grace never considring how they pray neither before whom they pray neither have any feeling at all of their owne wants and necessities and therefore no mar veil if they receive nothing â— Ier. 47.10 but go away empty as Ier. 48. Cursed be he that doth the worke of the Lord deceitfully such do most of all deceive themselues These are they that draw nigh to God with their mouthes and honour him with their lippes but their hearts are farre removed from him Causes of cold prayers in vaine doe such worship him Math. 15. If any desire to know what are the causes of such could and livelesse prayers they are these especially first ignorance of the nature of God of his piercing eye and of his powerfull hand and of his glorious presence filling all places and searching all hearts and beholding all persons how they stand before him Secondly want of faith the root of all evill Heb. 4.2 for our prayers do not profit because they are not mixed with faith in them that make them as the Apostle speaketh of hearing the Gospel Heb. 4. For faith is the life of every part of Gods worship Thirdly confidence in the flesh and not trusting in the living God and looking for all good things from him Such are they that trust in their wealth and boast themselues in the multitude of their riches which as ranke thornes do so choke them and as heavy burdens do so presse and oppresse them that they cannot lift up their hearts to God Eph. 5.5 from whence our helpe cometh A covetous man which is a worshipper of Images can never make a fervent prayer he is so taken in the snare of his owne substance whereby he is drowned in perdition and destruction Fourthly the corrupt iudgement of the sinful world that hate zeale to the death and cannot abide such as are zealous but as the frendship of this world is enmity with God Iam. 4.4 so whosoever will be a friend of the world maketh himselfe the enemy of God Iam. 4. So the beholding of the prosperity of the wicked men that either pray not at all or else if they pray are neither hote nor cold but are newters or indifferent men who if they prospeâ— here regard not what become of them hereafter that say 1 Cor. 15.32 let us eate and drinke for to morrow we shall dy 1. Cor. 15. But our hope is not in this life onely but we must looke to the recompense of reward and cast a sure and steadfast ancre in heaven Lastly to lye in some knowne sinne This either stoppeth our mouthes that we cannot speak or powreth water upon our prayers that our praiers have no heat in them but are frozen with the cold of our corruptions Our daily prayer therefore must be to God the searcher of all hearts to clense us from our secret sinnes Psal 19.12 Secondly learne from hence what it is that seasoneth every worke of God preaching hearing receiving the Sacraments prayer and the rest without zeale they are nothing worth Prayers are not commended for their length nor for often repetitions of one and the same thing Math. 6.7 for the heathen thinke to be heard for their much babling neither are they accepted because they are cunningly and curiously compiled as if we were Orators not Christians pleaded at the barre for our fâ—e not shewed the fruit of our faith sought to please the eares of ignorant men not to pierce the eares of the eternall God The Apostle would not preach to men in the entising words of mens wisedome 1 Cor 2.4 but in demonstration of the spirit and power and shall we dare to speake unto God in a florishing and foolish stile to tickle the eare as if we ment to shew our skill in Rhetoricke rather then commend our suites to God That which giveth a grace to our prayers is the spirit of zeale without this they are as sounding brasse they can profit us nothing neither ascend to the presence of God Lastly in every duty labour to be zealous For as it is in prayer so it is in the worship of God zeale is the salt that seasoneth the same and without it every worke hath lost his Savour It is strange to consider how in worldly duties the more earnest a man is the better he is accounted and accepted He that is earnest in his masters businesse is judged a good seruant he that is earnest in his Prince affaires is rewarded as a good subject he that is earnest in his fathers cause is esteemed as a good child onely in the matters of God wherein we should be most forward who should be master and Father and King and all unto us I wot not how his servants children and subjects are reviled and reproched for their zeale Neverthelesse we must not be offended nor discouraged for the taunts and evill reports of the world but be ready to walke through good report and evill report that we may please him who hath set us in his seruice Onely we must learne how to direct our zeale aright for there are extremes on both sides As it may be too cold so it may be too hote and fiery the meane is best that we may be aright zealous of good workes Tit. 2.14 There is an ignorant zeale Ioh. 16.2 Gal. 1.14 there is an idolatrous zeale Phil. 3.6 such was theirs that cut and mangled themselues till the blood gushed out Act. 26.11 1 King 18.28 and that would burne their children in fire and offer them in honour of their devilish goddes Ier. 7.31 here is an hypocriticall zeale such as was in the Pharisees that did compasse sea and land to make one a proselite that is one of their owne sect Math. 23.13 There is a zeale more damnable and vile than all the rest of such who contrary to their own conscience and knowledge do violently resist and maliciously oppose themselves against the Gospel and the professors thereof this was in the cursed and proud Pharisees that opposed themselues against our Saviour committed the sin against the holy Ghost which shal befor given neither in this life nor in the life to come Math Math. 12.32 12.32 That our zeale therfore may be good Rules to be observed to make our zeale good first the matter must be good Gal. 4.18 our zeale is good if the thing be good otherwise if the matter be evill the more earnest it is more sinful it is his indeed rather choler then zeale SecoÌ„dly true zeale beginneth with our selues and in our selues froÌ„ thence proceedeth to others They are the most skilful Physians and best able to heale others who have wrought a cure upon themselues Luk. 6.42 against this rule do all hypocrites offend Thirdly we must make greatest account of the greatest matters Math. 23.23 Such do erre herein that are hote hasty in matters of ceremony but altogether cold in matter of substance these
