Now consider what is the reason that every man for the most part serves other things and not the Lord it is because they think they give better wages then God doth you think you shall fare the better if you serve such a man you think your riches will do you a better turn then if you should fix your eyes onely upon God you think your credit will do you more good then if you served the Lord you think your lusts will give you more content then if you applied your self wholly to Gods service Therefore if you would amend this fault draw your hearts from the creature to the creator and consider that he is exceeding merciful that he is rich in mercy you shall not lose your labour for he is a good master he hath a good eye that is he considereth what his servants are and looks upon them with a pittiful eye and is ready to help them at every need and therefore as it is said of the kings service no service to his so it may be said of the Lords no service to his all his servants have found it so otherwise as it is said of the believers in Heb. 11. they had opportunity to return again but they found the Lords service to be the best the present wages he giveth are better then the wages that the world giveth or that our lust giveth u besides what is laid up for us for eternity In a word if we could perswade you to this that God is rich in mercy to his servants you would do all you did with respect to him To the end therefore that we might perswade you we will draw you to particulars you shall see that there are in God all the properties of a good master which may perswade you to give up your selves to his service First He is ready to take any thing at a servants hand that he can do he looks not altogether for exactness if they do but little so long as it proceeds from a pure heart he accepteth of it and therefore as it was said of Daniel though he was sick yet he was about the kings business even so the saints and servants of God have sick souls oftentimes yet notwithstanding if they go about the Lords business if they put their hands but to the work and do but shew their desire to it the Lord considereth it and takes it in good part for God is a loving and a wise master one that is loving he seeth what his servants can perform as it is in Psalm 103. he knoweth wherefore we are made and therefore will exact no more at our hands then we are able to do Again he is a wise master he knoweth with whom he hath to deal and therefore though we are not so exact in holiness yet if we serve him in sincerity though with much weakness he accepteth it see how he did in this case with Iob Iob you know in his afflictions mingled with his patience much impatience as the cursing the day of his birth and wishing for death c. yet notwithstanding see how God maketh mentioÌ„ of him in the Epistle of St. Iames Iames. 5. 11 Have you not heard of the patience of Iob So David a man subject to many and great failings yet God passeth by all and accepts of him and giveth him this report that he was a man after his own heart and did fulfill his pleasure This is one property that is in God Secondly he is a kinde master ready to grant what his servants shall ask at his hands he hath made them such a promise Ask what you will and it shall be given to you Thirdly If they do offend in any thing as what servants are there properly but they do offend if they be lesser and ordinary infirmities he passeth them by as if he saw them not if they be greater sins that they commit he is ready to pardon them if they confesse and forsake them Fourthly if they fall into any misery if into sickness of body he tendreth them in their sickness he makes their bed soft in their sickness that is he sweeteneth their afflictions if they fall into any trouble of any kinde he knoweth their soul in adversity Men are ready to forget us in adversity but the Lord knoweth us so in poverty I know thy poverty saith God to the angel of the church of Smyrna In a word in all outward afflictions he looks upon them tendereth them and regardeth them many others masters care not for their servants much when they are weak and sick but God tendereth his servants in all their afflictions Fifthly He casteth not off an old servant though he do ran into divers transgressions and often provoke him to anger with men one fault or infirmity in a servant causeth a breach yea ten years service is often lost with one failing with one contrary action but God doth not so he casteth not off an old servant but makes a sure covenant with him even the sure mercies of David that is even as he shewed mercy to David though he was unconstant and failed grievously yet he had sure mercies the like hath every one of his servants Sixthly he observeth all that they do there is not an action or worke that they do in which they lose their labour I know thy work saith God to the angel of the Church in Thyatira and thy charitie and thy faith and thy patience c. not any thing that we do for God but he observeth and rewardeth it not the least thing we suffer for him but he considereth it and giveth an hundred fold even in this life not a good action that we perform but shall do us good one time or other not a prayer we make or any thing we do in sinceritie of heart but the Lord remembreth it though we forget it and that is a great comfort to a servant all that ever he hath done evill in shall be forgotten but not a good action but shall be remembred and recompensed â—nd not onely to him shall be a recompense but to is pâ—steritiâ— also many a servant is well rewarded by his master or his time but it may be his children are never the better for it but I have been young and now am old saiâ—h David yet never saw I the righteous for saken or their seed begging bread Seventhly if he do châ—stise his servants it is with much gentleness and lenity he lays no more on then needs must no more then is for their profit no more then they can well â—ear You shall finde this excellently exprest in Psalm 78. Many a time turned he his anger away and did noâ—â—â—ir up all his wrath for he remembred that they were but flesh c. They offended many times and provâ—ked him to wrath even so that he was ready to strike yet he turned a way his anger many a time that is often-times they deserved
