the Word of God which liveth and abideth for ever THis duty of love is of such use and we so untoward to it and so hard a thing for us to love as we ought that it s urged with a Reason True it is so and no more then needs for the spirit that is in us lusteth after envy The Reason is taken from the grace of Regeneration bestowed upon them They were born again and therefore were to shew the fruits thereof as in other things so in this of love Where might be noted 1. That such as are not born again cannot love no more then men can gather Grapes of Thorns or Figs of Thistles or pour Wine out of a Bottle full of Vinegar but as Grapes are gathered of the Vine so must love come from a Regenerate man not otherwise 2. That the Regenerate man must needs love therefore they that declare no love but hate their Brethren the people of God especially shew they be not born again nor of God But I proceed to the words Being born again Here 's occasion offered to speak of the grace of Regeneration Touching it consider briefly these particulars 1. What it is to be born again It s to be made new creatures to be cast in a new mold to have the corrupt Image of Sin which we have by Nature and wherein we were conceived and born put off throughout and the contrary good one wherein we were at the first created put on to have the understanding enlightned with distinct knowledge of God the heart bowed to the obedience of God c. new thoughts desires speeches actions In the new Creature all things must become new Thus it s done to all that were elect before the foundation of the world They are changed up and down from a good state by Creation to a bad in Adam from thence to a good one in Christ by grace here in expectation of glory hereafter For the wicked they are changed from good to bad and there remain the same but still worse and worse for ever we should give God thanks that made us so good at first be humbled to see our base and woful state now and seeing there is help never to be quiet till we recover our first condition 2. That the Lord is the Author hereof he takes away the stony heart and gives a new heart an heart of flesh It s his work onely nor Man or Angel can change the heart to work a deadly hatred of that which by nature we love as our lives and to love and take delight in those courses duties companies which sometimes were as a Prison Alas the best Paul and Apollos cannot often even of their Children or very Friends not a few remain unconverted though haply in the mean time God bless their labors to convert many others Yea if an Angel should take a man and carry him to Heaven and shew him the Joys thereof and thence to Hell and shew him the Torments thereof yet this would not convert him neither all Mercies Afflictions or Plagues of Egypt It s a great work of God and so great as if all things were not possible to him he could not do it It s a greater work then the Creation of the World In that there was no opposition in this much we have not onely no aptness to good or to be wrought to goodness but a violent opposition against it there but to make the things here both to put out the corrupt nature and to put in the contrary good then he made all of nothing now he makes good of nought As its easier making a thousand glasses then the setting together one that is broke so it was easier to speak quo ad nos for all things are alike easie to God to make the world then to repair the broken Image of God in man It s a miraculous work of God greater then any miracles that Christ or his Apostles wrought our Saviors several miracles upon the bodies of men are all done in the conversation of a sinner sight restored to them that were blinde and darkness it self hearing to the deaf speech to the dumb feet to the lame Devils cast out yea many for the Devil possesseth us and all our Parts and Members Hearts Hands Eyes Tongues Feet c. as any Captain holds a Castle and hath it at command Thus it s a wonderful work of God to see a mans Soul and Life his wit will desires affections and all altered from black to white It was a wonder to see the Criple go and for him that was born blinde to see but it s more marvel to see a man converted for whereas God gave power to work all these miracles the raising of the dead not excepted to men this of regenerating is his own onely If we finde it ascribed to Ministers as Paul is said to have begot Onesimus and as a Father the Corinthians we must not conceive as if it were not proper to God onely but know that it is for that God would keep them the instruments by whom he works from contempt A good Husband or Wife may be a good means each to other but have no power of themselves Adam could easily cast away himself but none could restore him but God onely as a Childe of half a year old may break a glass which all the men in the Town cannot set together again It s wrought of God by uniting us to Christ by Faith through his holy Spirit which works this alteration when pardoning our sins past he taketh away the guiltiness and punishment thereof in his death Let all that can prove it give all glory to God for so unspeakable a mercy even that when they were going headlong to destruction when as vile as any he yet called them passing by thousands which yet lie in their sins And for them that can prove no such thing let them not delay nor put off to the last as the fashion is as though it could be dispatcht in a trice or with a wet finger but seek it both earnestly and quickly in the means appointed Why do men think they shall repent on their death bed rather then now Is it because the pain or fear of death will make them Alas all the Plagues in the world cannot change a man without God and will God be near to work then Nay he that was rejected in health and life will more likely cast off in death and if he will not bless his Word will he work in the end by other means This is little better then Sauls practise to go to the Devil when God would not help him 3. That the Lords own will is the moving cause hereof As he Elected freely and gave Christ of his love so this Nothing in us could move him hereto but whom he elected before the world those doth he of the
