day for suffering their spirits to thove them too farre into sinne Many suck out the delight of sinne before they act it as Esau pleased himselfe by thinking the day of mourning for his father would come wherein hee might bee revenged of his brother Yet this sinne was not onely spirituall and imminent but transient likewise it reached against the second Table and therefore against the principles of nature and against society out of which God gathers a church there was false witnesse and murther in this finne In this respect it is that the sinnes of the second Table are greater then the sinnes of the first because they are against more cleare light A naturall conscience hath a cleerer eye in these things here is light upon light for both grace and nature condemne these sinnes Yet for order in sinning the rise of all sinne against man is our sinning against God first for none sinne against men but they sinne against God in the first place whereupon the breach of the first commandement is the ground of the breach of all the rest for if God were set up in the heart in the first place there parents would be honoured and all kinde of injury suppressed for conscience sake the Scripture gives this as a cause of the notorious courses of wicked men that God is not in all their thoughts they forget there is a God of vengeance and a day of reckoning the foole would needs inforce upon his heart that there is no God and what followes Corrupt they are there is none doth good they eate up my people as bread c. they make no more bones of devouring men and their estates than they make conscience of eating a peece of bread What a wretched condition hath sinne brought man unto that the great God who filleth heaven and earth should yet have no place in the heart which he hath especially made for himselfe The sunne is not so cleare as this truth that God is for all things in the world are because God is if he were not nothing could bee It is from him that wicked men have that strength they have to commit sinne therefore sinne proceeds from Atheisme especially these plotting sinnes for if God were more thought on hee would take off the soule from sinfull contrivings and fixe it upon himselfe But by whom and against whom was this plotting by children of the Church not uncircumcised Philistims Opposition is bitterest betwixt those that are neerest as betwixt the flesh and the spirit in the same soule betweene hypocrites and true hearted Christians in the same wombe of the Church Brethren they were but strange children Children by the Mothers side all bred in the same Church but had not the same father Children by the mothers side only are commonly persecutors Popish spirits count it presumption to know who is their father which shewes them to bee bastard children The greatest sins of all are committed within the church because they are committed against the greatest light whereupon that great sin against the Holy Ghost Which like lonas his whale devourous all at once is not committed out of the Church at all Oh beloved how should wee reverence the blessed truth of God and gracious motions of his Spirit If it bee sinne to kill infants in the wombe what is it to kill the breed of the blessed spirit in our hearts But against whom was this plot directed even against David a prophet and a King a Kingly Prophet a man after Gods owne heart though not according to theirs A sacred Person and therefore inviolable Touch not mine Anointed and dâ—â— my Prophets no harme it was a prohibition from heaven David was a man eminent in goodnesse and goodnesse invested in greatnesse is a faire marke for envie to shoot at What men for sloth care not to doe for weaknes cannot or for pridâ— will not imitate that they maligne sitting cursing and sretting at the 〈◊〉 oâ— the hill a those which they see goe aboveâ—hem â—hem whose life gâ—â—â—gth witnesse againâ—t them When goodnes shines forth it presently meets with envy until it come to the height to bee above envie as the Sunne at the highest hath no shadow Envie hathan ill eye it cannot looke on goodnesse without griefe the spirit that is in us lusteth after envie pursuing of goodnesse in men and men for goodnesse is a sinne of a deepe dye because whosoever hates a man for goodnesse hates goodnesse it selfe and he that hates goodnesse it selfe hates it most in the fountaine so becomes a hater of God himselfe and if Christ were in such a mans power he should escape no better than his members doe for Christ is joyned either in love or hatred with his cause and children he and his have common friends and common enemies Men thinke they have to deale with silly men but they shall one day finde that they have to deale with the great Lord of heaven and earth But what was the manner of carrying their designe this cruell plot was cunningly carryed for they kill him in his good name first and accuse him as an enemy to the State that so their slanders may make way for violence Satan is a lyar first and then a murderer yea therefore a lyar that he may be a murtherer the better he is first a Serpent then a lyar and first a lyon couchant then a lyon rampant he teaches his Schollers the same method Cruelty marchâ—â—h furiously and under warrahâ— with priviledge when it hath slander to countenâ—nce it Taiâ—o men once in the opinion of the world and then they lye open to any usage it is not onely 〈◊〉 but glorious to oppose 〈◊〉 and thus Vertue comes to have the reward due to wickednesse and passes under publike hatred the open cause and pretence is one and the inward moving cause another which perhaps lyes hid till the day of revelation of the secrets of all flesh as in a clock the wheeles and the hand appeare openly but the weights that move all are out of sight But what course took David herein Innocency was his best apologie and when that would not doe then patience hee saw God in the wrongs he suffered God bad Shimei c. but this invites more injuries therefore by prayer he layes upon his soule to God Davids prayer prevailed more in heaven than Achitophels policy could doe on earth Carnall men are pregnant and full of wiles and fetches to secure themselves but godly men have one onely refuge and hiding place yet that is a great one namely to run to God by prayer as to their rocke and tower of defence in their distresses From all this that hath beene said there ariseth these conclusions First that even the best of Gods Saints are lyable to bee the subjects of the plots of wicked men 1. From an Antipathy betweene the two contrary seeds in them 2. Because God will not have his children love the world therefore he suffers
