THREE TREATISES Viz. 1. The Conversion of NINEVEH 2. Gods Trumpet sounding the Alarum 3. Physicke against Famine Being plainly and pithily opened and expounded in certaine Sermons By William Attersoll Minister of the Word of God at Isfield in Sussex IONAH 3.5.10 So the people of Neneveh beleeved God and proclaimed a fast and put on sackcloth from the greatest of them even to the least of them And God saw their workes that they turned from their evill way and God repented of the evill that he had said that hee would doe unto them and he did it not LONDON Printed at by Tho. Cotes and are to be sold by Michael Sparke at the blue Bible in Greene Arbor 1632. THE CONVERSION OF NINEVEH Wherein is declared on the one side the lively power of the Ministerie working Faith and Repentance in the hearers and on the other side the admirable effects of Prayer and Fasting calling backe the judgements of God threatned against sinners By William Attersoll Minister of the Word of God at Isfield in Sussex Mat. 12.41 The men of Nineveh shall rise in judgement with this generation and shall condemne it because they repented at the preaching of Ionas and behold a greater than Ionas is here 2 Cor. 10.4.5 The weapons of our war-fare are not carnall but mighty through God to the pulling downe of strong holds Casting downe imaginations and every c. Printed at London by Tho. Cotes and are to be sold by Mic. Sparke at the blue Bible in Greene Arbor 1632. To the Right Worshipfull Sr. John Rivers Baronet one of his Majesties Iustices of the peace in the County of Kent Encrease of grace in this life and addition of glory in the life to come Right Worshipfull HAving heretofore upon sundry occasions divulged sundry Bookes which are abroad in the world whereby J received much encouragement J resolved notwithstanding being now in yeares and as it were donatus rude Horat. lib. 1. epist 1. preparing for a nune dimittis utterly to give over and to enjoyne my selfe a perpetuall silence touching this kind of writing and to content my selfe with performing the other more necessary duty of teaching Neverthelesse being requested or rather importuned by friends to publish some things which had lyen a long time by mee whereof they doubted not but J had some store J delivered into their hands these two short Treatises both of one nature preached at such time as the heavie hand of God was gone out against us in Towne and Citie For after that he had sent forth his destroying Angel Psal 91.7 and that thousands fell at our side and ten thousands at our right hand and by his Majesties expresse appointment and commandment we were enjoyned weekly to assemble together for the practise of piety in the exercises of humiliation that the Lord at length might say It is enough 2 Sam. 24.16 1 Chro. 21.15 Stay now thy hand J thought J could not bestow the time better than to deliver and insist upon the doctrine of repentance which is the life of all our fasting albeit handled before by many that we repenting of the evill which we had committed he might repent of the evill which he had executed For what is all our praier but lip-labour and a sacrifice abominable in his eares or what is all our outward fasting and abstinence but meere hypocrisie which his soule abhorreth unlesse they be accompanied with faith in his promises and with repentance from dead workes Chrysost ad◠versus Iudaos or atie prima It was well said of Chrysostome long agoe against the Iewes Ne ita dixeris jejunant quin potiùs illud mihi ostendito eos ex Dei sententia jejunare quod ni ita fiat quavis ebrietate sceleratius est jejunium Let no man say to mee they fast rather let them shew that they fast according to the minde and meaning of God or as he hath ordained for unlesse they fast after this manner their fasting is farre worse than any drunkennesse no doubt because they abused the holy name of God and under a pretence of piety they practised all kinde of impiety And immediatly afterward Neque enim solùm considerandum est quid ab istis fiat verùm illud etiam observandum quam ob causam faciant that is we are not onely to consider the action what men doe but the affection is principally to be observed for what cause and intent they doe it It cannot be denied but the Israelites fasted and praied before they went to battell against their brethren the Benjamites Iudg. 20.23 they wept before the Lord untill even yet were they overthrowne and 18000. of them perished with the edge of the sword Some men may justly marvaile that the cause of the Israelites being good and of the Benjamites bad yet that they fell before the men of Benjamin yea albeit they fasted and prayed and consulted with God who should first beginne the warre Rogers upon Iudges pag. 921. But whatsoever men may object or mutter the Lord might dispose of the issue and successe of it without any injury to them that were overcome forasmuch as it is free for him to afflict and chasten his as it pleaseth him who hath alwaies just cause so to doe and among such as are supposed to be most innocent what man shall be able justly to say to him Why hast thou done thus Hee doth all things well neither can evill dwell with the Almighty whereas wee are corrupt and in our best workes defective Besides he would prevent the evils that hang about us and abate the strength of pride or some other sinne whereunto by nature he seeth wee are most prone yea he will make triall what patience faith obedience and thankfulnesse is in us whether such graces be in us or not True it is it is not directly expressed what the cause was why God gave Israel the foile and forsooke them in the day of battell But whether they did trust in their great armies and put confidence in an arme of flesh and therefore doubted not but presumed of the victory and prevailing over their enemies or whether they did it not in truth and sincerity because they did not as well pursue the men of Dan for their Idolatrie and forsaking of God Iudg. 18.30 31. Gen. 49.18 the fact being as horrible every way as the private injurie offered to the Levites Concubine It is most certaine they did not throughly repent as indeed they did afterward and prevailed when they were throughly humbled So then notwithstanding the goodnesse of their cause the greatnesse of their strength the consultation with God the practise of fasting and the duty of prayer yet may we still say as the sonnes of the Prophets in another case 2 King 4.40 There is death in the pot the want of true turning to God defiled and deformed all the rest This is the great and generall fasting not to abstaine from meat and
