the City of God which St Peter cals 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Pet. 5. 4. an immarcessible crowne of glory then thou would'st be transform'd into another manner of man thy tongue will be toucht with a coale from the altar Thy language wouâ—d bewray thee to be a denizon of Canaan thy love joy and hope would be alienated from the world and wholy center upon God who is the love joy and hope of thy soule Were there no future reward of godlinesse the beauty that is in it selfe is more amiable and desiderable then all the Kingdomes of the world and the glory of them What Cleopatra said Cleopatra to Marcus Antonius It 's not for you to be a fishing for small fish but for townes forts and castles And so for those who have the beames of Gods reconcil'd countenance darted into their soules who have a spirituall acquaintance and a sacred communion with the great â—â— God of Heaven and Earth It 's not for them to be trading for meane things for the trash and pelfe of this miserable world but their spirits must aspire unto great things eternall life v. Fox Martyr de Edvardo primo glory and immortality even the price of the high calling that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. It 's story'd of Edward the first that he had a vehement desire to goe to Jerusalem but being prevented by death he gave in charge on his death-bed that his sonne should convey his heart thither and for that purpose he left a great Masse of mony so the Saints though their bodies are not in Heaven yet their hearts are there and their conversation is above though their bodies are here below O that my words might make a firme impression upon your consciences that you would put the highest price upon godlinesse and account it your honour and preferment whilst others labour for corne and oyle and joyne house to house for the perpetuating of their memories let me perswade you to labour for the riches of faith and the riches of Christ that you may be rich in holinesse and may be truly noble by the divine image stamp't upon your soules you that are cald to be Gods Embassadours his mouth to his people how dare ye chuse rather to be schollars to Pythagoras then to Christ by affecting a stupendious silence you that have tooke upon you the charge of soules doe not O doe not maintaine your bravery by the price of blood The time will come when it will be said sheapheard give accompt of the flock committed to thy charge When Andrew shall come in with Achaia by him converted to the saving knowledg of the faith John with Asia Thomas with India Peter with the Jewes and Paul with the Gentiles where then shall the idol shepheard appeare will such an Apology hold I could not brooke the rusticity of the people it would be a crushing of my hopes of preferment if I should spend my spirits upon such illiterate men But how darest thou deny thy breath to those poore soules for whom Christ powred out his pretious blood out of his veines My hearts desire is that all men in place of quality would herein anticipate authority and feed their flocks themselves and labour to approve themselves workemen not to be ashamed not handling the word of God deceitfully Happy were it for us if we could keep a Parliament within our selves and save them a labour by setting upon the worke of reformation every man in his own soule and conscience Hee 's the best Critick who makes a Critica Sacra upon his own heart who labours to understand the Errata of his own life and to wipe them out with the spunge of Godly sorrow Whilst we have an heart and a heart a heart for God and a heart for Mammon whilst worldly pompe and high place come in competition with the glory of God so that we would gladly carry a faire correspondence on both sides if these be our humours we can never 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 walke with a right foote in the waies of godlinesse When thou flatterest thy heart on this wise O if I shone in an higher sphere if I had such and such a place of dignity I should then labour to bring more glory to God thou colludest with thy conscience and art not acquainted with thy selfe-deceiving-spirit how higher places might cause greater precipices If thou art not qualifi'd for the present condition I feare thou wilt be more unfit to manage another This is an hard lesson which I inculcate what shall the wise man deny his wisdome the honourable man his honours the rich man his riches we say t is a strong stomack that can digest much honey so it 's a strong spirit that is not overcome with the sweetnesse of much prosperity It 's a true signe that the Eunuchs were on Jehues side when they cast down Jezebell who had painted her face in pompe and glory so when the world comes in its harlots dresse and inticeth us to all manner of impurity if we can lend a deafe eare unto its syrenicall inchantments if we can bid defiance unto its bewitching allurements this is an argument that we set our faces towards Heaven that we seek a citty which is above whose maker is the Lord of Hosts In the second place I le adde a few directions how we should Use 2 1. For Direction doe to slacken our pursuit after great things and get our hearts estrang'd from them 1. For direction amongst many I shall only advise you to these foure things 1. Labour for a contented mind 2. Learne to deny your selves 3. Study the vanitie of the creature 4. Be acquainted with the fulnesse that is in Christ 1. You must labour for contentation of spirit It 's a lesson worth Dâ—rect 1. Labour for acontented mind the learning Phil. 4. 11. I have learned in what state soever I am therewith to be content what 's the reason that the ambitious never ceaseth climbing the covetous never ceaseth scraping the Epicure never ceaseth swallowing but because he is not contented with his present condition No life to a contented mind it accounts its poore cottage a kingdome it accounts its gleanings a granary its russet beyond all the rufflings in silk and sattin satis est divitiarum nihil amplius velle So Quintilian This is reckned by Seneca Quintil. Orat. 13. Seneca de vita beatâ Solum certe Beatum Cortina Aglium judicavit qui in angustissmo Arcadiae pauperis soli Dominus nunquam egâ—essus paterni Cespitis Teâ—minos invenitur Jul Sol. Polyhist amongst his beatitudes beatus est praesentibus qualiacunque sunt contentus amicusque rebus suis He indeed is a happy man who is contented with his present condition whatsoever it be Imagine thy present condition to be that which is allotted unto thee by God and that best which he in wisdome sees most convenient for thee this was Agars prayer Prov. 30. 8.
ten thousand pounds for a good conscience nay all his estate riches c. but all these cannot bribe death to stay one minute longer nor can they all make any atonement for the soule Riches honours c. are not a suitable proportionable price sor these are materiall and corruptible the soule immateriall and incorruptible and between these there 's no proportion Thirdly The price paid to redeem our soules is infinitely superlatively more worth then millions of worlds what 's that see 1 Pet. 1. 18. The soul was redeemed with the price of bloud even of him who was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not one soule saved any other way not the richest in the world nor the poorest can come any other way to heaven but by Jesus Christ The soule of the poorest saint though his person be trampled on by the world is bought by so great a price as the effusion of the bloud of Jesus Christ Hence it evidently appeares that the soul is more worth then the world Christ died not for the world he prayed not for them John 17. 9. but he died for his own whom his father had given him out of the world O Consid 2. Jesus Christ alone and the graces of his spirit can adorne the soule pretious heavenly-born-being soule 2ly It 's Jesus Christ alone the graces of his spirit that can beautifie enrich and adorne the soule Aske a covetous Mammonist where lies his riches he 'll tell you in such a stock of cattell such lands revennues gold silver c. Aske a child of God where are his riches he 'll tell you his riches are in Christ his treasures are in heaven his high place and preferment is in his fathers house Aske your stately Gallants whâ—re their ornaments are They will shew you their necklaces and bracelets of pearles their Diamond-Rings Gorgeous apparrell But what 's all these to the soule The soule is not beautified with golden chains costly raiment pretious jewels I le tell you of a chaine of pearls which will adorne your soules and enrich you more then all the pretious gemmes the Universe can afford read 2 Pet. 1. 5. Ps 45. 13 14. Ezek. 16. 9 10 11 c. Thou mayest be rich in the world yet poor in grace thou mayest have a beautifull face and a polluted soule goodly brave stately apparrell and a foule rotten conscience outward beauty inward deformity fair without foule within Now Christ his graces can alone make thy soule beautifull His graces are the best ornament and therefore beseech him to beautifie thy soule and to adorne thee with faith love and the rest of the Graces of his spirit Thirdly Consider God out of the riches of his free grace and mercy Consid 3 God puts a price into our hands to improve for our souls puts a price into your hands by the Gospell dispensations which he expects you should improve for the best advantage of your soules Force not the Lord to complaine as Prov. 17. 6. you have sermon upon sermon Manna falls frequently round about your tents will you not stir out of your doores to gather it you have the ordinances frequently dispensed amongst you you have bread in the morning and bread in the evening many occasionall sermons All these helpes and meanes are afforded by God for the good of your soules you have publick assemblies continued your eyes behold your teachers you enjoy Sabbaths dayes of humiliation dayes of thankesgiving wherein Gods keeps open market for the good of your soules and it s your duty to husband them all for the eternall welfare of your soules The Spirit knocks at your hearts by the sermons you hear by all the mercies you enjoy to take care of your pretious soules The salvation of your soules is the intention and end of all our preaching It 's the only designe we have upon you to win you to Jesus Christ all the Ordinances are the food of your soules to keep your soules in heart the sabbaths are the market of your souls you have soule-fatting Ordinances Oh take heed lest a leanenesse enter into your soules The markets will not alwaies last the shops will not alwayes be open now come and buy wine c. Improve the Sabbaths Sermons all your Gospel-opportunities for the eternal benefit of your soules Fourthly Consider This present time of life whilst you are in this Consid 4. This is the present time to regard our soules world is the only season and opportunity offered to make provision for your pretious soules see John 9. 4. This is the time to worke out your salvation in as Phil. 2. 12. The time of seeking God Isa 55. 6. This is the time of working the worke of faith the labour of love and patience of hope 2 Thes 1. 3. This is the time of making our peace and reconciliation with God Now we presse upon you the Doctrine of reconciliation 2 Cor. 5. 20. If thou livest and diest in an unregenerate and unreconciled estate to God thou wilt remaine so even to all eternity Now thou must run otherwise thou shalt never obtaine now thou must fight the good fight of faith otherwise thou shalt never obtain the end of thy faith the salvation of thy soule Now thou must wrestle otherwise thou wilt never obtein the blessing Now thy peace must be made whilst thou art on this side hell otherwise it will never be made hereafter There 's no time for purgation in another world for perfecting thy faith and hope this time of life is the seed time and according as a man soweth so shal he reape This time of life is a time of working in heaven there will be a resting from our labours As therefore thou tendrest the eternall welfare of thy soule whilst thou hast life breath space opportunity whilst thou art on this side the grave on this side of eternity set seriously upon the businesse of greatest weight and consequence to make thy peace with God to make thy calling and election sure that so when death separates thy soule from thy body nothing may be able to separate it from the love of Jesus Christ Consid 5. This present life is but for a moment Fifthly Consider This present life is but for a moment and upon this moment depends eternity The longest life is but a moâ—ent if compared with eternity and this moment is a short moment compared in Scripture to bubbles vapours spans weavers shuttles flowers things of shortest continuance And this moment is a shortning moment each day each hour each minute shortneth thy life and makes thee nearer eternity each step thou treadest is a step nearer thy Grave each moment thou breathest is a drawing on to thy home And further this moment when once past is irrecoverable all the world cannot call back one minute of time and when this little inch and moment of time is past thou shalt be in eternity in that condition which is unalterable as long
God and Selah shall be put to the end of each prayse Their spirits shall be raised and fitted for that great imployment Their work will be their delight for ever to sing Hallelujahs unto him that sitteth upon the throne and to the Lamb for ever more Thankfulness runneth parallel with the longest line of eternity It 's the language of militant saints on earth and of triumphant in heaven to celebrate the praises of God and blesse his name Praise is comely It 's both good and pleasant to express the praises of God Eternity it selfe will be too little to speak forth the pralses of God 4. This imployment shall be in our Fathers house When once 4. This employment shall be in our Fathers house we come to Heaven we have fixed mansions never to be removed There we shal not sing the songs of Zion in a strange land but in our fathers house Oh! how sad a reproach was it when the men of Babylon tauntingly called upon the children of Israel sing one of the songs of Zion v. Psa 138. 1 2 3 4. 5. And lastly Glorified Saints shall keep an eternal Sabboth in Heaven They shall have but one Sabboth in eternity but that 5. Glorified Saints shall keep an Eternal Sabboth in Heaven shall be continued and never cease And in that Sabboth there shall be no tediousness Their spirits shall be suited for the greatness of that imployment There shall be no intermission nor interruption But there shall be one continued strain one constant act of glorifying God to all eternity There will be no complaining of double duties of wearysomeness of the flesh there shall be no tireing of the spirits In this Paradise all the spirits of the Saints shall for ever be fresh and green There shall be no decay of strength abilities and fitness for such high imployments Now put all these things together consider what we are freed from and what we get by this future condition of glory who of understanding would not be in love with these things who is there that hath but once tasted that would not desire to drink deeper of these rivers of pleasure Who is there that knoweth what an excellent life that is which is to come that would not study enquire and labour to get assurance of it And yet this is the madness and folly of the men of the world that preferre dross before gold the transient base things of the world before the pretious treasures of eternity What now remains but that I should set all home in an Usefull Use Of Exhort Application and so at present dismisse you Men Fathers and Brethren suffer the word of Exhortation to make it your business inquiry and care to make sure of your eternal condition O eternity eternity This word eternity should ly upon our hearts it should be in our frequent serious thoughts and in our retired meditations In our conversings with men in the world the consideration of eternity should abide upon us In our studies let us study for eternity It was a boasting speech of a Painter that said Aeternitati pingo I am sure we ought to study and drive our designes for eternity We should so improve our time husband our talents and so lay out the gifts and graces which God gives us as we may take comfort therein to all eternity O! that men addicted to pleasure would consider that all the pleasures of sin are bitter sweets And for all these things God will bring them to judgement Eccles 11. 9. And what Will yee be such fooles as for a few paultry vaine pleasures to hazard your immortal pretious soules unto all eternity O! that covetous Mammonists would take the consideration of eternity into their thoughts Wherefore doe you spend your mony for that which is not bread Isai 55. 2. How greedily doe men graspe riches how doe they make hast to be rich and put both their hands and both their shoulders to purchasse great estates and never think they have enough like the horse leaches daughter crying still give give And all this while they set their hearts upon perishing things upon that which is not v. Prov. 23. 4 5. But eternity cometh not into their thoughts Transient riches take up their thoughts heart all but eternal riches a durable substance is no whit regarded There is a sad example of that miserable rich fool of whom you may read Luk. 12. 19 20 21. O! that all dissemblers and hypocrites would lay the thoughts of eternity to heart How many dissemble and bely their consciences and pretend one thing openly when as they intend another secretly Their hearts give their lips the ly Did these consider of another world of an everlasting estate either in happiness or misery surely they durst not baffle their consciences and turne any way for temporary advantage and in the mean time wound their consciences Questionless if eternity was more in our thoughts we should be better in secret we should pray with more faith and fervency and be more watchful over our hearts more conscientious in all our carriages Did we entertain in our hearts the frequent thoughts of eternity we should be better in our capacities and relations better masters and servants better parents and children better husbands and wives It was the Motto of Meursius a learned man Aeternitateâ— cogita Did we think of eternity we should not be so loath to lay out our selves for God did we consider often how fraile our life is as a vapour a bubble swifter then a weavers shutle swifter then an arrow out of a bow swifter then a post then a thought Certainly we should not then be so hardly entreated to labour in Gods vineyard Did such who are intrusted with the inspection of others consider of the account they must give in another life they durst not neglect those Depositums the parents choycest jewels committed to their trust and excuse themselves with a distinction per se per alium which in eternity will prove an unsound rotten distinction and will not in the least helpe them out who eat the bread of idleness If this consideration of eternity were in the tradesmans thoughts hee durst not vend sophisticated waâ—es and couzen in his trade as if in his trade a mystery of over-reaching were tolerable O miserable gaine to be penny wise â—nd pound foolish to get a little petty profit in the trade and in the mean time adventure the losse of an immortal soul for ever Behold Brethren we all stand at the dore of eternity Thousands of diseases casualties molestations may dispatch us and send us to our long home Here lieth our great wisdome and understanding in making timely provision for our eternal condition This should be oâ—â— study this should be our inquiry to aske what means must we use to inherit eternal life What must we doe to be saved How must we make our peace with God Yet a little while and our soules shall be separated from our bodies Yet a little while and grisly death the