Math. 23.32.34.35 and Rom. 2.5.6 This delaying is no better then a dallying with God and either repentance followeth in the end or we never repent at all If repentance doe ever follow and be at the last performed which is the best we can jmagine it will breed more matter of bitter sorrow and anguish that we have beene so simple or so senslesse If it follow not what can we be but sonnes of perdition as Iudas was and as we have filled up the measure of our sinnes so we bring upon our owne heads the fulnesse and fiercenesse of his judgments Secondly we may be deprived of the meanes of our Saluation for ever by procrastination and deferring of this waighty worke I meane of the word by which we heard before that God usually and ordinarily worketh this gift For we see the word continueth not alwayes in one place or among one people but is translated from Parish to Parish nay from Kingdome to Kingdome from one nation to an other people as God oftentimes threatneth both Iewes and Gentiles Math. 21.43 Rom. 11.20.21 22. Thirdly the longer it is differred the harder it is practised and the sooner we are hardned that for two causes first because God in iudgment withdraweth his grace by little and little so that he which is not fit to day shal find himself lesse fit to morrow and every day lesse then other And wherfore because whosoever hath not the care to stir up the gift that is in him Math. 13.12 from him shall be taken away even that that he hath Secondly because sinne taketh the deeper roote the longer the tree groweth the root is deeper and spreadeth further so that it will be the more hardly transplanted and removed Ier. 13.23 as Ier. 13. Can the Ethiopian change his skin or the Leopard his spots then may ye also doe good that are accustomed to doe evill This reproveth first of all the corruption of such as live in the continuall sound of the word Vse 1 and often heare out of it the absolute necessity of this duty of repentance and yet prolong the practise thereof who are not so wise in their generation Luk. 16.8 as the Children of this world Such are they that will leave sinne when the weaknesse of age the infirmities of sicknesse and the approching of death do hinder them from following the same In this case we may thanke not them but their want of strength to pursue after the same For what thank is it to renounce the world when we are leaving it and weary of it then sinne leaveth us The dangers of procrastination rather than we sinne Let us therefore consider the dangers of Procrastination First Satan is most hardly cast out when he hath a long time kept possession We see this in the man that was possessed of a child by a dumbe spirit how hardly was he removed and dispossed the Disciples when they saw him foming and gnashing with his teeth could doe nothing and when our Saviour rebuked him and charged him to come out the spirit cryed and rent him sore and he was as one dead Mar. 9.26 in so much that many sayd he is dead When a man hath had long possession of an house and can prescribe for many yeares will he easily let goe his hold and suffer himselfe to be disentred so it is with sinne when it hath long dwelt in the heart like a man in his house it is hardly cast out Nay we our selues grow unwilling to leave the pleasures of sinne by continuance in the chaines and snares of Satan as it was with the bond-servant that said plainly I love my Master I will not goe out free Exod. 21.5 so serueth him for ever so when we grow in love with sinne and have served it long as our Master we regard not to be free but desire to be kept in bondage for ever Secondly sinne and the strength of it by continuance is encreased because it bringeth more waight to the burden one sinne bringeth in a second and a second a third that a company followeth Thirdly old age and sicknesse will be must unfit for this businesse of repentance Eccles 12.5 and a burden too hard to be borne when the Grassehopper wil be a burden When we are hardly able to put off or on our apparrell how shall we put off sinne and put on righteousnesse Fourthly we may be deprived of the meanes whereby it should be wrought in us and if the word were not effectuall to convert us while he had it and heard it alas what hope can we have to be turned to God without this when we have it not Fiftly If the meanes be not taken from us yet the threed of life may be cut off For life is uncertaine Iam. 4.14 Psal 90.9.6.12 it is even a vapour that appeareth for a little time and then vanisheth away or we spend our yeares as a tale that is told in the morning it florisheth and groweth up in the evening it is cut downe and therefore we may be called hence suddainly to teach us to learne so to number our dayes that we may apply our hearts unto wisedome Lastly we may have such hardnesse of heart having our consciences seared with an hote yron that we may have our understandings darkned and our hearts so blinded that we shall be past feeling and cannot find repentance though we sought it with teares as Esau did This is a deepe yet just judgment of God that they who have had deafe eares to God in their health should be made deafe by him that they shall heare no word of comfort and striken dumbe by him that they shall not be able to speake to him or if they open their mouthes he will not heare them when they call upon him Secondly learne to further our selues in the speedy practise of this duty Gen. 19.17 and observe the Counsell of the Angel to Lot Escape for thy life looke not behind thee neither stay thou in all the plaine least thou be consumed Let us make the present day 2 Cor. 6.2 the day of our repentance now is the accepted time now is the day of Salvation He giveth no man liberty untill the morrow The wise man saith Boast not thy selfe of to morrow for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth We may not say to our poore neighbour that is like to our selues Pro. 3.28 Goe and come again and to morrow I will give and shall we dare make such a sleevelesse answer to the eternall God Reuel 3.20 Gant 5.2 when he standeth at the doore and knocketh that we should open unto him Goe thy way and come againe hereafter I am not now at leisure And may we not say to such loyterers as our Saviour doth to such as he sent to labour in his vineyard Why stand yee here all the day idle Especially considering that we have sundry motives to stirre us up
then to such as presume of hope of pardon without paiment these disioyne faith and repentance and separate mercy and justice asunder in God to whom both are alike essentiall in whom both are infinite for albeit his mercies exceed his justice in his workes toward us yet in himselfe they are alike And woe unto such as say though we give our selues to the free and full practise of sinne yet God is abundantly nay infinitely mercifull for such shall certainly perish in their presumption and to make him all mercy is to leave him to be uniust in suffering sinne to go unpunished whereas the judge of all the world should do right Gen. 19.25 Lastly it is our duty as we desire grace and mercy so to practise repentance betimes All will seeme to be willing to have remission of their sinnes but all do not take the right way Motiues to stirre up to repentance nor use the meanes to attaine unto it which is by repentance Now we have sundry motives to move us and perswade us to repentance which we must no lesse affect then we do repentance it seâ—fe First the man that liveth without repentance is farre worse then the basest creature then the bruit beast It would be thought a base comparison to compare such to a dogge or Swine or Serpent but it is too good for such base and worse then brutish persons that forsake God and will have no communion with him For their misery and torments begin after this life whereas the bruit beasts perish and there is an end of them with this life That which our Saviour speaketh of impenitent Iudas who ended his his daies in despaire may be said of every impenitent person Math. 26.24 Woe unto