shall befall all impenitent sinners What they are most loth to vndergoe that shall light vpon them and that at vnawares when they least thinke of it and shall continue with them and neuer leaue them till it haue either turned them vnto God or brought them vnto hell the place of all such rebrobate sinners And that we may apply this to the present occasion are there not many that are horribly afraid of the pestilence yea farre more then they are of sinne which bringeth it in so much that they absent themselues from Sermons and from publike prayers lest they should be infected Are there not very many I say that are possessed with such feares Let them looke to it for of all other strokes the pestilence is likely to fall vpon them if it were a sword in the hand of the Pope or of Sathan then it stood them vpon to beware of Gods ordinances but seeing none but Atheists will denie but it is ordered by Gods ouer-ruling hand they take a bad course to escape his stroke for where can they hide themselues but he will finde them out And whither can they flee from his all-seeing presence He can take away the infection where it is and bring it euen in a moment where it is not and therefore goe where they can they goe in continuall danger for where is the sword of God most likely to smite but where he is most displeased and where there is most prophanenesse and greatest contempt of the meanes of saluation therefore if they would escape let them fall downe before the Lord and humble themselues as Dauid did and not be so much afraid of their neighbours that haue the plague as of sinne that brings the plague and runne not so much from the occasion of this sicknesse though all good care must be had that way as from the cause which if we can doe then either God will spare vs and exempt vs from this stroke or else giue vs comfort vnder it and deliuerance from it by life or death making it a meanes vtterly to kill originall sinne which all his ordinances could but onely weaken and who would be afraid of such a cure what child of God would not be more glad to sit on a throne in heauen though he be called thereto by a boysterous messenger than to be in a prison heere on earth to be where he shall be quite freed from sinne and sorrow and temptation and haue all happinesse aboue that which his heart can desire rather than to be continually turmoyled heere in the world and euery day to taste of new tribulations The end of the first Sermon The second Sermon 2. SAMVEL 24.14 c. Verse 14 And Dauid said vnto God I am in a wonderfull strait let vs fall now into the hand of the Lords for his mercies are great and let mee not fall into the hand of man Verse 15. So the Lord sent a Pestilence in Israell from the morning euen to the time appointed and there died of the people from Dan to Beer-sheba seuenty thousand men Verse 16. And when the Angell stretched out his hand vpon Ierusalem the Lord repented of the euill and said to the Angell that destroyed the people It is sufficient hold now thy hand c. Verse 17. And Dauid spake vnto the Lord c. YEE haue alreadie heard of Dauids sinne in numbring of the people of his humiliation confession and crauing of pardon for the same also of the message that was brought vnto him by Gad what offer the Lord made him Namely that hee should haue the choise of his owne rodde the sentence was alreadie past and some one of the three iudgements mentioned Verse 13. must needs light vpon the land yet would God vse as much mildnes as might bee and therefore hee referres the matter vnto him and biddeth him consider and determine which of them hee would most willingly vndergoe Now followe the euents that ensued both vpon the sinne that Dauid committed and the message that God for the same directed vnto him The first whereof was the great distresse wherewith hee was perplexed which he bemoned to the Prophet telling him that he was in a wonderfull strait The second was the choyse that he made Verse 14. absolutely passing ouer the famine without so much as speaking of it as knowing it to bee incomparablie the sharpest scourge of the three for the Scripture faith that they that are slaine by the sword are better then they which are killed with hunger and rather also submitting himselfe to the Pestilence Lament 9. which was more immediately the sword of God from whom he expected mercie and fauour then to the violence and sword of man in whome what else in such a case is to be found but crucltie and fiercenesse The third was the execution of that plague of the pestilence Verse 15. which he had yeelded himselfe vnto which is declared as well by the manner as the minister of it it being in so short a time as in three dayes space dispersed thorough the whole Land from North to South and though not affirmed yet implied from East to West Ierusalem onely excepted as may appeare by the circumstance of the Text and in this time seuenty thousand being destroyed which