their fathers table c. but he applies all to some speciall vse of edification in grace Vse 1. Wee must not content our selues with the naturall vse of the creatures without the spirituall for then the beasts enioy as much of them as we But by them all behold the Creators wisedome power goodnesse and mercy 2. Let vs take occasion to further our saluation by them and not hinder it nor hasten our perdition as many doe by drunkennesse riot or couetous holding them in our hearts and hands 3. No man can excuse his ignorance of God seeing no man wanteth teachers The rudest husband-man hath his seed his earth his seasons as bookes to teach him Euen these bookes of the creatures leaue not God without witnesse euen these bookes leaue men without excuse Euery creature should leade vs and further vs in the honouring of God And therefore the Gentiles that honoured not God according to that naturall knowledge gotten by the booke of the creatures were giuen vp to vile sinnes and grieuous punishments How excuselesse then must ignorant Christians be to whom Gods wisedome power and goodnesse shineth seuen-fold brighter in the worke of Redemption than of Creation to whom God is more cleerly reuealed in the Booke of the Scriptures than of the creatures seeing the more excellent meanes of knowledge we haue of him the greater is our sinne and punishment to be carelesly ignorant of him Now in the Parable are two things considerable in generall 1. The sowing 2. The successe according to the seuerall grounds on which the seed fell These grounds according to their condition were either fruitlesse or fruitfull The bad and fruitlesse grounds were of three kinds 1. Callosa padled and high-way ground 2. Lapidosa stony and rocky ground 3. Spinosa thorny and choaky ground The good ground was the fertile and fruitfull ground The sowing is in the first words A Sower went out to sowe his seed And here be three things to be considered 1. The Agent A Sower 2. His Action he went forth 3. His Intention or end to sowe his seed I. The Sower is Christ himselfe vers 37. He that sowes the good seed is the Sonne of man He is that good Husband-man without whose labour the field of the whole world had layne in perpetuall barrennes The labour of this second Adam was notably typified in the first Adam dressing the garden resembling the Church of God dressed and brought to fruitfulnes by the infinite labour of Iesus Christ. This husbandry of Christ was alse resembled in Noah the builder of the Arke who was an Husband-man Quest. Are not Ministers Sowers Answ. Christ is the principall Sower and properly the Sower Ministers are rather the sowers basket than the Sower but yet they are taken in as co-workers with Christ and for their honour and encouragement called Sowers as 1. Cor. 9.11 If wee haue sowne vnto you spirituall things c. But with these differences 1. Christ sowes his owne field which he hath dearely purchased with his precious blood they sowe not their owne fields but his not being Lords of the heritage of God 1. Pet. 5.3 2. Hee sowes his owne seed so in the Text the Sower sowed his seed they haue no seede of their owne but fetched out of his Garner Pastors and Teachers of the Church sowe not their owne seed but his Nay the Apostles themselues haue it in their Apostolike Commission to teach men to obserue no other things but whatsoeuer Christ himselfe commanded them Mat. 28.20 Hence Christ vsed to say Verily verily I say vnto you but all other whether Prophets or Apostles or Pastors Thus saith the Lord. 3. They differ in the manner of sowing Hee was the most skilfull Sower that euer was he knew exactly what graine euery ground was fitted for with him were treasures of wisedome Wee that haue but drops from his fulnesse are vnskilfull in comparison Hee could speake to mens priuate and personall sinnes as the woman at the Wel. He could answere to mens thoughts and reasonings We not so 4. Wee differ in efficacy We may sowe and plant this is all suppose it be Paul or Apollos himselfe we can giue no increase nor make any thing to grow But hee can sowe and giue increase at his pleasure This Sower can giue the first and latter raine on his field Ioel. 2.23 Hee can warme it with the beames of grace streaming from his owne brightnesse Mal. 4.2 He is the Sunne of righteousnesse He can blow vpon his field with the prosperous winds of his gracious and quickening Spirit Esa. 3.8 Cant. 4.16 He can fatten and fill it with all abundance of blessing Psal. 65.10 Thou blessest the bud of the earth thou crownest the yeere with goodnesse and thy steps drop fatnesse II. The Action This Sower goeth forth Christ goeth forth to sowe three wayes in Spirit Person Ministery 1. In Spirit by inward inspirations and heauenly motions And thus he sowed in the heart of Adam Noah Abraham and the Prophets who were with other holy men immediately inspired and acted by the holy Ghost 1. Pet. 1.21 So with the Pen-men of Scriptures and the Apostles 2. In Person according to his Humanity hee commeth out from the bosome of his Father and comes into the field of the World by his happy Incarnation by which he was neerer vnto vs than before and in our owne flesh reuealed vnto vs the counsell of his Father vnweariably preaching in Ierusalem Nazareth Iudea Galile in Cities fields sea and euery where 3. In the Ministery of his seruants he goeth forth both the Prophets and Teachers before him 1. Pet. 3.19 by which Spirit hee preached in Noahs time namely in Noah himselfe to the spirits now in prison He saith to Prophets as vnto Ieremy chap. 1.10 Behold this day haue I set thee ouer the Nations to plucke vp and root out to destroy and throw downe to build and to plant And Ezek. 3.17 Sonne of man I haue made thee a watchman to the house of Israel therefore heare the Word at my mouth and warne them from me And since his owne Ascension hee went forth in the Ministery of his Apostles and still goeth forth in the Ministery of Pastors and Teachers to the end of the world Math. 28. vlt. Behold I am with you to the end of the world and He that heareth you heareth me Luk. 10.16 But this Parable seemeth to haue speciall eye and reference to his owne appearance and labour in the dayes of his flesh in the publishing of his holy Doctrine through Iudea and Ierusalem Yet so as looke what successe his own sowing found the same might his seruants expect euen to the end For the seruant is not greater then his Master and if the Word in the mouth of his Ministers proue fruitlesse it is no maruell seeing the same befell our Lord himselfe III. The Intention is to sow his seed To sow that is to preach for preaching resembleth
sowing as wee shall see through the Parable His seede the seed is the Word of God contained in the writings of the Prophets Apostles vers 11. which by Christ and his Ministers is cast into the furrowes of the heart as seed into the furrowes of the earth by the Husbandman It is true that he cast some seed among the Heathens For the law of nature written in their hearts the summe of which is that what wee would not another should do to vs we should not do to thē euen this was the seed of this Sower for he enlightneth euen with naturall light whosoeuer commeth into the world Ioh. 1.9 But here is meant that seed which he casts into the field of the Church which is partly the Law Morall written with the finger of God and deliuered to the Church by Moses who was faithfull in all his house as a seruant but especially the Doctrine of the Gospell sowed in the hearts of Beleeuers both by himselfe and his seruants His seed This Seedsman sowed no fables no traditions no vnwritten verities no Canons of Councels or Decretals of Popes which are but chaffe nay he often condemned the decrees of the Elders and traditions of Pharises and all seede fetched out of mens Granaries Ioh. 7.16 My doctrine is not mine but his that sent me and chap. 8.26 The things that I haue heard of him those speake I to the world Doct. Gods word preached is the sowing of Gods seed into the earth of mens hearts For sixe reasons or resemblances 1. As seed is a small and contemptible thing altogether vnlikely to bring such a returne and encrease so the Word preached seemes a weake and contemptible thing 1. Cor. 1.23 We preach Christ crucified a scandall to the Iewes and foolishnesse to the Gentiles Yet by the foolishnesse of preaching God hath ordained to saue his and not without it as without seed without haruest 2. As the seede in the barne or garner fructifies not vnlesse it be cast into the earth so the Word vnlesse cast into the eares and hearts of men is fruitlesse regenerateth not produceth no fruits of faith Keepe the Word in thy Bible or thy Bible in thy chest and not in thy heart couering and hiding it thou abidest fruitlesse and barren Rom. 10.14 How can they beleeue vnlesse they heare or how can they heare without a Preacher 3. As the sower prickes not in his seede nor sets it but casts it all abroad and knowes not which of his seede will come vp to encrease and which will rot and dye vnder the clods or comming vp into the blade and eare will wither away so the Minister Gods Seedsman speakes not to one or two but casts the seede abroad to all in generall neither knowes he which and where the Word shall thriue to encrease and where not but where it doth encrease it riseth with great beautie and glory as the graine of Mustard-seed becomes a tree in which the birds of heauen may build their nests 4. As seed hath a naturall heat life and vertue in it by which it increaseth and begetteth more seeds like vnto it selfe so the Word cast into the good ground of a beleeuing heart hath a supernaturall heat in it being as fire Iere. 5.14 and a liuely power to frame men like it selfe to make them of fleshly spirituall of blinde quicksighted of dead in sinne aliue in grace And as one graine quickned brings sundry tillowes and many graines in each so one Christian conuerted and receiuing this power in himselfe gaineth many vnto God desiring that euery one were as he is except his bands and sins Philip being called findes Nathaniel and brings him to Christ. And the woman at the well calls all the Citie Ioh. 4. 5. As seed cast into the ground liues not vnlesse it dye first 1. Cor. 15.36 so the Word preached brings no fruite or life vnlesse it kill first and worke mortification yea and by continuall sense of frailty and acquaintāce with the crosse it keeps vnder such naturall pride and corruption as resist the worke of it Ioh. 4. Christ brings the woman at the well to know him by bringing her to the knowledge of her selfe And the Conuerts Act. 2.37 then bewrayed heauenly life when being pricked at heart they cried out Men and brethren what may wee doe to bee saued 6. As seed cast neuer so skilfully into the earth is not fruitful vnlesse God giue it a body 1. Cor. 15.38 so neither is y e Word vnlesse God adde his blessing 1. Cor. 3.6 I haue planted and Apollos watered but God giues the increase verse 7. Neither is he that planteth any thing nor he that watereth but God that giueth increase What would plowing sowing harrowing or any husbandry on the earth auaile if God should not by the raines windes and warmth from heauen prosper and cherish the seed Thus haue wee compared the Word of God to seed and preaching to sowing But still remember that this seed of the Word is farre more excellent then all other seed in foure respects 1. That is from earth this from heauen My doctrine saith Christ is from aboue 2. That serues to preserue naturall life receiued of God this both to begin and maintaine spirituall life 3. That is mortall and corruptible seede this immortall 1. Pet. 1.23 an eternall Gospell Heauen and earth shall perish but the Word of God abides for euer 4. The fruit is like the seede All corruptible seede brings fruit corruptible like it selfe but this brings Immortality and life it is a seed sowne for continuance and eternitie so is not other Vse 1. This concernes Ministers in whose function there is both honos and onus Dignitie and Dutie For the first The Ministerie though despised in the world is a most glorious office and an honourable function which Christ came from the glory of heauen to vndertake The Sonne of God himselfe vndertooke to be a sower of the Word and shall great Clerkes and Diuines thinke it too base a thing to be diligent Preachers Or shall that which honoured Christ be a barre to preferment namely to be diligent sowers Or shall any man thinke his sonne too good and of too high birth for that office which the Sonne of God himselfe despised not For the second the burthen or charge We reade not that Christ said Masses or anoyled or sprinkled holy water but was all in sowing Popish Priests are quite contrary all in these and seldome or neuer doe preach As if our saluation consisted in ceremonies or an haruest could be brought in by gestures without sowing But our charge stands in foure things 1. Learne wee of our Lord Iesus Christ to goe foorth to sow Christ went foorth to labour and hee that goes into the Lords field to loyter or stand idle gets no thanke from his Lord. What need is there of a loyterer in seed-time or in haruest And Ministers must consider 1. That
with his Text and not with vs. Iust like the Epicures and Stoikes Act. 17.18 who said of Paul What will this babbler say He will teach vs some strange things to day And by such scoffes Satan comes to many and hinders their faith saluation For as those Heathen Stoicks and Epicures counted that the strangest Doctrine which taught Iesus Christ so doe Christian Epicures that which most directly leads vnto Christ. The third generall thing proposed is the end of Satans comming which as we heard is three-fold 1. To steale the Word out of the heart 2. To hinder the Hearers faith 3. To rob him of saluation For the first As birds follow the Sower to picke vp the seeds and graines that lie vncouered so the diuell haunts the Assemblies of Saints to steale away the Word preached where it is carelesly heard The Action of Satan is to steale and carry away the Word which is not his but belongs to others But not as other theeues to conuert it to his owne vse but onely that the right owners should not enioy it not to profit himselfe but to disprofit others As for the manner of his Action he stealeth that is closely and secretly takes it away He is a slye and priuie theefe As a theefe onely feares to be seene and discouered so Satan is loth to be seene and therefore takes vs at aduantage when we can least espy him He that stealeth stealeth in the night as they that are drunke are drunke in the night 1. Thes. 5.7 He takes vs in the night of our ignorance and in the sleepe of security and spoyles vs most when wee can least discerne it But whence doth hee steale the Word Answ. Out of the heart Because of his sly and subtill nature who being a spirit can easily and nimbly enter into the most secret closet of our brest And although he cannot directly know our hearts and thoughts which is Gods priuiledge yet by outward meanes he can giue a great guesse at the temper of them and as birds can easily finde when seede is vncouered and as easily picke it vp so Satan can easily see where mens care is not to couer and hide the Word in their hearts when they haue heard it And if he cannot by himselfe and by violence take the Word away if the owners will hold it yet he can and doth take it away by themselues and with their owne consent and good liking who neither were willing to giue it roome or sinke it deepe into their hearts nor to couer it with gracious affections nor had any great loue to it to looke after it as thinking themselues not a graine the worse when all this seed is gone And why out of the heart Answ. 1. Because hee knowes that the heart is the right furrow in which the Word can become fruitfull therefore hee vseth all his skill to keepe it thence or fetch it thence Hee cares not how much of the seede lie in the head or on the tongue so he can keepe it out of the heart For as we say The minde is the man so the heart leades the whole man and is the lodge either of God or the diuell 2. Because nothing but the Word puts him out of possession of the heart The strong man holds the hold till a stronger come If the Word as good seede once roote in the heart he must away Where Christ by his Word takes the heart the Prince of this world is cast out The Disciples by their powerfull preaching saw Satan fall downe like lightening from heauen It stands him therefore in hand to bestirre him and to turne himselfe to all his stratagems One principall whereof is that if he cannot hinder thee from the Word he may hinder the Word from thee or if he cannot hinder it from the eare he may from the heart or if he cannot intercept it from the heart by catching it he may defeat thee of it by stealing Note this stratagem and doe thy best to preuent it His second end is to hinder faith lest they should beleeue And why First he knowes the Word is the parent of faith Ioh. 17.20 Christ prayes for the Elect that they might beleeue through the Word of his Disciples And the Iaylor and all his house beleeued by hearing Paul Act. 16.31 Secondly he cannot but be an enemy to our faith and therefore winnowes vs as the Disciples that our faith may faile because faith 1. Makes vs the sonnes of God Gal. 3.26 2. Marries vs to Iesus Christ Hos. 2.20 3. Makes our hearts temples of the Spirit purifying the heart Act. 15.9 4. Makes vs free entrance to God by prayer to aske what we will and wee shall obtaine Eph. 3.12 And 5. It is our shield to resist all the darts of the diuell the gates of hell shall neuer preuaile against it Thirdly if hee can keepe vs from faith the Word he knowes shall be altogether vnprofitable Heb. 4.2 and if he can keepe this weapon from vs he easily foyles vs and makes God also our aduersary because without faith it is impossible to please God Heb. 11.6 Hence hee layes all his engines against our faith seeks by all means to root it out of the heart and out of the world if God would giue him leaue His third end is to rob men of saluation lest they should be saued First Satan knowes that the end of faith is saluation 1. Pet. 1.9 and that by preaching God saues them that beleeue 1. Cor. 1.21 If hee can keepe thee from faith he hath robbed thee of saluation Therefore if he cannot hinder the Word he will if he can possibly hinder faith Secondly Satan is a deadly enemy to euery mans saluation 1. Out of hatred for the euill angels by their fall lost the loue of God of his glory and of his Image and now hate whatsoeuer belongs to God 2. Out of enuie therefore hee is called in the Parable the enuious man Hee repines and enuies that man should stand in innocency which hee lost and therefore set vpon Adam and droue him by his tentation out of Paradise And he enuies more that any man should enioy the glory of heauen which himselfe can neuer recouer and therfore he layes all the blockes in their way that hee can deuise And as when Gods people were going to Canaan he stirred vp many armies of the Heathen against them to make them fall short of that good Land So now he raiseth armies of tentations and impediments to make vs fall short of that heauenly Canaan which hee knowes to bee a good Land and thinkes too good for vs. 3. Out of his contrariety to God himselfe He sees God carefull of his Church and children that as a good shepheard he vseth all meanes to saue and preserue them therefore hee cleane contrarily seekes to kill and destroy them and defeate them of that saluation which the Lord hath prepared for them And this seemes to be
would be a Fountaine in the belly still springing vp to eternall life The latter namely the moisture of compunction is sound sorrow for sin and the sound exercise of mortification The Saints vsed to water their couch with these waters of teares and repentance Now these Hearers want not all sorrow for sinne nor want not something like it but they neuer carried this water nor admitted this moistnesse deepe enough the hardnesse of the rocke hindred the descent of these waters to the bottome it was too much paines to afflict themselues seriously their teares were soone dried vp their sorrow slight and themselues neuer truly humbled And therefore faile and come to nothing Vse It is no certaine marke of a childe of God willingly to heare Sermons nor to delight in the hearing nor to receiue the doctrine with ioy no nor in many things commendably to practise for a time All this is common to the Reprobate with the Elect. If Dauid count the testimonies of God the ioy of his heart Psal. 119.111 so Herod heares Iohn gladly and this bad ground receiueth the seede with ioy If they that are new borne againe taste the graciousnesse of the Lord 1. Pet. 2.3 so also they that after enlightning sinne beyond possibility of repentance taste the good Word of God and the powers of the world to come Heb. 6.4 5. And therefore we may not rest in hearing or reioycing or commending or obeying the Word vnlesse wee finde in our selues that which shall make vs able to hold out in all these that wee start not away or wither as this bad ground when triall comes Quest. What is it that wee must bring with our hearing to make vs hold out by which we may haue testimonie that we are the Lords and shall be found fruitfull in the haruest Answ. This Text warneth vs to prouide and make sure of three things 1. Sauing and distinct knowledge to walke by 2. Sound and stable rooting in faith and grace to stand by 3. Sufficient measure of grace still to grow by Quest. What is this knowledge Answ. It is not onely to know Christ a Sauiour but to know thy owne saluation by him And consequently thou knowest 1. The vilenesse of thy sinnes and thy neede of a Sauiour 2. The pardon of thy sinnes and the comfort of saluation 3. Thy owne change and conuersion and thereby the beginning of saluation 4. The voyce of Christ calling thee and the inhabitation of his Spirit guiding thee in all needfull duties to the end of the way which is saluation Q. How may I know I haue this sauing knowledge Answ. By these notes 1. If thou giuest thy selfe to be taught by the Spirit of God and leanest not to thine owne counsels For flesh and blood cannot reueale this wisedome but the Spirit of God Mat. 16.17 If thou wilt not beleeue or receiue any doctrine or opinion but what the Spirit out of the Word teacheth now thou hast sauing knowledge Carnall and deceitfull knowledge is alway measured by the scantling of reason of humane lawes and wisedome of praise and profit 2. If thy knowledge be not onely speculatiue but directiue leading not onely to vnderstand but to vndertake thine owne way when it is not onely a light in it selfe but a Lanthorne to thy feete and as a Sunne constantly shining for thy direction Now know the soundnesse of it if thou suffer it to leade thee against sense reason custome and allow it for thy guide in the smallest things as well as in great in secret as well as open 3. If thy knowledge lye deepe as hauing depth of earth not only lying in the head or on the tongue but in the heart And therefore Ierem. 31.34 it is said to be written in the heart and bowels Pro. 4.5 Let thy heart hold fast my words And easily may a man know if his heart hold this knowledge by the change it will worke there And that is the fourth note thus 4. Know sound and sauing knowledge by the effects especially three First whereas generall and confused knowledge puffeth vp and makes a man proud this makes him more humble by leading into the further sight of God and of himselfe Secondly whereas an hypocrites knowledge leaues him as earthly as it found him this changeth the man into it selfe and makes him heauenly-minded and to sauour the things of God as it selfe is from heauen and from God Hee is transformed into the same image 2. Cor. 3.18 as meate is turned into the substance of him that eateth Thirdly whereas an hypocrites knowledge may worke some ioy it seldome workes loue of God feare of God or trust in him But this changeth all affections It loues the Word as well as ioy The feare of God is the beginning of this wisedome And this knowledge carries the heart beyond all hypocrites in the affection of ioy in it as the chiefest and most desireable good Now get this knowledge thou hast gotten depth of earth This is constant settled against all contrary blasts This knowledge shall grow vp and haue much assurance when the frothy superficiall knowledge of hypocrites shal vanish as dew in the Sun or smoke in the winde Get this light it shall be as the Star to the Wise men to bring thee to Christ as the cloudie and fiery Pillar to the Israelites to bring thee to Canaan as the lightsome Lamps to the wise Virgins to bring thee into the Bridegroomes chamber The second thing required is to looke thou beest strongly rooted and grounded in the faith in loue and all the graces Ephes. 3.17 Col. 1.23 If ye continue grounded and stablished in the faith not mooued away from the hope of the Gospell where the Apostle shewes that true iustifying faith is the root of all vertues and that it onely keepes the heart vnmoouable in time of triall More specially looke to thy ground and rooting 1. In the doctrine of faith 2. In the grace of faith 3. In the exercise and profession of faith Beleeue God Beleeue in God Auouch both First settle thy selfe in the doctrine of Faith as one that must be built on the foundation of the Prophets and Apostles Ephes. 2.20 Else thou laiest all the frame on a sandy foundation and laiest thy selfe open to be a prey to seducers Papists and Atheists And what other is the end of many common Protestants and Professors who were neuer busie in the true vnderstanding of their Principles of Religion If they see alterations of State and change of times or if deceiuers as Priests or Iesuites or Libertine teachers assaile them by subtilty of wit and cunning perswasions or if they see men of great note fall to errours in iudgement or profanenesse in life if many fall from loue of the truth How can they now withstand the blasts of these windes being at best but shaking reeds vnstable in their grounds how can they but fall as an house set on the