make mention and yet it was not priviledged from the judgements of God This teacheth that the sinnes of a nation or people or kingdome when they are growne to an hight both in the manner measure Doct. 3 doe cause the Lord to bring desolation and destruction upon that land When sinnes grow generall the judgements are generall When sinnes are generall and overspread a kingdome as a Leprosy doth the body then Gods judgements also are generall See this Gen. 6.5.7 and 18.20.21 and 19.24 Deut. 9.4.5 For the wickednesse of the nations the Lord did drive them out from before thee and 2. Samu. 24.15 2 King 21.12.13.14.15 Hos 4.1.2.3 The reasons Reason 1 First because the justice of God requireth that the punishments of sinne should be answerable to the sinne it selfe If the sinne once become common it is just with God that there should come a generall judgement also And albeit haply some few should repent and bee free yet it is no reason this should priviledge and exempt the rest and keepe away the generall judgement from them for hee that doth repent shall have a recompence for himselfe when notwithstanding a generall judgement as a violent flood shall sweepe them all away Againe when sinne is extreame it is reason that judgemēt also shoud be extreame when sin is at the highest it is reason that judgement should be at the highest and a generall defection of sinne must of necessity have a generall waight of judgement that when we have filled up the measure of the one God may fill up the measure of the other Gen. 15.16 Vse 1. Seeing this is true that God will bring desolation upon a land for sinne then have we cause to feare that the day of our desolation and of our mourning is not farre off For seeing it hath beene proved that wee are growne to the hight of wickednesse both in the manner by breaking all the bounds that God hath set to keepe us and also in the measure by adding sinne unto sinne then certainely in the next place what can be expected but that our land should mourne and destruction come upon us Hos 4.1.2 as paine upon a woman in travaile because there is no truth nor mercy nor knowledge of God in the Land but by swearing and lying and killing and stealing and committing adultery they breake out and blood toucheth blood And if God destroy his owne people and other nations and roote them out for the same sinnes that sway and swarme among us filling all places and abounding in all persons every where what can we looke for but that wee having the same weight of sinnes should also have the same waight of judgement God hath made us to drinke of as bitter judgements as ever any nation did onely this remaineth that as yet wee have not drunke the dregges we have not yet tasted the cup of utter desolation and destruction Now if God have gone thus farre with us and our sinnes are heaped up to a full measure pressed downe and running over why should not wee feare to drinke of utter desolation as well as any other seeing the same sinnes are to be found among us So then we see that the day of Gods visitation cannot be farre off by his course of Iustice and certainely it is the nearer because all feare is so farre from us and the land so full of security which being added to our former sinnes will be a great meanes to hasten his judgements Secondly it teacheth us notably who are the greatest enemies of a land and bring wrath upon it certainely the greatest enemies are those that bring the daies of ruine and desolation and mourning upon it It is not simply such as sinne for there is no man that sinneth not daily but such as commit sinne with an high hand breaking all the bounds and bankes that God hath set unto them continuing in sinne and adding one sinne to another These certainely are they that pull downe destruction upon a land It is true such persons are ready to accuse the Ministers of God and the faithfull of the land as Ieremy was charged to weaken the land and to hasten the desolation thereof and to be the troublers of the state howbeit they may answer these as Elijah did Ahab 1 King 18.18 I have not troubled Israel but thou and thy fathers house in that ye have forsaken the commandements of the Lord. Is the physition the troubler of the patient or the disease that is within him Is the law the cause of strife and contention or the malice and envy and emulation that is in men Is the watchman the cause of the approch of the enemy or the armour and munition and fortifications the weakning of a Citty No doubtlesse these strengthen the same and serve to keepe him out The Ministers of God are the physitions of the soule to cure the diseases thereof and the horsemen and Charets of Israel to defend it 2 King 2.12 13.14 and the word is the meanes to beate downe sinne which weakneth and wasteth the land till it come to destruction Lastly this serveth for instruction and admonition for all and every one of us If we have any love to our Countrey if we long after the peace and prosperity thereof or desire the florishing of our kingdome if we would not destruction to come upon us and it and if we would live in quietnesse the way is to take heede of adding sinne to sinne and prophanenesse to prophanenesse We account him an enemy and that justly that combineth and conspireth with another to bring him to destroy the land and undermine the state thereof so is he the greatest spirituall enemy that a State can have that followeth sinne with greedinesse and multiplieth one iniquity upon another The way therefore to prevent such judgements is to breake off our sinnes by true repentance which turne upside downe kingdomes Citties Families private houses and particular persons We wish to have our Citties flourish and our families prosper and our children to continue our names and memories after our departure but what availeth all this unlesse wee set our selves to worke holinesse and righteousnesse This is the onely way to keepe our State our Citties our townes our villages our families and our children from mourning and misery and to prevent the desolation and finall destruction of them To conclude let no man blesse himselfe because wickednesse overspreadeth the land as water doth the sea neither thinke that we may with more safety and security commit sinne because the land is generally wicked but let every soule and sinner repent him of his sinnes and not harden his heart because of the wickednesse of the times 5. So the people of Nineveh beleeved God and proclaimed a fast and put on sackcloth from the greatest of them even to the least of them Hitherto of the preaching of Ionah now followeth the effect thereof wherein consider two things both what the
Israel when they saw the wrath of God kindled against them the chosen men of Israel smitten down Iosh 7.8 the Canaanites to preuaile against them to cry out O Lord what shall I say when Israel turneth their backes before their enemies And when the people were smitten by the children of Benjamin with a greeuous slaughter they went up and came to the house of the Lord and wept and sate there before the Lord Iudg. 20.26 and fasted that day untill the even The third cause is Gods threatning to destroy for some generall or notorious sins reigning in the land crying unto God for vengance This moved these Ninevites to fast when Ionah the Prophet cryed out against them Chap. 1.2 because their wickednesse was come before the Lord. This is so urgent a cause that it prevailed with Ahab who by the instigation of wicked Iezabel sold himselfe to worke wickednesse for when he heard the fearful threatning denounced against him by the Prophet against his house he rent his garments put on sackcloth fasted 1 King 21.27 and humbled himselfe whereby he obtained a respit of the judgement a temporall reward for a temporal repentance The fourth cause is the calamity and misery of the neighbour Churches lying under the Crosse Psal 80.13 when the boare out of the wood doth waste them and the wild beast of the field devoure them to witnesse our communion of Saints and to shew a fellow feeling of their sighes and sorrowes that they also