33.11 Hos 6.4 O Ephraim what shall I do unto thee O Judah what shall I do unto thee c. and cap. 11.8 How should I give thee up Ephraim How shall I deliver thee Israel how shall I make thee as Admah How shall I set thee as Zeboim Mine heart is turned within me my repentings are kindled together Doct. So then this shall be the Doctrine That God in the offer of grace notwithstanding shamefull repulses is wonderfull patient He sends again and again Again he sent forth other servants c. Vse 1 Then certainly we have no cause to complain of Gods impatiency Vse 2 And they that reject grace are without excuse They cannot say it was not offered to them Indeed Gods patience occasions perversness through the wickedness of peoples hearts Psal 78. verses 17. to the 22. and 37 38 39. and 56. 59 60. verses In those places the marvellous untowardness of the Israelites is shewed but yet God tempteth no man but woes and argues and allures And they that do abuse his patience will know one day that they had a fair offer O think upon it Vse 3 Thirdly If God be so gracious and so patient then surely he will not cast away any that desire Grace though by reason of their corruption they come slowly forward Though they be like smoaking flax Matth. 12.20 A bruised reed shall he not break and smoaking flax shall he not quench till he send forth judgement into victory If there be any hope of thy recovery the he avenly Physitian will not give thee over To conclude this point The fourth and last Vse shall be to perswade all to take heed that they abuse not Gods patience but thankfully improve it to their own benefit Motive Consider to stir you up a little Laesa patientia fit furor the abuse of Gods patience will at last provoke the Lord to cast down heavy judgements Psal 78.49 He cast upon them the fierceness of his anger wrath and indignation c. Rom. 2.4 5. Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and for bearance and long suffering not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thy self wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgement of God I might give you instances and examples of the Old World of the Sodomites of the Jews But I had rather shew you how you might improve Gods patience and not abuse it For I cannot but think that you see the necessity of the work Means 1 Therefore know first that speedy repentance must prevent wrath and is a way to improve Gods patience to our advantage Joel 2.12 13 14. Isaiah 55.6 7. Friends there is no sin so great no sins so many no abuse of Gods grace so grievous but repentance will help all Secondly and Lastly improve Gods patience by a godly imitation of his example therein Matth 5.44 45. Phil. 4 5. So far of the circumstance of time VVe come next to the instruments other servants Again he sent forth other servants Doct. The Lord is not only patient in the offer of Grace but very diligent in providing means and instruments to draw men That shall be the next Doctrine You see God doth not presently upon their refusal give over but sends other servants Reason And the Reason is as before it hath been said He would have no man to perish but that all should come to repentance Understand by his will his word his approbation and liking of it Voluntas approbationis effectionis but what he willeth from everlasting that he worketh and bringeth to pass and so saith David Whatsoever the Lord pleased that did he in heaven in earth in the Sea and in all places But to the matter The Lord I say is not only patient to wait but diligent in providing means here is another glorious beam of the Deity shining forth His Spirit strives with men to do them good He giveth gifts to men for the sake of mankinde He exposeth his Ordinances to contempt and his servants to injurious abuses that men may not perish but have life everlasting Vse 1 The first use is for Information and it teacheth us that then the use of means is necessary for this purpose to wit that men may hear of Christ believe in Christ and be saved by Christ That therefore is a vain conceit of many that think Grace will come without the use of the Means And therefore though men will take pains in the use of the means about worldly matters yet they regard not to use means about the gaining of grace And this will be their condemnation as it is written Joh. 3.19 And this is the condemnation that light is come into the world and men loved darkness rather then light because their deeds were evil Many will not so much as give the word a hearing Such we read of 2 Kin. 17.13 14 15. Yet the Lord testified against Israel and against Judah by all the Prophets and by all the Seers saying Turn you from your evil ways and keep my commandments and my Statutes according to all the Law which I commanded your fathers and which I sent to you by my servants the Prophets Notwithstanding they would not hear but hardened their necks like to the necks of their Fathers that did not believe in the Lord their God And they rejected his Statutes and his Covenant that he made with their fathers and his testimonies which he testified against them and they followed vanity and became vain and went after the heathen that were round about them concerning whom the Lord had charged them that they should not do like them So Jer. 18.11 The Lord is to his work exhorting menacing using means to make them there spoken of to return from their evil way But in the 12. ver you shall see their behaviour And they said There is no hope but we will walk after our own devices and we will every one do the imagination of his evil heart And chap. 25. ver 4 5 6 7. to the same purpose we may read a large Discourse of the truth of my Doctrine and the untoward spirit and behaviour of the people though to their own hurt as it is there written But I will enlarge no more upon this Use Vse 2 I come to a second Here in this Doctrine of the diligence of God in providing means and instruments to draw People to Christ we have a ground of comfort unto such as truly desire Grace and Mercy at the hands of God They cannot desire it more then the Lord doth to use Scripture expressions and language nor be more willing or diligent to use means for their good then he is And therefore assuredly there will be a concurrence with them in their prayers and endeavours and a condiscention to their desires and requests Vse 3 Take notice of this O all ye people let the Lords kindness