riches to the soule or the soyle where the seed of Gods Word hath been cast As corne can hardly prosper where the one growes as hardly can the Word where the other growes vp with it 1. Tim. 6.17 Timothy must charge rich men concerning the dangers of riches so vehement a charge needed not if they were without danger Math. 19.23 Verily I say vnto you that a rich man shall hardly enter into the Kingdome of God which our Sauiour would not haue so asseuered if the way to heauen had layne so open and smooth for riches as their Masters thinke And he obserued in his preaching that the poore receiued the Gospell Math. 11.6 Rich men had other matters to doe and greater things in their eyes 1. Cor. 1.26 Brethren you see your calling Not many mighty not many rich are called but God hath chosen the poore and base things c. Quest. Cannot a man be rich and godly or may not riches sort with saluation If a rich man cannot enter into the Kingdome of heauen who then can be saued say the Disciples Answ. 1. Riches are good blessings in themselues and of themselues hinder not For the promises of them are made to those that feare God Psal. 112.2 Riches and treasure shall be in their house And as simplicity basenesse pouerty saues none so wealth power wisdome condemne none in themselues 2. The prophesie is that the rich shall come to the people of God and ioyne with the Church Esa. 60.11 Psal. 22.29 3. The Lord acknowledgeth of many rich men that their riches are a crowne on their heads by the many good workes they doe thereby Prou. 14.24 Some there are whose wealth lifts them not vp in pride but exalts them in workes of mercy As a crowne is an ornament to the head so riches commend the wisedome and piety and faith and charity of a godly man They cannot make a man good or euill wise or foolish but onely manifest a wise man or a foole So in Eccles. 7.11 Wisedome is good with an inheritance it is good without it but more eminent with it more conspicuous more vsefull Therefore for resolution of the doubt note 1. That our Sauiour saith not It is impossible for a rich man to bee saued but very hard And the Apostle saith not Not any but Not many 2. Christ speakes not so in respect of the possession or vse of riches but only of the abuse as it is expounded Mark 10.24 when a man trusteth in riches 3. With God saith our Sauiour this is possible who made Iob exceeding rich and fenced all about him that hee had yet so godly withall that there was not another so godly vpon earth as he chap. 1.8 10. And it is Augustines obseruation Seruatur pauper Lazarus sed in sinu Abrahami diuitis Poore Lazarus was saued in the bosome of rich Abraham 4. Riches choke not and condemne not as a cause but as an occasion The cause is not in them that wee are choked by them but in our selues in our corruption and weaknesse who abuse a good thing by which wee might further our saluation not watching against the neglect or contempt of the doctrine of saluation which vsually attends them Now they are as a sword in a mad mans hand and must not be reiected themselues but onely their abuse Quest. How doe riches choke the Word Answ. Three waies Before hearing In hearing After hearing I. Before hearing they choke and hinder from receiuing the Word three wayes 1. Great men haue great employments in their hands and cannot bee at leisure for preaching they may not let their businesse one houre in a weeke Felix hath no leisure now to heare Paul but will take another time And Martha cannot let the time to heare Christ himselfe And hence are those many obiections against weekes Lectures as altogether vnseasonable and indeed needlesse But was not Martha reproued for so slighting the preaching of Christ And what Is not this losse of time as some call it the best redeeming of time When Paul preached to the Gentiles at Antioch the Gentiles desired him to preach the same words the next Sabbath betweene Act. 13.42 Was this commendable in them and is it reproouable in vs Christians 2. Great men haue great spirits What great men and rich men stoupe to so base a thing as preaching and to so base persons as Preachers all whose power is in their tongue Therefore the Apostle will haue rich men charged that they bee not high-minded Riches commonly breede pride and high mindes Pride in a mans selfe breeds contempt of God and his Word as Pharaoh Who is the Lord and the Prophet saith Heare and giue eare and bee not proud Ier. 13.15 3. Great men haue a great happinesse in their hands already and hardly see any want in their condition And as he comes not to the Physician that feeles not himselfe sicke so hee desires no supply of good that feeles not in himselfe the want of it Abundance of outward wealth suffers not the heart to see his want of inward And the good things of Gods Kingdome are not giuen but to them that want them and can prize them To the thirsty Esa. 55.1 II. Riches choke the Word in hearing As thornes spread themselues and occupy the roome where the seed should grow So the inordinate loue of the world stuffes the heart with worldly desires and motions and takes vp the roome from all spirituall Iudas his heart once taken vp for couetousnesse there is no roome left for the gracious admonitions of Christ himselfe The Lord obserues and forewarnes Ezekiel of this choke-weed in his Hearers chap. 33.31 They shall come as people vse to come and sit before thee and heare thy words but they will not doe them nay they will make iests with their mouthes because their hearts goe after couetousnesse Can your thoughts bee carried to heauen and earth at one time When you bring your businesse to Church and suffer your thoughts to range vpon your worke and worke-men wares and returnes Farmes and profits can you carry away any good lesson While you come with a purpose to hold your vsurie iniustice or deceit in word or trading doe you not make a iest of Gods Word condemning these things and you for them Doe wee not reade in the Gospell that whereas Christ was often opposed in his Doctrine he was not mocked but of the couetous Luk. 16.14 III. Riches taken into the heart choke the Word after hearing both in the profession and in the practice of it 1. They hinder the Word in the profession and confession of it It is thought good policy for him to follow Christ that hath nothing to lose for him But take heed none of the Rulers beleeue in him or if they doe with him well let them come with Nicodemus in the night Let the poore receiue the Gospell and be forward Professors but you are a rich
well as any Ephes. 2.2 But as stiffe and bad ground becomes good by good husbandry and manuring so do our harts by the husbandry of the good Husband-man He alone changeth the heart He takes away the stones and stifnesse of it and makes it a soft heart So the Apostle Paul speaking of himselfe conuerted saith By the grace of God I am that I am 1. Cor. 15.10 He onely can create a cleane heart and renew a right spirit in a man Psal. 51.10 and put his feare into his heart that he shall neuer depart from him Ier. 32.40 Doctr. Some seed falls on good ground Though there be but a small parcell of good ground in comparison of the bad yet some there is where the seed is cast It is true that where the Word is preached it is to most in vaine as here three to one lose their parts in it But yet some good there bee the seed falls into some good ground in some though very few it is successefull When the whole world was a field of brambles fit for the fire of Gods wrath yet of Noah he saith Thee haue I found righteous and he being a Preacher of righteousnesse shall make an Arke if it be but for eight soules Gen. 7. When all Sodome was as a cursed Heath and a dry Wildernesse yet Lots family was as a little pikle exempt in which the Word became fruitfull Gen. 19. In the Ministery of the Prophets much of their labour was lost as themselues lamentably complaine Esa. 49.4 and 53.1 Who will beleeue our report or to whom is the arme of the Lord reuealed shewing that very few will beleeue the doctrine of Christs humiliation and abasement to which that place leades vs in Ioh. 12.38 and yet there was one of a City and two of a Tribe and still a small remnant whom the Lord would saue Our Lord Iesus while himselfe preached the doctrine of the Gospell most cleerly and confirmed it powerfully by many miracles yet but one heere and there receiued it scarce one of a thousand so as himselfe laments their hardnesse of heart and weepes ouer Ierusalem and saith plainly that few shall be saued and that the way which leads to life is narrow and the gate straite and few finde it But yet he hath a little flocke Feare not little flocke Luk. 12.32 When many tooke offence at his doctrine concerning the eating of his flesh Ioh. 6. yet his Disciples acknowledged that hee had the words of eternall life Ioh. 10.20 When some said he was mad and had a diuell others said These are not the words of him that hath a diuell nor yet the workes for can the diuell open the eyes of him that is borne blinde When the multitude decreed to excommunicate whosoeuer should confesse him yet the blinde man will iustifie him in the Synagogue Ioh. 9. When the whole Councell and body of Iewes assemble against him there is a Simeon a Zachary Hanna and Elizabeth which adore him yea at his Crosse his mother his Disciple Iohn and many other good women The Disciples of our Lord when they preached after him some raised vp persecution but some beleeued sometimes one of a City as Lydia Act. 16.14 And sometimes a few more as at Athens Act. 17.32 some mocked at the Resurrection but some claue vnto Paul as Dionysius the Areopagite and Damaris and some other see Rom. 10.16 And euer since the smallest number receiue the Gospell yet some doe who are as the gleanings to the haruest and as the Grapes to the vintage and but an handfull to the rest Reasons 1. From the similitude in our Parable such is the wisedome and care of the Husbandman that he will not bestow his seed where is no hope but that all the seed and labour will be lost though there be many stones and many thornes in a field he will sowe because all is not so but if it were all so hee would not lose his seed so the Lord the wise Husbandman of his Church will much lesse bestow his labour and husbandry on a soyle altogether hopelesse and fruitlesse but hee will see some good ground intermingled for whose sake he doth bestow his seed Againe doth the seed belong to any but good ground or doth the Word properly belong to any but the true Beleeuers No it hath an effect in others but it is the portion onely of these 2. The proper end vse of the seed is to gather in an haruest and the proper end of the Word is to gather and preserue a Church vnto Christ. God hath sanctified a Ministery for the gathering of the Saints Ephes. 4.11 Christs owne Ministery in Ierusalem was to gather them to life and safety as the Hen gathers her chickens Math. 23.37 and to worke faith in so many as are ordained to eternall life Act. 13.48 And therefore where God sends and continues his Word faithfully preached there are some to gather some to bee brought to the faith one time or other The grace of God hath appeared bringing saluation Tit. 2.11 And therefore ordinarily where God affoords this grace it brings saluation to some though neuer so few ordinarily the Word attaines euen this end in some 3. As the Lord when hee will prosper a people and maintaine their naturall liues blesseth the seed sowne to increase and thereof giues them an haruest but on the contrary when hee will send a famine to consume hee affoords them no seed or no haruest Euen so where hee hath a good purpose to preserue any to eternall life hee sends the Word to this purpose Paul must goe to Corinth and stay there a yeere and sixe moneths because the Lord had much people in that City Act. 18.10 11. For their sakes it is sent and for their sakes continued insomuch as the Apostle 1. Thes. 1.4 5. doubts not to make it a note of the election of some where God sendeth a powerfull Ministery And contrarily where God hath no delight in a people and none to call by the ordinary meanes he sends a famine of the Word Amos 8.11 When the Nation of the Iewes proues so barren as the labour is not worth the while then the Kingdome shall be taken from them and giuen to a better people Math. 21.43 As in the times of ignorance and darknesse of Popery for many hundred yeeres together when was no preaching no ordinary meanes which times God hath now ouer-passed and now admonisheth all to repentance So as wee doubt not but where Christ vttereth his voice he hath some sheepe to heare him Ioh. 10.27 see Act. 22.18 4. Those many epithites and titles giuen to the Scripture shew the same The Word is called The ministery of the Spirit of life of righteousnesse 2. Cor. 3.8 because it ordinarily findes out some in whom it is effectuall and vpon whom it bestoweth the Spirit and life and righteousnesse It is a Word of wisedome subiectiuè effectiuè it will finde
were enemies to Magistracy to Iudgement-seats to lawfull warres and that Christianity let in all confusion into the world that their Religion was against common sense and cut the sinewes of all humane society and it was not fit they should liue whose calumnies Athanasius and Cyrill answered But all these were as winde when God takes him in hand none nor all of these carry any waight in his owne conscience but he was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one that fought against God and as Basill speakes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a resister of Christ. Vse 2. If carelesse Hearers be the worst Hearers then beware of carelesse and negligent hearing without attention affection or vnderstanding The Apostle Iames chap. 1. vers 23. describes many of our Hearers to be like a man that lookes his naturall face in a glasse but goes away and forgets immediately what a one hee was The Word is Gods looking-glasse held before men in the Ministery this lets them see their faces their blemishes and spots but they like fooles looke vpon the glasse to see themselues onely not to reforme any thing Others fitly compare many of our Hearers to Idols that haue eyes and see not eares and heare not for they want the seeing eye and the hearing eare no more profiting than the very Images on the walls as vnmoueable by the promises or terrours of God as the pillars in the Church as senslesse as the seats they sit on meere Idols haue their bodies present not their soules neither is the breath of the Spirit in thē Let such be requested to consider a little these ensuing Motiues 1. What a great deceiuing of mens selues this is Iam. 1.22 Be ye doers of the Word and not hearers onely deceiuing your owne selues What delusion is it to thinke it enough to see a Sermon or bee at a Sermon without attending or marking any matter deliuered or to heare words but no more conceiue the sence and meaning then children that are brought in their laps Thou deceiuest thy selfe in a vaine perswasion that thou doest an acceptable seruice when indeed thou further enthrallest thy selfe to Satan and procurest a more iust and fearefull condemnation 2. It is a marke of a Disciple of Christ to vnderstand the Word Luk. 8.10 To you it is giuen to vnderstand the mysteries of the Kingdome to others in Parables Call thy selfe a Christian while thou wilt thou art indeed no Disciple that attendest not the Word but a stranger to the Word a stranger to the life of God through the ignorance that is in thee Ephes. 4.18 3. It is one of the seuerest plagues to heare and not vnderstand Mat. 13.15 For the Lord vsually giues vp such 1. To strong delusions in matter of doctrine and iudgement to receiue any thing but truth 2. Thes. 2.10 2. To vile affections and outragious lusts in conuersation Rom. 1.26 3. To a iust damnation for receiuing the grace of God in vaine and for neglecting so great saluation Heb. 2.3 4. Consider wee what it is wee are called vnto namely to heare and vnderstand as our Sauiour exhorts Mat. 15.10 Vnderstand what is the good and acceptable will of God Rom. 12.2 Else all our and your labour is lost as Nehem. 8.8 It had been in vaine for Nehemiah to reade in the Booke of the Law distinctly and giue the sence vnlesse he make the people vnderstand the reading Obiect 1. But I am a simple man and want that capacity that other men haue I am not booke-learned but I meane well and haue a good heart and I hope God will accept my good meaning Answ. 1. This is certaine that without vnderstanding the minde is not good Prou. 19.2 God accounts not the man or minde good that cares not to vnderstand his Word 2. Simplicity giues no dispensation to be the worst Hearer or destitute of desire after knowledge And remember one thing that if thou be too simple in some good measure to know and vnderstand the Word of God thou art too simple to get to heauen the God of light cannot accept an ignorant and blind meaning for a good minde and meaning 3. See whether thou beest not more heedlesse than simple and so thy simplicity bee wilfull None so blinde as he that will not see Doest thou shut thine eyes and then say thou canst not see or stop thine eares and say thou canst not heare with vnderstanding Doest thou indeed attend as thou wouldst to thy learned Counsell when thy free-hold is called into question 4. Try thy selfe whether thy conceit faile thee not more in the things of God than in the matters of the world Perhaps thou shalt finde thy wit quicke and nimble enough at a good and safe bargaine Thou hast reach enough to fetch in the profits of the world art subtill enough to circumuent thy brother and wise enough to doe euill Now must thou blame thy selfe for want of attention and affection not for want of capacity 5. Suppose thou be very simple behold God hath giuen his Word to the end that simple men might vnderstand Psal. 119.13 And if thou beest not booke-learned lo hee hath giuen store of learned men and teachers and appointed them to teach thee and the more simple thou art the more art thou bound to follow the meanes and not to flatter thy selfe in thy negligence Obiect 2. But I haue an ill memory and cannot bring things away as many men can Answ. This is the common plea of our common Gospellers they are most carelesse Hearers without all attention and all is presently forgotten and then they accuse God for giuing them an ill memory But 1. Consider O Man how thou doest affect that thou hearest Many come to heare because they dare not open their Shops Others because they haue nothing else to doe will goe to Church with their neighbours but haue no affection to that heauenly businesse And now I say thou wouldest remember if thou affectedst the Word Thy memory is sure enough at a Play In any worldly matter thou canst carry away and repeate long discourses from poynt to poynt onely here is a short memory because of short affection 2. Consider how thou bendest thy wits and attendest to that which thou sayest thou canst not remember Doest thou not thinke these are matters not so neerely concerning thee to know Worldly matters which concerne thy calling thou canst remember for thou thinkest them neerly belonging vnto thee and art content to bee taken vp wholly in them 3. How dost thou attend Thou sittest downe sometimes hearest sometimes sleepest sometimes talkest sometimes readest and now while thou doest euery thing but the one thing necessary doest thou complaine of an ill memory No it is an ill heart and disposition a sure note of a carnall man who yet thinkes himselfe sure to be saued 4. How doest thou prepare thy ground Doest thou pray to God to open thine eyes that thou maiest see the mysteries of his Law Thou
highes him to these places at this time because he knowes now being at so good an exercise men least feare him and thinke him farthest off but indeed now he is neerest for he knows that then is the time for an enemie to work his greatest stratageme when hee findes his aduersary most secure and least expecting it Therefore our text saith Whensoeuer a man that is any man heareth then comes Satan he is busie with euery one but so as thou maist not conceiue him so busie with others as that he will passe ouer thee Vse Take notice hereby of his diligence and vigilancy who is not onely busie and stirring in euill and wicked actions to thrust them forward but euen in the best actions which if he cannot hinder he will corrupt and depraue if it may be Most will confesse being detected of some euill action Oh it was the diuell who was busie with me he ow'd me a spight but few discerne how busie and spightfull hee is in good actions to hinder God of so much glory and the godly of much comfort in such actions as he cannot hinder 3. How commeth Satan to take away the Word Answ. The Word shewes that Satan is not alwaies present nor alwaies tempting Not because he wants will but because God suffers him not alwaies But hovvsoeuer he vvill sure be vvith vs in the hearing of the Word aboue all other times And so he comes sometimes inwardly sometimes outwardly Inwardly 1. In many rouing by-thoughts which filling the phantasie turne the minde quite from the businesse in hand Hee casts into the minde some thoughts of profit some of pleasure or some vaine and idle cogitations that runne vp and downe the minde and all to draw the heart away from the Word Now is the diuell come and hath catcht the Word from thee A iust recompence of him that in Gods seruice will not giue God his heart and mind the diuell must haue them 2. In drowsinesse sleepe and heauinesse which steale away the minde from attention A fearefull snare of the diuell in which hee hath taken many who scarce sit downe to heare but presently are cast on a dead sleepe and we may as well speake to dead men or the pillars they sit by as to them and say as the Apostle doth in another abuse in the Church of Corinth Haue ye not houses to eate and drinke in so Haue ye not beds at home to sleepe in See you not how the diuell hath cast you into a nap lest you should heare and beleeue and be saued or that you haue taken some graines too many of that hellish opium which makes you sleepe vnto death Obiect But doe you thinke the diuell casts me asleepe I am heauy by nature and cannot helpe it and I sleepe not long Answ. If thou wert at some other exercise as a Play or a game at Cards or Tables or perhaps in thy Counting house thou couldst wake well enough or not be halfe so heauy or if thou wert in the Kings presence to receiue a charge from his mouth though thou wert very heauy naturally Assure thy selfe therfore that Satan adds his weight and workes with thy corruption And it is not the sleepe of thy body he intends but the sleepe of thy minde and of thy soule vnto death 3. He comes in many inward suggestions which stirre vp naturall corruption against the Word that if it must be heard it may not be beleeued as 1. It is but a man that speakes a simple ordinary weake and poore man and if he speake well I can speake well too saith one 2. Thou knowest as much as thou needest and what can hee teach me which I know not Am not I as able to iudge what is fit as he Nay I doubt not but I am as good as all the Sermons in the world can make me Now the diuell is come apparantly for Gods Spirit euer lets a man see his ignorance his nothing 3. What good is gotten by all this preaching My father liued honestly without it And what care many of our Noble men and men of great account for it And if I goe to Seruice and obey the Kings law and doe as my neighbours do and as my forefathers did what need more precisenesse Here now the diuell is come For no suggestion of Gods Spirit can extenuate the Word of God 4. But this man saith Ahab neuer speakes good to me I would heare any man but this Micah 1. King 22.8 But here the diuell is come he that set foure hundred false prophets to deceiue Ahab would haue him heare any beleeue any but Micah lest he should be saued If thy heart were vpright the words of God would be good vnto thee But thou hast a path-way of lusts and thou wilt walke to the end of them thou must sweare and blaspheme must drinke and swagger must prophane the Sabbath must be an Vsurer must vse deceit in trading lyes in selling must scorne zeale and grace and runne in the excesses of sinne after the fashion of the world and the diuell within tels thee Why maist thou not who shall hinder thee 5. But I know many good Preachers and good men of another minde of another practice and though this man be earnest against it they would not doe thus if it were so bad Heere the diuell is come who out of the opposition of corrupt Teachers and Libertine doctrines which he by them broached would falsifie the truth in thy minde dealing as a cunning Fisher who by one fish will catch another that hee may feed vpon both And hee would bring thee from a straite rule to a crooked example Thus the diuell comes inwardly Outwardly hee comes three wayes 1. By drawing the senses to outward obiects as the eye on this or that person or obiect to diuert the minde from the one thing necessary which we must watch against and as Christs Hearers fixe our eyes vpon our Teacher which greatly helpeth attention 2. By the euill counsell of carnall Politicians You are a man whose conuersation will be obserued you are rich you haue an Office you haue respect If you should be led away by Sermons you will be noted for a Puritane and a fauourer of such as will make little for your credit But heere the diuell is come in one of his children Act. 13.7 Sergius Paulus called Paul and Barnabas to him and desired to heare the Word of God but Elymas sought to turne the Deputy from the faith Paul spyed the diuell now come and said O full of all subtilty and mischiefe the child of the diuell and enemy of all righteousnes that ceasest not to peruert the straite waies of God! 3. By scoffes and reproches of wretched men who scorne the Word and wayes of God What will you beleeue all that he saith Nay wee must not let him make fooles of vs What hath hee to doe with such and such poynts our gouernment our callings Let him meddle