that man by whom the Sonne of man is betrayed Ioh. 6.70 3.18 it had beene good for that man if he had not beene borne and in an other place one of you is a Devil and is condemned already because he hath not beleeved and repented Secondly such a one is under the power of Satan which is the greatest and sorest bondage 2 Tim. 2.26 all the Pharohs and Hazaels in the world cannot be compared with his tyranny as 2 Tim. 2. for impenitent the are taken captive by the Divell and holden in his snares to do his will Thirdly such are in danger of all the judgements of God to fall upon their heads every houre For albeit they should escape thâ—m in this life yet they are but respited or reprived as the judge sometimes doth the malefactour that is afterward executed and in the meane season all the fearfull plagues and punishments that have come upon sinners are imminent may suddainly swiftly come upon them They may be summoned to the barre of Gods judgement in this life as Adam was Gen. 3. and Caine chap. 4. Gen. 3.9 4.9 6.7 they may be drowned in the waters with the old world Gen. 6. with Pharaoh and the Egyptians Exod. 14. Fxod 14.28 Psal 136.15 they may be overthrowne and overturned with fire brimstone from the Lord out of heaven as Sodome and Gomorrha were Gen. 19.24 Gen. 19. they may perish with the arrowes of Famine Pestilence the Sword banishment and evill beastes Ezek. 5.15.16.17 Exod. 7. 8. 9. 10. as many in Israel Ezek. 5. they may suffer sustaine all the plagues of Egypt as the King and people of Egypt Exod. 7. c. they may be burned and consumed with fire as the captaines and their fifties 2 King 1. 2 King 1.10.12 they may be stung with fiery Serpents and perish as the people in the wildernesse Numb 21. the earth may open and swallow them as it did Dathan and Abiram Numb 6. Psal 106. Numb 21.6 16.31 Psal 106.17 1 Sam. 31.4 2 Sam. 17.23 Act. 1.18 Act. 12. â—3 Act. 13. â—1 Gen. 19.11 2 King 6.18 they may destroy themselues and lay violent hands upon themselues as Saul and Athithophel 1 Sam. 31.2 Sam. 17. they may fall headlong and burst a sunder in the middle all their bowels gush out as Iudas Act. 1. they may be smitten by the Angel of the Lord be eaten up of wormes as Herod was because he gave not God the glory chap. 12. they may be smitten with blindnesse by the hand of the Lord and a mist darknesse may fall upon them Luk 13.3 that they may seeke some to lead them by the hand as Elymas the sorcerer and sundry others This is that of which our Saviour warned his hearers by occasion of the suddaine slaughter of the Galileans and those eighteene upon whom the tower in Siloe fell and slew them that except they did returne they should all likewise perish Luk. 13. Fourthly such are in danger not onely of these corporall plagues to fall upon the body but of eternal death and everlasting damnation from the comfortable presence of God Act. 17.30.31 the heaviest judgment of all the rest as Act. 17. Now God commandeth all men every where to repent because he hath appointed a day in which he will judge the world in righteousnesse Fiftly God oftentimes knocketh at the dore of our consciences to open unto him This is the acceptable season of comming to Christ This is the time appointed for repentance make much of it we know not whether we shall have it againe He that abuseth and mispendeth that time forfeiteth his Salvation as Eccl. 9. Whatsoever thine hand findeth to do Eccl. 9.10 do it with thy might for there is no worke nor devise nor knowledge nor wisedome in the grave whither thou goest Lastly none can be made partakers of eternall life but such as are penitent It is vaine with Balaam to wish for heaven Numb 23.10 and to dye the death of the righteous except we live the life of the righteous and repent us of our sinnes and so turne from our evill wayes with these Ninevites To conclude let us take heed least these men rise up in judgment and condemne us who repented at the preaching of one Prophet the more hath beene committed to us the more shall be required at our hands The Lord that searcheth the hearts and tryeth the reines Ier. 7. to give to every man according to his waies and according to the fruite of his doings turne us unto him and then we shall be turned to whom be glory and praise in the Church for ever Amen A Recapitulation of the doctrines in this Treatise GOd warneth before he punisheth Gods threatnings are conditionall Generall all sinnes procure generall judgmentes The preaching of the word is the meanes to worke faith It is a fruit of repentance to take revenge for sinne of our selues Publike fastes were alwaies called and solemnized in dangerous times Repentance is wrought by the preaching of the word Repentance must be speedy and not prolonged Superiors must give good example to their inferiors We have need to stirre up
Thou shalt not lust how heinous must the sinnes of our nature and the transgressions of our life be wherein we have yeelded full consent to rise up and rebell against God And Iesus answering said vnto them Suppose ye c. It seemeth by this answer of Christ that these men justified themselves because they suffered not as the other did and condemned them as notable notorious wicked men which rash judgement as a false sentence and censure in them Christ condemneth Doct. This teacheth that outward judgements and calamities that befal the children of men Outward judgements doe not alwayes befall the worst neither free the best men doe not alwayes seize upon the most wicked and worst men neither do they free the most righteous from them It is the corrupt judgement of corrupt men to jmagine that such as are sharpely corrected and extraordinarily visited and chastened are the greatest sinners of all and on the other side such as escape and live in health in wealth in glory in favour in peace in honour and inprosperitie are highly in his favour A common errour of the world and no marveile For first being blinded with the disease of selfe love few looke upon themselves and enter into a search of their owne hearts and wayes or consider what they doe themselves deserve They turne their owne sinnes behind their backes where they are sure they cannot see them but other mens they hang before them to have them alwayes in their sight Secondly by escaping without punishment and having freedome from scourges they flatter themselves with a vaine perswasion and presumption that God approveth and is delighted with their workes whereas we should learne that God by such examples stirreth up all men every where to repentance This errour we see in Iobs friends who beholding the suddaine calamity into which he was fallen tooke occasion to condemne him of Hypocrisie impiety that because he suffered much they judged he had offended much and therefore suffered more then others and more then themselves Chap. 22. This we see in the Disciples of Christ Ioh. 9. Ioh. 9.2 When they saw the man that was blind from his birth they asked him Master who did sinne this man or his Parents that he was borne blinde They never consider the secret causes of Gods judgements but as if there could be no other cause but this one they enquire whether he or his Parents deserued by their sinnes that he should be so borne The like we see in the Barbarians