in their greatest estate and confluences yet in comparison of Christ he sets upon them this brand of infamy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Luther had such high esteeme of Christ and such a regard unto precious soules as he professeth satius est conturbari Lutheri loc com Adveniat verbum Dei adveniat et si sexcentum habuissemus ora cisummitteremus omnia Baldassar Minist Germ. Acts 17. 34. collidi totum terrarum orbem quam Christum non praedicari c. Baldassar Minister of Germany profest Let the Word of God come let it come if I had 600 necks I would submit unto it T is verified by experience what Luther was wont to say Praedicare verbum Dei nihil aliud est quam derivare in se furorem totius inferni satanae Yet God in his wisdome hath ordained this for a medium to convert soules And where the word of God is preached in sincerity the messengers meete with the same entertainment as Paul at Athens though some mocked and accounted him a babler yet others cleaved unto him Here then my Brethren is a point of wisdome to follow the example of Christ his Apostles and servants It was their wisdome to beget soules unto God It was their principall businesse according to their commission to open their eyes to turne them from darknesse unto light and from the power of Satan unto God Acts 28. 18. Goe you and doe likewise It 's a sound glosse upon the text Ex his colligitur c. Hence we gather wherein consists the Cartwright in locum true praise of Ministers not in others applauding of them and setting forth their parts but here 's their wisdome and knowledg indeed in converting soules unto God So judicious Carthwright 2. I proceed to the other demonstration 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Here my taske 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Why it is so Arguments will be in laying downe some Arguments for confirmation of the truth The Arguments I 'le cast into 4 heads 1. In respect of God 2. In respect of the Object 3. In respect of the worke And 4ly In respect of the reward Arg. 1. In respect of God 1. In respect of God God hath a tender care of his own glory and this must be the end of the whole creation And above all the reasonable creature must act in every thing for the attainment of the last end the glory of God Now wherein is God more glorified then in the conversion of soules It s said John 15. 8. Herein is my Father glorified that ye beare much fruit And amidst variety of good fruit this is one of the most sweet and acceptable to God to pluck a sinner out of the Devils snare and convert him to Jesus Christ And this should be the sole end and designe of every one that enters into the Ministeriall function to promote the glory of God in saving of their own soules and those that heare them when this end is first in thine eye and accompanied with a consciencious sedulity in the exercise of the meanes thou mayest expect the blessing of God crowning thy endeavours with good successe And such a person is a man of wisdome who is so highly honoured by God as to be an instrument to convert but one soule unto God Arg. 2. In respect of soules The second Argument is in respect of the object soules and that rationall soules endowed with noble faculties the understanding and the will the very breath of God Gen. 2. 7. The peculiar creation of God not ex traduce not by propagation it 's God that formeth the spirit of man within him Zech. 12. 1. And God is terminus a quo ad quem both Eccl. 12. 7. The spirit shall returne unto God that gave it The soule is immateriall and spirituall a Heavenly borne being not made of the earth as the body was but infused by creation and created by infusion and though the body moulder into A nima creando infunditur insundendo creatur Aug. dust and see corruption yet the soule runs parallel with the longest line of eternity Men and Divels banding together cannot kill the soule And hereupon against perplexing feares and cares Christ gives a seasonable caution Matth. 10. 28. Feare not them which kill the body but are not able to kill the soule but rather feare him which is able to destroy both body and soule in Hell Now then in the third place in respect of the excellent work Arg. 3. In respect of the wâ—râ—e employed upon so noble an object as an immortall soule the wisdome of the worker will be more enhaunc't We must know that God is the sole efficient cause of the salvation of a sinner man onlyan instrument subservient to Gods commands To preach pray conserre meditate is the Ministers duty but the successe is the work of God We are earthen vessels encompassed with infirmities men of like passions but in the weaknesse of the instrument the strength of God more eminently appeares and God works by weake meanes men of meane presence and low esteeme amongst men that no flesh may glory â—n his presence and all the honour may redound to God But the Lord had never any speciall service but he raised up persons of suitable spirits for the performance of it Bezaleel and Aholiab were filled with wisdome for building of the tabernacle God raised up the spirits of Ezra Nehemiah Haggai Zacharie Zerubbabel for the reedifying of the temple And now adaies God raiseth up men of heroicall spirits both of the Magistracy and Ministry to carry on the worke of reformation both in Church and State maugre all the hostile oppositions plots and projects of Sanballats and Tobiahs even all Jesuiticall Malignantfactions which are the Pests and Gangrenes of the kingdome Remora's and obstructions of reformation That prophesy doth afford many hopes against in any feares Dan. 9. 25. The street shall be built againe and the walls in troublous times Thus then I argue To conquer potent enemies to subdue places of great strength and reduce them to outward obedience is an argument of wisdome in the conquerours but to subdue unruly affections to conquer mens spirits to winne soules unto Christ this must be a higher piece of wisdome indeed 4. And lastly In respect of the reward the excellency of this wisdome shines forth more clearly He that gaines a soule doth Arg. 4. In respect of the reward an excellent worke so James sets it forth James 5. 19 20. Brethren if any one of you do erre from the truth and one convert him let him know that he which converteth a sinner from the errour of his way shall save a soule from death and shall hide a multitude of sins The very worke it selfe is sometime counted a reward the work and the reward are used assynonymous termes Isay 49 4. Yet surely my judgmâ—nt is with the Lord and my work with my God And besides no man
Christ highest when we live to him and the life of Christ is fashioned in us when Christs image is stamp't upon our spirits when we square our lives according to the will of God when we set up Christ commander in chiefe in our soules its evident that we exalt Christ and set the highest price of him The second Query is Whether we are willing to deny our selves 2 Query Are we willing to denie our selves for Christ Who ever will come after Christ must deny himselfe Matth. 16. 24. What ever is selfe must be denied for Jesus Christ Selfe opinions selfe applaudings selfe reasonings selfe righteousnesse selfe interest Ends and Aymes must all be renounced for Jesus Christ A proud man must denie his proud selfe A passionate man must denie his passionate selfe A schollar must deny his learning a wise man his own wisdome a strong man his strength All must be denied when they stand in competition with or opposition unto Jesus Christ One querie more I 'le propound and it is very seasonable Are you willing to undergoe any affliction to suffer any hardship for Jesus 3 Query Are we willing to suffer for Christ Christ As a man must deny himselfe so he must take up hiscrosse The Apostle tels the Philippians Phil. 1 29. To you it is given in the behalfe of Christ not onely to believe on him but also to suffer for his sake A suffering faith is the gift of God Are you resolved to take Christ upon his own conditions Will you follow the lamb where ever he goeth through thick and thin even through a showre of blood when you are called thereunto Elihu makes it the marke of an Hypocrite Job 36. 21. to choose iniquity rathâ—r then affliction Whereas when it comes to this Dilemma either I must choose affliction or sinne then must my resolution be to choose the greatest affliction in the world rather then to wound my conscience with the least sin Hee 's a believer of the right stamp indeed who is of Pauls resolution Acts 21. 13. willing not onely to be bound but to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus Put your selves upon triall by these three forementioned queries The third Use is for Exhortation I beseech you in the Bowels of Vse 3. For Exhortation Jesus Christ as you regard the eternall good of your pretious soules to be Merchant Venturers for the pearle of price Oh that I could prevaile with you to foregoe and sell all you have for the purchase of Jesus Christ But you will demand what must we sell and foregoe I answere 1. Thou must foregoe thy lusts bid adieu to thy beloved sinnes 1 Foregoe thy 〈◊〉 put to death those brats of Babilon slaughter thy corruptions Thou must deale with thy sins as Samuel dealt with Agag hew them in pieces before the Lord in Gilgal Make no Apologies for sinne plead not Antiquity pleasure profit custome interest c. All these are but sorry fig-leaves to cover thy nakednesse If thy nearest Relations stand in opposition to Christ thou must foregoe them too For so Christ determines He that loveth Father or Mother more then me is not worthy of me and he that loveth Sonne or Daughter more then me is not worthy of me Matth. 10. 37. 2 Thou must foregoe thy pleasures for Christ so did Moses and 2 Foregoe your pleasures Nehemiah bid adieu to Court pleasures Many promise to redeeme their time and take Christ But as Elimelech would not take the condition to redeeme it at the hands of Ruth lest he marred his own inheritance Ruth 4. 6. so when the condition comes thou must foregoe these and these pleasures and be serious and grave in all thy carriages then many fly off and will not take Christ upon such termes But without question Christ is the onely pleasure And the waies of wisedome are the onely waies of pleasantnesse Prov. 3. 17. no joy no pleasure to be compared to the joy in a believers soule arising from the beames of Gods reconciled countenance darted upon it 3. Thou must foregoe thy profits for Jesus Christ When Christ invited they all with one consent began to make excuse But none of 3. Foregoe thy Profits these were fit guests for Christ Be it a great Farme a goodly Revâ—nue and it stand in competition with Christ thou must let all goe You cannot properly be said to buy Christ for himselfe and his graces are free rich gifts yet much good you may doe with your monyes You may buy Bibles good bookes maintaine faithfull Ministers feed the hungry bellies and cloath the naked backs of many poore afflicted members of Jesus Christ 4. Foregoe thy Liberty ease and quietnesse for Christ With 4. Foregoe thy Liberties Jerome deny wife Mother children and all for Christ Put it to the Question whether would you rather be with the Apostles in prison singing sweetly and enjoying communion with God then with Apostate Demas ranging in the wide world Thou maist have liberty of body and an imprisoned spirit and thou maist have an imprisoned body and inlargement of spirit There 's a black cloud hanging over the whole kingdome and we know not what the womb of one day may bring forth Doe not seeke thy own ease and quietnesse amidst publick calamities let Baruchs fayling be thy warning peece Jer. 45. 5. And seekest thou great things for thy selfe seeke them not 5. Foregoe honours and preferments for Christ It was Ignatius 5. Foregoe thy Pleasures his saying Antiquitas mea nobilitas mea Jesus Christus would you know who have the best noble blood running in their veines you may find Acts 17. 11. These were more noble then those of The salonica in that thâ—y received the word with all readinesse of mind and searched the Scripture daily whether those things were so No honour to holinesse no Armes so excellent no Coat so noble as those which the Christian nobility gives so then what ever things thou highly esteemest whether preferment friends reputation or the like if they stand in opposition to Christ denie them all 6. And lastly thou must foregoe thy life when thou hast a calling for Jesus Christ Think not thy blood too deare for him who 6. Foregoe thy life when Christ calls for it ventur'd his blood for thee In this cause by loosing thy life thou shalt save it All are gayners none loosers that die in Christ and for Christ But examine thy selfe if thou canst not foregoe a lust a pleasure a dignity a liberty for him If thou canst not bear a scoffe and a reproach for Christ how wilt thou be able to resist unto blood to endure the fiery tryall I may expostulate with the Prophet Jer. 12. 5. If thou hast run with the footmen and they have wearied thee then how canst thou contend with horses And if in the land of peace wherein thou trustedst they wearied thee then how wilt thou doe in the swelling
David so to be overwhelm'd in sorrovv for Absalom and in Jonah so to lament the loss of his Gourd The loss of Revenues profits in the Trade Liberty Oh how doth it stick near a man But where 's the acting of Faith Now the just shall live by faith and if any man draw back my soul Heb. 10. 38. shall have no pleasure in him A true Believer lives by Faith when Trading decays Lively-hood and Profit decays Now let 's learn to live by Faith Though thou shouldst loose all there is enough in the Promises to make up all with Interest if thou canst but make them thine ovvn by particular Application Much time is thrown away in passing our censures one upon another reviling this or that instrument I plead not in the least for any but utterly abhor any irregular practices or indirect ways but I press patience and submission unto Gods will to look thorow all instruments and secondary causes unto the first cause to hear the rod and who hath appointed it The Lords voice cryeth unto the city and the man of Micah 6 ◠wisdom shall see thy name heare ye the rod and who hath appointed it It 's a doggish quality to snarle at a stone and not look at the hand that throws it Pray then fervently and watch against infidelity and an impatient and murmuring spirit The Lord lay them not unto our charge We might have been in Canaan long ere this had we not been murmurers in the Wilderness I know well that our condition is so lamentable that we can neither bear diseases nor remedies And complaints finde no better entertainment then in those times wherein the best of Historians lived and said in his Presace That complaints Querclae ne tum quidem gratae cum sorsan necessariae Liv. Praef. are not pleasing no not then when they are necessary There 's much bitterness and implacableness upon mens spirits devouring and calumniating one another Such expostulations are rise where is the promise of his coming Where 's the reformation so much spoken of Where 's the removing of the burthens letting the oppressed go free breaking the bread to the hungry cloathing the naked such are peculiar duties for a Fast Is there not rather fasting for strife and debate to smite with the first of wickedness I aggravate these things no further but onely let me tell you as there were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so there are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 spots in your Fasting-days Let 's bewail them with tears of blood let 's fast for our former Fastings and be humbled for our out-side Humiliations and lay to heart our negligent services and deprecate that curse that hangs over our heads for performing the work of the Lord negligently The Lord may call us to an account as justly as he did the Jews Zech. 7. 5. Did ye at all fast unto me even to me In the second place I proceed to an Use of Exhortation Let me Use 2. For Exhortation press home the duty of the Text to wait for the fulfilling of the Vision in these concussions and commotions when men are at their wits end and wonder what vvill be the issue Oh let 's take heed of impatience and murmuring let 's bevvare of tumultuous murmuring spirits of tempestuous affections Though there be a storm abroad vve should endeavour after a serene quiet spirit at home A calmness upon our spirits vvill be of singular use for us amidst the fluctuating condition of the Kingdom Every one will be ready to ask What shall we doe How shall we demean our selves in these dark times Such questions as these require an answer and a word spoken in due season is like apples of gold in pictures of silver I will advise nothing as a States-man that 's out of my Sphere nor as a subtle Politician for such Policy is the bane of Religion but from direct warrant out of the Word of God By way of advice I commend unto your thoughts these ensuing Propositions which I take to be Propositions of Eternall Truth 1. It 's unlawful to do any evill that the least good may come Prop. 1. It 's unlawful to do evil that good may come thereof Rom. 3. 8. thereof And not rather saith the Apostle as we slanderously reported and as some affirm that we say let us do evil that good may come whose damnation is just God needs not our lies to maintain his cause This was Rebockah's and Jacob's fault for the compassing of a good end to betake themselves to indirect means This is a broken refuge Isa 28. 15 17. and will fail Because ye have said we have made a Covenant with death and with hell are we at agreement when the over flowing scourge shall passe thorow it shall not come unto us for we have made lies our refuge and under falshood have hid our selves Therefore thus saith the Lord Judgement will I lay to the line and righteousness to the plummet and the hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies and the waters shall overflow the hiding place Augustine is resolute that if it was possible by an officious lie to compass the Redemption of the whole World yet so weighty and universal a good must be rather let fall then brought about by the smallesst evil 2. Another Proposition for confirmation is That no good intentions Prop. 2. Good meanings cannot justifie a bad action 1 Chron. 13. 10 and meanings can ever justifie the doing of any evill action Vzzah's intention was good but because against the rule he was punished with death He invaded the Priests Office and therefore the Lord smote him dead upon the place 3. It 's the duty of Christians to walk by rule and keep close to Prop. 3. We must walk by rule Isa 8. 20. it and that 's the written Word of God To the Law and to the Testimony if they speak not according to these it is because they have no light in them Let 's not be a rule to our selves nor follow extraordinary impulses upon our spirits and revelations but bring all to the touch-stone Let 's try all things and hold fast that which is good and let the Scripture be the Umpire let 's acquiess altogether in its determinations As many as walk according to this rule peace be on Gal. 6. 16. them and mercy and on the Israel of God 'T is not any rule but this rule If an Angel from Heaven Preach any other Doctrine then what is contained in the Scriptures let him be accursed Whatever Seekers Familists Enthusiasts c. pretend to live above Ordinances and so they are indeed as much above Ordinances as a Swine is above a Pearl which it tramples under feet I say all their Lights however new are but Ignes fatui false Lights to lead us into dangerous destructive ways Let 's therefore for every action look unto the rule bring every thing to rule and square all by