sand and the fall is great how needfull therefore is it for vs to bee fully settled and rooted in our grounds of Religion Quest. How shall I know I am thus rooted in the Doctrine of faith Answ. By a spirit of discerning which enlightens the minde and supplies euen to simple ones a sharp insight and cleernesse of iudgement through vse of the Word in all needfull matters of saluation For faith brings in the Spirit which leads into all truth and the eye-salue still cleering the sight more and more 2. By building our hearts on this foundation and that is by beleeuing it for thus it is a foundation not in it selfe onely but vnto vs when by faith we are coupled and knit vnto it 3. By growing vp on that foundation and yeelding obedience vnto it This note our Sauiour giues Math. 7.24 He that heareth these words and doth the same is a wise builder that layes his house on a Rocke c. Secondly looke well to thy rooting in the grace or gift of faith Content not thy selfe with any thing but onely that faith which is called vnfained 1. Tim. 1.5 and the faith of the Elect Tit. 1.2 This is the faith by which the iust shall liue Hab. 2.4 Quest. What is the rooting in the grace of faith Answ. It is a sound worke of Gods Spirit whereby the heart attaines a true assurance and perswasion of remission of sinnes and the fauour of God in Christ. A worke of the Spirit because no man is borne a Beleeuer but new borne A sound worke for true faith is no empty or windy thing but a subsistence and ground without hollownesse and deceit as all the speciall workes of Gods Spirit in the hearts of the Elect are A true assurance and perswasion because many are deceiued by a temporary faith by blind hopes of mercy at the last by colours either of ciuill honesty or religious performances are misse-led with the example of such as they admire for wisdome place or power and mistake a conceit for faith that because they be not so ill as they were wont to be they be as good as they need be But this man out of good grounds riseth to good assurance Quest. How may I know my selfe soundly rooted in the gift of faith Answ. By fiue notable effects of it 1. Sound affection to Iesus Christ prizing him aboue all the world and counting all but dung in comparison in so much as our life is not deare vnto vs but as Paul wee dare dye for him And this affection is alway ioyned with affiance in Christ or holding fast our assurance by him For as God will still owne his people euen in the furnace in the deepest trouble so must they owne him Zech. 13. vlt. yea when Christ may seeme to withdraw and neglect them as the woman of Canaan Abraham rested in the naked promise and beleeued aboue hope Rom. 4. so must we not hasting to euill meanes in the want of good Esa. 28.16 He that beleeueth shall not make haste 2. If it purge and renue the heart from all kinde of sinnes especially secret and inward Till faith come the heart is full of raigning guile and deceitfulnesse and hollownesse cannot hold out but faith purifieth and garnisheth the heart as a Temple So faith and inward purity grow together 3. If it keepe the heart humble and hungring For it is a light in the bowels causing a man daily to see his sinne more cleerly and to seeke pardon for it in Christ casting it out daily by confession and godly sorrow and still it hungers after righteousnesse insatiably 4. If it be ioyned with good conscience These two goe vndiuided Now a good conscience being perswaded of Gods loue in Christ first excuseth the man that his sinnes are pardoned and then in way of thankfulnes hath respect to all the Commandements and endeuoureth obedience to all Also it hateth feareth and auoideth all sinne because it offendeth God 5. If it be a shield enabling thee to withstand the tentations of Satan and such as runne with thy owne naturall inclinations now it is well grounded That faith which shall stoutly withstand all sinne in time of prosperity shall preuaile mightily against all troubles in time of triall But if thy faith giue thee vp to bee led away to vanity or any ordinary preuailing sinne now in the time of peace suspect it trust it not for time of triall Such as fall from the Religion of God when times of change come being led away either by the seduction of deceiuers or persecution of Tyrants are such as shall finde by examination that the faith they pretended was neuer of power against some knowne sinne and so was neuer strongly rooted in Christ. This faith thus qualified is strongly rooted Cast it into the fire it will come forth purer than gold 1. Pet. 1.7 And when the best faith of hypocrites forsaken of carnall helps on which it stayed it selfe shall proue drosse and be consumed this faith shall set the Christian on a rocke safe in the middest of stormes and waues of aduersity Thirdly looke to thy rooting in the profession and holding forth of thy faith For faith well rooted will breake forth in confession profession and defence of Gods truth 2. Cor. 4.13 I beleeued and therefore I spake and Act. 4.20 We cannot chuse but speake say the Apostles Quest. How may I know I am soundly rooted in the profession of faith Answ. 1. If policy or feare hinder thee not from the profession of the truth by day Many cast themselues into the night with Nicodemus as if it were a worke of darknesse to professe the light Common faith holds it no wisedome to be so forward pulls in the tender horne if any scornes losses or oppositions be abroad Carnall reason swayes against it Master pitty thy selfe it shall not bee so vnto thee Carnall friends easily perswade a man not to bee too busie The feare of a chaine or the wrath of superiours quite blast it 2. If by these cold and pinching times thou abate not thy affection or loue to God his Word and his children 3. If thou gettest courage yea and aduantage by opposition as a strong tree is stronglier rooted for shaking winds Whereof we haue an example Ierem. 36.32 When the profane King had burnt the Booke Ieremiah caused the same to be written againe with many moe words The more euill men oppose holy Doctrine concerning holy life and the worship of God for matter manner time c. the more godly men will iustifie and maintaine it This confession is an acceptable thing to Iesus Christ and honourable and Christ lookes for it Math. 9.28 saying to the two blind men Doe you beleeue that I can doe it Not that hee was ignorant of their faith but for them that were present he would haue them confesse him plainly shewing that it is not enough to beleeue with the heart but confession
and cast the truth to the ground Then the Text addeth Thus shall he doe and prosper Loe Antiochus who is mad furious against the Church hath prosperous successe Doth this agree with Bellarmine And by this proposition Cain should haue beene the true Church not Abel whom he slew and Ismael of whom were twelue Dukes Gen. 25.16 not Isaac whom hee scoffed and persecuted My Lord Esau that hath foure hundred men at his heeles Gen. 33.1 and not Iacob who dares not looke his Lord in the face nor come neere him till he had bowed seuen times What outward prosperity had the Church in AEgypt in Babylon in the ten Persecutions for 300. yeeres together before Constantine Or how stands that assertion with our Sauiours prediction that true Christians should be appointed as sheepe for the slaughter Yea with our Sauiours condition who was the Head of the Church to whom the members are conformable He was borne in an obscure place liued despised among his owne a man of such sorrowes as neuer was any sorrow like his his pouerty such as he had not water to put in his head not a cottage to put his head in his death painefull shamefull accursed And such is ordinarily the afflicted and despised estate of his Church on earth Vse 2. Dreame not of a Religion pleasant to flesh if we will be truly religious for this is to deceiue our selues but make account of hatred and trouble in the world if thou meanest to keepe the Word For the Church being seated in the world which is the Kingdome of Satan it cannot be other then a very AEgypt or Edom to the Israel of God where that hellish Pharaoh raiseth all his power to pursue vs into the red Sea of terrors temptations and a thousand deadly dangers on euery side if we indeed set forth to Canaan Let vs therefore wisely cast our costs and recken our charges and weigh whether wee can contentedly suffer so much losse for the Word as it may cost vs. Vse 3. This shews vs the true cause why the world hates and persecutes godly men It will be ready to tell you they are pestilent fellowes and as seditious as Paul was as great enemies to Cesar as Christ was no good subiects as factious and schismaticall as Micah who will not speake as the 400. false Prophets The wicked of the world clamor against them as euill doers for so did they against their Head If he were not an euill doer we would not haue brought him to thee And what are they but a packe of dissemblers and hypocrites and neuer a good of them all But what Can the world that lieth in wickednesse hate and prosecute wickednesse indeed Why then doth she not hunt out open and outragious euils in any other sort of men Or doth she not loue her louers and reward most bountifully most prodigious euill men But if we will beleeue our Lord who was best acquainted with the worlds hatred he tels vs here that persecution is raised against them for the Words sake and that is the proper cause whatsoeuer other colourable cause be pretended for 1. The Word hath brought them to Christ whom they hate and therefore his members 2. The Word hath called them out of the world which loues onely her owne and hates them Iohn 15.19 3. The Word hath freed them from the conformitie and fashions of the world that now they cannot runne into the same excesse of riot therefore it speakes euill of them 1. Pet. 4.4 Contrary courses cause contrary affections 4. The wicked Cains of this World see their their owne workes euill and theirs to be good and therefore hate them 1. Iohn 3.12 The thing then which is hated and persecuted in good men is goodnesse the Name of Christ the Word of God soundly held out and stucke vnto And this must be so farre from discouraging good men whether Preachers or Professors who are most extremely hated as they must rather suspect themselues that their hearts are not sound or their courses not sincere when all men speake well of them Sound profession and persecution are inseparable and Luke 6.26 Woe to you when all speake well of you Vse 4. Not to condemne a Religion or refuse a Doctrine because it is persecuted and gaine said by many and by Great ones for this is a marke of true Religion and the condition of the Word of Christ Persecution saith our text comes because of the Word So as neither is that Religion which is so plausible to the world to be therefore embraced nor that which the world hates to be refused multitude being as false a note of the Church as the former externall prosperity Straite is the way that leads vnto life and few there be that finde it Therefore looke not on the blacknesse of the Church though the Sunne looke on her Cant. 1.5 for within she is comely Vse 5. To comfort those that are persecuted for the Word and well-doing First that the cause is good which the world persecutes so eagerly 1. Pet. 4.14 If ye be railed on for the Name of Christ blessed are ye for the Spirit of glory and of God resteth on you and is glorified by you Secondly behold Christ a partner and companion in thy suffering In all thy troubles he is troubled Hence it is called the reproch of Christ. Thou helpest Christ to beare his Crosse and he helpes thee Col. 1.24 I fulfill the sufferings of Christ. And conformity with him in the Crosse brings conformity in the Crowne If we suffer with him we shall also raigne with him Thirdly this fire of persecution may seeme to burne thee vp but shall not consume thee but onely purge and perfect thee Euery Christian resembles the bush which burned with fire but consumed not Exod. 2.3 Nay waite with faith and patience and according to Moses his prayer for Ioseph The good will of him that dwelt in the bush shall come on thy head Deut. 33.16 So much of the first Doctrine I proceed to the second namely that When persecution for the Word commeth many glorious Professors who ioy in it in the time of peace renounce and forsake it so the Text hath it In the time of tentation they goe away and Matthew They are offended immediately that is euen those Hearers which readily attended ioyfully receiued willingly beleeued and hopefully sprang vp these now goe away And whence goe they Answ. 1. From their affection and loue of the Word in the heart the root within is dried vp with this heat of the Sun 2. From their profession and confession of mouth their leafe also falleth 3. From externall reformation many of them losing their greennesse and apparantly withering and falling to earthlinesse or profanenesse and some to distaste the good way knowne 4. From their fellowship and communion of Saints for as they were neuer knit by faith vnto the Head so were they neuer by loue to the
members nor are they further members of this body than a woodden legge which is no member but in appearance For Had they been of vs saith Iohn they had continued with vs 1. Ioh. 2.19 5. From their faith ioy zeale in a word from all they formerly tasted sweetnesse in they vtterly and wholly depart from their faith comfort c. now blade and roote and all is gone And why doe they thus fall off from all goodnes Answ. 1. Persecution is so distastfull and contrary to nature as where nothing is but nature it shuns it vitijs modis by all meanes whatsoeuer Nature will suffer nothing for Christ or for saluation by him And no maruell seeing tribulation for the Gospell danteth many good Hearers who being conuerted and hauing attained to a sound and sauing faith but hauing yet also flesh as well as spirit and too much loue of flesh easily shrink from Christ and profession at least for a time as Peter did till Christ looked graciously backe vpon him And who can deny but that the rest of the Disciples were graced with a true faith yet after many warnings and much confirmation of their Lord so soone as euer he was apprehended before themselues were sought for they all left him and fled euery one willing to shift for himselfe and saue his skinne So as persecution makes sound and vnsound fly off but with great difference For the sound Christian goes away as Onesimus for a season Philem. 15. that God his Master may receiue him for euer the hypocrite in persecution vtterly and wholly and for euer departs from the faith from the comfort and Profession of it One flies the field and comes no more the other returnes and is more valiant In one word the difference is the faith of the one is temporary in the other not his faith is temporary but his fayling 2. These faire professors in persecution goe away because they neuer gaue the Word sound rooting in them and therefore as a blustering winde easily ouerturnes the tree that is but shallowly rooted so doth the storme of persecution throw vp him that wants firmenesse Or to insist in our Sauiors instance As we see the scorching heat of the Sunne burne vp and wither the corne that is not deeply rooted though it come vp neuer so goodly in shew so the sunne of persecution dries vp the greenenesse of these shallow and vnrooted Professors The same thing our Sauiour expresseth in a cleane contrary Metaphore Luk. 6.48 comparing persecution or troubles for the Gospell to water when the waters rise and raine falls and flouds beate on the house it falls by and by because it was not strongly founded on a rocke 3. They are offended at the Word saith the Text and so goe away Math. 13.21 by and by hee is offended Two wayes 1. When the Word puts them to this choyce whether they will leaue Christ or their temporals whether they will forgoe their goods liberty friends and life or forgoe Christ. This choyce offended the young man who rather than hee will part with his possessions bids Christ farewell This choyce offended the false apostles Gal. 6.12 who would confound Law and Gospell together because they would not suffer persecution for the Crosse of Christ. This choyce offended many forward Professors in the dayes of King Edward the sixth who in the dayes of Queene Mary were by and by offended and fell off And if times should turne and this choyce should offer it selfe vpon many forward ones experience of former times sheweth plaine enough what they would doe They that the day before while Christ rides in triumph cry Hosanna Hosanna the next day after when hee is apprehended will cry Crucifige crucifige so immediately are they offended Persecution and affliction for the Gospell is like the worme that smote Ionas his flourishing Gourd and that so suddenly will put but a little time betweene their freshnesse and fading 2. When the Doctrine pursues them within followes them home to their consciences and seekes to set in the light their inward corruptions presently these glorious Professours are offended Ioh. 6.60 When Christ powerfully taught the Iewes that hee was the Bread which came from heauen and the Fathers ate of him and themselues must feed on him to eternall life this was an hard saying What are they all this while out of the way to heauen vnlesse hee bring them in Now they murmure from thence goe to opposition and from thence goe quite away and refuse to heare him longer Euen so not a few that boast sometimes of their faith and loue to Religion of their settlednesse and resolution to die with Christ rather than denie him of their reuerence and good affection to his Ministers Let the Gospell begin to meddle with their Herodias or bosome sin let it call them from seruice of the world and pull them from their lusts let it be busie with their vsury their pride wantonnesse malice let it seeke to pull them from their disordered customes their vnlawfull pleasures their profane courses let it lay nothing but the yokes of Christ vpoÌ„ professed Christians let it discouer to them their inside and leade them to that filthy sinke which is within and stirre a little in that mud A wonder it is to see how many suddenly fall off by degrees Now they are angry at the Word and he is the greatest enemy that tâ—â—s them the truth Now they distaste the Word then picke quarrels then begin to shake it off and at last openly to resist it 4. Those must needs fall off who neuer receiued the Word purely for it selfe but for other sinister respects as either of glory and praise if they see the profession in credit or for profit so long as they may gather with Christ and be gainers by him they would stand on Mount Tabor with Christ and while hee is in his glory Oh it is good being heere but are loth to goe with him to Mount Caluary Or they receiue it onely so farre as may stand with their ease delicacy and slothfulnesse but will put themselues to no hardnesse at all Now all these that loue themselues better than their Religion must needs faile when the ends faile that put them on their profession He that professeth for praise of men when the world being inconstant withdrawes her applause he is gone Gods Word shall haue no further credit with him then it hath from men If Demas for loue of profit shall professe the loue of this present world shall cause his Apostasie 2. Tim. 4.10 If they of Asia receiue Paul onely because they may with ease and safety doe it they shall turne away from Paul when he is in prison And he that receiues a Religion without further ground then is the generall custome of the world namely to bee of that Religion which the King and Parliament is of let this man goe neuer so farre yet hee shall fall off and his fall
shall be great Vse 1. See hereby the nature and end of persecution it tries who are sound and puts a difference betweene such as peaceable and calme estate cannot distinguish In a faire and calme day Apples and Peares on a tree seeme all sound and good but a blustering storme or tempest makes difference betweene those that are sound and such as for want of moysture fall off iust so it is in the stormes of the Church Persecution is like a mighty winde which discerneth betweene wheat and chaffe that before lay quiet together in the same floore it shakes not the wheat but blowes away the chaffe And as the furnace consumes the drosse but refines the gold so doth the furnace of affliction We are now all shuffled together the hypocrite with the sincere-hearted Christian but to end this poynt with our Sauiours instance as the heate of the Sunne and summer discouers barren dry and stony soyle frō good ground so the scorching beames of persecution shall discouer barren husky and empty hypocrites from good and fruitfull Hearers And thou art that indeed thou art in triall A man in peace may personate and disguise himselfe as Ieroboams wife going to the Prophet seeme another but affliction for the Word will vncase him Peter was not the man in triall hee vaunted to be when he would dye with Christ. And the winter-weather of affliction for the Gospell will discouer who be the Swallowes that will take their summer in the Church but in the winter of it take them to their wings Vse 2. Let vs not take offence when wee see forward Professors offended at Christ and shrinke in triall but make account that some such must forsake vs. For all are not of the Church that are in the Church Some are tyed onely by a thred of externall profession to the members that are not vnited to the Head by the band of faith these must fall off and wither Let Hymeneus and Philetus two great lights fall away lose their shine in the firmament of the Church yet the foundation of God abideth sure And if we see some shrinke before the wetting and in dayes of peace and protection of the Gospell white-liuer'd and ready to deny their profession at the breath of a silly Damosell that the frowne of a Superiour a word of reproch a feare of change shakes off their leafie profession let vs not maruell if many of them would deny Christ in triall rather than dye with him Vse 3. Let him that standeth take heede lest hee fall And the rather because 1. Our nature is prone to defection or backsliding 2. Neuer was there more defection either in Doctrine or manners then at this day 3. When wee see others slide backe we are too soone moued and offended So as the best need continuall exhortation and admonition to beware they fall not away from the grace of God Else would not our Lord haue still beaten on this poynt with his Disciples who for all his warning of them when it came to the poynt forsooke him and fled Now the meanes to vphold vs in tryall from falling are these 1. Meditate much and often of such Scriptures as foretell persecution for the Name of Christ and call to minde the examples of such as haue valiantly endured the losse of temporals and ioyfully suffered the spoyling of their goods the forgoing of liberty and life for Christ c. Especially reade diligently the whole 11. Chapter to the Hebrewes 2. Cast the costs of thy profession Thinke it not enough to heare and receiue immediatly and reioyce yea and beleeue and grow But know thou must not onely beleeue but suffer for his sake The seed that is immediatly receiued must endure an hard and sharpe winter before it can come vp kindly He that forecasts onely the pleasure and ioy of his Religion and not the sorrow losses and crosses of it is like the foolish builder that thinkes hee can finish a building with so little charge as will scarce serue to lay the foundation Paul knew and made account that bonds and imprisonment abode him euery where and so must thou 3. Labour for soundnesse of iudgement and sincerity in affection in receiuing the Gospell A sound iudgement in matters of faith to beleeue firmely and distinctly the truth of Religion must goe before vndanted confession 2. Cor. 4.13 I beleeued and therefore I spake Rom. 10.10 Wee must beleeue with the heart vnto righteousnesse before wee can confesse with the mouth to saluation This is the rooting and stablishing in faith which shall abide Then for the second sincere affection is onely blessed with continuance when we bestow the chiefe affection of our heart vpon it euen our principall loue and our chiefe ioy and delight For this is a cause why this bad ground failes not so much the dislike of Religion as the liking of other things better and the not receiuing of truth in the loue of it is a cause why many are giuen vp to beleeue lies 4. Purge thy heart from the raigne of corrupt lusts Weed out sinfull desires labour in mortification and selfe-denyall get further power to dye vnto sinne get out of the loue of the world and the things in it resolue against selfe-loue that in case of confession thy life may not be deare vnto thee Else shall not all thy wisedome or ciuility or learning keepe thee from backsliding For if the Apostles themselues who professed they had left all to follow Christ yet shrunke in tryall how shall they stand that come with hearts thrust full of the world and earthly desires 5. Labour to finde full contentment in the good things of the Gospell Thinke it full happinesse to enioy naked Christ. Esteeme peace of conscience aboue all worldly peace Account the fauour of God the ioy of the holy Ghost the sweet hope of the pleasures of Gods right hand and the treasures of a better world worth all thou canst giue in exchange and aboue all that may be compared with them This will make thee with the wise Merchant fell out thy selfe and forgoe all for the Pearle and goe away reioycing 6. Examine thy heart how it stands affected in lesser trials now in the peace of the Church If it shrinke in smaller trials I must not looke to trust it in greater If now it will not endure the threat of a Superiour the feare of losse the dread of dis-fauour If it now shrinke from good men because of their troubles and sufferings which are their crowne if thou canst ioyne with the times in disgracing men fearing God assure thy selfe if greater trials come thou shalt be giuen vp to greater delusion and Apostasie 7. Because to stand in persecution is a worke aboue naturall strength and ascribed to the holy Ghost to stablish men to this triall and strengthen them to all patience with ioyfulnesse Col. 1.10 We must pray the Lord not to leaue vs in tentation but preserue
