sweetnes of present gaine for future promises a certainetie for an vncertaintie oâ— a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush With the drunkard he will plead wilt thou change thy merrie companie for such a sowre and joylesse life with the beginning Christian seest thou not all men generally goe another way seest thou not how many reproches what spight what contempt will meete thee in the face If thou takest that way never looke for good houre after all thy former credit and reputation is lost How many silly soules hath he strooke with these affrightings and drawen them head-long from their profession But if we laugh at those that are scared with a vizard how ridiculous to be amazed with such emptie shewes of evill Awake and open thine eyes and see the vanitie of these scar-crowes Thou loosest the pleasures of sinne true and is it not a pittifull thing for a swine to loose his tumbling in the mire Thou loosest thy sinfull profits and is this so woefull a matter to loose a milstone off thy necke when thou art now in a deep water Thou loosest thy credit friends no doubt a shrewd losse to misse his good word who is himself stark naught to lose a coÌ„panion who will bring us to the gallowes summe up thy losse thou shalt finde this is the totall thou loosest death and hell but what dost thou get nothing by this losse thou changest fading and stinking pleasures for the pleasuâ—es at Gods right hand thou changest earthly riches for heavenly reputation among men for the praise of God In a word thou changest vanitie and vexation of spiâ—it for sound and everlasting happinesse and even dung for Christ hee that winnes the whole world and looseth his owne soule makes but a fooles baâ—gaine and as Deborah sings Iudg. 5. 19. get no gaine of money If you tell a true Christian that he hath a great losse in forsaking Father Mother c. he will but pitty thy ignorance when he hath already in possession an hundred fold gaine beside the certaintie of an inheritance infinitely beyond his owne thought excellent Here may divers Christians take good occasion to chide and shame themselues in their own hearts when they looke upon their sloathfulnesse in the harvest of Christ Haue we felt the sweetnesse of Christ his yoke Haue we shaken off those not more heavy then loathsome chaines of Satan doe wee feele the ease of this heavenly libertie why then doe we not call on others and invite them Tast and see how gracious the Lord is When Christ hath taken us by the hand why doe wee not catch hold on others such especially as are neere us when hee draweth us why dâ—aw not wee those that are linked with us in kindâ—ed friendship acquaintance and pull them after Though the labourers reape and binde the sheaues yet even children gleane and gather some handfuls to carry home The Minister is the workman hiâ—â—d by God to gather in his harvest but the very weakest may by his helpe who delights to glorifie his power in infirmitie and ought in private to helpe forward and picke up some â—ooâ—e and straggling soules as God giues them opportunâ—tiâ—â— is he a faithfull servant to the Lord of the harvest who seeing a poore soule separated from the sheaues the Church of God lying as a prey to that Fowle of the ayre will not stretch forth his hand to take it up and bring it home Hath he any charitie who suffers a weake soule bound many yeares in the prison of Satan and pressed under the burden of sin to lie still kept downe with that hellish waight and puts not to his hand to raise it should'st thou see thine enemies oxe straying wouldst thou not driue him home Sawest thou thine enemies Asse fallen under his load would'st thou not heâ—pe him up if thou hast loue to man thou wilt if obedience to God thou must lend him thy helpe And what shall the beast of thine enemie be more precious in thine eye then the soule of thy brother Oh canst thou thinke thy best endevours too much for that for which thy Master the Wisedome of God thought not his best bloud too good Where is thy loue What I pray thee what can be the reason why thou a parent shouâ—d'st beat thy braines toile thy weary and wâ—ake body to inrich thy children traine them up in some serviceable qualities prefer them to great bountifull persons and yet bee altogether carelesse oâ— very cold to stocke them in grace to bring them up in instruction of the Lord fit and commend them to his service who is not onely ready to accept them but to giue them not a corruptible living but eternall life not a poore farme but a rich inheritance to instate them with himselfe in a Kingdome of glory What is the cause that being a Husband who from deare loue to thy wife canst purhase her a joynter whereby shee may liue comfortably when thou art dead canst not draw on thy yoke-fellow to this partnership with Christ Why is it that out of loue to thy brethren allies friends and acquaintance in the flesh thou canst cheerefully shew them all civill curtesies ride runne sue and worke out some good for them mourne with them in their sorrow rejoyce with them in their prosperitie and yet thou on earth worse then Dives in hell wilt never labour to prevent that they come not to that place of eternall torment The truth is the cause of this spirituall carelesnesse is want of