shee highly deserved it as being one of the worst of Haereticks An ingenuous spirit relents with teares Ille dolet quâ—ties cogitur esse ferox Iudgment must bee given with abundance of humanitie and commiseration And now Right Honorable and the rest beloved in the Lord Iesus give me leave for a close of the whole to apply all in a word of exhortation Let mee divide to every one his portion You that sit in Iudgment remember the text Establish judgment Vse for exhortation c. Consider your Authority in what an eminent place you are set lay out your dignity to doe God and your Countrey good service You are a Beacon set upon a Hill the whole country gazeth upon you There are many eyes upon you and if you swerve from the rule of Iustice the people will serve you as the Levite served his Concubine they will quarter your faults and send them up and down the Kingdome with a was it ever thus I commend Jehoshaphats counsell to your serious consideration 2 Chron 19. 6. 7. Hee said to the Judges Take heed what you doe for yee judge not for man but for the Lord who is with you in the judgment wherefore let the feare of the Lord bee upon you take heed and doe it for there is no Iniquity with the Lord our God nor respect of persons nor taking of gifts You are summoned and have a charge given you by the spirit of God Psal 2 10. Bee wise now therefore yee Kinges and bee instructed yee Judges of the earth You have the name Elohim Psal 82. 6. I have said yee are Gods and all of you are children of the most high Doe you as God would doe Hee would relieve the oppressed acquit the innocent condemne the nocent stand for the poore man in a righteous cause Hee would have Achans Zimriâ—s Cosbies Blasphemers Murderers Idolaters Adulterers punished Remember I humbly entreat you that Iustice is God's Legacy and you are Executours and Administratours thereof be carefull to have the will of God performed I beseech your patience in a few humble requests which I shall make unto you before I conclude I intreat you for poore Prisoners for their soules and bodies For To the Judges their soules that they may have some to teach them the Knowledge of God And for their bodies that they may not bee starved in prison lye in a pit wherein is no water Prisons are oft times Nurseries of all wickedness and that which is a place of restraint is imployed in all manner of licentious outrage so that none are more vile and wicked than Iaylours and their Prisoners 2. I intreat you to incourage the faithfull ministry of the Kingdome As for Baals or Bacchus Priests that make God's sacrifice to be abhorred I wish an Ostracisme to them a tumbling out of their places if they evidence not signall Repentance I plead only for men pious orthodox learned help them to bread help them to bookes If the nurse bee starved the child will bee starved Help them to encounter with the mighty who refuse to pay them their dues because they dare not give the Sacrament to them that are Scandalous when as many times such as they refuse are fitter to go a grazing with Nebucadnezzar amongst the beasts of the field Because some Conscientious ministers have refused to give the Sacrament to drunkards swearers and adulterers some have detained their maintenance from them 3. I have a word to speake in behalfe of this University I speak to a Person of learning my argument is maintaine that my Lord which maintaines you Wee desire no Prelaticall Pompe or domination but only our just rights and priviledges that Religion and learning may be countenanced by your Authority 4. I have a word to speak for the Town I beseech you subdue the Ale-houses the Nurseries of the Divell Ther 's a good expedient and a pious worke begun very lately a work-house and some poore are set to worke in it I humbly crave your incouragement and counsell that it may not be crusht in the Bud nor sinke for want of your assistance And you the honourable Bench the Iustices of the County I beseech To the â—onoâ—â—ble bench you to lay forth all your Interests to promote the Kingdome of Iesus Christ Labour to bee as so many instrumentall Saviours for your Countrey punish swearing and blasphemies There is an Act in the beginning of Q. Eliz that such as maintained Heresies condemned by the foure Generall Counsels should be burnt to ashes You have a late Ordinance of Parliament for your warrant nay rather the Ordinance of God Levit. 24. 16. Hee that blasphemeth the name of the Lord hâ—e shall surely bee put to death and all the congregation shall certainly stone him as well the stranger as hee that is borne in the land when hee blasphemeth the name of the Lord shall bee put to death Try your skill and put forth your skill to subdue the lewd Ale-houses Mr Bolton said in an Assise sermon that it was easier to take Dunkirke than put down an Ale-house Dunkirke was not long since taken would the Ale-houses were put downe You must seare these Hydras else new heads will spring up Give not any just cause to any to complaine that the Justice sweares himselfe and will not punish swearing that the Justice is a good fellow himselfe and will not punish drunkenness I hope better things of you Purge your families keep no swearers drunkards adulterers sabath-breakers within your roofe Give them not harbour for secular Interest but resolve that if they will not serve God let them not serve you according to Joshuas practice chap. 24. 15. If it seeme evill unto you to serve the Lord chuse you this day whom you will serve whether the God's which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood or the Gods of the Amorites in whose land yee dwell but as for mee and my house wee will serve the Lord. Set the 101 Ps as a just standard rule to go by TheMaxime of Constantius was He cannot be faithfull unto mee that is unfaithfull unto God Remember the National Covenant taken in a day of distress for which there will bee a day of account to goe before each other in a reall example of reformation That Covenant is not an Almanack out of date but obligeth us as the Tenour runs all the dayes of our life You the learned Lawyers I have a word to say to you To the Lawyers Doe not patronize unrighteous causes Set not your tongues to sale to bolster a bad cause See Isai 5. 20. Woe unto them that call evill good and good evill and put darkness for light and light for darkness that put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter Doe not wire-draw Clients suites Doe not snarle and intangle a cause with needless perplexities to tire out the poore Client with tedious attendances Take heed likewise of base mercenarie silence
Life The Lord set home these truths unto your consciences and move your hearts to embrace the ways of godliness I proceed to the second Doctrine That all the pathes of Divine Wisdom or Godliness are full of peace to the sons and daughters of Doct. 2 peace This truth I shall prove by Scripture confirm by Reason and press it home unto your Consciences by way of Use and Application For proof of Scripture Psal 37. 11. But the meek shall inherit 1. The Doctrine proved by Scripture the earth and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace and v. 37. Mark the perfect man and behold the upright for the end of that man is peace Isa 26. 3. Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose minde is stayed on thee because he trusteth in thee Isa 48. 18. O that thou hadst hearkned to my commandments then had thy peace been as a river and thy righteousness as the waves of the sea Isa 54. 13. And all thy children shall be taught of the Lord and great shall be the peace of thy children So Isa 59. 8. The way of peace they know not and there is no judgement in their goings they have made them crooked pathes whosoever goeth therein shall not know peace Jer. 33. 6. Behold I will cure them and reveal unto them the abundance of peace and truth Ezek. 34. 25. And I will make with them a covenant of peace and will cause the evil beasts to cease out of their land and they shall dwell safely in the wilderness and sleep in the woods Even mountains bring peace Psal 72. 3. The mountains shall bring peace to the people and the little hills by righteousness So are the beasts of the field at peace Job 5. 23. For thou shalt be in league with the stones of the field and the beasts of the field shall be at peace with thee Officers are made peace Isa 60. 17. For brass I will bring gold and for iron silver I will also make thine officers peace and thy exactors righteousness Their habitation is peaceable Isa 32. 18. And my people shall dwell in a peaceable habitation and in sure dwellings and in quiet resting places Their life peaceable 1 Tim. 2. 2. We are commanded to pray for kings and for all that are in authority that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty Their wisdom is peaceable James 3. 17. But the wisdom that is from above is first â—ure then peaceable gentle and easie to be intreated full of mercy and good fruits without partiality and without hypocrisie Let 's inquire into the reasons of the Point Consider 1. Godly Reas 1 persons are sons of peace Luke 10. 6. And if the son of peace be there your peace shall rest upon it if not it shall turn to you again And if sons heirs peace is their inheritance and legacy John 14. 27. Peace I leave with you my peace I give unto you John 16. 33. These things I have spoken unto you that you might have peace in the world you shall have tribulation But be of good cheer I have overcome the world Consider their several pathes and ways either in this life and pilgrimage Reas 2 in their deaths and after death 1. For their life Notwithstanding afflictions and persecutions troubles from the world yet their whole life is peaceable A God reconciled a Conscience pacified makes them full of peace amidst varieties of troubles 2. In their deaths The remembrance of their uprightness of heart and their utmost endeavor to serve God in sincerity brings abundance of peace inward peace a tranquility in their spirits 2 Kings 20. 3. I beseech thee O Lord remember now how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart and have done that which is good in thy sight Whatever storms may be from the Flesh Divel and World yet a serene pacified conscience makes a great and quiet calm in the soul 3. After death in Eternity they feel the fruits of peace the complement of blessedness A third Ground shall be taken from the nature of Divine Wisdom Reas 2 and Godliness For first Wisdom onely can direct to peaceable pathes Ways of wickedness lead us into Precipices and Dangers Wisdom shews the good and right way This Samuel shewed the people 1 Sam. 12. 23 24. Moreover as for me God forbid that I should sin against the Lord in ceasing to pray for you but I will teach you the good and the right way Onely fear the Lord and serve him in truth with all your heart for consider how great things he hath done for you 2. Wisdom protects its followers in the ways of peace It shews them the good way and protects and defends them in it Prov. 4. 6 7. Forsake her not and she shall preserve thee love her and she shall keep thee 3. Wisdom and Godliness remove all stumbling Blocks Envy Malice Pride c. Enemies to peace Prov. 4. 12. Whâ—n thou goest thy steps shall not be streightned and when thou runnest thou shalt not stumble 4. Wisdom satisfies the hearts of those who are its followers The spirits of the godly are quieted and established in those ways whereas still there are troubles and vexations and disquietness in ways of wickedness But godliness pacifieth the conscience and quiets the spirits of Gods children The fourth and last ground shall be drawn from the causes of true Reas 1 peace Now the wayes of the godly must needs be peaceable pathes 1. Because they have a God reconciled 2 Cor. 5. 19. to wit That God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself not imputing their trespasses unto them and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation 2. They have a Mediator and Prince of peace Eph. 2. 14 15. For he is our peace who hath made both one and hath broken down the middle wall of partition betwixt us Having abolished in his flesh the enmity even the law of Commandments contained in Ordinances for to make in himself of twain one new man so making peace Isa 53. 5. But he was wounded for our transgressions he was bruised for our iniquities the chastisement of our peace was upon him and with his stripes we are healed Isa 5. 6. For unto us a Childe is born a Son is given and the government shall be upon his shoulder and his Name shall be called Wonderful Councellor The mighty God The everlasting Father The Prince of peace 3. They have the Gospel of peace Rom. 10. 15. How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the Gospel of peace and bring glad tidings of good things 4. They have a conscience at peace The answer of a good conscience quiets their spirits Hic murus aheneus esto c. And now let 's apply this by way of Information Instruction and Consolation 1. For Information That the ways of godliness are the onely peaceable ways Not onely eminenter but exclusive What pâ—ace said Jehu
exprest It 's wrote in such legible Characters 2. A Mercy as he that runs may read it Yet his days c. The words have need of a Paraphrase I shall open them briefly in their order By Spirit Ainsworth understands that holy Spirit of Christ by which he Preached in the Patriarchs and especially in Noah to the disobedient spirits of the old World and exhorted them by the Fathers to amend their lives so I take the Lo-iiddon Non vaginabit Pagninus Grotius 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 70. Lo-jadon sense to be It followeth Shall not strive The 70 read it My spirit shall not abide But this I take not to be the meaning the word hath many significations it signifies to judge to chide and dispute As if the Spirit of God should say I have set Judges over you I have chid you reproved you argued the case with you sent my servants Noah Enoch Methuselah exhorting you to come and repent but you are incorrigible impenitent you are never the better notwithstanding all my patience forbearance waiting on you trying you therefore now my spirit shall no longer strive with you I will take no more pains with you I will dispute the case no longer but send a Deluge to decide the controversie And so I understand the words In seculum so the 70 read it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Here you may see an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrysost Abyss of kindness to mankinde So Chrysostome That the Spirit hath ever strove with any is a great mercy But if the Spirit strive by Messengers rising early and going to bed late and by its motions and whispers if the Spirit be still resisted and abused it will leave striving and leave a people inexcusable Luther speaking of this Text saith This was a publick Sermon preached in a Fuit publica concio in publica Synodo proposita Luth. publick Assembly When those that were Gods Messengers spent their spirts in vain and saw that the people were desperate past all hopes of reclaiming they let them alone to take their course and to be filled with their own ways Then here 's a Reason given For that he also is flesh The word sets forth the corrupt nature of mankinde and is here put by way of opposition unto the Spirit It is the same with Animalis or Conqueritur Deus tantopere turbatuÌ„ esse ordinem dâ—se positum ut image sua in carnem transformata esset Calv. Centum viginti annos si foâ—te converâ—antur Cald Paraph Carnalis homo Man that was created after the Image of God hath defaced that Image hath corrupted his way and is become fleshly This God complains of That the order which he put is inverted and his Image transformed into flesh as Judicious Calvin observes Lastly Here 's a gracious reprieval and space allowed for repentance Yet his days c. This is not to be understood as if an hundred and twenty years were the limited term of years for mankinde to live in this world It 's apparent that many after the Flood lived longer But the meaning is that an hundred and twenty years shall be given them if haply they be converted This space God allows them for repentance and they had Noah a Preacher of righteousness and they saw the Ark a building and every stroke strucken The building of the Ark should have been a Monitor of repentance this was great and wonderful long-suffering as we read 1 Pet. 3. 19 20. By which he went and preached unto the spirits in prison which sometime were disobedient when once the long-suffering of God waited in the days of Noah The words thus opened contain two fundamental Doctrines 1. That it is a most dreadful judgement upon a people when the Doct. 1 Spirit of God refuseth to strive any longer with them 2. That it is an exceeding great mercy to a people when the Lord Doct. 2 vouchsafeth them time and space for repentance I resume the first and I shall cast the Heads of my Meditations Method of handling the Doctrine into this plain and familiar method 1. I shall assert the truth of the Doctrine from Scripture Testimonies 2. I shall particularly represent unto you how the Spirit may be said to strive with man 3. I shall enquire into the Grounds and Reasons for confirmation of the truth And lastly Conclude with particular Application unto our selves 1. To prosecute the first Head propounded time would fail me 1. The Doctrine proved by Scripture Testimony in Scripture Quotations but I shall gather sparingly from so great a cloud of Witnesses mentioning some select Proofs and leaving the rest to be supplyed in your Meditations Now that this is so great a Judgement for the Spirit of God to leave striving with a people may be exemplified in several persons recorded in Scripture as signal Spectacles of Divine vengeance to Posterity The Lord spared Sodom and Gomorrah a long time Abraham undertakes though dust and ashes to intercede for them He intreats That if fifty righteous persons be found there that they may not be destroyed His request is granted he abates five of fifty and then comes down to forty after that to thirty from thirty to twenty and at last to ten and it is to be observed that God never left off granting till Abraham left off begging They had good Lot to reprove and exhort them and they vexed his righteous soul day by day with their unclean conversation he spent his spirits his counsels admonitions all in vain Now God will spare them no longer the Angel delivered Lot from them and as soon as ever he was gone the Lord destroyed Sodom Gomorrah with Fire and Brimstone Gen. 19. 24 25. The Lord rained upon Sodom and Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the Lord out of Heaven and he over-threw those cities and all the plain and all the inhabitants of the cities and that which grew upon the ground The Lord waited a long time upon Jerusalem sending his Prophets and warning them he puts them in remembrance of his exemplary Judgements upon others Jer. 7. 13. I spake unto you rising up early and speaking but ye heard not and I call'd you but you answered not therefore I will do to this house c. as I have done to Shiloh He expostulates the case with them Jer. 13. 27. I have seen thine adulteries and thy neighings the lewdness of thy whoredom and thine abominations on the hills in the fields Wo unto thee O Jerusalem Wilt thou not be made clean When shall it once be and Ezek. 18. 32. I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth saith the Lord God wherefore turn your selves and live ye The House of Israel was the Vineyard upon which God had bestowed so much pains cost and charges Isa 5. 1 2 3 4. My well-beloved hath a vineyard in a very fruitful Haec omnia usu venisse populo Judaico cum in Babylonica