ordained most men to destruction then is his justice greater then his mercy We must not measure his justice and mercy by the number of the one or of the other for if there had been but one onely saved it had been as great mercy as his justice in condemning the rest for if but one had been saved it must have cost the death of the Lord Jesus such was our misery Now what a mercy it was that the eternal Son of God equal with the Father and in whom he was well pleased should not onely abase himself to our nature but to our infirmities yea to sorrows and great indignities nay to death yea a cursed death O who can express this love It was a wonder he did not rather suffer us all to perish then his Son to endure the least of these Then he hath ordained the means of their condemnation namely sin and so is the Author of sin True he ordained and decreed that there should be sin in the world as he did of the fall of Adam but not as is sin and evil but as whereby and out of which God draws glory to himself and it was necessary that there should he evil in the world as well as good that a way might be made for setting out Gods mercy in pardoning some and his justice in punishing it in others but so as the Lord is no way faulty He ordained willingly to permit it as it hath respect of good in it but as no actor of it He put no evil in Adam nor any man but onely willingly permitted his fall c. 2. This should and may stay our mindes when we see any great Professors and men of excellent parts fall away It s no other then that an Hypocrite and one that never was sound nor elect of God is now discovered and let none that can prove their election be overmuch troubled onely walk reverently but never be dismaid with deadly fear They fell because they were not elect and you being elect shall be therefore sure to stand and thus our Savior comforts his Disciples That none was lost but Judas who was the son of perdition so did Paul the Christians notwithstanding the revolting of Hymeneus Philetus Alexander c. If it were not for this what a deadly fear might this breed in weak Christians to see those so far their superiors in knowledge and gifts to fall away Thus of the first The second is this That This was of his own will and for no cause out of himself for the Lord infinite in wisdom and holiness needs not as man to fetch the reason of his purposes forth of himself He will have mercy on whom he will have mercy and whom he will he hardneth He doth all things according to the counsel of his own will Is it not said O Israel thy destruction is of thy self and He that beliveth not is condemned and Except ye repent ye shall all likewise perish Cursed be the mouth that saith not so even that every mans destruction is of himself and his own just desert but we must put a difference between the decree of God and the execution of it God condemneth no man upon his bare will but his own just desert Sin comes in between the decree of God and the execution of his Decree as the cause of Damnation If then it be asked Why is any man condemned For his sin But why did God decree to condemn any Because he would As no man is saved but by Faith in Christ and Sanctification of life which yet is not the cause why God appointed him to Salvation but because he would so there 's none condemned but for his sin yet God ordained him not thereto because of sin but because of his own will If any ask further and why would he That a note too high for man or angel to sing but there in humility we must rest and not put the Lord to render a reason of all his decrees or doings which even princes will not do to their subjects he raised up Pharaoh c. even because he would get glory out of him and by his means This condemneth the Opinion of foreseen works good or bad as of this because he foresaw some would be bad and refuse grace he therefore Reprobated them c. but God loved Jacob and hated Esau not onely before the had done good or evil but before there was any thinking of good or ill If foreseen sin be the cause of Reprobation then on the contrary foreseen grace of Election but the Epistle to the Ephesians sheweth the contrary hereof Faith and Sanctification followeth upon Election as fruits thereof therefore go not before as any causes so do Infidelity and impenitency follow after Reprobation If foreseen sin had been the cause of Reprobation then we should all have been refused for he could not see us but all sinners But as the blinde man was not so born for his own or Parents sin but that the work of God in curing him by a Word might be seen so was it in this business Thus of the second The third is this That The Lord hath done this most justly His will is a rule of Righteousness and he can do nothing but most holily and justly