man soone espyed and if you come once to be noted you may be no small loser by it So rich men wil say Your doctrine is good and I would the times would beare it and wee might bee allowed to follow it but I haue many eyes vpon me c. 2. They hinder the practice and obedience of the Word as we shall see in some instances 1. The Word perswades to humility and lowe conceit of our selues But riches doe swell vp the heart with lothsome pride and make a man thinke of himselfe so much better than of another as he hath gotten wealth perhaps by wicked meanes aboue others wheras wealth well gotten makes no man better but ill gotten farre worse How contumeliously did Nabal vse Dauid 1. Sam. 25 Because hee was wealthy he was proud and haughty 2. Gods Word perswades to trust and confidence in God who is our life and the length of our dayes onely of power to doe vs good But wealth easily perswades the heart to make gold the hope Holy Iob disclaimes this practice of a wicked man Chap. 31.24 If I said to the wedge of gold Thou art my confidence If I reioyced because my substance was great or because my hand had gotten much c. it had been iniquity for I had denyed God aboue The rich mans riches is his strong Tower in his conceit hee thinkes himselfe well-walled and intrenched within his wealth and rests vnder the shadow of the wing of his wealth which hee is not content to haue vnlesse it haue him his heart and trust 3. Gods Word perswades to workes of charity and mercy and to be rich in good workes But loue of riches choketh this Word shuts vp the bowels of compassion against his brother shrinkes vp the hand that should open and stretch it selfe to the necessity of the Saints suffers not to honour God with our riches nor to prouide for our selues any other wealth but that in earth Thus the miserable man hath riches while he liues and when he dies they are goods neuer doe good before 4. Gods Word teacheth to leaue our riches for Christ and that naked Christ is wealth enough But loue of the world chokes that Word and makes vs for an handfull of the world to forsake Christ and the holy profession as we see in the young man who went away heauily because hee had great possessions Iudas must haue thirty pieces more than hee could gaine by his Master The like of Demas 5. Gods Word teacheth to restore ill-gotten goods as by vsury deceit oppression lies c. Zacheus so soone as he was conuerted restored foure-fold But the loue of the world choketh this Word and hindreth obedience worldly men part with vnlawfull profits as with their ioynts nay will rather part with their soules 6. Gods Word teacheth that euery man should maintaine himselfe and his family in a lawfull and honest course of life and not to esteeme that penny his for which he may not praise God as the giuer But this Word is choked in a number both Ministers of iustice and Ministers of the Gospell and Trades-men that receiue a great deale of wealth from the diuell and not from God in a number of vnconscionable courses And especially they that liue by wicked and vnlawful Trades Dicing-houses filthy houses Play-houses and such places of idle and hellish resort which one not vnfitly calls The diuels house of Office And such Victuallers Vintners and Ale-sellers as suffer brutish creatures to wash away their reason and discretion so they may licke away their money as if it were not a foule sinne to liue on the foule sinnes of others Thus riches choke the obedience of the Word and suffer not a man to serue God or obey his Word further than serues his owne commodity Vse 1. Take notice of that vanity with Salomon Eccles. 5.13 who obserued riches reserued to the hurt of the owners Men haue giuen them the name of goods as if there were no danger in them or euill to the possessor by them who yet we see may easily dispossesse himselfe of Christ and saluation by them How many haue we seene while they were in lowe estate in the world humble gentle meeke forward and zealous who now in prosperity are growne fat proud disdainfull and slothfull in spirituall things How many in their lowe estate were diligent Hearers profitable conferrers of the Word carefull obseruers in sanctifying the Sabbath fruitfull instructers of their families But now the world is come in vpon them and the businesse of it thrusts in and the poore man that cannot serue two Masters at once is gone backe and growne lazie yea and at length lothing that good Word the sweetnesse of which he hath tasted and decreased in the Spirit as fast as he increased in the flesh As the Moone neuer suffers Eclypse but in the full So these in their fulnesse suffer the earth to come betweene them and their Sunne who in their wane were safe enough Heere for our further instruction we will consider two things 1. The Markes of a man in whom the world choketh the Word 2. The Remedies I. The Markes are fiue 1. In his whole desires hee is more earnest after goods than after grace Psalm 4.6 Who will shew vs any good This is the speech of many But a few say Lord lift thou vp the light of thy countenance vpon vs. The blessing of Esau the fat of the earth most men desire most But the blessed dewes of heauen and sauing grace in the meanes are as refuse wares not asked after Tell a man of a good bargaine or a good purchase he will giue you both his eares he will bestirre himselfe and his onely feare is to bee preuented Tell him of the bargaine of heauen and of the purchase of that inheritance among the sanctified yea saith he God send vs that inheritance aboue all but if God send it not he will neither bee at paines nor cost for it If God should put many of vs to our choyce whether we would haue wisdome or wealth or long life or power ouer enemies wee would scarce with Salomon chuse wisedome in the first place but would either haue wisedome vvith an inheritance or an inheritance vvithout vvisedome 2. His speeches vvill bevvray him in vvhom the vvorld choketh the Word For as he chiefly sauours the things of the vvorld and affects them so out of the abundance of the heart his tongue runnes chiefly on them 1. Ioh. 4.5 They are of the world therefore speake they of the world Follovv this man from a Sermon you shall marke that presently being out of the Church he falls into discourse of vvorldly matters and earthly things as if the Word heard vvere not vvorth speaking of his earthly heart is carried naturally to his center Follovv him from a Play or from the Market you shall heare him tell the vvhole story accurately and articulately from poynt to poynt or discourse as he comes
in the way to heauen goe and boast of thy happinesse which hath made thee most vnhappy proud secure licentious and choked the good Word in thy heart I say to thee it had beene good for thee thou hadst neuer seene penny of thy wealth and that thou haddest liued in beggery all thy dayes For that might haue drawne thee neere God at least not haue driuen thee so farre from him Thou shalt curse the day that euer thou haddest a penny in thy hand or heart that euer thou dotedst vpon so base pelfe to make thee forget thy selfe and thy God so farre that euer thou didst so ouerload thy selfe with wealth and wrath For all thy present ioy in thy wealth because it keepes the Word out of thy heart will be as bitter to thee as wormewood when thou shalt see the same wealth keepe thy soule out of heauen which in earth kept the Word out of thy soule and thou shalt bewaile thy lost estate euerlastingly when thou shalt see that had it not been for thy wealth thou mightest haue been saued Vse 3. Obserue carefully these few rules against these thornes 1. If we must seeke them doe it not for themselues but to stop a gap 2. If we must meddle with them be afraid in touching them as Agur. 3. If we must hold them gripe them not nor clutch them hard for then they wound Thornes slightly held or laid in the open hand are harmelesse 4. Fence we our selues from them with loue of God feare of God loue of his Word and watchfulnesse ouer our corrupt desires 5. If wee bee beset with them let vs warily get out of this thicket and lighten our selues of them by glad and cheerfull imparting them when godly vses offer themselues 6. Let vs of these thornes gather figs by doing good with them and distributing for with such sacrifices God is well pleased Or rather turne them into sweet flowres of which make emplasters to supply the wants of the needy and delight the neighbours with the sweet smell of them We see how riches are chokers Now see how they are deceiuers Doct. The danger of riches is not more in choking goodnesse than in deceiuing and bewitching the heart that addicteth it selfe vnto them And therfore the Prophet calls them deceitfull vanities Psalm 31.6 For indeed they neuer choke till they haue first deceiued vs. This will better appeare by considering 1. Whereof they deceiue vs. 2. Whereby or how I. They are such deceiuers as pilfer not trifles or base things but without grace in the heart the best things we haue and might least spare 1. They deceiue vs of Gods Word this is in the Text and was proued before So in Ier. 2.31 O generation take heed to the Word of the Lord but the people say We are Lords we will come no more to thee And Chap. 22.21 I spake vnto thee when thou wast in prosperity but thou saidst I will not heare And in the Parable Math. 22.5 the Farme and the Oxen and Merchandise made the ghests make light of the inuitation to the Kings supper And is it a small thing to be robbed of this heauenly wisedome to which no treasure is comparable Prou. 3.14 which is more precious than all Pearles and all thou canst desire is not to be compared to her Yet prosperity makes men grow first lazy then lothers of the wisedome of God 2. Riches deceiue vs of our Religion 1. To erre from the faith 1. Tim. 6.10 2. To forget God Deut. 8.10 Beware when thou art full lest thou forget the Lord thy God Hos. 13.6 As in their pastures so were they filled and their heart was exalted therefore haue they forgotten me 3. To forsake God Deut. 32.15 He that should haue been vpright when he waxed fat spurned with his heele Thou art fat thou art grosse therefore he forsooke God that made him 4. They easily vnfit men for the seruice of God Heere many doe fondly delude themselues saying in their hearts Thus much wealth I will attaine vnto and when I haue done that I will addict my selfe to the seruice of God For commonly the effect of affluence and abundance is to say with Pharaoh Who is the Lord As in Ierem. 5.7 When I fed them to the full they rose vp like fed horses euery one neighed after his neighbours wife and committed most brutish sinnes 3. Riches deceiue vs of our hearts as great a deceit as any of the former while they draw our trust loue ioy and principall affections from God to them The rich man Luk. 12.16 is not charged that he got his goods wickedly but of trusting in them and putting too much hope in them Whence the charge is If riches increase set not your hearts vpon them Psalm 62.10 And thus with our hearts they deceiue vs of our time our labour our thoughts and indeuours all which they engrosse from God and from our selues 4. Riches deceiue vs of sound iudgement in three respects 1. In regard of themselues to thinke of them better than they bee yea to thinke basely of grace and the things of heauen in respect of the profits of this life This was a brand of profanenesse in Esau Gen. 25.32 What is this birth-right in comparison of the pottage So of all profane men who despise the blessing for the backe and belly and things of this present life and set more by an Oxe or two than by the Kings Supper A generall disease of most men esteeming riches the greatest blessing that is to be attained on earth and finding the sweetest contentment in them 2. In regard of our selues and our owne estate They commonly make a man thinke himselfe better than he is Hee can perswade himselfe he is highly in Gods fauour because hee is rich and hold himselfe contented with a false felicity which hinders him from seeking to better his estate Whereas not being of themselues good in their nature they cannot make him better that hath them and Salomon tels vs that these outward things befall alike to all Eccles. 9.2 How many delude themselues while they say If I were not a good man God would not blesse my labours so blessing themselues in their riches And many thinke they haue receiued their wealth of God and thanke God for all when God gaue them little or none of them but a great part of it is the diuels wages or the worlds wages for some seruice of iniquity And were not his iudgement blinded hee could not looke on his wealth but withall on his sinne and wretchednesse in getting and holding it and so indeed esteeme himselfe so much the worse by his wealth as he is indeed but not any whit the better 3. In regard of others they deceiue vs of true iudgement and discerning They make vs thinke such as inioy most wealth to be the happyest men and they most miserable that most want it Whereas wee cannot giue instance of more
happy men than those that wanted it as Lazarus an happy Saint which wanted crums and the Apostles happy men when they said Siluer and gold haue we none and none more miserable than they that had most of them as Nimrod Ismael Esau Saul Ahab Baltazer Herod And the greatest at this day against the Church The Turke and the Pope with their adherents haue the greatest part of the world in their possession And surely if these things made men most happy God would not cast them so liberally on the worst men For wise men giue to swine but draffe and swill and huskes but prouide better for their children and seruants 5. Riches deceiue vs of our saluation according to that of Salomon Prou. 10.16 The reuenues of the wicked tend vnto sinne 1. While our corruptions make them snares to take and hold vs in manifold lusts To transgresse for a morsell of bread Prou. 28.21 To become instruments of cruelty pride iniustice security licentiousnesse couering sinne with money To catch at shadowes and lose the things of the life to come as our Sauiour implies in that speech What shall it profit a man to win the whole world and lose his owne soule Lastly while they take vp the heart so as the Word shall bee no further taken in than shall serue for their commodities 2. While they rob vs of many graces they must needs also rob vs of glory as 1. Of faith they make men say to the wedge of gold Thou art my hope the staffe of my life and the stay of my posterity 2. Of humility before wealth came they were humble meeke and gentle now they are proud disdainfull scornfull 3. Of zeale wealth in many hath beene as cold water to quench their zeale who formerly were most carefull and forward 4. Of patience they make the minde soft delicate effeminate that it cannot constantly beare any thing for Gods cause 5. Of faithfull expecting Christs comming to Iudgement they make the remembrance of death terrible and bitter 6. Of perseuerance Demas will forsake the truth rather than his wealth And most Apostates haue been rich men II. The other generall poynt proposed is Whereby or wherein riches without grace doe thus euery way deceiue vs. And that is by false promises and false performances 1. They promise contentment and saciety but performe nothing but vexation and discontent As a man hauing the Dropsie drinkes still but is not satisfied by drinking but the more he drinkes the more he thirsts so the worldly minde the more superfluity the lesse saciety And needs must that desire be infinite which is not satiate with God who onely is infinite thinking none in worse estate than himselfe if any bee better The heart is larger than the barnes or chests 2. They promise peace and security which indeed they neuer bring nor allow him that doth not proclaime warre against them For they lay men open to all Satans snares 1. Tim. 6.9 and to all the violence of men make them obnoxious to malice enuy and theeuery and as his largenesse and thicknesse of boughes makes euery one desire to lop him so oftentimes hee falls downe by his owne waight whereas without his wealth hee might haue stood longer 2. King 25.5 The wealthinesse and statelinesse of Ierusalem did but toll on Nebuchadnezzar to spoyle it and when it was taken the King and the rich men were led away captiue but the poore were left in the Land and liued better than euer Abundance of wealth proues oftentimes but an halter or a weapon of death for the owner 3. They promise freedome and liberty but make men drudges to the world and slaues to wealth yea to sinne and Satan for wealth 4. They promise fitnesse and forwardnesse to doe good that they will fit a man to duties of piety and charity Many say If they had wherewithall they would relieue the poore maintaine the Ministery and doe more good with their goods than they see others doe But as the Mountaines in the bowels of which is most gold or siluer are most barren So they that abound in wealth for most part are most fruitlesse and vnprofitable in respect of fruits of grace or charity 5. They promise good wages for faithfull seruice of the world but deceiue many with false wages They pay Achan for his seruice with losse of his Wedge and life Gehezi in stead of wealth for his lye is paid with a Leprosie that stucke to him and his posterity for euer Saul with losse of all for sauing a few beasts against Gods Commandement Ahab in stead of accesse to his Kingdome for a small plat of Naboths lost the whole Kingdome 6. They promise continuance but are vncertaine riches 1. Tim. 6.17 and haue wings to fly away when a man hath most need of comfort Men thinke they haue got a Fee-simple and made sure for perpetuity but it is but a mouable thou must leaue it where thou gotst it No man can assure himselfe to hold his wealth till night though the foole thinkes he layes vp for many yeeres One sparke of fire may suddenly ouermaster a mans whole substance One vnaduised word or action may confiscate his whole estate and of an happy man in his owne eyes make him a begger a prisoner without hold of wealth or life Prou. 23.5 Wilt thou cast thine eyes vpon wealth which is nothing for riches taketh her to her wings and flyeth away What are these wings of wealth Answ. Rust moth theeues vsurers fire sword oppressors Lawyers sicknesse and death Other Eagles haue but two wings this hath an hundred And oftentimes it goes into the hand of strangers yea very enemies as a lost Hawke hauing lost his Master is taken vp by them whom he thought not of Iob 27.17 Hee may prepare it but the iust shall put it on and the innocent shall diuide the siluer Thus let a man serue an hard Apprentiship to the world he shall be deceiued in his wages as Iacob by Laban and being deceiued of his expectation must content himselfe in stead of faire Rachel with Leah for his labour Vse That riches may not deceiue vs of so precious things with so faire promises consider these Rules First esteeme them as they are and as God and his Word esteemes them and not as the world doth Worldly men put faire titles vpon them as first they call them goods whereas indeed they are nothing lesse to most that enioy them Secondly they call them substance and those that haue them Men of good substance or Substantiall men whereas Gods Word calls them shadowes and the pursuit of them the running after a shadow Psal. 39.6 It calls them vanity Eccles. 1.2 that is not onely subiect to vanity as all creatures be Rom. 8. but make a vaine shew of much good which they doe not performe Hence also are they called lyes and nothing without substance Prou. 23.5 Psal. 62.9 Either take these things on our Fathers
and inordinate in it if I may forbeare and chuse another I must not meddle with that The Apostle Phil. 4.8 will haue vs delight in nothing but that which hath some vertue praise or good report in it This Rule will make choyce of the best recreations of best example best vse and least abused It will chuse the best fashion of apparell of the most sober and graue of our ranke and shun such as haue the note of lightnesse curiosity vaine affectation new-fanglednesse and fashioning to the times But how many cast off all consideration of aduised circumstances out of which the inioying of lawfull pleasure is most vnlawfull As for example Suppose some kinde of Stage-playes were lawfull were it not vnlawfull to play in a Church Suppose dicing and carding were as lawfull as most men would haue them must therefore Ministers bee gamesters women dicers children and seruants passe away their time in such games Nay because eating drinking and sundry games as bowling shooting be lawfull must I therefore or may I doe these in all companies May I sort my selfe with swearers ruffians riotous persons without respect of company were not this to ensnare my selfe and offend others Yes For fit circumstances are the grace or disgrace of most lawfull pleasures 3. For the kinde Make first choyce of the best kind of pleasures First because it is a note of a good man to desire to reioyce with the ioy of Gods people Psal. 106.5 Secondly as the godly are different from the world in all their courses so also in their pleasures now the worldlings chiefe pleasure is when his corne and wine and oyle is increased Psalm 4.7 Thirdly this kind of pleasures will make vs not merrier onely but better both in body and minde Quest. Wherein stands the ioy of Gods people Answ. 1. In the Lord himselfe Psal. 37.4 Delight thy selfe in the Lord. Phil. 4.4 Reioyce in the Lord alwayes and againe I say Reioyce And why For first a man hereby returnes to his true pleasure againe When man forsooke God true pleasure forsooke man and when men chiefly delight in God they goe backe againe to the chiefe Good and pleasure Secondly why doe wee loue or delight in any outward thing but because of the beauty and pleasantnesse of it But can there be so much beauty or pleasantnesse in the creatures as in the Creator Thirdly what a shame is it for Christians not to bee able or willing to find so much ioy and delight in the Lord as wicked men doe in forced merriments Fourthly is not that the perfect ioy which ariseth out of the presence of that which is most perfect and shall be most perfect in heauen because of the immediate fruition of him who is most perfect Fifthly is not this the next way to perpetuate our ioy and pleasure to set it on him who is euerlasting and indeficient Besides all this we all know that the true pleasure of a Christian is 1. For the present in the fauour of God reconciled by Christ onely by his atonement the soule is at sweet peace and repose in his loue as the child in his fathers armes Rom. 5.11 2. For time to come in his mercy and saluation Psal. 9.2 and 13.5 3. In his presence when hee shall bee a Sunne vnto him to refresh and reuiue him Psal. 84.11 2. In Iesus Christ Phil. 3.3 Wee worship God in the spirit and reioyce in Iesus Christ. The wise Merchant takes more pleasure in the Pearle than all his substance beside Paul accounts all things losse and dung in comparison of him The blessed Virgin reioyced in God her Sauiour and Zacheus receiued him ioyfully How can the faithfull soule being the chaste Spouse of Iesus Christ delight in anâ—â—hing in the world aboue or comparable to her so sweet Head and deare Husband If we as chaste Virgins conceiue Christ in our hearts and claspe him with the armes of faith as Zachary here is cause of sound ioy and true pleasure indeed Take delight in his Natiuity but especially in thy natiuity by him 3. In the testimony and graces of the Spirit First in the testimony of the Spirit that our names are written in the Booke of life in this reioyce Luk. 10.20 This ioy in the holy Ghost is vnspeakable and glorious 1. Pet. 1.8 He is the great Comforter of his Church an euerlasting Spring of ioy and pleasure which no wicked man euer tasted of Ioh. 14.16 Secondly the graces of the Spirit are full of delight faith hath a speciall pleasure called The ioy of faith Phil. 1.25 Euen temporary faith hath great ioy much more iustifying faith Hope also hath his pleasure euen the expectation of pleasure at Gods right hand for euermore Rom. 12.12 Reioyce in hope What a sweet pleasure is it in the spring to see our seeds and plants grow and come vp in our gardens How much more pleasant is it to see the buds of the Lord grow in our hearts to the vn-rooting and ouer-mastering of the weeds of sinne Sweet is the contentment of grace but the comforts of Gods Spirit bedewing the foule in the thirst of it is like a shadow in a great drought 4. In the Word and Ordinances of God Ps. 112.1 Fearers of God haue great delight in his Commandements The Gospell is a deepe Well of precious promises and the Spirit worketh consolation by the Scripturâ—â— Rom. 15.4 There is the ioyfull tidings of saluation there the doctrine of free Remission of sinnes and Redemption by Iesus Christ is proclaimed there are the pleasures of Gods House and the Word which is food for Gods children Cloath an infant with gold and pearles and make it heire of the whole world yet nothing pleaseth it but the brest-milke so heere In the Word also are described the wayes of wisedome which are wayes of pleasure Prou. 3.17 and all thou canst desire is not to be compared to her 5. In the testimony of a good conscience that they walke in simplicity and godly purenesse and not in fleshly wisedome 2. Cor. 1.12 and haue not willingly moyled their conscience in lusts and pleasures but haue cherished the lust of the Spirit against the lusts of the flesh 6. In the communion of Saints to enioy their fellowship being present and reioyce to heare of their well-fare being absent To reioyce in the prosperity of the Church as Iethro when hee heard of all the good that God had done for Israel Exod. 18.9 Yea to preferre Ierusalem before our chiefe ioy Psal. 137.5 6. when the Gospell runnes with free passage 7. In Euangelicall obedience both in action and passion for the Gospell First serue God with cheerefulnesse Deut. 28.47 as Christs meate and drinke was to doe the will of his Father in this he reioyced Psalm 40.8 Secondly reioyce euen in afflictions for the Gospell and for the Name of Christ as wherein is greater pleasure then in the honour and greatest pleasures of the world Gal. 6.14 God forbid
preaching of the Gospell sounding in the eare The latter a drawing of the Elect vnto true faith by the mighty worke of Gods Spirit in the heart That brings men to knowledge profession externall reformation at farthest without inward change and renewing of the heart This inlightneth the minde distinctly to know the doctrine of saluation as it is laid downe in the Scripture and boweth the will to imbrace it readily ioyfully constantly and to beginne to obey it vnfainedly Now as there is some good ground we are in the next place to inquire what it is or how it may bee knowne And this ground is called here a good and honest heart Vsing a double Epithite either by way of exposition shewing that by a good heart he meaneth an honest heart or by way of collection noting a double grace both of inward purity and of externall fruits and reformation I. It is called a good heart in two respects 1. As emptied of bad qualities 2. As well qualified by grace 1. It is emptied of bad qualities being cleane contrary to all the bad disposition of the three former kindes of ground For the first ground neglected the seed and suffered birds to picke it vp but this keepes the seed The second receiued the seed but the Sunne withered the fruite that it continued not but this brings fruit with patience saith our text The third brings fruit but among thornes and so is choaked but this seed is cast in good ground freed from such choak-weeds and lusts So as being contrary to all the other it receiues willingly retaines constantly and perseueres fruitfully vnto the end 2. It is well qualified by grace as in our text 1. God hath made it of a cursed and barren earth good ground 2. It heares the Word beyond the other the former heard it but without desire this heares with study to learne and industry to vnderstand 3. It keepeth the Word in memory minde and practice the other heard but kept nothing because there was no fit place to keepe it in 4. It brings fruit in the other was some care to heare but here is a care of fruitfulnesse 5. It is carefull to proceed in grace to double and increase the measure of fruits from thirty to sixty and so to an hundreth fold but the other soone fall from their measure 6. It hath obtained by grace an inuincible fortitude against temptations and trials so as no feares or forces shall remooue them from the study of piety and fruits of grace for they bring forth fruits with patience as the other did not II. So also it is called an honest heart As good is a generall word excluding euill qualities and including good so honest also is a generall word and put for the whole approoued disposition of the soule containing both ciuill and religious honesty Ciuill honesty is inioyned Rom. 12.17 Prouiding things honest before all men that is in such grauity sobriety equity and comelinesse as may beseeme your persons auoyding lightnesse in speech and talke in deeds and actions in apparell and gesture in gate and behauiour For euen ciuill honesty is more than to be honest of a mans body euen to minde things honest and comely in the whole course and to walke in all things gracefully and seemely Phil. 4.8 It fights therefore against ciuill honesty and seemlinesse to see a Magistrate running after playes and gamballes like boyes a Minister carowsing and quaffing among boone companions an ancient man garish and light in attyre and youthfull fashions an ancient woman tricking her selfe and trimming like a wanton girle a young man frequenting Tauerns Innes and Ale-houses or lasciuious with the other sexe a young woman full of talke much in the streets or familiar with others than of her owne sexe But that is ciuill honesty when men in their places carry themselues before men as may winne reuerence and grace to their persons And yet that is the least part of the honesty heere meant There is further a religious honesty of the heart namely the inward purity integrity simplicity and sincerity of the heart when it is plaine and single as Nathanael A true Israelite in whom was no guile It is knowne by opposition to hypocrisie or guile it makes not a shew of goodnesse nourishing sinne within And it labours to produce things honest not before men onely but also before God 2. Cor. 8.21 From this ranke of honest-hearted persons are excluded 1. Debosht persons who hauing shaken off the feare of God and shame of men care not for but cast off all honesty both before God and men as the vniust Iudge Luk. 18.3 2. Ciuill honest men who walke honestly before men but care not for honesty of heart before God 3. Hypocrites who will seeme to be honest-hearted before God but neglect honest equall and approued carriage before men Doctr. The Lord esteemes the goodnesse of an Hearer by the goodnesse and honesty of his heart And this is the difference of a sound and elect Hearer from the reprobate and fruitlesse that the Word makes the heart of the one honest and faire and so keepes it but the other abideth stubborne and deceitfull still Dauid is commended in Scripture for a man after Gods owne heart because he hid the Word in a good heart Psalm 119.11 And Iosiah because his heart melted at the reading of the Law and Mary because she pondered things in her heart Reasons 1. As in all other parts of Gods worship so in this the Commandement calls for such an heart Prayer must proceed from this good and honest heart Psalm 119.10 With my whole heart haue I sought thee Praise must proceed from it Psal. 86.12 I will praise thee with my whole heart Repentance must be a turning with the whole heart Ierem. 24.7 They shall turne to me with their whole heart In a word all duties performed to God or man in the Ministery and seruile subiection must bee done heartily Phil. 1.8 Col. 3.23 2. Both the promise of acceptance and acceptance it selfe is with this condition The promise is in Ier. 29.13 Ye shall seeke me and finde me because yee shall seeke me with all your heart And of Iudah in the time of Asa it is said that they had sworne to the Lord with all their heart and sought him with the whole desire and the Lord was found of them 2. Chron. 15.15 Acceptance also and approbation from God is when the heart is single entire and true in good duties and the intents of them not reaching after priuate ends nor cunning in the secret carriage and contriuing of sinne or hollownesse Hee cannot abide a double heart a varying and a deceitfull heart nor a heart diuided betweene himselfe and the world that rests satisfied with the deed done but cares not whether it proceed from soundnesse or no. One property of sinners hatefull to God in their pretences is that they are double-minded and Ezek. 33.33 The Lord scornes
