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earth_n	hear_v	heaven_n	lord_n	12,669	5	4.3335	3	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A85208	The sacrifice of the faithfull. Or, A treatise shevving the nature, property, and efficacy of zealous prayer; together with some motives to prayer, and helps against discouragements in prayer. To which is added seven profitable sermons. 1. The misery of the Creature by the sinne of man, on Rom. 8. 22. 2. The Christians imitation of Christ, on Ioh. 2. 6. 3. The enmity of the wicked to the light of the Gospel, on John 3. 20. 4. Gods impartiality, on Esay 42. 24. 5. The great dignity of the saints, on Heb. 11. 28. 6. The time of Gods grace is limited, on Gen. 6. 3. 7. A sermon for spirituall mortification, on Col. 3. 5. / By William Fenner, minister of the Gospel Fellow of Pembrok Hall in Cambridge, and lecturer of Rochford in Essex.	Fenner, William, 1600-1640.; Stafford, John, fl. 1658, engraver.	1649 (1649)	Wing F699; Thomason E1241_1; ESTC R210449	136,683	333

creatures vers 18. and their meat shall be turned into the gall of Aspes vers 14. for the very creatures shall rise up in judgement against them and condemne them we know that every creature groaneth Secondly this may teach us that the wicked have little cause to be merry at any time because there is nothing about them nor in them nor before them but groaneth against them Every creature that they have groanes because it is possessed by them not some kinde of creatures but every creature as Theophylact observes every creature groaneth against them Dost thou live in thy sinnes and yet art merry thou art madde Dost thou live in thy carnall estate and condition and yet canst rejoyce thou art surely besides thy selfe For who can be merry in the midst of thousand thousands of groanes Thy Apparell groanes thy Laces thy Silkes and thy Braveries groane till either thou beest a new creature or else beest in hell Thy house and thy stuffe thy barne and thy store doe groane till either thou be a Convert or in Tophet Every penny in thy purse every ragge on thy backe yea thy flesh and thy bones yea thine owne soule and thy spirits as they are Gods creatures and take his part they all groane against thee till thou beest cut off Not onely all thy sinnes all thy oathes lies vaine speeches not onely every absence from Church every idle thought every unprofitable word every Sermon that thou hast heard without profit every exhortation thou hast heard without benefit every sicknesse thou hast had without reformation every day of patience thou hast enjoyed without repentance not onely all these doe groane against thee but also every creature in heaven and in earth they doe all groane and travell in paine to be delivered out of thy slavery Whatsoever thou doest the creatures groane and complaine against thee How then canst thou rejoyee or have merry day I have saide of this joy it is madde and dost thou rejoyce thy rejoycing shall be short Job 20. 5. Beloved needs must a wicked man have wrath and vengeance powred downe upon him for all creatures groane to God for his vengeance and destruction The creatures crie unto God Lord plague this man Lord shower downe thy curses on him he hath abused and wronged me Lord let not such a rebell as that man is escape but in thy justice be avenged on him for his abuse of us Weepe and howle rather then thou secure and impenitent person let this be a Corasime to thy pleasantest lust and as an Arrow shot into thy heart to let out the life and bloud of all thy sinnes and corruptions to thinke of this And in the feare of God take heede how thou goest on in thy sinnes in thy abuse of Gods creatures least thereby thou forcing the creatures to groane for vengroane they pull downe the wrath and plagues of God upon thy head Oh what a terrour is this to the wicked every creature groanes not in compassion for thee nor in fellow-feeling with thee as with the godly but in indignation against thee The horses and the bridles they should have written upon them holinesse in the Lord Zach. 14. 20. this is a Prophesie of the Churches holinesse under Christ not as Theoderit adplies it to Hellena who adorned her horse-trappings with the nailes of Christ his crosse Hierome refuits that but to shew that Christ he will have even the horses and bridles and all and every thing for a holy use so the silly horses and even the bridles doe groane and pronounce woe unto the ungodly riders that feare not God Every pot in Judah and every bowle in Jerusalem shall be holy unto the Lord ver 12. The drinking pots and bowles doe groane woe be unto him that drinkes and lives not a godly life yea the very high-ways shall be called the ways of holines I say 35. 8. the ways and the pathes groane under all that goe on them and are not holy There is no creature above or beneath as Porsper speaketh which doth professe the praise of God and therefore every creature contesteth against thee that praysest not God The Angels and all the Hoast of Heaven prayse God Psal 148. the Sunne the Moone and the starres prayse God the heavens and the waters that be above the heavens prayse God the earth the dragons and all the deepes fire and haile c. Kings of the earth c. all these sing forth the prayses of God And therefore they all groane against him that prayseth him not Better were it for thee to have all the divells in hell against thee then to have the groanes of Gods creatures against thee I would rather have all the divells in hell and all the wicked in the world against mee then the least worme or dust of the earth to groane in the eares of the Lord against me A thousand worlds cannot doe me so much good as the least groan of the meanest of all Gods creatures can doe me hurt Oh then how shall the wicked ever hope to escape the doome to come that have so many millions of creatures groaning against them But what kinde of groanes are these They are upbraiding groanes They are witnessing groanes They are accusing groanes They are judgeing and condemning groanes First they are upbraiding groanes Give eare Oh ye heavens and I will speake and heare Oh earth the words of my lips Dent. 32. 