of Melita Act. Act. 28.4 28. When they saw the viper upon Pauls hand they sayd amongst themselues Doubtlesse this man is a murtherer whom though he hath escaped the sea yet vengeance suffereth not to live So in this place these men would have coÌ„cluded these Galileans to be desperate sinners who happly might be better then themselves because they were suddainly and savagely slaine with the sword but Christs answere teacheth that outward afflictions and chasticements doe not evermore seaze upon the worst and wickedest men neither are the better sort freed from them but they oftentimes lye open to them more then others as we see in Iob Chap. 1. and 2. and 1 Pet. 4. judgement beginneth at Gods house the wicked abound in all things Psal 17. Whiles David lay under persecutions Psal 73. The reasons Reas 1 first all outward things fall out alike to all as David saith â— Sam. 11.25 The sword devoureth one as well as an other So affliction meeteth with one as well as with another There is one event to the righteous and to the wicked as is the good so is the sinner and therfore no man knoweth either love or hatred by all that is before them Eccl. 9.1 Secondly the wicked are oftentimes as it were stalled and fatted to the day of slaughter like fedde beasts appointed to be killed Iam. 5.5 Deut. 32.15 Iam. 5. Ye have lived in pleasure on the earth and beene wanton Yee have nourished your hearts as in a day of slaughter Thus he letteth them alone to worke out their owne destruction that they forsake God which made them and lightly esteeme the rocke of their salvation Thirdly he chastiseth his owne children that he may bring them nearer to himselfe and that they should not be condemned with the world as 2 Cor. 4. We alwayes beare about in the body 2 Cor. 4.10.11 1 Cor. 11.31.32 the dying of the Lord Iesus that the life also of Iesus might be made manifest in our mortall body for we which live are alway dilivered vnto death for Iesus sake that the life also of Iesus might be made manifest in our mortall flesh When we are judged we are chastened of the Lord that we should not be condemned with the world if then we would judge our selves we should not be judged 1 Cor. 11. Vse 1. Vse 1 Seing God layeth outward afflictions upon his owne children and letteth the wicked goe free we may gather and conclude from hence that no affliction whatsoever shall separate from him those that are his nor death nor famine nor nakednesse nor sword nor perill nor pestilence nor persecution can divide and divorse betweene God and us his love is so sure and steadfast like mount Sion which cannot be removed Psal 125.1 the Lord standeth like a buckler round about his people Rom. 8.28 that all shall worke for the best to them that love him This is a singular comfort that he will make not onely his blessings to turne to our good but he will sanctifie all our afflictions and adversities and make even them blessngs also and further our salvations yea oftentimes more then the other It is not so with the vngodly not only their crosses are curses but all their blessings are turned into judgements and nothing shall be able to doe them Indeed the faithfull must suffer they are called unto it 1 Pet. 2.21 The Crosse is the calling of a Christian and the badge of Christianity Christ hath left us an example that we should follow his steppes therefore though they suffer yet their sufferings cannot take them from God nor God from them The foundation of God remaineth sure and his giftes are without repentance They then are justly to be reprooved that conceive and judge hardly and harshly of them that have beene taken away by the plague and pestilence in this heavie visitation nay the dayes may hang over out heads and we may see them with our eyes when we may pronounce them happy that died of this contagious sicknesse and gaâ—â— up the Ghost in their beddes no doubt many of our deare brethren in other places that are pursued by the rage of cruell enemies daily in danger of the sword at their throates that are constrained to keepe garrisons in their townes and Cities yea billit mercilesse Souldiers in their houses as it were vipers in their owne bosoms desire with all their hearts that they were striken by
1 Cor. 15.55 all things fall out alike to the godly and ungodly to him that sweareth and to him that feareth an oath so that no man knoweth love or hatred by these outward things yet the venome and poyson is pulled out from these Scorpions so that albeit they may hisse at us yet they shall never hurt us Gen. 2.17 Rom. 6.23 Death is of it selfe the wages of sinne Gen. 2. Rom. 6. It came into the world by sinne and is the last enemy that shall bee subdued howbeit it hath already received his deaths-wound and the nature of it is quite changed to the godly Indeed death remaineth as a cup that all must taste off but behold the difference to the ungodly it is the reward of sinne the suburbs of hell the separation of the soule from God and the guide that conducteth them into everlasting torments To the godly it is no punishment of sinne but the abolishing of sinne the path and passage to a better life the haven of our rest the end of all our labours and the way by which we must come into the presence of Christ He is become the death of death so that they are bold in him to looke death in the face because they looke beyond death For he that will not feare it must cast his eye further then it as they feared not the fiery Serpents that lifted up their eyes to the brazen Serpent Thirdly if any meanes to uphold their life be wanting the Lord doth strengthen arme those that are his with patience contentednesse and inward comfort and consolation that he maketh them able to beare them he layeth heavy burdens upon them yet he supporteth theÌ„ with his hand that they sinke not under the waight thereof Albeit famine doe pinch and presse hard upon their bodies hee feedeth their soules with the precious food of his Word to eternall life and they are ready to answer with their Lord and Master Ioh. 4.32 I have meant to eate Iohn 4 32. that yee know not of Albeit they be vexed with warre yet he giveth them peace of conscience that passeth all understanding even peace with himselfe which the world cannot take away from them Albeit they fall into times of perils and dangers yet are they made to dwell in the secret place of the most high Psal 91.1 and to abide under the shadow of the Almighty Psal 91.1 The name of the Lord is a most strong tower and place of refuge the righteous flie unto it and are preserved Albeit they be sometimes enforced to endure nakednesse yet even then hee clotheth them with the precious robes of Christs righteousnesse Psal 45.8 all whose graces smell of Myrrhe Aloes and Cassia whereby they are more adorned then with all the silver and gold in the world Lastly if he take away this temporall life he recompenseth the losse thereof with eternall life and happinesse We learne from hence first of all Vse 1 what need we have all of us of faith to lay hold on the promises of God made in Christ Iesus to such as are in him and have him dwelling in them For what is there can drive us out of this feare 1 Tim. 4.8 6.6 but faith Indeed godlinesse is profitable to all things and hath the