will give any great blaze But to give an account of my manner of speaking in the name of the Lord That so if it seem good unto you I may be restored to my brethren and employment in the work of the Lord at Tavistock though I shall in regard of means of subsistence have much less then I am to have should I continue Minister there where I am come under the bond of Conscience and whither I am by jealous Letters and by strong Arguments woed to return again Or otherwise may submit to Gods will and pleasure in whose hands are the hearts of all to turn them which way soever he pleaseth and therefore yours with this comfortable testimony in mine own Soul that I am ready to do my duty keep my station and go in and out before the People over whom the Lord hath made me Overseer So far and so long as it shall please his heavenly Majesty to give me life livelihood and liberty so to do And if my Adversaries have any thing to charge me with that is of legal cognisance I stand at our English Caesars judgement seat where let me be judged in Gods name I that have learnd by his Grace to look with boldness on my Father in Heaven in Christ need not fear those but rather flie to them that are his Ministers for our good on Earth besides I am of them that have in most parts of England I was Captive to the Lord Vicoun Lisle c. and to Sir Har. Waller the first four years of the ten at Breerwich and elsewhere in Kâ—nt and also in Ireland adventured my life spent my strength and poor estate often endangered my liberty and limbs and health in my faithfull service of and adhaering to the Parliament of England for these Ten years last past since my return to my native land from that exile which Episcopal Tyranny and tenderness of conscience forced me unto I am loth to be too bold I might boast of my many and great sufferings under the Prelacy and of Gods wonderfull deliverances vouchsafed me in those dayes but I will make an end humbly submitting my Sermon to your censure mine outward man to your ordering and you shall I commend in my daily prayers as in duty bound to Jehovah Elohim that you may be a blessing to the Common-Wealth a joy to the good a terror to the bad and successfull in all your undertakings London May 12. 1652. This is the hearty prayer of him Who desires to be found a faithfull Steward in the Lords work And hopes to approve himself true and faithfull to the Commonwealth of England Thomas Larkham To all them in the Town and Parish of Tavistock in Devon that love the Lord Jesus in sincerity and are now oppressed by an ungodly generation Thomas Larkham their Rightfull Pastor wisheth increase of Faith Patience and Wisdom c. Beloved BEcause the day is Cloudy among you and the warming beams of that bright Sun of Liberty which so many Saints in England Ireland and even in Scotland sit under is obstructed and kept off from you by the furious marching of a youthfull Jehu among you in the head of a party that know not God and that will not obey the Gospel of Christ I thought good to present to you these ensuing Sermons preached among you and them to be for a remembrance to you a testimony against them and an apology for my self against those many obloquies and opprobrious calumnies which by evil tongues and unhallowed pens dipt in pride wrath and malice are dispersed against both you and me The issue of things I hope you will readily refer to the righteous Judge who hath a day set which is always the best to relieve his slandred oppressed and persecuted Servants My * Per a Call of God temptations on the right hand will appear by the loud Calls that I have to go into Macedonia to help on the great Work of God now on foot there And on the left hand the strong opposition that I finde against my return to you which can scarce be conceived aright much less exprest fully None but a God can hinder the builders of Babell and destroy the enemies of Zion among you Sit still a while and you shall see his salvation So far as the Angel of his presence shall go before me I am ready to follow Only let your conversation be as it becommeth the Gospel of Christ c. And in nothing be ye terrified c. Our business me thinks is like the launching of great Ships heaving and shoving will not do it till the tide come and it be high water When God puts forth his arm your holy and just desires shall be fulfilled In the mean time wait and read over these Sermons which once you heard put in practice what is in them contained rejoyce in the consolation that you shall finde here and there in them dispersed live in love make up breaches study to be quiet and in your daily prayers remember your Remembrancer and loving Brother in Christ Thomas Larkham Minister of the Gospel From my Chamber in London May 12. 1652. To the Reader CHristian Reader The inhabitants of the place * Tavistock in Devon where these Sermons were Preached may very fitly be compared to Jeremiahs figs mentioned cap. 24.2 One basket had very good figs even like the figs that are first ripe And the other basket had very naughty figs which could not be eaten they were so bad This gave the first motion to the printing of these ensuing Sermons The bad figs are among us very bad and with a high hand hath God and his wayes and worship been opposed Some passages thou shalt read which may seem too invective and sharpe and as proceeding from a spirit of bitterness but didst thou know the occasions thou wouldst wonder that the stones of the street did not cry out Now these Sermons nothing less being dreamed of then such unworthy carriage in the first taking of the Text meeting so right by Gods guidance and providence with some miscarriages were conceived by some and reported to many to be such unsufferable Sermons as the like have not been Preached and so generally bruted among all the Cavaleirs of the Country In the mean time many gratious souls blessed God that ever they heard them and also manifested themselves much affected with them That Therefore they may answer for themselves to the charge divulged abroad against them and that they may be usefull read over as they have been first spoken they now come forth to their triall The Authors first in print after twenty seven years spent in Preaching and suffering in the time of the Prelacy in almost all the Courts in England If thou that readest them find any thing in them with Gods mark upon it bless his Majesty for it the Author was an earthen vessel but truths are treasures Let him that first preached and now permits the publishing of these
notice of the provider and maker of a marriage Supper A certain King saith our English translation But in the Original A man a King or a man being a King 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Secondly who of his house was to be married for whose sake this great wedding was to be held His son The Kingdom of Heaven is like unto a man that was a King that made a marriage for his Son The third particular shews us the Guests invited to this supper to wit First Jews unto the eighth verse Secondly Gentiles unto the end of the Parable But of that particular or any branch of it I have no purpose to speak at this time there being not much left of this hour Therefore of the First the feast-maker I am now to speak And here are two things held out concerning God to be considered First His humbling of himself under his being likened to a man Secondly His dignity though he be compared to a man yet it is to a man that was a King God is not a man but a Spirit and challengeth he that dares or can to liken him to to any thing Isaiah 40.18 To whom then will ye liken God Or what likeness will ye compare him unto And so also ver 25. To whom then will ye liken me or shall I be equal saith the Holy one And in the first of Timothy the 6. and 16. vers He only hath immortality dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto whom no man hath seen nor can see Yet nevertheless it is his pleasure to be set forth for our capacitie sake by Allusions to men Kings and other