is to please God nor to please man by doing any euill nor by leauing vndone any good it is bound to by the calling it will not be afraid to depart from any good purpose or practice for mens displeasure Againe it can set it selfe naked before Gods presence to whom it desires to stand it desires liuing and dying to be acceptable vnto him 2. Cor. 5.9 A true Israelite hath praise enough to bee praised of God and to be a Iew within and can more satisfie it selfe with Gods allowance than a thousand witnesses Further it dares appeale to God and flie to his Tribunall when men accuse it as Dauid Iudge me according to mine innocency and Moses when Israel would not heare turned to the Lord saying I haue not taken so much as an Asse from them nor hurt any of them Numb 16.15 Lastly if men will condemne him timerously vnheard vnconuinced if all his wary carriage cannot obtaine a right iudgement and sentence then out of sence of innocency and goodnesse of conscience hee can contemne such vniust iudgement and fearelesly expect the Iudgement of God who will make his innocency shine as the light as Dauid against his scoffing and slaunderous Michol 2. Sam. 6.22 It was before the Lord and Paul against the carnall Corinthians 1. Cor. 4.3 I care little to be iudged of any man A good heart cares not for mans allowance if God allow him This is comfort for the seruants of God whether publike or priuate that the testimony of their conscience makes them care no more for the obloquie of profane men than the barking of dogges A little they may be moued sometimes more than needs but much they care not But an euill heart cannot abide the presence of God but flies as Adam and sets him out of sight It dreades the Iudgement of God and trembles like Felix It lookes asquint and dares not stand in a good cause for feare of men as Ioh. 12.43 Many beleeued but durst not confesse for they loued the praise of men And if it cannot be approued of God it is content with Saul to be honoured before the people Fourthly a good heart resteth and reioyceth in God as in the best and onely portion Psalm 73.25 Whom haue I in Heauen but thee or whom in Earth in comparison of thee It holds all other things as moouables vsing them as not vsing them and is onely comfortable that it wants not him in whom is no want It knowes the Lord hath designed his portion and maintaines him out of his owne fulnesse as out of his portion both for his spirituall and temporall estate Hence his ioy in his presence is the greatest and so is his sorrow in his absence stepping aside and clouding his presence now the good heart mournes after him and thirsts for his presence as the Hart for water And as the losse of the whole world is nothing to this so the whole world cannot make it vp nothing but God himselfe satisfieth it And seeing God hath made himselfe his portion he is carefull to make himselfe Gods portion by entring couenant with him as the Israelites Deut. 32.10 But an euill heart affects God in his gifts more than himselfe Professing him the best Benefactor and thanking him for all indeed it mindeth earthly things And his portion is in this life or else hath none Fifthly a good heart aymes at the glory of God in all things In all his parts 1. Corinth 6.20 in his body because it is his and in his spirit because he is a Spirit In all his actions whether naturall as eating drinking 1. Cor. 10.31 or spirituall the parts of his worship He will cleaue to the Word to know and obey it in prayer giues him the glory of hearing and so in confession Iosh. 7.19 and in praises Psalm 50.23 and in beleeuing Rom. 4.20 and a reuerent vse of his Name and Sabbath Yea he will glorifie God what-euer it cost him nothing is so deare to him as to lay it in the scoales with Gods glory And if there be an opportunity he will shew it euen in difficult commandements as Abraham and dangerous as Daniel and costly as Zacheus Whereas an euill heart maketh shewes of glorifying God in spirituall actions but not in naturall or in his actions not in spirit neither God nor his Word get any of his thoughts As for duties of difficulty danger or cost it casts them quite off as Saul and the young man Thus a good heart behaues it selfe toward God II. In respect of Christ it hath fiue other excellent qualities First it preferreth Christ before a thousand worlds All other things all aduantages whatsoeuer are but losse and dung in comparison of Christ Phil. 3.8 The Church esteemes her Welbeloued the chiefe of ten thousand Cant. 5.10 Why what seeth she in Christ aboue other what is thy Well-beloued aboue other well-beloueds Answ. She seeth in him such purity of nature such power of merit such perfection of loue such freedome in promises and such truth in performances as nothing in the World can so affect her Shee seeth him euery way more beautifull then the sonnes of men Psalm 45.3 therefore she sels all for the Pearle as the Disciples left all to follow Christ. But can an euill heart espy such beauty in Christ or can it thus affect him Is not a Pigge better to a Gadaren or a messe of pottage to a profane Esau Who almost preferres not the riches of the world aboue the riches of Christ Nay Christ and his profession are generally esteemed the greatest losse Secondly a good heart reioyceth more in Christ and his loue than in all worldly ioyes Cant. 1.3 We will reioyce and be glad in thee thy loue is better than wine And Dauid will make the Lord his song all the day long Quest. Why what cause of ioy is there in Christ Answ. 1. A good heart seeth in Christ a full redemption from wrath and pardon of sinne therefore reioyceth in God his Sauiour as Mary Luk. 1.46 Esa. 61.10 I will greatly reioyce in the Lord saith the Church for he hath clothed me with garments of saluation 2. It seeth in Christ Gods fauour returned a new couenant and league of friendship made with God himselfe of an heire of wrath made an adopted sonne an heire of God and co-heire with Iesus Christ. 3. It seeth by Christ the Spirit put into his soule sealing vp Gods loue chasing away ignorāce being the Spirit of light working faith and kindling the prayer of faith sending it boldly to the Throne of grace and making it cry Abba Father with assurance that we can but aske and haue and that we are not so ready to knocke as he to open It feeles the vertue of Christs death killing corruptiō and perfecting his sanctification 4. It sees in Christ a blessed future estate of glory prepared for it selfe in which he shall behold the face of God in Heauen and
without which nothing can please God Heb. 11.6 No action speech almes prayer hearing preaching all without it is defiled and sinne and the labour lost 4. Faith is the comfort and strength of Christian life no loue no ioy in Christ before he bee beleeued and apprehended 1. Pet. 1.8 No hope for hereafter if faith beleeueth not no peace with God till wee bee iustified by faith Rom. 5.1 No boldnesse in prayer till by faith wee can call God Father no strength in tentation no ioy in affliction no comfort in death till faith haue gotten Christ his victory his strength his life then the bands of tentations afflictions and deadly things dismay him not 5. Faith opens heauen and makes way to see things within the Vayle to obtaine by the prayer of faith the wealth of heauen yea and the glory of heauen for the end of faith is saluation Whereas an vnbeleeuer shuts heauen against himselfe Reuel 21.8 Without shall bee vnbeleeuers If weaknesse of faith shut Moses out of earthly Canaan much more must want of faith shut men out of heauenly Canaan Therefore a good heart labours for soundnesse of faith and the rather because much faith is counterfeit and many things are taken for it and there is no better argument of a good heart than to cast out deceit from faith lest it be mistaken in so great a commodity 1. It hungers and thirsts after righteousnes aboue all things in the world sighes and grones vnder his â—owne wants feeles a want of Christ who onely can giue a perfect righteousnesse couer his imperfect 2. It is in some measure satisfied according to the promise For clasping fast the promises it comes to a true perswasion of Gods fatherly affection beleeues the remission of sinnes and comes confidently into his presence as a father appeased as the poore Prodigall Luk. 15.18 comes to his father with shame in his face and sorrow in his soule for sinne but yet with confidence in his heart that hee should not bee cast off and so was satisfied aboue his desire he would haue been but as a seruant but lo he is accepted as a sonne 3. This good heart not only beleeues the Word but rests on it to bee happy as the onely good tydings and most thankfully accepting the promises bindes it selfe as fast to God in duty as God hath bound himselfe to it in mercy 4. It will haue a faith to liue by such as shall bring in a new life into the whole man For faith being an instrument to vnite vs vnto Christ by it as by the bond of our vnion we receiue life and motion from Christ that now the heart is purified the conscience pacified the spirit of our minde renewed the will changed the affections altered the whole man moued and quickened to all good duties So in all occasions it will expresse the life of faith which shall now gouerne the whole life First in our labour and actions it makes vs diligent in the worke but leaue the successe to God Secondly in suffering for well-doing it vpholds it selfe with a patient expectance of a good issue and waiting the Lords leisure makes not haste Thirdly in prosperity and the middest oâ— blessings it vseth them with blessing but swells not by them trusts not in them but furthers his reckoning Fourthly in aduersity and temporall wants it saith with Abraham God will prouide it will vse no vnlawfull courses to helpe it selfe and lookes more for the staffe of bread than bread it selfe Fifthly in tentation it will rest on the naked promise it will goe against sence and feeling and apprehending nothing but wrath will reare vp it selfe to trust in Gods mercy Iob will trust still if the Lord should kill him Thus in euery thing the good heart may say I liue not now but Christ liueth in me Galat. 2.20 5. As euery life must bee maintained in naturall things so also must this life of faith Therefore a good heart will bee very diligent in the meanes of preseruing and increasing faith It will bee much in hearing the Word by which it is begotten and fed much in meditation and conference by which it is excited stirred vp much in prayer Lord I beleeue helpe my vnbeliefe and as the Disciples Luk. 17.5 Lord increase our faith 6. It desires to come to the end of it and wisheth for the comming of Christ Reuel 22.17 The Spouse saith Come It waites for the hope of the glory of God Rom. 5.2 But an euill heart cares not for this faith vnfained 1. It contents it selfe with a name and supposition of faith not the thing or rests on knowledge hope or presumption of Gods mercy in stead of faith 2. It prizeth not remission of sinnes at a due rate thinkes it selfe neuer the richer for it holds it impossible to get assurance of it so neuer attempts it nay it sees the want of euery thing but faith 3. It cannot bee brought to labour seriously in the application of Christs merits and righteousnesse thinkes not application to be of the nature of faith or onely applies it for saluation not sanctification or change of the heart and life 4. It can talke of faith not liue by it cannot beleeue for lesser things as meate and drink but vseth vnwarrantable meanes much lesse for greater higher things caÌ„ thank God for prosperity but makes too much haste in aduersity 5. It dares make no profession of faith for feare of men like Nicodemus will doe nothing nor suffer nothing for Christ because it is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there is no substance in it 6. It can boast of sound faith with the best but it was neuer begot by the Word nor founded in repentance nor cherished with the meanes nor conflicted with sence of vnbeliefe nor workes any change nor cares for any but feares to come to the end of it it loues not the Lords appearance c. Therefore all this is a fancy not faith a dead carcase not the body of sauing faith by which the good heart liueth The fourth spirituall grace which is a marke of a good heart is sound pacification or peace in the holy Ghost 1. with God 2. with it selfe 3. with others 1. Peace with God is next to iustification by faith Rom. 5.1 And this is first through absolution that is sence of remission of sinnes for sinne onely breeds enmity and separation from God who is neuer pacified till sinne be forgiuen and then they can walke friendly together Secondly through acceptation by meanes of Christ apprehended the Prince of our peace and our Peace-maker Esa. 9.6 Ephes. 2.21 Now a good heart knowing that all happinesse stands in peace with God in whose fauour is life and that the wrath of this King is the messenger of death and what an vncomfortable thing it is for a Tenant at will to liue in the displeasure of his Landlord is most carefull to make vp his
peace with God and onely is at rest in the signes and meanes of his reconciliation 2. It hath tranquillity and peace of conscience through sence of sinne not pardoned onely but healed in some measure This peace of conscience is the next thing to heauen and a very heauen vpon earth not when the conscience excuseth that a man hath not sinned but that his sinne being pardoned hee may goe and sinne no more 3. It hath peace with all men so farre as is possible with good men because of Gods Image and with euill because of his Commandement Obiect How can this bee seeing none are more conflicted with inward terrours and tentations or outward crosses and enemies Answ. This is true yet 1. In the world they may haue affliction in Christ peace their felicity is in Christ the Prince and procurer of it Psal. 25.13 Their soule shall dwell at ease if not their bodies 2. This peace is begun but yet imperfect as all graces bee the minde and will subdued to Gods minde and will but in part the flesh subdued to the mind and spirit but in part it can delight inwardly in the Law but seeth another law in his members rebelling against the law of his minde the Image of God we see but in part and cannot loue perfectly 3. This peace may be disturbed and interrupted for a time but the heart is then supported by patience vnder the crosse to the recouery of his peace 4. This peace cannot be abolished but perfected by troubles Your peace saith Christ shall none take from you Marke and consider the good man Psalm 37.37 the end of that man is peace A tree the more it is shaken with windes the better it is settled and rooted and so the trees of righteousnesse Now this peace is the portion onely of the Israel of God To these Christ had promised it namely the refreshing of soules Math. 11.28 To these he hath left it Ioh. 14.27 My peace I leaue with you But there is no peace to a wicked man saith the Lord. 1. None with God but onely a truce He dares liue in a state of enmity with God and bee still out in armes against him as a profest enemie Hee neither feeles nor feares sinne which is not peace but senslesnesse God in heauen proclaimeth peace he refuseth the conditions 2. None with himselfe but sometimes he is a terrour to himselfe that it is death to him to liue in such an estate witnesse Cain or Iudas Or if he be quiet and without accusation yet is hee without comfort which is but a dead sleepe of conscience which shall awake 3. None with others out of a peaceable disposition but being inraged he is fierce and cruell as Lions Esa. 11.6 Or as Ismael whose hand was against euery man and euery mans hand against him Yea he can cry out of Elias as a troubler of peace when it is himselfe and declaime against faction when himselfe is the onely factor The fifth spirituall grace is supplication or the gift of prayer the next to peace is accesse to the Throne of grace Rom. 5.2 For sinne shuts vs out of the presence of God And as Absalom might not come into Dauids presence till atonement was made by Ioab so Iesus Christ hauing made vp our peace with God we being shut out are admitted into presence nay of rebels not onely pardoned but honoured to become the Princes fauorites and familiars nay sons and children Now a good heart knowes 1. That as an Infant new-borne if it cry it is aliue if not it is still-borne so to send out strong cryes to the Throne of grace is a note of Gods Childe and a signe of the new-birth Rom. 8.26 Zech. 12.10 Therefore it comforts it selfe in crying 2. That it is bound by the Morall Law besides the Commandement of Christ and his Apostles to performe continually this part of worship to God namely by the affirmatiue part of the second Commandement which duty euen Adam in innocency free from sinne performed and needed to pray for perseuerance in the grace wherein he stood and else had he not kept the Law But a good heart seeing it selfe seazed on by sinne and the curse of the Law sees much more need in it selfe to performe this duty to the Lord and to it selfe 3. That this grace excellently vpholds the sweet society betweene God and a beleeuing soule For as strangenesse alienates and cooles the affections of friends whereas company and conference kindleth and inflameth them Euen so heerein as Iob saith chap. 22.21 wee acquaint our selues with God and grow into familiarity and fellowship with him He delights in vs while wee acknowledge him a God hearing prayer to whom all flesh must resort And the beleeuing soule hath exceeding comfort in his gracious answeres and supplies who is so ready to heare before we call and esteemes it no small grace that the Lord should not only admit it into his presence but set so easie a condition vpon his promises as for asking we shall obtaine them 4. It knowes that prayer being one of the chiefe Christian sacrifices the Lord will euer returne one token or other of his gracious acceptance For as the Legall sacrifices agreeable to Gods Institution were answered with a speciall signe of Gods approbation of the fire from heauen to consume them So will the Lord some way manifest his delight in these Christian sacrifices which himselfe compares to sweet Incense and Perfume yea to drops of honey dropping from the lips of the Church as from an honey-combe Cant. 4.11 And how can he but returne a comfortable answere on that which is so delightfull vnto him Therefore a good heart is carefull and frequent in this duty But not so much for the doing of it as to doe it well and therefore is carefull 1. for the mouer 2. the matter 3. the manner of his prayers 1. The mouer of prayer is not nature in the godly as it is in the wicked Nature teacheth that what we conceiue to be God is to be prayed vnto and the Heathen could pray to God as a Creator and Gouernour But the mouer in a good heart is the Spirit by which it cryeth Abba Father Rom. 8.15 True prayer is a proper action of the sonnes of God therefore Christ commanded vs in the entrance of prayer to say Our Father And it is the breath of the Spirit of God For he alone can leade vs into the sence of our wants He makes vs see the goodnesse of things that we craue He bends our affections and kindles our sacrifice without whom is no light or heat Let the Spirit remit but a little and the holyest men suppose Peter Iames Iohn shall bee fitter to sleepe than watch or pray in the very houre of tentation Math. 26.38 2. For the matter A good heart moued by the Spirit of supplication is most frequent and earnest 1. For things giuen by God in Christ
in all graces as a child in all parts or a tree in all the branches as 1. In knowledge A childe being ignorant of all things growes first to a confused vnderstanding of things and then to more distinct So the Child of God vtterly ignorant of the things of God comes first to a generall vnderstanding of â—hem and afterward to a more distinct as the blinde man Mark 8.22 hauiâ—g his eyes opened first saw men walke like â—rees and afterâ—ward like themselues so the Beleeuer first sees tâ—e things of God confusedly but after comes to bee more expert in the Word of righteousnesse more resolued in poynts of doctrine more perswaded and settled in sound iudgement and able to walke by distinct and particular direction 2. In faith Rom. 1.17 Righteousnesse is reuealed from faith to faith that which was a graine of Mustard-seed riseth to a tree that faith which is weake and lowe riseth to a talnesse and fulnesse It growes vp from present things to future Psal. 23. vlt. ascends from the meanes to the promise growes to affiance in Christ as well without meanes as with them yea against meanes Rom. 4.18 wherein Abraham was a father of many beleeuing children Iob can trust when God is killing him as our Lord called God his God when he felt himselfe forsaken 3. In loue both of God and men As for God the more sins are found out and forgiuen the more loue abounds Many sinnes were forgiuen her therefore she loued much Luk. 7.47 The weake loue of the Disciples before Christs death afterward proued strong that they who fled from him could dye with him A little sparke of this Diuine loue growes to a great flame and much water cannot quench it nor flouds drowne it it is stronger than death Cant. 8.6 7. It growes to a great diligence in his seruice to great hatred of what hee hates and great liberality for his sake Againe loue of men growes in a good heart and aboundeth more and more 2. Thes. 1.3 It growes from louing of friends to louing of enemies from couering one or two offences to couer a multitude of sins froÌ„ forgiuing small offences to forgiue great offences vpon repentance and that not seuen times but seuenty times seuen times It growes from louing their bodies to louing their soules most dearly and from compassion to the body to mercy toward the soule in helping it out of sin Yea it growes to ouercome euill with goodnesse 4. In patience A child at first can beare but a little burthen so the Child of God but as hee growes stronger he beares more He growes to endure great losses and yet giue glory to God as Iob to beare great and long tentations waiting a good issue to suffer not onely small wrongs but the greatest that euill men can inflict without the least reuenge to endure not only words and scornes and threats and small losses but all kindes of persecution for the Truths sake Math. 5.15 It walkes from strength to strength Psal. 84.7 and growes at last not to thinke much of the fiery triall 1. Pet. 4.12 5. In obedience First in negatiue Commandements It growes in the reformation of former lusts to account the honey-sweet pleasures of sinne as bitter as gall From the hatred of some sinnes it growes not to retaine the loue of any sinne but auoids all that it knowes to be sinne It growes yet further from auoyding euill to auoyd the very appearance of euill and the occasions It growes in the victories against daily sinnes and subdues them as Israel the Canaanites one after another yea and destroyes the body of sinne Rom. 6.5 Nay it growes from dying to sinne to rise out of the graue of sinne and stand vp from the dead Ephes. 5.14 Secondly in affirmatiue Commandements A good heart growes to haue respect to all the Commandements Psalm 119.6 From a small measure to a fulnesse of good workes Act. 9.36 From seruing Mammon to the seruing of God and now doing Gods worke first then the owne Math. 6.33 To doe vprightly not in the land of vprightnesse onely Esa. 26.10 But as Lot euen in Sodom in the Land of wickednesse in discouragements and losses It growes from well-doing to continuance in well-doing and so seeketh glory Rom. 2.7 yea to a resolution not to depart from any thing that the Lord shall command all the dayes of his life Deut. 4.8 9. Lastly it growes from weaknesse and vnskilfulnesse to dexterity and readinesse in the practice of all duties and vertues to the Masters best aduantage as one expert in the trade of godlinesse 6. In heauenly-mindednesse many wayes First a good heart growes daily more sundred and diuorced from the world from eager affecting and pursuing to neglect and contemne the things of it now can buy as not possessing and vse the world as not vsing it 1. Cor. 7.30 And it growes to seeke first the Kingdome of God and then other things yea from desires of the world to desire deliuerance from it Secondly it growes from seeking honour among men to seeke the honour from aboue Ioh. 5.44 and to loue the praise of God more than of men chap. 12.43 Thirdly from speaking of things below to speake of things aboue 1. Ioh. 4.5 Now according to the abundance of a new heart they speake with new tongues in a new language of heauenly Canaan as Christ after his resurrection spake of things belonging to the Kingdome of God Act. 1.3 Fourthly from earthly wisedome to heauenly he was wise in his trade or in a good bargaine now hee growes wise in the matters of God and his Religion a wise Merchant who will purchase the best commodity Hee growes also in wisedome to discerne the season of grace and day of saluation Fifthly from seeking Gods fauour to seeke his presence Psa. 27.8 My heart said I will seeke thy face It is now of the generation of them that seeke the face of God Psalm 24.6 Lastly from seeking his presence in grace to seeke his presence in glory desiring preparing and praying for the appearance of Christ The Bride saith Come and the title of Beleeuers is They loue the appearing of Christ. Thus is a good heart neuer weary of increasing the stocke of grace no more than worldlings of gathering wealth and is carefull to grow from knowledge to affection from affection to action from action to profession from profession to zeale and in all is still heauenly couetous An euill heart may make a little shew but growes not like a body in an Atrophy feedes and eates but prospers not is in a consumption still For 1. it is vnsettled and vngrounded not rooted or stablished in the faith but as children carried away with euery toy so these with euery waue or winde of doctrine any seducer or libertine teacher may take away his Crowne A very easie thing to make him esteeme the Doctrine of godlinesse and the practice of it but
