with the Prophet Isaiah what complaints Isa 6. 5. to 8. he makes of his unfitnesse for the office and imployment of a Prophet Woe is me saith he I am undone because I am a man of uncleane lips God doth but assure him that his sinnes were pardoned and how ready is he and forward to the worke v. 6. one of the Seraphims touched his lips with a coale from the Altar that is he was toucht by that Spirit of grace and life Rom. 8. 1. Heb. 1â— 1â— which is in Christ our Altar whereby as the Apostle sayes we are made free from the Law of sinne and death and sayes unto him thy iniquity is taken away and thy sinne purged then when God cryes whom shall I send and who will goe for us here am I sayes the Prophet send me See what a pardon does to fit us for the work of God not that now he began to be a Prophet or that now his sinnes were first pardoned but this fresh evidence of pardon gave to him a new strength and courage to the work Another instance we have of this in Saul and David Saul was a man of the goodliest person and for gifts of nature was the likeliest of all the men of Israel to make a King and such a King as should deliver Israel from oppression by his enemies he was higher than any of the people from the shoulders upward 1 Sam 10. 23. the testimony that Samuell gave of him was this see him whom the Lord hath chosen that there is none like him among all the people v. 24. He was a man of such hopes and Samuel himselfe had such expectations what God would doe for Israel by his hand as we see how he mourns for Saul when God had cast him off But this mans sinnes were never pardoned he never made his peace with God in all his life and how ill the work of God succeeded in his hands he does his work to halves God sends him to destroy Amalek against whom he had an ancient quarrell Saul spares Agag Exod. 17. 16. and the fattest of the cattell Israel in the time of his reigne was brought to such a bondage to the Philistines as that there was not found a Smith in Israel and 1 Sam. 12. 6. 19. the people hid themselves in caves in thickets and in rocks and high places it is true at the beginning of his reigne something he did but yet if Saul slew his thousands David his ten thousands and what was David a man but of a slight appearance in comparison but a man after Gods own heart one that had 1 Sam 13. 14. Ps 63 1. his sinnes pardoned and could say O God thou art my God and of Gods favour that it was better than life to his soule he slayes Goliah with a sling and a stone 1 Sam. 17. when Saul stands trembling in his tent and how did he prosper against the enemies of God throughout his reigne Well this David breakes his peace with God and then how feeble and how weake he growes that sinne in the matter of Vriah he confesses broke his bones Ps 51. 8. Againe at ver 12. see what he saies Restore to me the joy of thy Salvation and establish me with thy free Spirit then will I teach transgressours thy wayes and sinners shall be converted to thee David was a Prophet but he could not teach the wayes of God untill the joy of Gods Salvation was restor'd him The joy of the Lord is our strength Nehem. 8. 10. Now in handling this Point however that in my Text from whence it riseth be an instance onely of a warre that Israel under-tooke for God yet I shall not there confine my selfe but insist upon it in the generall as it is a truth in any case whatever nor shall I so desert my Text not onely because the truth is universall and holds paralell in all cases wherein we appeare for God but also because as the Nation of the Iewes was a type of the Churches of the Gospell so such like passages of providence and dealings with that people have in them much of the mind of God about the most spirituall affaires of the Churches of the New Testament as we see the Apostle Paul applies that great Deliverance of the people out of Aegypt at the red-Sea and in the Wildernesse to the Church of Corinth 1 Cor. 10. 1. Therefore I say I shall handle it as that which holds true in any worke we undertake for God it prospers bâ—st with those whose peace is made with him For the further clearing of it take first one demonstration that it is a truth then I shall give the Reasons whence it comes to passe That it is a truth appeares in this because a man not reconciled to God ere long growes weary of his worke The house upon the Sand our Saviour saies will fall and the stonie Mat. 7. 26 Mat. 13. 20. ground that is an heart wherein there is no through worke of grace will bring forth fruit but for a season Sooner or later at least in some degree of Apostasy a man unsound falls off from God The ways of the Lord are right and the Righteous walke in them but Hos 14. 9. the Transgressours shall fall therein which is an evidence his worke did never kindly prosper in his hands that is one cause of all Apostasyes when men will doe for God and what they doe comes off with losse and disadvantage For instance when a man will pray but looses of the tendernesse of his heart by prayer or heares the word and for a season heares with joy yet is the worse for hearing or ventures himselfe for God in standing for his cause and every time with lesse content and comfort in his venture in every duty driving still the Christians trade to losse what followes upon this At last he is discourag'd quite and saith in his heart that he shall not doe good upon the way turns Apostate and fals away from God Looke into mens Apostasyes you 'l find this still hath been one cause thereof Despaire is ever an ingredient in that sinne and that arises partly from such like experiments What is said of God in that he does for man in his conversion and salvation is true of us in that we doe for God Heb. 10. 38. If any man draw backe sayes Heb. 10. 38. God my soule shall have no pleasure in him Hee speakes it of such persons who come forward kindly in conversion unto such a pitch and then fall off Now saies the Apostle thus it is with Christ in this particular A man that is as it were betwixt his hands in fashioning and moulding to salvation so long as he comes kindly on in his conversion Christ takes pleasure in him and rejoyces over the worke of his owne hands upon his soule but if he prove a knotty peece that comes not forward in the worke resisting still the Holy