Rom. 6. 1. the Apostle abhors even so much as to think of his former conversation to live in the corruption of it They that have this faith indeed there is an uproar as it were in their hearts against sin and when they are overtaken and stumble 2 Cor. 7. oh how careful are they to repent and pray to God to be washed from their sins And all this may serve to shew what kind of persons they be even the most fearful to sin and careful to please God of all others Paul after he was converted would rather never eat then he would justly offend his Brother and all because God had given him this triumphing faith This care and fear should be in all of us for he that is bold in sin say what he will he finds not this faith nor can triumph in it Sixthly It a man have this then is he the most forward unto and fruitfulness and abounding in good works above all others in the world for this faith it transplants and sets us being by nature wilde olives into Christ the true Vine who is no barren root but fruitful 2 Cor. 9. this we may see in the believing Corinthians charity he speaks of there and in the woman that cast all that she had into the Treasury and in Zacheus that gave half his goods to the poor faith opened his heart that before was nigardly and so Iohn 12. how did Mary pour out the ointment and that good woman Act. 9. 36. so full of chastity so also Acts 2. 4. they were now content all should be for Christ. Now these examples with many more are all set down for our learning and imitation if we will find indeed such a faith as will save our souls another day Seventhly he that hath this insulting faith he doth already conquer his enemies he finds the power of it dayly in giving him victory in some kind over his in-dwelling sin and strengthening him against the world and temptations leading him to sin though he find them not fully conquered yet is not his heart so fully and altogether taken up but that he hath some freedom in the midst of all the affairs and businesses of this world to set some time apart for Divine exercises to honour God he is not a slave to the world 1 Iohn 1. 5. this faith lifts him so up as he is above the dominion of the world though he may be often foiled yet gets he up again and gets ground of lusts daily and is not as many that are led away and made slaves to their pleasures profits c. This faith gets victory over the immoderateness of recreations and delights in some sort Lastly This faith 't is no phantasie of a mans brain but that which Gods Word is the ground of and therefore he that hath it it makes him receive the Ministers testimony to Gods Word which is true Now this faith it carries life in it whereby a man may know he hath it the Scripture is manifest for this Gal. 2. 20. The life that I live is by faith in the Son of God Hab. 2. 4. The just shall live by his faith and that righteousness which brings into Gods presence and favour it hath a light within which consists 1. In that if thou hast this triumphing faith then thou hast a sweet apprehension of Gods favour by an inward feeling of a reconciliation with an angry God whom thou hast so offended 2. In some peace of Conscience 3. Unspeakable joy in the Holy Ghost even when the world sets against thee and sorrows oppress thee 4 In a change a new creature the Dâ—vils image defaced and the Image of God that was lost restored 5. It shews it self also in warranting thy actions and letting thee see that the thing thou dost in regard of the substance is good also it covers the defects of thy actions in Christ and tells thee that God accepts of thy poâ—r endeavours in him and hereupon it is that Gods children when they find God reconciled to them and themselves once brought into his favour are so stirred up to good works and prayer also in afflictions that it is which keeps the heart close to God in his promises neither tying God to time means nor manner but waiting patiently for deliverance This faith also it hath his sence an eye an ear a hand c. likewise its voice both inward and outward when God sayes believe it makes a man find a spirit within sayâ—ng Lord I believe indeed it makes him also outwardly with the Publican confess his sin and wretchedness as also how doth a true believer pray he not onely speaks but even speaks because he doth believe Now of the lets to this faith there are a world of hindrances the Devil blows into the brains of men by ordinary conceits arising in their imaginations to hinder and keep them from such a faith as may assure their hearts that there is no condemnation belonging to them and so go on cheerfully about their business having all their wants supplied And there is indeed no Christian that is in Christ that can possibly be clean without them onely the difference