1. as if God had said marke O ye heavens and let all the whole world heare what I testifie against this people as if the heavens and the earth did upbraide them of their unthankfullnesse God commands the Sun to shine and it shineth the earth to fructifie and it obeyeth But this wicked people he commands to repent and to forsake their sinnes and they will not Chrysostome saith wicked men although they have naturall reason in them are more sencelesse then sencelesse creatures the rocks and the flints the fly and the gnats may upbraide them the rocks rent in sunder but this people wil not rent their hearts swarmes of flies were hist for to come and they yeelded obedience and the livelesse creatures groane under the slavery of sinne but they will not obey they will not be brought to groane for their sinnes How do all the creatures upbraide man Doe ye thus requite the Lord O ye foolish people and unwise Beloved how doe the heavens and the earth upbraide thee for unthankfullnesse wert thou ever in sicknesse and God did not deliver thee wert thou ever in misery and God did not comfort thee wert thou ever in any straight and God did not direct thee in sicknesse who was life unto thee in poverty who supplied thee in danger who delivered thee was it not God that hath done all for thee And shall the Lord command thee obedience and wilt thou not grant it him doth he command thee to part with thy lust and crucifie all thy corruptions and wilt thou not obey him doth the

Lord command thee to be meeke humble patient and dost thou refuse then heare O heavens and hearken O earth Secondly the groanes of the creatures are witnessing groanes I call heaven and earth to record against you know that you shall shortly perish said Moses to the Isralites Dent. 4. 26. So beloved let me say to you I call heaven and earth to record against you that woe and damnation shall be to that man that obeys not the commandements of God Cursed be that man that goeth on still in his wickednesse The heavens write his curse and the whole earth doe witnesse his vengeance that will not give over his lust at the commandement of the Gospell of the Lord Jesus Christ As Joshuah said unto all the people Josh 24. 27. Behold this stone shall be a witnesse unto us for it hath heard all the words of the Lord which he spake unto us it shall be a witnesse c. so may I say unto you the walls of this house shall cry the timber of the Church shall answer this Sermon that you have heard this doctrine that hath beene preached unto you if you will not repent if you will not humble your selves and obey the voyce of your God all these shall witnes against you another day that you had a time that you had a day to repent in you had the word of God calling you to it but you would not Dost thou commit a sinne and none by but the stonnes in the streets even they see thee like Joshuahs stone with seven eyes and they shall witnes against thee Dost thou pray thy lazie praiers unto God thoughtlesse of God and none by but the walls of thy Clofet or thy bedde or the hangings they shall witnes against thee Dost thou sweare and blaspheme the King of Heaven though none were present but the fowles of the aire they shall carry thy voice and declare the matter Eccles 10. 20. If the creatures groane against thee then they are sensible in some sort to witnesse against thee Beloved mens hearts are so stubborne that we the Ministers of God may doe as the Prophet did 1 King 13. 2. who cryed O Altar Altar thus saith the Lord. What was the Prophet sent unto the Altar had the Altar cares No he was sent unto Jeroboam his message was to him but he knew that he would not heare nor believe nor obey therefore he turned from the King and spake to the sencelesse Altar So may we say for all the hearing some will afford us O walls walls thus saith the Lord cursed is the man that obeyeth not O House of the Lord witnesse against this rebellious generation So Jeremy he cried out O earth earth earth heare the Word of the Lord thus saith the Lord write this man a castaway that shall never prosper Jer. 22. 29. he meant wicked Jeconiah the King but because he was a dea●e Adder he preacheth to the dead earth as being more likely to listen then he O fearfull doome When Jeconiah will not heare God he roares so loud that he makes the dead and sencelesse earth to heare Beloved in the feare of God take heed if there be any dead worldly-hearted Professour here if there be any loose prophane sinner here any impenitent wretch that hath not repented if after the Lord hath sent his Ministers to thee his Word and Gospell to thee and thou wilt not heare take he●d lest the Lord direct his speech to the dead earth and say O earth earth earth heare the Word of the Lord write these men men that shall never prosper they will still covet and lie they will still fret and chafe they will still content themselves with formes of godlinesse they will still be lukewarme or key-cold they do still pray as they did rub on as they did seven yeares agoe no more holy no more zealous no more heavenly they will not be bettered O earth earth earth heare the Word of the Lord write them a people that shall never prosper a people that shall never be converted write them men damned for ever let them come and heare Sermon after Sermon but write them men that shall never prosper let them pray and let their prayers never prosper let them goe on in their dead-hearted profession but write them men that shall never prosper Beloved God forbid that it should so be written against you but woe be to you if ever it be for if once the earth hath wrote this eternall decree of God upon thy soul it can never be altered I will warrant thee thy damnation sure Thirdly they are accusing groanes they shall accuse thee for casting thine eye upon a creature without taking notice of God They shall accuse thee for thy touching tasting handling using any of the creatures without adoration of God Dost thou thinke of a creature speake of a creature meddle with a creature or take possession of a creature they shall accuse thee if thou dost not live to the glory of God the Creator Fourthly these groanes are judgeing and condemning groanes He shall call the Heavens above and the earth to judge his people Psal 50. 4. The creatures groane why then doest thou not groane the creatures account themselves oppressed and sore afflicted because they are constrained to serve sinne why then dost thou injury them If the King should build him a stately Palace and one should willingly deface it or abuse it or pull it downe would not the very Ravens judge him a Traytor The creatures are Gods Palace and thou demolishest their beauty by making them the instruments or abettors or matter or incentives of sinne thou shalt be adjudged of High-treason against the King of Kings for we know that every creature groaneth with us and travelleth in paine together untill now Now we come to an use Of Exhortation doth the creature Use groane to serve sinne take heed then you doe not abuse the creatures of God There is not any one of them but if it be abused to sinne or by sinne but it will presently make its complaint like a little childe to his Father with groanes unto God Labour to be a true Convert unto God otherwise if thou beest not regenerate and a Convert every creature that thou hast is in bondage under thy hands and it groanes unto God against thee till God recover it out of thy hands againe I will recover my wooll and my flaxe saith God Hosea 2. 9. the creature groaned under thraldome because it was possessed by them that were carnall and therefore God saies he would recover it Secondly labour not to sinne against God for if thou sinnest against God thou canst not meet with a creature but it groaneth against thee When Jonah had sinned against God the Sea roared against Jonah and he at last knew it well enough for when the Marriners askt what he was I am an Hebrew saith he and I feare God the God of Heaven which hath made the Sea and the drie

