Land Jonah 1. 9. as if he should say I feare the Lord for now I see the Heavens are black against me and the clouds mourne at me and the Sea groaneth under me seeing I am fled from the presence of the Lord. Thirdly labour never to set your hearts on any creature for then you abuse it to worldlinesse and covetousnesse What greater injury can we offer to the creatures then by making them occasions of turning from God which were given us the more to oblige us to God If you be covetous and earthly the creature must needs groane under this wrong Covetousnesse is Idolatry saith Saint Paul Colos 3. 5. thou turnest the creature into an Idoll every creature is the workmanship of God but an Idoll is a thing dedicated of Divels Fourthly labour to use all the creatures in humility and thankfulnesse There is not a creature but it hath this Motto engraven upon it it is the gift of God In every thing then give thankes 1 Thes 5. 18. A thing and a creature are convertible termes if in every thing then for every creature must we give thankes why because every thing that God doth for us or doth bestow upon us it is a gift and a gift groanes under unthankfulnesse there is never a sicknesse that thou hast been delivered from but it groanes against thee if thou hast not had thine iniquity purged by it never a blessing but it will groane aganist thee if thou serve not God the better by it never an ordinance of life and grace but it groanes against thee if thou art not sanctified and made holy by it Fiftly use them all as so many Bookes and as so many Ladders or Rises to climbe up with the soule of God When thou seest how kindely and favourably the Sun shineth on thee think are Gods creatures so comfortable how comfortable is the light of Gods countenance When thou tastest the sweetnesse of any creature thinke then O what infinite sweetnesse is there in God himselfe still from the creatures winde up thy soule to the Creator use all the creatures as a rise to winde up thine heart to see and know to meditate and conceive of some thing of God Saint Anthony being found fault withall for want of Books answered My Bookes are Gods creatures and in them I may read as in the silent Oracles of God this is my Book and it hath three pages and as many Letters Heaven Water Earth they are the pages of this booke Starres Fishes Fowles and all the Terrestriall creatures they are the letters of this booke There are but three maine Books in the world to be read all other books are but Commentaries upon them The Book of the Creatures The Book of the Scriptures The Book of every Mans conscience Read but these three and meditate of them and thou shalt have understanding in the waies of God to know God in all thy wayes Beloved this is rightly to use the creatures and thus using them thou shalt prevent their groanings against thee to behold and see God present in them all It was the saying of an Ancient that that man is blinde deafe sencelesse brutish that knows not God Thou canst not see a creature but thou mayest see God thou canst not feele a creature but thou maiest feele God thou canst not smell not taste nor meddle with a creature but thou mayest smell and taste God in the creature thou canst not behold a creature but thou mayest behold God in the creature O saith one if I could see God as he appeared to the Fathers then I should obey him and feare him and trust in him and love him I answer God appeares now as he did then How did God appeare to Abraham Isaack c. and to all the holy Patriarches and Prophets Did God appear to them in his owne Essence and nature No it is impossible that any should see God and live When God appeared to them and shewed himself to them he did it in a creature And I pray you doth not God appeare thus amongst us now God having made man to behold by sence by sight hearing smelling tasting handling that all the knowledge he hath he must have it by these God makes as it were an apparition of himselfe he takes the likenesse as it were of the Sunne Moon and starres and therein appeares he takes the Cattle plants c. and therein appeares therein he shews something of himselfe thou never seest any creature but it is the appearance of God to thoe the whole world is an apparition of God to thee God appears in the heavens in the earth and in every creature If therefore when thou lookest on any of the creatures thou makest not an holy use of them beholding God in them using them as a rise to winde up thy heart and soule to God then thou abusest the creatures and makest them to groane against thee For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travelleth in paine till this present FINIS THE CHRISTIAN HIS IMITATION of CHRIST 1 JOHN 2. VER 6. He that saith he remaineth in him ought even so to walke as he hath walked THis our blessed Apostle in the beginning of this Chapter doth declare these foure things First a generall proposition for the sinnes of the world if any man sinne we have an Advocate vers 11. 12. Secondly nd actuall application of this to all true beleevers who may all know that Christ is theirs and that they are Christs ver 5. And hereby we know that we know him if we keepe his commandements We know and are acquainted with this principle that Jesus Christ is the propitiation for our sins if we keepe his commandements Thirdly here is the fantasticall presumption of many men that hope and thinke and say that they are in Christ when indeed they are not in Christ ver 4. He that saith I know him and keepeth not his commandements is a lyar and the truth is not in him Fourthly here is an universall direction to all men whereby to try and examine themselves whether they be in Christ yea or no. He that saith he abideth in him ought himselfe to walke as he walked These words branch themselves into a Thesis and an Hypothesis The Thesis is this He that abideth in Christ must walke as he hath walked The Hypothesis is this If any man be conceited of the subject that he abideth in Christ he must be assured of the predicate that he walke himselfe even as Christ walked If he say he is in Christ he must be sure to walke as Christ walked To walke as Christ walked there is a life of a Christian if he walke not as Christ walked it is a plaine demonstration that he is not in Christ He that saith he abideth in him ought himselfe also to walke as he walked He that sayth as if the Apostle had said if there be any that saith he abideth in Christ he must walke as Christ walked Hence observe That
