wings a peece they had also hands under their wings and feet besides And it is said their appearance was like burning coals and their motion was like a flash of lightning Here was nothing but activity and readiness for service with the greatest expedition Let mee quicken you with a few Motives 1 Look you faile not of grace for if you do you will faile of glory and faile of Heaven Heb. 12. 15. you read of failing of the grace of God Rom. 3. 23. you read of failing or falling short of the glory of God It is the same word faile of grace and faile of salvation By grace you are Eph. 2. 5. saved The Schollar must bee at School fitted for the University or hee cannot bee admitted there is not the place to learn his A B C or his Eight parts of Speech and the Christian must bee in the School of the Church trayned up and made fit or meet for that heavenly society here practise the singing the Songs Psal 137. 4. Rev. 14. 1. 3. of the Lord in a strange land that hee may sing them the readier upon Mount Sion The childe usually lives not when borne that had not his due time and growth before borne if wee dye before the time before wee have had our due formation and qualification for our translation Christ formed in us there is no possibility of living there The stroke of death and bar of judgement fit no man for heaven There is not the time and place of conversion The stone and timber was hewed and fitted in Lebanon there was no hammer to be used in the building You must get your 1 King 6. 7. work done here in the Grave is no place of opportunity 2 If you faile of True grace the grace of God it is all one you will faile of salvation There is no base mettal currant in heaven but such as hath the Image or superscription of God upon it It must have solidity and weight The Lord weigheth the spirits They must have their weight Thou Lord hast pleasure in uprightness requirest truth in the inward Prov. 16. 2. 1 Chron. 29. 1â— Psal 51. 6. 1 Tim. 1. 5. Rom. 12. 9. Eph. 4. 24. 2 Cor. 1. 12 parts It must not bee the Kings stamp upon Adulterate Coyne It must bee faith unfained love without dissimulation holiness of Truth sincerity of God or nothing 3 If you shall faile in the number and measure of growth and degrees in grace I will not say but you may bee saved that is it is possible but you will have a hard bargain of it to bee as Peter saith Scarcely saved 1 Pet. 4. 18. or as Pauls phrase is to come off with some loss or difficulty and bee saved yet so as by fire 1 Cor. 3. 15. Whereas as Paul saith If you come behinde in no gift of grace you may with comfort wait for the appearing of Christ 1 Cor. 1. 7. And Peter saith If these bee in you and abound an abundant or open and easie entrance will bee granted to you into 2 Pet. 1. 8 11. the Kingdome of God 4 On the other side True Grace attained and maintained gives True peace of conscience and security to the soule in whatsoever distresses If pressed above measure even to despair of life the conscience is full of rejoycing upon the testimony of simplicity and godly sincerity that 2 Cor. 1. 12. not in fleshly wisdome but by the undoubted grace of God such have had their conversation in the world Such may say with holy Job Though hee kill mee I will trust in him but I will maintaine my wayes Job 13. 15 16. before him hee also shall bee my salvation for an hypocrite shall not come before him Such may as Peter saith When the heavens shall pass away with a hideous noise and the elements melt with extremity of heat and the 2 Pet. 3. 10 13. earth with all therein bee dissolved then mâ—y they according to the promise of God expect a new and better heaven and a new earth Yea such shall have a heaven on earth such shall see the New Jerusalem coming down from God out of heaven Yea saith Rev. 21. 2. Christ to such I will make him a Pillar in the Temple of my God and hee shall go no more out And I will write upon him the name of my God and the name of the City of Rev. 3. 12. my God the New Jerusalem which cometh down from my God out of Heaven and I will write upon him my new name 5 Which is more This is the onely way to glorifie God and his glory is much more to bee prized than our glory yea than our salvation To seek our own glory is no glory especially in competition with Gods glory Prov. 25. 27. and it is less sincerity Joh. 7. 18. God hath no glory at all upon earth but from a few sincere gracious souls of whom God saith This people have I formed Isa 43. 21. for my selfe they shall shew forth my praise And the godly have learnt to set a higher price on Gods glory than their own salvation as did our Saviour Joh. 12. 27 28. When hee first prayed for himself My soule is troubled Save mee c. hee gives that over with submission Thy will bee done I came therefore to this houre But bee I saved or not saved Father glorifie thy Name and in the Lords Prayer we are taught to pray first Hallowed bee thy Name and then Thy Kingdome come A godly soule like his Saviour Jo. 17. 4. Desireth first to glorifie God then that God should glorifie him True Grace doth not onely procure to the soule an heaven upon earth but to God an heaven on earth And hee doth seem to rejoyce more and so do the heavenly Rev. 11. 15. 12 10. host when the Kingdomes of the earth are become the Lords by a considerable increase and addition of new godly Converts then that the Kingdome of heaven is the Lords I read that Israel in the day of their solemn Thanksgiving and Rejoycing Exod. 15. 2. did proclaime God to bee their God and did promise to prepare for him an habitation It is more piety to prepare the heart for an habitation for God than to desire God to prepare heaven for an habitation for us 6 Lastly Bee diligent to get to keep to exercise to increase and improve Grace you will live usefully cheerfully fruitfully you will dye hopefully joyfully heaven-fully and enter into heaven with full assurance by a free and open passage 2 Pet. 1. 11. Now to conclude the Use with a few Directions 1 If thou wouldest not meet with Capernaums sad disappointment in the end Luke 14. 28. when thou first makest entrance begin and count the cost and resolve to goe through or never begin Resolve to regard neither winds nor clouds or never lay thy hand to the Plough nor go out Eccles 11. 4.