your houses are left unto you desolate Matth. 23. 38. All the creatures are up in armes against us the stiles we goe over look up to Heaven and say Master shall we breake his neck the Horse we ride on says Master shall I throw him downe to destruction thou knowest that he hates thee and thine So the ayre we breath in and all Creatures are readie when the Lord gives the watchword to lay us in the goale Conscience will witnesse against us then fight Dogg fight Beare as we use to say oh what will become of such men I will tell you either the world heales them up or else some carnall companion saith you have been a good neighbour you have kept a good house amongst us c. tush tush man it may prove a lye for all this I but the Minister tells me so pish pish as if all were true the Minister speakes I but the Scripture sayes it Is all true that is in the Scripture the Lord have mercy upon us and thus like fooles they build with untempered morter Ergo I exhort all such as are yet in the gall of bitternesse to listen to what I say Redeeme the time yeild to the motions of The Authors Exhortation Gods Spirit and blesse God for Mercy offered unto you in the meanes and if any affliction be laide on you intreat the Lord that he will doe you good by it If thy Conscience speak or the Spirit worke doe as Joseph did who got him into a corner and there wept his belly full so intreat the Lord that he will breake the Heavens and come downe on thee to thy comfort put not off till thou art old A gentleman will not alwayes waite at the gate neither say thou as Felix to Paul I will send for thee at another time but say with Samuel speake Lord for thy servant heareth Meanes Meanes First consider the fearfull condition of such as are given over Suppose one should come from Hell with the fire about his eares you would aske what is the newes the cry is my time my time Oh my people sayes the Minister Oh my Minister saies the People The young man cries oh my time Doe not make a tush at this lest thou say the word was preached but I scorned it the Spirit said this is the way walke in it the meanes of grace was sent unto me but I refused Mercie and now for ever I am in Hell to be tormented Secondly consider the great danger of putting off If thy will be stubborne to day it will be worse to morrow Thirdly consider the time 1. Pet. 4. 3. It is enough for the time of our life we have lived that we have wrought the workes of the Gentiles let us live no longer in sinne it is too much that you have resisted the Gospell so much say then oh that the Lord would break this heart of mine Fourthly and lastly though God should be calling and egging you all the day long yet your lives are but short and Ergo crie out with David teach me o Lord to numbet my dayes that I may apply my heart unto wisedome doe not say it is too late as one did once say of Prayer doe you thinke that I can pray now which never prayed in all my life I am sure it will be too late when God comes to Judgement for then the Devill will stand on tip toe and say what dost thou now thinke to goe to Heaven the Lord did waite on thee untill he was weary but here is a company of Drunkards I did but hold up my finger and they presently followed me Heaven came downe to them but they would none of it they could not heare of that eare and would you now goe to Heaven Ergo goe for now the Lord Jesus Christs sake and when Mercie is offered refuse it not but blesse God for it A SERMON FOR Spirituall Mortification COLLOSS 3. 5. Mortifie therefore your Members which are upon the earth Fornication uncleannesse inordinate affection evill concupiscence and Covetousnesse which is Idolatry THE Apostle having in the Chapter foregoing shewed that the Colossians were buried together with Christ in his death and that they were also risen with him maketh two speciall uses thereof First in regard of the resurrection if then yee be risen with Christ seek those things that are above The second is in regard of their buriall with Christ in these words Mortifie therefore your members c. There be many men that looke for participation in Christ yet notwithstanding wortifie not themselves they would faine live with Christ yet are loth to dye to sinne but we may say to these men as Paul to the Atheist thou foole that which thou sowest is not quickned unlesse it first die so unlesse the seed of the word be sowen upon thy heart thou canst not be quickned unlesse thou first die The things to be mortified are described two manner of waies either in generall the members or else in particular Fornication uncleannesse evill affections c. or as in the tenth verse all the fruites of the old man The words containe in them these three Parts parts or truths First He that ever meanes to have Christ must have him with a therefore As if he should say if you looke to have benefit by the death of Christ looke to have a therefore with it for no man can have Christ without a Condition Secondly this condition consists in mortification we must mortifie our earthly members this is the qualification of all those that partake of the death of Christ even mortification Thirdly those that are made partakers of the death of Christ are enabled thereto so as the Apostle may well put this exhortation unto them mortifie therefore your members c. He doth not say civilize your members many there be that civilize their earthlie members as from mortifying to purifying of them they come out of prophanenesse and enter into Civility and a formall kind of profession but the Apostle saith mortifie and not civilize your members doe not pare the nailes of your corruptions but cut them quite off and give them their deaths wound that so your sinnes may breath out their last breath in you Sin may be civilized five waies First when it is laide asleepe Pharaohs sinnes were asleepe but not dead Many mens sinnes are asleepe in them though they seeme to be dead in them for a time A man while he is asleep is like a dead man yet he is alive yea and his sinnes are alive in him also but when temptation comes to awaken him out of his sleepe though before he seemed to be patient and meeke and hardly to be provoked yet let a temptation come and rouze him then he will finde his old wrath anger and impatiencie So likewise for a covetous man though he seeme to mortifie that sinne yet it is but asleepe in him for let a temptation come and he will quickely finde out his

