the subject on which Christ doth exercise his Divinitie and that is on dead men The dead shall heare the voyce of the Sonne of God and shall live Secondly the instrument by which he doth it and that is by his Word which is not meant onely the bare preaching and hearing of the Word but such an inward commanding powerfull operative word that makes men doe that which is commanded them Such a word was spoken to Lazarus being dead Lazarus come forth and he did it This word commands men and makes them to obey it Thirdly the time when he will exercise his divinity the houre is comming and now is that is the time shall come when as it shall bee abundantly revealed the fruit of the Gospell shall appeare more plentifully and fully hereafter but yet it is now beginning to appeare there is now some small fruit of it Lastly It is affirmed with an asseveration or oath Verily Verily I say unto you And these are the parts of this Text. Out of these words I purpose to shew you these three things First What the estate of all men is out of Christ. Secondly what we gaine by Christ. Thirdly What we must doe for Christ. First we will shew you what your state is out of Christ for this will make you to prize him more And the point for this is That every man out of Christ is in a state of death or dead man that is All men how ever they are borne living yet they are still dead men without the living Spirit the root is dead Hence are these places of Scripture Gen. 2.17 The day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt die the death Mat. 8.22 Let the dead bury their dead Ephes. 2.1 You hath he quickened who were dead in trespasses and sinnes Eph. 5.14 Awake thou that sleepest stand up from the dead and Christ shall give thee light The meaning is that all men are spiritually dead This will be of some moment to shew you that you are dead without Christ. Yee account it a gastly sight to see many dead men lie together it affects you much but to see a multitude of dead men walke and stand before us that affects us not The naturall death is but a picture or shadow of death but this spirituall death is death indeed As it is said spiritually of Christs flesh Ioh. 6.55 That it is meate indeed Now that you may know what this death is I will shew you First of all what this death is Secondly how many kinds of this death there are Thirdly the symptomes and signes of this death Fourthly the degrees of this death For the first what this death is it consists in two things First in death there is a privation of life then a man is dead when as the soule is separated from the body so a man is spiritually dead when as the soule is separated from the quickning spirit of Grace and righteousnesse This is all our cases In us there dwels no good there is no Spirit of life within us the Soule is so out of order that the spirit is weary of it and forsakes it When the body growes distempered and unfit for the Soule to use then the Soule leaves it Even as when the instrument is quite out of tune a man layes it aside whiles it is in tune he plaies on it So a man dwels in a house as long as it is habitable and fit to dwell in but when it becomes unhabitable he departs so as long as the body is a fit organ for the soule it keepes it when it becomes unfit it leaves it Even so the holy Ghost lives in the soule of man as long as it is in good temper but being distempered by sinne the holy Ghost removes You may see it in Adam as soone as hee did eate of the forbidden fruite the holy Ghost left him and he lost his Originall righteounes Secondly in this death as there is a privation so there is also a positive evill quality wrought in the soule whereby it is not onely void of goodnesse but made ill In the naturall death when a man dyes there is another forme left in the body so in this spirituall death there is an evill habit left in the soules of men This you may see Heb. 9.14 where the workes you doe before regeneration are called Dead workes there would be a contradiction in calling them dead workes if there were not another positive evill forme in man beside the absence of the quickning Spirit which forme is called Flesh in the Scriptures But it may be objected that sinne is a meere privation of good that it is a Non-ens therefore flesh cannot bee said to be an operative qualitie and forme of sinne To this I answer that though all sinne be a meere privation yet it is in an operative subject and thence it comes to passe that sinne is fruitfull in evill workes As for example take an Horse and put out his eyes as long as hee stands still there is no error but if he begins to runne once he runnes amisse and the longer hee runnes the further hee is out of the way wherein he should goe and all this because he wants his eyes which should direct him So it is with sinne though in its selfe it be but a meere privation yet it is seated in the soule which is alwayes active Anima nunquam otiosa The goodnesse that should inlighten it is taken away and there is a positive evill qualitie put into it that leades us on to evill Consider farther whence this death proceeds the originall of it is the understanding mind of man which is primū vivens ultimum moriens That which lives first and dies last The cause of life is the understanding inlightened to see the truth when the affections are right and the understanding straight then we live when it is darkened all goes out of order Ioh. 1.4 speaking of Christ it is