things that we might come to understand somewhat of this glorious invisible and hidden God Nihil est in Deo quod non eft Deus Every thing is most excellent that is in God in whom all good dwelleth Infinitely Eternally and Essentially For there is nothing in God which is not God I will not trouble you with Schoole Notions and subtilties But come to say first of that excellent frame of his in point of Humility or Humbling himself or condiscention Doct. The Doctrine shall be this The glorious God of Heaven and Earth is very Humble That is he is that exactly which the most Humble men are a little according to the measure of the Spirit proportionated out unto them Or as the man Christ Jesus was who had the Spirit not by measure though yet not above measure as he was man This would be a glorious discovery of God were it in the hands of one that had skill to manage it Reason 1 But we must do as we may In the name of the Lord Jesus therefore know That as it is the property of a gratious humble Soul to condiscend to men of low Estate Rom. 12.16 So God is said to humble himself to behold the things that are in Heaven and in the Earth Psal 113.6 He looketh on his meanest Creatures He raiseth up the poor out of the dust and lifteth the needy out of the dunghill ver 7. O what a Glory t is to great men to take notice of poor distressed mean ones But consider God must needs stoop very low to consider the best of his creatures for all the Nations in comparison of him are not so much as the drop of a bucket as the Prophet phraseth it Reason 2 Secondly consider what would you say of an eminent man a man of honour that having been abused by a poor scullion whom he is able to crush in a moment doth yet out of the goodness of his Nature and Humble frame of spirit Intreat Beseech send to first to have a reconciliation Would not all the World admire such a man Friends Thus God deals with sinfull men verse 3.4 of this chap. I am now upon And 2 Cor. 5.18 we read of Gods reconciling us to himself by Jesus Christ and of a Ministry of reconciliation And ver 19.20 of stooping so low and honouring man so much as to send Ambassadors or rather Petitioners to beg beseech and pray us to be reconciled to him Stand amazed O ye proud worms that have such proud implacable Stomacks that swell with venome like Toades and are better like mischievous Divels then like men So far are ye from being like Christian men O the wrath of pride as Salomon calls it I le sell my Plow I le do so and so though it cost me mine Estate I le not leave him worth a groat base Fellow Clown Mechanick Priest I le make him know that I am not his Companion Yea but thou art and shalt be the fellow creature of the meanest maugre thy pride Doth God do so or Dost thou think there is less difference between God and thy self then between thy self and the meanest man alive This is the second reason as I call it Reason 3 Thirdly We may argue or demonstrate the Humility of the Lord from the places of his dwelling or frame of spirit that he takes most delight in Isaiah 57.15 For thus saith the high and lofty one that inhabiteth Eternity whose name is holy I dwell in the high and Holy place With him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit to revive the spirit of the Humble and to revive the heart of the contrite ones Unto babes doth God reveal himself Mat. 11.25 To the poor separated ones of the world will he be a father and they shall be his Sons and Daughters though he be the Lord Almighty 2 Cor. 6.18 I tell you if God were to walk abroad in the shape of a man he would sooner visite a poor humble gracious soul a thousand times then the Alaflantara fellows mincing Minions or scrapeing Muck worms of the Earth notwithstanding their Wealth Beauty or Gallantry He putteth down the mighty from their seats and exalteth them of low degree Luk. 52. Reason 4 Fourthly His humility is magnified and made apparent by his great and patient waiting to be gratious What man of fashion would wait upon beggers heels to do them good to fill their hungry bellies and to cloth their naked backs Behold saith the faithfull witness I stand at the door and knock if any man hear my voice and open the door I will come in to him and will sup with him and he with me He waits even when his head is filled with dew and his locks with the drops of the night Cant. 5.2 He endures with much long-suffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction Rom. 6.22 He is long suffering to us ward not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance These are glorious beams of that one Glory and excellency able to dazzle our eyes utterly whiles men are doing him all the mischief they can he is then waiting and striving to be gratious A Plaister was made for those Converts Acts the 2. of that very blood which they wickedly shed Vse 1 Then why should his Creatures be proud seeing the Creator is
blessed Ordinances If the messenger sent please you not yea suppose you had just cause of your displeasure yet that will not excuse your slighting of the Sender and his gracious messages Do not think that what we do by vertue of the Authority which the Lord hath given us shall be let fall by him He will require an account of our sowing from all sorts of ground where we sow He telleth our fleetings He puts our tears into his bottle and our groans under your wrath of pride and folly are written in his book The Lord bless unto you these words You and I shall appear at the barr of his tribunal upon this very controversie between us And so much of the first part of this Text. The great ingratitude of the Jews comes next to be spoken of out of these words And they would not come There is an emphasis in these words they could not come Would they not come why would they not come Surely there can be no other reason given but this they would not because they would not So that here is intended to be set forth by the Holy Ghost First The willfull contempt of the People of the Jews And Secondly From the word they is to be noted the generality of their wicked wilfullness They it is not said some of them but they that is as it were all of them Surely the greatest part of them by farr They were upon the matter as we use to say all hanged in a string never a barrel the better herring They would not come Beloved it is a very sad story That God should have a peculiar people whom he calls his own John 1.11 He came unto his own and his own received him not But that there should be such a general defection and blindness on the whole Nation aver few only excepted not worth the speaking of is a sad aggravation of the condition of the Jews so pitifull in bondage to Wicked Will And is it so in Israel And shall we wonder if it be so among us But I will keep to my method which I have accustomed you unto This shall be the Doctrine Doct. That the great Grace of God in inviting men to the Marriage of his Son Christ is by the most of folk willfully refused or neglected That at least it is neglected but here wilfully refused Quest Question But you will say perhaps Why do you put into the Doctrine this word neglected seeing you have so urged the emphaticalness of the words before Answ To this I Answer That