you see the creature is put to a continuall labour the Sun is ever shining the earth is ever bearing the fire is ever burning c. therefore as the Isralites groaned under the hard taske of Pharaoh so the creatures groane under the continuall toyle they are put to by sinfull man Secondly it groanes in that it doth sometimes partake of the plagues of the ungodly in the destruction of wicked men the creatures have their share as in the deluge of the old world it drowned all the world saving onely some few that were with Noah in the Arke in the destruction of Sodome and Gomorr●● the creatures were destroyed by fire and brimstone from Heaven In the destruction of Egypt the Vengeance of God came upon their cattell and many other creatures Therefore as a childe groanes under his fathers rodde so doth the creature under Gods plagues Thirdly the creatures have a sympathy and instinctive fellow feeling of mans wretchednesse therefore as a tender heart would screech to see another man breake his neck so the creatures compassionately groane under our evills Fourthly because they are distorted rent and torne from their proper Master the creatures were made to set forth Gods Power the wisdom the truth the goodnesse and the glory of God when therefore they art distorted and carried another way the creatures groane When the creatures are forced to give their service to the wicked desires and lusts of the ungodly as the Sun to give his light the earth her fruites the aire its breathing therefore as a good sonne would groane that another should violently compell his hand to stabbe his owne father so do the creatures groane together with us and travell in paine unto this present Hence observe That ●uery creature groaneth Doct. under the slavery of sinne not onely under the slavery of sinfull man but under the slavery of sinne so that they groane under the Saints of God so as the Saints groane with them So farre as they minister to the flesh of Gods people so farre they groane under them the creature groaneth under the slavery of sinne Are men swearers because of swearing the Land mourneth Jer. 23. 10. Doe men lye steale commit adultery for this cause the Land mourneth Hos 4. 2 3. Are women proud and do they brave it out in their apparrell the very gates shall lament and mourne for it Isay 3. 16. Doe men covet an evill coveteousnes coveting more the gaine of the world then the glory of God The stone out of the wall shall cry and the beame out of the timber shall answer it Hab. 2. 11. Are men wrathfull and cholerick with Moab then Moab groanes against Moab Isay 16. 7. The grounds and dwellings of Moab groane under the hands of Moab the walls of Moab against the men of Moab But it may be demanded did ever any Obje man heare the creatures groane did any heare any unreasonable creature groane did ever any heare the heavens to groane or the earth to groane or the trees or any such like creatures groane how doe the creatures groane They may be said to groane five waies Answ First this is spoken hyperbolically to declare the great miserie the creatures are in to serve sinfull man the creatures were made to serve with reference to a holy God Oh what miserie then is it for them to be serviceable to sinefull and ungodly men thus saith Chrysostome doth the Prophet bring in the vines groaning the roofe of the temple and the very high-waies groaning upon mens sinnes to signify the exceeding great desire that each of the creatures have to be redeemed from such a thraldome Secondly this is spoken Analogically in regard of a naturall instinct of blinde reason that is in all the creatures for they have all reason as if it were reason indeed they have all a shadow of reason the grasse growes as right as if it knew how to grow the wheate sproutes forth as if it knew how to sproute forth every creature acteth by a rule which it swerveth not from as if it were endued with reason to act by A stone falling findes out the straight line of descending as if it had reason to pecke it out Let a stone be cast up in the aire all the reason under heaven cannot finde a straighter line then it will to fall downe by so every creature it hath such an obedientiall instinct to glorify God as if it had reason to obey by wherefore it is saide to groane to serve sinne the Land shall mourne every family a part Zachar. 12. 12. As men mourne with reason at the crucifying of the Lord of life so the Land it selfe mournes Analogically at the same Thirdly this is spoken supposedly or by way of supposition Every creature groaneth that is if they had reason they would groane to be so misused Beloved the liquor that the drunkard abuseth if it had reason as well as a man to know how shamefully it is abused and spoiled it would groane in the barrells against him it would groane in the cup against him it would groane in his throate and belly against him it would flie in his face if it could speake and crie out drunkard out So if God should open the mouth of the creatures as he did open the mouth of Balaans Asse then the proud mans garments on his backe would groane against him there is never a creature but if it had reason to know how it is abused till a man is converted it would groane against man If the creature were conscious of mans abuse of it then the Land would groane to beare us the Aire would groane to give us breathing our houses would groane to lodge us our beds would groane to ease us our foode to feede us our cloathes to cover us and every creature would groane against us to give us any helpe or comfort so long as we live in sinne against God Fourthly intelligently there is an intellective assistance which runs along in every creature as the heathen and schoole-men tell us The power goodnesse and providence of God run along in them giving being quickening preserving leading and governing c. So that a man cannot wrong the creature but he wrongs God in the creature And therefore because Paul wronged and persecuted the Church Christ cals out from heaven to him Why persecutest thou me Acts. 9. 4. Why because he persecuted the Church which was Christ his Church As Christ is the head of his Church so God hath made him the heire of all the creatures all the creatures are delivered up to Christ and they are his so that a man cannot wronge the creatures but he wrongeth Christ and Christ groanes in the creatures against the drunkard Drunkard why abusest thou me When the covetous man is coveting for the world Christ cries in his barne he cries in his Chest Christ cries in his goods Wretch Wretch why wrongest thou me Doth a man abuse his apparrell to pride Christ groanes against