said that in him there was life and the life was the light of men he was life because hee was light he did inliven men because he did inlighten them therefore Ephe. 5.4 the Apostle speakes thus to men Awake thou that sleepest stand up from the dead and Christ shall give thee light because light is the beginning of spirituall life Therefore it is said Iames 1.18 Of his owne will begot he them by the word of truth that is the word rectifies the understanding and opinion which is the first thing in this spirituall birth and Ephe 4.22.24 Put off the old man which is corrupt according to the deceitfull lusts thereof and put on the new man which after God is created in holinesse and perfect righteousnesse The old man is corrupt according to the deceitfull lusts that which is here called deceitfull lusts c. in the Originall signifies lusts proceeding from error and holinesse proceeding from truth Lust proceeds from error in mistaking things for lust is nothing
they should redeeme in idlenesse and gaming most in drunkennesse and disorder and not as they should Yee have heard of mortification yee have heard the doctrine of changing from death to life apply them and take heed how you heare yee that heard it negligently shall grow worse and worse The second meanes to heare profitably is that which is set downe in the 1 Thess. 2.13 that is to receive the Word not as the Word of man but as the Word of God This makes the Word of Christ effectuall to heare it as the Word of God that is consider whose word it is Consider the ground of it that it proceeds from God who is present God is there and we speake in his stead God spake to the Israelites in Mount Sinay and would have continued for any thing we know yet the people desired that Moses should speake unto them Wee beseech you in the stead of Christ to be reconciled unto God This is of much moment to heare it as Gods Word morrall truths may build you up in morrall vertues and may be profitable to that purpose but they will not breed spirituall life that the Word onely doth being received as the Word of God Iohn 6.65 when as Christ demanded of the twelve whether they also would goe away Peter made this answer Lord whither shall we goe Thou hast the words of eternall life A man is not a living man but by conjunction betwixt God and the soule God is to the soule as the soule is to the body hee puts life into it and is conjoyned to it by his word when it is thus received The Word comming as from God wee doe that which is commanded us because God will have us doe it we doe it simply and sincerely so that God accepts it When we receive the Word as the Word of God with faith and full Assurance then it breeds life within us and when it begets life then it comes from God then it comes in power and in the holy Ghost and makes us become followers of Christ 1 Thess. 1.5 When we receive the Word of God as from God himselfe with full assurance then it workes effectually then it begetteth life in us To live is to have sence and motion to be acting the receiving of the word with ful assurance makes us active the beleeving of it sets men on worke 2 Chron. 25.5.6.10 When as Amasiah beleeved that God would not be with him unlesse hee sent away the Israelites then he sent them away and not before Caleb and Iosuah did beleeve therefore they followed God constantly Abraham offered up his sonne Isaacke because he beleeved God that he could give him another sonne or raise him out of ashes againe Let a man be perswaded that such a thing will hurt him or that such a thing will doe him good hee doth the one and leaves the other Receive therefore the Word with full assurance consider what is delivered if it be the Word or no consider that it which yee heare is eyther the Word or not the Word it belongs to me or not Men take things overly and are not rooted and grounded in faith and that makes them heare unprofitably See then if your particular actions agree with the Word so yee shall be rooted in faith this makes the Word a Word of life The third rule and meanes to heare with profit is that which is set downe of the fourth ground in the parable of the seed in the eight of Luke the 15. verse that is To receive the Word with honest and good hearts having heard the Word to keepe iâ— and to bring forth fruite with patience Heare the word with honest hearts this is done when as a man is resolved to practise whatsoever God will reveale when he hath no reservations or exceptions to himselfe when hee is resolved to practise what he heares with an humble heart being humbled we will doe this and not before The fourth ground was humbled men will not heare this because they are proud now pride is an evill disposition in the creature whereby it exalts its selfe above its measure There is this fault â—n men they will picke and chuse in the wayes of God The last ground will onely part with all for Christ. Act. 9. When as Paul was humbled hee then cryed out Lord what wilt thou have me to doe I will doe or suffer any thing for thee and hee was as good as his word So Act. 2.32 the Iewes being humbled cried out Men and brethren what shall wee doe wee will doe any thing to be saved So Act 16.30 The jaylor being humbled demanded of Paul what hee should doe to be saved when as a man is thus disposed God will teach him Psal. 25.9 God teacheth the humble his wayes man himselfe will doe so if he see one willing to learne he will teach him The secrets of the Lord are