the greater contains the lesser where there is wilfull contempt there must needs be careless neglect Therefore no wrong is done to the Text. And I would lay the Doctrine as large as might be that it might be extended in the Application to the greater advantage of all the hearers We read of such a general distemper 2 Kings 17.13.14.15 But I will but read the 14. v. because the time runneth apace mark it Notwithstanding they would not hear but hardned their necks like to the neck of their fathers that did not believe in the Lord their God And so of Judah we read 2 Chro. 24.19 Yet he sent Prophets to them to bring them again to the Lord their God and they testified against them but they would not hear And there is the like complaint Psal 81.11 but my people would not hearken to my voice and Israel would none of me Such another instance is John 5.40 And ye will not come to me saith Christ to the Jews that ye might have life Reason Now the reason of this rejecting of God and his Son Jesus is because people are married already to their sinfull lusts So Isaiah 65.1.2 The Lord there complains of his spreading out his hands all the day unto a rebellious People which walked in away that was not good after their own thoughts Now when men either leane to their own wisdom or are Wedded to their own will or have any carnal worldly or sinfull distemper in their hearts and do inebriate themselves with the present comforts of the world though the things in themselves be lawfull or have inordinate cares or lastly do harbour and cling to any base lust whatsoever here there is no room for Christ he can have no entertainment Strong lusts hang upon men as an haereditary disease and they must not be crossed If you would oppose them they swell the more as a water that is pallisadoed up swells and overrunns all This is the reason that the gracious offer of Christ is so contemned and despised Vse 1 Then first learn that the enjoying of the outward means of Grace is no certain or infallible argument to prove people to be happy People may live under excellent vonchsafements and yet be of the number of negligent and unprofitable hearers yea despisers of them Many do deceive themselves in this kind Because they eat and drink in Gods presence c. they think there are Jews and Pagans enough to fill up hell But they shall have the worser place in Hell that have glorious means of Grace and despise them or though they do but slight them What is a man the better to have abundance of good food if he will not eat of it If Christ be offered and people will not receive As it is recorded of the Jews John 1.11 That when Christ came urto them they would not receive him and therefore had not the power or priviledge of being the Sons of God Their case is the worse not the better that Christ is among them but they do not receive him nor submit to him Vse 2 The second Use is to set forth the greatness of their sin that will not submit to Christ that will not receive him They expose themselves to great danger their sin is great for they set light by Gods Grace as it is said ver 5. of this chap. They made light of it they cared not for Christ his Supper Herein people do even despite the spirit of Grace Heb. 10.29 They tread under foot the son of God and count the blood of the covenant an unholy thing Yea they grieve Gods spirit which is condemned at least dehorted from Ephes 4.30 And indeed do but consider Would it not grieve a man when he hath made a feast for his friends and sent his messengers to call them thereunto if they should peremptority reject his kindness and good will Now here the danger must be very great this contempt being offered to the King of Heaven and Earth Surely they shall smart for it We read 2 Chron. 24.19 of this sin to wit that when the Prophets sent to the people to bring them back to the Lord had testified against them they would not hear Therefore it is denounced against them vers 20. by Zachariah the son of Jehojadah the Preist that they should not prosper and that the Lord had forsaken them It is true they stoned him for his labour ver 21. But yet they
bring good out of it This consideration is of great use we will a little look into it All the creatuets both in heaven and earth act go and come at Gods command When we see men bold in their opposing the wayes of God we many times are troubled we do not consider that as in wisdom he made all things so in wisdom he ordereth all things excellently Gen 45. ver 5.7.8 saith Joseph there God did send me before you to preserve life c. And Gen. 50.20 but as for you ye thought evil against me but God meant it unto good to bring it to pass as it is this day to save much People alive And so for lusts and temptations God suffers them sometimes in his own children either to teach us to observe his rules better or to humble us that we may cleave closer to God and that graces may grow Humility saith one is the Nurse of graces or that we may know God and our selves better or that we may be the more thankfull when victory comes but yet all this while God is bringing good out of it and that Oracle worthy to be remembred that all things shall work together for good to them that fear God c. Rom. 8.28 will be found in the end to be gloriously true Vse 3 Therefore let us learn to take notice of the power wisdom and goodness of God that can and doth thus bring good out of evil good effects out of evil causes Mot. 1 This will confirm us in the truth of Gods goodness and other attributes And Secondly It will teach us in evill times instead of murmuring to bless God for his providences and goodness and power in thus converting of evil to good And Lastly It will make us to walk confidently and to lie down confidently and to put our trust in God and in nothing to be carefull Though we meet with afflictions yet we shall not be much troubled because we shall by taking notice perceive that these are to nurture us Deut. 8.2.5 that we may learn to know him better and to know our selves Therefore it is good I say to take notice of Gods dealing in this kind So much for this point From the word of command Go ye we may learn Doct. That Christians must do warrantable actions They must have a care to do what they have a word of command for at least what is neither directly nor indirectly forbidden in the word of God For there are some actions which are called indifferent as 1 Cor. 7.28.30 If thou marry thou hast not sinned c. and to weep as though we wept not and to rejoyce as though we rejoyced not Such things are not a transgression of a Law for so sin is 1 Jo. 3.4 they are indifferent in themselves Though every particular determined thought word or action be either good or bad a step either to heaven or to hell yet for the actions themselves there are some that are neither good nor bad But to the point I say Christians must do warrantable actions Reas 1 For first they are Gods Servants Servants must attend upon the commands of their Masters And Secondly We have all the ancient practices of the Saints to look upon As first of Noah Gen. 7.14 and cap. 8.1 〈…〉 In both which chapters he had a word 〈…〉 mand both for his making and also for 〈◊〉 entring into the ark and ver the 8. for