stroke was inslicted by the hand of an Angell whome God had therevnto appointed as minister and executioner of the same The last was Verse 16. the ceasing and stay of this plague euen then when the stroke was lighting vpon Ierusalem to haue destroyed it And hereof are assigned two causes the one and that the principall was the Commandement of God to whom for our better apprehension of his prouidence is ascribed an humane passion of repentance which properly befalleth not him because hee cannot but doe euery thing absolutely well nor possiblie at any time bee wearie of well-doing neither is hee subiect to perturbations because he is free from all manner of corruptions But hee is said to repent when hee withholdeth that which he condicionallie promiseth or threatneth or desisteth from that which he had begun to doe sithence men many times breake off their proceedings with dislike of the beginnings thereof and their not doing of that which they saide argueth commonly that they are sorrie for saying that which nowe they minde not to doe The other cause yet of an inferiour nature and mouent as wee call it was the prayer of Dauid Verse 17. whereby hee obtained the preseruation of Ierusalem and the rest of the people and herein hee offereth himselfe to be smitten that they might be spared with acknowledgement that hee was the offender and they in this matter altogether innocent Verse 14. And Dauid said I am in a wonderfull strait The Doctrine that hence ariseth is plaine viz. that Sinne brings men into great distresses and into maruellous straits It is the proper nature of wickednesse Doct. 1 to encomber and cast men into perplexities Sinne brings
men into straits neither will God spare his owne people when they take libertie in prouoking his maiestie but either they shall be straited in their owne hearts or else in regard of outward calamities or both and though the Lord will not condemne them yet will he afflict them Iehoshaphat was so foolish that he would make affinitie with Ahab and lest he should breake off that league of friendship that was betweene them he would aduenture contrary to the expresse word of the Lord to goe against Ramoth Gilead to battle with him now was not he in an exceeding great straight when the maine force of the battle was bent against him being supposed to be the King of Israel concerning whom a command was giuen to the Captaines by the King of Aram 1. King 22.31.32 that they should fight against none neither small nor great but onely against the King of Israel Yet would not Iehoshaphat take warning by this but after that he had beene rebuked by Iehu the Prophet 2. King 3. for helping the wicked and louing them that hated the Lord he yet ioyned with Iehoram the King of Israel against the King of Moab but was his successe any better then before No surely for howsoeuer they had the victorie ouer the Moabites with much difficultie yet before that was effected he was in a greater straight then when he went against Ramoth Gilead for there his owne person onely was endangerd but heere both he and his people together with two Kings and their armies besides were like to perish for want of water A further proofe of this point we haue in Ionah who discoursing with his owne reason thought it would be to no purpose but very dangerous for him to goe to preach at Niniue and therefore refused to yeeld to the Commandement of the Lord. But what wofull distresse did this disobedience bring him into when being in that sore tempest the sea did roare his conscience accuse him men were against him God was against him and there was no way for him but to be throwne into the sea and there to remaine three daies and three nights in the belly of a whale Iudges 16. The like may be seene in Sampson who being carried with boisterous lusts and immoderately and sinfully affecting that vile strumpet Dalilah could hide nothing from her but discouered vnto her very foolishly wherein his great strength lay namely in his haire and so that being cut off as a recompence of his folly and sinfull dealing he was betraied into the hands of his most deadly enemies the Philistims who puld out both his eyes bound him in fetters made him grinde in the prison house and besides made him a laughing stocke vnto those into whom he had formerly stricken a great terrour and amazement by his admirable valour and the strange enterprises atchieued by him Thus we may in part perceiue into what narrow straits sinne doth bring Gods owne children but this is especially verified in wicked men of whom it is said Psou 22.5 that thornes and snares are in the way of the froward they are hedged in with thornes and all their walke is vpon brakes they run to hell with great vexation they are intangled in snares continually and are neuer out of them they are caught in Sathans net and held fast by hardnesse of heart which neuer leaues them till either conuersion or vtter confusion doe