God did beseech 2 Cor. 5. 20. you by us we pray you in Christs stead be ye reconciled to God Oâ—r commission may be out of date to morrow Christ now waites till his locks be wet with dew now he calls sinners to repentance He hath sent me on an errand this day to invite thirsty soules to come unto him and he will give them drink to invite those that are heavy laden and he will give them rest It 's my businesse this day to tender Jesus Christ the Fountain opened to presse home the Exhortation of the Holy Ghost Let the wicked forsake his way and Isa 55. 7. the unrighteous man his thoughts and let him return unto the Lord and he will have mercy upon him and to our God for he will abundantly pardon Now what answer shall I return unto him that sent me Suffer I beseech you Fathers and Brethren the word of exhortation not to suffer the holy Spirit to spend his sacred breath in vain You have many prizes put into your hands improve them in your several capacities to the glory of God and mutual edification one of another Let Rulers rule with diligence let Governours Tutours Masters of Families all unite their endeavours to promote the Gospel of Jesus Christ and put Joshua's resolution into practise but as for me I and my house we will serve the Lord. O that Josh 24. 15. we could be spirituall Fathers to those that are committed to our charge Governours and Tutours should look upon themselves as Pro-parents and upon the Scholars under them as children and therefore ought to have special care over them and principally to enquire how it fares with their soules what knowledge they have of Jesus Christ What a comfort will it be another day when we can say Behold Lord here we are and the children which thou hast given us Thou â—ord hast made us spiritual Fathers unto these young Pupiss Now whilst the Spirit stayes waiting upon us whilst we have time talents and opportunities vouchsafed unto us whilest we live under the sound of the Gospel and hear admonitions reproofs and many Exhortations to repentance let us not put off the Spirit with any more delatory answers but resolve with the full purpose of our hearts to cleave unto the Lord. I have two or three plain moving considerations to adde for the better setting home of my Exhortation Consider the brevity of our lives What 's our life but a bubble Consid 1. The brevity of our lives John 4. a flower a vapor a shadow By these resemblances the Holy Ghost sets forth the shortness of our lives We had need be a working while day lasteth I must work the works of him that sent me while day lasteth the night cometh when no man can work A night of death is coming wherein no man can work and we must always remember that the Spirit strives not always not during the whole course of our lives It moves when it pleaseth and on a suddain ceaseth yet at the most it moveth no longer nor striveth no longer but this little moment of time whilst we are on this side the grave After death there will be no more warnings no more admonitions no place left for repentance no Purgatory that 's a Popish dream He that dieth filthy will so remain unto all Eternity Now then my Brethren considering you have but a little time and upon this moment depends Eternity and after death there will be no further tenders of Grace and Mercy let us husband this time to the best advantage Let us prize Sermons Sabbaths and all those Evangelical Dispensations vouchsafed to us more then ever we did Let us redeem the time as we are exhorted Eph. 5. 16. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eph. 5. 16. buying out or making a good market of the season Every thing is beautiful in its season there 's a season acceptable and there 's a season perilous Let 's come when God calls that 's the accepted time let 's not prescribe a time of our own that 's the perillous season let 's not account time a slight matter for each minute ought to be valued A second consideration shal be drawn from the uncertainty of the Consid 2. The uncertainty of the spirits striving Nil pretiosius tempore heu nil hodie vilius invenitur Bern. Veniet tempus quo vel unam horam ad resiâ—iscendum redimere mirum quantum optabimus Otho Casmannus spirits strivings If the holy Spirit be rejected its uncertain whether ever he will come again The Spirit will not always bear reproaches indignities If we refuse to give God the glory of his mercy he will shew upon us the glory of his Justice and Power If we will not open when God knocks at our doors he will not open when we knock at his door Unkindness will drive away a friend from our houses When the Spirit invites himself unto us if we will open he will come and dine and sup with us if we refuse this Heavenly guest how shall we escape our destruction will be inevitable This Spirit is often compared to fire nothing more comforting nothing more consuming than fire If thou wilt not suffer the Spirit to purge and refine thee it will consume thee Nothing more comfortable then light warmth and witness of the Spirit Nothing more terrible then the bondage conviction and condemnation of the Spirit Therefore beware of resisting any good motions that the Spirit of God puts into thy heart this day lest if the spirit have a repulse he may go away and never return any more 3. Thirdly Consider the certainty of the day of Judgement 2 Cor. 5. 10. For we must all appear before the judgement seat of Consid 3. The day of Iudgement Christ that every one may receive the things done in his body according to that he hath done whether it be good or bad Then there will be an account to be given for all the Sermons which we have heard for all the Sabbaths we have enjoyed for all the motions of the Spirit for all the admonitions reproofs Gospel opportunities and advantages that we have received we should therefore hear a Sermon now as for ought we know we may be presently summon'd by death to appear before the Judgement-seat of Jesus Christ Let us imagine that now we hear this day as if it might be our last day We hear for Eternity Preachers and Hearers shall be called to an account at the great Assise The Lord grant that we may all give up our accounts with joy The third Use shall be for reprehension of those who resist or Use 3. For reprehension stifle the strivings and the sweet motions of the holy Spirit To come to particulars 1. How sad is their condition who are contemners of the sweet motions of Gods Spirit Let them read Rom. 8. 9. If any man hath not the spirit of Christ he is none of his Such
of the Laborer in Gods Vineyard upon pretence that his maintenance is Jâ—wish or Anti-Christian will not be excused at the day of account when as covotousness and self-interest is the usual moving cause of defrauding the Ministers It plainly appears that many like Water-men look one way and row another they serve the Ministers in these days as the Pagans did the Primitive Christians They put them first into Bears skins and then they worryed them For there are many who stigmatize their â—alling and Maintenance as Anti-Christian that so they may the more securely run away with their maintenance Just like Demetrius and the Crafts-men who cryed up Diana Great is Diana of the Ephesians but he had more minde to Act. 19. 34. ver 25. the Silver Shrines By this craft saith he we get our living Now all these things one day shall come to light even the most hidden things of darkness All the Machivialian politick juglings of men all the secret designs men drive at for advantage all the Hypocritical defalkations and reservations such as were in Ananias and Saphyra all the Meanders Windings Diverticles shall all be made naked at the day of Judgement then unjust persons Hypocrites Time-serving Politicians false-hearted persons shall appear pourtrayed forth in their proper colours and be the astonishment and open disgrace â—â— men and Angels But I proceed to a second Use and that is for Exhortation I Use 2. For Exhortation beseech you in the fear of God in the Bowels of Jesus Christ to labour after holyness 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Let the motive of the Text be set home upon your hearts What manner of persons ought we to be in all holy conversation and godliness You that are young vigorous and have marrow in your bones labor to be holy Remember now your Creator in the days of your youth God loves the Eccles 12. 1. Mich. 7. 1. first ripe fruits our best service away with that wicked Proverb Angelicus juvenis senibus satanizat in annis The Sun cannot rise too early unless it be to a sluggard You cannot begin too soon Defer not a day not a moment longer O that in this Garden of Learning there might be a great increase of Plants of Righteousness that as Plants planted in Gods garden they may bring forth more fruit in their elder age It 's usually said Spes Ecclesiae est in juveâ—tute Far be it from me to envy but I desire to be thankful and rejoyce to see a sprinkling of holy young men who are grave serious and studious and breath after God and bend their studies to attain to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ The Lord of heaven adde unto their number an hundred-fold It s oftentimes observed that the Universitie proves the marring or making of many insomuch as a Scholar hath a censure given him like that of Origen Vbi bonus nemo melior ubi malus nemo pejor Look to it you are in your prime and fresh green years O consecrate your selves unto the service of God It was the exhortation of Joshuah Josh 3. 4. Sanctifie your selves for the Lord will do wonders amongst you The Lord may imploy you in great services and make you instruments of great good What a wonder is it for a young Timothy to be able to grapple with the old Leviathan and throw him on his back Consider with your selves all your Philosophical learning though I discard not but â—commend in its due place and distance will doe you no good at the great day It 's holynesse an holy life that will comfort you when you come to dye It 's the knowledge of Jesus Christ that will stand you in stead when all vain Philosophy will Mat. 27 3. doe you no more good than the High Priests did Judas They said what 's that to us see thou to that Mat. 27. 3. O therefore now in your youth labour to be holy Happy is it for any of you with whom God begins betime And to you that are old I addresse my Exhortation you should be examples of holyness you are Beacons Job 32. 7. set upon a hill the eyes of thousands of young ones are upon you Let daies speak and multitude of years teach wisdom You have one foot in the grave would you have comfort in your death O labour to lead holy lives Would you die the death of the righteous O labour to live the life of the righteous your riches your dignities your learning will doe you no good when you come to dye you shall then be degraâ—ed levelled stript naked of all and if you have not the robes of Christs righteousnesse for your cover you had better never have been born What was that which comforted Hezechiah when he received the sentence of death you may read it to be the walking before the Lord in truth and with a perfect heart This 2 King 20 3 is that which will give you comfort and this alone even the remembrance of an holy lise The assurance of a God reconciled in Christ will cause you to bid welcome to the King of terrours That which the Philosopher accounts 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 will be your Marriage day the welcomeâ—â— day that ever your eyes beheld And because I love from myheart plain dealing give me leave yet a litle more plainly particularly to set home a seasonable word of Exhortation You Fathers and Brethren whom God hath made â—ulers in Israel Govern in the University O labour for holyness your selves and to plant holynesse in your societies Root out scossing Ishmaels prophane Esaus suffer not a scoffer at holynesse to be within your walls Let Joshuahs resolution be your continual Monitor I and my house will serve the Lord Set up holy Ordinances Preaching Divinity Lectures and a plain way of Catechizing what abundance of good may this doe Some doe give good examples in this kind I hope the rest will follow after that all our societies may be called Jehovah Shammah the Lord is there In your Elections principally look after holynesse Incourage such as have the Image of Christ stampt on them and are willing to receive Instruction You that are Tutors have great prices put into your hands you have young tender twigs flexible tractable they are some of them instar tabulae rasae in some sense pray with your Scholars Catechize them ground them in the Principles of Religion and season them with grace betimes Quo semel est imbuta recens servabit odorem testa diu Trouble not young heads with disciplinarie Controsies and doubtful Disputations Instruct them in the mystery of Regeneration in the Doctrines of Holynesse Faith and Repentance and Self-denial these are the most needfull things In doing good to one Scholar you may do good to a whole City or Parish if you quit your trust and be faithfull and play the men thousands may have cause to praise God and rise up and call you blessed You
admits of no revocation Arrow out of a Bow we cannot call back the least minute of time Deeds of Lands are made oftentimes in this world with power of revocation But mans eternal condition admits of no revocation When once death hath dissolved and put a period to our life in this world then we are lanched into the ocean of Eternity and there 's no possibility of returning to the shore of this world no new life to re-act in this world After this life ends we shall be in a never-ending condition The Saints shall no more returne to the world for the world was their prison Death is their Goal-delivery Multitudes of sorrows and sufferings they have met with in the world now in Eternity they are freed from all and shall never returne to re-act all those Tragedies and sufferings which they brake through in this life Neither can the damned 〈◊〉 any relaxation or revocation for they are in a hopelesse and Christlesse condition They sinned against an infinite God and in Justice he proportions infinite punishments for sinning against so infinite a Majesty Thus you have heard what Eternity cannot admit of by way of negation I have shaddowed it forth in those Propositions Now what Eternity is I shall positively thus define unto you Definition of Eternity Eternal life is the perfection of happynesse given by Christ unto the Saints in glory whereby they have an everlasting fruition of God and communion with him To open this Definition 1. I call it the perfection of happynesse It 's the aggregation of 1. Eternity is the perfection of happinesse all good things the comprehension of all blessednesses Many Stars make a Constellation many waters make a sea All good things put together make up this happyness There 's no imperfection no decay no alteration Eternal life takes in perfection of joy perfection of glory perfection of degrees 2. This is given by Christ unto the Saints Joh. 10. 28. I saith 2. Eternity is Christs gift Christ give unto them eternall life God the Father gives eternall life by the Sonne and the Sonne by the Spirit God the Father the fountain and author of all life gives this life God the Sonne laid down his blood a price abundantly sufficient to pay to the uttermost farthing for the purchase And God the holy Ghost seals and gives assurance and applyes the love of God the Father and the love of God the Sonne with all his meritorious sufferings unto the Saints 3. I said by this eternall life the Saints in glory enjoy fruition 3. The Saints enjoy fruition of and communion with God and communion with God Here they enjoy some glimpses and parcels of this communion they have tasted how good God is But in Heaven in Eternity in the fruition of and communion with God there will be these singularities 1. They shall enjoy God immediately They shall enjoy the 1. They enjoy God immediately blessed presence of God communion with the holy Trinity not as here by ordinances and means but immediately 1 Joh. 3. 2. they shall see him as he is If it be so sweet to enjoy a Sabboth and communion with God in Ordinances and communion with his children here on earth Oh! how ravishing must that sweetness be to enjoy God in heaven Si adeo dulcis quaerenti saith Bernard quid erit invenienti If wee meet with sweetness in our way what shall we doe at our jouâ—â—â—ys end in our country 2. They shall enjoy God fully In thy presence is fulnesse of joy Ps 2. They enjoy God fully 16. 