teares for your sinnes if you can but sorrow not with nothing but sorrow be not discouraged suppose that thou hast a dead heart that thou art an hypocrite that thou hast a rotten heart it is a heavie thing and a fearefull case indeed for which thou hast great cause of humiliation and sorrow but yet sorrow not desperately as men without hope be not wholly discouraged but as you sorrow for your sins so also labour with incouragement to get out and be rid of your sins Fifthly discouragements breed and procure a totall perplexity They leave the soule in a maze that it knowes not whether to turne it selfe When men come to be discouraged Oh what shall I doe saith one I am utterly undone saith another I know not what will become of me saith a third Oh I am utterly lost I shall perish one day one day God will discover me and be avenged on me for this and that sin I were as good go to hell at the first as at the last for that will be the end of me I have gon to Prayer but that doth not helpe me I have gone to Sacraments but I finde no helpe still my soule lies under the power of sinne still my sinnes are as strong in me as ever Thus the soule is discouraged and cryes out Oh what shall I doe I know not what to doe What shall I doe sayest thou Alas thou hast things enough to doe if thou wert not discouraged Utterly undone ● No man thou mightest see that thou art not utterly undone but that thou art discouraged Dost thou not know what will become of th●e yea poore soule there is mercy grace and peace for thee if thou wilt not be discouraged Sixthly discouragements whisper within a man a sentence of death and an impossibility of escaping As far as the discouragement of life goeth so farre goeth the sentence of death We despaired of life and had the sentence of death in our selves saith the Apostle 2 Cor. 1. 8. 9. he despaired of life in himself and therefore had the sentence of death in himselfe this was good but he did not despaire of life in God for then he should have had likewise the sentence of death from God in his conscience If you despaire in the Lord you have the sentence of death and damnation from God in your conscience take heed of this my beloved be not discouraged in God do not despaire in the Lord that will worke a miserable effect in your soules it will secretly whisper a sentence of damnation in your soules It is strange to consider how many poore soules rub on with these whispering sentences in their bosomes suffering their consciences day by day to tell them that they are rotten to tell them that they were never yet converted to tell them that they are yet in the state of damnation and yet they will not root out these discouragements O goe to the Throne of grace beg for grace and for mercy and for power against sinne and be not discouraged What wilt thou carry thy owne sentence of death in thy brest if thou wilt not rouze up thy soule and pray with more affection and confidence and shake off discouragements take heed lest thou carry the sentence of thy own death and damnation in thy bowels O therefore once more let me beseech you to take heed of these discouragements and now hearken to the voice of God which calleth upon you feare not Thou drewest nigh in the day that I called upon thee thou saidst feare not FINIS THE MISERY OF THE Creatures by the sinne of Man ROMAN 8. VER 22. For we know that every creature groaneth with us also and travelleth in paine together unto this present THe Heavens and the Earth and every creature in both have a threefold goodnesse created in them by God First they have a goodnesse of end God made every creature for his owne glory for the setting forth of his owne praise the Lord hath made all things for himselfe Prov. 16. 4. that is that himselfe might be honoured and glorified by all Secondly a goodnesse of nature as God made all things to a good end ●o he made them of a good nature fit to attaine to that end for which h● made it God saw every thing that he made and behold it was very good Gen. 1. 31. very good for that end and fit for that purpose for which he made it Thirdly a goodnesse of use as God created every creature for a good end and made every creature fit for that end so he hath given every creature to men to use them to that end to have dominion over them Gen. 1. 38. that is take them for thy use and imployment and according as I have made them to set forth my glory and made them set forth that end So see thou use them to that end God hath appointed man that he should be the creatures mouth and their heart and their reason to praise and magnifie the Lord in them and by them and with them and for them that man being set in a course to serve God should have the use of all the creatures as under-helps unto him as the Sunne to shine on him the aire to breath in the 〈◊〉 to refresh him the earth to beare him the trees to feed him the whole world for to be Gods Looking-glasse for him wherein he might see the in●●sible things of God But behold man rebels against God his Maker and brings a curse upon himselfe Gen. 3. 19. and upon all his posterity ver 16. and upon all the creatures vers 17. and this curse lieth so heavily upon them that they all groane unto this day under the burthen namely because man hath violently wrested them from the goodnesse of their end and villanously poysoned the goodnesse of their nature and basely perverted the use of their service as Jerome said concerning Arrianisme the whole world groaneth under it Yea saith S. Paul it travels in paine till it be delivered for so the word signifieth as much as a distressed woman in travell It is a figure which we call Prosopopeia whereby a Person is feigned to the creature as though it had will desire sorrow groaning It is a Metaphoricall speech for we know that the whole creation groaneth with us and travelleth in paine unto this present The words now read containe in them these foure particulars First the agony of the creature under the slavery of sinne the whole creation groaneth Secondly here is the agony of the Saints it groaneth with us we groane together with it and it with us Thirdly here is the continuance of both till now Fourthly here is the certainty of the thing we know it to be so ● we know that the whole creation groaneth and travelleth in paine together with us till now There be foure severall evills saith Peter Martyr under which every creature groaneth under the hand of man First the continuall labour the creature is put too