spiritual loue and grace Christian loue expresses it selfe in Christian duties as naturall loue in civill offices had'st thou so much as one graine of heavenly loue rooted in thy heart it would spring bud and yeelde this true fruit of doing some good It is a propertie of goodnesse to bee communicatiue of it selfe which effect is as naturall to it as to fire to warme therefore God being infinite Goodnes and working infinitely communicates himselfe even personally to his creature namely to the humanitie of Christ and hath by him united all the Elect to himselfe to bee one with him through Christ. Thus is it with those children whom he hath begotten through the word of truth in his owne likenesse they being partakers of his divine naâ—ure cannot but communicate it with others so farre as they are able to work and diffuse it abroad to those with whom they converse as we heard before There is no signe then of grace in that heart which doth not pitty succour as it is able the soules of their brethren which are intangled in the snare of Satan Those are here deepely censured who stop their cares against the warning of God Come out from among them and separate your selues saith the Lord as first those wilfully blind soules who having devoted themselues to that whore of Rome will not open their eyes to see her filthy nakednesse so plainely discovered by God in
of the world thou Sonne of David haue mercie upon me If men discourage and rebuke thee dost thou so much more cry out thou Sonne of David haue mercie upon me throw away all impediments to come unto Christ that he may giue thee light Dost thou seeke for wisedome as for silver and search for it as for treasures what savour hast thou in spirituall things Is the loue of God to thee better then life Is his promise and word sweeter then honey or the honey-combe more precious then all riches Hast thou esteemed the word of his mouth more then thy appointed food Canst thou long for the house of thy God having chosen him the portion of thine inheritance dost thou rejâ—yce that the lines are fallen unto thee in pleasant places Know thâ—n flesh and bloud hath not wrought this in thee but thy Father which is in heaven Consider thy companie hast thou loved the Brethren Is thy delight in the Saints and them that excell Though thou art great canst thou abase thy selfe to bee a companion of all those that feare the Lord and keepe his precepts Canst thou hate those that hold of superstitious vanities and say away from me you wicked for I will keepe the Commandements of my God Is a vile person contemned in thine eyes but thou makest much of them that feare the Lord when thou chusest a companion of thy life canst thou thinke favour deceitfull and beautie vanity and take to thee a woman that feareth the Lord when thou art a Master dost thou set this as a law there shall no deceitfull person dwell in my house he that telleth lies shall not remaine in my sight Hee hath put the sword of Magistracie into thine hand wilt thou use it as this King Him that privily slandereth his neighbour will I destroy him that hath a proud looke and an high heart I cannot suffer mine eyes shall be upon the faithfull of the Land Then know who hath separated thee even that great Shepheard who hath given himselfe for our sinnes that he might deliver us from this present evill world But if it bee otherwise with thee know surely thou hast not yet set footing in this way of happinesse but art miserable poore blind and naked Now here come under reproofe all such who giue any ungodly counsell especially such as labour to withdraw any Christian either from following those good motions which are first cast into them by the Spirit in hearing the word or from the service and first loue wherewith they haue entertained the Gospell yet not all alike For some from weakenesse and unwarinesse being holy men are themselues ensnared by Satan made his instruments to bring on others Thus the brethren of Ioseph counselled and encouraged one the other to murther Iobs friends bent all their force to plucke away Iob from the fast hold he had laid on the Rocke by faith never discovering the Devill at the end of the rope Thus did Peter when he heard that bitter reproofe Goe behind me Satan and againe when he was rebuked by Paul for that dissimulation whereby many Iewes and Barnabas himselfe stept not with a right foot in the Gospell These may justly be blamed for keeping no better watch over Satans enterprises not more narrowly marking his fingers Thus now many Saints are circumvented by him To instance in some experienced example I haue knowne a soule beaten downe by the word of God and caused to see his sinne full of feare and trouble repaire to a faithfull Minister or Brother opens his heart to them and discovers his smarting wound they being cunningly handled by Satan begin to pittie his estate and out of compassion think it a great sin to persecute him whom God hath smitten ad sorrow to such as he hath wounded Hence setting aside the wine which would indeed cause some smart but purge the evill they strait powre in the oyle of all spirituall comfort and so dresse the wound that it is soon skinned but after breakes forth with far more griefe will aske much more time and labour to heale