the children of God for consolation the vngodly for reprehension all men for instruction Vse 1 And first for the saints the sons and daughters of God it cannot be but exceeding happy comfortable to them who have harts convinced of this truth and lives that have expressed it since the first day it was revealed to them from the Lord before whome they have sincerely endeavoured to give him the first fruits of their knowledge of this lesson though either through their owne personall ignorance therof or through the error of parents in their education they have not given him the first fruits of their practise while they were in their non-age It is a most happy thing to be rightly convicted of a divine truth because many are superficially perswaded an will give a slight consent lesse the Divell if he be put to it wil not doe to many holy truthes of God but they whome the Lord convinceth a right as he doth all his owne he cōforteth in giving them a harts resolution setled in their very soules to say within themselves this is the vndoubted truth of the euerliving God thus we must doe endeavour to stire vp others to doe the same and if it be a truth which we should haue practised before we must repent for neglect past be vpright with God for the time remayning and goe the faster because we began soe late and doe our best to draw others after vs to that way which both they and we should have gone long before He that is thus convicted shall not goe long vncomforted It is a simple impossibility that men called at their ripe yeares or in their age should give their first fruits to the Lord those dayes are gone and past but to give the Lord at what time it pleaseth him to call vs the glory of this truth in our sounde perswasion that it is thus and singleharted humiliation because it had not place in our practise before now most carefull provocation to our vtmost possibility that it may be thus in ours and all others with whome by any good meanes we can prevayle this is to be truly happy and in a most comfortable condition we are accepted of God thus doing as if we had done it our selves from the first day of our life How famous is Abraham few men soe much renowned in religion as he none more yet from his childe hood he had not done service but to Satan in jdolatry and such other jmpiety as vsually accompanieth that jniquity But at the first call he came and assoone as he heard he did obey and perceiving that the Lord had lost such duty by him as in his former dayes he should have received from him he is cōvinced hereof and resolved that his children shall give it though his owne childe-hood was given to sin And the discerning of this in him was that that gave the Lord content and Abraham comfort Is not Moses a man abundantly magnified and that of God himself as if he had beene as indeede he was some extraordinary servant of his yet for forty yeares of his life what was he so farre as we finde but such as others were that lived in the court of that Pagan Prince who was the oppressor and adversary of Gods people it may be he might be lesse grosse then some of his fellow courtiers who were inclined to egregious jmpiety but that he was good or savoured of any saving grace is more then appeareth to me Howbeit inasmuch as he freely and resolutely cast off all the creddit and profsit of his high dignity preheminence in court when the Lord would summon him to serve him it was well taken that from that age and time he wayted on the worke of God though neither his childe-hood nor youth were the Lords in time past What should I multiply more as I might of many other most worthy saints who in the same case have had the same comfort what is over-past and cannot be actually recovered and performed if it be rightly repented of in our selues and reformed in others to our best power it is all one as if we had done it in our owne person Let vs bewayle our owne want of duty and Gods want of glory by vs and doe as Hannah did for such as may come within our possibility to dispose off or perswade namely give them to the Lord from the first instant that we have any interest in them and it shal be well with vs. And this I doe of purpose insert here because Satan is malicious and hungry to gnaw vpon the very harts of Gods saints when once he gett's a truth by the end wherin their time for performance is past then doth he come with his pearceing temptations to wounde and rende the soules of such as are single harted and to lay it in their dish that this and that they should have done long since God should have had their whole lives for his service now many yeares be gone and there can be noe recalling of them and can they thinke which way to make all well when it is an vtter jmpossibility to recover one moment much lesse many yeares with these and the like spight full and greivous suggestions he doth teaze and torture their gracious mindes to breede despayre in them But now we are armed I hope to answer him and that we may doe and pay him double both for himself to whome we may say with joy and scorne better once then never for thy part thy first dayes were as due to God as mine but he will never call but ever accurse thee Note and for our selves but for my part though I have lost my first dayes my God will not lose me ever seing he call's once and be that come's then comes time enough for mercy though he should have came sooner in duty and moreover know the Lord hath made many a happy man for his best service among those who in their first dayes have beene fouly misled I greive that I gave him not my childe-hood or youth but if he please to accept of my age I joy and will joy and doe my best to offer all that I can prevaile withall assoone as I should haue offered my self These and the like answers will confound his cavills and make him weary of vs and he being thus resisted our God and we may be the more intimate and familiar in the sweetest passages of his singuler favour And see we see there is sounde comfort for such as are perswaded herof and would have done it and are humbled because God hath beene robbed of his right in their minority Againe for such as have offered their first fruits to the Lord there comfort cannot be behinde if it exceede not theirs that went before Our A bell here who was soe carefull to give the Lord the first of his flocke and I cannot easily doubt but that he gave the first of himself also how doth the Lord magnify