befall them But this will more fully appeare in particular sinnes as first to giue instance in drunkards whose appetite doth prouoke them vnto that beastly abuse of Gods good creatures the wine delights their eye and pleaseth their taste and goeth downe merily Pro. 23.32.29.30 but in the end it will bite like a Serpent and hurt like a cockatrice for to whom is woe to whom is sorrow c. Euer to them that tarrie long at the wine to them that goe and seeke mixt wine for they ruinate and ouerthrow their estate they blemish and staine their names make their wiues to fall out with them their children to contemne them their companions to quarrell with them their best friends to loath them and after all this they are a burden vnto themselues hauing their wittes crackt and their bodies diseased and beeing fit for no place but onely for hell The same may be said of proud men doth not their sinne throwe them into great miserie Let vs consider a little of Hamans fall which was procured by his insolencie God knewe what crosse would most vexe his proud heart and that he sent him for whereas all Hamans honour could doe him no good vnlesse Mordecai would rise vp before him and doe him reuerence that was a thorne vnto him when hee could not make him doe it but when hee must honour Mordecai and be as a seruant vnto him that was a snare vnto his soule and therein was hee helde fast with horrible vexation and monstrous shame till death and damnation seazed vpon him The like may bee seene in riotous and voluptuous persons who are whollie addicted to followe sporting and gaming and surfetting and chambering and wantonnesse with such like sinfull delights of the flesh the world thinks that such liue a merrie life but iudge not too well of them they haue not paid all their shot as yet they haue miserie enough behinde that still pursues them and at length will ouertake them for hee that loues pastime shall be a poore man and hee that loues wine and oyle shall not bee rich Pron 21.17 and a Whore will bring a man to a morsell of bread pouertie shall followe at the heeles of such Prou. 6.26 as a swift Post and shall set vpon them as a strong armed man they shall be ouercome and vanquished and downe shall their estate goe euen to the ground Another instance may be in couetous persons who haue wealth in wonderfull admiration so that it is made the common god and most vsuall Idoll of the world and when they haue gotten it they and manie others thinke they shall haue great credit with it and manie times it so falls out that they are men of great place because they are of great substance they haue manie to attend vpon them manie to flatter them and to crouch vnto them and by their riches they may procure almost what they list doth not this now seeme to be an easie a pleasant and happy life Yet the Apostle telleth vs 1. Tim. 6.19 that they that will be rich fall into tentation and snares and into manie foolish and noysome lusts which drowne men in perdition and destruction so that when wealth together with the loue of it flowes in on euery side men are as it were cast headlong into a sea of miserie and therefore it is added that the desire of mony is the roote of all euill for it doth not onely poyson mens hearts make them erre from the faith and bring them into the snares of the diuell to be
lead by him according to his will but it pearseth them thorow with many sorrowes for greedy wordlings are euer disconted and froward falling out with one and chafing with another so that those things which seeme to glad their hearts doe not indeed bring them any sound contentment because their desires can neuer be satisfied but especially because they are often times much crossed as when their sheepe or cattle miscarry their grounds prooue vnfruitfull their seruants vntrusty theeues set vpon them by violence to spoile them of their goods or subtill aduersaries by craft seeke to defraud them of the same with many such like occurrences which will neither let them rest quietly in the night nor liue comfortably in the day and the hearts of such couetous persons can tell them that manie times all other things doe them no good sithence they cannot haue some one thing which they would as the case stood with wicked Ahab in the matter of Naboths vineyard But suppose that these and the like sinnes should not bring men into snares in their life time yet at the time of their death when they must goe out of the world they will Iob. 27.8 for what hope hath the hypocrite when God shall take away his life though he haue heaped vp riches as the dust yet when God shall vnsheath his soule and put it violently from his body as a rustie sword out of the scabberd what good will all his substance doe him then It was his hope while he liued that he should still get more wealth but when death sets vpon him he is past that hope and for better hopes he hath none and therefore must needs be full of woe and full