had put his hand to the Plough Alexanders opposing because it sprung from extremity of malice towards the profession of godlinesse him he curseth The Lord reward him c. Weaker Christians who failed him from want of some measure of spirit and courage tetaining still a hidden love to the cause of Christ their names he conceales with prayer that God would not lay their sinne to their charge But whilst Paul lived in this cold comfort on Earth see what large encouragement had hee from Heaven Though all forsooke me yet sayes he God did not for sake me but stood by me and I was delivered out of the mouth of the Lion And the Lord will deliver me c. In the words wee have in Pauls example an expressing of that generall Truth set downe by himselfe Rom. 5. 3. And not onely so but we glory in tribulations also knowing that tribulation worketh patience and patience experience and experience hope c. So here affliction breeds experience of Gods mercy in our deliverance experience breeds hope of deliverance for the time to come and both his Experience and Hope stirres him up to glorifie God who was his deliverer so that here offer unto us to be unsolded 1. Pauls experience of Gods loving care of him in his deliverance past 2. His assured hope built upon his experience for the time to come set downe in two Branches 1. The Lord will deliver me froÌ„ every evill work 2. He will preserve mee to his heavenly kingdom 3. The issue hee maketh of both as they flow from Gods grace so he ascribes him the glory of both To whom be glory for ever and ever Amen For the first I finde that most both Ancient and Moderne writers by Lion understand Nerâ— that cruell Tyrant thirsty of blood especially of Christians Some also understand it to be a provetbiall speech to expresse extremitie of danger both which are true but if wee take the words in the just bredth of the Apostles intent we may by Lion understand the whole united company of his crull enemies as David in many places hath the like and by the mouth of the Lion the present danger he was in by reason of their cruell malice Whence observe 1. That enemies of the truth are oft for power alwayes for malice Lions 2. That God suffers his dearest children to fall into the mouthes of these Lions 3. That in this extremity of danger God delivers them For the second his hope built upon his experience both Branches thereof hath its limitation and extent The Lord shall deliver me not from evill suffering but from evill workes this hee could boldly build on he could not conjecture what he should suffer because that was in the power of others but he could build upon this what God would give him grace to doe and so he limits his considence He will deliver me from evill workes and he will preserve me from what from daâ—ger from death no here is the limitation He will preserve me to his heavenly Kingdome He will not preserve me from death and yet he will doe that whilst I can doe his service by my life but sure I am hee will preserve me beyond death to a state of security and happinesse He will preserve me to his heavenly Kingdome And then for the third after his experience confidence and hope wel built as his fashion is when his heart was once warmed he breakes our into thanksgiving in the consideration of Gods favours past and to come his tongue is large thereupon and God hath the fruit of it To whom be glory for ever and lastly he seales up all with the word Amen I was delivered out of the mouth of the Lion c. Beloved by nature we are all Lions and nothing will alter us save the effectuall knowledge of Christ Education may civilize but not subdue A Sound knowledge of Gods Truth hath a changing power for when the spirit becomes tender and when the heart which lyes in a cursed estate under and in danger of the wrath of a iust God whose eye cannot spare iniquity unrepented of is cited and affrighted effectually by the spirit of bondage it will cast downe and pull sorrow from the strongst spirit making it melting and tender Againe in this estate when the soule hath felt favour shining upon it when the eye is opened to see the high prerogatives and exceeding riches of Christ when we finde ourselves that we are delivered from the Lions mouth wee cannot but shew that pity to others which wee felt from God our selves Paul thirsts as eagerly after the conversion of others now as ever he did for their blood before The Iaylor also a man by nature custome and calling hardened in the practice of cruelty yet after hee had felt the power of Gods blessed truth shewed forth those bowels of pitie hee felt from Christ which were shut before Let us then be thankfull that God hath changed us from being Lions and with meeknesse submit our selves unto Gods ordinances desiring him to write his Law not onely in our understandings but in our very hearts and bowels that wee may not onely know that we should walke harmelesse and full of good but be so indeed resembling him by whom we hope to be saved in a right serviceable plyablenesse to all duties of love And because our impersect measure of mortification in this life hinders us from a full content in one anothers communion let this make us the more willing to be translated to Gods holy Mount where being purged from all such lusts as hinder our peace and love we shall fully enioy one another without the least falsenesse or distrust then shall wee see totall accomplishment of these promises which are but in part fulfilled in this life That God suffereth his children to fall into the mouth of Lions or into some danger proportionable where in they shall see no helpe from him is a truth cleare as the Sunne The History of the Church in all ages shewes as much Was not Christ in the mouth of the Lion so soone as borne when Herâ—d sought to kill him Did not satan and all the spirituall powers of Hell daily come about him like ramping roaring Lions And hath it not been thus with Gods Church from Abel to this present as appeares by the children of Israel in Egypt at the redsea and in their iourney to Canaan being invironed round about with cruell enemies and dangers on every side like Daniel in the midst of Lions So farre God gave them up to the power of their enemies that the wisest of the Heathen iudged them a forlorne people hatefull to God and men For particular instances see Iob and David so neare as there was but a step betweene them and death Besides God often awakens the consciences of his children and exerciseth them with spirituall conflicts their sins as so many Lions stand up against them ready to teare their