is some have more some less but let us all well weigh them and they will appear all but conceits and to have no reality and truth in them 1. Now the first of these is That it is presumption which is a conceit the Papists take up and is in us all so far as we are naturally Popish we think this faith is but a presumption yet this is but a meer conceit for if we have faith it assures us through Christ that nothing can destroy us All presumption is either upon a mans own merit or Gods mercies as Divines acknowledge Now that faith doth neither of these it is plain for he first that knows Christ according to his Word layes hold on Christs merits and Gods mercy in him and so applies and rests thereupon before God labouring to bring forth fruit and so is assured of Gods love And this is no presum tion for he relies not upon his own merits but Christs 2. This faith builds not on Gods mercy at large but on his mercy in Christ he believes on him that hath satisfied Gods justice and therefore knows that God cannot but must needs shew mercy If this were presumption who would seek after it to lose his labour but this the Lord commands and therefore it is no presumption but obedience and duty to do it Nay if thou shouldst not seek after this faith and assurance it were a neglect and contempt of the Commandement of God A second impediment that keeps men from seeking this faith is a conceit that it is impossible ever to get it and this sticks too much in our unbelieving hearts and is strongly rooted in our ignorant Protestants that give themselves to other Books but not to the careful and conscionable reading of Gods Book
strong and relie on him and then that will strengthen and stablish your hearts And here before we euter into conflict with trouble take heed that we do not strengthen our selves in other things this breeds a man much vexation of spirit in the day of fear and danger because he gives his heart to rely upon a broken staff the arm of flesh and when these come to break and disappoint him he falls to the ground Therefore my brethren however we be provided in regard of second means against the time of tryal as for example it may be we have healthfull bodies good estates and are full of friends in this countrey and in forreign countreys where we may betake our selves whatever may happen yet we must look on these things as David did on his sword and his bow when he went to the battel I will not trust in my bow my sword shall not helpe me Mark he sayth not that his bow should help him or his sword deliver him Now surely David knew what his sword was and what his bow could do but before he set out he gave these his good word he made sure before hand that these should not be his strength and if he did overcome they should not carry the praise and thanks of it but he would be sure to reserve these for the Lord which were his due So we should do in other things though we have this and that means to support and sustain our selves take heed that we be not strong in these for these will deceive us You know though a man of himself be never so weak and frail a creature as indeed our hearts being conscious and privy we are but earthen vessels very brittle capable of troubles and sorrowes and many paines and much bitterness and we have but little power to withstand them now this is a cause of trembling and fear But suppose we were weaker then we are and frailer yet notwithstanding if we have one to assist us and second us and stand by us that is able enough as able as we desire this makes us partakers of that strength As for example a feather or any light thing that is easiest tossed with the wind if it be tied fast to a rock it partakes of the same firmness and stability with the rock So we though we be never so frail and easily tossed up and down with the storms of afflictions and troubles in the world yet if we bind our selves with cords to the Lord the Scripture pronounceth such to be a rock constant It is a metaphor that Christ useth Look to the tract of the ancient fathers the patriarches and other servants of God where they found the Lord we shall be sure to find him he stands still he is a rock now as he was at the foundation of the world Now then there are two things to be considered that will help us to do this to be strong in the might of the Lord. First Consider what God hath done how he hath dealt with others in this case when they were under temptations when they were in the point and heat of tryal Look in Psalm 22. there are diverse places in that Psalm to this purpose I will onely name them Not far from the beginning Our Fathers trusted upon thee and thou heardest them and they were delivered And so in the verse following there is a place to the like purpose they cryed to thee and thou deliveredest them they trusted on thee and were not confounded This was one means whereby David got this strength of the Lord because the Lord always dealt so with other of his servants all those trusted in thee and were delivered They made thee their strength they were strong in thee and they found thy strength to support them And so in other places Psal. 119. 