his taking in accordingly clean and unclean beasts as he was commanded c. 8.12 and 16. he staied other seven dayes that is he would have a warrant for his comming out of the Ark. And Abraham Gen. 12.1 had a command to go out of his country from his kindred and from his fathers house c. And Jacob Gen. 31.3 must be bid to return unto the Land of his fathers and to his kindred And in his old age though he resolve to go to Egypt Gen. 25.28 yet he must have and had a warrant cap. 56. ver 1.2.3 and 4. And Numb 9.18 At the commandment of the Lord the children of Israel journeyed and at the commandment of the Lord they pitched c. Heb. 5.4 No man taketh this honour unto him to wit of the priesthood but he that is called of God as was Aaron Vse 1 Therefore such as do unwarrantable actions can have no comfort in their doings For they sin though they think not so Sin is not defined to be a thing against the Law only in regard of the actions of sin but even sinfull habits are forbidden in the Law therefore mans nature being out of tune is not so ready to do good nor so knowing what good is God therefore hath given rules to be observed which not to observe is a sin Mot. 1 And indeed well done will be pronounced only to those that have done what they have been bidden and warranted to do Neither will Conscience be so well satisfied with doing naked actions that are destitute of command and example and every thing that might be a ground of comfort to the conscience of the doer Neither will God have any glory from unwarrantable actions it is as if God were not wise enough to give rules or as if we had not a perfect rule to walk by Lastly It is an evil example to walk in this liberty of doing what is right in our own eyes as if we had no Law-giver this brings in boldness among men and makes them fearless But blessed is he that feareth allwayes I omit the School utrums upon this point as not being so usefull to this auditory Go ye therefore into the high wayes From the word of command we come to speak of the place where they they must go Luk. 14.23 hath it thus Go out into the high-wayes and hedges The mind of the spirit is to shew us Doct. That God in the offer of grace is altogether without respect of persons For all mankind are alike to him Reason Job 31.15 Did not he that made me in the womb make him and did not one fashion us in the womb cap. 34.19 He accepteth not the persons of Princes nor regardeth the rich more then the poor for they are all the work of his hands Therefore are the Commissions so large Mat. 28.19 and Mark 16.16 All Nations must be taught every creature must be preached unto Acts 10.34.35 Then Peter opened his mouth and said Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons but in every Nation he that feareth him and worketh righteousness is accepted with him Read Acts 13.46.47 And mark the last words of the latter of those verses I have thee to be a light of the Gentiles that thou shouldst be for Salvation unto the ends of the Earth Mat. 11.25.26 At that time Jesus answered and said I thank thee O father Lord of Heaven and Earth because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent and hast revealed them to babes Even so father for so it seemed
good in thy sight 1 Cor. 1.26 For you see your calling brethren how that not many wise men after the flesh not many mighty not many noble are called Lastly James 2.5 comes in for a witness Hearken my beloved brethren hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in saith and heirs of the Kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him Vse 1 Surely then great men are never the happier never the neerer Heaven never the the more in Gods books for their greatness They are deceived that think to be esteemed of God as they are in the World Friends you shall all stand alike naked and bare glory not in any thing But let such take comfort though mean that are taught to come to Christ and let poor ones know that they may do as well in this respect as the greatest And let the means of grace be carefully improved by all of all conditions Seing God exempts none let not exempt themselves be ye never so poor or vile Mot. O consider as hath been said to neglect grace offered is a great sin and will bring severe punishment Fourthly And as many as ye find bid to the Marriage This is the last particular in the matter of the Commission In which words we are shewed what a happiness it may prove to be in the way of the Gospel as it takes its walk through the world The Apostles and Servants commissionated to preach have Authority to invite to Christ all that they have any occasion to meet with while they are in the execution of their office Not all but as many as ye shall find must be bidden to the Marriage There see Doct. That all are not made partakers of an outward calling by the Preaching of the Gospel It is true many more are called then converted Yet there is a special providence of God in the outward call to Christ There are times of grace for Nations Towns and Villages It was a good while before the Gentiles had it at all Mat. 0 5.6 Go not into the way of the Gentiles and into any City of the Samaritans enter ye not but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel Acts 11.19 Now they which were scattered abroad upon the persecution that arose about Steven travelled as far as Phenice and Cyprus and Antioch Preaching the Word to none but unto the Jews only But Acts 13.46 it is made plain both for the Jews and Gentiles the words are Then Paul and Barnabas waxed bold and said It was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken unto you but seeing ye put it from you and judge your selves unworthy of everlasting life Lo we turn to the Gentiles And through the fall of the Jews Salvation is come to the Gentiles Rom. 11.11 Sometimes in one place sometimes in another is the Gospel Preached not in all places It is a precious commodity Things of price are not commonly to be had in all places Object 1 But some will say out of Mark 16.15 The commission is that it must be preached to every creature in all the world Sol. I answer that place is not to be taken exactly according to the Letter for then beasts and birds should be preached unto but for all sorts of mankinde Object 2 But yet again Rom. 10 18. It is said there Their sound went into all the earth and their words unto the end of the world Sol. 1 But for Solution First that place is to be understood of Gods works as may be gathered out of Psal 19.1 2. 