no matter God will pardon all I care not so I may have my wish this is the heart of many gracelesse persons that are not led with heavenly respects But take a Christian and he had rather beg doe any thing in the world than doe a thing unworthy his profession unbeseeming the Gospell or that high calling whereunto hee is called Shall such a man as I doe this hee will not and therefore his care is to take heed of ill workes for then he is sure to have God his friend who hath riches and honour enough for him because the earth is the Lords and the fulnesse thereof this is the care of a judicious wel instructed Christian But marke the Extent from every evill worke Saint Pauls care is not for one or two but that God would keepe him from every evill worke Why so Because he that truly hates one sinne will hate all the kinds of it both come from the same love of God he that loves God as he should will hate whatsoever God hates and have respect to all Gods Commandements as the Psalmist speakes partiall obedience is indeed no obedience at all for he that obeyes one and not another obeyes not simply because of the Commander to yeeld obedience unto him but onely to satisfie his owne corrupt nature picking and choosing what pleases himselfe which belongs not to an inferiour but to a superiour to doe And therefore such make themselves gods in that they single out easie things that doe not oppose their lusts which are not against their Reputation c. and therein perhaps they will supererogate and doe more than they need onely because they will have a compensation with God that he should quit with them for other things I have done that and therefore he must beare with mee in this Oh but there is no compensation here a man is never so straitned but he may escape without sinne there is no pretence will serve but we must abstaine from every evill worke Satan keepes many men in his snare by this and so he hath them safe in one sinne hee cares not therefore he will suffer them to heare read and pray c. holding them fast in one raigning sinne wherein hee will let them alone till the time of some great affliction or death and then he will roare upon them Oh beloved wee cannot provide worse for our owne soules than to cherish a purpose of living in any one sin for that is enough for the devill to hold his possession in us by and at the houre of death to claime us for his owne If wee regard any iniquity in our heart the Lord will not heare our prayers I beseech you therefore let us labour to have cleare consciences freeing our selves from a purpose to live in any sinne that in all our slips and failings we may say with an honest heart My purpose was not to do this but to refraine from wickednesse Againe he speakes of this for the time to come the Lord will deliver me from evill A true Christian is as carefull to avoide sinne for the time to come as to bee freed from the guilt of sinnes past Iudas may desire to have his conscience freed from former sinnes but Indas cannot desire to be a good man for the time to come Nothing argues a good conscience more than this The most wicked wretch that breathes may desire to have his conscience stilled and yet never have any purpose or power to abstaine from sinne but like a dogge after he hath disgorged himselfe returne to his vomit againe True Repentance is a turning from former evills to a contrary good Our griefe no further yeelds comfort of sound repentance then it hath care attending for prevention of sinne according to that which Christ said to the woman taken in adultery Goe and sinne no more and as David prayes Purge me O Lord and cleanse me but withall establish me with thy free spirit for the time to come As if hee should say Lord I know it is not in man to order his owne wayes I desire not the forgivenesse of my sinnes that there by I might with more liberty offend thy Majesty but with pardoning grace I begge preventing grace No false heart can move such a desire as this to God A gracious heart that prayes aright prayes as well that God would preserve him from future sinne as forgive him his former sinnes It is a ridiculous thing of the Papists to make confession of a sinne which they meane to commit as some late Traitors confessed such and such things which they were to act were straight absolved for it So your cursed duelists that will pray and repent when they meane presently to fall one upon another Is this repentance when a man is inveigled with the sin hee meanes to commit and cannot overcome himselfe in the case of revenge Doe these men thinke they repent No certainely repentance is of sinnes past and the carriage of every true Christian is to avoide evill for the time to come Againe it is here a perpetnated Act the Lord will deliver me still from every evill worke whence you see that In every evil worke we are tempted to we need delivering Grace as to every good worke assisting Grace Indeed our whole life if we look upwards is nothing but a deliverance but if we looke to our selves it is nothing but danger and a warfare and therefore wee have need of a deliverance How little a temptation turnes over a great man as sometimes a little winde turnes over your mighty gallies We see this in David and Salomon and if God leave us to our selves even the strongest man in the world how soone is he overturned in the midst of sinsull occasions how ready are wee to joyne with them and betray our owne soules But from the whole take it as it comes from God altogether the truth is thus much that a Christian who is privy to his own soule of good intentions to abstaine from all ill for the present may presume that God will assist him against all ill workes for the time to come I say a Christian that hath his conscience telling him that he meanes to be better and is not in league with any sin may beleeve this for the time to come that God will keepe him from evill workes I speak this because many who are yet sinners thinke it in vaine to strive for they shall never bee better What doest thou talke man hast thou a minde to be better God will meet thee one time or other is thy will at liberty he that gives thee the will will also give thee the deed is not this the Promise that God will deliver thee from every evill worke and therefore away with all discouragements O but There are sonnes of Anak mighty Giants that molest mee my sinnes are as so many Giants to stop my proceeding I shall never beâ— better Say not so nay rather