promises of this life as well as of the life to come Of this life with condition so far as it shall be good for us of the life to come without any condition This godlinesse is great gaine nay the greatest of all other But what of all this if wee have not the hand of faith to receive them Offer meat never so much to the hungry soule yet if the hand be closed and the mouth stopped hee can receive nothing Powre water upon a Vessell all the day long it remaineth empty if the entrance thereof bee shut up so let us heare of the promises of God to sustaine us in times of famine want losse and necâ—ssity yet it is all one as if you spake to a dead man except wee have faith to quicken us and to put life into the soule For as the Apostle concludeth from the suffring of the Saints Hebr. 10.34 who endured with ioy the spoyling of their goods knowing they had a better inheritance reserved for them in the Heavens that we have all need of patience that after we have done the will of God wee may receive the promise Hebr. 10. So from this consideration that wee are ready every foot to faint and to feare want and beggery or else this dehortation were vaine and needlesse we are to gather that we may not cast away our confidence in God which hath great recompence of reward The just shall live by faith Hebr. 11.1 which is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seene Take heed therefore and beware of infidelity For as covetousnesse is the root of all evill 1 Tim. 6. 1 Tim. 6.10 so is infidelity the root of covetousnesse What is the cause that we feare the lacking of earthly things which the greatest sort doe more feare then the lacke or losse or lessening of the feeding of the love and favour of God Doubtlesse this is nothing but the want of faith Let them lose but a trifle or the least pinne and profit that commeth to the purse what crying and complaining have wee how much adoe have wee to perswade them to bee contented to bee resolved to submit themselves to the pleasure of Almighty God and to beleeve that hee is able to give them more then that All the armor and furniture that wee can bring out of the Store-house of the Scripture is too little to settle their unbeleeving hearts upon the promises of God But these men can bee content without any scruple or touch of conscience to absent themselves from the house of God to lose many Sermons and much wholesome doctrine which is according to godlinesse many exhortations many instructions many comforts nay they may apparently feele their decaying and declining in knowledge in faith and in obedience yet it troubleth them no more then it did that prophane Esau Gen. 25.34 who when hee had sold his birth-right contemned and despised it The true cause of our carnall and corrupt feare is this want of a true lively faith when we dare not believe him that hath promised who yet is able to performe and is not as man that he should lie or as the sonne of man that hee should deceive Hence proceedeth feare of the losse of life and living that we are afraid to commit our state and standing to the safe garding of God as manifestly appeareth by the contrary Psal 27.1 2. Psal 27. The Lord is my light and salvation whom shall I feare The Lord is the strength of my life of whom shall I be afraid Though an host shall encampe against me my heart shall not feare though warre should rise against mee in this will I
their synagogue yea the time commeth that whosoever killeth you will thinke that he doth God service The Apostle Paul was no sooner converted but by and by he was hated reviled and persecuted who before lived in peace and preferment in credit and countenance in favour and friendship with the greatest men Whereupon he saith 1 Cor. 4. 1 Cor. 4.9 13. 2 Cor. 11.23 24 25. I thinke that God hath set forth us the Apostles last as it were appointed to death for we are made a spectacle unto the world and to Angels and to men even the off-scouring of all things unto this day And thus it is with others also And no marvaile For first they follow goodnesse Reas 1 which the men of this world cannot abide but hate unto the death and therefore how can it be otherwise The Prophet saith Psal 38. Psal 38.19 20. They that hate me wrongfully are multiplied they also that render evill for good are mine adversaries because I follow the thing that good is If hee had followed evill hee had beene loved of the evill Secondly they refuse to follow wicked men in the workes of the flesh so that they thinke it strange that they runne not with them into all excesse of riot 1 Pet. 4.4 5. and they speake evill because they are evill of such as are better then themselves but they shall give an account to him that is ready to judge the quicke and the dead 1 Pet. 4. If wee were of the world the world would love his owne but because we are not of the world but we are chosen out of world therefore the world hateth us Iohn 15.19 Iohn 15.19 As then the friends of the world are the enemies of God so the enemies of the world are the friends of God Jam. 4. Thirdly the servant is not greater then his Lord nor the Disciple then his Master neither hee that is sent Iohn 13.16 15.20 Luke 11 18. Matth. 10.25 Luke 7.34 23.32 greater then him that sent him John 13.16 15.20 If then they have called the master of the house Beelzebub a Samaritane a Wine-bibber a friend of Publicans and sinners Luke 7.34 How much more shall they call them of his household And if they doe these things to the greene tree what shall bee done to the dry and barren Luke 23.32 and if they have persecuted him they will also persecute them that belong unto him Fourthly they know not the Father neither his Sonne Iesus Christ and therefore no marvaile if he will not know them no marvaile if they doe not know his Children The world doth not know the Sonnes of God neither the love of the Father toward them neither their love toward the Father because they know not the Father himselfe Ioh. 15.21 16.3 Joh. 15.21 1 Joh. 3.1 God is not their Father neither they his children and therefore his children are strange to them Lastly the ungodly are the seed of the Serpent that is Iohn 8.44 the children of the Devill and he their father whose lusts and will they performe and whose expresse Image they represent Joh. 8. This the Lord saith Gen. 3.15 I will put enmity betweene thee and the woman and between thy seed and her seed it shall bruise thy head and thou shalt bruise his heele To this purpose Salomon speaketh Prov. 29.27 Prov. 29.27 28.4 28.4 An uniust man is an abomination to the iust and he that is upright in the way is abomination to the wicked The wicked hate the godly wrongfully and without cause the godly hate them worthily not simply their persons but so farre as Gods Image is defaced as the old Serpents brood and therefore account of them no otherwise then they doe of their Father For as every one that loveth him that begate 1 Iohn 5.1 loveth him also that is begotten of him so they that hate him that begetteth to his corrupt image hate them also that are begotten of him The hatred of the ungodly whereby they abhorre the faithfull for their faiths sake which is good nay for their Fathers sake which is God is implacable and never can they be reconciled it may not therefore seeme strange if the godly doe not onely hate ungodlinesse but the desperate ungodly also themselves for their ungodlinesse as we hate not onely the poison of the Serpent but the Serpent for the poisons sake But it will be said Obiect We are commanded to love our enemies to blesse them that curse us to doe good to them that â—ate us and to pray for them that persecute us Matth. 