our prayers and all our powers against our sinnes and the sinnes of others When the Philistins saw that the Arke was the cause of the punishments that befell them then they never rested till they had sent it away so let us ship and packe away our sinnes if ever we would have our punishments removed from us Say Oh mine enemie have I found thee thou art the enemie of King and Countrey and Parliament and Gospell and thou art he that brake the last Parliament thou art he that lost the day at the Isle of Ree thou art he that sent so many poore Rochellers to the grave with famine and thou art he that makes division betweene Kings and Commons The Lord give us power and courage for if ever we had neede now we have and let us bestirre our selves and pray that God would be pleased to stirre up the heart of the King and other Magistrates against these sinnes O that Magistrates in their places would set their hearts and hands against all these sinnes but light execution is done and most Magistrates stand for ciphers in their places and onely take up a roome and doe nothing We cannot draw them with all the arguments we can use to punish these sinnes We have cause to mourne for they stand like scare-Crowes with a peice in their hands but never shoote and the birds may picke the straws from their heads so that Magistrates doe nothing But to you I speake that are Chiefe in Townes and chiefe Officers you should all joyne hand in hand and heart in heart to pull downe these al●houses hell-houses and nurseries of the devill and to supplant wickednesse We must not be one for them and another against them for in so doing we shall never see good dayes And you Gentlemen where are your hearts and hands against them when did you ever speak or write against them when did you ever set foot in striving to have them supprest men stand with their fingers in their mouthes and their hands in their pockets and dare not stand for God and good causes The Lord be mercifull unto us we doe not joyne our forces prayers and powers that we can make for Gods glory Oh that the Lord would be pleased to put his Spirit into our hearts that we may be all of one minde So you Gentlemen in your places and we Ministers in our places and all of us we are with all the strength and courage and mettle that the Lord hatth put into us to crie and pray and preach downe sinne And all you Masters and Dames you are to reforme your Families for these sinnes bring downe punishments upon the Land Therefore labour to finde out the wickednes of your Families and admonish them and reprove them plainely and shew them from Gods word the punishments that are due to them If you would doe these things then there might be something done and if reproofe and admonishment will not serve the turne then expell them and banish them as Abraham did Hagar and Ismael You Christians mourne for your sinnes and joyne your hearts and prayers against the sinnes of the place where you live If any house be on fire others will come with water to quench it as if it were their owne so here is a flame of fire kindled in this Kingdome of England and the wrath of God is like wild fire comming downe upon us from heaven therefore let every one of us bring some water or other to quench this fire that is round about us in every place and almost upon all hearts Let every man sweepe his owne doore and the streetes will be cleane so if every one would purge his owne heart what reformation would there be in every place then God and Christ and Gospell might be here still and the enemies might be kept out still which if we doe not who knowes how soone the enemie may rush in upon us but alas we harbour these traytors in our bosomes I protest against every man that harbours sinne in his owne house or soule that he is a traytor to the Kingdome whatsoever he be if I knew the man I would fasten mine eyes on him and tell him Oh thou vile Achan doest thou harbour these sinnes and traytors and keepe these sinnes and then crie out of the dangerousnesse of the times If a man did know certainely that the dogge that he keepes in his house would one day pull out his throate would he keep him fatte that he might the better doe it no sure he would rather hang him Or if a man did know that the fire that burnes upon the hearth would burne him would he blow it or if a man did know that the knife which he hath would one day cu●●e his throate would he sharpen it no surely Beloved this is the case of all us poore wretches that live in sinne they will be the cause of all the punishments that God sends upon us all Now therefore I charge you all men and women and every one of you to make a Covenant and enter into an Oath and a curse to search out every sinne and finde them out in your families wife and children and servants and doe what you can to quench them These Townes and Countreys are on fire O that the Lord would be pleased to send his word home to every one of your hearts you I meane that I love as well as mine owne soule my deare people I would spend and be spent for you if God would give me strength and though I speake plaine it is for your everlasting good What are those punishments that he threatned to poure upon them in the furie of his wrath He poureth full battails and the strength of battails all this was upon his owne deare people Israel even those people the Lord so severely threatens Hence observe this Doctrine That the Doct. 2 Lord often times brings fearfull and unavoydable judgements and punishments even upon his owne professing people even they that offer sacrifice and that pray and call him Father and fast and pray even upon these people he doth often times bring these punishments Amos 3. 2. You onely have I knowne among all the Nations of the earth therefore will I punish you for all your iniquities See the whole currant of Gods word did not the Lord punish the Children of Israel in the time of their Judges they had many sore enemies as Eglon and Sisera The ten Tribes they sinned and were carried into captivity and these were Gods professing people And afterward the other two Tribes Iudah and Benjamine were carried away captive into Babylon and there they were seventy yeares Forty yeares after Christ the Romans came against them and burnt all their Cities And these were Gods owne professing people The Churches of Asia were famous Churches but now they are overthrowne with Turkes Now our sinnes give God just cause to make him come against us with punishments and judgements upon this Land If a man