Whereas if they had first throughly searched ransacked the sore with the knife of circumcision and clensed it well with further reproofe they might perhaps haue made the orifice wider and the wound somewhat deeper but much more soone and soundly haue cured it But if these deserue some reproofe what rebuke can be whetted sharpe enough to rake those ulcerous soules which being themselues full of dead flesh infect and corrupt others by their rotten stench and putrefaction How hellish is the condition of that man whose heart is the maÌ„sion whose mouth is the very shop of the Devill where he forgeth those fiery darts whereby he assaulteth the faithfull and striketh through many a simple and unwarie soule Lamentable is it to see that many who from faith or feare to man detest to be traitors and dare not perswade a subject from loyaltie to his Prince yet without feare or shame will employ all their wit engines to withdraw a Christian from his allegeance and faithfull service to Christ. Many who will not a little scorn to be a Baud unto a man will ambitiously pandare for the Devill O let Baal plead for himself â— wilt thou entise a soule wedded ready to be bedded with Christ from his armes to the embraces of Mammon dost thou not feare that jealous God If jealousie be the rage of a man what is this jealousie of God but the divine indignation w ch will not spare in the day of vengeance he caÌ„not beare the sight of any ransom neither wil he rest contens though thou givest many gifts Secondly the fearefull Christian is to be rebuked who by vaine terrors bug-beares is driven from his station It hath beene an old Stratagem in war to set upon their beasts of carriage the Boyes Skuls w ch followed the Camp and to place them in fit distance so to distract the enemy terrifie him with vain numbers This was ever the slight of Satan though it be his continuall practise yet men seldome obserue it Hee sets before their eyes many scar-crowes losse of some things esteemed good and contrary evils Thus he deales with the Israelites and with the vaine shew of walled Cities and Giants makes them forget their Rocke and strong God of their salvation and fall into open despaire and rebellion Thus he deceived David himselfe a most expert wise Captaine in those spirituall battels after he had committed adulterie he sets before his eyes shame and losse of reputation and with this idle shew driues him into two foule sinnes first to make Vriah drunke then to murther him Thus he assaulted Moses with losse of treasures pleasures of AEgypt the Kings anger c. And thus frights he many in our times To the covetous he suggests what will you leaue the
a strong witnesse for it The grounds or reasons may bee first in God his infinite grace which opens a posterne vnto his favour for those that unfainedly returne unto him and forsake their evill wayes hee covers all their past rebellions and imputeth not sinne unto them Secondly in the Prophet his knowledge of Gods goodnesse as well by an outward and ordinary revelation in the word as by an inward experience in himselfe He had walked in some counsels of the ungodly but yet considering his wayes and turning his feete into the testimonies of his Lord he found mercy and favour The Prophet therefore first knowing blessed is the man whose wickednesse is forgiven to whom the Lord imputeth no sinne Secondly being assured by an infallible and inward experience that when we hide not our iniquitie but acknowledge and confesse our sinnâ— the Lord forgiveth the punishment and compasseth such about with joyfull deliverance upon these grounds builds this certaine truth that the man is blessed who although he haue walked in the counsell of the ungodly yet being reproved stands not in the way of sinners but turnes his feet into the old and good way Gather hence first these instructions Instruction 1. The heart of man as it is in nature is not onely prone to evill but resolute in it resisting all meanes of recalling and hating to be reformed See Psal. 50. 17. Rom. 2. 5. Men will harden their hearts and make them as an Adamant Zechar. 7. 12. and by no meanes will yeeld to God in his word Some perhaps will object wee may see many wicked men of better temper then so Thus Rehoboam obeyed the word of the Lord by the Prophet Semajah Thus Amaziah hearkened to the voice of God and sent away the Israelites and Herod heard the word gladly reverenced the Preacher of it and did many things But we must know that the action of God bending men to subjection may be double either by a common grace of restraint or particular of the sanctifying Spirit Thus the Lord workes in Heathens I kept thee that thou should'st not sinne against mee bowing them to some kind of yeelding to some parts of his will for the good of the faithfull peace of the Church and other ends best knowne to his wisedome Secondly he plants obedience of faith in his children and brings their wills and affections under the yoke of Christ creating in them a new heart and conforming them to the divine nature But when both of these are wanting doe but obserue how men rush into all impietie breaking thorow all lets never regarding threatnings of the Law of God promises of the Gospell shame of men their own future or present good or