5. If then we must love them Matth. 5.44 we may not hate them I answer It is true Answ wee are charged to love our enemies but not Gods enemies nor the enemies of godlinesse so farre as they may bee discerned so to be For we must make a difference betweene his enemies and ours Wee must love them that are enemies to our persons but not those that are enemies so farre as they are enemies to our profession and for the profession sake It will be objected further Obiect Are we not bound to love every creature of God Gen. 1.31 seeing hee saw them all to be very good and are we not charged to love all men as they are men 2 Pet. 1.7 and not onely to embrace brotherly kindnesse but love in generall I answer It is true Answ we are commanded to love all men as men and every creature as it is a creature created of God and not to hate and abhorre any of them as they are the worke of his hands but so farre as the Image of God is deformed and disfigured in them wee may hate them and we ought to hate them Nay the more this Image of God is stained and corrupted the more we are to dislike them and detest them Rom. 9.13 Mal. 1.3 God himselfe hateth the wicked with a perfect hatred Rom. 9. Mal. 1. Now we are entred into a covenant with God to have the same friends and the same enemies his friends must be our friends and his enemies must bee our enemies This made the Prophet say Doe not I hate them O Lord Psal 139.21 22. that hate thee and am I not grieved with those that rise up against thee I hate them with perfect hatred I account them mine enemies Psal 139. Wee must therefore be at peace with them that are at peace with him and wee must have continuall warre with them that are at warre with him even as the Lord himselfe professeth to Abraham Gen. 12 3. that he will blesse them that blesse him and curse them that curse him Gen. 12.3 First Vse 1 conclude from hence that we must take heed we despise not one of these little ones For though they be little yea nothing at all and lesse then nothing in the eyes of the world yet we may not set them at nought whom the Lord Iesus will
6.6 The like we might say of Moses Exod. 4.10 13 Ier. 1.6 Dan. 9 8. I hn 1.27 Matth. 11.11 Exod. 4.10 13. of Jeremy chap. 1.6 and of Daniel chap. 9.8 John Baptist maketh it knowne that he was not worthy to unloose the shooes latchet of Christ that came after him albeit among them that were borne of women there hath not risen a greater then he The Prodigall Sonne being come to himselfe Luke 13.21 18.13 and to his Father confesseth Father I have sinned against Heaven and in thy sight I am no more worthy to be called thy Sonne The Publican being come up to the Temple to pray stood a farre off and would not lift up so much as his eyes unto Heaven but smote upon his brest saying O Lord be mercifull to me a sinner So Paul testifieth that he was as one borne out of due time 1 Cor. 15.8 9. not worthy to be called an Apostle not onely the least of the Apostles Ephes 3.8 1 Tim. 1.15 1 Cor. 15.8 but the least of all the Saints Ephes 3.8 and the greatest of all sinners 1 Tim. 1.15 The reasons are many and waighty Reas 1 For first what have we to be proud of or wherefore should we advance our selves 2 Cor. 3.5 we are not able of our selves to thinke any thing that is good and without the helpe and assistance of Christ we can doe nothing at all Joh. 6. so that to be proud of our selves is to be proud of nothing Secondly they know their sinnes to be moe in number then the haires of their head that they provoke him every day and are not able to answer him one of a thousand their iniquities are increased over their heads Ezra 9.6 Lam. 3.22 and their transgressions are gone up to the Heavens Ezra 9.6 so that it is his mercy that they are not utterly consumed The more the Lord vouchsafeth his grace unto them the more they behold their owne waies and are privy to their owne wants They know they have many knowne and open sinnes They know they stand in need to pray to God to clense them from their secret faults They know they must begge of him Psal 19.12 13. to keepe his servants from presumptuous sinnes that they may not have dominion over them They know they are daily to crave pardon for their errors ignorances and negligences for omitting good for committing evill They know their owne hearts smite them 1 Ioh. 3.20 and if their owne hearts condemne them God is greater then their hearts and knoweth all things And have they not therefore cause in all these respects to hang downe their heads and to humble themselves in the sight of God As for the ungodly it is not so with them they are blinde and can see nothing they are deafe and will learne nothing they are sencelesse and can feele nothing be it never so palpable Thirdly Christ Iesus hath left himselfe as a patterne and president unto us for he is meeke and lowly in heart Matth. 11.29 Matth. 11.29 who being in the forme of God and thinking it no robbery to bee equall with God tooke upon him the shape of a servant Phil. 2.6 7. and made himselfe of no reputation Thus he humbled himselfe and became obedient unto the death even the death of the Crosse Yea he disdained not to wash the feet of his Disciples Ioh. 13.5 15. and gave them an example what they should doe even as he had done to them Thus he that was both God and Man the Lord of Heaven and earth the eternall Sonne of the Father the brightnesse of his glory Heb. 1.3 the expresse Image of his person the Heire of all things upholding them by the Word of his power the King and Priest of his Church did stoope downe and abase himselfe for us even to the death and that also the cursed death of the Crosse Luke 21. 27. and was in the world as he that serveth Luke 22.27 Ought not we therefore to set evermore his example before our eyes as a glasse to looke upon and in lowlinesse of minde each one of us to esteeme of others better then of our selves that the same minde might be in us which was in him Fourthly wee are but dust and ashes whether we consider our rising or our falling our beginning or our ending Gen. 3.19 Iob 1.21 1 Tim. 6.7 our first or our last for dust we are and to dust shall we returne Gen. 3. We brought nothing with us in this world and it is certaine we can carry nothing out Is not the basenesse of the matter out of which we were formed and into which wee shall bee resolved argument waighty enough to pull downe every high conceit of our selves and to preach humility unto us Lastly God giveth all men somewhat to humble themselves in soule or in body or in name or in some that are neere unto them or in all these combined together at least if they know themselves It is an hard matter to know our selves aright for few doe it Wee are for the most part ignorant of our selves and strangers at home how quick-sighted soever we are abroad Wee cannot looke upon our selves or cast our eyes about us but we have causes and occasions of humiliation as Jacob after he had wrastled with God had his thigh out of joynt Gen. 32.25 31. 