Is there unrighteousness with God God forbid Though we cannot see into the justness of it yet we ought to acknowledge it The Sun may shine and that brightly too though a blinde man see it not Man was made holy and having free-will by his willing sin lost his state and still sins willingly It seems cruelty in the Lord to appoint most part of mankinde to Destruction He did it not as ayming at their Damnation but at his own glory which is more to be regarded then all the World And shall the Clay say against the Potter Why hast thou made me thus and thus may not he do as he list So may not the Lord get glory by his own creatures which way he will And do men for their pleasure hunt the Hare and Partridge or kill not onely Flyes and baser creatures but also Fowls with their grins in like maner appointing Sheep Oxen c. for the slaughter and shall not the Lord have as much Soveraignty over men the work of his hands we cannot make a Fly or Flea yea it s more reason that the Lord should be glorified if he would with the Damnation of all mankinde then that the killing of a Hare nay a Fly should serve to the honor or pleasure of the greatest Potentate of the world What if he had ordained none to Salvation who had had cause to complain Besides with what patience bears he with them and their blaspheming of him every day What marvellous benefits and comfortable good things bestows he upon them houses lands wealth health peace who might destroy and send them to
altered by that we are This is the end of all See Jonah 3. 5 6 c. Acts 2. 37. 1 Cor. 14. 25. Therefore they should as pray earnestly before that the Word may be made of force and efficacy so afterwards must their mindes run on the things delivered and their Prayers in their Families by themselves relish of the same But what neglect is there this way How few pray before and how many after they have heard suffer worldly business or pleasures to put out the same Oh! there is no such care that this precious seed should take root and fructifie we complain of our bad crops but not of this yet here there 's not onely a loss if it do not take root but it turns hurt by to every Sermon a step â—igher Heaven or Hell What Crop can we shew to God of all the Sermons we have heard we crave Gods blessing upon our bodily food how much more ought we on this Spiritual The God of all grace He is so called of the effect because he is the Author and Giver of all grace he is the Author of all that may be called good which may be divided into gifts and graces in this world gifts of all kindes as of body minde c. In him we live he makes the Sun shine on us c. also gifts of health strength beauty so of the minde as natural vertues also gifts to rule Kingdoms as to Saul so of Trades Arts Sciences nay of gifts yet higher then those knowledge understanding of the Scripture Prophesie Prayer yea extraordinary too as of miracles So is he also of graces which are such as accompany Salvation and he bestoweth onely on his Elect as saving knowledge faith peace of conscience joy in the Holy Ghost repentance love meekness patience c. Hence it is that sometimes he is termed the God of hope sometimes the God of peace sometimes the God of all comfort so here the God of all grace He gives every good gift and grace and not that onely but every measure of every grace the beginning continuing and finishing grace Whatsoever grace is in Saint or Angel is the gift of God either by Creation as to the Angels and Adam or sin by restitution What grace is in any man alive of what kinde or measure soever is onely of God for we are so far from having any of our selves that we have nothing but the quite contrary even Opposition and Rebellion none else ever did or can give grace The best Parents cannot convey grace into their Children by generation nor can the best Minister into any by preaching or counsel God alone is the giver hereof 1. Every one that hath grace in what measure soever must be humble and thankful acknowledging the same to be onely from God and giving him the praise thereof O be exceeding thankful for it that he hath given it to thee denying it to most and to thee as unfit to receive grace as the worst in the world and who didst no better deserve it then they that shall never have it and especially be thankful for it for the worth thereof one dram of grace is of more worth then the whole world it s the quintescence of Gods favor and like Pearls of great value in a little room A true humble heart in the sight of thy misery a little true faith in Christ and Sanctification with an hatred of all sin and care to please God in all things is worth a Kings Ransom and an honest upright heart careful to be be ruled by that it knows is better then all knowledge without this 2. Every one that is without it must endeavor for it Whether goeth a woman with her pot or pail for water but to the Fountain so must thou have recourse unto God there is grace enough in him and he hath it to bestow and it s his honor so to do But how shall we come by it the Well is deep God hath opened the Fountain of his grace in Christ Jesus and conveys grace by the Conduits of the Word Sacraments Prayer c. so that it s not lockt up in Heaven wouldest thou therefore have thine heart humbled and broken God can do the same come to him wait on him in his word for it would'st thou believe thy sins are pardoned through Christ would'st thou be changed and have thy heart altered to hate every sin to love