3. There is neither speech nor language where their voice is not heard that is of the Heavens and Firmament and Sun c. But Secondly I answer The Gospel may be preached to all the world though not at the same instant time Object 3 Why but then those that it is not preached unto are to be excused for how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard and how shall they hear without a Preacher Rom. 10.14 Sol. But here to answer I say All have Gods works to behold which is a sufficient witness on Gods part and leaves men inexcusable Acts 14.17 Nevertheless he left not himself without witness in that he did good and gave rain from heaven and fruitful Seasons filling our hearts with food and gladness And so Rom. 1.18 19 20. For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven c. So that they are without excuse Vse 1 Yet first Miserable is their condition that have no portion in the means of Grace that are out of the way of preaching and great is Gods favour to those that have it if they have hearts to prize it Mot. 2 And therefore such should be thankfull as have this Pear It is no common vouchsafement Quest But how shall one do to shew himself thankfull therefore Answ I answer by his ready joyfull and carefull receiving of it as the Gentiles did Acts 13.48 so much of the 9. verse Now out of the tenth we are to speak briefly of the Servants diligence which haâ—h two things 1. Their Pains So those Servants went out into the high ways c. 2. The Success And the Wedding was furnished c. Doctr. The former doth teach us It is the property of Gods faithful Servants to be obedient to Christ their Master a Gen. 6.22.12.4.22.2.3.16 Noah b Gal. 1.15 16. Abraham Paul and many more might be instanced in For it is first their duty And Secondly it is their frame of Spirit And lastly It is their priviledge and upon this they look as upon a priviledge as indeed it is a very great one Vse 1 And therefore we may boldly say God hath but a sew faithful Servants Sin and sinfull lusts have more obedience then God Rom. 6.16 Know ye not that to whom ye yield your selves servants to obey his servants ye are to whom ye obey c. Vse 2 And it may be a good evidence and comfort to such as delight to do Gods will Vse 3 And it concerns all to look after this property that desire to know themselves to be Gods faithfull Servants Mot. 1 Consider the necessity of this property all profession is vain without it To obey is better then Sacrifice 1 Sam. 15.22 and great is the utility and profit that comes by it Lastly look on examples and adde to those formerly named Christs example Phil. 2.8 Further from the Servants pains we learn Doctr. That an outward Call is common to good and bad 1. Reason In respect of God Rom. 9.21 22 23. 2 In respect of the Godly for their probation and trial of faith 1 Cor. 11.19 3. In respect of the wicked to leave them without excuse Vse 1 They err that would have the visible Church without mixture See these places Gen. 4.3 4. cap. 9.18.25 cap. 17 18 19. cap. 27. ver 41. Mark 10.4 Acts 5.1 cap. 6.5 cap 18.13 Rom. 9.6 7. cap 10.16 1 Cor. 5.1 Jude
Jesus Christ Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction c. 2 Thes 1.7 8 9. Be ye perswaded therefore before the sealing time before the Lord hath sworn against you to accept of Christ and to take heed of hypocrisie and that ye be not found naked lest this Sentence be heard and Commission given by the King for your execution to his Servants And so we fall upon the second branch of the circumstantial part of this Commission the persons commissionated his Servants Then said the King to his Servants These Servants are certain instruments which God makes use of some in this life some in the life to come The Servants which God makes use of here on earth to binde hand and foot c. are First Ministers these are Gods high Commissioners to binde and to loose Matth. 18.18 Verily I say unto you whatsoever ye shall binde on earth shall be bound in heaven c. It is true it is properly the work of the Church But the Ministers are appointed of God for the doing of the work I will give you the words of Dr. Fulk in his Annotations upon the Rhemists Testament upon 1 Cor. 5.4 in answer to that passage pretended to be taken out of Chrysostom upon those words Tell the Church Matth. 18. Complain to the Church that is to the Prelates and Presidents thereof saith he The authority of Excommunication pertaineth to the whole Church although the judgment and execution thereof is to be referred to the Governors of the Church which exercise that authority as in the name of Christ so in the name of the whole Church to avoid confusion So he It is a sad business to be bound by those Servants of the King of Heaven Secondly Magistrates are executioners too of Gods vengeance They bear not the sword in vain Rom. 13.4 For he is the Minister of God a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doth evil in the same verse VVhen people will not take warning by Gods Ministers words nor by his judgements on others God suffers them to fall into the hands of Magistrates who have places of pain and shame Gaoles Bridewells stocks whipping-Posts and Gallowses These bind neck and heels also in Gods name and as his Servants Thirdly Military men which have the sword of war in their hands are Gods Servants Ashur is the rod of Gods anger and the staff in his hand is Gods indignation God sends such and gives them a charge to take the spoil and to take the prey and to tread down the people of his wrath as the mire of the streets Isa 10.5 6. These are most terrible of all for first they do not usually proceed so regularly as either of the former Ministers have a word to proceed by and Magistrates have Laws but weapons know not laws Arma nesciunt leges Will is the rule if not rage or desperate fury usually Ashur hath not God in his thoughts when he goeth to destroy and cut off nations not a few Isa 10.7 Secondly their Bindings have much cruelty their Language is more terrible they are people of a fierce language Cut their skuls cleave their heads even when I should have thought a reproof had been enough have I heard from these Sons of Mars for so have I heard them stile themselves in a bravado I intend not to dishonour the Imployment we have found much of God in many of them of latter times But yet they are the most dreadfull Servants of the Lord. Fourthly God hath binding Angels both good and bad Herod is smitten by an Angel of the Lord Acts 12.23 And 185 thousand are killed in one night by an Angel of the Lord 2 Kings 19.35 And the souls of ungodly men shall be bound by these binderâ— and tormented Yea Devils are let loose often by God to do mischief and to plague such as will not put their trust in God and others also sometimes for their tryal as Job You see then this Doctrine Doctr. God hath servants everywhere sitted to execute vengeance when he is pleased to give them the word of command This Doctrine is from the second circumstance Then said he to his servants You shall finde when the Lord had a purpose to destroy Ahab the Devil is ready and takes a Commission from the Lord to be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his Prophets 1 Kin. 22.20 21. Reason The Reason is All creatures are the Lords servants and he can command and make them to do his will even the meanest and worst of them Frogs Lice Flies Rivers Fire yea the snuff of a candle the tile of an house a crum of bread God can easily impower to the destruction of man Vse 1 Learn therefore in the first place that God wants not means to punish wicked men He hath servants in every place to speak to a rod in every corner to make use of VVo therefore to all such as either regard not his grace or abuse it with their bold hypocrifie or any other way But next and lastly for this point Be exhorted to dread his power and speedily to turn to him by Repentance Mot. 1 For now the door of