18. that heaven from whence he is expel'd and because it is against the nature of lightning to go downward is he in his fall compar'd to that therfore also when he Mat 8. 29 Mat. 12. 43. was cast out he said himself he was tormented and our Saviour saith that being dispossest he walks in dry places seeking rest and finding none not but that the dry and wet are both alike to him but it is a phrase fitted to our apprehensions signifying that discontent and restlesse state wherein he is at such a time so the same is used Ier. 17. 5. Cursed be he that maketh flesh his arme he shall inherit the parched places of the wildernesse that is he shall have no content or satisfaction thus it is with Satan therfore it followeth seeking rest and finding none Therfore I say if any man be set on work for God all the power and subtilty of Satan and his wicked instruments are set against him Secondly He that is employed for God shall have the sin of his own heart against him sin hath reason for it because the works of God are ' its destruction where his work prospers woe to sin it fades and dyes The work of God is the advancement of Jesus Christ in the world and is not he the bane of sinne Christ is the light of the world sin is the darknesse of it the flesh therfore fights and strives for life against him because as he prevailes that is â—â—stroy'd Therfore is it said that when he comes into his Temple men will not abide his comming Mal. 3. 2. no even those that seek it and delight in Christ so farre as sinfull flesh prevailes will not abide it v. 1. The Lord whom yee seek shall come to his Temple that is to his Church and to the souls of men in his Gospell for they are his Temples also even the messenger of the covenant whom ye delight in but who can abide the day of his comming be it his comming into a Kingdom or into a Congregation or into our own souls we Rom. 7. 22. must say as the Apostle sayes in a like case I delight in the law of God after the inward man but I see another law in my members warring against the law of my mind so wee delight in Christ after the inward man the spirit indeed is willing the spirit Rev. 22. 17. and the bride say come yea come Lord Iesus come quickly but the flesh or that sinfull nature the remainders whereof are in the best will not indure the thing Even those that seek for reformation will be shie of entertaining Christ afraid of being reformed too farre thence are those pretences that are made against it that carriage of the Church to Christ Cant. 5. 2. seems to be ours at this day He knocks at the dore and cryes open to me my sister my love my dove my undefiled for my head is filled with dew c. No she had put off her coat and how should she put it on she had washed her feet and how should she defile them so say we how shall we doe this and how shall we doe that and what distractions will this reformation cause c. Now whence is this is it indeed a truth that reformation of Religion will endamage common wealths was it ever known that strictnesse in Goâ—s service the most powerfull preaching of the word the truth and purity of worship ever hurt a nation what saith Christ By me Kings raigne and Princes degree justice No no beloved Pro. 8. 15. these are but excuses arising from the sin of the hearts of men what ever you would doe for God ye shall be sure to have all the strength of the sin of your own hearts against you in it You will say suppose all this be true that sin and Satan will oppose yet how is this a reason of the point in hand I answer yes because in both these cases such persons only who are pardoned and reconciled to God are able to withstand this opposition First for Satan 't is not every man can deale with him ther 's no resisting him without an holy heart there is no getting that without a pardon the selfe same faith that justifies the person purifies the heart Act. 15. 9. and makes it holy therfore the grace of Christ is said to reigne through righteousnesse unto life Rom. 5. 21. Where there is no righteousnesse that is no pardon the grace of Christ beares no sway in that soule and then that man who still is in the gall of bitternesse Act. 8. 23. and in the bond of iniquity however for the present he may in a manner be ingag'd for God what ever is that way pretended hee will be found at last to be of Satans party and though he goe exceeding farre in a good cause he 'l not be through in the work and when it comes up to the main and principall he 'l faile and that 's as much as Satan wishes or desires therfore is he said to stand at Iosuahs right hand to resist him though no doubt he wrought with both hands because his opposition principally lyes against the main and principall of the work he passes not if you heare Sermons so you come not neare to God in hearing which is the main thing in the duty or if ye pray and draw not near to God in prayer or if the Kingdome be reformed so Religion may be still corrupt he passes not so much now I say when once ye come unto the main in any kind that man will faile you there The Prince of this world commeth says Christ and he hath nothing in me Joh. 14. 30. If a man be unregenerate and hath no hold upon the covenant of grace Satan then hath something in him nay all that 's in him is his own and what ever the mans design is now Satan knows the man is his and that in time it will be seen yea that such a man shall doe him better service than another can and so much the more by how much he seemed at the first to be against him We see what use the Divell makes of mens apostasies whereby men sin away their consciences the tendernesse of their hearts the goodnesse of their natures blemishing themselvs in the eyes of God and men till they grow desperate in sin and all perfidiousnesse losing that very ingenuity which once they had And besides all this through their experience of the wayes of God becomming skilfull to doe mischiefe more than any as we reade of Iulian the apostate how he did more hurt to the Church of God then all the persecuting Emperours that were before him And there is no way for a preventing this but by building upon the Mat 7. 24. rock the house built upon the sand will surely fall and the fall thereof is great Let a man get into Christ get pardon get peace with God and as for Satan he shall