53. you shall find such a place David was greatly perplexed and troubled much but saith he yet nevertheless I called to mind the dayes of old and was comforted within me So I comforted my self by calling to mind the dayes of old This is a great matter of comfort and a reason why we should be strong in the Lord because the Lord hath alway done so for others there was never any that went away disappointed but sped of that they sought for Now if a man should hear a report of a fountain that were excellent to cure such diseases the man before he goes perhaps he hath no great conceit or opinion of it but yet he will try but all the way as he goes he meets with companies that come running one after another and they tell him that they went as diseased as he and he hears no news to the contrary at any hand but they all agree that they are perfectly sound this man will not imagine his case to be worse then the rest So brethren if you lock back and consider all the examples of the children of God in all ages if you hear but of one man that trusted in the Lord and was not delivered and supported then let all this fall to the ground let all we have said be accounted nothing but if the Lord have never disappointed any let it be acknowledged as a truth and encourage us to come to him Again more particularly consider what he hath done for us since we knew him and were acquainted with him since we came under his Government and protection I make no question but he that hath had the hardest measure hethat hath felt the worst since he came into the world yet he hath had some pledge of Gods mercy and favour towards him Now this course we ought to take at all times when we receive any favour as a pledge of Gods love we should lay it up in our store-house and treasury For the pledges of Gods love there is a double use to be made of them Carnal natural men go without that which is best and most comfortable for the present use it may be what they take that is welcom for God delivers them out of sicknesse out of fear c. to a better estate and favour Now a godly man besides the present comfort should lay up the things themselves For there will be a day and time of necessity when we shall need these comforts to strengthen our hearts For alwayes the Lord deals not alike he gives not alway a full cup now it is necessary that a man should be provided with grounds of comfort for a day of need In Luke 9 44. there is a notable place Christ there wrought a great miracle he cast out a devil and when the work was done he comes to his Disciples and bids them make this use of it Lay or put these words Let these sayings sink down into your ears When they were all amazed at the mighty power of God at the power of Christ that had wrought this miracle in dispossessing a devil but when they wondred every one at the thing that Jesus did
a sign There is another asking of a sign when it is to confirm our faith when the intention is good and the heart is upright Thus Hezekiah asked a sign and the Lord gave him a sign hence observe that The Lord tenders a weak faith He will not quench the smoaking flax nor break the bruised reed but he is ready to supply it when it is but as a grain of mustard-seed When Hezekiah had not faith enough to believe what the Prophet had told him from the mouth of the Lord the Lord added a sign But I come to the next words And Hezekiah did not render according to the mercies the Lord bestowed upon him Whence this is the observation I will deliver to you that When the Lord bestowes a mercy he looks for praise and thankfulness and that it should bear a proportion to the blessing received For so the words are brought in Hezekiah prayed and the Lord answered him and gave him the thing he desired but Hezekiah rendered not to the Lord according to the Mercies bestowed upon him implying that the Lord looked for something at his hands he expected that he should be thankful Hezekiah was ready to glorifie himself when the Amhassadors came from the King of Babylon and he did not render according to the mercies received This the Lord observed and it is set down noting that when the Lord bestowes a mercy he looks that we should be thankful and that our thankfulness should be according to the mercies This is a point that needeth no proof that the Lord looketh for thankfulness Onely I will shew you why this is a thing that the Lord makes so great account of You must consider that this duty of thankfulness of all other that we can offer to the Lord it is the most free it is the greatest testimony of sincerity and ingenuity in us for when we pray to the Lord it may proceed out of self love but when we are thankful that comes out of love to the Lord prayer may tend to our own profit but thankfulness tends to Gods Glory therefore we should be the more abundant in this duty because the nature of this duty is such as is more commendable it is more free it is a testimony of more sincerity and ingenuity in us Besides it is a duty that stirs us up more to think well of the Lord and to speak well of him for when we come to give thanks for mercies it pitcheth our thoughts upon his goodness and upon the great works he hath done for us and this causeth us to think better of the Lord and makes us the more willing to obey him and therefore it is an acceptable duty Again it is a commendable thing Psal. 33. 