man tell vs we know not what a day shall bring forth Doth not the Apostle say as much for to morrow you know not what shal be to morrow Was it not the fooles saying in the Gospell soule take thy ease eate drinke and be merry then hast enough in store for many yeares loe he dreamed of many dayes nay yeares yea he presumed vpon both when he had not one day more to live out of hell fulfilling that of the Prophet Destruction shall come vpon the wicked and he shall not know the morning therof yet will these vngodly persons be presumeing of more time and of time enough heareafter Noe noe we have not spent our time past soe well as that we may vndertake for more to come had any man dealt with vs as we have dealt with God I assure my self he should not live a day to an end if we had power to hang him vp the more wickedly doe they carry themselves against the Lord who having long since deserved to hang in hell fire for not honoring him heretofore dare yet say there is time for that hearcafter as if we were Gods to fore-see had foreknowledg of future things the which to arrogate is extreame jmpiety This is the first but not the worst of this plea Let vs survey a second Evill 2 2. This plea supposeth nay presumeth not only that there wil be more time simply but which is more more time of grace more and better opportunity of repentance turning to God then the present is And this is worse then the former and much more egregious in the sight of God for howsoever every dayes experience doth witnesse in the course of nature and all things naturall that have life doe testify that the Lord is pleased to bestow life being vpon creatures and that amonge men as well vpon the vnjust as the just the infidell as the faithfull Yet that together with this time of grace should be presumed vpon and taken for granted by any mortall man that is willingly gracelesse and thrusts off the call of God and his heavenly proffer of the same is a thing soe vnreasonable and sencelesse soe sinfull and presumptuous and an act of such arrogancy against the Lord as he will severely punish and noe way cherish in the hart of man What doth the naturall sunne in the firmament the sunne of righteousnes keepe both one course every day and houre are the holy and precious things of God that pertaine to our best being the common benefits of the earth both at one rate and to be had alike at all times The sunne in the firmament hath beene rarely interrupted in her course but the sunne of righteousnes hath many a time beene darkened in divers places nay quite remooved from some places The former is for all times and seasons the latter is for seasons only not tyed to all times Therefore is the Lord still lying at vs and calling eagerly vpon vs touching our awaking out of sin and betaking ourselves to holynes vpon this ground And that considering the season For now the season is come This is the day of salvation this is the acceptable season To day if yee will heare while it is called to day with many more of the like every day in the yeare is not the day of grace every time not the season fit for this purpose The Lord is not tyed or bound in duty to give vs one day or season but if in mercy he please to offer some few no men may looke for many this gate is not ever open to every one it is often shutt nay Mat. 25.10 it is ever shut to all such as were not ready to goe in when it was open Gods calender and ours differ much our dayes are constant we can ceartainely foresee a yeare or more before vs when such a time will come it is not soe here the Lords almanacke gives noe such light or foresight his happy times are hid from their eyes who were shewed them long since but would not then and shall not now see them Well may a sinfull wretch finde some saints dayes there that is to his confusion he may looke vpon the blessed seasons they have made vse of to give themselves to the Lord but his owne dayes he can finde none but such as be past and all written in red letters in letters of blood for his blood is vpon himself who hath neglected soe great saluation in the season therof and let the worke of God alone till it be too late to goe about it But let vs yet see something further what more will follow hence Evill 3 3. This plea is yet more foule in this third then in both the former for why it doth not only presume vpon time and vpon time of grace and both without God but more it presumeth to dispose this time and to order it to repentance at our pleasure And herein what doe we surely we are not well advised in it is not this to vsurpe Gods place and prerogative We make our selves masters of the time and of that which is to be done therin as if we might not only take the time when we will but also doe therin what we will and as if it were now in our power and at our pleasure to give our selves to God when we thinke good Which apprehensions are most proud in vs and most vnpleasing to him being apparantly prejudiciall to his wisdome and providence wherby all our dayes and all our wayes are ordered In his goodnes we live and move naturally in his mercy we live and move spiritually in his power assistance we doe any thing we ought that is heavenly and shall we arrogate all three to our selves without any colour of ground or reason and take these things soe highly or rather soe hellishly vpon vs as if we were equall with God yea aboue him rather to dispose that time to our selves and in that time to dispose our selves to that service which for our owne former contempt the Lord doth and wil deny vs in both that neither we shall have time to breath or if we have that yet no breath of spirituall life shal be in vs to move towards any thing that is acceptable in his sight Our betters have had better mindes who have confessed that without him we could be nothing without him we could have nothing without him we could doe nothing and vpon these thoughts have cast all good things vpon his wisdome to dispose his power to bring to passe his loving kindnes and favour to encrease and encourage in vs acknowledging both themselves and their times to be in his hands It would well become these that thus plead to practise the same which because they doe not we see what jmpiety they incurre herin yet is not this all more remayneth Evill 4 4. This plea of time enough heareafter of making too much hast yet argueth that these persons doe thinke these
two things to be true 1. that God may be served too long 2. that the Divell may be served too litle Both which doe as naturally flow from their foule and jmpure mouthes as water from a fountayne for wherto els can their sayings tende seing as we sayd before either God or the Divell must be served of vs at all times and vntill we have sacrificed our selves to the Lord the Divell hath all our dayes And may we thinke that heaven can or will heare and beare the hydeous blasphemy of both these or either of them what may we serve the Lord too soone and too soone give over the service of Satan is the divell become the better master and God the worse that our last time may serve his turne and all the rest litle enough for the other who hath heard such things among the heathens or such speeches as doe as directly and plainely inferre and conclude them as if they did speake them How vnreasonable how irreligious are both nay how excecrable is either of the two by it self the one applaude's the Divell aboue God the other abases the Lord below the divell will either can both be sufered were not the patience of the almighty infinite these sinners would sink into hell yea into the nethermost hell but let them know forbearance is no acquittance he that doth endure this soe long will in the end avenge it with the heaviest justice and wrath that is revealed from heaven or reserved in hell as against all other soe especially against this mighty vngodlines of men then which what can be more monstrous or provoking to draw swift damnation vpon their soules that thus speake for what can be spoken to the greatest disgrace of him that is most glorious if this be not and can we once surmize that the Lord will suffer such indignity and disparagemet at our hands not power out his indignation vpon vs Especially if withall we well consider our owne jujury we doe our selves besides this jmpiety against the Lord because the lesse service we doe the Lord and the more we doe the divell the more wofull is it for vs in both respects for that litle we would give God is rejected and all that we doe for Satan is plagued and so by both we are wrapt vnder the eternall wrath of his dreadfull majesty Thus and no