11. God will never hide his face he will never withdraw his comforts There wil be no low ebbe but it shall be full tide alwaies Every vessâ—l shall be as full as it can hold even brim full of glory 3. They shall enjoy God everlastingly At thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore Psal 16. 11. Eternity admits no period 3. They shall enjoy God everlastingly of time no conclusion A Ring which is an emblem of Eternity may be broken to pieces and will wear away The Vestall fires are quenched Methuselah that long-liv'd Patriarch dyed But Eternity admits no conclusion As long as God and Christ is so long shall the Saints be happy and that 's to all Eternity Non beatitudo esset si certum Sancti non haberent se ibi semper futuros Aug. de Civit Dei Having now given you some glimpses of Eternity and having though but darkly represented to you that which is indeed inconceivable and inexpressible but by those who are partakers of it I come now in the next place to prove my assertion That this ought to be our inquiry grand business the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the work of works to examine what shal become of our souls bodies to all eternity I shall give attestations to the truth delivered 1. From Scripture Examples 2. From Scripture Precepts 3. From Scripture Reasons 1. From Scripture Examples This was the maine Question of 1. From Scripture examples those that were touched at Peters Sermon Men and Brethren what shall we doe Act. 2. 37. And of the convert Goaler Sirs what shall I doe to be saved Act. 16. 30. Eternity was in the eyes of Enoch Gen. 5. 24. And in the eye of Moses Heb. 11. 26. This was in the meditations of David Ps 17. 15. When I awake I shall be satisfied with thy likenesse This was that Country which those renowned Patriarchs sought after Heb. 11. 16. This was in the heart of Paul Phil. 1. 23. and he speaks in the name of all the Saints Phil. 3. 20. Our conversation is in heaven whence we look for the Saviour the Lord Jesus Christ The worthy Martyrs of whom the world was not worthy laid down willingly this temporal life for an eternal Heb. 11. 35. And what 's the great ground of consolation 1 Cor. 5. 1. but a house eternall in the heavens It were easie to give a Catalogue of many rare precious servants of Jesus Christ who have made this their designe and businesse to enquire concerning their everlasting condition But this that hath been said may suffice 2. For Scripture Precepts To this purpose tends the weighty 2. From Scripture precepts exhortation of Christ to lay up treasure in heaven Mat. 6. 19. 20. to seek first the kingdome of God Mat. 6. 33. Joh. 6. 27. to labour for that which endureth unto eternal life And those of the Apostle Phil. 2. 12. 1 Tim. 6. 12. v. 19. the word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is not a bare taking but a laying hold with both hands Wee must make it our businesse to get assurance of our eternal condition 3. I will lay down some Scripture Reasons and they shall bee 3. From Scripture Reasons considered under two heads either privatively what we are freed from by our interest in this eternal life or positively what wee gaine by the
high presumption This is for men to disparage Religion as a cheap commodity This is to undervalue the Medicine of Christs blood by thinking it easie to be had This is to presume of Mercy at last though in the mean time men live as they list But be not deceived God is not mocked The work of salvation is not so easie to work out it will cost sweat and blood watchings fastings humblings repentings and when thou hast done all thou must deny thy self and acknowledge thy self an unprofitable servant Take heed of presuming and blessing thy selfe in carnall security There 's one maine Scripture which should bee as a Looking-glasse set before presumptuous sinners Deut. 29. 19 20. 4. To give God that which is vile and reserve a better to themselves 4. There is sacriledge in this sinne to present God with any thing at a venture when thou hast a better by thee it plainly proves thee guilty of Sacriledge The best thou shouldest consecrate to the Lord the best in thy flock the best of thy services the best of the best of thy heart memory understanding will and affections Now if thou dost keep back the best from God thou art guilty of the highest kind of theft even sacriledge as we may read Mal. 3. 8. upon this Scripture a good old Disciple layeth down this Doctrine That it Mr. Stock on Mal. 3. 8. is a sacrilegious and impious thing for them to with-hold and withdraw the Ministers maintenance Suum merito vocat ac censet quod destinat in cultum suâ—m saith Calvin And if it be a great sinne as it is questionlesse to defraud Gods Ministers and rob them of their maintenance how much greater is it to rob Christ of his Deity as much as in Blasphemers lyes and to rob God of his Day and Worship The Papists would take away the second Commandement the Anabaptists the fifth the Antisabbatarians the fourth and some Antinomian and Familistical spirits would cut the whole Decalogue off at one blow these are sacrilegious in a high manner Consid 6. Notwithstanding all failings all will be accepted through Jesus Christ who rob God of his Law and Worship â—ut I come to a 6. Consideration When we have done the best offered the Male in the flock though there are many faylings yet all will be accepted through Jesus Christ Two things I must premise 1. That there are faylings in our best services There are iniquities of the holy things Exod. 28. 38. The Prophet confss eth himself a man of unclean lips Is 6. 5. The best of us all had need be humbled to the dust for those very sins that cleave to our duties for our distractions deadness coldness in hearing praying when we have done our duty we had need fall upon our knees to pray for the forgivenes of our faylings in the doing of that duty We had need fast for our fastings be humbled for our humiliations because we have performed spiritual services in a Carnal and Careles manner But 2. If we doe our utmost from a sincere heart and offer all up in the name of Christ through him we shall be accepted of the Father Christ is that high Priest that hath entred into the holy of holies and there he bare the Iniquity of our holy things He takes away our filthy garments and cloaths us with the immaculate robes of his righteousness Our prayers are raw and cold but Christ mends them in the carriage Our services are imperfect Christ presents them perfect to the Father Our duties have many staines and defilements by our formal slight performance of them But the Lord Jesus washeth them and so presents them to the Father So then in all our services we must act in the strength of Christ We must offer all our sacrifices upon this brazen Altar Christ is the onely high Priest that can offer all for us Nothing of our selves as of our selves we can doe in an acceptable manner All we must doe must be in the strength of Christ without him we can doe nothing but we can doe all things through Christ that strengtheneth us 7. And lastly The last Consideration shall be drawne from the Consid 7. From the dreadfull curse in the Text. dreadful curse in the Text The hypocrite the deceiver that offers a corrupt thing unto the Lord is under a dreadful curse It was a heavy jâ—dgement for Cain and Cham to be under a curse And an Anathema with a Maranatha at the end of it is the highest Gospel Curse How dreadfull must the condition of Hypocrites be who deal deceitfully with God who as it is in the Text make vows and keep mental reservations who vow under pretence of Zeal and yet give God the worst This dissembled Sanctity is double iniquity But what did Cain meet withall but a curse for his sleight sacrifice what did Ananias and Saphira meet withall for their hypocritical juglings and defalcations from the price but death in the place a signal judgement What shall carelesse Ministers meet withall but a dreadfull woe Zech. 11. 17. What shall they all meet withall which doe the work of the Lord deceitfully but a dreadfull curse Jer. 48. 10. Gods curses are terrible and light heavy upon hypocrites Though men oftimes cannot find them out yet God will take them into his own hand and it 's a fearfull thing to fall into the hands of the living God This Deceiver in the Text is an accursed person his sinne will find him out his juglings pretences hypocrisieâ— are all naked unto God and the vengeance of God will overtake him Having dispatched this Use of Exhortation I come now to a second Use which shall be for Reproof of that grand Hypocrite and Deceiver in the Text who hath in his flock a Male c. Within the verge of this Reprehension come severall sorts of Vse 2. For Reproof persons whom I shall single out and cry aloud against them As for instance 1. The Hypocrite who makes a shew a shaddow a pretence of 1. The Hypocrite Religion without the truth â—eality and substance thereof The Hypocrite is odious to God and man Men hate him because hee seems so good God hates him because he is not what he seems He may goe a great way and deceive men and his own heart for a time yet he cannot escape the knowledge of a holy omniscient Lord God It s the observation of a Reverend Divine that a Hypocrite is usually discovered before he dye But though he escape undiscovered and unpunished by man yet the hand of God will reach him The Psalmist sets him out Psal 36. 2. 3. Psal 55. 21. No man gives smoother words than a Hypocrite no man more full of complements none will pretend more friendship and none will doe lesse Joab came after such a hypocritical manner to Abner and Amasa and made his flattering speeches but a Preface to his Murther Ishmael came weeping as he went
opinion of Religion and think any thing will serve as if any thing were good enough for God Such a slight service was done by Gehazi he went on before and layd his staffe upon the child and there was no appearance of life in the child but the Prophet Elisha layd his hand on the childs hand his mouth on the childs mouth c. and in good earnest set upon the work and the spirit of the child revived It 's the observation of a Reverend Mr. Jerem. Burroughs and precious Divine that of all spirits hee desired to be delivered from a frothy spirit it 's therefore a matter of lamentation and ought in good earnest to be bewailed to consider with what irreverence formalities and slightnesse of the spirit many set upon duty some will pray partly between sleeping and waking so drowsily that they can scarce pronounce their words aright Others will mumble over a few words of course in their beds Neither of these think of that reverence that belongs to the great God of heaven and earth and that he requires the Male the best we can offer unto him A third Impediment is a worldly spirit A heart swallowed up Imped 3. A wordly spirit with the love of the world will never give God the best such spirits wil grudge any thing for God because the world hath seized on their spirits and took up their affections Their breath words conversations even all favours of the world Now this love of the world is the root of all evill and enmity against God Demas forsook the Apostles society The young man preferred earthly treasures before heavenly where the world sits close and the heart is enamoured with the love of the world there Christs riches and his excellencies are undervalued A fourth Impediment is an unbeleeving heart Christ is not a Imped 4. An unbeleeving heart whit regarded amongst unbeleevers onely beleevers account him precious 1 Pet. 2. 7. He that knew the worth of the pearl of price and beleeved there was such vertue in it sold all to purchase it Mat. 13. 46 47. These Impediments being removed some speciall duties ought to be practised 1. Alwaies set before thine eyes the great God of heaven and Dut. 1. Set God before thine eyes earth as omnipresent pure and omnipotent who seeth knoweth and searcheth all hearts This consideration will make thee afraid to present any thing vile and refuse unto so great so holy a Lord God How thou prayest in thy closet what thy secret reserved thoughts are what thy intentions are in any duty all are naked unto that great and glorious Majesty with whom thou hast to deale 2. Labour for sincerity of heart That 's it which will carry thee Dut. 2. Labour for sincerity of heart through all brakes bryars difficulties and perplexities whatsoever It 's said Asa's heart was upright there 's a neverthelesse put in 2 Chron 15. 17. It 's this which comforted Hezekiah when the sentence of death was past against him 2 King 20. 3. It 's that which God requires even truth in the inward parts Ps 51. 6. It 's that which is the cause of rejoycing 2 Cor. 1. 12. Nathaniels character to be an Israelite indeed without guile Joh. 1. 47. The upright are they which love Christ Cant. 1. 4. And they are Gods delight Prov. 11. 20. Their Tabernacle shall flourish Prov. 14. 11. Their high way is to depart from evill Prov. 16. 17. They walk surely Prov. 10. 9. and no good thing will God withhold from them Ps 84. 11. Their end is peace Psal 37. 37. Upright walking with God will carry a man through all troubles whatsoever and in life and death will yeeld matter of abundance of consolation 3. Embrace the present season of Grace Seek ye the Lord whilst Dut. 3. Embrace the present season he may be found call ye upon him whilst he is near Isa 55. 6. Now give God your strength and marrow and lay aside all delayes Apologies and Procrastinations 4. Be much in Prayer and Supplication that what ever thou Dut. 4. Be much in Prayer dost what duty whatsoever service thou offerest unto God that he would accept thee through Jesus Christ As the Ancients held the Plough and prayed so hear and meditate on Gods Word keep the Lords Sabboth holy and pray for a blessing upon all from heaven Blesse Lord his substance Deut. 33. 11. 5. Make Religion thy work the grand design thou drivest Let Dut. 5. Make Religion thy work thy generall calling as a Christian have the preheminence of thy particular calling in the world Seek first the Kingdome of God Mat. 6. 33. The last Use is for Consolation unto those who to the utmost in Vse 5. For Consolation sincerity of heart endeavour to walk before the Lord. Thus Enoch walked with God Gen. 5. 24. Zachary and Elizabeth walked in Gods Commandments blameless Luk. 1. 6. David was a man after Gods own heart Yet the best of Gods children have their failings Jacob confest himself not worthy of the least of Gods mercyes c. David confest himself as foolish as a bruit Beast and wise Agur acknowledged that he had not the understanding of a man It 's a great cause of greif and a burthen to the spirits of Gods dearest children to consider how much they faile in duties Their dulnesse deadnesse disorder of spirit much afflicteth them What I shall further adde shall be comprised in these ensuing considerations Consid 1. Infirmities are incident to the best 1. Infirmities are incident unto the best of Christians I sleep saith the Spouse Paul complains of a body of sin and of flesh and of an antipathy between flesh and spirit 2. Gods children allow not themselves in sinne but mourn Consid 2. Gods childrē allow not themselves in sin Consid 3. Sincerity is accepted Consid 4. Where sincerity is there is an endeavour after more grace Consid 5. Others examples are not just standards Consid 6 Perseverance shall obtaine the Crown for sinne Sinne is their exceeding great grief and burthen 3. Where the heart is sincere it is accepted a willing mind is accepted 2 Cor. 8. 12. 4. Where the heart is sincere it is not contented with what it hath already attained but labours for more grace Phil. 3. 13 14. 5. Consider that others examples and attainments are not that standard for every one to measure himself by No examples but that of Jesus Christ is every way authentique Some will say on one hand Such and such goe no further and will not this serve my turne others say such goe so farre and if I cannot come near them I may justly suspect my self to be an Hypocrite Neither this nor that must determine us 6. And lastly consider that Perseverance shall obtain the Crown Rev. 2. 15. Many beginne well and fly back Of all Apostates are most hated by God But as for such who persevere in Grace and