1. Rejoyce ye righteous for it is a comely thing to praise the Lord. That is it is a duty of that nature that it is not onely comly at some times as things are comely commonly with reference for nothing in it self is comely but in reference to such and such things but now thankfulness is of that nature that it is alway beautiful and comely at all times because it iâ— simply so and therefore it continues for ever You know it is the commendation of love that it shall continue when prophesie and faith and other graces shall faile so it is the commendation of thankfulness that even in heaven it is comely for there we shall praise the Lord for ever But now you must know that the Lord doth not onely look for thankfulness but that we should render according to the mercies we have received so that in our thankfulness there must be these four conditions First you must consider that when you come to give thanks for any mercy to the Lord it is not such a free-will offering as that you may chuse whether you will do it or no but you must know that you are bound to it therefore this word yielding here it shewes that it was such a debt as Hezekiah did owe to the Lord. When you are to give thanks therefore you must not go about this duty as if you might do it or not do it and it is no great matter but that it is such a thing as the Lord requires For when the Lord bestowes any mercy upon us he keeps this property still in his own hands to have thanks rendred to him Sutable praise and thanksgiving is the rent and fine as I may say which the Lord would have us give him for all the things we enjoy Now when we do not give him praise we with hold that from him which is his due As when a rent is due to a Land-lord and is not paid him you detain that from him which is his right And you see in this verse that when Hezekiah did not render according to the mercies received wrath came upon him When wrath shall come upon a man for neglecting of a duty it is an argument that it is not so free as that he might neglect it if he please but that he must do it of necessity This is the first thing that you are to consider that the Lord requires it exactly at your hands it is a thing that you owe to the Lord. Secondly you must render according to the mercies received that is there must be a suitableness and proportion between your thankfulness and the mercies bestowed Wherein two things are to be observed One is when you have many mercies you must be much in thankfulness when all that you have are mercies you must alway be giving thanks You shall see it 1 Thes. 5. In all things give thanks for that is the will of God towards you that is it is not enough to be thankful to God for some mercies no nor for mercies in general to say God be thanked for all his benefits and so to name them in the gross but in all things give thanks that is for every particular thing for every mercy received And this is a special thing and a thing that we are exceedingly apt to fail in that we do not give thanks for all things If we could come once to take notice and to particularize the variety of mercies that we have received they would be as so many sparks to kindle a flame of love and to knit us to the Lord when as it may be mercies in the general will not so much affectus And besides when we give thanks so in the general onely we are apt to forget them but when we give thanks in particular for things this quickens us and keeps us near to the Lord. Therefore you must remember this that in your giving thanks you are to remember every thing in particular to render to the Lord according to the mercies bestowed Again Thirdly according to the mercies received This is another condition that the extent of your thankfulnesse be according to the greatnesse of the mercies For you shall observe in the
within I speake of those actions which are actions of mercy be you mercifull therefore as your heavenly father is for that is a sign that you have the same spirit that he hath when God cometh into the heart of any man he receiveth the spirit of the father And therefore as you would have a witnesse and testimony to your selves that you are the sons of God be you merciful There is a natural mercy I confess found in those that have not mercy indeed but this God accepteth not because such mercies are but counterfeit to the true mercy Labour to be merciful as God is to abound in mercy that every one may fare the better for you wherever you dwell and whatsoever you doe let all your actions be works of mercy so will God accept them and be ready to render mercy to you again INWARD STRENGTH The desire of a Christian. Text EPHES. 3. 16. That you may be strengthened by the spirit in the inward man THese words are a part and indeed the sum of that excellent and divine prayer that Paul made for the Ephesians the principal thing that the Apostle prays for is this that they may be strengthened by the spirit in the inward man and this the Apostle sets down in such a manner that he answereth all doubts that might hinder the Ephesians from obtaining this gracious priviledge For first they might demand this of Paul you pray that we may be strong in the inward man but how or what means shall we use to get this strength the Apostle answereth to this and tels them the means to be strong in the inward man is to get the spirit that you may be strengthened by the spirit in the inward man Secondly but they might demand But how shal we do to get the spirit The Apostle answereth to this you must pray for him for your selves as I do for you for I pray that he would grant you the spirit that you may be strengthened in the inward man and thus you must do for your selves be earnest in prayer to get the spirit which he hath promised to those that ask it Thirdly They might demand but what should move God to give us his spirit and to hear our prayers To this he answers that the moving cause is the riches of his glory that you may be strengthened in the Inward man Fourthly they might demand yea but what shall we be the better