better then we have sayd but much worse then we can say is the sequell of this first pernicious apologie which men make against God and their owne soules in the procrastination of the power and practise of this truth Now if a man should summe vp all these together would not the totall be terrible thinke you to the soule that is guilty in the Items to assure our selves of more time of life to presume that some of that shal be time of grace to take vpon vs to dispose of that time what we will doe therin to jmagine God may have too much and the divell too litle of our service Is any one of these answerable before God much lesse are they all excusable noe noe every of them is high treason against his honour who order's all time his favour who gives all time of grace his excellency and worthines who deserues the duty of all our dayes These words must be eaten and recalled and that with more then ordinary humiliation greife and detestation or nothing can remayne but his just vengeance vpon the transgressors it is most true of this plea 1. King 1.23 which Solomō spake of Adoniahs desire that he had spoken this word against his owne life and was thervpon instantly slayne and soe might they be who have spoken these words against their owne eternall life and if the Lord should now seize vpō them to everlasting death how righteous were it vpon these vngodly wretches against whome the Apostle Iude saith the Lord will come in great glory and dreadfull power even among other things for their hard and cursed speakings of which number who can jmagine that these are not what neede such hast there is time enough heareafter for these matters wofull man that vtterest these words is there soe litle neede that God should have his glory that thou shouldst by giving it be truly happy if thy whole time were given to God were it enough nay can any time be enough for his duty suppose one man might live from one end of the world to the other from the first day to the last of all time to see both the creation and consummation of all things yea and admit that man could live without sin too and not miscarry one moment but be evermore doing that which might honour God could this man say he had given God enough I trow not for what time can be in equity enough for him whose least glory to his saints shal be infinite and eternall beyond all time and yet these accursed mouthes dare stint the Lord to the last and least and worst time of their life and thinke it enough to The Lord deliver vs saith the apostle from vnreasonable and wicked men which if these be not who are or can be Oh then let vs revoke recant and cancell presently what we have spoken wickedly byte that tongue that vttered them smite that hart that thought them accurse and excecrate that divell that suggested them least our not revoking of them rende vs from God send vs to Satan the author of them Let vs lay our hands vpou our mouthes and resolve never to open them againe to such jmpious purpose wherin the Lord of heaven is damnifyed the soules of men are damned the divell only is advantaged God is dishonoured we are vndone the divell goe's away with all the gaynes from both which he could never doe if he could not thus line the lips and tip the tongues of some prophane persons to become his trumpets to gather men to damnation by such delusions This is the first infernal plea that is devised and vrged to deceive the Lord of his first fruits of our time but have they done when they have sayd thus noe they have yet a second pretence and a third too to come Let vs exanime the former Preten ∣ ce 2 2. They plead that in age this worke may be done well enough and time enough then men are stayed and know what they doe is it not fit for young giddy heads to meddle with such matters Then there wil be more leasure when those dayes come wherin men have given over the proffits pleasures and vanityes of the world and have nothing to doe but to goe to church and serve God This they pretend The Evills of it Well but though in the former there was much in this latter there is much more presumption we will try it then we shall see it in the particulers which are the apparant consequents of this pretence which vpon due search we shall finde not to be soe seemingly plausible as they are
and infaillible truth And soe having now by the way cleared this scruple we should proceede vnto our discovery of Abels sacrifice as we have it here layd downe in the words of the text which make report vnto vs what kinde of sacrifice it was and wherof it consisted But we must first take away another doubt which may be made by some how Abell could know the minde of God for these matters and soe readily offer a sacrifice of this kinde and doe it soe suitably to Gods prescription considering that as yet the law of the offering of first fruits nor any other part of the morall or ceremoniall was not given We answer it was giuen but not written as we have it now it was given in those dayes by divine tradition originaly from God to man and successively from man to man Then did the father informe the childe acquaint him with the dutyes that pertayned to piety and the children they received it from their parents obeyed it as from God And this course and manner of revealing the will of God by this kinde of traditioÌ„ endured all the dayes of the holy Patriarches and such as lived after them till Moses and also during all the dayes of Moses till that part of his life wherin the Lord employd him about the penning of this booke and that is diversly conjectured of some suppose it to be written before he went into Egypt within the compasse of these fourty yeares wherin he kept sheepe in Madian others imagine he did it immediately after his departing out of Egypt even in the first yeare therof Howbeit this as the former is no point of such importance as that we must of necessity have an exact knowledge of the same But that Gods law was delivered by this kinde of tradition till the time we speake off we nothing doubt and therefore the more foule is that slander layd vpoÌ„ vs by the papist that we acknowledg not nor endure any traditions judeede those that are popish and vnwritten we cannot abide but doe abhorre them all because none of them can be defended but by blasphemy and some of them in particular are apparantly blasphemous But that there were traditions â—â—ce to wit such as the Lord by himself or by his Angells made knowne to man man beleeved related to his posterity we doe no more deny then we doe that Moses penned this part of holy scripture which till his time was a tradition and vnwritten but can be none from that time forward And if the Lord have ceased his owne hath any man power to erect more that are none of his especially now that his holy will is sufficiently revealed in the writings of the Law and Prophets the Gospell That there were some traditions we freely confesse that any are of God now we dirictly deny those that are being not of God we detest because they are the fruit of the Popes braine who hath a very crazy head in heavenly things though he be applauded to be the head of the church and able to distill spirituall influence into it But to returne to Abel it is probable that he received the light and knowledge he had to offer sacrifice from his father who from God did instruct him how and what to doe in such duties as were to be required of him And vpon this did he embrace and obey the Lord in his ordinances which course of his and his forwardnes thus to doe in those