touch some circumstances and then fall upon the point it selfe as 1 The time wherein hee was forsaken a time of darknesse the sixth houre in which there was a darknesse over the whole earth and in the land of Iudea especially Neither had hee darknesse without onely but within likewise his soule was troubled from a sense of his fathers displeasure two Ecclipses seazed upon him together the one of the glorious light of the Sunne the other of the light of his Fathers countenance Hee must needes be in a disconsolate estate and doubly miserable thaâ— is incompassed with such darknesse whatsoever was done to Christ our surety shall be done to all that are out of him blacknessâ— of darknesse is reserved for them As Christ wanted the comfort of light from heaven so those that are out of Christ shall have no comfort from any creature at at the last the Sunne shall not shine upon them the earth shall not beare them they shall not have a drop of water to coole their tongues they were formerly Rebels against God and now every creature is ready to serve the Lord against them when the King is displeased with a man which of his servants dare to countenance him This darknesse being in Iudea did likewise portend the miserable condition of the Iewes here and that eternall darknesse in the the world to come which should be their portion if they repented not Another circumstance may be this God was a great while ere he removed his heavy displeasure from Christ he was three houres in torment And though God delayed him long yet hee said nothing til now by way of complaint wee should beware of darknesse of spirit in trouble God may delay helpe to his dearest children as here he did to his onely Son to perfect the worke of sanctification in them therefore submit to his wil rest contented with whatever hee sends looke to thy Head and Saviour c. But of this more anone 3 His greatest griefe and conflicts were towards his latter end towards the shutting up and cloze of his life though a little after hee saith All is finished yet now he cries out My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Afflictions are sharpest toward our Ends. I speake this for prevention of discomfort in those that finde extremities upon them when miseries are extreame helpe is nearest They will either mend or end then the darknesse is thickest a little before the morning appeares and Sathan raged most a little before his casting downe As also to prevent security from seazing upon people take heed of deferring repentance till thy last houres there may be a confluence of many extreamities then upon thee paines of body terrours of conscience Sathans temptations Gods wrath c when all these meete together and the poore soule in its best strength findes enough to doe to conflict with any one of them what an unhappy condtion will that be Oh put not off your repentance to this time But I passe these circumstances come to the point of forsaking it selfe In the unfolding whereof I wil shew 1 In what sense Christ was forsaken 2 In what parts hee was forsaken 3 Upon what ground And 4 To what end all this forsaking of Christ was For the first forsaking is nothing else but when God leaves the creature to it selfe either in regard of comfort or of grace and assistance I will shew you how Christ was leâ—t of his Father and how he was not leâ—t 1 Hee was not forsaken in regard of Gods love for my Father loveth me saith he because I give my life for my sheepe God never loved Christ more then now because hee was never more obedient than at this present 2 Nor in regard of Vnion for there was no separation of his divine nature from the humane there was a suspension of vision indeed hee saw no comfort for the present from God but there was no dissolution of Union for the divine nature did many things in this seeming forsaking that was it which supported his humane nature to suâ—taine the burthen of our sinnes and the wrath of God as also that gave merit and worth of satisfaction to his sufferings 3 Neither was this forsaking in regard of grace as if faith or love or any other grace were taken from Christ Oh no for hee beleeved before he said My God my God Would hee have committed his dearest jewell into the hands of God if hee had not beleeved in him How then was Christ forsaken 1 In regard of his present comfort and joy hee could not else have beene a sacrifice for as wee cannot suffer by way of conformity to Christ unlesse there be some desertion that wee may know the bitternesse of sin no more could Christ have suffered for our iniquities had there not beene a suspension of light and comfort from his gracious soule 2 He was not onely privatively deprived of all joy and happinesse but positively hee felt the wrath and fury of the Almighty whose just displeasure seazed upon his soule for sinne as our surety All outward comforts likewise forsooke him the Sunne withdrew his light from above and every thing below was irksome to him He suffered in all the good things he had body soule good-name in his eyes eares hands c. hee was reproached proached and forsaken of all comforts about him Hee had not the common comfort of a man in misery pity none tooke compassion upon him hee was the very object of scorne But in what part was Christ forsaken In all both in body and soule too as may plainly appeare First because hee was our Surety and wee had stained our soules bodies too offending God in both but in soule especially because that is the conâ—river of all sinne the body being but the instrument Some sinns we call spirituall sinnes as pride malice infidelity and the like these â—ouch not the body yet are the greatest sinnes of all other Secondly if he had not suffered in his Soule the sense of Gods displeasure why should he thus cry out when as the poor theeves that suffered by him made no such exclamation If he had suffered in body onely the sufferings of Paul and Moses had beene more for they wished to be separated from the joyes of heaven out of a desire to promote Gods glory on earth therefore it was hee saith in the Garden My soule is heavy unto death Some will grant that Christ suffered in soule but say they it was by way of sympathie for there are sufferings of soul immediately from God and sufferings by way of sympathie and agreement with the body when as the soule hath a fellow feeling of thâ— torments thereof and so Chrisâ— suffered in soule indeed That is not all beloved but there were immediate sufferings even of his soule also which he groaned under God the Father laid a heavy stroake upon that Hee was smitten of the Lord and when God