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 â— No man thou mightest see that thou art not utterly undone but that thou art discouraged Dost thou not know what will become of thâ—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 â—o he made them of a good nature fit to attaine to that end for which hâ— 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 inâ—â—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 â— 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
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
it is that Gods children are called strangers yea and are used strangely even because they know not God and Ergo they know not the child 3. Because wicked men measure others by themselves and because they runne not into the same excesse of riot ergo they speake evill of them 1 Pet. 3. 5. 4. Because there ever was and ever will be contrariety between the seede of the woman and the Serpent Esau will deale very hardly with Jacob they that are born of the Devill will hate them that are borne of God 1 Joh. 3. 12. First This should teach the godly when Vse 1 they are hardly dealt with in the world in any kind not to be discouraged Thinke it not strange it hath alwayes been so neither must you looke for better dealing with wicked men Secondly seeing the world deales so hardly with you see that you doe not measure like for like but pray yee unto God for them to open their eyes Now we come to the words themselves Of whom the world was not worthy The holy Ghost in this place would discover two things First the little worth of the world of wicked men viz. how that they are not worthy to come into the presence of the godly Secondly the great worth of the godly Viz. They are too good for the world First the world viz. the wicked in the world are very little worth not worth one godly man or woman in it whence observe that Gods children are worthy persons Doct. 2 But before I handle this point I will give the sence and meaning of the words This word World is diversly taken Sometimes it is taken for the whole Fabrick of Heaven and earth John 1. 10. He was in the world and the world was made by him and the world knew him not So Acts 17. 24. God that made the world c. Sometimes it is taken for all mankinde good and bad So Rom. 5. 12. As by one man sin entred into the world viz. sin entred into the men which are in the world Sometimes it is taken for the elect onely so John 1. 29. Behold the Lambe of God which taketh away the sinne of the world viz the elect in the world Againe God so loved the world c. John 3 16. viz. his elect in the world Againe we beleeve this is the Saviour of the world John 4. 42. viz. of the elect in the world But why are the godly called the world Object I answer first because the world was Ans made for them and it is continued yet for their sakes Secondly they may be called the world because they are scattered through the world and that not onely among the Iewes but even among the Gentiles also Thirdly they may be called the world because in themselves they are a world of people but yet compare them with the Devills drove they are few even as the shaking of the Olive tree Esay 17. 6. yet in themselves they are as the Starres in number Gen. 15. 5. And Balaam said who can number the dust of Iacob Numb 22. 10. Sometimes it is taken for the reprobates in the world so Iohn 15. 19. If you were of the world the world would love its owne It is plaine also in the prayer of Christ I pray not for the world Iohn 17. 9. And they may fitly be called the world First because they are the worlds Citizens they mind the things of the world they follow nothing but the world Secondly because they are the greatest part of the world Sometimes the world is taken for the things in the world those things wherewith the Devâ—ll uses to draw men from God as the lusts of the flesh the lusts of the eyes the pride of life 1 John 5. 16. Sometimes for the happy estate and condition the godly shall enjoy after this life So Luke 20. 35. They which shall be accounted worthy to obtaine that world c. Now whereas the Apostle saith of whom the world was not worthy I take it he means wicked men in the world and those are they that are not worthy the company of the godly And because I intend to shew the unworthinesse of the world I will shew first that the things in this world are little worth Secondly that the men in the world are little worth First I will shew you that the things in the world are little worth as Riches Honours pleasures c. they are called deceitfull riches and Christ calls them the Mammon of iniquitity Luke 16. 9. trash Luke 8. 14. Snares 1 Tim. 6. 9. They are called uncertaine riches Now these base titles must needs argue that they are little worth for were they worth more God would set better titles on them And Salomon who had best experience of them yet he termes them vanitie Eccles 1. 2. and 11. Secondly they are little worth because they are very unprofitable they cannot profit a man It is plaine by the speech of Samuel 1 Sam. 12. 