happily thou mayst goe six monethes and not see the face of a good Minister nor talke with a good Minister when there shall bee no more Rogens Hookers Beadles and Cottons to talk with and you shall wander about in the woods your faith to support you then it will doe you some good When all the people had lost Dauid Eleazer one of the Worthi●s arose and smote the Philistines Sam. 2. chap. 11. ver 23. So when all Gods Ministers shall leave thee and then to fight it out against thine owne lustes and the Divell and his temptations will be hard and this Faith thou hast need of when thy bookes and all helps shall be taken from thee What need hast thou of strong Faith when thou must fight against halfe a score Papists and an Army of temptations and a world of Divells from Hell then thou hast need of a stronger Faith then ordinarie When you shall take your leave of your children and never see them more then thou hast need of Faith to invest thee into the Promises Hebr. 11. ver 21. by Faith Jacob blessed both the sonnes of Joseph when he was a dying so when thou art to leave thy wife and children and never to see them more what Faith hast thou need of to invest them into the Promises and to say I looke to see you another day in Heaven the Lord be with you my deare wife and children I shall never see you any more here but I beleeve that one day we shall meet together in a world of happinesse where wee shall be together in glory for ever and ever Amen FINIS The CONTENTS of that Sermon HEB. 11. 28. THE Context opened in severall particulars p. 1. 2. Doct. It hath beene the property of wicked men and still is to thinke that what ever the godly have is too good for them p. 3. Reas 1. Because God hath chosen the godly out of the world pag. 4. 2. Because the wicked know not the godly to be Gods Children ibid. 3. Because wicked men measure others by themselves ibid. 4. There ever was and ever will be contrariety betwixt the seede of the woman and the seede of the Serpent p. 5. Use 1. To teach the godly not to be discouraged when they are hardly dealt withall in this world ibid. 2. Not to render like for like ibid. The Words of the Text opened Doct. Gods children are worthy persons p. 6. All things in the world are little worth 1. All things in the world are very deceitfull p. 8. 2. They are very unprofitable ib. 3. They cannot further a man in the maine thing that he should aime at p. 9. All riches in the world make not a man better either in respect 1. Because God regards not the rich more then the poore ib. 2. They cannot assure a man of the love of God ib. of God 3. They make a man not more mindfull but more forgetfull of God ib. 4. They cannot make a man more thankfull to God ib. 5. Neither can they draw a man nearer to God p. 10. 1. All the things in the world cannot enrich a mans soule ib. or of our selves 2. They cannot free a man from any spirituall evill ibid. 3. They cannot satisfie a man p. 11. 4. They are of no continuance p. 12. All worldly men are little worth 1. Because of those contemptible names the Spirit of God gives them p. 13. 2. Their best actions are but glittering sinnes ibid. Use 1. To discover the madnesse and folly of men in these dayes who so much mind the world p. 14. 2. To informe our judgements concerning the things of this world which for the most part are given to the worst men ib. 3. To take our hearts and affections from the things of this life because they are so little worth p. 15. Doct. True beleevers are persons of great worth p. 16. Reas 1. Inrespect of the worthy names the Holy Ghost gives them p. 17. 2. There is a great price payed for them ib. 3. Because the wicked doe so hate them for the grace that is in the godly is the eye-sore of the wicked p. 18. 4. In respect of the Priviledges that God hath been pleased to dignifie them withall p. 18. as 1. Their Royall descent ib. 2. They are royally attended p. 19 3. They have royall places ib. 4. They have royall fare ib. 5. They have royall apparell viz. the righteousnesse of Christ ib. 6. All their debts are payed ib. 7. They may goe boldly unto the throne of grace p. 20. 8. All things worke for the best unto them ib 9. They are Gods beloved ones ib. 10. They have the free use of all Gods Creatures ib. 11. The places where they live fare the better for them p. 21. 12. In respect of the great things which are laid up for them ib. 5. Vses 1. For terrour to wicked men that wrong the Children of God they being persons of so great worth p. 22. 2. Hence learne to esteeme godly men for their worth p. 23. 3. To teach us how to get a name of worth in the world p. 24. 4. For comfort to the godly though they be disregarded here yet God highly accounts of them ib. 5. We should labour to walke worthy of this high Honour that God puts upon us p. 25. The Contents of that Sermon GEN. 6. 3. THe Text opened in severall particulars p. 27. 1. Doct. The Lord of Heaven and earth doth strive mightily with a company of poore Rebells p. 29. 2. Doct. There is a time when God will strive with men no more and that in this life ib. This point is proved by severall Scriptures p. 31. When the Lord gives over to strive with a man for his good these things follow 1. He repents him of all the good he hath done unto him p. 33. 2. The Lord gives him over to the power and dominion of sinne ibid. 3. He blasts him in regard of all his gifts and abilities that formerly he had p. 35. 4. The Lord hardens him ib. 5. The Lord suffers him to build upon false Principles p. 36. 6. The Lord gives a Commission to all means never to doe him good p. 37. Who are they the Lord gives over striving with 1. Those that have lived long under the meanes of grace but are still unprofitable p. 39. 2. Those that have had much meanes of grace and many secret workings of the Spirit in them yet when temptations come they yeild unto them p. 40. 3. Those that have much grieved the Spirit of God in sinning against the light of their Consciences p. 41 4. Such as have a contemptible esteeme of the Gospell and the Ministers thereof p. 42. 2 Reasons why the Lord doth give men over in this life and never strive with them more p. 43. 1. God being a just God will reject them that reject him ib. 2. God is a wise God therefore he will not alwayes beare with sinfull men ib. 3 Objections