revealed to those that feare him to those that stand in awe of him and dare doe nothing against him hee reveales his peculiar truthes in a peculiar manner to men those things that are effectuall to their salvation Bring therefore humble hearts ready to obey But you will say wee doe obey and practise what we heare I answer that yee may be deceived as they in the fift of Deut. They said they would obey but God saw that there was another heart in them than what they saide therefore God said O that there were such an heart in them that they would feare me and keepe my commandements alwayes that it might goe well with them and their children for ever So Iohanan and the other Captaines Ier. 42.20 desired Ieremia to goe to God to know his will and they would doe whatsoever he should say whether it were good or evill But Ieremiah tels them that they did but dissemble in their hearts he knew they would not doe it Looke to this in the acts and effects what have you done when the Word crosseth you in your aymes estates names friends If you have disobeyed it then Eze. 14.4 the Word is made a stumbling blocke your iniquities are before your face and the Lord will answere you according to the multitude of your Idols God will answer such men according to their comming as they come with false hearts they shall be dealt withall accordingly Come then with hearts resolved to practise whatsoever is spoken and desire God to make it effectuall to salvation The fourth meanes to heare the Word and the voyce of Christ profitably is to lay up what you heare let it abide and continew with you This rule is prescribed by Christ himselfe Ioh. 15.7 If ye abide in me and my words abide in you ye shall aske what yee will and it shall be done unto you When ye attend to the Word if yee are affected with it but for the time it is nothing except it continue with you it will not profit you you
a straite rule opposite to us in all our obliquityes It is not from the policy of men for if it were what end should they have in it There is no content in it a man must deny himselfe mortifie every member and hee must have crosses too Againe a man must not thinke to have many following him not to bee Captaine of Companies here is nothing that will draw men after him If Christ had done as Cyrus did who proclaimed that if any man would follow him if hee were a husbandman hee would make him a Gentleman if a Gentleman he would make him a Noble-man then men would have flocked to him This justifies Religion against the dunghill gods of the heathen against the Mahometane religion that tels men what women and what pleasures and rewards they shall have if they follow it this argument therefore is a marke of the holinesse and purity of our religion Miracles they do but excite us they do but as the Bels that call us to the Sermon they cannot worke faith within us Rom. 10.14.17 That comes onely by hearing and reading this Word there is nothing in this that doth sute with our nature these inherent markes are they by which we know it to be the Word of God Wee propound onely the object we doe not propound sillogismes wee tell you onely what it is Moses in the beginning of Genesis propounds only what God hath done he propounds no arguments to make men beleeve it so the Apostles come with a naked message He that beleeveth shall be saved he that beleeveth not shall be damned In other sciences and so in all things else there must be principles else wee should run into infinites If one should aske you how know you colour You answer by the light but how know you the light You answeare by it selfe and then you goe no further So if one aske you how know you whether such a weight bee true you answeare by the standard but how know you the standard to be true Onely by it selfe But this is an argument that the Scripture comes from Heaven because there is nothing in it that pleaseth men Nihil hic humani there is nothing that is tempered and modificated to our dispositions Sixtly if the wayes of God are full of difficulty then labour for a full mortification of sinfull lustes do it not by halves Whence is it that religion is so hard All difficulty is from some disproportion and disagreement and this difficulty here is from the disproportion betweene the Law and us wee cannot bend the Law to us but wee must winde up our minds to it As we say of griefe that it is a reluctancy of the will so there is a reluctancy here betweene the corruption of our nature and the Law and this breeds the difficulty One of them must needs yeeld If you put fire and water together there is no quiet but a continuall strife till one of them get the victory then all is quiet So it is in sicknesses Let a man have a strong disease and a strong body hee shall never have any rest as long as they both continue in their strength But let one of them get the victory then there is rest and ease If nature get the victory then we have our perfect health If the disease get the victory yet we are at quiet and hence are those lucida intervalla before death So it is here if lustes get the victory then there is peace indeede such a peace as it is men have rest and content in their forlorne estate but if grace get the victory then there is a perfect peace To have quietnesse and sweetnesse in religion is to come to an agreement and without this agreeing there will be no facility the way to make it easie is to heale your natures Religion is not difficult in its selfe