21. Vaine things which cannot profit c. Thirdly they are little worth because they cannot further a man in the maine thing at which he should ayme they may further a man in some trifles but not in the maine thing There is no true good comes to a man by all the riches in the world neither can they free a man from the evill day neither can they make you better either in respect of God or your selves First in respect of God they cannot make you better esteemed with God for he regards not the rich more then the poore Iob. 34. 19. He doth not account of a man according to his greatnes but according to his goodnesse Prov. 20. 7 8. Better is a poore man that walks in his integritie then a King that is perverse in his wayes Secondly they cannot better him in respect of God because they cannot assure him of the love of God Thirdly they cannot make a man more mindfull of God nay they corrupt mens hearts they make a man more forgetfull of God It is thus with the greatest part of men in the world that are worldly rich it is with them as it was with the Prodigall who while he had money in his purse never did he thinke on his Father Fourthly the things of this world cannot make a man more thankfull to God but rather the contrary ut supra Fifthly the things of this world cannot draw a man neerer unto God You see that the more men have the more negligent they are in Gods service Secondly in respect of our selves First all the things of this life cannot in rich a mans soule with grace they cannot make him humble nor mercifull nor constant in the profession of godlinesse and good duties nay it rather makes them the more unmeet to any goodnesse where there is gaine in the chest there is losse in the Conscience he that gets money apace may lose Faith and a good Conscience and they that most covet for abundance of the things of this life
and yet the gates be shut against him and he turned into hell Alas my poore soule is in a wildernesse now I know not which way to goe I am ready to lose my selfe I see nothing here now but huge Gyants the sonnes of Anack strong corruptions inclining and forcing me to evill most fearefull and violent suggestions and temptations of the Devill ready to thrust me into the gulfe of wickednesse and despaire And now the soule begins to thinke that it is good for it to returne again into Egypt to fall to its old courses againe for certainly God lookes for no such matter he requires no such strictnesse and precisenesse And so it falls a whining and repining at the Word and Ministers of God that have call'd men to it and laid it upon them and hath no heart now to do thus and thus any longer And thus it falls into discouragements because of the way and into a thousand quandaries whether it may not goe back againe or no. And all these murmurings and repinings are because men suffer themselves to be discouraged Thirdly discouragements will cause thee to thinke that God hates thee When the soule like Baals Priests hath been crying from morning to noone ten twenty thirty yeeres it may be and yet hath no answer now it will begin to thinke if God did love me then he would grant me my petitions Then hereupon comes into a mans secret thoughts and feares that God hardly loves his soule So was it with Israel when they were discouraged they said because the Lord hated us therefore he brought us out of the Land of Egypt Deut. 1. 27. Because that they were discouraged and because that their Brethren that went for spies had disheartned them therefore they were apt to say the Lord hated them Beloved it is a miserable thing when the soule calls the love of God into question Consider that as thou canst not have a friend if thou beest suspitious and jealous of his love to thee So thou canst never have the love of God settled on thy heart so long as thou art jealous of his love to thee Fourthly If thou root them not out it is to be feared that they will bring thee to despaire Mâ—lancholy thoughts and feares and discouragements drive the soule to despaire For when the soule sees it selfe still disappointed of its hopes at the last it grows hopelesse If it have waited one day and the next day too if it have praied this weeke this month this yeare and yet still it seeth it selfe held off and disappointed it will at last grow hopelesse Take heed therefore I beseech you of all needlesse discouragements to fear be ause that thou findest not that that thou wishedst or prayedst for to day or to morrow in thine own time that therefore thou shalt never get it that now thou shouldest for ever despaire of the grace and love of God and thinke that now God will never heare thee that thou shalt never get grace and power over thy corruptions Men thinke that the preaching of the Word of God brings men to despaire the preaching of such strict points and the urging such precise doctrines makes men despaire men are loth to be at the paines to root out their discouragements It is rather a cold or dead preaching of the Word that is the cause of this for when the soule is instructed by holinesse humbled by holinesse converted by holinesse at the last when it comes to be thorowly awakened when it sees that this and this is required in a true conversion of the soule to God that herein true repentance must declare and demonstrate it selfe by these and these fruits or else it is but false and rotten Why now the soul must needs be brought to despaire because it seeth that though it have been thus and thus humbled though it have praied fasted and mourned in this and this manner yet it sees it hath not a soundnesse of grace There is such a grace in it such a worke and such a fruit of Gods Spirit in it that yet he could never finde in himselfe this makes the soule to despaire Indeed