whatsoever is good would'st thou have grace against thy strongest corruptions that thou could'st never master and do duties to thy thinking impossible as to love thine Enemies abide persecution for the Truth c come to him in the same word and by prayer he can do these things for thee Why then is the world so graceless seeing there is abundance in God It s because men see not their emptiness of grace and know not the worth thereof They desire Health Wealth Honor Pleasure true grace they regard not prize not O that men did see themselves woful naked Creatures without grace They would not then content themselves with any shadow of grace hearing profession a little restraint some few gifts c. but labor indeed for grace 3. The Servants of God that have obtained some measure of grace already should be provoked still to wait upon God for increase for he gives all grace the last as well as the first and the middle According therefore to our proceeding let us beg fitting grace of God Why are there all kindes and measures of grace in God and we have so little we beg not earnestly we open not our mouth wide that God might fill it we have not hunger-bitten hearts we prize not grace Who hath called us Another Reason to perswade himself and them that they should obtain this request of being confirmed to the end even because God had already begun with them and called them that is had pulled them out of the state of ignorance unbelief impenitency into the state of grace knowledge repentance c. Whom God means to save he calls them out of their sinful state to grace There 's an outward calling and there 's an inward calling This last through the operation of the Spirit going along with the outward means is made effectual as to Lydia This stands in three things enlightning the understanding to conceive opening the heart to believe and changing the whole man from that it was before not onely he calls them but awakens them not onely invites them to come but gives them an heart to come of this you may read Rom. 8. 30. 1 Pet. 1. 15. This is proper to Gods children and is the work of God none else can do it without this there 's no Salvation as those that have this shall be certainly saved this being a mark of their Election past 2 Pet 1. 10. and of their glory to come Rom. 8. 30. Let every man examine himself whether he be
Minister hath power to command the people being in the person of God and for their own good to flie from things hurtful and follow things profitable for themselves Paul might have commanded Philemon but being perswaded of his forwardness he rather entreated so must we as they that set in a joynt in a tender body stroke and stroke softly and anoint the place and so put it in the place ere the party be aware yet upon occasion we may both command and threaten as the same Apostle elsewhere and John the Baptist and our Savior himself as when we have to deal with stubborn and disobedient persons or such as have fallen into foul sins or are secure and dead-hearted or are revolters and backsliders then I say are we to deal more roundly and severely knotty logs must have many and hard strokes as a rough horse an hard rider when we have to deal with toward and well disposed tender hearted ones or afflicted then are we to deal otherwise and here is required the wisdom of the Spirit of God to discern what is meer and this must be considered of before hand Abstain from fleshly lusts Now of the matter of the Exhortation By fleshly lusts are meant not onely acts of sin breaking out in the body but the inward lusts that are in the heart though they should never break out for even the heart and soul is flesh as well as the body and fleshly even corrupt and sinful as the sinful lusts of unbelief impatience hardness of heart hypocrisie rebelling against that which is good weariness in well doing pride anger envy self-love covetousness uncleanness uncharitableness and the like These we must abstain from even labor against that they prevail not in us yea to subdue them quite Now in that he gives his Exhortation to such as they were whom he before described We may learn That There are remnants of sin abiding in the best of Gods Servants and will be while they be here They shall not lay down sin wholly till they lay down this flesh They are sanctified but in part through out but not perfectly corruption is not in one part and grace in another but grace and corruption joyned in every part and faculty of body and soul and thus it hath ever been Hence it is that we scarce read of any in Scripture but taxed for some infirmity and weakness as Abraham with some little shifting for himself when he said Sarah was his sister Sarah for her unbelief Moses for speaking unadvisedly Job for cursing his day Paul and Barnabas for being stirred the one against the other And this the wise and good providence of God hath so appointed for he could sanctifie us perfectly at the first but it s not meet for then righteousness should not come onely by Christ for if we were not onely perfectly justified by Christ as we are but also perfectly sanctified by his grace then might we stand before God with confidence and boldness in our own righteousness and need not to have the righteousness of Christ continually imputed to us Besides the Lord would hereby humble us that we should not be proud of any gifts or graces that he bestoweth on us more then we had or others have but be kept still humble when we see these