Though I walke in the valley of the shadow of death yet will I fear no ill why because thou art with mee my God and my shepheard Though wee be in the valley of the shadow of death yet notwithstanding if God bee with us if wee bee in covenant with him and can lay just claime to his promise by giving up our selves to him we shall not feare one beame of Gods countenance when wee are in covenant with him will scatter all Clouds whatsoever I beseech you therefore labour more and more for this precious grace of faith and increase it by all saâ—ctified means hearing the Word reading the Scriptures and treasuring up promises considering what speciall use wee have of this above all other graces But to proceed Christ here doth not onely beleleeve but He vents his faith by prayer Good workes are but faith inincarnate faith working they differ not much from it so prayer is but faith flaming the breath of faith as it were for when troubles possesse the soule it sends out its Ambassadour presently it speeds prayer forth and prayer stayes not till it come to heaven and there takes hold upon GOD and gets a message and answer from him backe to comfort the soule faith and prayer are all one in a manner when the soule hath any great desire of grace or is in griefe apprehending the displeasure of GOD faith would if it could worke to heaven but we are on earth and cannot till wee dye therefore when it cannot goe to heaven it sends prayer and that mounts the soule aloft and wrastles with God and wil give him no rest till the petition bee granted and it can say My God Therefore if you have any faith at all exercise it and make it bright by often prayer The prayer of faith prevailes much How shall they call on him in whom they have not beleeved Indeed it is no prayer at all without faith great faith great prayer weake faith weake prayer no faith no prayer they both goe on in an even strength Christ here prayes to God under this complaint Why hast thou for saken me There is a hidden prayer in it oh doe not forsake mee deliver me out c. I beseech you even as you would have comfort from the â—ountaine of comfort that usually conveyes all grace and comfort to us by a spirit of prayer labour to be much in communion w th God in this blessed exercise especially in troubles Call upoÌ„ me in the day of trouble the evil day is a day of prayer of all daâ—es in the day of trouble especially Make your request knowne to God But perhaps GOD will not heare mee Yes this fruit followes The peace of God which passeth all understanding shall keepe your hearts and mindes When you have eased your soules into the bosome of God by prayer you may goe securely and know that he will leâ— you reape the fruit of your prayers in the best time Yea but 〈◊〉 prayed long and have had no answer Wait in prayer Gods time is the best time The Physition keepes his owne time he turnes the glasse and though the paâ—iâ—◠〈◊〉 ouâ— that he tormeÌ„ts him it is no matter he knows his time The Gold-smith will not take the metall out of the fire till it bee refined so God knowes what to doe waite his good leasure In the meane time because wee must have all from God by prayer I beseech you derive all from him this way pray for every thing and then we shall have it as a blessing indeed But put the case I cannot pray as sometimes wee are in such a case that we cannot make a large prayer to God Then doe as Christ did Crie If thou canst not pray groane and sigh for they are the groans and sighes of Gods Spirit in thee there is a great deal of oratorâ— in these words What is the use of eloquence but to perswadeâ— and what could perswade God more than when Christ shewed how he esteemed his love and how he was now In the absence of it environed with griefe before him Here was Rhetorick if Christ had not spoken his wounds had said enough and his pittifull ease spake sufficiently every thing hath a voyce to 〈◊〉 for mercy 〈◊〉 â—hee adds his voyce to all and cries vocally aloud My God my god why hast thou forsaken me Beloved if you acquaint your selves with GOD in prayer then you may goe readily to him in any extremity therefore in time of health and prosperity cherish communion with his blessed Majesty make him your friend and upon every good occasion improve this plea Oh my God If wee have riches if we have a friend in the Court wee will improve them if wee have any thing we will make use of it have we a GOD and will we not improve him have wee a God that is our GOD and doe wee want grace doe wee want comfort and strength and assistance and have wee a God the Fountaine of all to goe to Shall we have such a prerogative as this to have Jesus Christ to 〈◊〉 be our great peace-maker that we may go boldly to the Thron of grace through him and shall we not improve the same Wee may goe boldly to God and welcome because GOD is infinite and the more wee goe and beg the more he gives wee cannot exhaust that Fountaine oh let us improve this blessed prerogative then wee shall live the life of heaven upon earth especially when the Conscience is troubled with sinne as Christ was now with the displeasure of his Father then let us go to God plead with his Majesty and we may plead lawfully with him Lord thy Iustice is better satified in Christ than if thou shouldest send me to hell if thou wilt thou maist destroy me for conscience must come to a great resignation it cannot desire mercy but it must see its own misery Lord 〈◊〉 maist justly cast me to hell but it would not bee so much for thy glory thou art more glorious in satifying thy justice in Christ than if thou shouldest damne mee to hell Why Because Gods justice is better satisfied in Christ. Man sinned but God-man satisfied for sinne man would be like God in pride God becomes man in humilitie the expiation of God is greater than the sinne of man He prayed for his persecutors and gave his life for them doth not this proportion more the justice of God than the sinne of man The Law doth but require a nocent person a guilty person to suffer Christ was innocent The Law requires that man should suffer Christ was GOD therefore Christ hath done more than satisfied the Law the satisfaction of Christ is more than if we had suffered Wee are poore men creatures that was the satisfaction of God-man our sinnes are the sinnes of finite persons but he is infinite therefore the soule may plead Lord I am a wretched sinner but I should take