pray thee or thy manners either cease to bee a Coward and continue to bee called by my name or cease to bee called Alexander and continue a Coward so say I or the Lord rather to thee Oh Professor either bee sincere and bee called by the name of Christ or call thy self by some other name if thou wilt not bee sincere otherwise know as the Romans dealt with a degenerate and vicious son of that famous Scipio Affricanus whom they so much renowned that they would not suffer him to wear his Fathers Ring on his hand which had his Fathers effigies engraven on it because hee had nothing like his Father but his name so will Christ deale with thee if thou have nothing more of his but the bare name degrade thee of thy profession and if thou wert as the Signet of his right hand hee would pull thee off thence Jo. Sheffield The Contents of this BOOK Chap. 1. The words of the Text opened and some points observed page 1 Chap. 2. The main Doctrine propounded viz. That an Hypocrite may go very far c. yet at last fearfully miscarry p. 12 The Doctrine cleared and proved by sundry instances and examples p. 15 Chap. 3. The Doctrine further confirmed by reasons p. 20 Chap. 4. Contains three other general reasons whereof the first that the Hypocrite falls short in point of his state p. 26 Several states which an Hypocrite may be out of yet not out of a bad state ibid. Several states hee may bee in yet not in any good state p. 27 Chap. 5. How the Hypocrite falls short in point of Duties and herein p. 29 1 What duties hee is defective in ibid. 2 Wherein hee fails in the manner of performing his duties p. 38 Chap. 6. The Hypocrite fails most in point of Graces p. 52 Five kindes of Grace wherein hee fails 1 Preparative 2 Fundamental 3 Nutritive 4 Perfective 5 Privative ibid. 1 How hee fails in Preparatory graces p. 54 Chap. 7. How hee fails in Fundamental or Radical graces p. 56 Three Radical graces 1 Humility ibid. 2 Self-denial p. 61 3 Repentance p. 62 Chap. 8. How hee fails in Nutritive graces p. 65. These are 1 Faith ibid. 2 Love p. 69 3 Hope p. 73 4 Heavenly-mindedness p. 74 Chap. 9. The Crowning or Perfective graces hee fails in which are three p. 77 1 Integrity p. 78 2 Integrality p. 79 3 Perseverance p. 81 How the Hypocrite wants Privative or Expulsive grace p. 82 Chap 10. The Application 1 Terror to unsound Professors p. 84 Chap. 11. The paucity of such as shall bee saved p. 91 Chap. 12. The Grand Use how far an Hypocrite may go and perish p. 101 Chap. 13. Contains the first Ladder of twenty Rounds and is divided into four Sections 1 Sect. Contains five steps p. 107 2 Sect. Five other steps p. 111 3. Sect. Five steps more p. 120 4. Sect. Five steps also p. 126 Chap. 14. The second Ladder whereof Sect. 1. contains five steps p. 132 Sect. 2. Five steps p. 139 Sect. 3. Five steps p. 143 Sect. 4. Five steps p. 150 Chap. 15. The third Ladder whereof Sect. 1. Five steps p. 160 Sect. 2. Five steps p. 165 Sect. 3. Five steps p. 174 Sect. 4. Five steps p. 179 Chap. 16. The Hypocrites Looking-glass divided into four Sections p. 196 Sect. 1. Contains divers marks of Hypocrisie p. 201 Sect. 2. Divers other marks p. 211 Sect. 3. Five Glasses of Christ to discover an Hypocrite p. 217 Sect. 4. The last Glass discovering an Hypocrite made up of his contradictions p. 222 And Divisions p. 225 Chap. 17. The Sincere mans Glass wherein the truth of Grace is discovered p. 229 Chap. 18. An Use of Exhortation backed with sundry Motives and Directions p. 242 Chap. 19. The Conclusion with an Use of Consolation p. 266 THE Hypocrites Ladder OR LOOKING-GLASSE Matth. 11. 23. And thou Capernaum which art exalted unto Heaven shalt bee brought down to Hell c. CHAP. I. The words opened and some points noted I Could say of this Scripture as Daniel of that Dream of Nebuchadnezzar before hee came to the opening and interpretation of it My brethren The Dream bee to them that hate you or rather the Name of Christ and the interpretation to your or rather Dan. 4. 19. his Enemies But if Jesus Christ shall go up to Mount Eball wee must not make dainty to follow him The Levites who were assigned to bless Israel Numb 6. 23. were also deputed to pronounce all those Curses Deut. 27. 14. And the Apostles whose hands were imployed in scattering the good seed of the Gospel of salvation upon the good ground their Feet also were to shake off the dust of condemnation upon the refusers and disobedient hearers of the word Some have compared the state Mr. Erigâ—â—man of the Church of England to Laodicea long agoe but I may say Whereunto shall I liken the men of this present Generation so fitly as to Capernaum A City exalted to Heaven a place frequently and extraordinarily honoured with our Saviours presence inlightened by his doctrine graced with many Miracles above all other places such are wee a people highly fed heavenly taught listed up above all others by Gods hand listed up also in all other mens eyes and which is onely to bee faulted lifted up in their own conceit and what are wee less Insomuch that other Nations sending hither their young Students and Candidates of Divinity upon their return say to them what have you seen and heard in Capernaum Stupor mundi Clerus Anglicus that let us see and hear in your own Country The Text is a dreadfull Commination and a terrible Thunder-clap and flash of lightning coming from the Lord to one of the most noted and eminent places in the world wherein you see the Exaltation and Humiliation of Capernaum the one indeed delightful the other dreadful to consider The Exaltation is Allegorical and Figurative But the Humiliation is Litteral The Exaltation is Hyperbolical and Excessive made higher than it was But the Humiliation is without any Hyperbole even so as it shall bee found true in the Letter And herein we have two things set down 1 The Sin 2 The Doom of Capernaum Both very sad And both set down 1 Positively 2 Comparatively 1 Their sin is set down Positively vers 20. They repented not 2 Comparatively vers 23. They were worse than Sodome the worst of men who were sinners before the Lord exceedingly and very wicked Gen. 3. 13. 2 Their Doom set down 1 Positively vers 23. They shall bee cast down to Hell 2 Comparatively vers 24. I say unto you it shall be more tolerable for Sodome in the day of judgement than for thee And this Doom is elegantly amplified by taking the degree of Altitude and Elevation wherein they now stood the highest pitch and degree as high as heaven and measuring to that bottome and abysse whereunto they should fall not so low as Earth but Hell