for this strength if we get it To this the Apostle answereth in the verses following then saith he you shall be able to comprehend with all saints what is the length and the height the depth and the breadth of the riches of the love of God towards you in Christ. Now in that the Apostle above all other good that he wisheth unto them prayes for this that they may be strengthened by the spirit in the inward man I gather this point That which is to be desired of every Christian and to be earnestly sought for is this that they may be strengthened in the Inward man I gather it thus Saint Paul was now to pray for some special good to the Ephesians and considering what might be most profitable and advantagious he makes choice of this above all other good things making it the sum and substance of his prayer that you may be strengthened by the spirit in the inward man I shall not need to prove this by any other places of scripture because the place in hand sufficiently proves the point as being the main scope and intent of the spirit of God in this place to shew the necessity of this doctrine of strengthening the inward man But for the fuller explaning of this point we will first shew you what this strength is and then wee will come to the uses There is therefore a twofold strengthening 1 There is first a natural 2. There is a supernatural Strength First I say there is a Natural strength and this is when a man is naturally strong or able either in the parts of his body or in the guifts of his minde as for example a man that hath a strong memory this is a natural strength or in other qualities of the minde or else when a man is strong in the parts of his body these are natural strengths but this is not the strength that is here meant Secondly there is a Supernatural strength and this is two fold The first is a Supernatural strength which is received from the evil spirit which is when Satan shall joyn with the spirit of a man and adds a Supernatural strength and so makes him to doe more or suffer more then otherwise by Nature he were able to doe With this spirit are all the enemies of the Church strengthened Paul himself before he was committed was strengthened by this spirit Some men have more then a natural strength to undergo torments and yet not to shrink at them but this is not the strength here meant But there is a Second supernatural strength which comes from the sanctifying spirit whereby a Christian is able to do more then naturally he could doe and this is the strength which is here meant in this place and with this strength all the Saints are strengthened that is this was the strength that Eliah Stephen Iohn Baptist the Apostles and the rest had this made them speak boldly in the name of Christ. But you shall the better understand what this strength is if you doe but consider the particulars which are these The first particular wherein this spiritual strength is seen is this if a man chearfully thrive under many afflictions that is when they can rejoyce under great troubles and tryals they have this strength as Acts 5. 41. it is said of the Apostles that they departed from the Councel rejoycing that they were thought worthy to suffer rebuke for the name of Christ he that bears some troubles hath some strength but to bear great troubles is required great strength that is to stand fast to Christ to profess his name as the holy Ghost saith in Rev. 2. 13. there where Satan hath his throne must needs be a great Supernatural work of the spirit The Second particular is this in the hour of temptation when the storms arise and the flouds lift up their voyce the heart is stablished being founded upon the rock so that the gates of hell cannot prevail against it all Satans darts fall upon such a state as an arrow upon a rock the heart is fixed like mount Zion The third particular wherein this spirituall strength is seen is this when a man doth believe though hee have all reason and strength against him this is to be strong in the inward man but to go further that you may the better know what this strength is I wil give you a definition of it It is a general good disposition or right habit a temperature or a due frame of the mind wherby it is enabled to
knowledge the more strength for the spirit of Divine truth is the strength of the soul for as the soul is unto the body so is the word unto the Inward man the body is dead without the soul not able to do any thing so the Inward man without the spiritual strength which is wrought in the soul by the saving knowledge of the word is nothing but weakness Therefore the Apostle saith 1 Pet. 2. 2. As new born babes desire the sincere milk of the word that ye may grow by it That is knowledge in the word will make you grow strong in Christ The contrary to this we see the Apostle upbraids the Corinthians with 1 Cor. 3. 1. And in the Heb. 5. 