of perplexitie Then though he call vpon God he will not answer Pro. 1. â—6 8 and though he seeke him early he shall not finde him but God will laugh at his destruction and mocke when his feare commeth Because God called and he refused he stretched out his hand and he would not regard therefore when he crieth the Lord will shut out his prayer But set the case they be not in such perplexitie at the time of their death but that they die securely and goe suddenly downe to the graue as senslesse blocks or stones yet must they come before the iudgement seat of Christ and then they shall be paid home for all Ordinarily they meet with extremitie of anguish while they liue or when they die but if they doe not they shall not misse of it when they appeare before the Iudge of heauen and earth Rom. 2. but tribulation and anguish shal be vpon euery soule that hath offended of what estate and degree soeuer he hath beene Then their distresse and honour shall be such that when they arise out of their graues they shall wish to returne thither againe yea they shall desire that the mountaines and rockes might fall vpon them couer them from him that sitteth on the throne and from the wrath of the Lambe Then they would thinke no paines nor torment too much so they might perish euerlastingly they could rather desire that an huge rocke or great mountaine might crush them in peeces and that they might perish as beasts than to appeare before Christ Iesus to receiue that fearefull sentence Goe ye cursed c This is the proper wages of sinne and of disobedience against the Lord it castes the committers of it into a wofull Labyrinth of distresses and miseries and good reason is there that it should be so because otherwise the hatefulnes of it and the hatred of God against it would not cleerely appeare so men would like better of the broad way than of the narrow and chuse to be rebells against the Lord rather than obedient subiects vnto him euen the best would doe this as well as the worst Which serueth First Vse 1 for instruction that we should beware of all kinds of sinne and consider what will come of it before we presume to rush vpoÌ„ it let vs looke before we leape lest afterwards we repent vs when it is too late Sinne will make goodly shewes of delight and preferment and commoditie that it will bring vnto vs that if we will giue entertainement thereunto it will neuer be a meanes of any disgrace vnto vs but will hide it selfe from the view of the world But what doth the Lord say of it Doth not he tell vs that it will breake out and flie abroad at length The adulterer would haue his wretched pleasure but not the iust reproach of his filthinesse But what saith Iob Iob. 31.3 Are there not strange punishments for such workers of iniquitie And though they may hide it from the eyes of men Verse 4. doth not God behold their waies and tell all their steps If Adam and Eue had considered what mischiefe would haue ensued on their eating of the forbidden fruit they would neuer haue tasted thereof but when they would beleeue the serpent rather then God did not they and shall not their posteritie for euer smart for it The Prophet Micaiah bid Ahab take heede of his iourney to Ramoth Gilead yet he would haue his owne minde let the prophet say what he would but when the arrow was shot into his side then he saw that Micaiahs counsell had beene worth the following but then it was too late and such is the folly and madnesse of most men they must haue their owne wils and their owne waies and will neuer hearken to those instructions that are giuen them either by God or by godly men till miserie haue ouerwhelmed their soules and they be past recouerie But let their follie teach vs to be wiser and let vs take heede of Sathans baites and of his sugred poyson Math. 4. he will make vs profers as he did vnto our Sauiour of maruellous great honour and pleasure and gaine that may be gotten by such and such sinfull courses but let vs neuer giue credit vnto him Iohn 8. for he is a lyar from the beginning but Secondly Vse 2 if we haue harkned too far vnto him already and haue fallen by our iniquitie let vs withall possible speede get out of that which holds vs in bondage and wrappeth vs in miserie and chaineth vs in many sorrowes and calamities let vs get sound repentance for it and striue for a reformation of it let not sinne keepe possession in vs and then iudgements shall not long continue vpon vs He that hath committed any grosse sinne is as it were a prisoner according to that of Salomon Prou. 5.22 His owne wickednesse shall take the wicked himselfe and he shall be holden with the cords of his owne sinne There is a iudiciall proceeding against him sinne commeth as an officer and chargeth the partie to stand then it apprehendeth him and bindeth him hand and foot as a malefactor it spareth not the mightiest Monarch in the world that is found guiltie before the Lord after there is a