Ezek. 13. 22. who would call for fire from heaven on Luke 9. 54. those whom wee are to save with fear rather pulling them out of the fire of hell Jude v. 23. But wee enter upon this unpleasant task with the like affection to that which was Fuller Proph. state wont to bee shewed at the Degradation of a Knight for high misdemeanour the King and twelve Knights more did put on mourning as an emblem of sorrow for his miscarriage whom they were now to deprive of all his former dignities and honour and to leave an everlasting blot of infamy upon I remember well when the Prophet Ezekiel was commanded to denounce the fatal downfal of Tyrus a heathen City hee was commanded also to take up a sad Lamentation for Tyrus and shall I not much more take up a lamentation for Christians whose rise and fall are both far greater than hers Tyrus her state for the glory of it is described thus by the Prophet Thou hast said I am of perfect beauty Ezek. 27. 3. yea the Lord said of her too Ezek. 28. Thou sealest up the Sum full of wisdome and perfect in Ezek 28. 12 13 14. beauty thou hast been in Eden the Garden of God every precious stone was thy covering the Sardius Topas Diamond Beril Onyx Jasper Saphir Emerauld Carbuncle and Gold c. almost all the precious Ex 28. 17 18 19. Rev. 21 19 20 stones that were in the High Priests breast-plate or in the wall of the New Jerusalem then hee goes on Thou art the anointed Cherub thou wast upon the holy Mountain of God c. High expressions and high priviledges And Chap. 27. shee is described to bee the most famous Mart in the world where there was a confluence of all the riches and best commodities that every Nation did afford yet at length did this Anointed Cherub that was perfect in beauty perish with all her precious stones and all is summed together Thy Riches thy Fayres thy Merchandise thy Mariners thy Pilots thy Calkers the occupiers of thy Merchandise Ez 27. 27. c. shall all fall with thee into the midst of the Seas in the day of thy ruine So mee thinks when all this may bee said in a spiritual sense of a Christian an unsound Professor glorious in his own and others eyes too as of perfect beauty as sealing up the summe omnibus numeris perfectus that hee is adorned with all the precious stones almost that are to bee found in the breast of the highest earthly Saint and are the adorning of the Saint Triumphant in the New Jerusalem Psal 15. 1. that hee hath been in the holy Mountain of God is an anointed Cherub being anointed with the oyle of heavenly gifts above his fellows and made partaker of the Holy Ghost as the Apostle speaks besides that hee should have a contribution of all the spiritual wealth and treasure of the world to inrich him everlastingly viz. the benefit of all the Writings Sermons Observations Admonitions Threats Promises Experiences of all the men of God from the beginning of the world to this present day Patriarchs Prophets Apostles Ministers all the benefit that Scriptures Sermons Sabbaths Sacraments Ordinances Prayers Tears Intreaties Threats Promises Hopes Fears can do all that Heaven and Earth and Hell can say yea the blood of Christ and the convictions and other excitations and actings of the Spirit of grace but rejected and resisted to boot that at length it should bee said That thou thy riches precious stones Anointings thy Scriptures Sermons Ordinances Hopes Fears Experiences Parts Duties Convictions Endowments must all periâ—h together and thou shalt fâ—ll with them not into the midst of the Sea but into the midst of Hell in the day of thy ruine The beholders cryed out Alas Alas what City was like Tyrus for glory before And what City is like Tyrus like the destroyed Ezek. 27. 32. in the midst of the Sea So may wee say Alas how is the mighty fallen the shield of the mighty as if hee had never been anointed with oyle as that 2 Sam. 1. sad singer of Israel in his Elegy upon Sauls Funerals If therefore any misdeeming Israelite should come to expostulate with mee about my design in setting down so close about the hypocrite in the words of that wise woman of Abel to Joab when hee had so close begirt the Town where Sheba had taken Sanctuary and was 2 Sam. 20. 19 20. ready to storm it Thou seekest to destroy a City and a mother in Israel why wilt thou swallow up the inheritance of the Lord I would reply in no other but his words Far bee it far bee it from mee that I should swallow up or destroy Deliver mee Sheba deliver mee the hypocrite I seek for and I have done onely with this difference hee would have Sheba's head and I would have the hypocrites heart hee would have his blood I his spirit hee his death I his life hee would have him wholly destroyed I would have the flesh destroyed that the soul may bee saved in the day of the Lord according to that power the Lord hath given to his Church and the instructions left with his Ministers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to edification 2 Cor. 10. 8. 13. 12. not unto destruction Yet let mee here premise this withall That a much shorter Ladder of but two steps laid down 2 Cor. 5. 17. to bee in Christ this step cometh from heaven and to bee a new creature this reacheth to heaven would secure us more than those three long Ladders of sixty rounds At least as Noah was safer in his Ark of three stories high than Nimrod and his crew were in their Tower of Babel raised to the height of five thousand one hundred forty six paces as is reported so I Heylin Cosm 13. am bold to say that at most a short Ladder of three steps 1 Christ the foundation 2 Faith the middle step joyning us to the foundation Christ and leading us to the third step the new creature which is our perfection will bring thee certainly and safely to salvation whereas thou mightest mount up to the top of the other three Ladders and bee turned off unto thy destruction of these three it is said each of them that they are all in all all nothing without them 1 Christ Jesus is said to bee all in all Col. 3. 11. hee is all in all to faith and the new creature Circumcision and uncircumcision c. all priviledges of Law and Gospel nothing without Christ 2 In Christ Circumcision and uncircumcision nothing but faith all in all to the new creature Gal. 5. 6. 3 In Jesus Christ again neither Circumcision nor uncircumcision is any thing to faith but the new creature is all in all for evidence Gal. 6. 15. How happy are they where all these three meet This threefold cord holds fast the Anchor of salvation CHAP. XIII Contains the first Ladder