silence and give him not rest till he establish and till he make Jerusalem a prayse in the earth The Text divided and expounded p. 69 70 71. Doct. That its the obliged duty of all the Children of God to be earnest and assiduous suitors at the Throne of Grace in the behalfe of the Church of God p. 72. Method of handling the Doctrine 1. By propounding parallell Examples p. 72 73 74. 2. By Scripture Precepts p. 74. 3. By 3 Reasons R. 1. In respect of God p. 75. R. 2. In respect of prayer p. 76 77 78 79. R. 3. In respect of the Church p. 79 80. Vse for Reprehension p. 80. 81. Vse 2. for Exhortation p. 83. 4. Things especially to be prayed for p. 83 84 85. 2. Motives p. 86 87. Vse 3. for Direction 1. We must pray in faith p. 87. 2. With fervency ib. 3. With perseverance p. 88. Vse 4. for Consolation ib. SERM. V. GAl. 5. 24. And they that are Christs have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts p. 89. Doct. 1. That there are a peculiar people that are Christs and have speciall Interest in him p. 89. Doctrine prooved from Scripture Testimony p. 90. What it is to have Interest in Christ ib. 4. Reasons drawne 1. From the Promises 2. From the Fathers Donation 3. Christs Redemption And 4. From the sanctification of the spirit p. 91. What are the Benefits of those that are in Christ Ans In five particulars p. 91 92. Vse 1. for Consolation p. 92. Vse 2. for Exhortation ib. Vse 3. of Examination five Notes of Triall ib. Doct. 2. Those that have Interest in Christ have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts p. 93. Method propounded 1. What 's meant by flesh p. 93. 2. What 's meant by affections and lusts ib. 3. What 's meant by crucifying the flesh p. 94. 4. The Doctrine prooved by three Reasons p. 95. Vse 1. for Information p. 96. Vse 2. for Reproofe of three sorts p. 96 97. Vse 3. for Exhortation pressed by three Motives p. 97. Vse 4. for Examination foure Properties of a Crucified person p. 98 99. Vse 5. for Direction 1. What we are to Crucify p. 99. 2. What duties are to be put in practise Ans in 7 Duties p. 100 101. Vse 6. for Consolation An Objection â— answered in six particulars p. 101 102. SERM. VI. ROm. 5. 8. But God commendeth his love towards us in that whil'st we were yet sinners Christ died for us p. 103. The Context opened p. 103 104. Doct. That the death oâ— Christ for sâ—nners is an Evident Demonstration of the Love of God the Father and of the Lord Jesus Chriâ—t p. 104. Method propounded 1. By â—xplication Q. 1. Wherein consists the love of God the Father Ans p. 105. Q. 2. Wherein consists this love of Chriâ—t ib. and p. 116. Q. 3. Did not Heathens dye where lyeth the difference Ans p. 109. six Propâ—sitions p. 109 110 111 112 113. Three Objections answered p. 113 114 115. Vse 1. for Information in five Particulars p. 115 116. Vse 2. for Examination six fignes given oâ— those that have Interest in this distinguishing love 116 117 118. Vse 3. for Exhortation branched into six particular Duties p. 118 119. Vse 4. for Comfort foure Benefits of this speciall lâ—ve p. 119 120. SERM. VII 2 TIm 2. 19. And let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from Iniquity p. 120. The Context opened p. 121 122. The Text divided and expounded p. 123 124. Doct. That wheresoever there is the Profession of Christianity there ought to be a Godly life and Conversation every way sutable and correspondent therewith p. 124. The Doctrine handled 1. By Scripture Testimony p. 125. 2. Confirmed by foure Reasons 125 126. 3. Applied in foure Vses 1. for Information p. 127 128. Vse 2. for Examination foure Characters p. 129 130 131. Vse 3. for Exhortation in three Motives p. 131 132. Vse 4. for Direction 1. How we must depart from Iniquity Ans foure waies p. 132. 2. What meanes must be used Ans 6 Meanes directed p. 133. 134. SERM. VIII JOh. 8. 24. For if yee believe not that I am he yee shall dye in your sinnes p. 135. Context opened p. 135 136. Doct. That of all sinnes Insidelity especially is a grand-damning sinne againâ—t the Gospell Method propounded 1. What Infidelity is Ans in five particulars p. 137 138 139 140 2. The Aggravations of unbeleefe in 6 particulars p. 141 142. 3. By 5. Arguments the Doctrine is confirmed p. 142 143. 4. The Doctrine is applied in 6 Vses 1. For Reproofe p. 145. 2. For Caution in 4 particulars p. 146 147. 3. For Exhortation in 2 Motives 1. Drawne from the Benefit of faith p. 147. 2. From the mischiefe of unbeleefe p. 147 148. 4. For Examination 5 signes of faith p. 148 149. Three signes of unbeleefe p. 149. 5. For Direction 4 directions p. 150. 6. For Consolation in 5 particulars p. 150. Objections of unbelievers answered p. 151 152 153. Objections of Misbelievers answered p. 153 154. Objections of Weak-believers answered p. 154 155 156. SERM. IX HAb 3. 18. Yet I will rejoyce in the Lord I will joy in the God of my salvation The Context opened p. 157 158. The Text divided p. 160. Doct. Amidst all sorrowes lossesse and crossesse joyes supplies and comforts are to be found in the Lord our God p. 161. 4. Arguments in the Text explained p. 163 164 165. 5. Demonstrations added for Confirmation p. 167 168 169 170 171 172 173 174 175. Three Vses 1. For Consolation p. 176 177. 2. For Exhortation 1. To make God our joy p. 178. 2. To make God our Treasure p. 179. 3. To make God our Refuge p. 179 180. Vse 3. For Direction 4. Impediments to be remooved p. 181 182. 3. Duties to be practiced p. 182 183. SERM. X. ROm. 12. 2. But be yee transformed by the renewing of the mind Doct. Every Person who is really Converted is transformed and changed in the renovation of his mind p. 184 Method propounded 1. What 's understood by transformation Ans p. 185 186. 2. What 's meant by the renewing of the mind p. 187. 3. The Doctrine by Scripture prooved p. 188 189. 3. Cautions premised p. 189 190. 4. The Doctrine applied in 4 Vses 1. For Information p. 190. 2. For Examination wherein are 6 False glasses discovered p. 191 192 193 194 195. Three signes of Reall Conversion viz. Vniversality Sincerity and Perpetuity p. 196 197. Vse 3. For Exhortation 3 Motives pressed p. 197. Vse 4. For Consolation 3 Priviledges of such as are really converted p. 198. ERRATA Pag. 4. Marg. r Calvin In the same margent r delect i. p. 124. Marg. r. nominet credens verum discedat p. 125. l. 14. r. implied p. 127. l. 20. r. Angell p. 185. l. 7. r. then p. 186. l. 10. r. soever p. 186. l. 16. r. which is Other Errataes the Reader is entreated to amend DECAD III. OF
consult the eternall benefit of your immortall souls Now the voice of the Turtle is heard in the Land Manna falls round about your Tents The spirituall Manna of the word is plentifully rained downe amongst you You never had more frequent never more profitable preaching Now the Spirit moves by the Ministery of the word And the Lord expostulates the case * Ezek. 18. 31. Why will you die O house of Israel The Lord delights not in your blood so he professeth †Vers 32. For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dyeth saith the Lord God Wherefore turn your selves and live ye Now the Lord Jesus knocks at the dores of your hearts â—â— and waits for admission He waits to be gracious and even waits till his locks be wet with dew He invites himself to be thy guest and he invites thee to come unto him he will entertain thee with a banquet of love Now herein appears the great and wonderfull condescension of our gracious God who to shew his willingnesse to be reconciled is himself first in the motion We sought not to him though we were the offenders but he sought unto us Hence appears how abundant in loving-kindness mercy the Lord is towards us even alwaies before hand with us in mercy notwithstanding we unthankfull wretches are behind hand with him in duty The Lord convinceth all the World and stops the mouths of Cavillers that he is not so austere as some men mis-understand him but he seeks to us first and is * 2. Pet. 3. 9. not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance A greater gift the Father could not give then his beloved Son yet he sent him out of his bosome the Son in whom he was well pleased not to reign according to the state of earthly Kings but to be as †Mat. 3. 17. one that serveth and not to save his life but to lay downe his life as a ransome for all those that were given him of the Father And to this very end and purpose Christ came ‖ Mat. 18. 11. That he might seek and save that which was lost We were all lost in the old Adam and there was no way of recovering our selves but by seeking after our Interest in the new Adam yet we would not seek him we ran away from him and when he invited we made excuses and would not come when he knockt we bolted the dore when he called we would not answer But Jesus Christ in the day of his power makes us a * Ps 110. 3. willing people or a people of willingnesses as the originall expresseth it Now Christ's great errand was to seek us when we were altogether lost and when he found us he beseeched us by the Ministery of his Ambassadours that we would be reconciled unto God Fourthly consider Reconciliation once made for us by Jesus Motive 4. Reconciliation once made is made for ever Christ with the Father is abiding and permanent There will be no breakings out again The Reconciliation once made is made for ever and the Foundation of it is the Faithfulnesse of God He is a God †Psal 89. 28. 34. keeping covenant ‖ 2 Chr. 13. 5 faithfull that hath promised his * Heb. 10. 23. promises are yea and Amen The covenant of God is †2 Sam. 23. 5 an everlasting covenant it 's a covenant of ‖ salt and the love of God is * Jer. 31. 3. everlasting And Christs love is †Joh. 13. 1. to the end Christs prayers and intercession are everlasting as in the place forecited Heb. 7. 25. So that hence we may conclude that once justified and for ever justified once reconciled and for ever reconciled Let us on our part labour to get assurance of our reconciled estate and get more evidences and manifestations thereof unto our own souls and so we shall reap the greater comfort As for Gods part there 's no possibility of failing he never was nor will be worse then his word He is truth it selfe and he glories in that attribute of truth that he is faithfull in all his promises Balaam though a mercenary Prophet gives a true attestation * Numb 23. 19. Numb 23. 19. God is not a man that he should lye neither the Son of man that he should repent hath he said and shall he not do it or hath he spoken and shall he not make it good Such then as hold the Saints Apostasie as Petrus Bertius doth the Frontispice of whose book viz. Apostasia sanctorum seems to me to be contradictio in adjecto and others both of the Popish and Arminian faction now adaies do highly derogate from the faithfulnesse of God and are the greatest adversaries unto the consolation of Gods Children by making them sad whom God would not have made sad Among many there 's one speciall Scripture which overthrowes all the Arminian Cavils in this particular Here let us fix and through Gods grace resolve never to start a jot from that truth delivered by our Saviour †Joh. 10. 28. Joh. 10. 28. And I give unto them eternall life and they shall never perish neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand Here 's our strong hold that our perseverance is not in our own but in Christs keeping And the perpetuity of a Saints condition depends not upon his free will which is an Aegyptian reed and is deceitfull but upon free grace upon Christs Intercession And there is ‖ Heb. 13. 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 help laid upon him that is mighty and Christ is the rock of Ages here is security enough here we may safely venture all He hath said it and there 's enough in that promise He will never leave thee nor forsake thee Fifthly and lastly and with this particular I shall conclude Motive 5. This may be the â—last time of tendring termes of Reconciliation consider seriously for ought either you or I or any other can discern this may be the last offer and tender of Gospel-reconciliation that ever may be vouchsafed unto you If you stop your ears and refuse to give audience unto Christs Ambassadours this day for ought any of us knows their commission may be expired and quite out of date to morrow In a short time the most holy industrious and faithfull Ambassadour may have his Quietus est Christ may say to him †Mat. 25. 21. Well done good and faithfull servant enter into the joy of thy Lord. As then you desire that the Ministers of Jesus Christ may give up their account ‖ Heb. 13. 17. with joy and not with griefe let it be your wisdome and care in this very day which may be a criticall day to entertain those things which concern your everlasting peace Now you enjoy Sabbaths the desire of dayes the Ordinances the * Is 25. 6. feast of fat things yet your eyes behold your teachers
the dore of the Sanctuary is yet opened and a * Ezra 9. 8. nail is yet left in the holy place you have bread in the morning and in the evening and more plenty of spirituall food on the Sabbath day and week daies then heretofore Much is given unto you and much required from you Where God hath sown so liberally he expects as plentifull an harvest Now you hear the joyfull sound even the word of reconciliation and substance of our Embassie is to intreat you to consider the value and dignity of your Heavenly born being soules and to seek after reconciliation otherwise you are undone to all eternity Now Christ holds out a white flag for a parley of peace now the King of Heaven holds out the golden Scepter O come and touch the top thereof and live The Port-cullis is not yet let down The Judge hath not yet vailed his face The dore of hope is not yet shut up the holy Ghost calls †Isa 55. 6. Seek the Lord whilest he may be found call upon him whilest he is neer ‖ 2 Cor. 6 2. Nemo tam divos habuit faventes crastinum ut possit sibi polliceri Senec. Now is the day of salvation None of us can promise to our selves a morrow no not the least moment of time and if we neglect this golden opportunity and season of grace offered we may never live to have another tendred unto us All the World cannot call back the least minute of time when once it is past it 's like a swift stream or an arrow out of a bâ—w not to be recalled Wherefore as you consult the eternal good of your immortal souls be intreated to improve all the prizes and Talents that God puts into your hands to get Wisdome withall When the Lord bids you seek his face O that your hearts with all readinesse might return this answer * Psal 27. 8. Thy face Lord will I seek God hath put this word into my mouth and here fixt my thoughts after I had severall other subjects in my eye and hath sent me on this very errand to treat on this great Theame of reconciliation unto God And now what message shall I return unto him that hath sent me What account shall I give at the last day of the entertainment of this word What shall I say more You have life and death set before you this day viz. The happinesse of a reconciled estate and the misery of an unreconciled estate O that the Lord would engage you all to make the better choyce by hearkâ—ing unto this word of reconciliation and unfainedly embracing the same and so your souls shall live †2. Tim. 2. 7. Consider what I have said and the Lord give you understanding in all things THE MINISTERY OF ANGELLS Heb. 1. 14. Are they not all Ministring spirits sent forth to Minister for them who shall be heires of salvation TO draw down the context to the text we are to Sermon 2. Preached at S. Marye's Oxon. Oct. 3. 1658. Vers 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Solis radii sunt ejusdem naturae cum sole ab eodem propagatione distinguuntur avelluntur nunquam hac Metaphorâ divinam filii naturam convenientissime expressit Apostolus Et character â—icitur expressa imago Archetypi Pareus in loc take speciall notice of the Excellency and dignity of Christ represented unto us in this chapter especially Vers 3. Who being the brightness of his glory and the express image of his person and upholding all things by the Word of his Power when he had by himselfe purged our sinnes sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on High And by way of Comparison the Apostle further inhanceth the honour and preheminence of Christ For after he had compared Christ with the Angells he sets the Crown on Christs head his name is more excellent than theirs Vers 4. 5. Being made so much better then the Angells as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name then they For unto which of the Angells said he at any time Thou art my son this day have I begotten thee And againe I Will be to him a Father and he shall be to me a Son Christ is a Son the Angells his servants they may not be worshipped themselves but they must worship Christ Vers 6. 7. Let all the Angells of God worship him Of his Angells he saith who maketh his Angells spirits and his Ministers a flame of fire And further honour is ascribed to the Son which is not to Angells Vers 8. 9. Vnto the Son he saith Thy throne O God is for ever and ever a scepter of righteousnesse is the scepter of thy Kingdome Thou hast loved righteousnesse and hated iniquity therefore God even thy God hath anointed thee with the oyle of gladnesse above thy fellowes And further Christ is a Lord and Creatour the Angells servants and creatures Christ is advanced to the Throne He is the Soveraign Lord of all Vers 13. The Angells ministering spirits subservient to Christ and at his command and when commissionated by him helpfull and serviceable unto all the children of God It is demanded by way of interrogation in the Text Are they not all Ministring spirits c. Which scripture sets forth clearly the Protection of Angells their Ministery and serviceablenesse unto the children of God A point seldome taught yet very usefull comfortable and of singular concernment unto all the children of God! And being that its the duty of the Minister to declare unto people the whole councell of God that which hath oft been in my intention I shall now endeavour to handle with all the perspicuity that I can The words contain a question Are they not all Ministring spirits Divis which being resolved the answer is obvious that the Angells are all Ministring spirits More particularly we are to observe a Description of Angells 1. From their nature Spirits 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 implied 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 exprest 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. From their office Ministring 3. Their commission Sent. 4. Whose Ministers they are 1. Primarily Christs And secondarily Christs children 5. The universality All All the Angells Here 's the universality of the object and it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and universality of the subject all the Angells All that are heires none left out none exempted from the benefit of the service of all the Angells of God All that are heires of Salvation all Christs children have interest in their protection Many scruples may be made and many things require explication what requires opening shall be endeavoured in the enlargement of one intire doctrine whereon I purpose to fix Thus I propound it to you That it pleaseth God to make use of the Ministery of Angells for Doct. the good of his Children This is the point I aime at from this
