sleepeth not For the better vnderstanding wherof consider as in the point of sleeping 1. What it is to wake 2. Who they be that are awake The spirituall waking will also best appeare by comparison with the naturall which is the act or exercise of the faculties of sense and motion The proper cause whereof is the returne of the naturall heate and animall spirits into the members the vapours which hindered their passage being now by meanes of digestion consumed Other accessory causes there are also as noise shaking of the bodie day-light in a word whatsoeuer restoreth or calleth forth the spirits Finally the end of waking is Psal 104.23 that man may goe about his worke and day-labour Semblably in this spirituall waking we shall obserue 1 The act or exercise of the spirituall senses and motions of grace The Church here is not so a sleepe but that she both heareth the voice of Christ Cant. 5.2 and discerneth it to bee the voice of her beloued Verse 4 and findeth her heart to be affectioned toward him Matt. 13.16 And Blessed sayth our Sauiour to his Disciples are your eyes for they see and your eares for they heare whereas others neyther see with their eies nor heare with their eares Verse 15 c. 2. The proper cause of this waking which is the returne of that once naturall in the state of Creation now supernaturall heate of grace and of those spirituall abilities and inclinations vnto good Which by the dead sleep of sinne were extinguished in our nature Gal. 5.24 the vapours of fleshly lusts which hindered this returne now in great part dissolued by grace 3. The secondary and helping causes which are 1. The noyse of Gods Word crying Ephes 5.14 Awake thou that sleepest and stand vp from the dead c. 2 The shaking of Afflictions for thus the Lord openeth the eares of men euen by their corrections Iob. 33.16 which he hath sealed 3. The day-light of the Gospell which sheweth that it is now time we should arise from sleepe Rom. 13.11.12 to cast awaie the workes of darknesse and put on the armor of light c. 4. The end of our spirituall waking which is that wee may worke now it is daâ—e and walke honestly as in the day Ioh. 9.4 Rom. 13.13 Awake righteously or vnto righteousnesse sayth the Apostle and sinne not 1. Cor. 15.34 Reuel 3.2 Be awake sayth our Sauiour to the Angell and Church at Sardi and strengthen the things that remaine which are readie to die Thus wee see what is meant by waking now if it bee demaunded who bee awake it must bee answered that the regenerate onely doe wake and euen they so farre forth onely as they are regenerate They onely are children of light and of the day 1. Thess 5 Verse 5 the rest are of the night and of darknesse Therefore Verse 6 let not vs sleepe sayth the Apostle as doe other but let vs watch c. Other therefore yea all other doe alwayes onely sleepe The regenerate indeede do now and then take part with them in some measure in sleeping because there are in the best some remainders of flesh lusting against the spirit Gal. 5.17 but they neuer in any measure take part with the regenerat in waking because they are wholy flesh Ioh. 3.6 no portion of the sanctifying grace of the spirit in them to lust against the slesh But because men in these matters are not onely apt to be deceiued but also willing to deceiue themselues thinking they haue need of no grace Reuel 3.17 when they are destitute of all I holde it necessarie for the clearing of this point to remoue the false semblances of grace which may make wicked men beleeue they are well awake whiles they are fast a sleepe yea dead in sinne Such appearances are taken partly from the forenamed accessorie causes partly from some seeming effects of waking For first the vnregenerate man may sometimes heare the noise of Gods Word and that eyther with feare as Foelix or with joye as Herod and yet neuer the more awake But as the sluggard heareth the voyce of him that calleth him Prou. 6.9.10 and being loath to rise prayeth him to hold his peace so the spirituall sluggard heareth and starteth but craueth silence Thus Foelix heard Paul preaching of righteousnesse temperance Act. 24.25.26 and the iudgement to come and trembled at the hearing but immediately put him out of his matter till