as Tryphaena and Tryphosa in the holy Kalender who laboured much Rom. 16. 12. in the Lord. Of whom I fear that will bee said when you are dead and gone which was of those rare Trees and the Spices presented by the Queen of Sheba to Solomon There came no more 1 King 10. 10 12. such nor were the like seen after It was a high word which Nazianzen spake sometimes of Gorgonia That whatsoever vertue was to bee found in other women was to bee found also in Orat. in laud. Gorg. her and whatsoever vertues were not to bee found in others were yet to bee found in her And I know not of whom it may bee more truly said than of your Scipio quam genuit Paulae sudere parenrenres Gracchorum soboles Agamemnoniâ— Incliâ—â— proles Romani prima Senat us Pauperiem Christi Bethlemitica Rura secutae c. in Epitaph Paulae Ladiships And what Jerome said of Paula that though shee was descended of the greatest and most ancient and Illustrious Families both among the Greeks and Romans as of Agamemnon Scipio and the Gracchi yet did shee of her own accord quit her stately Pallaces Dignities and attendance to exchange Rome and the glory of the world for obscure Bethlehem preferring the poverty and contempt of Christ above all the riches honours and pleasures of this world Shee was hee said Nobilis genere sed Nobilior sanctitate The like may bee said of your Honourable Ladiships who have shewed like contempt of the vain and transitory splendor of this world to the love of Christ whose first birth made you noble in the eye of men but your second Birth made you Noble indeed Noble in the eye of God Since thou wast precious in my sight thou hast Isa 43. 4. been honourable and I have loved thee saith the Lord by Isaiah I observe how the Holy Ghost in giving Titles of honour when comparing persons with persons and Nobility with Nobility gives the precedence to the Beraean before the Thessalonian The Thessalonian was the greater in Act. 17. 11. the worlds Heraldry it was of old the Metropolis of Macedonia famous for the victory of Philip over the Thessalians whence it had his name given it and the richest City at this day saith Ortelius in all Greece but Beraea was the greater in Gods account Thessalonica bred the more honourable Citizen Beraea the better Christian and therefore it is said Those of Beraea were more noble than 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Dicuntur ingenio integritate Aret. in Act. 17. those of Thessalonica in that they received the word of God and searched the Scriptures daily whether these things were so Truly your first Birth Ladies was high yet but of Thessalonica that which gave you a great name and place as was said to David Like unto 2 Sam. 7. 9. the name of the great ones in the earth But your second Birth hath made you more noble being like that of Beraea and hath given you an eminent place among the Devout and Honourable women whose names are registred in the Book of Life as being 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not of a better bloud but spirit their ingenuity and integrity saith Aretius made them reckoned more noble Summa est probiores fuisse magis ingenuos pios The short and the long of it is saith hee they were of more Ingenuity Piety and Integrity therefore of more Nobility It is a great deal of Honour Noble Ladies yea Double Honour that God hath put upon you above many others both of higher and lower ranks You will and must think your selves the more bound to honour him again with what ever is yours shall I say Alas What is that Just nothing but with what ever is his own your Honours your Dignities your Graces Abilities Substance and Estate For the truth of it is you can never so much honour God as hee hath honoured you nor is it Religion which receives from you though much yet not so much Honour as you receive from it It is not the Gold which did beautifie the Mat. 23. 17. Temple but the Temple which did sanctifie the gold which made it greater Great Ladies It was a sad Prediction that of the Apostle that in the last dayes there should bee a foul defection Tim. 4. 1. from the purity of the Gospel by shameful Apostacy and Hypocrisie Our eyes have seen the like fulfilled upon our Nation beyond all our beleef and expectation as was foretold Hazael who with astonishment 2 King 8. 13. replied What is thy servant a Dog that I should do thus Wee have lived to see which was part of Elies doom an enemy in all the habitation of God and in all the wealth which God gave Israel A sad See 1 Sam. 2. 32. with the marginal Note hand-writing or as others read it The affliction of the Tabernacle for all the wealth which God would have given Israel Wee have lived to see the honest and sincere generation of our old Professors worn out and instead of the Golden shields wont to bee seen in the Temple in Solomons dayes now 1 King 14. 26 27. Shields of Brass They mourned once when time was the elder Israelites that remembred the former Temple to see how much short the second Ezra 3. 12. Temple Fabrick was of the glory of the former And may not we much more to see how much our Professors fall short of their late Fore-fathers this is it indeed which above any thing else at present through the good hand of God makes the Prophets at this day prophesie in Sackcloath to see what a great forsaking there is as the Prophet Isa 6. 12. saith in the midst of the earth Wee have seen great Stars fallen and much of wormwood fallen into our waters to imbitter them and a Rev. 8. 10 11. strange multitude of multi-formed Locusts creep abroad though Rev. 9. 7 8 9 10. with Crowns upon their heads of specious pretences yet armed with sharp stings in their Tayles It hath been the power of rich grace that hath upheld your Honours in your integrity that you have stuck to the word of truth and have kept your Garments from being defiled And while others seek to adorn themselves with Gold and Pearl and Powders c. that you have sought to inrich your Noble Breasts with those precious stones that were in the High Priests Breastplate the very same that are the glory of the New Jerusalem Compare Ex. 28. 17 18 19 with Rev. 21. 19. and to be like her whose Daughters you are who was cloathed with the Sun trampling the Moon under her feet and having a Crown of Stars of Scripture Doctrine and Graces upon your heads Rev. 12. 11. I shall only bespeak your Ladiships care with the words of the Apostle in his Epistle wherein hee mentioneth those two Elect Ladies that you Look to your selves that yee lose not