his Angells with a great sound of a trumpet and they shall gather together his elect from the foure windes from one end of heaven to the other The fourth question is whether every Saint hath a peculiar Angell to be his keeper and Protectour That every Saint hath a peculiar Angell to keep him is the opinion of Fathers School-men and many Protestants but although I am farre from a hasty censure yet I cannot assent unto their opinion because here in the text it 's laid down universally All. There are two Scriptures specially urged in behalfe of this opinion The one is Mat. 18. 10. Take heed that yee despise not one of these little ones for I say unto you that their Angells do alwaies behold the face of my Father which is in heaven The other is Act. 12. 15. They said unto her thou art mad but she constantly Act. 12. 15. affirmed that it was even so then said they it is his Angell To the former place I answer the meaning is that men ought Ans not to contemne poore believers seeing God hath so farre honoured them as to give them his own Angells to be their Guardians and Ministers And though they are called their Angells it followes not hence that each Saint hath a peculiar Angell appropriated to himselfe but their Angells are appointed over aâ—l Gods children and are as serviceable unto them as if every one Angell had charge over one particular Saint Individuum So that one Angell may protect many as The Angell of Psal 34. 7. the Lord encampeth round about them that feare him and delivereth them One Angell may protect many and many Angells may protect one The meaning of this Scripture Calvin makes to be this That they are not to be contemned whose Angells are neere and ready Non impunè contemni eos quorum Angeli propinqui sunt familiares ut vindictam exigant Calv. to take revenge The Angells will take revenge upon those who afflict the children of God But there is more matter of doubt from Act. 12. 15. Then said Quest they it is his Angell For answâ—r 1. The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is rendred a Messenger Ans and so some rather render it It 's his Messenger 2. It 's spoken according to a vulgar opinion There is an antient opinion that there is a good and a bad Genius Empedocles the Philosopher taught that every man had two Angells one good another bad And Grecians used to say that every man hath his own Angell to be the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of all his life And Plutarch records when Brutus was â—laine the night before one appeared unto him and said I am thine evill Angell oh Brutus But among the Jewes themselves there were frequent apparitions of dead persons and phantasmes which questionlesse were diabolicall and they were thought by the vulgar sort to be the spirits of the persons whom they represented and they had a conjecture that there was some good or some bad according to the diversitie of the persons and their forepassed life Now it should seem that these people amazed as it were at an unlooked for chance followed the popular opinion and would thereby inferre that Peters death was inevitable seeing his spirit did already begin to appeare 3. This may be understood It is his Angell that is some Angell that God had sent for his deliverance which was fully effected For the Angell of the Lord took away Peters chayne and delivered Acts. 12. 17. him out of Prison The fifth question is what is the knowledge of Angells Q. 5. What is the knowledg of Angells 1. We must premise that they are not omniscient Of that day and houre knoweth no man no not the Angells of Heaven but my Father Mat. 24. 14. only They increase in knowledge saith the Apostle Paul Mat. 13. 32. Eph. 3. 10. To the intent that now unto the Principalities and Powers in heavenly places might be knowne by the Church the manifold wisdome of God And likewise the Apostle Peter concurres Vnto whom it was 1 Pet. 1. 12. revealed that not unto themselves but unto us they did Minister the things which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the Gospell unto you with the holy Ghost sent down from heaven which things the Angells desire to look into 2. The knowledge Angells have is by intuition and not discourse as men have 3. Their wisdome and knowledge is excellent So said the woman of Tekoah My Lord is wise according to the wisdome of an Angell 2 Sam. 14. 20. of God to know all things that are in earth 4. They are Creatures of great experience Even bad Angells have great knowledge They have had long experience and have made many observations of the Actions of men 5. God oftimes communicates unto good Angells the affaires of men I cannot neither will I say that the Angells know mens thoughts for That 's Gods sole Prerogative Neither can I say that the Angells know all our actions But they know very much because God communicates them unto them and they rejoyce in Luk. 15. 7 10 the conversion of a sinner and bad Angells know much of a mans waies The Devill observes and takes notice of our failings and though he knows not our thoughts yet he 'l guesse neer the matter and by circumstances and carriages put together he will easily find out which is the bosome and constitution sinne and so forme his temptation accordingly Q. 6. Whether Christ died for Angells Ans 1. Heb. 2. 16. The sixt and last question is whether Christ died for Angells I answer Negatively For first he took not upon him their Nature Verily he took not upon him the Nature of Angells but the seed of Abraham 2. God left the Apostate Angells without recovery What their sinne was whether pride or any other sinne though most are of opinion that pride was the chiefest sinne of them we will not curiously inquire But that they were Apostates from God and so became eternally miserable is evident from Scripture And Jude 6. the Angells which kept not their first estate but left their own habitation he hath reserved in everlasting chaines under darknesse unto the judgment of the great day They it seems fell from their primitive condition once and irrecoverably 3. We affirme that Christs death is of great benefit unto the elect Angells For thereby they are confirmed in their happy estate Christs death established the holy Angells in their state of blessednesse The Apostle plainly proves our Assertion That in the dispensation Eph. 1. 10. of the fulnesse of times he might gather together into one all things in Christ both which are in Heaven and which are on earth even in him Far above all Principality Power Might and Dominion vers 21. and every name that is named not only in this world but that which is to come And hath put all things
an inordinate love of his Brother Philips wife Saul slew many of the Amalekites but he was but a carnall man he obeyed the commandment of God too halves He was partiall in his obedience Judas was a disciple of Christ yet but a carnall man he was carried away with an inordinate lust of covetousnesse he was a Theefe and carried the bagge Joh. 12. 6. 2. Hereby we are informed what a spirituall man is he is one that crucifieth his lusts hee 's a man crucified unto the world and the world unto him hee 's a wrastler and a warrior against flesh and blood even against corruptions he makes it his businesse to give a deadly blow to them all 2. The second Use is for Reproofe of severall sorts of persons Vse 2. For Reproofe 1. It Reproves those common sort of Protestants who would be accounted Christians and Protestants but there 's no change at all wrought in their hearts nor in their lives they professe themselves Christians but they live without Christ they know not what Regeneration Adoption the new Creature meanes The old sent still remaines in them they are covetous worldly minded Sabbath-breakers swearers c. And yet these would go under the name of Christians but where 's the crucifying of the flesh where 's the mortifying of their lusts the want whereof evidently proves them to be only nominall not reall Christians 2. This Doctrine reproves such in whom there is some beginning of a change but it 's but partiall it 's not a thorough change some sinnes they leave which are most crosse to their profit and reputation but others they hugge and foster some sweet sinne some antient pleasant customary sin they will not forgoe a beloved bosome sinne they will not crucify they would have a dispensation in this with Naaman and would be faine pardoned in that but these fosterings of a darling sinne shew the heart to be rotten David profest his uprightnesse by keeping himselfe from his own iniquity Psal 18. 23. Right eyes ought to be pluckt out and right hands cut off 3. This reproves those that love not to heare their sinnes reproved if a preacher touch them to the quick and tell them of coâ—senage in the trade double dealing equivocation c. and shew them the evill of their worldly mindednesse pride and vaine glory c. They cannot abide such plaine dealing but account of such a plain dealing Preacher as Ahab accounted of Michaiah a great enemy and as the Apostle Paul himselfe was accounted an enemy because he told them the truth 3. The third Use is for Exhortation to presse home the duties Vse 3. For Exhortation of the Text to set upon this great work of crucifying the flesh let the proud man labour to crucify his pride the voluptuous man his pleasures the worldly man his covetousnesse the cholerick man his anger here 's a great work indeed it cannot be done easily There 's required sweat and blood there 's much diligence A Christian must be in fastings and watchings often often tugging hard at the oare often in prayer and wrastling with God It 's a greater victory for a man to conquer his pride anger earthly mindednesse c Then to take a City by storme Prov. 16. 32. I will cast in further two or three Considerations to move us to this duty impartially 1. Consider execution of justice upon Gods enemies is acceptable Consid 1. Execution of justice is acceptable unto God unto him after Achan was stoned the vally of Achor was a dore of hope Hos 2. 14. The workes of the flesh are enemies to God and must be destroyed impartially 2. If we be not the death of sinne it will be the death of us Consid 2. If we kill not sin it will kill us it will bring eternall death shall not we rather kill then be killed rather slay sinne and destroy it then let it slay and destroy us Every sinne is destructive to the soule there 's a pit of destruction whereinto sinners fall Psal 55. 23. 3. Of all sinnes those that are most pleasing to flesh and blood Consid 3. c. delightfull sinnes those are most pernicious and destructive to the soule Immoderate mirth and jollity at Ammons Feast were the harbingers of his ruine when his heart was merry with wine then was he slaine Le ts then every one beware of the Syren songs of the flesh let us not hearken to them least we be inchanted therewith to our utter destruction But I proceed to a fourth Use for Examination Here 's the Vse 4. For Examinat grand Question to be put home unto us all whether we are such persons that have Crucified the flesh with its affections and lusts Ans For Answer hereunto by way of Character I le set down the Properties of a crucified person 1. A crucified person hath his affections crucified to the deeds 1. Crucifixion of the affections of the flesh hee 's none of those of whom the Apostle speaks Rom. 8. 5. who mind the things of the flesh The word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Now a crucified person doth not rellish nor savour fleshly things his love desires hopes Joyes are not fixt upon carnall sensuall pleasures what a wonderfull change is here wrought when as in the state of unregeneracy carnall lusts sensuall pleasures took up a mans joy desire and delight his discourses heart pleasure and all These were carried downe with this stream but after God had broke in upon the heart and renewed the mind and sanctified the affections the man becomes another manner of man what he formerly lov'd now he hates what he formerly most rejoyced in are now his greatest burthens and causes of sorrow and what 's the reason Because he is a mortified person he hath mortified his members as the Apostle speaks Col. 3. 5. and not only particular members but the whole body likewise even the deeds of the body Rom. 8. 13. 2. A crucified person hath a quickning vertue from Christ 2. There 's quickning vertue from Christ to bring forth the fruits of the spirit as love joy peace long-suffering gentlenesse goodnesse c. Gal. 5. 22. A crucified person is dead and alive i. e. dead to the workes of the flesh and alive to the fruits of the spirit By vertue of Christs death sinne is mortified and by vertue of his resurrection we are raised up to newnesse of life 3. A crucified person is weary of the world The world is a 3. A crucified man is weary of the world burthen to him and what 's the Reason but because the love of the world is enmity against God A man upon the crosse O what paines doth he endure his heart hankers not after honours pleasures pompe and vanities hereupon the Apostle glorieth upon the crosse of Christ By whom saith he the world is crucified unto me and I unto the world Gal. 6. 14. But with a caution you must
thus imployed in striving to crucify sinne and in some good measure they have obtained victory this is an excellent imployment to be wrastling against corruption beating downe the body bringing it into subjection But it will be objected That sinne is in the best of Gods children Object and notwithstanding all their strivings and struglings they cannot get rid of sinne whilest they are in this world Ans 1. You must know that in this life there are imperfections Ans in the best and an absolute perfection cannot be attained till we come to heaven 2. Sinne though it is yet it Reignes not in the Regenerate Rom. 6. 12. vers 14. 3. The Regenerate make not a trade of sinne 1 Joh. 3. 9. They are said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 4. Sinne is the griefe disease burthen of Regenerate men wherefore they grieve that they sinne and would faine be in that condition where they may sinne no more hereupon they crye out for a deliverer Rom. 7. 24. 5. It 's the endeavour of Regenerate persons to conquer every sinne they allow not themselves in sinne they strive to destroy bosome sinnes Ps 18. 23. 6. God accepts of Evangelicall Perfection i. e. sincere Intentions and endeavoâ—rs for action the will for the deed Wherefore then though flesh remaines as well as spirit yet the spirit at length will prevaile and returne conqueror and herein consists the great conquest of Christians to conquer the flesh to subdue all inordinate affections and insatiable desires and this is that which I have prest from my Text To crucify the flesh with its affections and lusts GODS LOVE IN CHRIST DISCOVERED From Rom 5. vers 8. But God commendeth his love towards us in that whilest we were yet sinners Christ died for us THE Apostle having disputed at large the Doctrine Sermon 6. Preached at St. Marye's Oxon. March 20. 1658. of Justification by faith concludes by way of inference that singular priviledges graces and benefits are the peculiar portion of a justified person Justification is the root and the following graces are the fruit Justification the mother grace they the issue or Daughters viz. Peace of conscience vers 1. Accesse to the Throne of Grace vers 2. Joy in tribulation vers 2. Patience vers 3. Experience vers 4. Hope vers 4. And the ground of this hope is the love of God vers 5. Not that love whereby we love him but whereby he loveth us It 's said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 We have a sensible feeling of this love and this is not a delusion of our owne fancy but it is the effectuall working of the Holy Ghost A singular Instance of this love appeares by the death of Christ wherein we have 1. The season 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 according to the due time and fittest 1. The season season this is the accepted time 2 Cor. 6. 2. Behold now is the accepted time behold now is the day of salvation The most conveninient time even now when the fulnesse of time was come Gal. 4. 4. But when the fulnesse of time was come God sent forth his son made of a woman made under the law c. 2. The condition of the persons for whom it 's expressed by two 2. The Condition of the Persons words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 infirme impotent persons unable altogeather to help and deliver themselves And 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ungodly such as left Gods true worship and defil'd themselves with Idolatry Now the love of Christ is further amplified by a comparison vers 7. let 's compare Christ's love with the love of men vers 7. For scarcely for a righteous man will one dye yet per adventure for a good man some would even dare to dye 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 By a righteous man we understand an innocent godly inoffensive just dealing man By a good man here we understand an usefull serviceable man a publick spirited man a Patriot for his countrey one that hath shewed much goodnesse to us Justus reddens cuique quod suum est Bonus qui beneficus est ac bene à multis meritus as some of the Learned observe But what 's this in comparison of the love of Christ All the love of creatures in comparison of Christ's love is not so much as the drop to the Ocean Note the incomparable unparrelled love of Christ to sinners in my Text. But God commendeth his love unto us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us Wherein observe these Remarkable Particulars 1. The greatnesse of Gods love 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Commendat verbum Insignem summe commendabilem esse ostendit Beza Commendare significat aut confirmare as Aretius observes It signifieth testatum facere as Budaeus and Demosthenes use the word 2. The Proofe or Evidence of this love by Christ's death 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 3. The condition of the persons sinners 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 rebellious sinners such in whom sinne raigned who were wholy under the power of sinne in their blood in a loathsome filthy condition All are sinners they have no truth in them that deny it 1 Joh. 1. 8. But here by sinners saith * Qui toti vitiosi sunt ac peccato addicti Calv. in Loc. Calvin are understood such Who are wholly vitious and addicted unto sinne We read that God heareth not sinners Joh. 9. 31. For these sinners Christ died for enemies rebells polluted lyeing in their filth these Christ loved and washed No fore sight of their faith repentance moved him to pitty them only his love For these he died and this is an unparrellel'd demonstration of the love of God and of Jesus Christ I shall comprise the whole of my meditations in one fundamentall Doctrine That the death of Christ for sinners is an evident demonstration Doct. of the love of God the Father and of the Lord Jesus Christ This I shall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 unfold by Explication Confirmation and particular Application 1. For Explication I propound these Queries Query 1. Wherein consists this love of God the Father Ans In sending of his Sonne his beloved Son his only Son the Son of his bosome God might have impowred an Angell and sent him but the mission of his Son sets forth love inexpressible There 's 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Joh. 3. 16. He so loved the world that he gave his only begotten sonne that whosoever believâ—â—â— in him shall not perish but have everlasting life And further we read 1 Joh. 4. 9. In this was manifested the love of God towards us because that God sent his only begotten sonne into the world that we might live through him God left the fallen Angells without a Saviour but took pitty on lost man God would never be reconciled to the fallen Angells but from eternity he contrived a way to reconcile man unto himselfe 2 Cor. 5. 19. To wit that God was in Christ reconciling the world unto