Heaven standeth open the means of grace lasteth despise them not We have power more then ye are aware of despise us not The Lord will own what his Servants do for he hath bidden us do what we do Though we walk in the flesh we do not war after the flesh For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds 2 Cor. 10.4 5. And again Having in readiness to revenge all disobedience ver 6. So little account as ye make of our binding by word and Ordinances it is terrible and will be found to be so at last But Secondly for a second Motive Vengeance cometh suddenly unexpectedly if it be not prevented I should insist upon this matter as it is a Motive but it leads me to the third and last branch of the Circumstantial part of my Text The last Circumstance from the word Then Then the King said to his Servants That is presently upon Conviction followeth execution Or then that is when Gods time is come Or then that is suddenly unexpectedly From whence we may learn this most certain Oracle of Truth Doctr. When Gods time is come when the conviction is past suddenly and unexpectedly shall vengeance seize upon hypocrites and ungodly men So the Flood came on the world They were eating and drinking marrying and giving in marriage untill the day that Noah entred into the Ark and knew not till the Flood came and took them all away Matth. 24.38 39. God seems sometimes to delay to be slow but it is not so The Lord is not slack concerning his Promise nor concerning his Threats neither as some men count slackness 2 Pet. 3.9 Neither is he rash or hasty he useth deliberation he giveth time he calleth he stretcheth out his hand he will
We have spoken already of his charge and that both of the matter of it that he came into the marriage without a wedding garment and also of the manner of the Lords dealing with him calling him friend by an Irony As iâ— the King should say Friend what make you here I see you pretend to be one of mine but how is it that you come in hither not having a wedding garment We have also spoken Secondly of his Conviction and he was speechless Thirdly We have begun to speak of his execution out of these verses now again read unto you In which we have noted First The Commission it self in the 13. verse Secondly The ground or reason of it ver 14. Again in the Commission we have observed and fully handled the circumstantial part of it And are now the Lord assisting to proceed and to speak of the substance of the Commission out of these words Bind him hand and foot c. Wherein two things are set forth First The manner of his punishment bind him hand and foot and take him away and cast him into outer darkness Secondly The condition of this poor wretch under his punishment sad enough wofull enough in these words There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth We will begin with the manner of his punishment laid forth under a continued Metaphor taken from the manner of dealing used among men with gross and heynous offenders who being found guilty are manacled fettered and separated from the society of men and cast into some dark dungeon there to lie and dye and never to come out thence again Under which words Christ sets forth the future condition of all wicked men and women to wit that they shall be cast into Hell where they shall lie weeping and wayling and gnashing of teeth not only as long as the Sun and the Moon endureth but as long as God shall be God 〈◊〉 three degrees of misery is this punishment of ungodly men here described unto us First Bind him hand and foot that is Tye hiâ— fast chain him up let him not escape by 〈◊〉 means Secondly Take him away that is carry him hence from my gracious presence Let him never see my face more nor come among my servants Let him never sit with my pretious Saints more Separate him from the communion and society of my faithfull ones Depart thou cursed cateiffe saith God thou caredst not for my people or mine Ordinances on Earth and therefore now thou shalt not be troubled with them Take him away and cast him into outer darkness Here is a third degree of misery Let him go like a Castaway as he is as one good for nothing cast him away For men do not use to cast that away which is good for any thing But here is an aggravation of this third degree of misery cast him into outer darkness that is into Hell Into outer darkness that is out from God and out from his Church For with God is light and in his Church is light But out of Gods presence and out of the Church is darkness Note Therefore note by the way That To be cast out of the Church here is a degree of that outer darkness that ungodly men shall be cast into hereafter So some understand 〈◊〉 8.12 Many shall come from the East â—nd from the West Calvin c. But the children oâ— the Kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness that is Gentiles shall become Members of the Church and the Jews called the children of the Kingdom because they were so then shall be exiled and cast into a dark and dead frame of Spirit as usually such are as are justly excommunicated if Gods physick work not with them to their humiliation and repentance Now We will gather some short lessons from these particulars thus opened And the first shall be Doct. That ungodly men shall not escape punishment The Reason is because they are bound as it were hand and foot God hath ordained Bands and Chains to bind wicked men withall They are bound with a threefold Cord which is not quickly broken Besides the Chains and cords which God binds wicked men withal to Hell torments there is a threefold Cord to bind them with in this life First The Cord of Gods Decree Jude's Epistle ver 4. Who were before of old ordained to this condemnation All the men on Earth or Angels in Heaven are not able to break this Cord. There is also a blessed Cord which the Saints are bound with Rom. 8.30 Moreover whom he did predestinate them also he called and whom he called them also he justified and whom he justified them also he glorified The use that we may make of it is to bless God if we sind we are not bound with that chain that the wicked are bound with but with that fore-appointed for the Saints The second Cord to bind men is that Mat. 18.18 Whatsoever ye shall bind on Earth shall be bound in Heaven This Church binding is the second with which men are bound And for my part I would not lie under the just censure of a well-ordered Church for the whole World The reason is because the Scriptures being true whom the Church binds on Earth God binds in Heaven There are three acts in this binding God acts first and last and the Church in the middle God acts first in giving rules to his Church to walk by The Church acts by those rules which God hath given and are like Levi which knew not father nor mother And this acting of a Church carrieth more in it then the reproof of one Godly man though a publick Preacher because of the Authority which the Lord hath given to his Church And then thirdly God acts in confirming in Heaven what the Church regularly doth on Earth There is in the Church use of ordinary and common brotherly admonitions and exhortations with this Cord the People of God bind one another to the Lord. So Heb. 3.12 Take heed brethren lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God But exhort one another daily while it called to day lest any of you be hardned through the deceitfullness of sin And therefore all the People of the Lord should look upon this work as a duty and when it is performed it should be looked upon as a mercy from the Lord to tie us closer to him Besides this sometimes the unruly are to be warned and desired to forbear from communicating with the People of God This is as it were the trial of Leprosie We usually call it suspension from the Lords Supper and it hath its use as a cord to bind men to the good behaviour or to discover their Spirits But in the last place Fulk on 1 Cor. 5. Sect. 3. Rhem. Test there is excommunication which is to be done by the officers of thâ— Church as in the name of Christ so in the name of the Church and People to avoid