Preachers may be too blame if they speake and preach onely the terrours and condemnations of the Law without the promises of the Gospel for these should be so tempered that every poore broken soule may see mercy and redemption for him upon his sound and unfeined repentance and humiliation But if men doe despaire they may thanke themselves for it their owne sinnes for it their owne discouragements for it because they suffer these to continue in them Cain his heart grew sad his countenance fell he was wroth and disquiâ—ted in his minde and heavily discouraged why Gen. 4. Sin lay at the dore what dore the dore of his conscience rapping and beating upon his heart Beloved when the soule lets sinne lie at the dore drunkenesse pride and worldlinesse security hardnes and deadnes of heart lie at the dore when a man lets his ne gligent and fruitlesse hearing of the word lie at the dore when a man lets his vaine and dead praying his temporizing and fashionary serving of God lie at the dore of conscience to tell him that all his hearing of the word of God profits him nothing that his praiers are dead and vaine that his mourning fasting and all his humiliation is counterfeâ—t and rotten and that he hath no soundnesse of grace in him but that for all this he may fall into hell when sinne lyeth thus at the dore thus rapping at the conscience it is no wonder if the soule fall into desperation Cain let his sinne lie at the dore there it lay rapping and beating and told him that his carelesenesse and negligent sacrificing to God was not accepted and therefore no marvell if Cain be so cast down in his countenance and that he fall to despaire O beloved when sinne lieth bouncing and beating at the dore of thy heart when thy sinne whatsoever it is search thy heart and finde it out lies knocking and rapping at the dore of thy conscience day by day and month by month and thou art content to let it lie and art unwilling to use meanes to remove it and art loth to take the paines to get the bloud of Christ to wash thy soule from it or the Spirit of Christ to cleanse thee from it then thy soule will despaire either in this world or in the world to come But let us take heede then that our conscience condemne us not in any thing or course that we allow in our selves for if that doe then much more will God who is greater then our consciences and knowes all things The Apostle hath an excellent Phrase Rom. 8. 1. There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus c. As if he should say there is not one condemnation there is none in Heaven God doth not condemne them there is none in earth their owne heart and conscience doth not condemne them
he that is in Christ Jesus that walks not after the flesh but after the Spirit there is none no not one condemnation to him none neither in Heaven nor in earth no word no commandement no threatning condemnes him But if thy conscience condemne thee and tell thee thou lettest sin lie at the dore rapping at thy conscience day after day and month after month telling thee that yet thou art without Christ that yet thou never hadst any true faith in the Lord Jesus that yet thou hast not truely repented and turned from thy sinnes this will at last drive thy soule into heavie discouragements if not into finall despaire O beloved religion and piety and the power of godlinesse goe downe the winde every where What is the reason of it but because of these discouragements that men live and go in Men pray and pray and their prayers profit them not men run up and downe and come to the Church and heare the Word and receive the Sacraments and use the meanes of grace but to no end they are unprofitable to them they remaine in their sinnes still the ordinances of God bring them not out of their lusts and corruptions hereby they disgrace and discredit the ordinances of God in the eyes and account of the men of the world making them thinke as if there were no more power nor force in the Ordinances of God then these men manifest There is no life in many Christians mens spirits are discouraged these secret discouragements in their hearts take away their spirits in the use of the meanes that though they use the meanes yet it drives them to despaire of reaping good or profit by them Beloved I could here tell you enough to make your hearts ake to heare it First all your complaints they are hut winde Job 6. 26. doe you imagine to reprove words and the speeches of one that is desperate which are as winde Jobs friends taking Job to be a man of despaire they accounted all his words but as winde Doest thou nestle any discouragement in thy heart thou maist complaine of sinne as much as thou canst yet all thy complainings are but as winde thou maist cry out against thy corruptions with weeping and teares and pray and fight against them and yet all thy weeping mourning and praying is but as the winde thou maiest beg grace thou maist seeke after God thou maist heare the Word receive the Sacraments and yet all will be to thee as wind all will vanish be unprofitable not regarded Secondly discouragements drive us from the use of the meanes If ever we meane to come out of our sinnes if ever we meane to get grace and faith and assurance and zeale we must constantly use the meanes 1 Sam. 27. 