may doe the like for us This seemeth to be the cause of the assembly of the Congregation at Antioch they laboured mightily in praier fasting for the people of God dispersed among the Gentiles Act. 13.2.5 and specially for the poore Saints at Ierusalem persecuted through the cruelty of Herod Act. 12. The last cause why the Churches assembled in this manner was to crave a blessing from God when they did enterprize or execute any special work which highly cōcerned the church or cōmon wealth Act. 13.3 When the Church did lay their hands on Paul Barrabas they fasted and prayed cōmended them to the grace of God that he would prosper their ministery These were the reasons of such solemne assemblies And are not the same causes found among us Yes doubtlesse all of them presse us to the practise of this duty and call upon us for humiliation to move the Lord to shew mercy in these daies of trouble heavinesse Are not dāgers threatned on every side nay are they not already inflicted upon us Hath not the Lord a controversie against us for our common sinnes hath not iniquity the upper hand and is not godlinesse troden under foot And as for the miseries and desolations of the neighbouring Churches are they not in paine like a woman in travaile bring forth nothing but wind Psal 79.1.2.3.4 may we not say The heathen are come into thine inheritance thine holy Temple have they defiled and shed the blood of thy Saints like water that they are become a reproach to their enimies a scorne and derision to them that are round about them who say where is their God Lastly we enterprize great things how can we looke for a blessing if we crave it not with fasting and prayer doubtlesse this is the cause why we have no better successe in our endeavours because we trust in our multitudes munition pollicies and seeke not aright the God of heaven Let us come to the uses Vse 1 First it reproveth such as hold fasting to be meerly Iudaicall and ceremoniall a part of the rudiments of the Law which are shadowes of things to come and that it hath no use in the times of the Gospel And true it is this exercise had in it somewhat ceremonial and proper to the Iewes annexed unto it as one certaine and fixed day of the yeare Levit. 16. Levit. 16.29 Zach. 7.5 This shall be a statute for euer unto you in the seuenth moneth on the tenth day of the moxeth ye shall afflict your soules c. and it had sundry legal rites and facrifices annexed unto it But may we not say the like of the Sabbath is it to be holden wholly ceremoniall not to be obserued as moral because the day is changed and all the rites abolished together with the strict rest No doubtlesse there remaineth a Sabboth and holy day of rest for the people of God to the end of the world or else religion would soone perish out of the earth So we may say touching fasting true it is we find no setled time in the new Testament appointed and set apart to fast by the ordinance of Christ neverthelesse because the causes of fasting remaine which we noted before as great a necessity lyeth upon us as ever lay upon the Iewes when the like occasions shall be offered unto us that were offered unto them Now where the causes of the institution remaine there the things themselues must continue but the causes of the institution remaine therfore fasting it selfe must continue Be sides when our Saviour was blamed by the Pharisees Disciples the Disciples of Iohn because his disciples fasted not doth he exempt them vtterly from it discharge them from such practise as impertinent unto them No doubtlesse he only sheweth the unfitnesse of the present time Math. 9.15 but layeth a commandement upon them to do it afterward then shall they fast And they performed it accordingly Act. 13. Secondly it reproveth the Popish fasting to whom I may say as Paul sometime did to the men of Athens Act. 17.22 I perceive that in all things yee are too superstitious And indeed here is one mystery of iniquity The chiefe points of religion remaine in the Church of Rome howbeit in name onely not in nature in shew not in substance in appearance not in truth I may say therefore of them as Iohn doth to the Angel of the Church in Sardis I know thy workes Revel 3.1 that thou hast a name that thou livest and art dead They have the name of Christ of justification of the Scripture of prayer of faith of the Sacraments of repentance but they have set up a mock-Christ they have overthrowne his humanity and destroyed all his Offices they beleeve justification but it is by their owne workes they receive faith but it is nothing but a beleeving the word to be true which also the Devils doe they admit repentance but it is nothing else but penance and corporall chasticement they acknowledge the Scriptures but they have patched their Apochryphal additions unto them and their owne Traditions as unwritten verities to be of equall authority with them they use prayer but it is in an unknowne tongue they have the Sacraments but one of them they have defiled the other they have destroyed and turned it into the idolatrous and blasphemous Masse And herein lyeth the depth of Satan For if he should utterly have
them the lesse sorry they were for themselues These are like drunken men that dread nothing because all their wit is gone to discerne of danger or like little children that feare not the fire till they be burned Pro. 20.11 nor the candle till they be singed with it As Pro. 20.11 even a child is knowne by his doings whether his worke be pure and whether it be right Lastly it behoveth us to examine our owne hearts The trials of a true faith whether we have true faith or not But how shall we try and prove our selues let these be the trials First if our faith be not fruitlesse and barren but worke in us love and hatred joy and greefe hope and feare If this faith be in us it will make us that we shall not be idle or unfruitfull in the knowledge of our Lord Iesus Christ It will make to a â—ound in us both the love of God and our brethren and of good things and the hatred of evill both joy to see Religion florish and greeve to see God dishonoured both hope of everlasting life and feare to offend the everliving God That faith which swimmeth in the braine descendeth not to the bottome of the heart is no found faith but in shew and shadow onely a dead and counterfeite fâ—ith Secondly it is sound if it make us stand in feare of his judgments executed upon others like children that shake and quiver when the father correcteth any of their brethren nay of the seruants of the house so it is with the children of God they feare and lay it to heart when he chasteneth his Church or any of his own people nay the ungodly and prophane persons of the world they by and by looke upon themselues and examine their own wayes to see whether they be not guilty of the same sinnes 2 Sam. 6.6.7.9 This appeareth in David when the Lord in his anger smote Vzzah for his errour that he died by the Arke of God because he put forth his hand and tooke hold of it when the Oxen shooke it be feared God exceedingly that day What did he nor feare the Lord before Yes doubtlesse but exceedingly at that time when he saw a visible example of his wrath before his eyes and this also made him say Psal 19.120 my flesh trembleth for feare of thee and I am afraid of thy judgment This the Evangelist sheweth Act. 5. when