of the Gyant of Gath that defied Israel and fell by the hands of Davids Worthies and this 2 Chron. 21. 4 5. c. last hypocrisie is like that Monster who had many fingers and toes more than the others had And hee that shall destroy this enemy and take away this reproach from Israel deserves a name among the first three and that his house should bee made free in Israel Wee should all unite our forces and our prayers with Elihu That the hypocrite much more hypocrisie raign not lest the Job 34. 30. people bee insnared ne sint Tendiculae populi Junius Lest they prove snares to the people as the Midianites were Alas as hee said of his honours and advancements so we may say of all our reformation and hopes what doth all this avail so long as this no Mordecai sits in the gate either it must bee brought down or wee But who shall discover this lurking enemy which like the Hectick Fever is at first hard to bee discovered and easie to bee cured at last easily discovered but hardly to bee cured They who deal in other points know with whom they have to do and what adversaries they are likely to meet with Should we write about Image-worship the Papist about free-wil the Arminian about Church-discipline some others would stand up in opposition But here wee have to do with men of all professions our hand as Ishmaels must bee against every mans and it may bee every mans hand against us Wee may cry out in the words of that Jew son of Ananias before the destruction of Jerusalem who cryed out a voice from the East a voice from the West a Euseb l. 3. c. 8. voice from the four Winds a voice upon Jerusalem and the Temple c. Woe woe c. Wee haue them whom wee write against amongst the Papists amongst the Protestants amongst Arminians amongst Anabaptists Quakers Seekers yea amongst Episcopal Presbyterian and Independent Professors yea such have been among the Apostles among the Prophets among Disciples among Saints Wee may take up Bernards complaint of the Church in his time Nunc vero quem ejiciet aut a quo abscondet se Ecclesia c. postea Serm. 35. Sup. Cant. Non fugare non fugere eos potest Omnes amici omnes inimici omnes necessarii omnes adversarii omnes domestici nulli pacifici c. Now saith hee what shall the Church do whether shall it fly to bee hid and quiet or whom shall it cast out to bee purged There is no flying from nor means to make them fly from us all are friendly all are false c. And whereas he saith the Church of Christ hath suffered much from three hands yet saith he that it hath suffered most from hypocrisie Persecution began first and sought to make havock of the Church but that hurt not so much it sent many Martyrs to heaven the Church Triumphant was enriched the Church Militant confirmed and encreased then came Heresie and did more misehief by Schismes rents and pernicious opinions than ever Persecution had done But at last â—â—me hypocrisie and in the midst of peace and security did more mischief than they both This is like that little horn in Daniel Dan. 7. 8. before which the other two horns were pul'd up by the roots and this little horn had Ver. 21. eyes like the eyes of a man and a mouth Ver. 25. speaking great things This it is said prevailed against the Saints themselves to wear out the Saints of the most High And the same little horn is spoken of again Dan. 8. 10. That it waxed great even to the Host of heaven and cast down some Dan. 8. 9 10. and 25. of the Host and of the Stars to the ground and stamped upon them and through his policie hee causeth craft to prosper in his hand magnifieth himself in his heart and by peace shall destroy many All which were never more verified of any enemy to the Church of God than of this Arch-enemy Hypocrisie Some have compared England formerly to Laodicea wee may now more fitly to Capernaum in three things alike being lifted up to heaven 1. By Gods bounty in bestowing a plenty if not plenitude of gifts graces and spiritual endowments upon it 2. In the esteem of other Churches by their high and as they judge but due valuation 3. And by our selves lifted up too too high in a self-magnifying admiration Oh that we may not bee like Capernaum in the fourth after all these liftings up to bee cast down to hell The English Professor was looked upon formerly as the eminent Professor planted a Noble Vine a right seed How is it now turned into a degenerate plant of a strange Vine as the Prophet complained once of Israel Jer. 2. 21. Wee were forewarned of the Apostasie of the latter times and wee have seen those predictions 1 Tim. 4. 1. 2 Tim. 3. 1. sadly fulfilled in our daies as if those Scriptures like to a Blazing Star had been culminant and perpendicular over our Churches There are also great and gracious promises made to these latter times that the Mountain of the Lord shall bee exalted upon the top of the mountains that Satan shall bee bound up Oh that as the times draw neer wee might bee a people prepared for the Lord and that those promises especially might bee accomplished that thy people shall bee all righteous And in righteousness Es 60. 21. thou shalt bee established That what was found in Christ may bee found in Es 54. 14. all his members righteousness to bee the girdle of their loyns and faithfulness the girdle Es 11. 5. of their reins Those are very great and glorious promises I consess which are made that the earth shall bee filled with the knowledge Hab. 2. 14. of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the Sea that the light of the Moon shall bee as the Sun c. But those are far more high thy people shall bee all righteous Es 30. 26. It is not so much in knowledge as in righteousness and true holiness that the Image of God did once shine in the first Creation and now doth in the New Creature Satan retaining his knowledge righteousnesse being lost hath nothing of the Image of God left but is a Prince of Darkness Truth or sincerity is by the Apostle made the first and principal part of the spiritual Armour Ephes 6. 14. and compared to the girdle which holds all together In our fullest knowledge wee are said to bee like to an Angel of God so was David 2 Sam. 14. 17 20. But in sincerity wee are said to bee like to God himself as Acts 13. 22. David a man after Gods own heart in that respect Look how much God is above an Angel so much is sincerity above knowledge As the glory of the visible world is man the glory of man the head