when sinne is discountenanced and condemned most for then it is the States sinne no longer but lyeth upon particular offenders But I hasten As God will visit his Church so there is a certaine time for it God as hee hath appointed a general day to judge the world in so hee appoints particular times of judgement in this life hee is the wise dispenser of times God doth not alwayes whip his Church but his ordinary course is to give them some respite as Acts 9. after Pauls conversion the Church had joy and grew in the comforts of the holy Ghost God hath rejoycing dayes for his people as well as mourning dayes fayre weather as well as soule and all to help them forward in the way to heaven Beloved God gives many happy and blessed times to encourage weak ones at their first comming on that they may the better grow up in goodness and not be nipped in the bud but after a certaine time when through peace and encouragement they grow secure and carelesse and scandalous in their lives then hee takes them in hand and corrects them God hath scouring dayes for his vessels What be those times wherein God will visit his Church I answer in generall the time of visiting the Church of God is from Abel to the last man that shall be in the earth the Church beganne with bloud continues with bloud and shall end with bloud the whole dayes of the Church are a time of persecution from my youth upward saith the Psalmist I have suffered so may the Church of God say even from my cradle from my infancy I have beene afflicted yea for thy sake we are killed all the day long and counted as sheepe for the slaughter but this is not here meant The time for the Church of God to suffer is when the glorious manisestation of the Gospell is more then in former times wee see the ten first persecutions was after that generall promulgation of the Gospell whereby the world was more inlightned then formely Wee reade in the Revelation of a white horse that Christ rides on and a pale horse of famine and a red horse of persecution that followed after him So presently after the preaching of the Gospell comes the fanne and the axe or though not very presently yet after a certaine time when our neede requires it for God will wayte a while to see how wee entertaine his glorious Gospell and whether we walke worthy of it or not More particularly even now is the time of lacobs trouble even now God hath put a cup into the Churches hand and it must goe round the sword hath a commission to devoure which is not yet called in But what be the more especiall times wherein a man may know some judgement is like to fall upon the Church of God The Scripture is wondrous ful in the point 1. God usually before any heavy judgement visits a people with lesser judgements his foot â—eps first appeare in some small token of his displeasure but if that prevayles not then he brings a greater this and this have I done saith the Lord and yet yee have not returned unto mee There be droppings before the ruine of a house Lesser judgments make way for greater as a little wedg makes way for a greater and therefore where lesse affilictions prevaile not there cannot but be an expectation of greater Why should I smite you any more saith God you fall away more and more that is I must have a sweeping judgement to carry you cleane away Againe usually before some great calamity God takes away worthy men the Councellor and the Captain and the man of warre This is a fearefull presage that God threatneth some destruction for they are the Pillars of the Church and the strength of the world they are those that make the times and places good wherein they live for they keep away evill and do good by their example and by their prayers many wayes A good man is a common good the Citty thrives the better as Solomon saith for a righteous man therefore wee have cause to rejoyce in them and it is an evill signe when such are removed God usually visits a people when some horrible crying sins raigne amongst them as 1. Atheisme Beloved God stands upon his prerogative then when he is scarce knowne in the world when they say Where is God God sees us not c. So likewise 2. when Idolatry prevailes this is spirituall Adultery and a breach of Covenant with God Againe 3. when divisions grow amongst a people union is a preserver where there is dissention of judgement there will soone be dissention of affections and dissipation wil be the end if we take not heed for the most part Ecclesiasticall dissentions end in â—ivill And therefore wee see before the destruction of Ierusalem what a world of Schismes and divisions were amongst the Iews there were Pharisees and Sadduces c. It was the ruine of the ten Tribes at length the rent that Ieroboam caused in Religion It is a fearefull signe of some great ludgement to fall upon a Church when there is not a stopping of dissentions they may be easily stopped at the first as waters in the beginning but when they are once gotten into the very vitall parts of the Church Common wealth wee may see the mischiefe but it is hardly remedyed Againe when sinne goes with some evill circumstances and odious qualities which aggravate the same in the sight of God as when sinne growes ripe and abounds in a Land or Nation at such a time as this a man may know there is some fearfull judgement approaching But when is sinne ripe 1. When it is impudent when men grow bold in sinne When sinne is ripe making it their whole course and trade of life when mens wicked courses are their conversation they cannot tell how to doe otherwise 2. When sinne growes common and spreads sarre It is an ill plea to say Others do so as well as I alas the more sin the more danger 3. When there is a security in sinning without feare or dread of the Allmighty as if men would dare the God of Heaven to doe his worst Oh beloved such persons as goe on still in their sins to provoke the Lord doe put a sword as it were into Gods hands to destroy themselves The old world you know was very secure no doubt they mocked at holy Noah when hee made the Arke as if hee had beene a doting old man not with standing hee foretold them of the wrath to come And our Saviour Christ saith Before the end of the world it shall be as in the dayes of Noah Beloved God hath his old worlds still If wee have the same course and security of finning we must looke for the same iudgements And therefore compare times with times If the times now answer