it is as light that is pleasant to good eyes but yet to bad eyes nothing is more offensive it is like good meate that is pleasant to a good stomacke but yet to a bad nothing is more odious Heale your natures and get perfect health then these wayes of God will be easie to you But you will say Who is there that can come to perfect health I answere that though you cannot attaine to perfect health it is no matter so as you can come to such a condition as to bee at rest the body may be at rest and quiet though there be distempers in some particular part of it If you would have joy in the holy Ghost peace of conscience which passeth understanding labour to make an agreement you cannot bend the Law but you must cleanse your hearts you must winde them up to the peg of holines and get Evangelicall holinesse which is required and accepted Lastly if the wayes of God be so full of difficulty then we had need to humble our selves if the Law be so holy and so good and we so averse from it it must be rebellion when as you see your selves so backward to do good so contrary to it Let this open a crevis of light to see your corruption this is very needful men complaine of the Law they say that it is hard and written in blood as Draco his Lawes were they are but flesh and blood and what can they do Beloved this we should not doe but let us reflect on our selves as Paul did and say with him Rom. 7.14 The Law is spirituall but we are carnall sold under sinne Let us bee humbled more for this badnesse of our nature than for our actuall sinnes the worser your natures are the greater and more sinfull are your sinnes for the more nature there is the greater is the sin the worser your natures are the more hatred is there to the Law therefore abhorre your natures reflect upon your selves justifie God and give him glory and his Law Psal. 19.8 The Statutes of the Lord are right and the commandements of the Lord are pure quarrell not then with the Law hate it not as all unregenerate men doe And thus much for the second Doctrine We come now to the last which is this That all who looke for any interest in Christ all that will receive benefit by him must follow him They must deny themselves take up Christs crosse follow him they must tread his steps be obedient to him in all things Ro. 8.24 Whom he did foreknow them also he did predestinate to be conformed to the Image of his Sonne that hee might bee the first borne among many brethren that is all that God hath chosen hee will have them to bee like their elder Brother Christ Iesus we must goe all in one livery we must be conformable to him in all things bee ready to doe like him as Gideon said to his soldiers Iudges 7.17 What you see me doe that do ye So Christ who is our Captaine and Generall saith to us All ye that will be saved by me must
themselves to oppose God and the Saints but give themselves to pleasures and like those Widowes 1 Tim. 5.6 are dead in pleasures while they are alive The last step in this death is the death of Civility Civill men come nearer the Saints of God than others they come within a step or two of heaven and yet are shut out they are not farre from them the kingdome of Heaven as Christ said to the young man yet they misse of it as well as others Thirdly for the death that is opposite to the life of joy the degrees of it are more sensible Some have legall terrors the beginnings of eternall death others have peace of conscience and ioy in the holy Ghost the beginning of eternall life And thus much for the degrees of these deaths Now hearing that all are dead in trespasses and sinnes yee may object If wee bee dead why doe you preach unto us If we be dead we understand not wee move not we are not capable of what you say To this I answer First there is a great difference betweene this spirituall death and naturall death For first those who are naturally dead understand nothing at all but in those who are spiritually dead there is a life of understanding by which they themselves may know that they are dead men who are naturally dead cannot know they are dead Secondly those who are spiritually dead may understand the wayes of life though they relish them not yet they may heare and receive them which those who are naturally dead cannot doe Thirdly those who are spiritually dead may come to the meanes to the poole in which the Spirit breathes the breath of life whereas naturally dead men cannot come to the meanes of life Secondly I answer that though yee are dead yet hearing may breed life the word can doe it There was an end why Christ spake to Lazarus that was dead Lazarus come forth because his word wrought life therefore though yee are dead yet because the word can worke life in you our preaching is not in vaine Lastly this death is a voluntary death Men who are naturally dead cannot put life into themselves no more can those who are spiritually dead when they have made themselves dead Men die this death in a free manner I cannot better expresse it than by this similitude A man that is about to commit the act of murther or treason his friends perswade him not to doe it for if hee doth hee is but a dead man yet notwithstanding he will do it we say of such a one that hee is a dead man willingly So wee tell men if they doe thus and thus that they goe downe to the Chambers of death yet they will doe it Hence is that Ezek. 18.31 Why will ye die O ye house of Israel implying that this spirituall death in sinne