hurt no better then mad men worse indeed then bruit beasts CoÌ„sider Pharaoh God coÌ„maÌ„ds him to let his people go serue him he defies God questioÌ„s who he is he sees divers miracles but is moved nothing at all At length his owne Inchanters tell him this is the finger of God hee relents not hee sees himselfe annoied with vermine and his Countrey destroyed yet will not stoope his owne servants intreat him to dismisse them yet still he refuseth when he was compeld to seeke vnto God by Moses and promises obedience no sooner had he rest but instantly breakes promise and furiously threatens Moses At length when affrighted with instant feare death and horâ—our he was enforced to thrust them out of his Land yet presently after he aâ—meth all AEgypt to fetch them backe againe and perisheth but yeeldeth not But he was an Heathen looke then to Professours God shewes the Iewes by a palpable demonstration that they were in his hand as clay in the Potters they deny it not hee cals them to repentance and tels them a plague else was neere them they speake desperatly surely wee will walke after our owne imaginations and doe euery man after the stubbornesse of his wicked heart The Prophet still followes them with admonition they acknowledge him a Prophet a Priest a Wise-man yet obstinately conspire against him and against the word Haue not wee such liue among us Yes thousands of swearers drunkards covetous who stand out against God his word their owne conscience their owne good and happines and scorne all stoppage Neither is there any meanes without the power of God concurring and working with it which can prevaile Are they smitten they fall away more and more they breake out to blasphemie but mend not Are they kindly intreated and waged with blessings The fatter they grow the more they kicke Deut. 32. 15. Seing man is not onely borne in sinne but bred in iniquitie there is now no way left him to come forth unto a blessed estate but onely by the path of repentance turning the heart to God and becomming a new creature See Luk. â—3 3.5 Vnlesse you repent you shall all likewise perish All men naturally are going in the broad way to destruction All haue sinned and are deprived of the glory of God This broad way therefore must bee forsaken and we must entet into that narrow tract if we meane to attaine a blessed estate Certainely as the Israelites could not enter into the Land of promise till those Rebels were consumed among them so till these cursed affections which by continuall rebellion labour to vexe the Spirit begin to die and drop away from us we are not fit to enter into the Kingdome of God Those Galileans whose bloud was mingled with their sacrifices and those who perished by the fall of the tower in Siloam were no greater sinners then others hence that woe pronounced to those vnrepentant sinners Hence our baptisme wherby we are entred into the Covenant of grace is called the baptisme of repentance and as Iohn the Baptist so also Christ begins his sermons The Kingdome of God is at hand repent and beleeue the Gospell Nothing is availeable to this end but the new creature neither iâ—deed can we be in Christ till we are newly created and moulded For repentance is that saving grace of God whereby we are changed and become other men altogether contrary to our former estate The word of God is as a mould in which the image of Christ is liuely graven by the finger of the Spirit into which when the holy Ghost hath cast us we are transformed into the same fashion Read and consider well that similitude where the Gospell is compared to a mirrour in which beholding the image of the Lord we are transformed into the same likenesse The first alteration is in the mind from darkenesse to light Before so perverse in our judgement that wee esteemed spirituall even Gods wisedome as folly but after this new birth we discerne in this folly for so foolish men count and call it no lesse then a divine and heavenly wisdome The second change is
God w ch is the nourishment of the new man is both ministred and received neither in frequency or quantitie as the corporall One meale or two a weeke and even then we are dull of hearing yet further there are many impediments as in the earthly so in the heavenly growth without the Fowle of the Ayre those cursed Spirits hindâ—ing by all meanes and snatching like Harpies our food from our mouths within thornes and briars and heart too hard at the softest These are great impediments to our spirituall growth but this is sure that we shall grow A Palme the more it is pressed the more it will spread itselfe 3. He that thus with delight meditates in Gods word shall not onely be fruitfull in grace but in glory also compare Iohn 17. 8. with the 22. verse of the same chapter The same is confirmed by all those places of Scripture which pronounce the man blessed who heares the word of God and keepes it for the blessednesse of man consists in this glory which God vouchsafeth his chosen And although we are in some measure blessed who in this life enjoy the favour and presence of God dwelling in them yet could this be dividâ—d from the other that estate were not compleatly blessed and indeed the very end why God giues his word to man is not to lead him some part of the way but to bring him home to himselfe and to goe along with him till he be perfected Ephe. 4. 