Lords prayer 1 Hee separates the Conclusion or Doxology from the Preface hee saith Our Father with all his heart and is willing to take acquaintance of God so far as to have a Father in heaven But when hee should come to the Doxological conclusion hee hath no Praise Kingdome power Glory Majesty Dominion to ascribe to God hee is better in the beginning of his duties worse in the end better at prayer than at praises Now this is the proper work of Saints yea of heavenly Saints and Angels to bee full of praises and to close their duties with highest admiration of God and hearts brim full of his excellencies apprehended The sincere worshipper is best at last hee begins full of self ends full of God His heart the longer hee hath been at duty is like the water that hath been over the fire grows hotter and hotter at length it boyls and runs over the poor narrow vessel cannot hold it while the fire burns so the godly say their heart hath burnt within them and even boyled over Psal 45. 1. Ebullivit cor c. their hearts have been in heaven when in praises and admirations of God 2 Hee separates the Petitions an hypocrite may say the three last Petitions no hypocrite doth say the three first Petitions with his spirit and understanding 1 An hypocrite may with all his heart say Give mee this day my daily bread Give mee Lord health peace plenty give thy blessing to mee my children my labours state stock bless my going out coming in adventures c. Here hee lefts up the voyce and weeps Hast thou no blessing for mee Bless mee even mee Oh my Father 2 Hee may pray with all his heart Forgive mee my trespasses forgive both guilt and punishment restore mee to thy favour as though I had never offended though hee doth but faintly promise to forgive others that trespass against him 3 He may pray with all his heart Deliver mee from evil i. e. from the evil one from Satan from his hands malice mischief Good Lord deliver mee but from tentations of Satan motions to sin occasions of sin departure from God unbeleef hardness of heart hee prayes not against them hee saith but faintly Lead us not into temptation 2 But for the three first Petitions hee cannot pray them at all 1 To pray that Gods Name may bee hallowed and Gods glory may bee exalted in every thing and take the precedence of his own name honour interest peace comfort so that God may bee magnified by his life or death what cares hee this is onely the frame of the truly gracious soul Father save mee from this hour but why should I pray to bee saved from this hour Father glorifie thy Joh. 12. 27 28 Name Let mee rather want my daily bread than thy Name want his glory Let come on mee what will or can so that thy Name may get glory let mee decrease so it may increase here in sincerity 2 No hypocrite doth pray Thy Kingdome come Come Lord Jesus come quickly but rather stay a while noli modo come not yet yet a little sleep and a little more slumber no hypocrite doth pray that the Kingdome of God should come into him in his life it is enough for him to come into the Kingdome of God at his death The hypocrite comes to God as a poor man to his neighbour when hee knows not what in the earth to do Sir I am come of a great errand I pray lend mee such a summe of mony so saith hee Lord lend mee thy helping hand and relieve mee in such a case and hee doth to God as Saul to his Unkle tells of his business his way and his Asses not a word hee speaks of the Kingdome 1 Sam. 10. 16. the childe of God comes and sayes Lord I have a great errand to thee it is about a Kingdome I come and not a Kingdome for my self but thee I have a rebellious untoward heart of my own Lord subdue it Blessed bee the Kingdome Lake 19. 38. that comes in the Name of the Lord Hosanna in the highest Let thy Kingdome come let it come to day before to morrow Bee like the Roe and like the Hart upon the Mountains of Spices Hee came Cant. 8. 14. to God of the same great errand Israel came to David with Behold thou art 2 Sam. 5. 1 2 3 our bone and our flesh wee want a good King wee come to offer thee a Kingdome to set up thy Kingdome and to anoint and chuse thee to bee King over us say us not nay make a League and Covenant with us 3 No hypocrite can pray Thy will bee done c. Onely the sincere soul saith that Petition Let thy will bee done not mine what thou commandest let it bee obeyed what thou imposest let it bee born give strength patience peace support rather than deliverance out of affliction It is written of mee that I should do thy will Agreed I would it might bee saith hee to God as Laban to Jacob according Gen. 30. 34. to thy word Lord with all my heart I had rather serve God than reign over men rather have the grace of obedience than the gift of working miracles Thy minde to mee a Kingdome is Da quod Jubes Jube quod vis Command first a Mallem obedire quam si possem miracula operari Luther willing minde then command whatsoever thou wilt I would Lord thy will should bee done in every thing yea I would have it done as well on earth as it is in heaven no grumbling repining questioning gain-saying no halving no halting or imperfect obedience to God no faint cold dead performing of any holy service but let thy will in every part of it bee observed punctually readily cheerfully universally let thy commands bee obeyed continually totally inwardly holily conscientiously and let thy worship bee performed purely spiritually livelily heavenlily Angelically Divinely perfectly with all the heart and minde and soul and strength and joy and delight Thus much for Prayer 2 For hearing I will not say but an hypocrite may hear much and often but hee doth not take heed how hee hears Hee is one of Ezekiels hearers or comers who Ez. 33. 31 32. say Come let us hear what is the word that cometh from the Lord they come and sit and hear as my people but they will not do my words for with their mouths they shew much love but their heart goeth after their covetousness But he is none of Isaiahs hearers or comers who say Come let us go to the house of the Lord and hee will Isa 2. 3 4. teach us of his wayes and wee will walk in his pathes An hypocrite may bee a great Sermon-hearer cannot bee called a Sermon-follower hee hath the ear tipt or the tongue tipt but hath not as the Priests in the day of their Consecration and the Leper in the day of his Purification had their ear and the