corrupt lusts sticking in our nature which may more justly provoke wrath against us then our good actions procure favor as Paul lest he should be lifted up through the abundance of revelations had a prick in the flesh even Satan working upon his corruption and strongly tempting and as it were boxing him to humble him Therefore no man hath cause to be proud of any grace not only because he hath nothing but the meer mercy of God but also because if he consider he hath such remainders of sin still in him as if they be laid in the Ballance with his graces might be of more force to condemn him then all his graces to procure favor to him Further hereby we are held continually in exercise and made see our need of the Word Sacraments Prayer and the help we have one of another while we live 1. We are not to expect the perfection of any here though Gods Ministers are still to call on the people to grow towards it yet they must rejoyce even in their proceedings to it and bear with some weakness and wants and people must not think their Ministers can be perfect without blemish either knowing or suspecting some infirmity in them to esteem meanly of them or their Ministery or gifts so drowning all their graces God forbid It s well 1. We know no sin our Minister lives in 2. No corruption he yields to but that he is in strife with his corruption and counts it his burthen this we should cover with the lap of our love The contrary is in the world If a Minister have any imperfection though strived against by him and seldom or never shewing it self and have never so many good graces yet the same shall still be cast in his face and tost from one to another and all his gifts neglected and that oftentimes of those that live in soul sins or are an hundred times more foully overtaken of the same or some other Husbands look not for perfection in your Wives nor Wives in your Husbands thank God they be godly hating all foul sins and striving against corruptions look for these and cover them else lovingly help to cure them in time convenient but look on their graces some man that is himself carnal and hath a professing wife so narrowly views her as if he spy the least imperfection it s cast in her teeth as if she should be perfect though he be never so far off from perfection Let none look for Christians that profess the Gospel that they can be altogether without blame yet let none take up this as a good excuse and shelter for them yea say they It s true as the Preacher said to day which I liked well that we are all sinners some make themselves so holy and profess such zeal as if they were without sin or wiser then all their neighbors when they be no less sinners then others Well let not these carnal or prophane and civil persons think to scape away with this or be hid in the number of sinners and scape as well as others God will finde two sorts of sinners such as live and lie in sin indeed workers of iniquity and such as having been unfeignedly humbled and obtained pardon of sin and truly repented have yet corruptions which they hate and strive against and are heartily sorry when they have been at any time overtaken thereby and yet the world bless themselves herein What are not all sinners I pray yea and you shall have them that will dilate of any infirmity that a Christian hath and stretch it on the tenters when themselves are polluted with foul sins 2.
conversation may become wicked through the tradition of our Elders So among our selves if any be reproved for this or that they will answer It hath been done thus these forty years It was so ere you came and will be when you are gone If it be a wicked and unlawful custom why plead you for it It s more then time it were banisht it stinks because thus they did in darkness therefore we should so do in the light what folly were this They will not do so in worldly things as apparel dyet building They were wont to go in hose and stockings all of one and have no chimneys in their houses who will now do thus yet better retain those then bad and unlawful customs Holy women There hath always been a company of holy women in the world as well as of men and why not both were made after Gods image at first equally good and in the fall both are equally corrupt and the children of wrath and in the recovery have equal right to Christ to the Gospel to Grace to Sanctification and Holiness Men have no priviledge this way Grace had been as well bestowed on them as in the Old Testament on Sarah Rebekah Rachel Deborah Jael Hannah Naomi Abigail c. and in the New on the three Maries Elizabeth Lidia Dorcas with sundry others as on men Women also were as forward to maintain Christ to follow him to bury him and Christ after his resurrection first appeared to them Our own experience also Sheweth that in most Congregations women be as forward as men in frequenting the Word and Sacrament And why not 1. They are of a timerous nature and so more easily wrought upon by the Word and by Gods Judgements 2. They keep at home not seeing or hearing the abominations that be abroad 3. They have many crosses and pains sicknesses and Childe-bearings putting them in minde of death and drawing them near to God and so furthering their Salvation 1. This serveth to stop the mouths of such idle heads as take pleasure to disgrace women 2. It serveth to encourage women and to comfort them There have been ever good women women therefore must stir up themselves to encrease the number