singularity and precisenesse and make him stagger betweene Popery and true Religion yea to possesse him with a wicked opinion and conceit that Popery is better 2. As a good hart to grow growes in the powerfull vse of the meanes of saluation knowing that hee who must retaine strength must eate daily so the euill heart neglects the meanes of grace and growth A good hart the more it growes the more it is humble but this growes proud of what he knowes and is soone at a stand not needing more Whence else are such speeches as these What need all this preaching so many Sermons so much knowledge From pride it growes to idlenesse in the vse of good meanes and shall assoone grow rich in grace as an idle fellow that casts vp his Calling and makes euery day holy-day shall grow rich in the world 3. It growes downward and goes backward it easily slides backe from degrees of grace it had receiued and from such practices it had begun and entred on first because it professed without sincerity for bad and by-ends secondly because all his motions were not from the Spirit but vanishing from the flesh his righteousnesse as the morning dew soone drawne vp his resolutions but starts and fits and in good moods thirdly because of the loue of ease of the world of the fauour of men and lothnesse to be at so much paines or losse as the power of Religion calls for any of these makes them soone cast vp all as Demas and setting hand to the Plough soone to looke backe How many by examination may finde they are farre worse than many yeeres since lesse heauenly-minded seldomer in prayer or reading lesse watchfull against sinne lesse mindfull of redeeming their time more worldly scandalous vnprofitable If euer any thing had been sound in this heart it would haue been sweeter to them than to haue gone from it so carelesly Oh repent and doe the first workes and let thy workes be more at last 4. An euill heart growes now apace and to a kind of fulnesse and perfection namely to be as full of vnrighteousnesse as the Gentiles Rom. 1.19 as full of wicked lusts as that poore man was full of Leprosie that came to Christ Luk. 5.12 As the good heart growes in all kindes of graces so this in all kinds of wickednesse for an euill heart cannot but grow from euill to worse Especially it growes full of guile and deceit as Elymas full of subtilty and mischiefe Act. 13.10 thus Satan filled Ananias his heart with hypocrisie a shew without but nothing else within So also it growes full of malice and wrath in hearing the Word come against his sinnes Act. 19.28 the Ephesians against Paul were full of wrath and rage whereas a good heart will say Let the righteous smite me it shall be a benefit Psalm 141.4 Lastly it growes full of enuie and indignation that any should grow neere it and full of nips and scornes against godly Preachers Haue these the marke of the Spirit in spirituall growth that cannot abide the growth of grace in any other or rather the brand of that wicked spirit who lyes in waite till the woman be deliuered to kill her childe Reuel 12.4 IV. A good and honest heart lookes to the Ordinances of God and so hath many excellent qualities In two generall respects 1. In respect of Christian Religion it selfe 2. In respect of the meanes by which it is vpheld and these are three 1. The Word and Sacraments 2. The Sabbaths and Assemblies 3. The Pastors and Ministers 1. For Christian Religion it selfe because it knowes there is but one hope of happinesse and one way to attaine that hope and as there is but one God so but one faith one true Religion by which it can truly know God and rightly worship that God it rightly knowes and so in the way of his worship come to communion with him therefore it is very carefull to make choyce of the true Christian Religion and therefore takes not a Religion hand ouer head but examines it in all the foure Causes and in the Effects 1. The Efficient or Author it knowes true Religion is not the constitution of any earthly power nor the birth and issue of Parents to posterity but is the daughter of God seeing hee onely can make knowne his owne will hee onely can prescribe his owne worship and command or forbid what is pleasing or displeasing to him And therefore if it depend vpon him for all that pertaineth to life much more for all that pertaines to godlinesse 2. Pet. 1.4 It will not take a Religion on the word of any man any Church any Councell or any Pope nor any Angell Gal. 1.8 but on the Word of God onely 2. The Matter of it being from God must bee Diuine contained in the holy Scriptures by which alone we come to the true knowledge and seruice of the true God It will not hold for matters of Religion vnwritten traditions nor precepts of men nor constitutions of Fathers or Churches not grounded in the Word As the Scriptures forbid all addition or detraction from themselues so a good heart holds them accursed that for Doctrines of God shall obtrude precepts of men 3. The Forme of true Religion is conformitie with Gods reuealed will in all things as the forme of the Tabernacle was the conformity with the patterne giuen to Moses in the Mount from which he might not depart no not to a pin It will not chuse a Religion that layes out of sight that patterne that prohibits the vse of Scriptures that holds ignorance the mother of deuotion It will not chuse a Religion that is cleane contrary to the patterne a Religion that makes more gods than one that makes euery Pope a god in forgiuing sinnes making something of nothing and Lawes directly to binde conscience that makes more Mediators than one contrary to the patterne 1. Tim. 2.5 euen so many as there bee Saints in the Popes Calender yea euery man his owne sauiour and meriter of eternall life It will not chuse a Religion that disableth the onely Sacrifice and Oblation of Christ vnlesse he be daily offered by greasie priests nor that which teacheth in the day of trouble to call on the Virgin Peter Iohn all Saints contrary to Psal. 50.15 nor that which disclaimeth ciuill obedience and thrusts downe the authority of Princes in their owne Dominions against that in Rom. 13.1 4. In the End the principall end of true Religion is Gods glory the lesse principall the leading of men to true beatitude by the right way which is Christ. A good heart will not chuse a Religion which is derogatory to Gods glory and carries away from Christ such as the doctrine of iustification by workes of humane satisfactions inuocation of Saints propitiatory sacrifice for the sinnes of quick and dead the Popes head-ship of the Church making lawes against the Lawes of Christ
c. Againe it will examine the Religion in the Effects 1. If it magnifie Christ the end of the Law and Gospell 2. If it bring Diuine consolation in life and death 3. If it binde to God from whom our sinnes had separated vs 4. If it bring forth obedience to the Morall Law in both Tables 5. If it be pure peaceable full of good workes Iam. 3.17 A good heart will not chuse a Religion wherein to be assured of Gods fauour of pardon of sinne of perseuerance is presumption nor that allowes Sâ—ew-houses of bawdry or dispenseth with vnlawfull or incestuous marriages as the impure religion of Popery doth nor that which must bee set vp and held vp by violence blood massacres lyes equiuocations murthering of Princes or Gun-powder treasons for the Gospell is a doctrine of peace nor that which is an enemie to good workes as in Popery a man may bee as wicked as the diuell can make him so hee bee rich to buy pardons Thus a good heart is carefull in the choyce of true Religion and holy as from the holy God the obiect of which are holy things practised by holy men begun in Paradise continued by the holy Patriarkes described by holy Pen-men Moses the Prophets and Apostles and obserued in all ages by the Saints to whom it is deliuered Hauing thus carefully made choyce of true Religion a good heart doth Christianly imbrace it in regard of Internall affections Externall effects The inward affections are three 1. It firmely beleeues it and labours still to bee more firmly rooted and stablished in the faith Col. 2.7 The Scribes and Priests themselues confessed that the doctrine which is from heauen must be beleeued Luk. 20.5 2. It loues it feruently and hates all false religion contrary vnto it Reuel 2.12 15. The Church of Pergamus must not onely keepe the Name of the Lord but hate the Doctrine of the Nicolaitans which the Lord hates Dauid appeales heere to the Lord himselfe Loue I not them that loue thee and hate them that hate thee So a good heart will esteeme the enemies of Religion his owne enemies 3. It ioyfully imbraceth it and vndiuidedly cleaues vnto it Act. 16.34 The Iaylor reioyced that hee and his house beleeued The wise Merchant went away reioycing that hee had found the Pearle 4. And it cleaues with full purpose of heart to the Lord Act. 11.23 True Religion in the heart is inseparable most inuincible A good heart with Cyprian admits no deliberation in diuine things for the substance of Religion Good Ioshua will cleaue to the Lord though all the world goe away chap. 24.15 and the Disciples will not forsake Christ though multitudes doe Ioh. 6.68 69. The outward effects of a good heart toward true Religion are fiue 1. It will by all meanes promote it Abraham will teach his family Gen. 18.19 It will further the causes of it Cornelius calls his family and kindred to heare Peter Act. 10.24 Paul wisheth all that heare him that day as himselfe whole and entire Christians Act. 26.29 If Scribes Pharises hypocrites if Priests Papists Iesuites would as the diuell compasse sea and land to make one Proselyte and seuen-fold more the child of wrath than themselues how much more should a good man will a good heart for the conuersion of his brethren 2. It will professe and maintaine it openly boldly Dauid before Kings Psal. 119.46 Paul will professe his hope before Agrippa Festus Felix because it makes the conscience good and that ministreth boldnes It will come in the day to Christ not with Nicodemus by night It will professe with dangers and losse of sweetest things For nothing is so sweet to a good heart as the truth of God Paul held not his life so sweet and so the Martyrs 3. It will study to adorne and beautifie it in holy life expressing the power of it and walking according to the rules of it Tit. 2.9 Seruants must so walke as they may adorne the Gospell much more Gods seruants A good heart cannot talke of Christ but liue in Christ cannot with Iudas professe Christ his Lord and by loosenesse of life deliuer him to the scoffer and buffetings of his enemies A good heart knowes that true Religion is to bee esteemed by the life and conuersation Prou. 4.2 He that walketh vprightly feareth the Lord. Hee is truly religious that keepes himselfe vnspotted of the world 4. It will suffer the extremest losse rather than lose his Religion knowing that it is giuen to the Elect not onely to beleeue in Christ but also to suffer for his sake Phil. 1.29 For true Religion so fortifies the heart in the fatherly affection of God towards him in the loue of Christ Iesus in the assured care and prouidence of God and the sweet comforts of the holy Ghost euen in the middest of death as death it selfe is not formidable but a sweet and easie passage to Iesus Christ with whom to be is best of all This truth is confirmed by a cloud of witnesses euen all the glorious Martyrs that euer suffered in their Lords quarrell who for his sake counted their greatest losses their greatest gaine 5. It will honour and embrace all the Professors of Religion Psal. 15.4 the Citizen of Sion honours all that feare the Lord as wee see in the great change of the conuerted Iaylor toward Paul and Silas Act. 16.31 A badge of Christ and Christian Religion is to loue one another yea of one translated from death to life 1. Ioh. 3.14 It will pray for them and praise God for their graces It will encourage them and helpe them forward in the good way It will pitty and relieue their miseries It knowes the loue of God dwelles not in him that shuts vp his compassion 1. Ioh. 3.17 This an euill heart cannot doe 1. It neuer makes choice of Religion but takes the Religion he findes without further examination neuer lookes whether his Religion come so high as from Heauen but either superstitiously takes vp and continues a Religion from the forefathers and will not endure light because they liued in darknesse as one could not endure liberty because his father was in prison or Atheistically measures the Religion by the length of the Scepter or by multitudes authority of men that are with it or against it succession successe outward pompe c. The Pharises of our time say as those of old Doe any of the Rulers beleeue in him and the most haue the faith of God in respect of persons 2. His Religion bindes him not to God for it neuer loosed him from his lusts but suffers pride worldlinesse malice vncleannesse in thoughts speeches and actions hypocrisie and the like all vnmortified It pities some Agag some fat or darling sinne either of nature or custome It reioyceth and riseth by the reuenue of some sinne and vnlawfull profits It would binde God to it selfe not
it selfe to God 3. It hath no care commonly of his grounds of Religion and so runnes 〈…〉 still is wauering and 〈…〉 in what Religion he meanes to 〈…〉 betweene God and Baal and sees no 〈…〉 betweene true Religion and Popeâ—◠〈…〉 of one trumpet would make them as forward Papâ—â—â—s as now they are Protestants 4. It can pretend Gods glory and Gods ends but intend the owne ends Herod pretends to come and worship Christ but intends to kill him Iezabel can make Religion a pretext for her foulest fact of murdering an Innocent so can Papists finely in ordine ad Deum and to promote the Catholike cause raise Massacres c. 1. Sam. 2.22 Women professing great sanctity by comming to the Temple polluted themselues with wicked Priests It were a sinne to say so of holy Popish Priests and their pure Nunnes 5. It will haue a Religion for fashion or shew but loue it not promote it not no not in their owne families scarce professe it for present reproach or after-claps but zeale and forwardnesse were madnesse as Festus said to Paul and to become an hatefull Puritan They frame not their actions to the rules of Christian Religion but are loose vnsauory earthly in all their courses they will lose nothing for it Christ shall lose the glory of Heauen for them and so farre they like their Religion but they will not lose crummes of earth for his sake 6. An euill heart can make a profession of Religion and scorne the Professors reuile them as a packe of hypocrites But our Sauiour packs such out of his number saying They that are with vs cannot lightly speake euill of vs Mark 9.39 Now of the markes of a good heart in respect of the meanes by which this true Religion is vpheld And first of the Word and Sacraments The equity of carefulnesse in these stands in these reasons 1. Because a good heart cannot heare God himselfe speake nor enioy such neere and immediate fellowship with him as it desires it is most glad to enioy him through the grates of the Word and Sacraments to heare him speake by his Messenger to reade his letters and be enriched with such pledges of his loue which therein he includeth to his sonnes and daughters Thus doth a faithfull Spouse to him absent whom her soule loueth 2. Because these Ordinances proceed from the holy Spirit of God and are meanes appoynted for the sanctification of the Elect a good heart will neuer heare or reade the Scriptures nor speake of them but with great reuerence It dares not profane the sacred Scriptures vsing them vainely or wickedly as in iests playes charmes neither dares it come to the Sacrament without due examination preparation instruction correction or strength and consolation in the course of Christianity 2. Tim. 3.16 3. Because the good heart sees his continuall need it is carefull in the continuall vse of the means of grace It sees hardnesse of heart still stealing on it It discernes spirituall weaknesse and fainting of soule It feeles many conflicts of the flesh against the spirit It is acquainted with the thrusts and temptations of Satan It sees the health of the soule stand in these refreshings and the strength of the heart decaying without them as the body doth without repayre And therefore it still relieues it selfe by the Word Sacraments Prayer and the like Psalm 119.28 My heart melteth for heauinesse raise me vp according to thy Word vers 92. Had it not been for thy Word I had perished in my trouble 4. Because it conceiues God a Spirit and his Ordinances spirituall therefore in performing these it neuer contents it selfe with the outward deed alone but especially aymes at soundnesse and sincerity in the manner of doing Psalm 119.80 Let my heart be vpright in thy statutes All is out of sence and conscience not for shame fashion custome law or vaine ostentation But now in speciall for the Word preached A good heart makes great conscience of it as is great reason 1. Because it sees the Word preached only able to bruise a stony heart to tame melt and cause to tremble a secure heart as Felix Esa. 66.2 that trembleth at my Word Acts 16.24 The Iaylor came trembling and shiuering as hauing a strong Ague in his conscience Also it is of power to open a shut conscience as Dauids by Nathan 2. Because the preaching of the Word reueales the vnsearchable riches of Christ Ephes. 3.8 and brings into acquaintance with him This is the hammer by which Christ standing at the dore of the heart knocks and if any open he comes in and suppes with him Christ not onely inuites him to a feast but feeds him with his owne flesh and blood and he with Christ that is a fruitfull Hearer of the Word entertaines Christ calls him as the Church Cant. 4.16 to a feast in his Garden to eate of his pleasant things Christ is feasted when he tastes the sweet fruits of repentance faith mortification and obedience wrought by the preaching of the Word Nay it makes vs of neere kindred with Christ his father his mother his brethren and sisters Luk. 8.21 3. Because the Word preached brings in the Spirit of God with his sauing graces being the chariot of the Spirit by which hee rides gloriously into the hearts of Beleeuers God who can giue his Spirit without it ordinarily doth not He could haue taught Cornelius without Peters so tedious a iourney but Cornelius must attend Peters Ministery and while Peter was yet speaking the holy Ghost fell on them all Acts 10.44 But see it in speciall sauing graces first illumination is by preaching Acts 8.31 The Eunuch cannot vnderstand without an interpreter he must ioyne himselfe to Philip. Secondly faith comes by hearing Rom. 10.14 and by the foolishnesse of preaching God will saue them that beleeue 1. Cor. 1.21 Neither can actuall faith be without some measure of actuall knowledge Thirdly the feare of God is wrought by preaching Rom. 8.15 the spirit of feare is wrought by the Ministery of the Law shewing sinne distinctly the curse due to it and our owne guiltinesse And by the Gospell is wrought that childlike feare by the spirit of adoption by which now we feare to offend God as before to be offended and reuenged on by him Fourthly peace of conscience and a sweete ioy in God is wrought hereby Psalm 51.8 Let me heare the voyce of gladnesse that the broken bones may reioyce Lastly the Word preached brings in not onely this life of grace but that of glory Act. 11.14 Send for Peter to Ioppa and he shall speake words whereby both thou and thy house shall be saued And therefore is it called the Word of life and saluation In these and other regards a good heart is a conscionable Hearer 1. It prepares it selfe as a fit casket or storehouse to lay the Word in conceiuing it the most precious iewell and richest pearle in all the world
Dauid hid the Word in his heart Psalm 119.11 2. In sence of it owne want and the worth of the Word it preserues an appetite and hunger after the preaching of it As the babe sucks greedily the milke so it will feed heartily on this Bread of life It will be at paines for it as a babe will cry after the brest It will heare diligently without omission intermission or delay It will waite at the gates of wisdome as Cornelius for Peter Act. 10.33 We are all heere ready to heare whatsoeuer is commaunded thee of God 3. Because God speakes not to the eare onely but to the heart this heart will heare as well as the eare If God say Seeke my face the heart will make eccho and answere Thy face Lord will I seeke Psal. 27.8 4. This heart makes the whole man heare and receiue the Word first the inner man shall delight in the law Rom. 7.22 The iudgement shall esteeme it aboue thousands of gold and siluer the minde shall attend it the heart shall beleeue it the memory shall keepe and treasure it the affections shall cleaue to it and the conscience submit to it secondly the outward man shall be as conformable The eare shall heare it with reuerence the mouth shall speake and professe it the hand shall practise it and the whole man be submitted to the obedience of it as in sound health the nourishment is carried to all parts 5. This heart embraceth the whole Word saying of all as the Prophet Mic. 2.7 Is not my Word good to him that walketh vprightly First it loues the Word which reuealeth sinne accuseth and condemneth it both because it discouers sinne to be repented of and forsaken as also because it leades the sinner to Christ and sets him faster to him Secondly it applies the whole Word to it selfe as well for conuiction as consolation You shall euer see a good heart more smitten with the sharpe threatnings of the Word than they to whom they belong Meate that must nourish must goe into the stomake and bowels so must the Word that must profit vs passe thorow our affections either to humble or direct or comfort vs. By this triall many that bragge of the goodnesse of their hearts may see themselues farre off For first an euill heart cares not how farre it bee estranged from God As it flies his presence and eye so his Word also which passeth sentence on him and iudgeth him afore-hand desires no acquaintance either with God or his Word Many say as the people to Ieremy The Word of the Lord in thy mouth we will not heare The Popish Recusant stops his eare and will heare no voyce The Atheist as hee denies God in his heart so hee denies his presence to the meanes Both of them refuse fellowship with God barre out the Spirit of God and his sauing graces and wilfully debarre themselues of faith which is dropt into the heart by the eare and of the life of grace and glory Secondly an euill heart can come to heare but brings not an hearing eare But it brings 1. an heauie eare or deafe rather as many who cast themselues asleepe who would be ashamed to sleepe if a man but a little better than themselues should speake vnto them An argument of a sleepy and dull heart And can we thinke God will open that mans heart who will not open his owne eare Or 2. it brings an itching eare that cannot abide wholesome doctrine Hardly can any Minister please them hee is either too Legall in his threats or too Euangelicall in generall promises or his life too austere or too remisse Iohn fasts and hath a diuell Christ eates and is a glutton Or if the doctrine be quicke and powerfull then inquire if he bee not a Puritan for if impure wretches once so stile him then may hee be aduised better than to trouble himselfe with such a mans doctrine Or 3. it brings a stopped eare when in hearing the heart goeth after lusts or is stopped with ignorant conceits as that no such good is to bee gotten in Sermons or it were pitty all should bee true that the Preacher saith or the world was better when was lesse preaching or few great men loue preaching or frequent it much or it is no great wisedome to bee so forward as some and none are worse than such as runne after Sermons Cares also and lusts and pleasures choke and stop the passage of the Word into mens hearts that they heare it as a story or a tale but are no more moued with it than if they were stockes and stones the most dreadfull threats of vengeance pricke them not at heart Thirdly an euill heart can heare sometime with diligence and delight but will heare to know not to practise delights in contemplation but hates reformation delights in the promises of the Gospell not in the precepts of the Law or if it doe yet not in an vniuersall practice inward and outward For it is an vnfailing rule An euill heart cannot delight in the Law of God touching the inner man Oh how hard it is to binde the thoughts to conformity with Gods Law Nay a loose heart cries out of too much precisenesse Fourthly an euill heart can heare sometimes carefully but neuer truly apply For the promises and comforts of God it is readyest to apply them to it selfe which belong not to it for God feeds the impenitent with iudgement this is the part of such an heart but it lets that alone As for rebukes it heares or abides none it is loth to bee drawne to a Sermon that rebukes his darling sinnes as the people of Israel was to come neere the Mount Heb. 12.19 While it heares it is filled with wrath and enuie Luk. 4.24 saying Physician cure thy selfe yea it is ready to burst for anger as Stephens aduersaries Act. 7.54 And for afterwards they hate him to the dâ—ath that rebukes sinne in the gate and abhorre him that speaketh vprightly Amos 5.10 Hee is their enemy that tells them the truth as Ahab said of Micaiah I told you he neuer prophesied good but euill and to Eliah Hast thou found me O mine enemie And if Christ himselfe should neuer so wisely rebuke them they would lay hands on him or runne to the Rulers as Ioshua to Moses Master forbid them to prophesie In one word An euill heart pretending sound loue to preaching is an vtter enemy to sound preaching To whom I say Is Gods Word an aduersary to thee So is God himselfe Doth the Word iudge and condemne thee So shall the Lord for euer condemne thee except thou timely repent And thou that canst not endure the threatning of iudgement goe on in thy sinnes thou shalt indure the iudgement threatned eternally stop thine eare against the cries of Gods Word against thy sinnes this Word shall take hold on thee and thou shalt cry out for euer against thy sinnes and selfe and thy cry shall not