1. David saith there is nothing better for me then that I should speedily escape into the Land of the Philistims and Saul shall despaire of me to seeke me any more David thought in himselfe if I can make him out of hope of finding me certainely he will give over seeking of me So when the soule hath any secret despaire of finding the Lord that soule will quickly be drawne from seeking of the Lord in the use of the meanes What ever you doe then O be not discouraged lest you be driven from the use of the meanes if you be driven from the use of the meanes woe is to you you will never finde God then Be not driven from praier nor driven from holy conference nor driven from the Word nor driven from the Sacrament nor from meditation nor from the diligent and strict examination of thy selfe of thy heart and of all thy waies for these are the waies of finding the Lord. If you nourish any thoughts and feares of despaire in you if you be discouraged you will be driven from the use of the meanes which is a lamentable thing therefore be not discouraged Thirdly discouragements will make you stand poaring on your former courses thus I should have done and that I should have done woe is me that I did it not it will make a man stand poaring on his sinnes but never able to get out of them So it was like to be with them in the Ship with Paul Acts 27. 20. In the tempest at Sea they were utterly discouraged from any hope of safety now indeed Paul told them what they should have done if they had been wise Sirs you should have hearkned to me and not have loosed ver 21. as if he had said you should have done thus and thus but now doe not stand poaring too much on that you should have hearkned to me and not have launched forth c. but that cannot be holpen now therefore I exhort you to be of good cheare c. So beloved when the soule is discouraged upon these thoughts I should have prayed better I should have heard the Word of God better and with more profit I should have repented better I should have performed this and that religious and good dutie better but ah wretch that I am I have sinned thus and thus it is alwaies looking on this sinne and that sinne this imperfection and that failing when now I say the soule is discouraged it will be alwaies poaring upon sinne but it will never come out of its sinne alwaies poaring upon its deadnesse and unprofitablenesse but never able to come out of it O beloved be of good cheare and be not discouraged it is true you should have prayed better you should have heard the Word of God better heretofore you should have been more carefull and circumspect of your wayes then you were but now you cannot helpe it these things and times are gone and cannot be recalled such a one hath been a drunkard a swearer a worldling c. but he cannot helpe it now True he might have helped it and because he did not his heart shall bleed for it if he belong to God but doe not stand poaring too much upon it but consider now what you have to doe now you are to humble your selfe now you are to strive with God in all manner of prayer for more grace and more power of obedience and assurance and be not discouraged Fourthly if the soule be discouraged it will breed nothing but sorrow What is the reason that many Christians are alwaies weeping and mourning and sighing and sobbing from day to day all their life time and will not be comforted because of these discouragements 1 Thes 4. 13. Sorrow not saith the Apostle as those that have no hope as if he had said sorrow if you will but do not sorrow as they that have no hope How is that it is a sorrow with nothing but sorrow from which they have no hope of inlargement or freedome O then my brethren suppose you have dead hearts suppose you want zeale you want assurance suppose it be so yet labour to attaine these graces sorrow and spare not weepe and mourne and powre out whole buckets of
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 Gomorrâ—â— 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 â—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
the Sonnes of God then to free them from bondage and misery it had been good for the creatures that they had had no being Better it were the creature were annihilated to its old nothing then that wicked men should thus cast an eye upon the creature tread upon the creature breath in the creature live of the creature better were it for the creature to be turned to its old nothing I will make it plaine Every creature hath a double end a specificall and an ultimate end pray marke it First a speciall or intermediate end and that is what the creature is made to doe as of its owne nature as the specificall end of fire is to burne of the Sun to shine of the water to moisten Secondly the ultimate and last end of the creature and that is Gods glory to glorifie God every creature is then happy when it hath attained its end but the specificall cannot be its happinesse for there is another end beyond that The ultimate end of a creature as it is a creature namely to set forth Gods glory is more essentiall to it then its owne specificall end because it hath this specificall end onely in reference to the ultimate end Therefore if the creature be robbed of its last end it is robbed of its being The soule and heart of the creature is killed and it is undone when as it is taken from his ultimate end It were as good that the world were no world as that God have no glory by it as good no earth no corne no cattell as that God be not honoured by by it A man no man if he doe not honour God a creature no creature if it doe not honour God it is as much as if the creature were annihilated to its first nothing yea worse for there is no evill in nothing all evill is founded out of some good Hence it followeth that a wicked man Use 1 hath no right to the creatures For if the creatures were now of right belonging to the wicked they would not groane under their service for every thing rejoyceth to be where of right it should be And a thing groanes when it is not in his proper place I desire not to be misconstrued in this hard point wicked men have a fivefold right to the creatures which is as good as nothing without the sixth First they have a civill right so Nabals sheep were said to be his sheep 1 Sam. 25. 