2 Cor. 12.7 8 9. and he halted of it all the dayes of his life afterward Gen. 32. So had the holy and blessed Apostle Paul asplinter in the flesh the messenger of Satan to buffet him lest he should be exalted above measure through the abundance of revelations that were given unto him And albeit he besought the Lord thrice that it might depart from him yet he obtained in not but received this gracious answer My grace is sufficient for thee for my strength is made perfect in weakenesse The best servants of God therefore have had something to cast them downe even to the ground and if wee have not eyes to see this which every where offereth it selfe before us we are blinde and can see nothing at all First of all this serveth for reproofe Vse 1 and that of sundry sorts of persons It giveth a checke to all Iusticiaries and Merit-mungers who like Pharises being ignorant of Gods righteousnesse Rom. 10.3 and going about to establish their owne righteousnesse have not submitted themselves to the righteousnesse of God Such men swelling very bigge with the winde of their owne workes are farre from the humility and humblenesse of minde which we read to have beene in all the Saints of God from the beginning The continuall song and saying that hath beene evermore in the mouthes of all the godly of the Patriarkes of the Princes of the Kings of the Captaines of the Priests of the Prophets of the Apostles and of all true Converts and penitent persons when they speake of themselves hath beene this I
the Lord will both we shall live and doe this or that But on the other side it should hasten and further our repentance and cause us to humble our selves under the mighty hand of God as the Ninivites did who hearing their end was neere at hand they proclaimed a fast they put on sack-cloth they cryed unto God from the greatest of them to the least of them And who knoweth how nigh at hand our time may be are not many gone and swept away that seemed before as safe as we The Sodomites thought themselves as free from judgement and as farre from their end as we doe Gen. 19.23.24 the Sunne shined upon them they promised to themselves a faire day but before night they suffered a perpetuall night and darknesse of death they were destroyed with fire and brimst one from heaven So it was with the Egyptians they went quietly to bed and slept soundly but it came to passe at midnight Exod. 12.29 the Lord smote all the first-borne in the land of Egypt c. The like I might say of Belshazzar Dan. 5. and of Anarias and Sapphira Act. 5. Now is the time of our acceptance of turning and changing after death there is no change at all Thirdly learne to content our selves with every estate and condition whatsoever shall befall us Our life is vaine and suddainly gone we have a short journey to make Cicer. de Senectute and therefore the lesse provision will serve our turne It is great folly for a man that hath a short way to goe and a little iourney to take to carry greater provision with him for it A little will serve to bring us to our iournies end 1 Tim. 6.7 Heb. 13.5 Therefore the Apostle saith 1 Tim. 6. We brought nothing into this world and it is certaine we can carry nothing out and having food and raiment let us be therewith content Lastly let us be wise to number our dayes and to measure out the length of our time that we may know how fraile we are There is a great art and skill required to doe this aright few have learned this knowledge Hence it is that the Prophet himselfe turneth himselfe to God to be instructed of him as one that was not able of himselfe to conceive it without such a master Lord teach me Psal 39.4 90.12 Lord make me to know mine end c. This is the best art of numbering and skill of mensuration It is a vaine thing to be able to measure our land and to number our sheepe and other cattell and yet have no knowledge how to number our dayes The numbring of our dayes aright hath many branches A man may seeke the register and know his age and not number his dayes but suffer whole yeares to passe over his head and the greatest part of all his life without heavenly wisedome This point hath many branches first account the present time and day to be as the last and so live as if every day we should die that we may prepare our selves for the day of our dissolution Luc. 12.10 when we must go hence be no more not as the rich man that numbred falsely and deceived himselfe in his accounts Thou hast much laid up for many yeares take thine ease eate drinke and be merry and therefore is worthily called a foole for his labour There can be no worse deceit then when a man deceiveth himselfe in his reckonings Secondly we number our daies when we looke backe and remember the miserie into which sinne hath brought our nature Gen. 2. Must not that needs be bitter which hath brought forth such bitter fruit Gen. 3.17.18 the ground was cursed to bring forth thornes and thistles but man bringeth forth more sowre and unsavery fruits of ungodlinesse and unrighteousnesse and hath pulled down that goodly building which God had set up that only a little rubbage therof remaineth An evill tree cannot bring forth good fruit so man drinketh iniquity as water and cannot bring that which is cleane from the fountaine that is uncleane Thirdly we learne thereby to dy daily 1 Cor. 15.31 This the Apostle practised 1 Cor. 15. I protest by your rejoycing which I have in Christ Iesus our Lord I dy daily We must exercise and enure our selves in dying by little and little so long as we live here upon earth before we come tody indeed and then I doubt not but we shall depart hence in peace dye well in the end Every afflictiō is a preparation to death and a putting of us in minde of our dissolution For he died daily not onely because he was often in danger of death that there was often but a steppe betweene death and him but because in all his troubles and dangers he made himselfe ready not knowing when God might call him He that will inable himselfe to beare the crosse of all crosses I meane death Iob. 18.24 called the King of terrours must first of all learne to beare smaller lesser crosses patiently and meekly as sicknesse of body trouble of minde anguivh of conscience losse of goods greatnesse of paines death of friends burdens of poverty lacking of maintenance crosses in our affaires and many such like which are as the harbingers or messengers of death making the way before it Learne we therefore to entertaine them and make good use of them that when death the end of all commeth indeed to cut off our dayes as the sickle reapeth downe the corne that is ripe and ready to be carried into the barne we may looke it in the face bid it welcome and prepare to meete it halfe way O how bitter and distastfull is death to them that live in the pleasures of sinne and how sweet to the distressed Fourthly labour to take away the power and sting and strength of death It is as a Scropion that carrieth poison in the taile of it and therefore we must deale with it as they doe with a venimous beast pull out the sting of it then it cannot hurt What is that may some say 1 Cor. 15.56 The sting of death is sinne saith the Apostle as the strength of sinne is the law Or let us deale with it as the Philistines dealt with Sampson they never rested but laboured day and night to know wherein his strength lay Iudg. 16.5 that they might weaken him and make him like to one of them So ought we to doe If any aske wherin lyeth the strength of death that it beateth downe so many to the ground nay throweth and thrusteth them headlong downe to hell I answer it lyeth altogether in our sinnes and therefore we must labour earnestly to take away the strength of them by repentance from dead workes and faith in Christ Iesus So many sinnes as we maintaine and cherish in our selves so many stings of death be in us the least whereof is able to wound our soules to eternall death The venime of