profession because they are baptized Christians borne in the bosome of the Church where Christ is knowne descended of Christian Parâ—nts and yet notwithstanding are ignorant of the life of Christ of the Laver of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost Some crye up their Baptisme too much though Infant-Baptisme in my judgment without question is Gods Ordinance as the Jewes did the Temple Templum Domini Templum Domini And yet were altogether unacquainted with the God of the Temple Let such remember He is not a Jew which is one outwardly Rom. 2. 28 29. neither is that circumcision which is outward in the flesh But he is a Jew who is inwardly and circumcision is that of the heart in the spirit and not in the letter But there are others who go yet higher in their own conceits and because they are admitted into Church-fellowship and called Saints and reputed Church Members therefore they think all 's well with them and their condition is very safe But who knoweth not that there are many Nominall Saints which are farre from being Reall Saints Many there are that think it religion enough to joyne in such or such a Society under such or such a Teacher who is a leading Popular man and yet many of them are acted by no other Principle but selfe-interest Compliance with men for carnall advantages Many Matth. 7. 20. shall say saith Christ in that day Lord we have prophecied in thy name and in thy name cast out Devills and in thy name done Luk. 13. 26. wonderfull workes We have eate and drunke in thy presence and thou hast taught in our streets but he shall say I tell you I know not whence you are How many Protestants have we at large who are contented with the bare name of Christians yet in their lives are Antichristians To bid such deny their Baptisme renounce Christ they will tell you they would spit in your faces and yet their lives declare them no better then Turkes Jewes Atheists without God in the world It 's a sad thing to consider that the Profession of religion hath amongst many Tiâ—ular Professors justled out the practice and a bare forme and an outside profession many think sufficient just like one of Machivells principles Take the profession that will do no harme but not the practice of Religion Psal 51. 6. But be not deceived God is not God will not be mocked The Lord requireth truth in the inward parts God will be worshipped in spirit Joh. 4. 24. and in truth All the painted glosses faire outsides formall pretences will be accounted no better than chaffe straw or stubble at the great day of account I am fully perswaded that since Adams Creation there were never so many false conversions as now a daies Many think they are converted when only they are of such or such an opinion Some are turned from Brownists to Semi-Brownists and from Brownists to Anabaptists from them to Familists and afterwards to Quakers Ranters c. And all these boast themselves to be Saints and to be of the Church of Christ though many I censure not all are of the Synagogue of Satan Some poore soules are seduced by false teachers and run like Absoloms followers in their simplicity knowing nothing Such God may in mercy bring home by a thorough change and reformation and make them sensible of their evill waies and back-slidings and in due time deliver them out of Satans snare But multitudes there are which call themselves Saints and Christians and have nothing but the bare name witnesse their lives farre from Saintship and Christianity How greedy are some of filthy lucre ambitious proud boasters idle drones sleepy sluggards eating the bread of idlenesse when they were in a poorer condition they were industrious and laboured abundantly in their callings now being advanced they grow lazie Some in their younger yeares preached often but now they are elder they are more lazie neither preaching frequently themselves nor hearing frequently others that doe and yet none of these but will take it ill if you call them not Christians and Saints too But where 's any thing of the life of Christ Christ watched prayed went about doing good Can they count themselves Disciples who are so unsutable to their Master Is it lawfull to take a Writ of ease and to rest from our labours before we be dead But leaving them hopeing better things of you I proceed to a second Use viz. Examination 2. For Examination The question is wherein consists that Vse 2. For Examination conversaâ—ion which is answerable unto our profession I shall give an Answer in these distinguishing Characters 1. This Conversation must be a holy Conversation As he that Char. 1. This Conversation must be holy 1 Pet. 1. 15. Mat. 5. 8. Heb. 12. 14. Char. 2. This Conversation must be sâ—nâ—â—ere 2 Cor. 1. 12. hath called you is holy So be yee holy in all manner of Conversation Gods people are an holy people Heaven is an holy place The Society there an holy Society the imployment an holy imployment and only holy persons shall see the blessed vision Blessâ—d are the pure in heart for they shall see God Follow peace and â—olinesse without the which no man shall see God 2. This Conversation must be sincere This is our rejoycing even the testimony of a good Conscience that in simplicity and godly sincerity we have had our Conversation in the world It 's called there 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I shall not overcuriously stand upon Criticismes whether sincerus sine cerâ or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But yet I cannot let passe the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sol 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 judicio an Allusion to the custome of Eagles who held their young ones before the Sun if they could not look up unto the Sun then were they accompted spurious Surely if our actions cannot endure the test and triall of the Sun of righteousnesse they are to be accompted spurious and illegitimate altogether Sincerity is the constitutive difference of a Child of God and a divisive difference which distinguiâ—â—eth one that feareth God from him that feareth him not This is that which will comfort a man in life and in death So it did Enoch whose commendation it was that he walked with God and Gen. 5. 24. Gen. 6. 9. was not for God took him It was Noahs comfort that he was a just man and perfect in his generation And it will comfort us in death if we can sincerely professe with Hezekiah Remember O Lord 2 King 20. 3. how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart Wherefore it especially concernes us all to labour after sincerity even truth in the inward parts that so we may approve our hearts unto God and make it our daily exercise to keep Consciences void of offence both towards God and towards men 3. This Conversation must be prudenâ—
do living without God in the world As one said either this is not Gospell holding up the Bible in his hands or you are not Christians But this is Gospell that if we believe not we shall dye in our sinnes therefore we that live in our unbeliefe are not Christians 4. Infidelity consists in this when we live by sense and not by 4. Infidelity is a living by sense faith we believe no more then what we see if our sense and our reason failes our faith failes as in the case of Thomas Joh. 20. 27. But we ought to live by faith and not by sense Many will believe nothing but what they can give a reason for though the waies of God are most reasonable and religion is a reasonable 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 12. 1. profession and a reasonable service is commanded yet it s above reason and transcendeth the capacity of a naturall man That person must have his senses exercised and a spirituall eye that will discerne the misteries of God see how the Apostle describes faith Heb. 11. 1. To be the substance of things not seen And the Patriarches saw the promises a farre off Heb. 11. 13. What then though sense faile and reason is nonplussed yet the promises of God never faile This sometimes is the fault of Gods own children under desertions who conclude awry and say they have no faith because they want feeling whereas feeling is an after thing Eph. 1. 13. And faith may be in the Root alive though the fruit appeare not presently to the sense There is truth of faith where there may be want of sense and apprehension In so much as faith and doubting may goe togeather as appeares Mark 9. 24. Lord I believe help my unbeliefe This living by sense more then faith is a great peice of Infidelity hence it came to passe that Abraham and Isaac both denied their wifes in them there was sense and fear joyned togeather Sarah laughed at the promise there was sense as appeares by her answer Ge. 18. 12. Sense acted in David and not faith when he said in his heart that he should one day perish by the hand of Saul 1 Sam. 27. 1. Wherefore he betook himselfe immediatly unto the Philistines 1 Sam. 27. 1 2. Here 's the Triall Sense saith no Faith saith yea Sense saith its impossible Faith saith all things are possible to the believer Sense saith its incredible and unreasonable Faith saith I believe though incredible and unreasonable Sense saith and reason pleads we can dispute and argue no longer Faith saith leave of disputing and learne to believe Thus did Abraham and he acted upon a principle of faith Ro. 4. 19 20. 5. Infidelity consists in the Non-application of promises upon 5. Infidelity consiâ—ts in the Non application of promises Gal. 2. 20. the termes of the Gospell for to belive Christ is a Saviour and not my Saviour what comfort can I take in it To believe Christ dyed for sinners and to exclude my selfe from any benefit by his death this is a dreadfull condition Paul applied Christ to himselfe Gal. 2. 20. Who loved me and gave himselfe for me And so did Thomas my Lord and my God Now heares a great difference between presumptuous sinners and poore weak believers Presumptuous sinners are too hasty to apply too much and poore weak Christians are too backward and apply too little Every presumptuous sinner would be blessed and happy and will say Christ dyed for him but he is a stranger and grossely ignorant who they are to whom appertaines blessednesse It 's appropriated Matth. 5. to the poore in spirit to the pure in heart to those that hunger and thirst after righteousnesse but poore weak believers are afraid to lay hold on promises and question their interest in them Now to speak to weak Christians whose faith is true though but little let them know that their little faith is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 like pretious 2 Pet. 1. 1. faith they would faine have more faith they pray for more and they strive for more it 's their griefe and cause of heavinesse that they have no more do you not then whatever you are stand in your own light O therefore tast and see that God is good stay upon his promises and apply your selves unto Christ the poorer you are in your own spirit and the more sensible of your unworthinesse the more fit you are to receive Jesus Christ and if you dare not apply Christs promises unto you be sure that you apply your selves unto Christ and his promises relye stay and leane upon them let them not goe Faith is both a hand and an eye you must lay hold on Christ and look unto him as they did on the brazen Serpent in the wildernesse This faith acts Q. O but I am afraid I tremble I dare not lay hold on Christ I dare not make this application to my selfe Ans To answer hereunto 1. Know a Paralitick trembling hand may receive a pretious pearle 2. Christ invites thirsty hungry poore naked indigent lost creatures such as are undone in themselves to come unto him Art thou sensible of thy poverty nakednesse undone condition thou art invited why then dost thou not make hast unto Jesus Christ 3. Those that come are accepted such I mean who come in faith so Christ declares Joh. 6. 35 37. And the not coming unto Christ damnes multitudes of soules Joh. 5. 40. But I proceed to the second head propounded the proofe of 2. Vnbeliefe hath severall Aggravations the doctrine from Scripture that this sinne of unbeliefe is such a Grand-damning sinne and this will evidently appeare from those severall Aggravations mentioned in the Word of God 1. Unbeliefe maketh the Word of God unprofitable unto us Heb. 4. 2. The word profited not because not mixt with faith We thrive not under Ordinances because of unbeliefe If in our estates we find out that there 's some wastfull licentious course of living that hinders us from thriving and causeth us to grow behinde hand we should carefully avoide that Infidelity hinders our souls from thriving hence comes a leannesse in our soules notwithstanding a fatnesse of Ordinances and great barrennesse and unfruitfulnesse because we believe not the word 2. This sinne causeth Apostacy Heb. 3. 12. Psal 78. 57. 3. It scapes not unpunished in Gods own Children Luk. 1. 20. Zachary was struck with dumbnesse for not believing the Angell 4. Unbelievers are joyned with the most abominable sinners Rev. 21. 8. 5. The Scripture pronounceth damnation to be the portion of unbelievers in the future tense it s said Mark 16. 16. and Joh. 3. 36. He that believeth not shall be damned but in the present tense Joh. 3. 18. They are as sure to be damned as though the were already in hell It 's said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which hath the signification of the present tense as if the unbeliever were actually damned or in a damnable condition 6.
excuses which their carnall hearts plead and reason against God Christ offered to gather them they will not Christs offers to be their King they will not be his subjects they will not have him to reigne over them unbeliefe and disobedience are mens owne faults questionlesse In the next place concerning Misbelievers there are many objections made by Jewes and Mahumetans they would be accounted Believers because they believe one God Creator and Governour but these reject Jesus Christ they believe not in him The Mahumetans preferre Mahomet before Christ The Jewes believe him not to be come now questionlesse there is no true faith but that which hath Christ for its object as we read Joh. 17. 3. The Papists go further they believe in God the Father and they professe they believe in Christ but they joyne their owne workes with Christs Merits for they joyne with Christ Mediation the Mediation of Saints and Angells and so they in a high degree derogate from Christs intercession For he is an Al-sufficient Saviour and the only Mediator Heb. 7. 25. 1 Tim. 2. 5. But whatever Jewes Turkes and Papists may object they will one day find all their devised worships and misbeliefe to be abominable in the sight of God Likewise there are multitudes of loose Protestants and formall professors they aske what need all this adoe what need so much faith We perswade our selves to be in a good condition already because we believe the Scriptures thus many perswade themselves to be in a good condition and think their condtion to be happy and yet follow those very waies that lead down unto the Chambers of death If all those that have a good perswasion of themselves had been true believers then the foolish virgins Matt. 25. 10. had not been excluded Many say Lord Lord and Christ will say he knowes them not Many will glory and say that they have heard Christ preach in their streets that they have been in his presence when he was upon earth and yet Christ will not owne them Farther yet multitudes rest contented with a temporary faith an Historicall and Dogmaticall faith and yet all this while they arrive not beyond the faith of Devills and Reprobates In the last place there are weak believers and these make many objections and because their Consciences are tender they ought to be dealt more tenderly with all First They object that they have no faith at all because it is Obj. 1 very weake and little We must know 1. That faith admits degrees There are some Ans weaker and some stronger believers the strongest believer must labour for more faith and though he have a stronger faith he may not conclude that he hath too much and he that hath a weake faith may not conclude that he hath none at all There is faith as little as a graine of mustard seed and yet it is accepted Mat. 12. 20. A bruised reed shall he not breake and smoaking flax shall he not quench till he send forth judgment unto victory There are Christians of the highest of the middle and of the lowest forme The man in the Gospell had faith and doubting togeather Mark 9. 24. Lord I believe help thou mine unbeliefe The disciples had a little faith and yet this was true and accepted 2. A weake faith if true is like precious 2 Pet. 1. 1. Simon Peter a Servant and an Apostle of Jesus Christ to them that have obtained like precious faith with us grace and peace be multiplyed unto you 3. It hath the like pretious object Jesus Cdrist and he hath lambes as well as sheep in his fold Isai 40. 11. He shall feed his flock like a Shepherd he shall gather his lambs with his arme and carry them in his bosome and shall gently leade those that are with young 4. Weak believers have Interest â—in the like precious promises Joh. 6. 37. Him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out And Joh. 6. 35. He that cometh to me shall never hunger c. Obj. 2 2. Weake believers object that they have no faith because they want feeling But we must know that faith may be where feeling may be Ans wanting so the Apostle declares Eph. 1. 13. In whom ye also trusted after that yee heard the word the Gospell of your Salvation in whom also after ye believed ye were sealed with that holy spirit of promise Who knowes how the bones of a child grow in the wombe shall we conclude that they grow not because they are not discerned But for avoiding mistakes it will be needfull to interpret a few Cautions 1. We must not measure faith by our sense and apprehension Caut. 1. We may not measure faith by sense Psal 88. 14. David complaines of God's hiding his face and so he doth frequently complaine else where and yet a believer Lord why castest thou off my Soul why hidest thou thy face from me And Gods hiding his face was a trouble unto him Psal 30. 7. Thou didst hide thy face and I was troubled Caut. 2. A weake Christian may not content himselfe with a weak faith 2. A weake Christian may not content himselfe with a weake faith but he must labour for a strong faith There are many things lacking in their faith 1 Thes 3. 10. Night and day praying exceedingly that we might see your face and might perfect that which is lacking in your faith 3. A weake believer must not neglect the Application of the Caut. 3. A weake Believer may not neglect the Application of Promises promises but search them and bring them home unto their own soules Thou hast a weake faith but the word is a strengthening and establishing word Wait believingly on God and thou shalt have renewed strength so runs the Tenor of that choice word of Promise Isai 40. 29 30 31. He giveth power unto the saint and to them that have no might he increaseth strength Even the youths shall faint and be weary and the young men shall utterly faile but they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength they shall mount up with wings as Eagles they shall run and not be weary and they shall walke and not faint 4. Neglect not observation of experiences of former dealings Caut. 4. Neglect not experiences of God towards thee how he hath delivered thee out of six and seven troubles He hath counselled and comforted thee and he is as wise and able as ever to help and relieve his people Lastly Some object against themselves and conclude their faith Obj. 2 to be none because they come so short of others For Answer hereunto and to conclude This is not a safe way Ans to argue I have not the saith of Abraham therefore I have no faith at all Should Zacheus because he was not so high as Saul conclude that he was no man at all Look chiefly to the Quality that this faith may be of a right kind a genuine faith such as purifieth the