is a voluntary death But ye will object men are not quite dead there are some reliques of Gods Image still left in them how are they then dead To this I answer that there is a double Image of God first a naturall standing in the naturall frame of the soule as to be immortall immateriall So there is understanding will and reason and some sparkes of life left in us as the remainder of a stately building that is ruinated but yet there are no sparkes of the living Image of God left in us the spirituall Image of God consisting in holinesse and true righteousnesse remaines not the Papists indeed deny it but how will they answer the rule of the Fathers that Supernaturalia dona sunt penitus ablata naturalia quassata that supernaturall gifts are utterly taken away no sparkes of them remaine But it will be objected that though men by nature have nothing left yet there is now an universall ability and grace an universall sufficiency given unto them To this I answer that that which they call universall grace is the same thing that nature is but they put another tearme upon it it is found in nature and common to all wherever it is therefore it cannot be grace For in grace there is alwayes something that is peculiar Secondly if there should bee an universall grace the Saints would be no more beholding to God than other men if God give all alike to all it should not bee God but themselves that put the difference Thirdly if there were that generall sufficiency it would take away all election there might then be prescience but no election no predestination to death or life Fourthly if there were a generall grace what is the reason that Paul made it such matter of difficulty to answer that question of election Rom. 9. If Aristotle and other Heathen if every one have such a generall sufficiency Paul would not have made such a scrupulous answer and have cried out of the depth Fithly there is no such universall ability because that which is borne of flesh is flesh and that which is borne of the Spirit is Spirit we are all borne of the flesh and cannot therefore have this spirituall sufficiency But yet there are some spirituall gifts in men I answer that we cannot have these spirituall gifts if we are not borne of the Spirit that which is borne of the flesh is flesh Not Bellarmine himselfe nor any man else will say that all are borne of the Spirit It is our Saviours owne speech Iohn 15.2 Every branch in me not bearing fruite he taketh away and it is cast out and withered that is as the branch not being in the root bringeth forth no fruit so men as long as they are not ingrafted into Christ bring forth no buds no fruite at all they may heare the word but they cannot make use of it they cannot doe it without the Spirit and that is free it breatheth where it listeth cōpare Iohn 3.8 the Spirit breatheth where it listeth with Iohn 6.44 No man can come unto mee unlesse the Father draw him that is not as a sheepe is lead with a bough for Christ doth not say no man will come but no man can come except the Father draw him compell him as it were by force not perswade him by intreatie that is unlesse he changeth and taketh away his wolvish will But it will be objected that God drawes every man I answer that the context concludes against this For Christ doth bring this in to shew the reason why many did not receive his Doctrine and hee concludes with this that men therefore doe not receive it because God doth not draw them None can come unto me except the Father draw him I will answer one objection more and so conclude If we are dead to what end is the Law given why are wee commanded to doe thus and thus if we be dead To this I answer that the Law is given to this end to shew us our weaknesse and to leade us unto
Play-houses but in the Church assemblies Act. 10.44 whiles Peter was preaching to Cornelius and his family the Spirit fell upon them so the Spirit fell on others by laying the Apostles hands on them the ordinances are the Vehiculum of the Spirit give what is just to them and no more give them neither too little nor too much do not over-value them but yet neglect them not neglect not the Sacrament ye know not what ye do when ye neglect to receive it ye think that yee ate and drink your own damnation if ye receive it unreverently Absence from it is a sinne as well as the remisse and negligent receiving of it Sicknesse and death yee feare why then doe you neglect the Sacrament why doe you receive it unworthily Whence are those Epidemicall diseases amongst us the cause of them is from hence that yee neglect the Sacrament that yee receive it unworthily 1 Cor. 11.30 For this cause many are weake and sicke among you and many sleepe Consider the danger of neglecting the Sacrament he that came not to the Passeover must bee cut off from the children of Israel the same Equitie remaines still in the Sacrament the cause of that was because he was to come up with the rest to remember the death of the first borne of Egypt and the redemption from their bondage hee being passed over thereby It is now the same sinne to neglect the Sacrament the Equity still remaines Are yee so strong in faith as ye need it not To bee absent from the Word yee thinke it a sinne so it is to be absent from the Sacrament nothing can excuse you If a master bid his servant do a thing and he goes and is drunken so that he cannot doe it will it excuse him If you have made your selves unfit to receive the Sacrament