of God in them Lev. 10. 3. 3 And with a serious self-recollection and examination after Luke 24 32. As the Disciples asked each other If they did not feel their hearts burn within them while Christ opened to them the Scriptures 8 Study to keep down high and swelling thoughts and dwell much in thy own heart to keep thee humble Tecum habita noris quam sit tibi curta supellex Reflect upon former miscarriages or defects and as Schollars that aim at a progress Look back upon former exercises to correct and amend the weaknesses in them Let thy profiting daily bee seen to thy self and others none take hurt that 1 Tim. 4. 15. are looking forward and going on It is the Carters Proverb Cart never overthrows going up hill Fear descents and declinings And study thy present wants and pray Lord make mee to know how fraile I am The horse wee say were a dangerous creature if hee knew his own Psal 39. 4. strength man is a more dangerous no danger in an humble knowing thy own weakness In te st as non st as said holy Austin when thou standest in thy own strength thou staggerest and when thou risest in thy own strength thou risest to take a fall And let the forwardness and higher growth of others lately thy equals or juniors if not shame yet provoke thee to a holy emulation and ambition to out-strip both thy selfe and them as Paul who when time was had profited in the Jewish Religion above all Gal. 1. 19. his equals and after in the Christian Religion 2 Cor. 11. 5. hee came behinde none of the chiefest Apostles but could say in truth 1 Cor. 15. 10. Hee had laboured more than they all 9 Seek to get a heavenly heart and pray much for such a heart that thou mayest even rejoyce in the Lord alwayes and account it thy meat and drinke to bee Phil. 4 4. Jo. 4. 34. doing his work Work never goes on well till wee take delight in our employments neither do men thrive in their Callings till they take a kinde of felicity in them Set thy affections on things above especially get that pitch of spirit as Col. 3. 2. Psal 37. 4. Psal 73. 28. to delight in the Lord to say It is good for mee to draw nigh to God The warme wings of the Hen makes the drooping Chicking to thrive and battle The comfort of Gods presence makes all grace to thrive The joy of the Lord is the Christians Neh. 8. 10. strength it is said it is the strength of his heart of his graces of his duties as well as of his joy and comfort When the poor Israelitish servant saw hee was well used and could not tell where to mend himself for a Master hee would not change but offered his ears to bee bored so will it bee with us Seek to get a love and Exod. 21. 5 6. liking to thy Master and to his work and thou wilt never repent thee of it 10 Lastly to name no more Bee much in Prayer and pray the Lord himself to bee thy keeper to keep thee as the Apple of his eye and to give thee a heart Psal 17. 8. Prov. 7. 2. to keep his Commandements as the Apple of thine eye Beg of him according to his gracious promise to Circumcise thy heart to put his fear in thy heart that thou mayest never depart from him and that hee Deut. 30. 6. Jer. 32. 39 40. will not depart from thee to do thee good While Moses his hands were lifted up Israel prevailed Amalek when they hung Exod. 17. 11. down and if you note you shall finde then have many been intangled and overcome by error worldliness impiety and Apostacy when they have restrained and intermitted prayer before God Urge the Lord with the like Arguments that Joshua and Sampson sometimes used When Israel accustomed to continual victories came to receive a foyl from the men of Ai Joshua falls on Josh 7. 6. 7 8 9. his face cries out Alas Lord What will become of us And what will become of thy great Name Would to God wee had never come over Jordan Wee fear now the Canaanites will gather head and cut off our name from off the earth c. q. d. Wee reckoned our selves now in sight and as good as in possession of Canaan now to meet with such a disaster it amazeth and breaketh our hearts So mayest thou say Lord shall all my profession end and break off thus Would to God I had never gone so far or ever been a Professor at all rather than not to hold out Lord what is become of all my former hopes and thy wonted helps But for thy Name and Honours sake I urge and importune thee I have no greater Argument then to say What wilt thou doe unto thy great Name Lord who shall lose more I or thou Whose Name will have more dishonour Thine or mine If my name were blotted and blotted out from under heaven it were no great matter but I would bee loath to live to see the day when thy Name should receive the least blot or blemish by my means Or with Sampson say Shall I after such a deliverance and victory over the uncircumcised now perish with thirst and fall into the hands of the uncircumcised again hee throws away his Jaw-bone which was the instrument of his victory and falls to prayer and the Lord cleaves a hollow in the Jaw-bone and a spring breaks out whereof hee drinks and recovers himselfe and to make the Well more memorable hee calls it Enhakkore as if hee should say Here is the fruit of prayer Here is the Well of prayer Judg. 15. 18 19. So mayest thou say Lord I have by thy help overcome some of these uncircumcised and now shall I fall under their hand or shall I after such experiences and encouragements dye of a spiritual thirst I shall not in despondence cast away my profession and faith as hee did his Jaw-bone but I will to prayer as he did and I may have an Enhakkore too a Well to quench the thirst of him that called on the Lord. All my fresh springs Psal 87. 7. are in thee and so both digged Wells at first and opened when stopped as the Philistims had stopped the Wells that Abrahams servants digged Gen. 26. 18. Prayer is that which opens them and makes them flow CHAP. XIX The Conclusion with an Use of Comfort HAving now gone through the maine Vses of the point I shall close up with an Vse of Comfort that our Sun may not set in a cloud and our Ark bee left in the deep tossed with the waves of a long continued Deluge but resting on Gen. 8. 6. the mountains and wee will uncover the top to let in a little light of comfort from heaven upon a perplexed soule And if I should bee the shorter herein you need not marvel for the Text hath not