times wherin no scripture was penned nor every man that spake of the things of God traditionally so infalliblely inspired as were all they by whome the Lord hath left his truth written to vs shall rise vp against vs to condemne our vntowardnes who refuse to be taught of God and to be obedient to him though he hath left vs a more happy way to learne then they had who had but a part of his good pleasure manifested and that not written wheras we have the whole and written vpon such records as can never be razed The saints of those times were most willing to take knowledge of the wayes of God and yeeld their obedience to them by that meanes which in comparison of ours are but meane and were but weake yet enough to bring them to God who lived by faith in the truth thus revealed The sinners of our dayes to whome the Lord hath dispenced a more absolute and most sufficient course of comming neere to him are farre from the Lord and will not give him neither such nor soe much duty as these did whose knowledg and practise is not soe much magnifyed as ours shal be manifested plagued of the Lord who looke's they should be the best schollers who have the best teaching Note Miserable will it be with those men to whome the Lord shall say these knew litle of my minde in respect of you yet have done much I made it all knowne to you yet have you done litle or nothing Let not this consideration be in vaine but thinke we how cheerefully Abel learned how conscionably he performed the worship of his God having but litle helpe to further him that we by due ponderation herof may be both ashamed for our faylings past and enforce our selves as it were by a holy violence for time to come to be more faithfull and industrious both to know and to doe what on our part we owe vnto the Lord what vnsepakeable shame is it that we should lye behinde them that have gone before vs in those dutyes wherin many of them had but few to follow nor any scripture to learne them but we have both Gods whole booke to giude vs and all his blessed saints are gone before vs yet are we exceeding short of those holy ones who lived graciously in that age which may truly be called the infancy both of the world and of the church But I will not dwell here we see the holy Ghoste beare's record of Abels offering let vs now come to the words of the text which tell vs what manner of sacrifice it was And Abel he also brought of the firstlings or first borne of his flock Exod. 22.29.30 cap. 34.19 26. Levit. 23.10.12 Num. 15.20.21 Deut. 12.17 cap. 18.4 cap. 26.1.2.11 and of the fate of them Of the first-lings or first borne that is the first encrease of cattell that the Lord gave him The Lord made a most exact law for the offeriÌ„g of the first borne both of man and beast and of all fruits vnto him and this law of his we finde to be very frequently repeated in divers places of the foure bookes of Moses Exodus Leviticus Numbers and Deuteronomie And as it was often itterated by God to Jsraell soe was it faithfully obeyed by Israell before the Lord both before the captivity in Hezekiah dayes 2. Chron. 31.1.51 Neh. 10.3.32.35 and after in the dayes of Nehemiah as appeareth in the storie of their lives nay from the begining before this law
which is soe commended in him both here in other places of scripture Doctri ∣ ne And that is that morall of this practise ceremoniall which concerneth vs christians to wit That it is the vndeniable duty of every one to giue vnto God the glory of his first abilityes both of soule body to bestow their first powers in the seruice of his maiesty This lesson Abell needed not to have learned of the first borne of his beasts had not his father Adam fallen and deprived him and vs all of those first best fruits of created grace which the Lord gave him when he filled him the first day of his life with the perfection of all knowledge holynes and righteousnes and made him as holy and as happy as a creature might be on this earth Had not these first fruits of this grace perished in the first Adam soe as that never man but he might taste them they would have taught vs what to doe assoone as we could have done any thing that grace c would quickly have carried vs to the fountaine of grace from whence as it came but lately it would have returned naturally as the rivers into the sea For Adams graces were as naturall as his breath it was all one to him to doe any duty to God and to himself both were alike easy vnto him But now the case is altred it is nothing soe but cleane contrary altogether his first best lesson must be taught Abel yea and Adam too by his first best beast which he must now give to that God to whome he should have given himself from his first being this beast must be sacrifised to shame him who being once wholy Gods hath now made himself worse then the beast that perisheth now must man have dumbe schoolemasters that cannot speake and vnreasonable yea sencelesse also which cannot vnderstand or heare his speech and somewhat must be done to them assoone as they are in the world to shew man what we once when time was could have done and what for ever he ought to doe from the time of his owne first being The first of our flock the first of our fruit must teach vs to whome the first of our selves doth of right appertaine even to the Lord to whome a beast must be givē ceremonially in stead of a man morally And this being one morall and meaning of this ceremonie it most needes be our duty thus to doe Even this shaddow shewe's vs that as a substance and a shaddow doe from the first instant goe together inseparably and for ever soe should we ha ve beene to our God ever from our beginning to have followed him wheresoever he had gone before vs and to have cleaved continually to him in the obedience we owe him all the dayes of our life both first and last And this truth of God of the early offering of our selves vnto the Lord is not only typed out and signified here by these first beastes and fruits that must be sacrificed but it is substantially confirmed in other scriptures wherein the Lord doth more expresly manifest his minde in this matter I will not for I neede not heape vp many evidences let vs consider only to what end it may be if this be not Gods truth that the Lord doth soe often call vpon parents touching their duty to their children on this behalfe to nurture to tutor instruct them in all holy informations even in their childe-hood nonage and minerity so soone as they can be discerned to be capable and vnderstanding in any thing Teach a childe saith Salom on Fathers bring vp your children in the feare and information of the Lord saith Paul with moe that might be added In any of which dare any man jmagine that the Lord calls for any thing more then his due and if he doe not then doth the duty of our first dayes belong to the Lord our first powers abilities are his in all right and he must have our service soe soone as we can doe any Againe why are many commended in scripture for being carefull herin and their examples recorded for our jmitation is it not because we should trace them in this truth which some of them have learned more then we with much lesse teaching then we have For instance Josh 24.2.13 Gen. 18. Abraham who in his owne first times was trayned vp in jdolatry with Terah his father and soe he gave not the first fruits of his owne life yet for his posterity God prefumeth on his fidelity this way and saith he knew his minde soe well for this matter that he was fure he would teach his children