the soule Being justified by faith wee have peace with God Those that are hurried in their life with false doubts and perplexities What shall become of mee what shall I eate and what shall I drinke c Though they use lawfull meanes yet commit not themselves to God as they should for where there is a dependance upon God in the use of meanes there is an holy silence in the party All stubborne and tumultuous thoughts are hushed in him My soule keepe silence to the Lord saith David and trust in God why art thou so vexed within me still there is a quieting of the soule where there is trust Can that man put confidence in God that prowles for himselfe and thinkes he hath no Father in heaven to provide for him Doth that childe trust his father that besides going to schoole thinkes what hee shall put on how he shall be provided for and what inheritance he shall have hereafter Alas this is the Fathers care and belongs not to him Wheresoever these distractions are there can be no yeelding up of the soule to God in truth There be two affections which mightily disturbe the peace of Christians 1. Sinfull cares and 2. Sinfull feares to both which we have remedies prescribed in the Scripture 1. Feare not little flocke saith Christ for it is your fathers will to give you a kingdome As if he had said Will not hee that gives you heaven give you other things In nothing be carefull saith the Apostle that is in a distracting manner but doe your duty and then let your requests bee made knowne to God and the peace of God shall keepe you and therefore were we redeemed from the hands of our enemies that wee might serve him without feare all our dayes A Christian should keepe an inward Sabbath in his soule and goe quietly on in doing all the good hee can what a fearfull thing is it to see men lie groveling in the earth and live without God in the world troubling and â—urmoyling themselves how to compasse this thing and that thing as if they had no God to seeke unto nor no promise to relye upon Againe where this committing of a mans selfe and his soule to God is there will bee a looking to God onely in all a man doth not fearing any danger or opposition that may befall him from without as the three yong men said to Neâ—ucâ—adnezar Our God can keepe us if he will But what if hee will not Yet know O King that wee will not worship nor fall downe before thy Image So it is with a Christian foreseeing some danger disgrace or displeasure of this or that man which may befall him he resolveth notwithstanding in despight of all to commit himselfe to God in doing his duty come what will whether God will save him or no hee will not breake the peace of his conscience or doe the least evill hee is no foole but foresees what may befall him for well doing this inconvenience may come that trouble yet he sets light by these he hath an eye to heaven and sees more good to himself in the Creator that gave him his beeing of nothing and more good for the time to come that will make him a blessed Saint in heaven then there can be ill in the creature therefore come what can come his heart is fixed to trust the Lord and rather than hee will displease him desert his honour and his cause or doe any unworthy action he will commit himselfe to God in the greatest dangers The ground hereof is this A Christian is the wisest man in the world and hee understands well enough that God is Alsufficient hee sees there is a greater good in God than hee can have in the Creature and counts it madnesse to offend God to please the creature because there is a greater evill to bee expected from God than from the Creature though it were the greatest Monarch in the world considering therefore that he hath his best good in his union with God and in keeping his peace with him hee will not breake with him for any Creature And thus hee doth wisely for hee knowes if hee lose his life he shall have a better life of God than hee hath in his body for God is his life God is his soule and his comfort and hee hath his beeing from God hee is his Creator and hee hath a better being in God when hee dyes than he had when he lived for our beeing in God makes us happy and therefore Christ saith He that loves his life before God and a good cause hates it and hee that hates his life when Christ cals for it loves it for hee hath a better life in him wee give nothing to God but hee returns it a thousand times better than we gave it Let us yeeld our lives to him wee shall have them in heaven if they be taken away on earth Hee will give us our goods a thousand sold we shall have more favour in God then in any Creature and therefore a Christian out of this ground commits himselfe to God though hee foresee never so much danger like to fall upon him Againe if we doe in deed and not in pretence commit our selves to God as to a faithfull Creator we will not limit his Majesty as many carnall hearts doe oh if God will do so and so for them then they would trust him if they had but so much to live on a yeare and sâ—ch commings in c. then they would depend upon God but they must have a pawne and so much in hand first What a shame is it that wee should trust the vilest man in the world as farre as wee see him and yet unlesse wee have somewhat to leane on we will not trust God Beloved when a man limits God in any thing such a one may talke but hee trusts him not at all Indeed wee should indent with God and tie him to looke to the salvation of our soules but for other things leave them to his owne wisedome both for the time for the manner and measure doe what hee will with us Suppose it come to the Crosse hath hee not done greater matters for us why then should we distrust him in lesser If times come that Religion flourish or goes downward yet relye on him still hath hee not given his Sonne to us and will hee not give heaven also Why doe wee limit the holy One of Israel and not cast our selves upon him except hee will covenant to deale thus and thus with us A true Christian hath his eye alwayes heaven-ward and thinkes nothing too good for God O Lord saith he of thee I have received this life this estate this credit and reputation in the world I have what I have and am what I am of thee and therefore I yeeld all to thee backe againe If thou wilt serve thy selfe of my wealth of my selfe of my strength thou shalt have it If