Proclamation it selfe in these words my Spirit shall not alwayes strive with man Thirdly the reason because he is but flesh Fourthly the limitation of the time a hundred and twentie yeares in which time if they repent I will repent but if they will not my Spirit shall not alway strive As if the Lord had said I have tried all conclusions and used all meanes partly by Mercies to allure them partly by Judgements to terrifie them partly by my word to recall them and by all meanes possible to bring them to my selfe yet they remaine incorrigible I now am resolved to strive with them no more From the words thus opened there will naturally arise these two points First that the Lord of Heaven and earth Doct. 1 doth strive mightily with a company of poore Rebells and all to bring them unto himselfe but on this I intend not to insist The second is this viz. that there is a time when God will strive with men no more and that in this life The scope of this aimes at the whole world but what is said in generall may also be said in particular well then there is a time in this life and not when we are dead and gone for then it is certaine there is no more comming unto God but in this life there is a time when God will strive with men no more neither for their good here nor for their everlasting happinesse hereafter For unto every thing there is an appointed time Eccles 3. 1. Now the Lord calls lovingly to allure us but there will come a time of goe yee cursed the good Spirit of mine which thou hast abused shall never come to thee more this is a marvailous troublesome truth yet most true for men now will have their wills and God must be at their leisure and come forsooth when they please They will live as they list doe as they list and God must shew mercy on them as they list and when they list c. So there is a time when God will strive but when that time is gone God will will strive no more To make this plaine I will lay downe these six things First I will let you see that it hath been so by Testimonies of Scripture Secondly I will shew in or after what manner God deales with a soule in giving it over Thirdly I will shew who they be that God gives over Fourthly I will shew the grounds of it Fifthly the objections against it And lastly we will come to the uses For the first Testimonies of Scripture you beleeve them and you doe acknowledge that the things delivered there are certaine see it in Saul because thou hast rejected the word of the Lord the Lord hath also rejected thee from being King c. 1 Sam. 15. 23. The Lord had striven with Saul many wayes by giving him profits and Honour in making him King he had given him gifts of the Spirit he was not wanting unto him in any meanes yet he not regarding all this but neglecting that which his Conscience told him should be done hereupon the Lord tooke away that good Spirit from Saul and gave him an evill Spirit as himselfe confessed to the Witch of Endor And as some Divines understand that saying of David Psal 51. 11. Cast me not out of thy sight or presence is not to be understood of Government but of the Church of God Cast me not out of thy presence as thou didst my Predecessor Saul Ergo it is evident that Saul was given over even in this life Secondly that of the Heb. 12. 16 17 18. saith the Text Let there not be a prophane person among you as Esau marke that man is a prophane man that for one morsell of profit or pleasure will cast off the favour of the living God let there not be any such among you saith the Text. The Apostle meanes not the outward inheritance onely but that which is of the Son-ship of God which the Birth-right then was Thirdly Luke 19. 41 42. where our Saviour weepes over Jerusalem Oh Jerusalem c. oh that thou hadst knowne in this thy day of visitation c. but now they are hid from thine eyes Why because thou didst not know thy time God visits us from day to day either in Mercies or Iudgements in mercy when he performes that which he hath promised In Judgements when he brings on men those Judgements which formerly he denounced So our Saviour tells them they had a day oh that thou hadst knowne in this thy day c. But now they are hid from thine eyes and thou shalt see them no more thus you see it is plainly proved by evidence of Scripture Secondly I will shew you how the Lord deals with such rebellious stubborn creatures who after the Lord hath tried al conclusions on them yet cannot bring them to amendment but that still they will goe on in their sins then the Lord changeth his minde and he repents him of the good he hath done unto them And so he repented that he had made Saul King But how can God repent Object I answer there may be a change of the Answ thing though not of the person The Lord repents that ever he set a Minister over a soule to convert it if it despise his Ministery though Moses and Samuel stood before me yet my mind could not be toward them The Lord then had a minde he loved the young man in the Gospell that is he kindly invited him but yet saith the text he went away sorrowfull he would not sell all to follow Christ so the Lord of heaven and earth strives with men he hath a good minde to winne them he sends his Ministers to them and when will it be that that uncleane lust of thine will be reformed The Lord calls the first second and third time and when he sees it will not prevaile at last he gives thee over The Lord gives over that man to the power of that sinne which he never did before when he strove with him we must either lose our sinnes or our soules and ergo if no meanes will serve to bring a man home then the Lord gives him over to commit his old sinne see Psal 82. 11. 12. the Lord tells there what he had done for Israel how he had brought them out of Egypt but my people saith he would not heare Israel would none of me none of my holinesse none of my purenesse none of my waies but their owne waies wills and witts were best ergo saith the Lord I gave them up to their owne hearts lust He doth not say he gave them up unto the Syrians to plague them nor to the enemies of the Church to ride upon them but to their owne lusts The incestuous person received good by his excommunication but when a man is given over unto rebellion it is hard for him to be recalled backe it had beene better for that man if he had never beene borne For as the skinne