4. And he was a theefe that should have stolne them from him A man is a thiefe before God and man that robs a wicked man Secondly a providentiall right that is God by his providence may cast the creatures in abundance upon a wicked man Thus we see wicked men have lands houses and great possessions corne and cattell c. God by his providence casteth them upon them Jer. 27. 5. God that made the Heavens and the earth with all creatures he distributes and disposeth of them according to his owne will Thirdly a vindicative right from Gods wrath they may be instruments of his wrath they may be able to execute the vengeance of God as in the sixth verse of the forenamed place Nebuchadnezzar was a wicked man yet when the Lord would have him to execute his revenge upon Judah for Judahs sinnes and rebellions against God to this end the Lord delivered up all the Cattell and all the Lands of Judah into the King of Babylons hand though in the end he vomits them up againe Fourthly a wicked man may have a creatures right a wicked man as he is a creature so he hath a creatures right to the creatures For one creature depends on another and helpes one another and all joyne to maintaine the life of man God hath commanded man that he shall not murther and therefore he is not to murther himselfe Wherefore when he is hungry he must not starve himselfe but must eate when he is dry he must not choake himselfe but he must drinke be he never so wicked Fiftly and lastly they have a filiall right to them for God will have his grace and the Gospel of his Son Christ to be offered unto them he will have the wicked invited to faith and repentance now this cannot be unlesse they should live they cannot be invited to faith unlesse they a naturall life and a naturall life they cannot have if they should have no naturall helps to uphold them therein Psal 115. 16. The Heavens aae the Lords but the earth hath he given to the children of men Chrysostome saith he hath given all the creatures to men in common I have given them my creatures here below that they might trust in me above that they may enter into the kingdom of Heaven at the last This is a filiall right when he that is not may be a Son of God therefore God will have the Gospell preached to the wicked Now if the wicked might not have the creatures how could they come to Church Alas you were not able to sit in your Pews and to heare the Gospell preached if you might not have the creatures But beloved all these rights are nothing without another right The creatures may groane in their hands these make their doome and damnation the greater and the bondage and misery of the creature the greater that the creature should help man to come to Christ and then he will not have him that the creature hath fed and nourished such a one that he might repent but he will not that the creature hath given him life light and strength to lead him to faith but he will noâ— believe O then the creature fetcheth such a groane as that it makes all the world to ring with it and God heares the groanes A wicked man hath no filiall right to the creatures they have no Son-like right in Christ they have a filiable right because they are invited to be his Sons and daughters but as long as they live in their sinnes they are none of his sonnes neither have they any filiall right Beloved mans first Charter is out of doubt lost by reason of sinne all the creatures are fallen by lapse into the hands of God the owner againe Now Christ is our chiefe Lord he is made the Heire of all things Hebrews 1. And the wicked that are not new creatures in Christ in regard of filiall right they are but incroachers and therefore every creature groanes in their fingers and every thing that they have groanes to be theirs their very meate groans in their bellies their sleep groanes in their heads their breath groanes in their lungs yea the very blood groanes in their veines and woe is them that they have not eares to heare these groanes Though God give them Tables and fill them with abundance yet he raines his fierce wrath and vengeance upon their meate while they are eating Job 20. 23. God will make them restore every creature they have they shall make restitution as oppressors of the poore
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 deaâ—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 heâ—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
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 Worthiâ—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
are most backward in Grace and this argues that the things of this life are litle worth even in respect of a mans selfe Secondly they are not able to free a man from any spirituall evill they may promise Freedome but when they come to the triall they will be like a broken staffe nay they cannot free thee so much as from an ague much lesse will they help in the day of the Lords wrath when the rich man shall be called to an account and the Lord will recompence every man according to his wayes So Prov. 11. 4. Riches profit not in the day of wrath True it is they may be as a wall of brasse to keepe of the evill of this world yet when the houre of death approacheth they cannot free from that when you are affrighted with the accusation of your owne Consciences and with the apprehension of Gods wrath when the Devill shall set upon you and all your friends forsake you shall the things of this life then doe you any pleasure no no. You will say to them then as Job to his friends miserable comforters are you all this argues their little worth For God wiâ—l not examine you how rich you have been but he will consider you as you have honoured him and as you have made good use of your riches if you have been faithfull you shall enter into your Masters joy He will not consider you as you are or have been in great Offices or places in the world but as you have been faithfull in them not as you had crouching and bowing to you but as you have faithfully and frequently bowed your knees unto the Lord in Prayer God will not account of you a straw the better for your wealth but he will passe sentence on you as you have used or abused your talent Thirdly they can give no content He that desires Riches shall not be satisfied therewith Eccles 5. 