and command them in the things of God and therevpon acquaints him with his secret purpose concerning Sodome We see Abraham did know this our doctrine to be his duty yet he had neither his fathers example nor his owne practise in his first yeares nor Salomon nor Paul to call vpon him but the Lord himself taught him this truth him a hart to doe it And have you not also read what is recorded of Hannah ◠Sam. 1. the happy mother of Samuell and what her resolution was when she went to pray for a childe before she had ever a one namely this to give him to God and that soe as the Lord might have the first fruits of him even from the day of his birth to the day of his death and when the Lord saw her soe well resolved he quickly graunted what she desired It were as easy to instance many moe as these two who have hearkened to God herin honoured him with the first of these fruits of their body which he had given them as of olde these did with the fruits of their beasts But we will cease examples and vrge the reasons of the point which are these that follow Reason 1 First God is the best master we can serve and therefore we have reason to goe about his service the first thing we doe when once we can doe any thing at all That he is our best master appeareth not only in his nature he being every way infinitely good but also in his infinite favour which sheweth it self both in that he gives vs the best worke and the best wages in the world Our worke is to worship and obey him and to doe only those things which are best for our selves whereby we may be most happy in our soules and bodyes both being at peace with him and enjoying all things in a sanctified and sweete estate Our wages besides his manifolde mercyes here is all inconceivable blessednes that heaven can afford vs the glory of that kingdome wherein we shal be glorious kings with himself for ever and ever Now what would any man doe first that were guided but by naturall reason even that which he might benefit most by Beholde then here is the best master that can be desired the best service that can be performed the best wages that can be
received Let any reasonable man judge whether he have not reason to set himselfe so soone as is possible to this truth Reason 2 Secondly they are like to proue his best servants that begin soonest to serve him for why our first abilityes are freest from sin and least taynted with evill and soe much more apt and able to good then when once they have beene habituated and soaked and seasoned nay poysoned with astuall impiety aded to that naturall impurity which is in vs and by both these made vtterly vnmeete for the Lord as they cannot but be when once Satan hath got in and had the first hansell of our harts and soe posest vs of a childe that we have beene his vassalls in the base and hellish bondage of sin and rebelliō against God it is hard getting of him out if he be once in possession more hard if he have beene in longe But if the Lord enter vs at first we are his for ever he cannot be gotten out by all the devills in hell if once he have the happy possession of our harts he will holde his owne Seing therefore we are fittest for him in our first times let vs know it is goodreason we should then give our selves vnto him especially considering we can never at the best we can be come any thing neere that fitnes which once we had when we were full of that created grace wherof we spake before Reason 3 Thirdly our first fruits must of necessity be bestowed and employed one way or other to good or to evill to God or to the Devill it cannot be avoyded but one of the two must have the vse of vs from the first time we are fit for any thing We must needes belong either to the one or to the other religion tell 's vs we cannot belong to both and let reason speake to which of the two it is best belonging I say let reason speake for no man can be soe vnreasonable as to make any doubt or the least demurre vpon it If the Lord have vs it is that he would have if the devill get vs woe vnto vs we must account with God for all the service we have done him even for every act when this heavy account is made vp we must vndergoe Gods eternall curse for our service and receive the hire of our worke with him whome we have served in hell where the worme never dyeth and the fire never goeth out Soe that inasmuch as our first fruits must goe to one of these and that it will be soe miserable with vs if Satan seize vpon vs let vs beleeve the truth of our doctrine and doe accordingly I will some say that is a good motion Objection and well it were with vs if we could doe as you say but we cannot it is not in our power now true it is that once it was but it is as true that now it is not and that is well knowne yea too well to our selves and to God how then would you have vs doe herein doth God require what he knowe's we cannot doe doe his precepts contayne jmpossibilityes will he have vs vndertake that which we are not able I answer Solution all that can be pleaded though never soe truly cannot on our part nullify any truth of God taught vnto vs any precept of God imposed on vs soe long as all that we would excuse our selves by is long of our selves and that whereby the Lord may accuse vs most justly because of our selves without him we fell from our perfection and power we had to give all duty to him at all times True it is and too true that we cannot give our selves now from our first as we could have done in our created state but what of that doth our jmbecility weaken the necessity of this duty is Gods commandement ever the weaker because we are worse then we were whan he gave his can our corruption cancell or abate any jot or title of his truth Noe it doth and will stand in full power force and vertue against vs we have enfeebled and vnfitted our selves for God but his law his will is as absolute and as strong as ever his counsell must stand though we fall he is all one in commanding though we be not soe in obeying it is we with whome the case is altred not he for he is Iehovah and changeth not He neede not vnlesse he please for he is noe way tyed by any necessity to take notice of our inabylity if he doe he may the more righteously reprove and vpbrayd vs if he doe not soe it is his greater favour not to cast it in our teeth He may to this day expect and therefore much more command that every one of vs should be as Adam was at his best condemne and plague vs for our vnfruitfullnes if we be not as Christ did curse the fig tree for want of fruit Mark 11.13 though it be expresly sayd by one Evangelist that the time of figs was not yet that is that time which ordinarily now vnder nature corrupted it did vsually beare fruit it seemeth nay it is more ceartaine that before the earth was cursed all fruits should have beene more frequent and abundant yea almost continuall as some have conceived like the trees in the paradice of God Reu. 22.2 And soe our Saviour to shew not only his power but his righteousnes cursed it because it was not soe fruitfull as it was by creation taking no notice of the vnfruitfullnes of it or of the want of fruit which came to passe at this time of the yeare by reason of the curse through our corruption Note And thus may he deale with vs for that we are not at all times fruitfull in those graces of his good spirit wherewith once he furnished vs and made vs meete and able at any time to honour him What hath he to doe with our falling and insufficiency to doe his will that lyeth betweene the devill and vs to answer the Lord hath no hand in it nor cannot be taxed with it in any respect he commande's no more then he made vs fit for So that there is no objecting this to any good end vnlesse it be as it ought to be to humble vs for that we are not as we were once and should have beene ever and therevpon discerning our inability to doe the Lord all the duty we owe him from our first breath as also seing by absolute right he may as well challenge it of vs as of the first Adam we herevpon bestirre our selves the more and the better to hasten both our selves and others vnto the practise of this instruction and soe turne all this by the power of grace into a provocation which corrupt nature perversly vrgeth as an objection And thus the point is proved and this scruple or cavill rather removed let vs now come to the vses of of the point which are three and doe concerne all sorts of men to wit