by commiting any grosse sinnes the unfitnesse will not excuse you If a man hath an occasion to ride a journey if he misse one day hee will take the next so ye if ye misse the Sacrament once be sure to take it the next time It is devided here that so if ye misse once yee may receive it the next time take heed therefore how yee neglect it The end of the Sacrament is to worship God to set forth Christs death it is the chiefest part of God worship therefore give it the chiefest respect Now from hence see the necessitie of this life of grace how can yee come to the Sacrament if yee are dead men Labour therefore for this life of grace And thus much for the first point that all men out of Christ are in a state of death We come now to the second which is this That all in Christ are in a state of life Our scope is to shew you what you are out of Christ and what benefits ye receive by being in Christ we cannot goe throughout all particulars but we will take the greatest life and death the one the greatest good the other the greatest evill All in Christ are living men this is the greatest benefit because death is the greatest evill therefore by the rule of contraries life must be the greatest good Farther men prize nothing so much as life this experience sheweth and Sathan himselfe could tell that skinne for skinne and all that a man hath he will give for his life Iob 2.4 Beyond experience God himselfe threatens death to Adam as the greatest evill The day that thou eatest of it thou shalt die the death Gen. 3.3 Now all that live this life are living men and have all things pertaining to life 2 Pet. 1.2 they have all that pertaines to life and godlinesse that is all things necessary for the nourishing and cherishing of them life were else unhappy take beasts and plants they having all belonging to their life are happy and they are said to live take any naturall life when as a man hath food and rayment and recreation he is said to live A man lives when he hath life and all that appertaines unto it I will divide this Doctrine into two parts and I will shew you two things First that there is such a life as this Secondly what this life is First that there is such a life as this It is needfull to shew you that there is such a life because it is a hidden life God hides these spirituall things as he hid Christ under a Carpenters sonne so he hides the glorious mysteries of the Sacrament under the base elements of Bread and Wine he hides the wisdome of God under the foolishnesse of preaching he hides those whom the world is not worthy of under sheepes Skinnes and Goates Skinnes Heb. 11. yea Col. 3.3 Our lives are hid with Christ in God But from whom is this life hidden I answer that it is hidden from naturall men as colours from a blind man they are there and he sees them not But with what is it hidden I answer that it is hidden First with this naturall life wee see it not because wee have this life it is hid as the Sap in the roote or water in the spring Secondly it is hidden with a base outside 2. Cor. 6.10 The Saints are as poore as despised as having nothing Christ had a base outside there was no forme or beauty in him that wee should desire him and so have the Saints being conformable to him they are like other men for their outsides Thirdly it is hidden with mis-reports thus Christ himselfe was hidden he was counted a wine-bibber a friend of Publicans and sinners one casting out divels by Belzebub and therefore he became a stumbling blocke unto many The Saints are likewise mis-represented they are evill spoken of they are presented to mens understanding otherwise than they are There are a generation of men that pervert the strait wayes of God Act. 13.10 that is they make them seeme crooked though they are straight notwithstanding they pervert them as a crooked or false glasse perverts a face that is beautifull representing it in another shape or as a sticke that is halfe in the water and halfe out seemes to be crooked and yet is straight in it selfe But in what is it hidden I answer that it is hidden in Christ as in the fountaine as in the heart and soule as in the subject wherein it dwels Men what ever they professe beleeve not this that there is such a life because it is a hidden life what course then shall wee take to make you beleeve it The Scriptures you will not deny yet you will be as hard to beleeve them as you will be to beleeve that there is such a life Wee will therefore say something without the Scriptures to perswade you that there is such a life as this First there is a life which the foule and spirits lives as the Angels they move act and understand though they eate not there is therefore a life