9. O but I desire but a competent Object living Sol. It is well done A little spring running Sol. from the head runnes shallow at the first but at the last many other falling into it it is become great so you may say you desire but a competency but the world comes on you then there is craving and having till your desires are as large as hell Habba 2. 5. riches make men sicke of a doggs disease what is that why doggs are alwaies eating but never satisfied so if a man immoderately love the things of this life he shall not be satisfied Lastly the things of this world are nothing worth because we have no assurance of them they are of no continuance they either leave us or we them doe you not see that after a man hath risen earely and late eating the bread of carefulnesse and hath gotten a little pelfe is he not thereof deprived in a moment of time Prov. 12. 27. The sloughfull man viz. the worldly man rosteth not that which he tooke in hunting viz. after all his travaile he is swept away and taketh not the profit of them Is not this then a worthlesse world but suppose it doe stay with you yet one day you must part with it Psal 49. 6 7. and you must carrie nothing with you naked you came and naked you must returne even like unto a Sumpter-Horse which carries all the day abundance of Treasure but at night it is all taken from him and he is put into a stable for his labour all the benefit he gets by the Treasure is he onely feeles the weight of it Even so many rich men are Sumpter-horses to carrie the things of the world who either for ill-useing or ill-getting them are put into a filthie stable viz. Hell and their pay is everlasting torment These things shew the little worth of this world Now you shall see that wordly men are little worth First it appeares that they are little worth because of the names and titles that the Spirit of God laies on them it calls them Sonnes of Beliall 1 Sam. 2. 12. Vile persons Psal 15. 4. Children of iniquity Hosea 10. 9. 11. a Reprobate stock John 8. 44. Children of wrath Ephes 2. Now if there were any great worth in them thinke you that the Spirit of God would not better stile them Secondly they are little worth in respect of their actions their best actions are but glittering sinnes Esay 66. 3. If they pray or heare c. God accounts of it no better then the sacrificeing of Swines flesh they stinke in Gods nostrills Esay 1. 13. If then the men of the world be little Vse 2 worth how doth this discover the madnesse and folly of men in these daies who so much mind the world no paines nor travaile too great or too dangerous to get the world naythey will hazard life and health even to the back bone to get the world goe to bed late rise earlie not caring if they lose both bodie and soule to get the world and when their Consciences are thus set on the tenters to get it they set their hearts on it and keepe it as their God Secondly let this informe our Judgements that seeing the world and the men of the world are so little worth let us judge of them no better then they deserve it is a false glasse or crooked rule that men goe by who judge themselves men of worth if they be rich and we use to say there is a man of good credit let us see our folly in thus judging I will discover it thus The things of the world are given to the worst men wicked men have many times the greatest share in them Esau hath foure hundred at his heeles when Iacob had but a few The Scribes and the Pharises sate in Moses chaire when as the Disciples of Christ were carried before the Rulers so for Riches proud Dives fared deliciously everie day when poore Lazarus was faine to snap at a crust so the false Prophets were fed at Jesabells table when Elias was in commons with the Ravens Now if the things of this life were of such great worth thinke you that God would keepe his children so sparingly with them no no they are but gifts of Gods left hand Prov. 3. 16. Length of dayes are in his right hand and in his left hand riches and Honour Instruction to teach us to take off our Vse 3 hearts and affections from pursuing the things of this life You see they are little worth doe not in affection love the world nor yet in action too much seeke the world but when Heaven and earth are laide in the ballance esteeme earthly things as dung in respect of Christ and shew your little esteeme of earthly things by your seeking them in the second place and Gods Kingdome in the first place Let wicked men account the things of this life as their summum bonum but let us be crucified to the world let us be as dead men to the world and the world as dead to
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