11. 13. But the perfection of man consists especially in this glorious estate the full happinesse of man stands in being as like unto God as his nature will permit like in soule by a perfect holinesse like in body by being conformed to the body of Christ. This condition wee obtaine by the word which even here for the present begins to forme our soules to this image and every day more and more renewes us after the same Image Lastly see here that fulnesse of happinesse which we receiue in the new Covenant by the blood of Christ namely that great priviledge of the faithfull that they shall never fall from this blessed estate into which they are entred by the word of God but shall continuâ— and increase till they attaine that perfeâ—t and endlesse beatitude This perseverance as it is here more obscuâ—ely figured out by the leafe never fading so is it else-where frequently cleered and more plainely expressed then can with any face be denied Of many places I will chuse out some few yet suâ—ficient to perswade such as will not bee contentious Such as be planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of our God they shall bring forth fruit in old age they shall bee fat and flourishing to shew that the Lord is upright and faithfull Where the Prophet doth not onely in vâ—ry plaine words aâ—firme this truth but giues an excellâ—nt râ—ason of it So likewise Psal. 125. 1. and 84. 7. Againe the way of the righteous shineth as the light that shinâ—th more and more untill the perfect day So the Prophet setteâ—h downe this continuance as a diffâ—rence betweene the old and new Covenant He that heareth my word and bâ—leeveth in mee hath everlasting life and shall not come into condemnation and againe My sheepe heare my voice and follow mee and I giue them everlasting life and they shall never perish I haue ordained that you should bring forth fruit and that your fruit should remaine Many such places might be alledged but these are sufficient for those that loue the truth The foundation also of this perseverance upon which the Spirit in the Scripture layes it will further confirme it For 1. it is the condition of the Covenant made in Christ see Esay 59.21 2. God is faithfull and upright and able to make it good Psal. 92. 15. so Heb. 10.23 and Iohn 10. 28. 29. They must be plucked out if ever they come out of his hands 3. The intercession likewise of Christ as for Peter Luke 22. 32. so for all the faithfull Rom. 8. 34. Now he is ever heard Ioh. 11.42 This perseverance in the new Covenant purchased for us by the blood of Christ is a most glorious prerogatiue of the faithfull beyond any thing in their creation then had they life given and immortalitie but not setled upon them onely promised and that upon a condition which they might and soone did breake But in this are we wonderfully happy that God hath in Christ given and sealed to us everlasting life which therefore cannot faile because it is no longer in us but in him Had wee chosen him our sickle nature might soone haue repented and gone backe but he hath chosen us who cannot repent Had our life beene layd up in us we should quickly haue lost itâ— but it is layd up with Christ in God where no thiefe can digge through or steale where it cannot corrupt Looke as it is with children that are heires yet under-age and their parents living they cannot bee cheated of their inheritance nor make it away because the right is in another so the children of God haue no other right to Gods Kingdome but by Christ and their right being in him cannot be lost To Adam was given saith Augustine power to persevere if hee would but not will to doe what hee might but to us who are grafted in by faith is given both will and power to persevere But some perhaps will say if a man cannot fall from this grace then although wee should shake off all feare and care of God wee should still continue in his favour Nay this doctrine say the Papists and others opens a wide gate and intiseth us to all sinfull libertie No such matter For 1. God therefore hath not given us power of continuance that we might be without his feare but therefore put into us his continuall feare that we might continue Wee could not liue in him without his feare therefore that we might for ever liue in him he puts such a feare into our hearts which might wedge us fast and bind our inconstant hearts in his Covenant especially let us obserue that not the gifts onely but the very person of the holy Ghost abides with the faithfull as an earnest of our inheritance untill the redemption of the purchased possession Now the blessed Spirit is not onely to the faithfull a seale and earnest fully to assure and make over to them the heritage of glory but he is there a Lieger for Christ holding possession for him and keeping us for him untill comming Even as a seale in Covenant or earnest is not onely an assurance to mee of the buyars good intent meaning but a fast bond to assure him his bargaine 2. Is there nothing to maintaine this godly feare but losse of glory will onely dis-inheriting affright an ingenuous châ—ld nay the very frownes of his Father and feare of chiding much more severer correction will hold him