drinke indeed Aske among the Saints if ever any of his servants yet repented him of his condition or employment they 'l tell you that the comforts which they have in Christ are more worth than a world of sensuall delights 'T is true some prove Apostates They went out from us but they were 1 Joh. 2. 19. not of us sayes the Apostle Iohn if they had bin of us they had no doubt continued with us Doe but try once if it be not thus tast and see as the Psalmist sayes that the Lord is good You are like to Solomons buyer Ps â—4 8. Prov. 20 â—4 it is naught it is naught saith the buyer but when he is gone his way he boasteth so let what can be said in praise of Christ he is but low in your esteeme till you have made your covenant with Christ and then you boast and say you could not have thought that Christ had been so good and his wayes so sweet as now you find them then you 'l say that all his wayes are pleasant and his commandements sweeter then the Pro. 3. 17. Ps 19. 10. hony and the hony comb Be perswaded therfore beloved and set upon this work this day 't is true the heart will hold off no other is to be expected else we need not so to strive to enter in at the straight gate the Apostle Paul sayes of himselfe that when he would doe well evill was present with him it is the case of all the Rom. 7. 21. Saints of God you heard before the sinne of our own hearts will certainly oppose in any thing we doe for God Set therfore to the work and drive along the heart with violence say not you shall ne're doe good upon 't because you find your selves so listlesse and so backward make once your peace with God this work shall also prosper in your hands even the destruction of your sinnes and cleansing of your hearts from wickednesse God shall disarme that wicked and malignant party in your soules the strong holds of sinne shall fall before the weapons of our 2 Cor. 10. 4. Rom. 8. 26. Ps 57. 2 Rom. 8. 2. warfare they shall be mighty through him to overthrow all carnall reasonings and to bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ he 'l help your infirmities he 'l teach you how to pray and what to pray for he 'l performe all things for you he 'l dwell in your hearts and the spirit of life which is in Christ shall make you free from the law of sinne and death Oh that you did Luk. â—9 42. but know even you who are the greatest strangers unto God that live without him in the world at least in this your day though you have despis'd his mercies many yeares and would not be reformed the things which belong unto your peace how ready Christ is to receive you how sweet his embraces are how helpfull to you in his service And me thinks in case you should forget your own soule your love unto your country your desire of a good successe of that great work you have in hand should even ingage you not to rest untill ye find your sinnes are pardoned and Christ is yours this gives increase of fortitude and wisdome it makes you to be imploid for God fit to encounter Satan and histroopes and to resist the sinne of your own hearts that will betray you and the cause if it be suffer'd but whenas together with so great a blessing the salvation of your soule and life eternall is compris'd what heart would not be gain'd by such an argument and who knows but some of you the Lord hath thus ingaged in his worke that so by being thus as it were constrain'd to seeke him you may be brought to his acquaintance and an happy closing with him to eternall blisse and glory otherwise suppose you have the day yet if what hath bin said will not prevaile and you neglect your peace with God alas when you shall stand before the righteous Judge of all how sadly will the soule complaine woe is me will that cry out such pains and care was taken for my country my estate my family but none at all for me such hazzards did I runne such noble acts I did such honour and renown I got but now I see I perish and must for ever lye in hell O what pitty is it such as doe such things for God should not be saved what shall it profit a man if he gaines the whole world and lose his own Mar. 8. 36. foule And let me adde yet one thing more either make your peace with God this day or else this worke which here you are about will no way prosper with you this your comming here together will not be for the better but the worse by such fasting and praying 1 Cor. 11. you shall lose much of the tendernesse of your hearts and set your selves at greater distance from repentance You heard before what God sayes by his Prophet The wayes of the Lord are right and the Hos 14. 9. righteous shall walke in them that is they shall goe on and prosper they shall not be the worse for prayer nor hearing of the word nor any duty but the trnsgressours shall fall therein The good Lord deliver us from such a doome I will stay no longer in this exhortation the Lord perswade your hearts to listen to it Vse 2 Is it so that the work of God doth prosper best in those mens hands whose peace is made with him then having made your peace take heed that in your doing of his worke it be not broken It is true that ordinarily what care you take in seeking to be reconcil'd you 'l take to keep it being gotten because thereby your strength and resolution will increase the having of a pardon teacheth us to prize it therfore I said before that such the Lord may trust in doing of his worke but yet because of humane frailty since there is flesh as well as spirit in the best there is also place for this advise beware that what ye doe for God ye doe it so as you offend him not in doing of it Three wayes especially that may be done 1. It will offend him much if you especially in matters of Religion take up things on trust from men and shall not search into the truth your selves and labour by your own light to discern the mind of God Call no man your Father upon earth saith Christ Mat. 23. 9. not but that our parents must be honoured our Saviour meanes not them it 's meant in matters of faith that no man should impose upon us by his own or any mans authority therefore it follows neither be ye called Master that is expect it not from others that they should take up things on trust from you our Saviour addes the reason v. 9. for sayes he ye have one Master even Christ that is his word