Another saith but I hope my time is not Object 3 past for the Lord hath given me a tender heart Hath he so it is well and wilt thou then Sol. harden it thou mayest repent when it is too late and ergo I tell thee that good and holy desires are joyned with honest endeavours neede makes the old wife trot as we say so a soft heart will make thee use all good and honest meanes Seeing that God strives with many and Vse 1 at last gives over goe thou home and blesse God that he hath not dealt so with thee it is enough that the Lord hath brought thee home to himselfe many may say with Paul I was a persecutor I was injurious c. 1 Tim. 1. 14. but I received mercy so thou mayest say the Lord knowes what a deale adoe he hath had with me this heart was as hard as the neather milstone but the Lord in some measure hath mollified it this heart was as proud as the devill but blessed be Gods name he would let me see it at the last goe home and say who am I and what is my Fathers house that the Lord hath brought me hither Oh that God should thus stoope to man the Lord hath stood and knockt thus many yeares and he might have given over but blessed be his name I have received mercie I lived under the meanes but that prevailed not with me the Lord sent such and such sicknes but that wrought not on me at the last I went to heare a Minister and me thought that Minister spake nothing but what he spake to me and then the Lord set conscience on worke and that affrighted me Looke to it the Lord will either breake thy necke or thy heart doe not thinke to goe to heaven by good meanings no it will cost thee somewhat more before thou come there Another time the Lord set on me and then I set on good duties I would have Christ to justifie and sanctifie me and blessed be his name he was not wanting unto me in any meanes the Lord make me thankfull c. I tell thee thou wilt be in deede and God shall have all let the voluptuous man have his pleasures c. what is that to thee so thou have Christ For the just reproofe of all such as are Use 2 yet in the gall of bitternesse and in the bonds of iniquitie there will come a time when God will strive with thee no more the old man thinks he hath time enough to repent in and the young man thinks he need not so much as enter into a Parley with godlinesse Esau went away when he had eate and drunke he esteemed not his birth-right I have heard some goe away with this resolution when they are married then they will live thus and thus c. suffer me first to goe bury my Father c. Master Minister you speake well I like your counsell but I have a rich Unckle and he hath no childe and I am likely to be his heire but he cannot abide a Puritan of all the men in the world and if I doe not humour him I shall never have a foot of his Land let me bury him first when Father and Friends are dead then the children must provide for themselves and then they will seek after God and repent and by this time they grow old and though they cannot make so good a shew as others yet their hearts are as good as the best but soft a while all is not gold that glisters alas poore soules they were given over many yeares agoe this is also the sinne of young men and women for the most part and this is the great sinne of England the sinne of many Gentlemen and Gentlewomen God must pardon when they call and that must not be till they be old and then in all post-haste send they to and for master Priest and he must bring God to them or them to God but the God of Heaven and earth cannot endure this mockerie For terrour to all wicked and ungodly men Vse 3 woe woe woe that ever they were borne that are thus given over and of these there are two sorts Some are insensible and some sensible The insensible are they who die like stones as did Nabal We have many King Harry Protestants Others are sensible God hath opened the eye of their soules and hath let them read the red letters of the Gospell It is a heavie thing for old friends to part so Acts 20. 38. They grieved most in that he said you shall see my face no more so when soule and bodie part it is heavie but when the soule and God part it is lamentable when God takes his leave never to be seene more then whether thou looke upward or downeward there is nothing but amazement and astonishment If thou looke upward there is the anger of God if downeward there is the bottomlesse pit if on the right hand thou shall see all his mercies which could not allure thee if on the left hand all his Judgements which could not terrifie thee if before thee the black day if behind thee the Devills this will be fearfull I remember a Storie of an adulterate woman her Conscience pricking her she determined to repent but God in the meane time did visit her so sore that she lay crying out oh my time my time Another time a covetous woman her House being on fire she to save her goods left her child in the Cradle but a neighbour of hers hearing it crie tooke it away she afterwards remembring her child ran about crying oh my child my child and would not be comforted So when the fire and indignation of the Lord breaks out if not now yet at the last day it will then the parties against whom it breaks will crie oh my soule my soule what will become of thee my soule It had been better I had never been born for neither Mercies Judgements nor the Word could allure mee oh woe is me Now the condition of such is miserable in three respects First because if God forsake thee then all forsakes thee when thou liest a dying thou sendest for the Minister and thou wouldest faine have a word of comfort from him but alas if thou dost not receive comfort from Heaven how can the Minister comfort thee If thy outward Estate faile Friends may help but if they faile there is a God in Heaven and he will help but if He goe away then all help is gone Secondly when God goes restraining grace goes this was Sauls case and you may observe that such as have been enlightnâ—d and fall away fall into one of these three sinnes either into the hands of the world and that is their Master or else into the sinnes of uncleannesse or into the spirit of Malice to persecute them that are holy Thirdly if God leave us then common protection leaves us we are left to the clutches of all things both in Heaven and earth Ergo
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