really pernicious damnable Evill 1 1. It doth directly contradict the Lord in that which he saith for he will have the first of our dayes as we have heard these say noe it is not fit for young heads to intermeddle Is not this to give God the lye yea to make him a lyar who will therefore have the first because they are fittest for him is not this to charge folly vpon him that is only wise as if he had not wisdome enough to chuse that part of our dayes for his duty wherin we are most meete to doe it but we will take it vpon vs to be wiser then he and assigne him a season better suiting this busines He saith he will have our first we will give the last time to him doth not this inferre that he is farre wyde of the marke and wonderfully over-seene and that we only are in the right So then these two to make the most true and wise God I tremble to vtter it a foole and a lyar these two I say doe make vp the first jmpiety of this second plea the vengeance justice due to either of which much more to both is beyond myne or any creatures ability to expresse Evill 2 2. This presumeth vpon olde age and make's no question to live to see those dayes and yeares wherin men are soe accounted And this thwarteth all Gods truth touching the vnceartaniety and shortnes of mans life soe often taught vs every where noe the lives of these men must be no vanityes dreames or vapours nor compared to windes to smoake to nothings they are during and permanent for 60.70 or more yeares Howbeit how many have not lived so many houres as they dreamed yeares nor soe many dayes as they accounted scores the sun hath shyned clearely vpon some in the morning who were become carcases er'e the evening and others have seene it set in the evening whose eyes were sunke er'e morning and yet they thought themselves as likely to live as long lyved as any that thus speake Even moments have swept away millions of other men yet these must live many yeares at least to be olde how or when should God have them els and as if God himselfe were bounde and had bounde all his creatures to their good behaviour that they must be saved harmelesse from any meanes of short life or suddaine death either they must be aged or God must not have them and sure I am perswaded he is most willing to lose them But of this presumption we sayd something before therefore the lesse shall serve here Evill 3 3. Admit you might live to age and were sure not to dye till you were very olde are you sure either to have a hart to giue your self to God then or that God hath a hart to take you then Assuredly if it be well look't into there is no reason for either but very much against both for why consider first for our owne harts what aptnes what ability nay what possibility will or can there be in vs vnto good who have beene soak't and steep't many yeares In all sin and jmpiety what holynes what purity in those parts of our bodyes and powers of our soules which hell hath poysoned and envenomed all our dayes are now full of deadly poyson the hart hardened the conscience vnconvinced the judgment blinded the affections earthly the will rebellious all benummed and vtterly voyd of any sparke of that quickening spirit which must turne a man to God wherwith will ye come to the Lord if you pray it must be with a mouth furr'd with blasphemy with a minde fraught with all other jmpiety whereto you have beene affected what will yee giue him but a soule and a body that have both combyned to be rebells your whole life against him and is there any power in these to be given to the Lord who have solde themselves like Ahab to sin and whome the Divell the true owner now will come clayme as his owne long since due vnto him therefore will not ēdure they should be givē to any other from him It is against all humane reason and common sence that a man soe jnvred to sin soe accustomed and habituated to corruption who hath consumed his dayes in nothing but in dishonouring disobeying the Lord and never knew what belonged to the savour of saving grace or to the beginning of any god worke should now be able to begin and finish that great worke of giving himself vp to God and that at and in his owne set time Noe there goe's more to it then soe it is no such short worke no mā can be soe quick at it especially those that have beene so slow all their dayes before it will aske longer time and more a doe before it be wel begun then these sotts doe conceit doth belong to the middle and both ends of it God sayth that no man can come to him except he he be drawne these men it seemes will come to God whether he will or noe as if it were in their power to draw God to themselves but as he will not have his goodnes and power soe much abused as to be drawne to them soe neither wil he endure to have their rebellious and debauched life so much honoured as now at last cast to draw them to him but even let him alone with them who hath had their childehood and youth to take their age too and soe to have all to himself Customary sin is not soe lightly cast off it is bred in the bone it will not be easy to get it out of the flesh and that soe as Gods spirit may instantly enter as these doe most idlely apprehend Againe consider the second what hart can God have to accept of the divells reversion or the leavings of our lives the doteage the dog-dayes as it were of all the time we live Let olde age be well considered and the state therof pondered in our selves and all other creatures that serve vs is it not the only time wherin we cast off our servants or cattell to baser vses as being vnfit for ours An olde servingman now overworne and decrepite and not fitt to attend his Lord any longer ha's a license to keepe an ale-house or become's some tapster and soe is made servile to every base pot-companion An olde horse of good pace of great price before for the saddle the coach now to the myll to the harrow to any meane drudgery and at last to the dogs And can this age wherin one man is not fit for anothers service nor any beast for mans vse be the meetest time for the most high to be served in of vs what shall we then thinke to become his when we are a burden to the world 2. Sam. 19 35. and to our selves and both weary of one another as Barzillai spake to David of himself What man would be soe vsed by his beast as these men more vnreasonable then beasts herin