especially having more means then those had in former times And needful it is that there should be good women as well as good men 1. For their own sake who have souls to save or destroy 2. That there might be an holy seed to make up the number of the Elect good Mothers bringing up their children well and good Wives being helpers to their Husbands both in soul and body As for those women that be wicked unclean prophane and ungodly notwithstanding the fearfulness of their nature their keeping at home and their manifold crosses What would they have been if they had been men They would have been monsters and of such women-monsters Hell is as full as of men-monsters Note further That he saith not wealthy women fair women but holy women Here 's the ground of his commendation A little holiness is better then a great deal of riches and beauty That that is to be desired of a man is his goodness Beauty fades with sickness wealth hath many ways to take it away but grace holds ever to life eternal and commends before God Angels and good men Therefore when God threatned to take the wealth from the rich men of Jerusalem and gay cloaths from the women yet saith he will make them amends How Every one shall be called holy They shall so profit by their affliction as where it might have been said Yonder goes a rich man yonder goes a fair woman a woman in costly apparel now Yonder goes a godly man a vertuous gracious woman This is commendation indeed and for this we ought to labor that we may have our part herein Again He calls them holy though they were married Marriage hinders not holiness nor is single life more holy then it It s the holy Ordinance of God and the bed undefiled The gift also of continence and single life is sometimes given to carnal worldlings and prophane persons but denyed to Gods dear Servants by whom he will encrease his Church and Kingdom This condemneth the Church of Rome Oh they extol single life and disgrace Marriage as if it were a living in the flesh O their vile hypocrisie they would seem holy and yet maintain Stews openly yea some of them have written in defence of Sodomy and for Fornication and Adultery the infinite skulls of murthered Infants the fruit of their Whoredoms found near the Dens of their abode witness how unholy they are The Pope would be Peters Successor yet was he a married man Till God call us to marriage we are to live in single estate purely when we are married soberly and holily If we be single we are not the more holy or if married the less holy But how could they be holy in those days By Faith in Christ whereby their hearts were purified they severed from the world to the Lords use There 's no Sanctification no Salvation but by Christ Now Christ is more clearly revealed then he was in those days more holiness is therefore now expected all ignorant unbelieving impenitent and unholy women are in a fearful case especially considering the means The Lord will one day present these holy women Look you here here be women that in the dawning of the day saw Christ and you have lived in the Sun shine of the Gospel and have not believed He calls them holy though they had their weaknesses as Sarah had so that we are not to account those as not holy that have imperfections for God accepteth of Believers in Christ and pardoneth their imperfections This therefore correcteth the over harsh spirit of those which cry down our Church as unholy and a Synagogue of Satan and no Church because of some blemishes Our Savior did not so but more charitably calleth Jerusalem The holy City which indeed was the Church though stained with many blots of error and bad life It comforteth also those that be truly sanctified and upright in heart notwithstanding their imperfections and failings God accounts you Saints and righteous persons Adorned themselves c. Of those duties which they did perform I have already spoken observe we onely this how they came to do their duties thus he sheweth they were holy and godly women and so performed the same Note then that Wives cannot perform their duties aright unless they be holy no being a good wife till a good Christian no building of a godly life on any foundation but upon Faith in Christ Whoso would do their duties aright to Gods glory their own comfort and anothers good they must fetch and draw grace from Christ by Faith they that think to do otherwise build in the Ayr build that which will fall on their heads and which will never
will but either will live in all their sins or onely yid in what they list and so trample the precious blood of Christ undeâ—â—eir feet and despise the gracious offer of mercy One would think thâ—very man hearing such a gracious voice and offer of a Savior shâ—ld flie to it and that it should suffer violence every one saying O â—me embrace it let me as they did at the Pool of Bethesdai O â—t at the stirring of the water some might step in There might bâ—ne at once but here if an hundred would they should all be closed 2. O then me your benefit of the Gospel by yielding obedience thereto Belie and repent and then happy are ye that ever ye heard else you shall câ—t the time that ever you heard the Gospel O ungrateful world unhappy company It will vex them and encrease their torment â—ee that mercy was offered so often and yet they like woful caytiffs despise the same to obey the Gospel is the note of a good christian let appear by thy hearty obedience thereto that thou art such a one Verse 18. And