Ananias and Sapphâ—ra were suddainly smittendown with suddaine death Act. 5.11 feare came upon the whole Church and upon all thâ—se that heard of it If it be the property of the child of God to tremble at his word Esay 66.2 Esay 66. as the heart of Iosiâ—h melted for feare at the hearing of the Iaâ—v 2 King 22. Because a reproofe entreth more into a wise man then an hundred stripes into a Foole Pro. 17. Pro. 17.10 how much more at his rods at his scourges and at the drawing and shaking of his glittering sword when his hand layeth hold on judgment like the child at the sight of his fathers rod So the Prophet Hab. 3.2 16. when he heard of the judgments of the Lord was afraid his belly trembled his lippes quivered at the voice rottennesse entred into his bones and he trembled in himselfe This feare of Gods anger is a worke of grace in the heart Thirdly if the feare of his judgments be an effectuall meanes preventing in us the feeling of them They that feare most now shall have least cause to feare hereafter and contrary wise such as feare least now when they are called to feare shall be suddainly overtaken with feare hereafter when they can neither prevent it nor avoid it Fourthly we may try the truth and efficacy of our faith if we can beleeve God on his bare word although we see not the performance thereof neither any appearance or likelihood thereof This we must consider in two respectes both of his promises and of his threatnings Touching his promises when we dare trust him on his bare word for the performance of them We say of some men we will trust them no farther then we see them or have some earnest pledge or pawne from them howbeit we must not deale so with God this is as much as not to trust him at all but our owne eyes and to trust our owne pawne not him But for us to trust him 2 Cor. 5.7 when he seemeth to go from his owne word or against his word even deny himselfe this is assuredly a true faith Thus it was with Abrahram when the Lord bad him kill his sonne his onely sonne even Isaac the sonne of promise by whom he looked to have issue in number as the Starres of heaven and as the sand by the Sea-shore he accounted that God was able to raise him up even from the dead from whence also he received him in a figure So it was with Iob H. b. 1.29 we must beleeve that God will save us even when he seemeth to goe about to destroy us Iob. 13.15 Thus we are taught to beleeve that he loveth us when he chasteneth us and frowneth upon us and maketh little shew of love toward us we must beleeve that he remembreth us when he seemeth to forget us Esay 49.4.15.16 And touching his threatnings we must beleeve them before they come The threatnings of God are manifold and evident The soule that sinneth Ezek. 18.5 Psal 68.21 shall dy the death Ezek. 18.5 and Psal 68. The Lord will wound the head of his enemies and the hairy scalpe of every one that goeth on obstinately in his sinnes But because we see it not presently instantly and immediatly performed the ungodly put farre from them the evill day and they live merrily and pleasantly thereby seeming to escape the scourge here Eccl. 8.11 as Eccl. 8. Because sentence against an evil worke is not executed speedily therefore the heart of the sonnes of men is fully set in them to doe evill These thinke God will be better then his word and that these threatnings are spoken onely to fray and affright men as scare-crowes do birdes to keepe them in awe not to bring them to ruine and destruction What are these but infidels who cannot beleeve that God will doe that which they see him not to do presently Here then is the worke of faith to beleeve that which may seeme to carry no likelihood of comming to passe remembring what Salomon saith Though the wicked live an hundred yeares and passe them all ouer in pleasure yet I know it shal not go wel with the wicked Eccl. 8.13 neither shall he prolong his dayes which are as a shadow because he feareth not before God The heathen do account it a point of mans misery above all other creatures that he alone is vexed with care and feare for the future but I account it a point of mans excellency and eminency above other creatures and of true Christians above
come Rom. 8. Rom. 8.18 2 Cor. 4.17 The griefe may be great but the glory will be greater For what comparison is there betweene a thing finite and a thing infinite Tell me my brethren how many stripes is heauen worth Nay what is a few drops of blood to the kingdome of heaven how much lesse then can a word or two of reproach be worthy of that glory Lastly from thence we may conclude that certainely the wicked shall not escape in the end howsoever they may for a time True it is the ungodly abuse his patience because sentence is not speedily executed against an evill worke Eccl. 8.11.12 therefore the heart of the sonnes of men is fully set in them to do evill but though a sinner doe evill an hundred times and his daies be prolonged yet surely I know that it shall be well with them that feare God which feare before him Hence it is 1 Pet. 4.17.18 that the Apostle concludeth the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God and if it first begin at us what shall the end be of them that obey not the Gospel of God c. So the Prophet Ieremy fortelleth the destruction of Babylon the rod of his wrath and assureth them thereof because he would chastice and correct his owne people can he then let them alone or shall they escape no doubtlesse for loe saith the Lord I begin to bring evill on the City which is called by my name Ier. 25.29 and calleth upon my name and should ye be utterly unpunished ye shall not goe unpunished c. When we see how God hath delt with his owne servants whom he tendereth as the apple of his eye as we see in the examples of David for his uncleannesse 2 Sam. 12.10.11 Psal 106.33 Luc. 1.20 2 Chro. 32.25 19.2 of Moses Aaron for their disobedience of Zachariah for his unbeleefe of Hezekiah for his unthankfulnesse of Iehoshaphat for his affinity with Ahab may we not be assured that he will visit with grievous plagues the rebellion of such as are strangers to him nay his utter enemies Nay his little finger in the latter end shall be heavier upon the reprobate then his whole loines have beene upon his owne deare children He chastised poore Lazarus in this life with penury and much misery while the rich man was clad in purple and fared deliciously every day but what was the end and issue of them both the poore man was carried by the Angels into Abrahams bosome and the rich man lay in torments in hell This made Abraham say when he desired to find some ease or release Lu◠16.25 Sonne remember that thou in thy life time receivedst thy good things and likewise Lazarus evill things but now he is comforted and thou art tormented Whose blood Pilate had mingled with c. the tower in Siloe fell and slew them The Galileans about their best actions are suddainly taken away by the sword when they thought themselves most in safety For where and when should we judge our selves more in safe-gard then when we are about the service of God and in the house of prayer And the Iewes that lay under the towre were pressed and crushed to death in like manner both examples joyntly shewing both that God hath many wayes and weapons to take away the life of men and to consume them at a suddaine and in a moment