excellencie I wil poure vpon the house of Dauid and vpon the inhabitants of Ierusalem the Spirit of grace c. Signifying that he would vouchsafe vnto his Church vnder the Gospell a more plentifull measure of his Spirit that as they should haue more excellent and cleere and powerfull meanes so they should find a greater blessing vpon the vse of those meanes that whereas vnder the law they had but drops of grace distilling easily and by little and little now they should haue whole buckets full as it were yea whole flouds of grace poured downe vpon all sorts of Gods seruants By the Spirit of grace is meant the Spirit of adoption and of regeneration so called both because it is giuen out of Gods free grace and fauour as also because it worketh grace and goodnesse in all such as are endued therewith this Spirit is further described by a speciall effect viz. that it is a Spirit of prayers Till such time as men are made partakers hereof they may vse many words of prayer but they are altogether idle and vaine fruites of their flesh and not of their faith such as they haue great cause to be humbled for and no reason at all to be comforted in but when once they haue this Spirit put into their hearts they can call vpon the Lord in an acceptable and comfortable manner Then next is shewed whither this Spirit leadeth them to wit vnto Christ They shall looke on him whom they haue pierced When men begin to pray in a religious and conscionable manner they disclaime all fleshly helps and hopes betake themselues vnto their Sauiour whom they haue pierced by their sinnes for it cannot properly be said that the Scribes and Pharises or Iudas or the high Priests or the Romanes did put Christ to death-they being but instruments thereof but the iniquities of Gods elect did the fact and they were indeed the true and principall cause that brought vpon the Sonne of God all manner of affliction and persecution and execution it selfe In the next place it is said that when his children shall looke vpon him They shall lament for him or ouer him or concerning him all comes to one reckoning As soone as they see what euils and miseries they haue brought vpon Christ Iesus by their transgressions and how odious their offences are which could be healed by no other medicine but by the precious bloud of the immaculate Iambe of God the due consideration hereof will cause them to bee troubled and grieued at the very heart Which griefe is set out by two speciall circumstances to wit by the greatnesse of it and by the truth of it The greatnesse thereof is declared by two comparisons which yet are inferiour and lesse then the thing it selfe For the first comparison it is said That they should lament for him as one that mourneth for his only sonne and be sorry as one is sorry for his first borne If parents haue many children yet it will much grieue them to part with any of them but if they haue but one onely sonne who is likely to be the heire of the family and they lose him and so are disappointed of their hope then they vsually mourne with an exceeding bitter lamentation as the woman of the cittie of Nain did for the death of her onely son Luke 7.11 Such the holy Ghost saith shall be the sorrow of all true penitent persons when they apprehend the multitude and grieuousnesse of their sinnes whereby they haue slaine the Lord of life The second comparison here vsed to expresse the measure of their sorrow is taken from the example of the Iewes who when their godly worthy king Iosiah was slaine in the valley of Megiddo neere Hadadrimmon in fighting against Pharoah Necho King of Aegypt 2. Chron. 35. they lamented for him very bitterly and not onely the common people who haue not so good a gouernment of their affections mourned for him but Ieremiah the Prophet also and others of the best sort of men and women tooke this losse exceedingly to heart as seeing in the death of Iosiah the death and ruine both of Church and common wealth In which regard it was set downe as an ordinance that they should haue set times of mourning for that affliction which befell them through his death and such saith the Prophet shall be the lamentation of those that attaine to the sight and sense of their sinnes whereby they haue slaine the Lord Christ Iesus verse 11. Hauing thus set forth the greatnesse of their sorrow he commeth in the next place to expresse the soundnesse thereof The land shall bewaile euery family apart c. Not in the publicke assemblies alone where the teares of one may draw on the teares of another and so their mourning be either naturall for company or hypocritall for vaine glory but he saith that euery family should weepe apart and in priuate yea not onely the seuerall families but particular persons yea those that were most neerely lincked together viz. the husband and the wife should bee separated in this worke of humiliation and not content themselues to pray and bewaile their sinnes one with another