if the righteous scarcely be saved where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear HE proceeds still in the foregoing reason taken from the comparison between the good and the wicked whereof the former though they have many troubles and afflictions yet they shall in the end be eternally blessed and saved in Heaven though with some difficulty the latter though they flourish and prosper for a while and many of them persecute the former yet they shall end their life with misery that cannot be expressed and have a fearful appearance before God on the last day If the righteous Servants of God get hardly to Heaven the wicked how glorious soever in this world shall never be able to appear in Judgement before God but in a most fearful maner which is not set down by a bare affirmation but by way of interogation for the greater force where there is comfort for Gods Children notwithstanding their troubles and the wickeds prosperity they shall be saved and terror for the wicked notwithstanding all their present jollity their end shall be fearful Speak we first of the position The righteous are scarcely saved then of the comparison if it be so where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear If the righteous Hereby we are to understand not such as be perfectly righteous in themselves and without sin for if there be any such as there is none they should not scarcely and with difficulty be saved but according to that do this and live easily and without stop Even the most perfect have not been without their own failings there was impatience in Job infidelity in Zachary c. not meant the righteous in their own conceits for these shall never be saved as for whom Christ came not nor such as having attained some common gifts as of knowledge to profess to reform some things c. seem to themselves and others righteous but yet are not so truly but as the seed sown on the stony ground and the house built on the sand but such as be truly righteous though not perfectly yet in some respect perfectly to namely 1. By the righteousness of Christ Jesus imputed unto them by Faith They that have their sins pardoned in his death and his righteousness imputed to them are truly righteous yea and perfectly too as ever they shall be in heaven 2. By inherent righteousness wrought in the hearts of Gods Children and Believers by the Spirit of Sanctification whereby they be sanctified throughout though not perfectly yet those God vouchsafeth to call righteous though they be but so in part and have remnants of corruption abiding in them yet they are so called from the better part as an heap of corn that lies on the floor though there be chaff in it and that much 3. For that they endeavor and daily labor after more righteousness as one is called a Schollar or by the name of the trade he is entred into though happily he can do but a little onely endeavors for skill and knowledge therein Of which elswhere 1. This setteth out the exceeding goodness and mercy of God that vouchsafeth thus to come and call such poor and sinful creatures as we be pestred with such a deal of blindeness and so manifest corruptions yet seeing he seeth an heart in us to hate them and suppress them he will not reckon of us after them and though we have but a little grace yet because it is true and of his own working that we have and that we would fain have more he accounts of us according to that we would be and not that we are 2. This is an exceeding comfort to Gods true Servants can we believe Christs righteousness imputed to us and feel we an universal and true change in us then may we rejoyce God calls us by glorious names Saints Holy ones Righteous let us not then be dismaid at our imperfections or corruptions which we labor to mortifie le ts not say with some because of them we are none of the Lords we have such sinful hearts c. Neither let us suffer the Devil to pluck our Crown from us or rob us of our comfort making us believe that we be none of the Lords as some few be thus in danger especially at first though many Christians make too light of their sins as long as God speaks so graciously let us not believe what Satan our adversary saith onely let us care to grow more and more in grace 3. This rebuketh those wretched mockers that reproach the Servants of God that labor to please God and dare not do as they O you be of the righteous you be so righteous c. Is not this right like Ishmaels mocking of Isaac O you be the Son of the promise you are the dainty one c. Such shall be shut out with Ishmael unless by repentance they prevent it Why say you thus because you think it to good a name for them Is thine eye evil because Gods is good what hast thou to do seeing God calls them so or is it because thou wouldst not have them so Yes but if thou beest not also so thou shalt never inherit the Kingdom of Heaven Scarcely be saved Hereby is not meant rarely or that but a few righteous ones shall be saved For whosoever believeth shall be saved and to every one that doth good shall be glory and honor and immortality and There is no condemnation to them or any of them that are in Christ Jesus Nor is it meant that there will be difficulty at the day of Judgement whether they should pass or no have or miss Salvation no for God knoweth who be his and their names be all written in the Book of Life and if they were righteous here and had the Spirit the seal of their Redemption and earnest of their Inheritance as they