would vse God Admitt a manns beast like Balams asse could speake if he should say to his master as these doe to the almighty While I am yonge and strong I must follow my pleasure you must give me leave till my olde dayes and then I wil be yours to command and give my self wholy to your service What would the owner answer thinke you would he yeeld to his beast thinke well of the motion and take him home to house and make much of him when he were aged and diseased and both vnfitt and vnable to doe busines surely noe if he could not be broken and brought to worke before he should be beaten out now though he did offer himself And must God take that from vs which we will not endure from beasts the last the worst the dregs and reffuse of our dayes must they fall to his share the only vnfit time for any thing must that be his only time and all he shall have at our hands Can we hope of acceptation and entertaynement in heaven then when men refuse and the world refuse's our service Wofull men who hath bewitched you that you should not beleeue the truth Even Satan who because he would have you wholy his owne doth therefore witholde you from being Gods till you be vnable to honour him and it be impossible he should receive you it is he that doth abuse you herin he knowe's it is with men in respect of God as with beasts in respect of men in their aged dayes they are more fit for slaughter then for service so olde men who have deferred their duty are now more like to be adjudged of God for neglecting it in time past then accepted for time to come What doth not every thing weare grow worse with age all olde things are accounted litle worth olde cloathes to put on olde houses to dwell in the same we might say of all other things in their kinde no man care's for or regared's any such But this is wonderfull that men who see that the fruit of our sin in other creatures make's them vnserviceable to vs yee see not sin it selfe abiding and encreasing in vs for soe long time should make vs soe to God Time vse age doth corrupt all other things to vs but sin the only venyme and poyson of all things make's men by this reckoning most fit for God for the only time they chuse for him is when sin hath had his greatest sway all their lives before as if the corruption of our nature and life had noe power at all to enfeeble or vnfit vs for our God Is not sin our spirituall sicknes and the only desperate disease of our whole man hath it not a corroding quality to eate quite through all the parts of our bodyes all the powers of our soules to pollute infect and annoy vs in all respects and who I pray you would entertayne an aged diseased and infected man into his house as more fit for his turne now then in his former times when he was free from these contagious maladies thinke by your owne reason what hart the Lord of heaven can have to take in these late commers being in farre worse case to serve him then the most disabled man may be to attend a Prince Now then if we see reason to conceive as we cannot but doe if the Lord enlighten our eyes that our wilfull and wofull deferring of our duty till our olde dayes doth deprive vs of harts to goe vnfaynedly to God and debarre him from having a hart graciously to accept of vs then this plea is pernicious to vs and we now we know it most jmpious in vrging it as we have done But let vs come to the fourth last plea for this proroguation of piety Plea 4 4. It is pleaded that there is mercy with God at any time even at the last cast as the theife on the crosse did well finde and soe shall we we hope why should we not even at our last breath This pretence is put vpon vs daily vpon all occasions we heare of it at all times it is layd in our dish to bolster vp rebellion against God and to barre repentance vnto life Noe word of God soe much abused no worke of God more This president of the Lords extraordinary mercy is made the ordinary packhorse to carry all mens jmpiety and seing he was pleased to be soe gracious to one he shall fare the worse with many for millious of men doe builde their gracelessues vpon this grace of his But because we finde by pitifull experience that this holy worde and this holy worke of God both being right worthy to be thought vpon with all the admiration and honor of our harts is become the commō hackney wheron every hell-hounde rides poast to his owne perdition and as he goe's kicks and winces at Gods long suffring and loving kindnes I will therefore endeavour the vttermost that I am albe to see if some may yet be recalled that are gone farre and others may be stayed that are comming after and some preuented that are setting out to run this reprobate race Vndoubtedly did men deliberate at all or could any wise consideration enter into their soule 's they could not thus plead they would not produce this rare and matchlesse example of favour and grace to support their owne vngodly prophanes jmpiety Yea and to adde another evill to all the rest in the very vse and vrging of it to wit to peruert and abuse the sacred word of God and to abase and prostitute this glorious worke of his either of which whosoever doth he doeth it to his owne destruction he destroye's himself in the very deede 2. Tet. 3.16 2. Cor. 4. 3.4 if the apostle say true in one place and in another too where he tell 's vs that if the Gospell be hid and soe it is to them that can see to doe nothing with it but to abuse it it is hid to them that are lost who are hud winckt by the divell that they discerne not the true sence vse of the same but vrge it argue from it to such ends as God doth abhorre that now his word must wounde himself and nothing shall be made such an occasion of his dishonour as that which he once did to renowne himselfe and the glory of his goodnes The Evils of it and favour for ever And how doe we jmagine the Lord will take it that his owne acts should be thus mistaken as to be made weapons against his owne majesty which he ordayned to destroy our jmpiety Doubtlesse that theife that malefactor never did halfe the robbery or any villany comparable to that which these men doe who thus abuse his example to wrong the Lord and their owne soules and the soules of others soe vnspeakeably as they doe And that they may see and vnderstand as they shall if the Lord have a purpose to save them we will crave your patience and
a man to live by stealing all he eate's and to dye in eating all he steale's Let vs thinke on these motives which are the substance of those jnducements which the ceremoniall law did but shaddow We now proceede to presse a few other which may yet more move vs if we ponder them as we ought either in the benefit that come's by the obedience of this truth or the evill that issue 's from the neglect thereof I pray you note bath 1. First if we did give the Lord our first doe but thinke what a world of sin we might save which is committed and continued in by millions till we doe give our selves to God Did we throughly know the danger of one sin even the least we can be guilty of we would doe much to prevent it seing that everlasting pordition is due to it but here is a course that would spare a multitude nay all our trangressions for from the time we are the Lords he reckon's no sin to vs but account's vs righteous and accept's vs blamelesse in his beloved Now to avoyd sin with the dishonor it brings to God with the damnation it brings to vs yea to others too by our example who would not rēder the Lord his right most freely let him have his owne frō vs that Satā might never have us as his owne frō God Assuredly he that coulde ever conceive the Lords damage his owne disadvantage by sin what glory God wants what greife it is to his spirit what provocation it is to his patience how jniurious to his goodnes and favour how abusiue to his long suffering loving kindenes would never deny himself to the Lord from the first day he did vnderstand how he might acceptablely yeeld himself vnto him what a siranger should Satan be in vs what a familiar would God be to vs if we begin betimes with him 2. Consider that as we might save much sin soe this were also the only way to have much grace The more early any thing begins to be good the more goodnes is hoped from it the sooner any man sett's himself towards beaven the more heavenly must he needes be Oh what a most happy thing is it when grace begins to grow betimes in vs then is the Lord much honoured by vs then are men much bettered by vs then are we fitter for all duty then are we more safe from sin the cōtagion of sinners then are we more able to worke out our salvation and more sure to posesse the same A mans life is a heaven vpon earth when his graces are well growne in him his affection his conversation cannot but be in heaven such a man may be bolde with his God at all times and Satan can have no hope to prevaile against him whē it cometh soe to passe with a man in good as it did with him in evill in whome the divell had beene from a childe he was the more hardly cast out soe the more easily is he kept out and hardly nay never shall he possibly enter to posesse that person who of a childe and from the first hath beene gracious What have we in this worlde to doe or to busy our selves most about but to get that grace that may further vs to glory and what better way to get much then to fall to worke assoone as is possible 3. Consider that the Lord never gave any man a time of grace that would dare to set God a time to come for it The man that shal be soe jmpious and jmpudent as to prescribe and lymit the Lord at what time he will come never hath hart to come at all Is it not good reason that when we neglect yea and despise too so great salvation as is tendered nay commanded to vs in our tender yeares that he whome we have denyed in his time of grace should deny vs in our time of sin especially considering that he hath power to confine vs to the instant of his call but it is intollerable jmpiety in vs to bounde him to ours Shall God waite vpon the diuell and accept vs at that houre when our sin will let vs come we having cast of his day houre of mercy before How reade we in the scriptures for this what finde we nothing but thunder and lightening from heaven to peale these wicked wretches to perdition They that were bidaē were not worthy saith Christ And againe The dore was shut against them that were not prepared for the bridegrome at the instant of his comming and though at their owne time they came afterwarde with much jntreaty yet it could not be opened but they were banished thence and abandoned to hell Pre. 1.24.25.26 Zach. 7.13 And yet againe by the prophets Because I have called and you have refused therefore shall yee cry and not be heard So that you see God sett's noe time to him that setts God any nothing remayne's to such but disdayne from heaven damnation in hell 4. Consider that what extraordinary honour God ever intended to himself by any man or men whome he would make instruments of the same he meant to make all such persons gracious betime Doe but ponder it well in the first Adam in the second In the first all mankinde might have beene happy and God mightily honoured through all generations now to bring this about Adam shal be righteous from his first being and honour the Lord from the time of his creation In the second Adam all the elect shal be happy through him the glory of Gods infinite favour shall shyne vpon them to furnish him for this wonderfull worke he sanctifyed himself before he was borne and after in our infancy and soe throughout all ages of our life during the dayes he lived Indeede he attayned not our olde age I will not take vpon me peremptorily to determine why but it may be it was to shew that olde age doth not easily attayne him that soe these presumptuous olde fooles might be the more terrefyed and daunted from dareing to be so audacious as they have beene Did the Lord ever glorify himself in that man or glorify that man with himself that refusing to come when God called came when himself would name one instance if it be possible Noe he will sanctify all such as shal be glorious to him in earth or glorious with him in heaven I say he will sanctify all such in his purpose before time and in his practise in such time as wherin they shall come when he shall call be it more early as Ieremiah Iosiah John Baptist or more late as Abraham and such other as we have named before He gave them harts to attend his time not one of them ever dared to reject that and to cause the Lord to attend theirs These few inducements I hope shall draw and enforce vs to the Lord whose we are and whose all our dayes are and all our abilityes both of body and soule from him we have them in mercy if he have them not from vs againe in duty it had beene better for vs we had never beene borne Lay these holy considerations to hart offer not to presume vpon grace in thine owne time it is presumptuous sin to doe soe that man is extraordinarily gracelesse that dare's presume of grace in extraordinary time They that come to crave more then common kindnes of vs must be more then common freinds vnto vs litle reason hath God to be more then vsually good to them who have beene grossly evill to him as all they are who render him not his right in their first dayes If we would be the Lords for ever let vs ever resolve to be soe at the first Dearely beloved take these things into deliberatiō let them lodge in our harts rest and rooste in our myndes that soe the Lord our God may take vs into his favour and compassion Olde yonge middle-age all ages have this in good remembrance for it is a truth that make's vs happy if we hearken to it miserable if we doe not To the aged I say yet not I but the Lord looke backward see how much of your glasse is out and forward how litle remayneth to run and run apace to the living God to be received before all be gone and no hope be left thinke that voyce of God spoken to you 1. Pet. 4.2.3 It is sufficient that we have spent the time past after the lusts of the flesh c therevpon hasten towards heaven with all expedition it may be the Lord may take that litle time that is left and receiue you into everlasting habitations To the younge I say also Remember thy Creator thy redeemer too in the dayes of thy youth and jmagine that other voyce of heaven spokē to you for it is now time to a wake Ro. 13.11 c it is great reason that the flowre of your abilityes should be the Lords from whome you had them and to whome your account must be made for them In a word I say to you all and to every one of you Doe but thinke 1. how farre it is to heaven seing we must goe from sin to grace that we may goe thence to glory 2. how hard it is to finde the way because flesh blood cānot shew it then 3 how hard to enter goe on because the gate is so straight the enemy soe strong we soe weake wearied out with sin cōtinually clogging vs. And soe I end with that speech in Iob If thou wilt seeke vnto God early Job 8.3.6.7 and make thy supplication to the almighty if thou be pure and vpright surely he would now awake vnto thee and make the habitation of thy righteousnes prosperous and though thy begining be but small yet thy latter end should greatly encrease And that thus we may be and thus doe Let all sorts vncessantly seeke his face for ever Glory be to God on high