but take some time each of them to performe this dutie in secret and if they that are so inward one with another should lament apart much more others that are further off one from another By the house of Dauid is meant as was before shewed the excellenter sort of Christians and the like is signified by the house of Nathan who was the son of Dauid of whom Christ came for the family of Salomon was wholy extinguished By the house of Leui is meant the ordinary sort of the Leuites and as for the family of Shimei it was one of the principall families of Leui. Whence we may obserue that all families without exception are tyed to this worke and ought iointly and seuerally to performe the same None are so good but they must weepe for their sinnes in secret and pray for the continuance increase of their goodnesse and as it is not needlesse for the best so neither is it bootlesse for the meanest but whosoeuer doth so shall haue a fountaine of grace opened vnto him whereby all his iniquities shall be washed away The drift then of these words wee see is to manifest and expresse the great goodnesse of God towards his seruants in the time of the Gospell and here is shewed 1 First what gift he wil bestow vpon them viz. aboundance of his holy Spirit 2 Secondly the good vse that they will make of it which is two-fold 1 First they will betake themselues vnto faithfull prayer and by the eye of faith looke vnto Christ through whom both they and their prayers must be accepted 2 Secondly they wil grow to a maruailous great loathing and dislike of their sinnes and sorrow for the same which is declared by two maine circumstances viz. 1 The greatnesse thereof which is illustrated by two comparisons 2
The soundnesse thereof both which are more fully laid open in that which goes before Thus much concerning the meaning and order of the words now let vs consider of such instructions as may thence arise for our learning Vers 11. And I will poure vpon the house of Dauid c. the Spirit of grace c. In that the Lord hauing promised that his Church shall bee brought to wonderfull excellencie doth set downe this as the meanes whereby he wil effect it that they shal haue the Spirit in great plenty powred downe vpon them this shall be the doctrine That the way to all happinesse and blessednesse Doct. 1 is to haue the Spirit of grace bestowed vpon vs. The Spirit of God is the author of all happinesse Whosoeuer hath not this though he bee neuer so great in the world hee is altogether wretched and miserable subiect to the curse of God and to continuall vexations and discontentments and on the other side whosoeuer hath this holy Spirit dwelling in his heart is an happy and blessed man though hee be neuer so much deiected and cast downe through outward afflictions and tribulations This point is euident in the prophecy of Isaiah Isa 32.13.14 c. where it is shewed that so long as the Spirit of God is withheld from men they haue grieuous ruines and desperate decaies among them and they still go from ill to worse being ill without and ill within but how long doth this continue Vntill the Spirit bee powred vpon them from aboue And what then The wildernesse shall become a fruitfull field That is those men and women that were like a wildernesse before bringing forth nothing but brambles and briars nothing but pride and worldlinesse and such like fruites of the flesh euen those men and women shall be as a fruitfull field being beautified and adorned with the vertues of Christ and with the graces of his Spirit and not onely so but likewise enriched with all good prosperity which the Lord seeth needfull for them Now the reasons why the Spirit maketh men so happy Reasons are these First Reas 1 because it doth mortifie and crucifie the flesh that is originall corruption Rom. 8.13 with all the lusts and fruites thereof It doth not lye still where it is suffering the soule of the party to be vnder the dominion of sinne but it abateth and consurneth it by little and little till at length his soule and body bee as cleare from sinne as Adams was before his fal So that looke how the Israelites did by degrees weare and wast the Canaanites out of the land till it was wholly brought in subiection vnto them so doth the holy Ghost destroy and root out the enemies of our soules not making them tributarie as Ioshua did some of the cursed Canaanites but spoyling them of their strength by little and little and at length vtterly consuming * This is to be vnderstood of the time of their dissolution as it appeareth by diuers other Doctrines of Master Dods as that on Isaiah Doct. 4. and Doct. 8. that God lookes not for perfection in this life See also the 3. vse of this Doct. Ephes 2.1 Rom. 8.11 1. Iohn 4.4 them so that they shall haue no place at all within vs. And as it killeth sinne so it quickeneth the dead soule and maketh the whole man apt and fit for euery good worke That Spirit which raised vp Christ Iesus from a naturall death doth also raise vs vp from the death of sinne to the life of grace and putteth more spirituall strength into vs then the flesh the world and the diuell can bring against vs. Further more in the third Chapter of the second to the Corinthians Reas 2 there are three speciall reasons to shew the happinesse of him that is endued with Gods Spirit the first whereof is this That whereas all men naturally are like the Iewes who as it is there said when they come to the meanes of saluation haue a voile vpon their minds 2. Cor. 3.14 so that they can see nothing to saue their soules to further their repentance to cause them to beleeue in Christ Iesus and to place their hope and happinesse in him as soone as euer the Spirit of grace entreth into them this blindnesse of minde and hardnesse of heart is remooued and then they are enabled soundly to vnderstand and truely to applie the word preached vnto their owne soules Verse 16. Againe it is said in the selfe same place That where the Spirit of the Lord is there is libertie Vers 17. Till such time as that doth set men free they are held fast in the cordes and chaines of iniquity and are miserable slaues vnto the vilest slaue that is euen vnto Satan himselfe who is an Apostata and a reprobate and in the most wretched slauerie that can be imagined viz. to serue sin in the lusts thereof and which is the most grieuous of all the rest they shall haue the worst wages that may be euen the curse and vengeance of God while they liue and eternall damnation of body and soule after they are dead Now when the Spirit of Christ taketh possession of vs it causeth vs to disclaime the seruice of Satan and to become seruants vnto the liuing God Rom. 6. it filleth vs full of good meditations of holy desires and spirituall affections it furnisheth vs with ability to performe the duties of religion of our callings in a word it maketh vs willing and able both to do all maner of good and to resist all manner of euill So that after wee haue receiued the holy Ghost into our hearts we shall not say This is my nature and I cannot doe otherwise but with the Apostle Paul I can doe all things through Christ that strengtheneth mee I wil neuer bee in bondage vnto my corruptions any more for grace shall haue the vpper hand of nature and the Spirit shall master the flesh and get the better of it Lastly it is added in the same place that by vertue of the Spirit wee see the glory of Christ in the Gospel and are changed into his image from glory to glory that is from one measure of knowledge and holinesse into another verse 16. Wee would thinke no price too great to be giuen for such a looking glasse as would make one that is deformed to become beautifull by the very beholding thereof how much then should wee esteeme the holy word of God which through the operation of the Spirit is made effectuall not to change the naturall visage which is a smaller matter but to alter the forme and shape of the soule and to make it very beautifull and amiable in the sight of God and of his holy Angels which was before time a most vgly and deformed creature This must needs be a maruellous great benefit for if the defacing of Gods Image be the cause of all our woe then the repairing thereof must of necessitie be the
a sort the torments of hell that they might partake of the ioyes of heauen the sound meditation thereof cannot but wound the hearts of such as haue any sparke of grace in them When it was told Dauid that Abner was slaine by Ioab though he had formerly been a rebell and was now newly reconciled vnto him yet hee mourned for him till the euening because he was a worthy man albeit he himselfe was altogether guiltlesse of his death Oh then how much more should the Saints of God lament ouer Christ Iesus who was not a worthy man but infinitly more worthy then all both men and Angels and not murdered by the treachery of another but killed by the sinnes of their soules the sins of their lips and the sinnes of their hands and if he had not been so killed they had been euerlastingly damned Put case that a man had one onely sonne which was to bee the heire of the family and hee of a sudden should find him starke dead would it not inwardly touch him and strike cold vnto his heart especially if he himselfe had vnwittingly been the cause thereof yes certainly it would go through his heart euen like a sword and such will be the griefe of those who through their transgressions haue slaine their blessed Sauiour as this very text witnesseth when they by the eye of faith doe see him heauy vnto the death crying vnto his Father in the bitternesse of his griefe being ful of torment in his bodie and fuller of anguish in his soule and that for their sakes euen for their sinnes they cannot but be exceedingly moued hereat And a little to presse the other comparison vsed in this text if the people of God did so bewaile the death of their worthy king