thy sins are forgiven thee vers 47. 50. There is no coming unto Christ at all without Repentance and Contrition There are two great comings and appearances of Christ prophesied of in Scripture and two great mourning dayes and both these fall out on the dayes of his appearing His first coming is in a day of grace when all the families of Israel mourn as for an onely Son Zach. 12. 10. The second mourning is at his second coming when all the kindreds and families of the earth shall mourn because of him Rev. 1. 7. In the one the godly look upon him and say There is hee whom wee have pierced Isa 53. 5. yet did hee bear our iniquities and by his stripes are wee healed Weep and break hearts of flesh tears of love and compunction In the other shall the wicked say There is hee who would have been our Saviour hee whom wee would not have to Reigne over us now comes to bee our Judge and who is able to abide the day Mal. 3. 2. Rev. 6. 16. of his appearing and to stand before the wrath of the Lamb therefore weep and break O hard and stony hearts with tears of horror and despair They who weep not on such a day of grace shall to bee sure weep at his appearing in the day of his wrath The first weeping is like the Summer showers followed with fruitfulness in which is the Rain-bow to bee seen the token of the Covenant This I may call the signe of the Son of man coming in the clouds of Grace The other mourning is like the uncessant mourning of the heavens in the Winter months when there is continual rain and cold withall but no fruitfulness Then shall the heavens melt 2 Pet. 3. 10. and mourn and pass away with a noyse and bee no more and earth and hell shall melt and mourn too but not pass away at all but pass away eternity with a hideous and incessant noyse stridore dentium fletu gemitu weeping wayling and gnashing of teeth In a word thou must either repent in Earth or Hell either mourn with Christ or with Satan either mourn for sin or paine mourn for a Christ here or for want of a Christ for ever Either by thy repentance thou must make God repent as I may say or God will make thee repent Jonah 3. 10. and that for want of Repentance 7 The seventh coming is with urgent importunity and humble submission This Mat. 15. 22 23 c. was the prevalent and successful coming of that woman of Canaan who wrastled and prevailed and had power with God and carried away the blessing and had her petition signed with a full Fiat Fiat voluntas tua as Luther once said O woman thy will bee done Bee it to thee even as thou wilt Her importunity was urgent when shee came a Canaanitess to whom no promise was made but was under the old curse of Cham and under the threats of being spued out and cast out yet saith shee If hee will not cast mee out I will not cast out my self to bee sure that were desperate madness Shee comes in hope against hope in faith without a promise and when shee hears no answer at first shee resolves shee will have an answer or there shee will lye and dye and will not give over praying depending and when a harsh answer came next to a repulse I am not sent but to Israel shee resolves shee must not be so said for a blessing shee came and a blessing shee would have ere shee would let go for a Christ shee came and a Christ I must and will have or I will never away As Ruth would not bee shaken off by her mother Naomi Intreat mee not to leave thee for where thou goest I will follow thee where thou lyest I will lye nothing but death shall part us Ruth 1. 16 17. So saith shee Let him delay I will wait Let him rate mee I will stoop Let him deny mee I will not deny him Let him cast mee off I will not cast him off I must not now give over since I have ingaged If I perish I must on If hee kill mee I will trust in him Shee seemed to Job 13. 15. say in this case as the late King about Tonnage and Poundage I do not challenge it but I cannot want it nor will go without it So she I cannot challenge any part in a Savior my birth is of the land of Canaan but I can worse want him O Lord hast thou any pleasure in the death of a sinner Wilt thou who hast never cast out one that came to thee make mee the first and onely person that was ever disappointed It were just Lord yet strange Shall I dye in thy presence as they Gen. 47. 19. said to Joseph Look on our pale faces pined carkasses give us bread and wee will become thy servants Save our lives take all so they So she Lord Jesus Shall I dye at thy feet Look on this troubled soul at this burdened conscience at this bleeding heart at this grieved and troubled spirit but come on it what will I will wait pray weep hope beleeve hold out and if I perish I perish I will perish at the Pools side I will lay my bones at Christs gate but who knows whether the Lord will not repent and bee intreated Est 4. 16. Jon. 3. 9. Oh the prevalency of this importunity It knocks and opens the treasures of Heaven and never returnes empty Then her humble submission is as remarkable Shall I take the childrens bread and cast it to the dogs saith hee Shee replies Lord I challenge not a childes portion I come not on such termes If I may have the least crumb it is more than I deserve and for the least measure of grace I shall bee thankfull as much as thou wilt or as little as thou pleasest so I may have any Beggars must bee no chusers I put my self upon thee refer all to thee Lord help mee saith shee what will become of mee if here I am said nay with this importunity and submissiveness shee prevails and so shalt thou whosoever thou art These two when they meet are like Sauls sword and Jonathans bow they alwayes speed never 2 Sam. 1. 22. return empty from heaven Christ Jesus will send away such comers as Boaz did Ruth who came to glean in his field with as much as ever shee could Ruth 3. 15. carry away for hee said Thou shalt not go home empty to thy mother in Law They Vers 17. who carry out this precious seed with weeping shall doubtless go home with rejoycing bringing home their sheaves with Psal 126. 6. them The Lord will answer such a soul ever as hee did the Angel Zach. 1. 13. With good words and comfortable words One handfull a small quantity of this corn in the top of the mountains the fruit thereof shall shake like Lebanon as it is