confusion I had rather call it a binding then a cutting off Because it is an Ordinance of the Lord to be used for the good of an offending brother 1 Cor. 5.5 That the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus And we find that it was so by Gods blessing to the incestuous Corinthian 2 Cor. 2.6 7. Sufficient to this man is this punishment or censure which was inflicted of many 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So that contrary wise ye ought rather to forgive him comfort him lest perhaps such a one should be swallowed up with over much sorrow This is a strong Medicine by which a fallen brother grosly and that is hardned in his sin may yet be recovered And if it do not then he is thereby bound over to everlasting burnings T is true in some sence they are said to be cut off from the Church namely in a threefold respect First Perk. Cases of Conscience 3. Quest of the 8. c. They are excluded from Communion with the Church by the censure of the Church Secondly From God for what the Church rightly doth on Earth God doth in Heaven If the Church bind on Earth God binds in Heaven and so for Loosing also Thirdly In regard of themselves for a time they are cut off because they want the power and efficacy of the spirit untill they be throughly touched with repentance and begin as it were to live again Take heed ye that are bound with this Cord of God and his Church and labour to be unbound again There is a third Cord wherewith men are bound even in this life and that is the Cord of Conscience As this unworthy Guest here was bound he had not a word to say for himself He was bound hand and foot he was haltered as it were that he could not stirr So Judas was so haltered with the Cord of his Conscience that he could not chuse but halter his neck too For he went away and hanged himself Mat. 27.5 This is a sad Cord when God is pleased to make use of it O when a mans Conscience shall tell him that he hath no part nor portion in this business that his heart is not right in the sight of God as Peter told Simon Magus Acts 8.21 that he is in the Gall of bitterness and bond of iniquity This will be black News to that poor wretch whosoever he be Friends you are crank and merry but look oâ—â—… this cooling carde ye are farr on to the â—…aâ—ing of this sad story told by your consciences to you that ye are the Enemies of God And note hereupon that men come not to be bound with this Cord by and by they usually come to a high degree of sin first They do the same things and commit the same sins for which they judge others They despise the riches of Gods goodness and forbearance and long suffering They have hard and impenitent hearts in a word they sin with a high hand against Conscience and begin to be careless and fearless and desperately secure And then commeth this â—ord of the Lord this whip of Conscience Judas his Cord I may call it Read 1 Thes 5.3 For when they shall say peace and safety then sudden destruction cometh upon them as travail upon a woman with child and they shall not escape Such fellows come in sometimes among the People of God to make a faction and to do mischief But though hand joyn in hand the wicked shall not go unpunished Prov. 11.21 But they are bound together to be the Servants of sin shall be bound with Cords which shall not be broken It is storied of Julian the Apostate That after all his wicked behaviour against the Christians he was strock in a battle thorow the left arm into the short ribbs with a 〈◊〉 or Javelin in pulling which out and casting it into the air with his blood he uttered these blasphemous words being bound with this Cord of Conscience I am now speaking of Thou hast overcome me O Galilean Zosimus lib. 6. cap. 2. and Theod. lib 3. cap. 25. The second particular is in these words Take him away Hence observe Doctr. That it is a great punishment to be separated from God and from the comfortable society of Gods People It will be a principal part of the punishment of ungodly men hereafter to be turned out to be bid to depart and get packing from God and his People Mat. 7.23 Depart from me ye that work iniquity Mat. 13 ver 30 aâ—d 41. The tares must be bound in bundles that is as Christ himself expounds it the Angels shall gather out of his Kingdom all things that offend and them that work iniquity They must out of Gods Kingdom there is no place for them they must depart And so ver 49. of that same chap. The Angels shall come forth and sever the wicked from among the justâ—… And Mat. 25.32 And he shall separate them one from another as a shepherd divideth the sheep from the Goats and ver 41. He shall say to them on the left hand depart from me ye cursed c. they must depart upon which place saith one whom I heard many years agone Methinks I hear these Castawayes pleading and begging to this effect O Lord If we shall not sit down with Abraham Isaac and Jacob in thy Kingdom if we shall not sit on thrones yet let us stand in thy sight though but at the door or let us but peep into the presence of thy People No saith God depart ye shall not see my face get out of my sight Ye shall not stand in the congregation of the righteous Ye scorned them once ye shall not be troubled with them now Depart Yet may these poor wretches say if we must needs depart thy presence O God and be thrust out from thy People yet remember we are thy creatures O Lord and bless us before we go No saith God depart ye cursed Away with my curse upon your back Why yet Lord may they say send us to some silent Corner where we may lie only under the paena damni or dissolve us to nothing out of which we were taken No that shall not be granted neither Depart into fire Happy should they be if they might cease to be but they must depart into hell torments Part is this all Heare one imaginary petition more to set forth the truth of the future condition of ungodly men Lord how long Lord how long Let it be but a thousand years may they say or if that cannot be obtained yet but as many years as there be stars in heaven drops in the Sea sands on the shore or under the Seas and let us come out then No It is everlasting fire O rocky heart tremble But yet once more Must we depart and be accursed and be in fire and that eternally Yet Lord may they say let us have a little good company to help wear along that which shall be without end