Iosiah who yet died vnwillingly and without any intent to benefit them thereby how much more bitterlie should wee lament the death of our blessed Redeemer who was a farre greater and excellenter king then Iosiah was and yet willingly and freely laid downe his life for our sakes that he might free vs from eternall death and destruction both of our bodies and soules Questionlesse if wee haue any spirituall life and sense in vs this will make vs loath our sinnes that brought our deare Sauiour so much woe and miserie and cause vs heartily to mourne for the same euen as a man would do at the sight of a knife or sword or some such like instrument whereby at vnawares hee hath slaine his child or wife or any that was neere and deare vnto him Especiallie if wee consider that God out of his meere loue gaue his onelie Sonne vnto vs when we deserued nothing at his hands but his heauie curse and vengeance to be executed vpon vs Iohn 3.14 and that the Son of God was content from the aboundance of his loue to bee so abased and vilified so afflicted and tormented for our offences this must needes worke vpon our soules if wee haue but the least drop of goodnesse in vs. But here some man may obiect and say Obiect Indeed if al this had been done for me alone you say wel if my heart were not altogether flinty and vtterly hardened I could not but relent at the consideration hereof but all Gods elect were the cause hereof as well as I. This doth nothing diminish the loue of God and of Christ toward you Answ and therefore it should no whit lessen your good affection towards him for your Sauiour suffered as much for your iniquities as if he had suffered for no mans else for your sinnes alone required an infinite satisfaction Againe Obiect it may be asked how the consideration of Christ his death can make vs mourne sith it is the happiest thing that euer fel out since the foundations of the world were laid and therfore may seeme to bring with it greater matter of ioy then of sorrow The answere hereunto is easie Answ because ioy and sorrow may very wel stand together as may plainly appeare in this similitude If any of vs had committed some notable offence and were thereupon apprehended and condemned and now going to the place of execution there to endure whatsoeuer torture the wit or malice of men could inflict vpon vs and at this instant some deare friend of ours in singular compassion toward vs should intreate that the execution might be staied that we might be set at libertie and hee come in our steed to suffer whatsoeuer our ill deeds haue deserued we could not but be glad that we speede so well in being freed from so much miserie and yet withall if we had but naturall kindnesse and common humanity in vs it could not but grieue our soules that so good a friend of ours should be put surety should be content to sel his lands and goods for the discharge of our debts we had iust cause to reioyce thereat and yet reason requires that wee should be touched with inward griefe for that we had been such bankrouts and prouided so ill for the state of our suertie Euen so the case standeth betwixt Christ and vs he did vndergoe those punishments which were to bee inflicted vpon vs and discharged those debts which otherwise should haue been charged vpon vs in regard of our freedome wee ought to take comfort and in regard of that which our Sauiour did and suffered for vs wee must bee humbled and grieued Which serueth for the great terrour of sundrie gracelesse persons Vse 1 who being rebuked for their sinnes will confesse that indeede they haue their faults and infirmities but did not the Sonne of God die say they to redeeme vs from the same Hee did so indeed if you belong vnto him and wil you crucifie him again by your wretched and sinfull behauiour Did Christ weepe and cry and sweate droppes of blood for sinne and will you make no better vse thereof then to turne the grace of God into wantonnesse and to take your swinge in sinning because Christ hath made himselfe an offering for the same You proclaime vnto all the world that you are not led by the Spirit of grace and that you haue not a liuely faith in the merites of the Sonne of God for if you were a true beleeuer you would bee so farre from continuing in sin because Christ hath redeemed you by his blood that you would therefore abhorre it and eschue it because it cost him so deere Euen as one that hath any sparkle of ciuilitie in him if his friend haue endured great tortures to free him from the imputation of treason or haue been at great charges to deliuer him being cast in prison for debt will walke more circumspectly and aduisedlie all the daies of his life and will be so farre from aduenturing vpon those bad courses againe that hee will bee so much more carefull to auoide them by how much more paines and cost his friends haue been at for his redeeming Secondlie Vse 2 let this teach vs to exercise our thoughts often