even while they perswade thēselves to be safe in a Sanctuary or priviledged place and to be without all feare of death or of danger This teacheth us Doct. God hath many wayes to take away many mans life and can doe it suddenely that the Lord hath variable and infinite wayes to take away mans life and it is offentimes suddainly taken from them even while they say peace and safety suddaine destruction commeth upon them There are two points to be marked in this doctrine and both offered unto us in these examples the first is the variety and manifold meanes the Lord hath in store to cut off our dayes the second is the uncertainty of our life which is soone gone and taken away Touching the variety read Deut. 28. Deut. 28.20.21.22 c. Ezek. 14.13.15.17.19 where the point is handled at large See Ezek. 14. When the land sinneth against me by trespassing grievously I will stretch out mine hand against it and will breake the staffe of bread and will send famine upon it I will bring a sword upon the land and say sword goe through the land and cut them off I will send the pestilence into the land and poure out my fury upon it to cut them off What should I speake of the overflowing of waters Gen. 7.4 of the violence of fire Gen. 19.24 Psal 106.18 of the opening of the earth Numb 16.31.32 of the stinging of Serpents Numb 21.6 of the eating of Wormes Act. 12.23 of the destroying of the destroying Angel 2 King 19.35 and what not Nay he can make the meanes and instruments ordained to preserve life to be meanes to shorten our life And touching the second point to wit the suddainnesse of death and the uncertainty of our life nothing appeareth more evident though we be active young strong fresh lusty and beautifull and promise to our selves many dayes and yeares yet our life is fraile and speedily gone Iob. 14.1 Psal 49.11.20 1 Pet. 1 24. Luc. 12.20 Act. 5 5.10 Eccl. 9.12 The reasons first for the variety Reas 1 Esay 7.18.19 he is the Lord of hostes and hath every creature as his servants and souldiers even a royall army or campe to employ them if he bid them goe they goe if he bid them come they come if he say doe this they do it We see this in the plagues of Egypt Psal 105.31.34 Psal 105. He spake and there came diverse sorts of flies and Lice in all their coastes he spake and the Locustes came and Caterpillers and that without number c. Secondly for the suddaine fading and vanity of our dayes the Scripture expresseth it by comparisons to shew the shortnesse thereof Hence it is that our life is compared to the swiftnesse of the weavers shittle Psal 103.15.16 Iob. 9.25 7.6 to a wind that passeth away to a swift post that tarrieth not long in one place but soone departeth to an other to a Flower of the field which quickly wasteth and withereth to a shadow which easily vanisheth 1 Chro. 29.15 Iob. 8.9 Psal 90.4.9.109.23 2 Sam 14.14 Iob. 13.28 to a vapour that appeareth for a little time and then vanisheth away Iam. 4.14 The Prophet Dauid compareth it to an hand-breadth and to vanity and what is lighter then vanity to a watch in the night to a tale that is told so that our life is soone gone and we fly away and we are carried away as with a flood to water spilt on the ground which cannot be gathered up againe and to a garment that
Apostle plainely declareth Iam. 4.4 that the friendship of the world is enmity with God but these spirituall adulterers and adulteresses as he calleth them will have no enmity at all betweene them but will have the friends of God and the world shake hands and kisse one another The Prophet asketh the Question Amos. 3.3 Can two walke together except they be agreed that is they cannot but these answer otherwise they can walke hand in hand together or else they must needes confesse they are themselves at an agreement with hell We must learne to avoyd these sinfull practises know that danger alwaies commeth to the better part by the evill seldome or never any good to the worse sort For when the good and bad are ioyned together the evill man is hardly made better by the good but he that is good is rather corrupted by the evill It is an easie thing to defile and make uncleane but the a matter of great difficulty to clense and purifie And the reasons are first because the wicked are wholly carnall and a lumpe of flesh and runne one way without any resistance Why the wicked sooner corrupt the godly then the godly can correct the wicked but the Godly are onely in part spirituall and regenerate the wicked therefore being altogether unregenerate are but as one man so that they draw and pull the Godly with all their might and with full swinge of will whereas the Godly being partly carnall and partly spirituall as consisting of two men have their power and strength divided the flesh drawing one way and the spirit another and consequently cannot have such force and vertue Againe the ungodly are as men that runne downe a steep hill or swimme downe a swift streame and therefore if they catch hold on us or we one them it is a thousand to one but we are carried smoothly away with them on the other side the Godly are as men that climbe up an high hill or that swimme up against the streame and therefore must put to all their strength and yet they creepe but softly forward because the flesh striveth to carry them another way Moreover besides that the ungodly are apt of themselves to infect and corrupt we must consider that we are by nature apt to be corrupted and to receive infection as when fire and tow meete together Psal 106.34.35.36 Thus it was with the Israelites as the Prophet teacheth They did not destroy the nations concerning whom the Lord commanded them but were mingled among the beathen and learned their workes and they served their Idols which were a snare vnto them Such then are justly condemned that thinke they may have usuall and familiar company with prophane persons a rash presuâ—ptuous desperate course whereat they dash themselves as against a rocke and suffer shipracke both of soule and body Secondly observe that many others of all sorts doe fare the worse both in soule and body for the wickeds sake who are disobedient to God We see this evidently in Lot living in Sodome Gen. 13. He was first allured to so journe there by the richnesse and ranknesse of the soile when he saw all the coast fruitfull as the land of Egypt and beautifull as the garden of Eden Gen. 13.10 14.14 he made choise to inhabit there but what followed First he was taken prisoner in the sacking of Sodome and his goods made a pray to the enemie so that he lost both his substance and himselfe yea after he was recovered againe by the strength and power of Abraham out of their hands and returned together with the Sodomites 2 Pet. 2.8 they vexed his righteous soule from day to day by their unlawfull deedes but was this all no he ranne into a greater danger for it had well neere cost him his life had not God beene mercifull unto him and pulled him as a brand out of the fire Amos. 3.12 or as a sheepheard taketh out of the mouth of the Lyon two legges or a piece of an care See this yet farther in the example of the Israelites going to battel against their enemies the host of the Lord could not prosper or prevaile but turned their backes and fell by the edge of the sword so long as Achan was among them the Lord said I will not be with you any more Iosh 7.12 except ye destroy the accursed from among you Numb 16.26 1 King 22.22 2 Chro. 20.37 But when he was taken out of the way then they had the upper hand See more in other places The wicked oftentimes speede the better for the righteous seeke so did Laban for Iacob Gen. 30.27 So did Potaphar for Ioseph Chap. 39.3 so did the passengers in the ship for Paul Act. 27.24 Yea God would have spared Sodome and not destroyed it if ten righteous persons had beene found in it Gen. 18.32 but the faithfull evermore speed the worse for the society of the wicked Thirdly it is our duty to come out from among them and not to be unequally yoked with them to be separated from them and to touch no uncleane thing then he promised to receive us to be a father unto us and to account us as his sonnes and daughters 2 Cor. 6. 