13. because they were weak in knowledge he calls them babes for saith he He that is not expert in the Word of Righteousness he is a Babe Therefore labour to abound in spiritual knowledge that you may be strong in the Inward man I presse this the more because I fear many of you are weak because you are ignorant That is you want this spiritual knowledge you know in our ordinary talk we count ignorance folly That is when a man doth any thing that he should not do or would not do if he did but understand himself we say that man is weak in judgement or it is folly surely this weakness in the Inward man is folly indeed and a man cannot shew his weakness more then to be weak in spiritual knowledge And yet you must know that a man may have much knowledge that is worldly knowledge and the notional or speculative knowledge of Divine truthes and yet be but weak in the inward man for there is an artificial knowledge which fills the brain but the spirit goes no further and descends no lower That is it doth not sanctifie that knowledge in the heart and the inward man Again there is a knowledge of the spirit or experimental which is an operative knowledge and goes along with this other knowledge and bends it to Sanctification and is practical but yet you must know I say before you can be strong there must be some proportion between the spiritual knowledge and the spiritual strength as for example one man eates and is fat and lusty another man eates and is still lean so some have as much as others have and yet are not so strong as others And yet we say not but as the lean man is strengthened by the meat he eates so he that hath weaker knowledge is strengthened by it but where the Lord works by his spirit the greatest knowledge accordingly strength is increased Therefore I beseech you labour for a full measure of saving knowledge that is for a working purging operative and powerful knowledge And this I do not onely speak unto you that are weak but also unto you that are strong that you be careful to adde unto your knowledge for what is the reason that you do not grow in grace but because you are not careful to adde more knowledge unto that which you have It may be you pick some good thing from some Sermons or from some good book but presently you forget them you do not make it your own by Meditation it slips out of your memory again and so doth you no good but if you would be careful to adde unto it you would grow stronger in the inward man then you do And here is the misery of us that are spiritual Builders other Builders when they have built a house the owner lookes to it himself and keepes it in reparations but when we have done what we can to build up in the inward man and think that you will put to your hands your selves when we are to further the work of grace you begin to pull down your buildings again your selves by your ignorant and loose lives That is by following your pleasure your sporting and gaming and prophaning the Lords day Therefore you must labour to grow in knowledge if you will grow strong in the inward man The second means to be used if you would grow strong in the inward man is this you must be diligent in the use of all means as the wise man saith The hand of the diligent maketh rich so where there is much diligence in the use of the means of grace there is much strength in the inward man no men get spiritual strength but they that are diligent And therefore this is the reason that men are not strong in the spiritual strength because like the sluggard you are not diligent in the use of the means That is you take no pains for grace and therefore it is that you get no increase for according to the proportion of your pains so is the inward man strengthened And as you use them more diligently so you find the strength of them more operative and powerful for it is in the soul as it is with the body If you be not diligent and careful to feed the body it will wither and consume away and grow weak so if you feed not the soul diligently and use the means constantly you will breed weakness in the soul and the more remisse and secure you are in the performance of holy duties the weaker you are It may be you think it will not weaken you to omit private prayer but omit it once and it will make you careless and the more you neglect it the more unfit and undisposed will you find your selves when you would and your strength will abate Or you think you may prophane one Sabbath or you may take your pleasure immoderatly sometimes but beloved it will make you secure That is the more a man doth in this kinde the more he may do For this is true in every act every act inclines a habit and a habit brings custom so it is as true in good things the beginning of good things brings many particular good things And therefore if you can but get your hearts in a frame of grace you shall find a supply of grace because Christ saith unto whom soever hath unto him shall be given That is he that hath grace is careful in the use of the means by Gods appointment he shall thrive in holiness for if you once get but the beginnings of saving grace and be industrious and careful to imploy them then you will in time grow strong you know what Christ said unto the servant that had used his Talent well he had more given him So if you be diligent in the use of the means the inward man will grow strong but for the using of the means observe these Rules The first Rule that I would have you observe if you would have the means effectual is this you must use all the means If you use but part of the means you will not grow strong for as it is with the body so it is with the inward man for the health and growth of the body a man will use all