thou wilt serve thy selfe of my credit and reputation I will adventure it for thee If thou wilt have my life of thee I had it to thee I will restore it I will not limit thy Majesty come of it what will I leave it to thy wisedome use mee and mine as thou wilt onely be gracious to my soule that it may goe well with that and I care not Thus wee should wholly resigne our selves to the Lords disposall and thereby wee shall exceedingly honour his Majesty and cause him to honour us and to shew his presence to us for our good which hee will assuredly doe if we absolutely yeeld up our selves to him But if a man will have two strings to his Bow and trust him so farre but not so farre so hee may bee kept from this danger or that trouble c. this is not to deale with God as an Omnipotent Creator For hee that doth a thing truely in obedience to God will doe it generally to all his commands so farre as the reason of his obedience reaches his trust extends hee that commits any thing to God will commit all to him he chooseth not his Objects but upon the same ground that hee commits his soule to God when hee dies hee commits his estate liberty and all hee hath while he lives Hee can never relye on God for greater matters that distrusts him in lesser Againe a man that truely trusts God will commit all his wayes unto him hee will take no course but what hee is guided in by the Lord hee lookes for wisedome from above and saith Lord though it is not in mee to guide my owne way as thy Word shall leade mee and the good counsel of thy Spirit in others direct me so I will follow thee Hee that commits not his wayes to God will not commit his comforts to him God must bee our Counsellor as well as our Comforter Therefore the Wise man bids us Acknowledge God in all our wayes and leane not to our owne wisedome Most men looke how safe their counsels are not how holy and agreeable to God is this to trust in him Will God save us at last and yet suffer us to live as wee liâ—t now Deceive not your selves hee that will have his soule saved must commit it to GOD before hand to bee sanctified Againe those that commit themselves aright to God will commit their posterity to him their wives and children c. Why doe not men make their Wils and commit their goods to them Oh but how doe they resigne them how covetous and full of distrust are they I must leave such a childe so much and so much and why I pray you because God cannot blesse him else Oh fearefull Is God â—yed to meanâ—s cannot heblesse with a little as well as with a great deale Is not the earth the Lords and the fulnesse thereof Why must God have so much in hand or else hee cannot inrich and raise up thy Children Oh consider he hath declared himselfe to bee the father of the fatherlesse and lookes to the Widdow in a speciall manner he doubles his Providence there hee provides for all but takes speciall notice of them therefore quiet thy selfe they are in covenant with God and God is thy God and the God of thy seed also therefore if thou wilt commit thy soule why not thy Wife Children goods c. Looke into the course of Gods people in all times those that have left but little with honest dealing God hath blessed the same exceedingly whereas those that have left great matters ill gotten in stead of a blessing have often left a curse and a snare behinde them Why then should men take indirect courses and wound their consciences for worldly pelâ—e Consider 1. thy children are Gods and not thine hee gave them to thee at first and he can provide hereafter when thou artgone thou art the father of their body but he is the father of their soule 2. He provided for them before they were borne doth not hee provide care and affection in the Mothers heart doth not he provide suck in the Mothers breasts and will hee not care for them now they are borne as well as he did before they came into the world it is Atheisme to thinke such a thought Those that commit themselves to God in one thing will doe so in all things otherwise they deceive their owne soules for it is a universall Act that runnes through their whole life Committing is an Action of trust and there is a kinde of entercourse of trust betweene God and a Christian continually Lastly those that commit themselves to God wil be faithfull stewards in whatsoever hee hath trusted them withall Thou committest thy selfe and thy health and estate to God and at length thou wilt commit thy soule when thoudiest unto him very well but what doth God trust thee withall hath hee not trusted thee with a Body and a soule with a portion of goods with place time strength and abilities to doe good Hast thou not all thou hast from God as a Steward to improve for thy Masters advantage If ever thou expectest the performance of what thou hast put in him bee faithfull in that trust which hee hath committed to thee Those that have misused their bodies and wounded their soules in their lives how can they commit theÌ„ to God at their deaths How dares the soule looke up to him when the life hath beene nothing else but a perpetuall offending of his Majesty I beseech you let us learne this wholesome lesson great is our benefit thereby Hee that trusts in the Lord shall be as Mount Sion that cannot bee moved wee may be shaken but shall never be removed The earth is shaken with Earthquakes but the earth keepes its owne Center still Our best peace is in God and our chiefest safety in his protection I laid mee downe to rest because thou Lord watchest over me saith the Prophet and Returne O my soule to thy rest for the Lord hath beene very beneficiall to thee Is it not a good thing to have a sweete security of soule that whether I sleepe or wake whether I bee at home or abroad live or die I have a Providence watching over mee better then mine owne When I yeeld my selfe up to God his wisedome is mine his strength is mine whatsoever hee hath it is for me because I am his What a heaven upon earth is this that a Christian out of a holy familiarity with God can resigne up his soule to him upon all occasions Set heaven and salvation aside what greater happinesse can be desired How sweet is a mans rest at night after he hath yâ—elded himselfe to God by faithfull prayer I beseech you let us bee acquainted with the practise of this duty and labour to bee in such a state as God may owne us and receive our poore soules to himselfe Let us keepe them pure and undeâ—iled