Sabbath the Lord cannot abide the Sabbaths when the hands are full of blood Esa. 1.13 But the Sabbath that he chuseth is to loose the bands of wickednesse 2. It bindes the tongue to holy speeches If euery idle word must bee answered for much more idle speeches on the Sabbath which is a double sinne A good heart must not speake his owne words nor a vaine word Esa. 58.13 It cannot giue reines to the tongue to direct worldly busines to make reckonings to prattle of other mens businesse to busie it selfe in the world or worldly affaires to talke of newes as the Athenians or sports and pleasures nor things lawfull on other dayes A good heart out of a better store will speake of better things 3. It watcheth ouer the inner man rests his affections in Sabbath-duties and makes it his delight suffers not his thoughts to roue Esa. 58.13 Thou shalâ— not thinke thy owne will For the Lord requires the whole heart soule strength and minde Luk. 10.27 In one word A good heart will care to occupy his mind mouth tongue eare hand and foot as God would haue them Fourthly it will not onely keepe the Sabbath strictly it selfe but see it kept of all within his power A Magistrate of a good heart will compell all within the gates of the City thereunto Ier. 17. â—0 Heare ye Kings â—eare no burthens that is suffer not others A good Magistrate would set no Fat 's on the Sabbath nor Racks by suffering others nor buy and sell by suffering others nor drinke and sweare or play away the Sabbath by suffering others all whose sinnes become his by his conniuence Neh. 13.15 A father of a good heart will command and compell all his children as Abraham He will not suffer them to play and sport when they should be at diuine seruice but where he is taught they shall bee when he prayes they shall when he heares they shall and to him they shall giue account of their hearing A Master of a good heart will see his seruant serue his Master in heauen as he serues him the sixe dayes He cannot send him on errands and trifling businesse running and riding to serue his owne turne and leaue God vnserued but as hee will not haue him neglect his affaires in the sixe dayes so not Gods seruice on the seuenth but keepe him in to the duties of that Day Obiect We cannot keepe in our seruants and children that Day Ans. 1. You can finde meanes other dayes to hold them to your owne businesse 2. If they will haue liberty this Day giue it them for all the rest for Dauid would not haue a wicked person in his house Psal. 101.4 5. but hee that is a seruant of God shall be my seruant Fifthly a good heart holds it selfe bound to ioyne with the Assemblies of Gods people to frequent the House of God and serue and seeke him to come on that Day to Church the Schoole of God to heare and learne his will and the Market of God to make prouision for the soule for all the weeke following It dares not forsake the fellowship as some Heb. 10.25 It mournes when vrgent occasion absenteth it lookes toward the Temple hungers and earnestly desires the fruition of such a blessing Psalm 42.2 It esteemes one day in Gods House aboue a thousand elsewhere Psal. 84.10 such sweetnesse it tasteth in his Ordinances Word and Sacraments Lastly being sensible of Gods presence according to the promise where two or three are gathered together in his Name it comes not but first puts off his shooes because this is holy ground and lookes to his feete Eccles. 4.17 that is prepares his affections to come with feare and reuerence with ioy and cheerfulnesse heed and watchfulnesse faith and holinesse before that great Presence Now an euill heart first neuer prepares for the Sabbath though it will not bee vnprouided for a Market-day yea it can dispatch his businesse to set it selfe loose for any lust The Iewes had a preparation to the Sabbath and Ioseph of Arimathea came the day before the Sabbath and begged the body of our Lord and buried it before the Sabbath to free himselfe from the action and care of it Secondly it can defraud the Lord of his Day or the greatest part of it and holds it selfe loose after euening exercise to what it list as if himselfe would giue his seruant leaue after that time to cast off his seruice Thirdly it makes no conscience of profaning the Lords Sabbath many wayes 1. Doing his owne will not the Lords his owne worke not the worke of the Sabbath selling wares within the shop and without running vp and downe with them and other workes of the calling whereas the Commandement is Thou shalt doe no manner of worke 2. Turning the Lords Rest into idlenesse as the fruitlesse spending of it both within dores and abroad in many vaine exercises 3. Profanely turning it into the plaine seruice of the diuell by Ales gaming drinking and accursed riots in exercises heathenish and hellish Is it a sinne to open a shop window and none to game swill and sweare Is the Sabbath appoynted to cleanse thy soule from sinne and darest thou most soule and moyle thy selfe that day aboue other 4. Iangling away the day in company with idle chat any words are ready but of God and to God or if alone holding profane and vnsauory thoughts free enough to driue out the meditation of God his Word and workes 5. Profaning it in their children or seruants whom they suffer to bee vaine and idle or force them not to Gods seruice or which is worst force them by commandement or example to pollute it for some Masters and fathers are like Pharaoh who laid the heauiest taskes on the Lords Day aboue all the weeke and then increased the burthens when Israel spake of going to serue the Lord. Fourthly an euill heart can easily withdraw it selfe from the Assemblies as seeing no beauty no presence of God without all reuerence of the Sanctuary whereas the Iewes might not tarry at home from the Synagogue nay some Fathers say probably that Christ himselfe came still to the Synagogues that he might obserue the Law which hee came to fulfill But this wilfull excommunication without repentance goes before casting out of the great Congregation in heauen Lastly it can vpbraid others for precise and curious who are strict keepers of the Sabbath and cannot go with their neighbours drinking reuelling and vsing profane pastime It can obiect great and learned and rich and noble that like not such precisenesse in keeping the Sabbath But we haue God going before vs in precept and his owne example sanctifying the Sabbath If we follow example he is most vn-erring and aboue them all in wisedome nobility c. The third meanes wherby true Religion is maintained are Ministers and Pastors In respect of whom a good heart hath many eminent markes and excellent qualities For
things it will sowe temporall for the labourer is worthy of his hire Secondly with earnest prayers that God would thrust more of them into his worke and double yea treble his Spirit on them he hath sent as Elisha 2. King 2.9 and open to them both a doore of entrance and vtterance as Paul often requireth of his Hearers Psalm 132.9 Let thy Priests bee clothed with righteousnesse Thirdly with comfort in their troubles euen with his owne losse and dammage and danger Good Obadiah with the hazard of his owne life prouided for the safety of the Lords Prophets and with like hazard the Shunamite for the Prophet Elijah Fourthly it will crowne their heads and comfort their hearts by his willing obedience and constancy in the truth when both shall know they runne not in vaine nor their labour shall be lost in the Lord. Now an euill heart because it lothes the liquor it doth also loath the vessell hates the Word and the bringer of it Hence is it that many cursed Chams mocke their fathers till the curse rebound on themselues The very habit of a Minister is enough to procure scorne and contempt though in all other things a man bee free enough These scorners say they reuerence Christ and would not mocke him as the Iewes did but plainly lye for they mocke him in his seruants and so hee takes it and therefore Christ keepes him out of their way and will haue nothing to doe with them For as hee would not come into his owne Countrey Nazaret because they reiected and scorned their owne Prophets so doe thou mocke the Prophets Christ comes not into thine heart seldome doe these scorners returne seldome or neuer escape they the seuerity and iudgement of God there is no remedie when they mocke his Messengers 2. Chron. 36.16 Herod as bad as hee was reuerenced Iohn because he was a good man 2. Hence are those swarmes of haters of Gods Word who in stead of singular loue for their worke sake swell like Toads with poyson and wrath against their Preachers for their worke sake as Ahab I hate Micaiah he neuer prophecyeth good vnto me so when a powerfull Ministery discouers the filthinesse and hypocrisie of a wicked heart crosses his corruptions as a fretting corrosiue to his conscience torments him before the time suffers him not quietly to inioy his sin his Herodias now saith Ahab to Elijah Hast thou found me O mine enemie Now is Paul become an enemie for telling the truth For sinne is so incorporate and become almost themselues that a man cannot be an enemy to their sins but as they thinke to themselues also Now he pryes and watcheth him narrowly and takes hold of his least infirmities if so be by casting some shame on the Preacher he can hide his owne Now he deuiseth against this Ieremie he is a spy-fault a troubler of the State a factious Preacher or as Festus said of Paul Too much learning or singularity makes him mad while hee speakes words of sobriety and wisedome Act. 26.24 25. And this is the double honour wherewith hee loads them Dealing most vnthankfully as Saul who when Dauid was playing with his Harpe to ease his distracted minde cast a speare at him 1. Sam. 18.10 So while the Preacher seekes by playing on the heauenly Harpe to solace and comfort them and to driue euill spirits and lusts from them they cast darts and speares and arrowes of reproches and slanders against them And now the most sauory salt if they can doe withall must bee cast out and trodden vnder foot 3. From this contempt of the Word and Ministers it is that many will not come to heare the Preacher as the deafe Adder refuseth to heare the voyce of the Charmer charme hee neuer so wisely and so shew themselues not to be of God 1. Ioh. 4.6 He that is not of God heareth not vs. Some heare seldome and for shame businesse of greater inportance stayes them and if they chance on occasion to heare any thing that displeaseth them Oh then as Corah said to Moses Ye take too much vpon you Moses and Aaron Numb 16.3 and are like them that contend with the Priest Hos. 4.4 Wherin the Prophet expresseth the outrage of euill in the Iewes This is their subiection to resist the holy Ghost As for the comfort and maintenance of their Preacher further than Law forceth neither conscience nor shame nor example nor perswasion moueth them to maintaine the worship of God But if they can liue of slanderous and scornfull speeches of hatefull and iniurious actions they will not suffer them to want maintenance Thus did Herod returne Iohn euill for good and Demetrius to Paul Obiect Though we heare not some yet we heare some learned and wise men and therfore this is not hatred of the Word Answ. 1. A wicked heart will heare and receiue doctrines and persons so long as hee is pleased and so long the diuell himselfe is good But let him meddle with thine eyes once or deare sins now there is nothing but storming and raging as a diuell incarnate 2. A wicked man may heare a man because he is learned yet learne no good from him And it is hatred of goodnesse that makes him refuse good Sermons vnder pretence they bee not learned he meanes not indeed that all the learning in the world should make him better Obiect Oh but wee loue the Word and if God himselfe or Christ would teach vs wee should say more But what are Ministers more than other men Answ. 1. He that loueth God will not bee wiser than God who hath described his owne meanes but would obey them that haue the ouersight of soules 2. It is false that thou wouldest obey the Lords immediate voyce who wilt not obey this voyce Did not the Lord speak to Cain immediatly to reclaime him from his sinne but did hee repent at the voyce of God himselfe Did not Israel heare Gods owne voyce in giuing the Law with dread and yet did they cease to murmure and rebell against him What was Iudas and the Iewes better for Christs owne voyce No no this is like the Iewes Math. 27.42 Let him come downe from the Crosse and we will beleeue in him Which had he done they would not haue beleeued for did hee not rise from the graue which was more Luk. 16.31 If they will not beleeue Moses and the Prophets neither would they beleeue though one should rise from the dead Therefore we conclude against all pretences that an euill heart hates the Word first and principally and then the Preacher of it V. A good and honest heart hath many Markes in respect of it selfe as the Scriptures ascribe many properties vnto it without which it cannot bee good 1. Newnesse 2. Softnesse 3. Cleannesse 4. Singlenesse 5. Fruitfulnesse 6. Watchfulnes Of these in order The first is newnesse A good heart is euery where called a new heart Ezek. 36.26 A new
vnsuspected filthines lyes within see Mark 7.21 22. But first this is a beleeuing heart and so comes to be cleane both by imputation of Christs purity apprehended by faith and by incoation of actuall purity in part The former is by the Lauer of Christs blood the latter by the waters of the Spirit of sanctification The former clenseth the guilt of sinne the latter the filth and corruption of it Both wayes faith is said to purifie the heart Act. 15.9 Secondly this heart when it doth foule it selfe by sinne 1. purposeth and resolueth not to defile it selfe but sinnes against his purpose 2. lyeth not moyling it selfe still but is troubled and strucke as Dauid for numbring the people and Peter for denying his Master 3. hath speedy recourse to the Lauer of Christs blood renewing his faith and to the tearâ—s of godly sorrow renewing his repentance and so returnes to his cleannesse But an euill heart is an vncleane heart because vnbeleeuing departing from the liuing God Heb. 3.12 It can desire yea purpose sinne as Absalom Can commit it habitually hungrily greedily Can reioyce in sinne and foulenesse and sometimes glory in it And so is held vnder neuer riseth froÌ„ vnder vncleannes The fourth property of a good heart is singlenesse or sincerity which is knowne thus 1. It is plaine simple open not crafty to contriue or conceale sin not cunning in the methods of sinne but simple concerning euill Rom. 16.19 It is good seeing we must sinne yet to bungle in sinne not as traded and expert in it Of all vertues Satan would beguile vs of this simplicity in Christ 2. Cor. 11.3 The world also scorneth it as sillinesse and sheepishnesse to be so simple as to sticke onely to the reuealed will of God A wicked heart can be witty to plot and deuise to excuse and defend his sinne The hasty furious man told of his cursing swearing blaspheming will tell you it is his nature he is of a cholerike constitution euery man hath his fault I cannot mend it Heere he hath deuised a strong argument to strengthen his grossest corruption But beate him out of his plea tell him hee must resist corrupt nature and where grace is there would be no such outragious behauiour Oh then he tells you hee was prouoked and vrged or it would haue angred a Saint or made an Angell sweare to be so prouoked or else we cannot be Saints or so strict c. Tell a drunkard of his swinish sinne how disguised and scornfull hee made himselfe to very boyes Oh it is his infirmity too his braine is weake or hee was in company and vrged by company or customers whom he must respect he cannot doe withall and presse him hard by Gods Word his last answere will bee with the Vine in Iothams parable I cannot leaue my wine nor my good liquor leaue my drink leaue to liue 2. A sincere heart is a whole heart Loue the Lord with all thy heart not double not diuided the Lord abides not an heart and an heart but reiects double-minded men Iam. 4.8 A manifest note hereof is to frame it selfe to the whole Word of God as knowing not onely that God is a Soueraigne Commander as well in one thing as another but that there is no part of his Word which is not worthy both to be knowne and brought into vse all the Commandements for direction of the whole man all the threats for humiliation all the precious promises for incitation and consolation all examples of vertue for imitation of vices for caution and preuention of punishments for terrour Thus shall a good heart hold the whole Word not onely to teach and reproue others but it selfe and as a Lanthorne the light of which directs others but himselfe most and that for euery step 3. A sincere heart is secretly religious cares not for seeming but being not for talking but doing had rather be good than seeme so had rather haue grace than an empty shew of it and desires the power of godlinesse rather than the forme It will bee inwardly cleane for a Pharise can wash the outside Mat. 23. a sluttish Christian like a sluttish maide can sweep the floore but leaue many dusty nasty corners vnswept vnlookt to Pilate can wash his hands not his heart A Pharise can pray in the Temple an hypocrite if he can stumble into a Church but the good heart in his chamber in his closet An euill heart can be sorry for externall notorious foule sinnes as murther shedding of innocent blood as Saul Ahab Iudas but when was he heard confessing his mother-sinne in which he was borne as Dauid or saying Who knoweth his secret sinnes as a good heart will An euill heart may forbeare or abstaine from some outward act of euill and dares not venture on it but inwardly cannot hate that euill much lesse abhorre it as hee is commanded Rom. 12.9 whereas to a good heart the sinnes which hee most loued once he now most hates as the stomake most lothes the meate it once surfeted on 4. A sincere heart will be religious though alone as Ioshua chap. 24.15 Mary if she cannot get Martha will sit downe alone at Christs feet It will bee good in a bad age and shine as a light in the middest of a crooked generation so Lot Elijah A good note of soundnesse at heart is to abide vncorrupt in times of generall corruption The light of grace where sincere is like a Lampe shining brightest in the darkest roome and as fire hotest in the coldest and sharpest weather Heb. 11.7 the commendation of Noah is that he was most carefull of himselfe and for and Arke in the most carelesse age But an euill heart lookes and stayes for company for rulers rich men c. 5. A sincere heart willingly examines it selfe and yeelds it selfe to be examined Often sets it selfe before God and his Iudgement-seat is contentedly iudged by the Word Holds it a benefit to be smitten by the righteous Can abide to bee gaged to haue his conscience rubd and ransackt Master is it I is it I Master Search me O God and know my heart try me and know my thoughts But an euill heart hath some hand or foot not cut off some eye for which it falls out both with the Minister and his owne conscience It runnes from God as Adam from his Word and triall and trembles with Felix at the mention of Iudgement but refusing ordinary tryall shall be prest to death ineuitably Oh labour for this sincerity of heart consider 1. the whole life of a Christian is a continuall Passeouer and the whole feast must be kept with the vnleauened bread of sincerity 1. Cor. 5.8 2. If seruants of men must serue with singlenesse of heart Ephes. 6.5 much more must Gods 3. This onely is the heart which God takes pleasure in 1. Chron. 29.17 this ground is his pleasant walke The first property of
into and of it our Sauiour saith None shall take it from you It is like a little veine or spring which euer runneth whereas the ioy of an hypocrite which makes a greater show and noise then the other is like a great pond cleare at top muddy at bottome dried vp in Summer when is most need of the waters of comfort Secondly in outward opposition when men who cannot abide sincerity obiect to vs that all is hypocrisie and scorne vs for the things we doe when Ismaels scoffe vs for the blessings sake that from the world we haue small comfort and encouragement in our godly way now wee may finde comfort and peace in the sound constitution of our hearts 2. Sam. 6.21 Dauid being scorned by Michol for dancing before the Arke and called foole for his paines contemned that contempt for he did it in the vprightnes of his heart and would be yet more vile Paul teaching the strictnesse of Christian Religion to bring Christ into the hearts and liues of men was counted an heretike but professed After the way which ye call heresie doe I worship the God of my fathers Apply wee this to our selues A good conscience as a brazen wall feares not the arrowes of scorners and aduersaries Iobs innocencie will beare his aduersaries booke of accusations on his shoulder Thirdly in personall affliction this good heart ministreth great comfort 1. In inward temptation when Satan shall obiect as against Iob that thou art an hypocrite then which no temptation more assaulteth or infesteth the poore Christian looke what way thou canst not hearing not praying not fasting reading or almes can answere it but onely the sincere and inward disposition of an honest heart in all these He is molested with hypocrisie but not subdued by it So when Satan shall obiect the weaknesse of thy faith or the defects of thy obedience and that God cannot accept so broken and sinfull performances nothing can answere this dart but sincerity of heart manifest in true desires and endeuours which God accepteth beholding mercifully what a man hath not what he hath not Sincerity makes light things massie and ponderous where hypocrisie makes talents lighter then feathers So if he obiect thy heauinesse and vntowardnesse in prayer that thou prayest coldly and distractedly the only answere is God regards not the tune of the voyce the phrase of speach the sound of words or eloquence of tongue but the affection of the heart as in Moses Exod. 14.15 and Hanna 1. Sam. 1.17 2. In outward affliction onely a good and honest heart beares a man vp Iob in all his troubles had no other comfort Chap. 27.5 Vntill I dye I will neuer take away mine innocencie from my selfe When Abimelech was threatned for taking Sarah it was happy and comfortable to him that hee could say With a good and an vpright heart I did this Gen. 20.5 What a strength is it when afflictions take a man in his way and while with a good heart he goes about his businesse But if crosses come while a man is wandring or his heart rouing after vanity this disposition adds a sting to the affliction when the heart shall smite it selfe that it suffers as an euill doer Fourthly in respect of perseuerance in good a good heart onely ministreth comfort For as an Apple rotten at core must faile and perish seeme it neuer so beautifull so all graces shall wither that are not soundly fixed in a good and honest heart It is not leaues and showes without but soundnesse of sap and iuice within that makes the tree continue in fruitfulnesse One time or other the Word of God blasts the hypocrite as the fruitlesse Figge-tree and then how soone is it withered Inquire after his graces his zeale forwardnesse diligence ioy faith loue his place cannot be found his place in the profession shall be as empty as Dauids when Saul asked after him He that builds on the sand and in soundnesse of heart settles not himselfe on Christ the corner stone as our Sauiour said of the stately buildings of the Temple so may wee say of this man who held a beautifull place in the Church and shined in many graces See you all these things the time comes when a stone shall not be left on a stone the fall of his house shall be great and of the ruines of his graces wee may say as the Merchants of the riches of Rome Reuel 18.17 In one houre shall so great riches come to desolation But the vpright of heart shall neuer be ashamed Fiftly in the life time the Lord will doe them good that are true of heart Psal. 125.4 Hee will be mercifull to his defects that prepares his heart to seeke him though hee be not clensed according to the purification of the Sanctuary 2. Chron. 30.19 Hee will shew himselfe strong with the vpright heart chap. 16.9 Let them be neuer so weake in themselues Gods strength shall perfect all their weaknesses Let all the world condemne them yet he will iustifie them as true Nathaniels in whom is no guile In a word prosperity is their portion in this life 2. Chron. 31.21 Hezekiah in his workes sought the Lord and prospered Sixtly in his death this comfort shall neuer be shaken out of his heart when death shall sunder his soule and body it shal neuer seuer his heart from the soundnesse of it Hezekiah when sentence of death was passed against him the conscience of his honest and sincere heart comforted him Esa. 38.3 O Lord thou knowest I haue walked with an vpright heart c. At this time it will not comfort a man to haue done neuer so excellent workes but the manner of doing and his true endeuour shall comfort him Lastly in the day of Iudgement onely the good and honest heart shall lift vp the head before the Iudge of the world As a faithfull companion it will goe with vs before the Iudge and plead where no other Proctor can be admitted no other friend can appeare for vs. But how dare an hypocrite who hath nothing but chaffe and straw and stubble stand before the fire of that great Day which nothing but golden soundnesse and sincerity can abide No matter how thou canst gild thy selfe if thou beest not golden the fire shall consume thee But be thou the meanest creature that the whole earth can present before the Iudge with an honest heart that hast been faithfull and sincere in a little in the basest calling and estate that euer was any that Day shall preferre thee aboue hollow-hearted professours Preachers yea Princes For then it shall be better to vse Augustines comparison to be a little small finger that can doe no such seruice in the body if sound than to bee an eye of admirable quicknesse and vse for the guiding of the body if vnsound darke or ready to fall out of the head HAuing thus largely shewed the nature of this soyle of