2 Cor. 6.17.18 For certainly they are very pestes and they have plague-sores running upon them Nay no sicknesse so contagious and noysome as sinne and the sinners are We shunne infected persons and places for feare of bodily harmes but let us learne to shunne prophane and wicked persons and places no lesse nay rather much more The other may corrupt the body but these endanger the soule here the commandement of our Saviour taketh place Math. 10.28 feare not them so much which can but kill the body and doe no more but feare especially those things and persons which will be able to cast body and soule into hell fire I say unto you feare them They are like to the spreading leprosie which beginning in one house proceedeth to another untill it have infected the greatest part of a towne or City or as the Lepers that were were put apart for feare of their infection Psal 119.115 Therefore the Prophet saiâ—h Depart from me yee evill doers for I will keepe the Commandements of my God 1 Cor. 5. and the Apostle Purge out the old leaven that ye may be a new lump and afterward put away from your selves that wicked person Lastly it is the duty of all such as have the oversight of others to looke to their charge that they foster not nor entertaine those within their gates or jurisdiction that are knowne wicked persons they will infect and poyson the rest One scabbed sheepe will annoy the rest of the flocke Psal 101.3.4.6.7 This made David to say I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes I hate the worke of them that turne aside it shall not cleave to me I will not know a wicked person he
Master it is joyned with open contempt of him no marveil therefore if disobedience to God be also a contempt against God as the Prophet saith If I be a Master where is my feare saith the Lord of hostes This teacheth that doubtlesse many stand guilty of a multitude of sinnes which they never thought of Vse 1 neither once dreamed upon Many men happly will grant there is some conscience to be made of committing evill who never thinke it a sinne to omit a good duty Such will confesse it a sin to worship a false god but never consider they are commanded to vnite their affections to the true God to trust in him to beleeve him to love him to feare him and to depend upon him that it is an heinous Crime to pray to a strange God or to Saints and Angels or to bow downe to an image who regard not to worship God in truth and sincerity and to call upon him in the day of trouble Many will refraine from working on the Sabbath day and prophaning it by riding about their businesse or running after their sports and pastimes they would be loth to doe these but in the meane season how doe they sanctifie and keepe it holy when they care not to heare the word or to performe publike and private duties of religion upon it We must all give account at the great day of the Lord as well what good we have done as what evill we have done That good governour of the people Nehemiah desired the Lord to remember him concerning the good deedes which he had done for the house of his God Neh. 13.14 It had beene small comfort to him if he had onely done them no hurt and gone no farther for so much might be said of an image or of the bruit beast but his comfort was he had endeavoured and employed himselfe to doe them good And how did Obadiah shew his religious heart in the dayes of persecution toward the Lords Prophets what did he rest in this that he had done them no hurt No 1 King 18.13 he did an hundred of them by fifty in a cave and fedde them with bread and water Or how did Rahab the harlot testifie her faith toward the spies that were sent to search the land did she content her selfe to offer them no injury and to bewray them or deliver them into the hands of their enemie No doubtlesse she was justified by her workes Iam. 225. Heb. 11.31 when she had received the messengers with peace and had sent them out another way But the religion of most men in our dayes is a negative religion they have little positive you may sooner obserue what they doe not Gal. 6.10 then understand what they doe We must obserue the rule of the Apostle As we have opportunity let us doe good unto all men especially unto them who are of the houshold of faith Secondly it reproveth such as content themselves with idle shewes and appearances of obedience and sincerity It will not serve our turne to be Christians onely in outward profession if we be fruitlesse and faulty in conversation It is not enough to make us sound Christians to come to Church to be at prayers to heare the word and receive the Sacraments when we yeeld no fruit of obedience as if it were sufficient that the fig-tree were planted in the Vineyard albeit it bare nothing but leaves Psal 1.3 but we must be as trees of righteousnesse planted by the rivers side which bring forth fruite in their season True it is the Church hath alwayes had such painted Sepulchers or gilded tombes outwardly as the Iewes that had the Temple of the Lord alwayes in their mouthes who yet remained wicked and prophane persons in their lives The sound Christian is not discerned by the leaves of outward appearance but by the precious fruits of the spirit not by his profession but by his practise and they are the true Israelites which are so within whose praise is of God and not of men The fig-tree had leaves good flore which were seene a farre off Mar. 11.13 and seemed to promise great store of fruit but when Christ drew neere and looked for fruit found none he said Never more fruit grow upon thee Let us take heed in time of such a wofull sentence For may not Christ Iesus trow you finde store of such fruitlesse fig-trees in this Vineyard of his nay when he commeth to looke upon his Vineyard will it not be a rare thing and an hard matter to see a fig-tree with any fruit upon it Nay are we not for the most part come to this passe that we have scarce any leave at all to be seene that a man may take a Candle and search for leaves and yet find none upon them This is the state and condition of sundry among us how neere are such to the curse and to be burned up which have neither fruit nor leaves neither substance nor shew neither body nor shadow neither truth nor appearance but openly and evidently make plaine Demonstration of wild and wicked fruit Deut. 32.32.33 their grapes are grapes of gall their clusters are bitter their wine is the poison of Dragons and the cruell venime of Aspes Such shall never be suffered to remaine within the Vineyard the axe is laid