is expressed 4 Phil. in these words Be in nothing carefull saith the Apostle And that you may see wee have ground for this generality In nothing bee carefull but in all things make your requests knowne unto God That is whatsoever your case bee I make no exception at all but whatsoever you stand in neede of whether it concernes your soules or your bodies your name or your estate yet be in nothing carefull This is a great matter There is none amongst you that heares me now but sometime or other hee is carefull of something or other for which he is solicitous Now when a man hears such a voyce from heaven that the Lord himselfe saith to us Bee carefull for nothing doe no more but make your request knowne it is well enough I will surely heare in heaven and grant it It is a great comfort Beloved comfort your selves with these words and thinke this with your selves that this is that Charter great Grant that the Lord hath given you and to none but you that what prayers you make to him hee heareth you But it will be objected why is this said so generally That wee must in nothing be carefull but in all things make our request knowns For then if a man were but a poore man it is but going to the Lord and asking riches and hee shall have them If a man were sicke of an incurable disease it were no more but going to the Lord and hee should be sure to be recovered If a man hath an enterprise to bring to passe it is no more but goe to him and it shall be done what is the reason then that godly and holy men have not these things granted to them To this I answer you must understand it with this condition even as it is with a Father I will prove it to you by that suppose he should say to his sonne I will deny thee nothing whatsoever I have I will deny thee nothing but thou shalt have part in it Though he say no more yet we understand it with these conditions First that if his Childe shal aske him for that that is not good for him or if the child should refuse to have that done or pray his Father and say I beseech you doe it not when the Father knowes it is good here the Father is not bound hee thinkes as for example if a Father sees his childe needes Physick it may be the child finds it bitter and therefore is exceeding loath to take it it makes him sicke and is irkesome unto him so that hee earnestly desires his Father that hee may be excused that he might be freed from it In this Case the father will not heare him for hee knowes the Child is but mistaken On the other side if the Child aske something that is very hurtfull if he aske for wine in a feaver the Father denyes it him No saith hee you are mistaken I know your desire is that you might have health and recover and this I know will hurt you though you know it not This the Father understands and therefore he puts in that condition So when the Lord saith In nothing be carefull but in all things make your requests knowne If you mistake the matter at any time and your prayer shall not bee the dictate of the Spirit so that yee alway make request according to his will but the dictate of your owne hearts and shall bee the expression of your naturall Spirit and not the Lords Spirit In this case there is no promise of being heard and yet the Lord makes his Word good Be in nothing carefull but in all things make your requests knowne Secondly a Father when he saith to his Child I will deny you nothing but you shall have part in all that I have yet the Child may carry himselfe so that the Father upon such an occasion may deny him and bee ready to say unto him Well if you had followed your Booke if you had not runne into such disorders if you had not bin negligent to doe what I gave you in charge I would have done it In this case the Father withholds the blessing that hee will bestow upon his Child not because he is unwilling to bestow it but because he would thus nurture his Child he useth it as a meanes to bring him to order So the Lord saith to Moyses That because he had spoken unadvisedly because he had not honoured him before the people at those waters the waters of strife therefore the Lord tels him by the Prophet he should not goe into the good land And so he tels David that because he had sinned against him hee would not give him the life of the Child So the Lord saith to us sometimes I will not grant you this request for though I bee willing to grant it yet this is one part of the discipline and nurture that I use to my Children That such a particular request I will deny you for such an offence as worshipping of Idols c. Beloved this is not a generall denyall this is not for our disadvantage but it is a helpe to us it makes us better that sometime we should be denyed knowing hereby that it is denied to us for our sinne that we may learne to come to the Lord and renew our repentance and to take that away that we may come to prevaile in our prayers with him Thirdly when a Father is willing to grant it yet hee will thus say to his Child Though I be willing to doe what you aske at my hands yet I will not have you aske it rudely I will have you aske it in a good manner and a good Fashion For when wee come to call upon God come in an unreverent manner in such a case the Lord heares not Or againe hee will say to his child I am ready to heare you but you must not aske in a negligent manner as if you cared not whether you had it or no So the Lord saith to us I wil have you to pray fervently you shall aske it as that which you prize Againe he will say to his child I am willing to bestow this upon you but I do not give you this mony to spend it amisse to play it away to spend it in trifles and geugawes that will do you no good So saith the Lord I am willing to give you riches but not to bestow upon your lusts Thus speakes the father to his child when hee comes to aske hee tels him hee must come in such a manner as becomes a child hee must speake to him as to a Father he must spâ—â—ke with confidence to receive it So also the Lord tels us wee must come in faith So that in a word this is to be remembred That though the Lord promise that hee will give whatsoever we aske and bids us In nothing be carefull but make our requests knowne yet notwithstanding this hee would have us