these sticketh deeply in us it must be the labour of our whole life to pull it out Fiftly whatsoever a man would do when he is dying and departing out of this world let him doe the same every day while he is living and what he would doe when he sicke let him doe it while he is in health The most wicked Exod. 8.8 1 King 13.4 when he is dying will pray and desire others to pray for him So I haraoh did in his troubles so did Ieroboam that made Israel to sin when his hand was withered and dried up that he could not pull it into him againe Sixtly he that would live when he is dead must die while he is alive namely to his sinnes If we would die the death of the righteous we must have the conversation of the righteous otherwise it shall goe no better with us then it went with Balaam Num. 23.10 he would have his soule dy the death of the righteous but he would not live the life of the righteous A profitable meditation in these dangerous times we know not how soone we may be called to give an account of our stewardship Lastly let us begin our eternall life here upon earth Phil. 3.20 and even now have our conversation in heaven Col. 1.13 and seeke those things that are above where Christ sitteth at the right hand of God So the Apostle describing the estate of the faithfull saith God hath delivered us from the power of darknesse Col. 3.1 and hath translated vs into the kingdome of his deare sonne It behoveth us therefore to be watchfull and in a readinesse like the wise Virgins against the comming of the bridegroome lest we be taken unawares and swept away from his presence as the chaffe which the winde driveth away To this purpose Christ exhorteth Mar. Mar. 13.35.36 13. upon this ground to watch pray to take heed lest he comming suddainly to us or calling us suddainly to come to him doe find us sleeping Of that houre and that day knoweth no man no not the Angels that are in heaven neither the Sonne but the Father onely take ye heed therefore watch and pray for ye know not the time when the master of the house commeth at even or at midnight or at the cocke crowing or in the morning lest comming suddainly he find you sleeping and what I say unto you I say unto all watch thus heteaceh thus to apply generall commandements particularly to our selves and this was never more necessary then in these present daies of affliction Whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices Doct. The vvicked are by nature cruell and bloody See here the violent practise of Pilate behold a matter of great impiety without having respect to persons to time place or action whereabout they went that offered sacrifice He was the governour and judge in Iudea he should have preserved peace and prohibited others from such outrage This teacheth us that wicked and ungodly men are bloody and cruel without mercy or naturall affection See this at large Amos 1. Amos. 1.3 Obad. ver 12.13 describing the enemies of the Church They have threshed Gilead that is the inhabitants of Gilead with threshing instruments of iron they pursued their brethren with the sword and cast off all pitty they have ript up women with child c. This is to be noted in the Edomites against their brother Iacob they rejoyced in the day of his destruction and laid hands on his substance in the day of his calamitie and stood in the crosse way to cut off those of his that did escape c. Behold the truth of this farther confirmed in the examples of Caine of Nimrod of Esau of Pharaoh of Saul of Hazael of Agag of Herod of infinite others whose tender mercies have beene terrible cruelties as Salomon speaketh Pro. 12.10 The reasons are evident for first who ruleth in them Reason 1 and who carrieth them with might and maine and hath the sway and swing of their whole life Doubtlesse they are led by the spirit of Satan Ioh. 8.44 who was a murtherer from the beginning 1 Pet. 5.8 and the great Dragon that persecuted the woman that brought forth the man-child the roring Lyon that walketh after his prey and seeketh whom he may devoure For that which is said of Caine is true of all the company of the ungodly he was of that wicked one and slew his brother because his owne workes were evill and his brothers good This our Saviour also teacheth Revel 2. Behold the devill shall cast some of you into prison that ye may be tried not that Satan was incarnate and become a layler in his owne person but he understandeth the instruments of the devill such as obeyed him as the servant his master Secondly by the names given to them in holy Scripture we may see and judge of their natures For they have the names of such beastes given unto them as are given to spoiling and ravening as Lyons Beares Bulls Dogs Leopards Psal 22.12.13.16 Wolves such like of which the Scripture is full in every place that we should not be ignorant of them This serveth to reprove all such as are guilty of violence and cruelty Vse 1 Severall sorts of cruelty of oppression and unmercifulnesse toward others and hereof there are sundry sorts and herein we may offend sundry waies First when we goe beyond the bounds of justice For extremity of justice is injustice or a kind of cruelty so that we offend by exercising heinous tyranny in inflicting punishment even against offenders and malefactours If too much mercy be a kinde of cruelty much more over much rigour of justice There is mercy to be shewed in justice there is justice to be shewed in mercy In the law of Moses the Iudge is charged to iustifie the righteous and to condemne the wicked and if he be worthy to be beaten he shall receive according to his fault Deut. 25.3 fortiâ— stripes he may give him and not excâ—ed So then these are to be punished but not with cruelâ—y Secondly by fighting and quarelling beating or maiming our neighbour in his body reprooved by Moses Levit. 24. Levit. 24.19.20 if a man cause any blemish in his neighbour as he hath done so shall it be done to him c. as he hath caused a blemish in a man so shal it be done to him againe True it is many carnall men of this world know no other valour or vertue then hurting laming quarelling and desire of revenge which breath forth cruelty are often times the forerunners of bloody murther Such as have neither hand nor heart to fight against the enemies of their soules and against spirituall wickednesse in high places to fight the battels of the Lord against sinne Satan and the world but are ready as cowards and dastards to yeeld unto them the field yet are never well but when they are