to the root of the tree to cut them downe Thirdly this checketh and controlleth the slanderous mouthes and pennes of the Romish Church opened wide and enlarged against our doctrine which they knew not or will not know who beare the world and their ignorant Disciples the multitude in hand that our religion destroyeth good works Math. 5.16 whereas we call upon the people to bring forth the fruits of the Gospel and to let our light so shine before men that they may see our good workes and glorifie our father which is heaven Nay we teach a necessity of good workes as well as they to be in all true beleevers that they which have beleeved in God might be carefull to maintaine good workes these things are good and profitable unto men Wherein then lyeth the difference between us they teach them to be the causes of our justification we that they be lively fruits and effects of faith they doe not goe before him that is to be justified but they follow him that is already justified they are not necessary in the act or office of justification but they are necessarily required to be in every justified person Lastly let us all be provoked to the diligent practise of good workes No man must thinke himselfe exempted or priviledged from good workes albeit he be never so poore or simple The most sort post over this duty from one to another and thinke when we call for good workes it is a doctrine that toucheth onely rich men and such as have the wealth of this world at will and none other as if there were no good workes of charity that did deserue the
member thereof being fallen from that faith For neither did that Roman Church beleeve as this doth neither yet this as that did as it were easie to shew by sundry particulars But to leave all these the Iewes the Donatists the Anabaptists the Separatists and the Romanists that thus restraine the Church on the other side there are others who pull up the fence and digge downe the wall wherewith it is fenced and defended and lay it out as common ground and set it wide open to the beasts of the field Now they stretch it too wide and extend it too farre who will have all men saved in their religion whatsoever it bee true or false so that they bee zealous and serve God with a good intention and devotion These erre on the contrary part who lest they should seeme to condemne any rashly they proclaime a generall pardon and offer salvation unto all They see and confesse that there are manifold contentions touching faith and religion but because all ayme at one and the same end and desire both to serve God and to bee saved by him therefore they hold that their error and ignorance shall be no hindrance or impeachment unto them This perverse and peevish opinion is very plausible and well-pleasing to flesh and blood and to the politicke wise men of the world and therefore findeth many followers the ground whereof they take out of the Words of Christ There shall bee one Shepheard and one Sheepfold But this he understandeth not of all men generally but of the Elect onely or sheepe gathered of Iewes and Gentiles whereby he represseth the vaine boasting of the Iewes who presumed that they were the Children of Abraham and that the promises of salvation belonged to themselves alone These doe indeed pretend devotion and thinke it enough to serve God with a good intention howbeit neither are they devout neither yet have they any good intent For how unreasonable is it once to imagine that God will be pleased with good intents that saith by the Prophet Who required these things at your hands Esay 1.12 or as though the Church were a kennell of Dogs or a stye of Swine or a den of wilde Beasts which receiveth a mixture or confusion of all sorts without difference or distinction If God be God we must follow him alone there is no dallying with him nor halting betweene two opinions 1 King 18.21 and if the Scripture be the Word of God inspired by him we must follow the direction thereof The Christian religion is the onely true religion Acts 4.12 there is no name under Heaven whereby wee can bee saved but by Christ Iesus the Lambe slaine from the beginning of the world Revel 13.8 neither is there salvation by any other then through him alone Now concerning the reason that Christ useth in this place it is indeed contrary to carnall reason and seemeth rather to destroy that which he would perswade then perswade that which he would destroy For he sheweth in this place to whom he maketh this dehortation even to his little flocke whereby he may seeme rather to discourage them then to encourage them and to worke distrust and infidelity in them then to draw them from their feare forasmuch as the reason standeth thus Feare not Wherefore Because yee are a little flocke If a Captaine should say thus to his Souldiers Yee are a little Army and your Enemies are many therefore feare not their feare neither be yee discouraged what comfort could bee gathered by such reasoning But God useth not reasons according to mans reason his Workes are contrary to the wisedome of men Iohn 9 6. as Christ cured the blinde man by making clay of the spittle and by anoynting his eyes therewith Thus also are his arguments his promises his threatnings and his punishments oftentimes contrary to humane understanding Wee are ready to judge them to bee no promises which notwithstanding are great and precious promises if we consider of them aright As for example Psal 89.32 Psal 89.32 If thy children forsake my Law then will I visit their transgression with the rod but my loving kindnesse I will not utterly take from him and this God would doe in mercy 1 Cor. 11.32 as 1 Cor. 11. that we should not be condemned with the world So Davids afflictions were medicines and blessings unto him and as a precious balme Psal 119.67 71. Againe wee many times suppose those to be no threatnings nor punishments at all which neverthelesse are deepe and grievous judgements as Hos Hos 4.14 4.14 I will not punish your daughters when they commit whoredome Where he threatneth to let them alone so that he will not punish them but suffer them to run on without punishment that thereby hee may punish them the more sharpely and irrecoverably His hand is most heavy when it is thought most light and he striketh us with a deadly blow while we are sencelesse and feele nothing Thus the wound is deepest when it is not seene at all These doe seeme paradoxes to naturall men And as sometimes he will not punish that he may punish so sometimes hee will blesse that he may not blesse Thus no punishments become punishments and blessings become no blessings but curses upon us These considerations may seeme paradoxes and strange positions to naturall men Psal 92.7 Mal. 2.2 but the regenerate understand them well enough and feele the truth of them by experience and wonder at the unsearchable wisedome of God and tremble under the stroke and deepe judgement of his right hand upon the world To escape scotfree whiles other men smart for their sinnes the most sort interpret to be no punishment at all but rather a speciall priviledge and notable blessing howbeit such shall know and feele in the end to their eternall woe and destruction that it had beene a thousand times better they had lyen under the rod and beene chastened of the Lord all the day long For as it is said of an earthly Father Prov. 13.24 19.18 Hee which loveth his child chasteneth him betimes Prov. 13.24 and 19.18 so it is with God those whom he loveth he also chasteneth betimes Heb. 12. which made David say Psal 119.67 71. It is good for me that I have bene afflicted that I might learne thy Statutes because before he was afflicted he went astray In like manner the reasons that the holy Ghost useth in his Word are not like our reasonings as his thoughts are not like our thoughts neither his waies like our waies If we consult with flesh blood we shall never allow this for a strong and a substantial reason Ye are a little flock therefore feare not but rather conclude the contrary therefore feare Wee would rather argue on this manner as they did in the Prophet Ezek. 33.24 Wee are many therefore feare not Ezek. 33.24 Wee are wealthy therefore feare not We have many friends therefore feare not Wee