to be a fruitfull Hearer but must striue to the greatest measure of grace rising if it be possible from thirty to sixty from sixtie to an hundreth fold Phil. 1.9 the Apostle prayes they might be filled with the fruits of righteousnesse as a vessel that cannot hold a drop more which though we cannot attaine yet euery godly man must ayme at it None will denie but that we should doe righteously and doe good workes in this present world But that is not enough vnlesse we be filled with fruits of righteousnesse and be rich in good workes Col. 1.9 the same Apostle for another Church prayes not onely that they may be fruitfull Christians but fruitfull in all good workes and increasing in the knowledge of God yea fulfilled in all knowledge wisedome and spirituall vnderstanding that as a full vessell hath no emptinesse or vacuity in it so no part of a Christians life or conuersation be barren or empty of good fruits 2. Pet. 3.18 Grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord Iesus Christ comparing Christians to trees which flourish to a goodly stature but herein vnlike them Ordinary trees haue their seasons to grow but these trees of righteousnesse must euer grow euery time and age is their season and most in their age when other decay And againe whereas they may grow to bring a great measure of fruits euery one of one kinde these must not onely bring abundant fruits in measure but in variety euery one tree must be abundant in all the fruits of the Spirit described Gal. 5.22 23. as might be shewed in the particulars Reasons 1. A great measure of grace makes greatly for the glory of God Ioh. 15.8 Herein is the Father glorified that ye bring much fruit Papists thinke there is no vse of good workes vnlesse we say they merit iustifie and saue vs. But they set out of sight Gods glory the mayn end of them to aduance themselues For as it is the praise of the Husbandman when his field Orchard or Garden is fruitfull aboue other mens Euen so we being his husbandry a part of his Garden and Paradise branches of his Vine planted tilled sowne and set by his hand care Word and Spirit doe then commend his husbandry when we are laden with fruits of the Spirit which are to the praise of God 2. Thess. 1.12 The Lord fulfill the worke of faith with power that the Name of God may be glorified 2. The striuing to a great measure of grace conformeth vs 1. to the image of God who is an vnbounded Ocean and an immense Sea of grace and goodnesse and the more fruitfull and full of grace the creature is the liker it is to God and the neerer to his nature 2. to the image of his Word both the Law which requireth perfection of grace and the Gospell which is the wisedome from aboue full of good fruits Iam. 3.17 3. To the image of Iesus Christ making the members like the Head who was full of grace and truth Ioh. 1.14 4. To the image of our first estate in innocencie where was no defect and 5. of that blessed expectation which wee are to frame and aspire vnto in which the Saints already gathered to God haue put off all defects and being full of the glory of Christ doe see him as he is and see him to be like him 3. The being of a Christian stands in truth of grace but the well-being in strength of grace His acceptation is for truth of grace neuer so small but his commendation is in strength and further measure of grace Christ quencheth not but accepteth a small measure of grace but commends grace in great measure Nay where sometime he reproues a small measure of faith O ye of little faith hee magnifies a greater measure O woman great is thy faith and of the Centurion I haue not found so great faith no not in Israel Not loue but louing much is commended Luk. 7.47 Many sinnes were forgiuen her for she loued much It was the great commendation of Stephen that he was full of faith and power Act. 6.8 and of Dorcas that shee was full of good workes and almes which she did Act. 9.36 4. The abundant measure of grace is the maine strength and comfort of a Christian First in tentation for Satan assailes the weakest when and where the weakest so doe seducers and deceiuers Now a strong faith is a strong shield great knowledge as a strong wall and trench great loue of God a strong binder Secondly in persecution or affliction for well-doing strength of faith and patience will make them grow as the Palme and Camomile vnder that burthen which sinketh and oppresseth weaklings Iacob persecuted by Esau flyes to God and by strength of faith and prayer wrestles with God and preuailed with God and men The Canaanitish woman ouercame Christ himselfe by strength of faith Thirdly in death he can be bold fearelesse and ioyfull the conscience testifying of his fruitfull life Faith clasping Christ fast to the soule maketh him depart in peace Fourthly in iudgement it shall hold vp his head when he can bring in an increase of fiue or ten Talents at what time according to the measure of fruits in grace shall bee the measure of glory fiue Talents fiue Cities ten Talents ten Cities 5. A Christian must striue to an hundreth fold measure because he that labours not in addition to his fruits is on the losing hand and at last shall lose them all To sit downe and not perseuere is to lose all his labor He that continueth to the end shall be saued A sound Christian therfore expects not his Sabbath or rest here nor to cease from his labour till he come into heauen which makes him with Paul forget things behinde and presse still forward Phil. 3.13 And the commandement is to finish our saluation with feare and trembling Phil. 2.12 And the end wee say crowneth all Vse 1. To reproue such as stand at a stay in Religion as hauing grace and Religion enough and they need no more Who are to know that they may suspect the truth of that grace which flatters it selfe and conclude those beginnings to bee deceitfull which are not followed with constant increase Againe they mistake true grace which is not so soone attained as they thinke being as a graine of Mustard-seed which neither roots nor growes nor spreads to a tree suddenly but by degrees and is dead further than growing and the Lords Talent which thou must occupie to increase till he come Luk. 19.13 And giue vp thy Trade once thou must needs proue bankerupt and beggerly Lastly euery man would conclude thus in naturall things If he see his corne in the field stand at a stay and neuer shoot forward he will soone conclude hee shall neuer receiue a comfortable haruest of it And if he see his childe stand still at a stature and neuer increase nor grow stronger and bigger hee
his estate is not to his minde He is the same man in prison as at liberty in sicknesse as in health in trouble as at rest Where others goe for currant Christians till triall come and the whistling windes rise which blow off their leafie profession but then are proued counterfait because they stored not vp patience to part with deare things rather than with Christ and his Religion these are constant to Christ and themselues seeing Christian patience supports them in doing and suffering for God and good conscience Great are the sweet and comfortable fruits of patience euen aboue peace First a Christian heereby may try the sincerity of his faith Iam. 1.3 The triall of your faith brings forth patience for faith is such as it is in triall Hence did the Apostle Peter 1.1 7. tell the Iewes that by patient enduring of affliction their faith was tryed to be much more precious than gold Wouldest thou try the sincerity of thy faith Haue recourse to thy patience not to thy peace Secondly Christian patience makes a man a liuing Martyr without fire or sword makes him not onely dye liuing but liue dying for Christ and good causes to which being a speciall seruice of honour belongs a speciall recompence Reu. 2.10 Be thou faithfull vnto the death and I will giue thee a Crowne of life Whatsoeuer patience layeth out for Christ Christ hath giuen assumpsit to repay an hundreth fold Mark 10.30 And the Lord takes speciall notice of it to approue and testifie vnto it Reuel 2.19 to the Church of Thyatira I know thy faith and patience that is I acknowledge and accept and commend it Thirdly patient bearing of trialls is a good argument wee are in the right way which is narrow and straite all strowed with crosses difficult and vnpleasing vnto flesh Act. 14.22 By many tribulations wee must enter into the Kingdome of God and hee shall not enter who will not be at the paines to seeke and finde and enter Fourthly it makes the whole life though afflicted yet comfortable Outward peace often turnes our good things into euill and hurtfull as Dauid in his peace and prosperity said that is craked and vaunted he should neuer be moued Psalm 30.6 But patient induring of affliction turnes all euils into good Be any thing neuer so euill in it selfe it is not so to thee but by thine owne default If thou hast patience so many crosses will be so many comforts Thou shalt sucke sweet out of sowre Misery cannot make thee miserable whose patience turnes all poysons into medicines Thou hast by thee a soueraigne remedy for all sores And in the end the issue is blessed and immediatly after the combate comes the Crowne 3. This serues to reforme our iudgements who are so ready to mistake the sufferings of godly men The world esteemes them most miserable that suffer most persecution as Christ himselfe in the dayes of his flesh was despised of men and therfore thought also reiected of God Esa. 53.3 4. But this Treatise hath declared that the better the person is the more is his suffering and the better the fruit the more need of patience Pauls worke was holy himselfe an happy man yet bonds and afflictions did abide him in euery place he was twice in prison before Nero and at last put to death by him Yea the more holy and innocent our Lord himselfe was the more heauenly and powerfull his doctrine and miracles the more was his suffering and so the more vse of patience that in him the Head we might see the estate of the members His fore-runner Iohn Baptist the friend of the Bride-groome and greatest of the Prophets was not his worke good in seeking to draw Herod from his Incest yet what was his wages but wrongfull imprisonment and at the suite of a dancing Damosell he was vniustly beheaded without course of Law What other fruits did the Apostles beare thorow the world but the sweet and comfortable light of grace both in their doctrine and conuersation And what other cup did they drinke but the cup of affliction persecution and death it selfe Now who dare conclude vs vnhappy for suffering who in suffering haue the same cause and such partners in our griefes who haue with vs the Head of the Church and the whole Church either going before or accompanying or following after vs 4. This teacheth vs not to be ashamed of the afflictions of the Gospell but to be willing partakers of the sufferings of Christ as Timothy is exhorted 2. Tim. 1.8 Heere is the patience and faith of the Saints Moses esteemed the rebukes of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt And as the sufferings of the Gospell are the wealth of a Christian so indeed a chiefe honour What needs Christ our witnesse who hath so many witnesses in heauen and earth Angels creatures yea diuels in hell But yet hee honoureth vs to giue testimony vnto him Quest. How may we willingly and patiently take vp the Crosse and indure the shame of our Profession as our Lord did Answ. By these meanes 1. Consider how inseparably the Lord hath ioyned persecution with the profession of the Gospell He might if it had pleased him haue seuered affliction from the Gospell but for sundry ends hath ioyned them together first for his owne glory who will erect and preserue a Church in the world in despight of the world and of the diuell and his wicked instruments Christ will rule and shew his power in the middest of his enemies Secondly hee will haue the light manifest it selfe by discouering and chasing away darknesse between which a continuall fight must be maintained Thirdly to stop the mouth of Satan who would accuse vs as Iob that we did not serue God but for ease and outward prosperity Now cleauing vnto God in so many trialls wee make the diuell a lowd lyer Fourthly to try his children who will abide with him in affliction and to make their rest sweet after so many conflicts c. Therefore wisedome will patiently beare what is hopelesse to auoyd 2. Consider we the goodnesse of our cause which is better than the best thing wee haue and this will incourage vs to defend it with the losse of the best thing wee haue Consider that Christ suffers with thee and that the Spirit of glory rests vpon thee Cast thy selfe vpon the hand of thy God as Hester saying If I dye I dye and his power shall bee perfected in thy weaknesse 3. Consider there is no cause wee should be ashamed of the afflictions of the Gospell 1. Nothing is a iust cause of shame but sinne not that which helpes vs out of sinne 2. There is no shame in witnessing to a truth especially a diuine truth from heauen 3. Christ was not ashamed of thy crosse and wilt thou bee ashamed of his 4. Compare thy shame now from wicked men with theirs at the day of Iudgement 5. All thy shame for
How to carry our selues to these thornes 6. Rules Heb. 13.16 Doct. Riches full of deceitfulnesse They deceiue men of 1. Gods Word 2. Their Religion 3. Their hearts 4. Sound iudgement Zech. 11.5 Act. 3.6 5 Of saluation Mat. 16.26 Riches deceiue by false promises of 6. things 5. Rules to preserue vs from the deceitfulnesse of riches 1. Esteeme them as they are indeed not as in mens esteeme 2. Take them from God For foure good ends Prou. 39. 3. Looke on them as receits 4. Looke beyond them on true and substantiall riches 1. Tim. 6.6 5. Pray for wisedome well to vse them The third sort of thornes are worldly pleasures All worldly pleasures not condemned 6. Reasons Doct. Earthly ioyes shrewd enemies to the Word and saluation Reasons 7. Non quae optima sed quae suauissima Iam. 4.1 Justi lib 1 Vse 6. Motiues disswading the pursuit of pleasures The vigill must goe before the holy-day the fast before the feast Dolor voluptas innicem cedunt Ereuior voluptas 4. Great dangers in worldly pleasures Aues vagae in easdem pedicas retiaque non incidunt Hieron Eccles. 11.9 Ita curandum corpus vt castiganauÌ„ 1. Cor. 9. vlt Gen. 47.9 Heb. 11.25 26. 7. Markes of a man in whom pleasures choke the Word Men vnder-value better pleasures fiue wayes Psal. 84.10 Exod. 5.4 17. The goodnesse of the giuer commends the gift â— Generall rules how to carry our selues thorow our pleasures 1. The person must be sanctified 2. The choyce for Matter Circumstances Kinde Non subtraâ—untur voluptates sed mutantur pijs August in Psal. 74. Ioy of Gods people is in 7. things Greg. 3. The manner of vsing our pleasure 1. Weanedly 2. Watchfully 3. Wisely August de ciuit Dei lib. 11. cap. 25. 4. Christianly 4. The season of pleasure Foure vnseasonable times for pleasure In Sabbato melius est arare quâm saltare 1. Cor. 12.26 5. The end of our pleasures Three ends which we must aime at in our pleasures Motiues thus to carry our selues through our pleasures Greg. Ioh. 15.1 Si debeo totum me pro me facto quid debeo pro me refecto Aug. Doct. Some ground which the Word falls vpon is good Reas. 1. 2 3 4 Act. 20.32 5 4. Comforts for a godly Minister who seemes to lose much labour Secundùm laborem non secundùm prouentum Not to looke what others doe but what our selues shuld doe The heart called good in two respects An honest hart why so called Doctr. Goodnesse of Hearers esteemed by goodnesse of heart Reas. 1. 2 Iam. 4.8 3 4 Caius Seius vir bonus sed Christianus 2. Meanes to attaine a good heart Graces required to a good heart are of 1. Action 2. Acceptation Creatio est motus à non ente simpliciter ad ens Ioh. 15.5 Pro. 20.9 Cant. 4.7 Ier. 17.9 Markes of a good hart reduced to 7. heads I. In respect of God a good heart hath 5. properties as 1. It desires neerer vnion with God 2. Seeketh him with the whole heart Ioh. 4.20 3. Standeth wholly to Gods approbation See Acts 20.33 Psal. 7.8 Psal. 37.6 1. Sam. 15.30 4. Resteth and reioyceth in God as his onely portion * Psa. 17.14 5. Aymeth directly at Gods glory in all his 1. Parts 2. Actions both 1. Naturall 2. Spiritual II. Jn respect of Christ a good heart hath fiue properties 1. Preferreth Christ aboue a thousand worlds 2. Reioyceth in Christ aboue all worldly ioyes Rom. 8.17 Phâ—l 3.21 3 Giueth it selfe wholly to Christ who hath giuen himsâ—lfe wholly to it Esa. 63.9 4. Prepareth a sweet roome in it selfe for Christ to dwell in 5. Conformeth it selfe wholly vnto Christ. 1. Ioh. 2.6 III. In respect of the Spirit of God 4. Kindes of notes of a good heart 1. Kinde spirituall assurance from 1. The witnesse of the Spirit 2. The first fruits of the Spirit 3. The seale of the Spirit 4. The earnest of the Spirit 5. The liberty of the Spirit 2. Cor. 3.17 Psal. 51.12 No bad hart euer attained any of these which no good heart is without Act. 19.2 Monendo mouendo remouendo 2. Sort of rules concerning the Spirit is for spirituall worship Ioh. 3.6 From Gods Spirit 1. Inspiring 2. Directing 3. Assisting Esa. 1.12 Psal. 51.17 â— Sam. 1.15 and from our spirits 1. Contrite â— Cheerful 3. Sincere 4. Feruent 1. Tim. 2.8 Act. 2.3 Mic. 6.7 3. Sort in spirituall Graces 5. Humiliation in respect of 1. God 2. It selfe 3. Other things Ps. 126.5 6 Signes of soundnes of humiliation 3. Heb. 4.13 Exod. 5.2 2. Jllumination for which a good heart labours for 5. reasons Acts 17.23 6. Markes of soundnesse of knowledge Ioh. 13.17 Christ the Author and matter of wisedome to a Christian Luk. 7.35 3. Grace Justification by sound faith which a good hart cannot want for 5. reasons Mark 6.5 6. Soundnesse of faith manifested by 6. markes Math. 5.6 Hab. 2.4 How faith gouerneth the life in 5. things Esa. 28.16 Gen. 22.8 Mark 9.24 1. Tim. 1.5 4. Grace sound peace 1. With God 2 With it selfe 3. With others Godly most peaceable yet none more troubled 4. Reasons Gal. 6.16 Wicked men without peace Esa. 57.21 5. Grace supplication No good heart without this grace 4. Reasons Psal. 65.2 Sound prayer tryed by the 1. Mouer 2. Matter 3. Manner Zech. 12.10 True manner of prayer in foure things Heb. 5.7 An euill heart cannot pray 1. Thes. 5.17 The fourth sort in spirituall growth Soundnesse of growth knowne by two things 1. Outgrowing of sinnes 2. Growing â— all 〈◊〉 especially in Humility See Col. 1.9 Faith Rom. 12.21 Patience Obedience 1. Thes. 5.22 Heauenly-mindednes 6. signes of it Reu. 21.17 2. Tim. 4.8 Only a good heart thus groweth Luk. 9.62 Reuel 2.5 Vers. 19. Beware of this ordinaâ—y fruit of Apostasie Markes of a good hart in respect of Gods Ordinances Eph. 4.4 5 1. It chuseth true Religion in the true 1. Causes 2. Effects Efficient Matter Deut. 4.2 Pro. 30.6 Reu. 22.18 Forme End 5. Effects of true Religion Religio à religando August 2. It Christianly imbraceth it in 1. Inward affections 1. Faith 2. Loue. Psal. 139.21 3. Joy 4. Constancy 2 Outward effects as 1. Promote it 2 Professe 〈◊〉 Act. 20.24 3. Adorne it Iam. 1.27 4. Suffer for it 5. Honoar the Professors of it How an euill heart carryeth it selfe in matter of Religion in 6. things Ioh. 7 48. Iam. 2.1 A good hart carefully imbraceth the ordinances of God 4. Reasons Cant. 2.9 Ioh. 4.24 Jt makes great conscience of the Word preached 3. Reasons Reu. 3.20 Ministerium Verbi vehiculum Spiritus 5. Speciall sauing graces wrought by the Word preached Act. 13.26 Conscionable hearing in fiue things 1. Pet. 2.2 An euill heart saileth fiue waies in hearing Ier. 6.17 2. Tim. 4.4 Psa. 50.17 Rom. 7.22 Numb 11.28 A good hart is very conscionable for the Sabbath 6. Reasons Mark 2.28 Heb. 4 3. 5. Properties of a good heart about the Sabbath 1. It remembers it
iudgement or bee deceiued with toyes still The iudgement of the world is cleane contrary to the iudgement of Gods Spirit who is so farre from calling them substance as that they are made non-ens a meere nothing Thirdly men call them profits but how vnprofitable are they 1. They profit not in grace but are step-mothers vnto it and therefore the poorest men are chosen to be richest in grace And generally are not the richest in wealth poorest in good workes poorest Christians 2. They profit not in the day of sicknesse Prou. 11.4 Riches auaile not in the day of wrath No money will buy the fauour of a wrathfull King nor buy out the paine of one tooth 3. They profit not in the day of death cannot buy one houre for repentance not a quarter of an houre to set the house in order 4. They profit not in the Day of Iudgement a whole world cannot buy out one sinne vnrepented of Lastly men call wealth gaine as if all were gaine that is gotten But 1. What is the gaine of an handfull of earth perhaps with the losse of the soule and heauen 2. Our Sauiour Christ who best knew what riches are opposâ—th them to the true gaine Luk. 16.11 12. Indeed if they could buy pardon of sin or merit eternall life or make a purchase of heauen as Papists teach vs then were they goods indeed and substance and profits and gaine but these titles which the Scriptures affoord them shew vs plainely how farre they be from such effects 2. Rule Take them from God in the right ends for which God hath reached them to thee Not to riot on lusts or imploy them as a furtherance to sin Not to lay them in thy heart a roome reserued for better purposes Not to make thee proud and swell thy heart to insult against others that haue not thy measure But for foure maine ends which the Lord intendeth 1. To exalt and aduance Gods mercy who hath giuen thee more than others being in thy selfe lesse than the least mercy and in way of thankfulnesse to honour God with thy wealth in vpholding his seruice and glory 2. For the necessary and honest sustentation of thy selfe and thy family in sobriety humility and moderation Thus Parents may lay vp for their children 3. For the common good to vphold the good estate of the Common-wealth in publike payments tributes taxes c. Rom. 13.6 4. For the reliefe of the poore members of Iesus Christ to bee rich in good workes to doe good and distribute 1. Timoth. 6.18 And thus to become as Iob fathers to the poore eyes to the blinde feet to the lame that the loynes of the poore may blesse vs. 3. Rule Consider seriously with thy selfe these three things Who thou art that hast receiued wealth What thou hast receiued And on what condition thou hast receiued First Who art thou that hast receiued wealth 1. Thou art not an Owner but a Steward the money and wealth is thy Masters thou must not hold it to thy selfe nor lay it out but at his appoyntment 2. Thou art not a Free-holder but a Tenant at will thou sittest not in thine owne but owest homage rent suit and seruice 3. Thou art not a Citizen but a stranger here in a strange Countrey If thy wealth were thy owne and might stay with thee yet canst not thou stay with it Secondly what hast thou receiued Goods thou sayest But I say Thy wealth is not good in it nature as not euill but in it selfe at the best indifferent and onely good in a good vse A worldlings goods are neuer goods till he come to dye for then they are set at liberty to doe others good though not himselfe They are not good to all men but to good men onely nor good further than they are seruants to a further good and helps to the chiefe Good euen God himselfe Thirdly on what condition hast thou receiued them Namely to be countable for them And what account can hee giue that hath defrauded both his Master and his fellow-seruants How dares a seruant bring that into accounts which hee hath spent on whores gaming drunkennesse Dice and Cards bolles and bowles contentions and friuolous suites of Law c Hence when at some time God calls the conscience to reckoning afore-hand that which was so sweet a morsell vpbraids him and is ready to choke him as Iudas and as the Prophet saith Ezek. 7.19 They shall cast their siluer into the streets and their gold shall be cast a farre off A worldly and wicked conscience once awaked shall wish the Master cast into the sea or vnder the bottome of the Mountaines so it might escape the account and reckoning 4. Rule Cast thine eye vpon true and substantiall riches First God in Christ is true riches what can be wanting to make a man fully happy who inioyes God as his portion Secondly Christ himselfe is the true Treasure in whom all treasures are hid and the Pearle for which the wise Merchant selleth all and Paul counts all but drosse and dung What a world of wealth is in the blood of Christ one drop of which redeemed a whole world How rich is his prayer and intercession Thirdly Godlinesse is the chiefe gaine that is the knowledge and profession of the Gospell this hath the possession of the rich graces of God Faith Loue Hope Patience Righteousnesse in comparison of which gold and pearles are but drosse Fourthly the Treasure of heauen is worth looking after Col. 3.1 To haue the conuersation in heauen Phil. 3.20 Sell all thou hast saith Christ and thou shalt haue treasure in heauen Now this wealth is vndeceiueable performes all that it promiseth contentment perfect freedome sound and stable peace fitnesse to doe good abundant and sure wages with continuance being a durable riches not left in earth but carried with vs to heauen not consumed with vse but increased And therefore was it so sought by the Saints Heb. 10.34 They ioyfully indured the spoyling of their goods because they knew they had in heauen a better and an induring substance The eager pursuit of these riches would soone and easily bring the other out of request 5. Rule Pray first for wisedome and vnderstanding to vse these things before thou prayest for the things themselues Pray first for goodnesse and then for goods For first they neuer become truly goods till grace make them so Secondly they are like wild beasts not more dangerous in keeping than in taking and must be well watched that we be not spoyled by them Thirdly this wisedome is promised to them that are good in Gods sight Eccles. 2.26 wisdome to prouide knowledge to vse and ioy in fruition or right vse To conclude this poynt If wee being to deale with a man in great matters were aduertised by a friend to looke well to ourselues because wee deale with a Cheater and one that hath deceiued almost all that euer dealt with him