we have a lively and sensible feeling of the same while we live at ease and in prosperity Iob 29.6 while we wash our steps in butter and the Rocke powreth out rivers of oyle shall we call this a true faith Tit. 1.1 The faith of the Elect to make shew of many good things in us so long onely as God bestoweth good things upon us and no longer but if he once change our estate to be ready to repine against him and to rent him in pieces like mad Dogs that flie in their Masters face This rule ariseth from Satans false measuring of the practice of Job Iob 2.5 Chap. 2.5 Put forth thine hand now and touch his bone and his flesh and he will curse thee to thy face This is contrary to the application of Gods servants who when he doth afflict them and his hand is most heavy upon them even then they sticke fastest unto him as the Traveller that claspeth his cloke closest unto him in blusterous windes and stormy weather The hypocrites will doe this in time of prosperity onely whereas in trouble and persecution they fall away and are offended Matth. 13.21 Lastly this is comfortable to every one that is able though it be with much weaknesse and with many infirmities A vveake faith applieth as truely as the strong faith to apply in particular the promises of God to himselfe These may be comforted yea these onely for they shall be sure to finde God gracious unto them in the end If they be stung they shall be sure to be healed because they are able to looke up to the Brazen Serpent that God had commanded to be shewed If they be hungry they shall bee satisfied and saved because they can in part apply Gods promises to themselves It is a rule that the Civilians have that mine is better then ours so we say in this case of faith for a man to say by particular application Christ is mine is better then to say in generall Christ is ours or others and God is my Father then to say he is our Father or their Father Neverthelesse we must not on the other side be discouraged to thinke or to feare wee doe not beleeve when indeed we doe beleeve True it is unbeleevers doubt and true beleevers doubt and yet there is great difference betweene the doubting of the one and of the other The hypocrites or temporary beleevers are like a man that is in a dreame Esay 29.8 that thinketh hee eateth and behold when he awaketh hee is hungry that thinketh he drinketh and behold when hee awaketh he is thirsty that he enjoyeth many good things and when he awaketh he is disappointed and findeth no such matter Or like one who being in a deepe sleepe supposeth he holdeth somewhat in his hand and that he claspeth and gripeth it so fast that none shall be able to wring it or wrest it from him by any meanes howbeit when he awaketh his hand is empty and he perceiveth plainely he hath nothing at all in it So doe all temporizers they have many a pleasant dreame they thinke verily they have true faith when indeed they have nothing lesse they are without the feares and terrours and tremblings that Gods Children doe often even in their best meditations finde in themselves whom Satan will not suffer to be quiet If any aske How commeth this to passe Obiect that the true beleevers should thus doubt and stagger and the unbeleevers no way so much distressed may not the state of these seeme to be much better then of the other I answer This ariseth from sundry considerations Answ Sometimes the effects of Gods grace are not so lively in them as formerly they have beene as we might easily shew in the examples of Job of David and of divers others that we might learne to walke by faith 2 Cor. 5.7 and not by sight or feeling Sometimes the heart of man too full of corruption will cast forth doubts as the Furnace doth sparkles concerning his faith seeking as it were to throw mire and dirt in the face of his faith and sometimes Satan is ready to interrupt us and to hinder the course of our beleeving because he is evermore an enemy unto us For the life of a Christian is like the daies of the yeere one while the daies are very faire another while they are full of clouds of stormes and of showres So a man that doth beleeve shall sometimes finde all faire as when the Sunne shineth in his strength and have a long time of breathing and gathering new strength lest he should be swallowed up with over-much heavinesse For as God will not suffer the rod of the wicked to rest upon the backe of the righteous Psal 125.3 lest he should put forth his hands to iniqiuty so he will not suffer the tentations of Satan to dwell evermore with him and to continue upon him lest he should be discouraged and dis-heartned Sometimes againe whiles stormes and tempests of doubting are raised and the waves and floods of infidelity threaten to drowne or at least to shake the foure corners or pillers of the house that it may fall downe and we are like a troubled Sea Iob 7.19 we have not leisure so much as to swallow our spittle this falleth out lest we should grow secure and that he might draw us or drive us thereby neerer to himselfe Then the Sunne hideth his face in a cloud then we are full of wavering Notwithstanding this may bee no matter of discouragement but rather of much comfort and encouragement forasmuch as this is a token of true faith and God doth it for these ends to make us more certaine of our faith afterward to cause us to lay better hold on the promises of God and to finde more joy in them at the latter end Good pleasure Here is the third branch of the promise noting the ground thereof not the free will of man but the good pleasure of God From hence are all good things conveied unto us This is called in holy Scripture His grace his mercy his love his kindnesse his purpose his will the purpose of his will the good pleasure of his will and such like all of them pointing out the supreme and highest cause of all the good meant toward us and bestowed upon us Doct. 9 This teacheth that the good pleasure of God is the fountaine of all good gifts and graces whatsoever His free love and favour is the first and principall cause of all blessings externall internall eternall This Moses sheweth Deut. 7.8 The cause why the Lord brought his people out of Egypt with a mighty hand and redeemed them out of the house of bondmen and from the hand of Pharaoh was because he loved them Deut. 7.8 Revel 1.5 Luke 2.14 This is the saying of the Angels after the birth of Christ Luk. 2. Glory to God in the highest on earth peace good will toward men The Apostle James teacheth