the shaddow doth the body Now I say grace is the immediate work of the spirit the very power of the holy Ghost which is able to out-wrestle all difficulties and to help us against all spiritual wickednesses assist us in all holy obedience But it may be objected I but grace though it do strengthen thus yet it is but a creature for though it be a quality that is wrought by the holy Ghost in the heart if it be so yet it is but a creature therefore seeing every creature is subject to weakness how doth grace strengthen a man thus To this I answer First that grace is a quality of that nature that it empties a man of himself it is an emptying quality It is not as other indowments other qualities and other habits put into the soul but it is an emptying quality that takes a man off from his own bottom it cuts him off from his own root and ingrafts him into another it teacheth him to depend upon God For if you look upon faith which is the main grace and gift as it were the root and foundation to all other graces is it not an emptying Grace what is faith but to teach a man to trust in God Now no man trusts in another fully but he distrusts himself fully it makes a man nothing in himself and wholly dependant upon the Lord. Even such is grace it takes a man quite off from any root of his own and makes him as ivie that hangs upon and clasps about the tree receives its being and sustenance from it So grace it annihilates the creature as it were it takes a man off from that sufficiency that every man seeks to have in his own spheare in his own nature it teacheth a man to know that he is not able to think a good thought nor to do a good work of himself Again I answer though it be a quality and that our strength is from God immediately yet God will have us to use means and instruments wherein he himself helps us to do For it is true if any man will trust to this habitual grace which I say is an inherent quality wrought in the heart by the holy Ghost if any man will grow careless in the strength of this grace and say well I am now a man grown strong I have now gotten some good measure of grace therefore now I will venture upon occasions of sin c. Here a man makes flesh his arm though he do trust to grace for he ought not so to do he ought to look up to God for another transient exciting and assisting grace besides this inherent quality which I speak of to have a dependance upon him and yet not altogether to rest in that for then a man should not be bound to increase in grace and to grow in it which every man is bound to do grow in grace and in the knowledge of Iesus Christ. Therefore there is a use of that you must make account you are so much the stronger by it for no man will labour for a thing but he will know some end of it As we see in other things a man may use the strength of horses and of men he may use means and friends but still it is required that he remember how he useth them that his eye be still upon the Lord as him that giveth the strength It is he that keeps that grace in being it is he that must act it and stir it up to do the works we are to do from time to time The chief use we are now to make of it is to examine and try our selves whether we have grace in our hearts or no by this property and character of grace here set down that it makes a man strong thou my son be strong in the grace c. We must I say examine our selves for there are two special times wherein the Lord himself makes a privy search as it were the one is at the time of the Sacrament the other at the day of death Therefore when men come to the Lords Table the Lord as it were goes down himself and takes a view of the guests and sees whether they be so qualified as men ought to be that come to his Table therefore look to your selves now you are bidden examine your selves In the Law a man might not come to the passeover but he must be circumcised those you know were but legal types and resembled somewhat else You must not come to the Lords Supper but there must be this circumcision made without hands there must be such a fitness in you as you may be accepted therefore you must examine your selves when you come hither Again another time wherein the Lord makes this privy search is at our entrance into the wedding chamber at the day of death When the Bridegroom goes in then the Lord searcheth whether we have oyl in our Lamâ—s or no whether those that offer to enter in have any effects any tincture of his Sons blood upon them The effect of his Sons blood you shall see Heb. 9. 14. It is to purge the conscience from dead works If there be no strikes as it were of his blood if there be no dye of it he gives the destroying Angel power to devour them because there is not that grace that is the effect of the blood of Christ they have no oyl in their Lamps therefore they are shut out Therefore I say when we come to the Lords Table let us consider what we do for you must know that the Lord admits none to his Table but friends such as are of his acquainance those that are strangers to him may not presume If thou come to the Lords Table be a stranger to him that is if thou want grace in thy heart this quality that we now speak of thou hast nothing to do here for you must know that no man must sit at his Table here in earth that is not to sit at his Table in Heaven to sit with Abraham Isaak and Iacob in his Kingdom The Lord will take it for a great presumption therefore take heed of intruding upon this duty When the Ark was brought among the Philistines and the Bethshemites would be so bold as to look into it the Lord smote fifty thousand of them for it What was the reason of this say they who shall stand before this holy Lord God If the Lord were thus ready to revenge himself on them for prophaning of that which was but a type what will he do for prophaning the body and blood of his Son You know that is the comparison Heb. 12. If any man transgressed against the Law of Moses he received a recompence and reward What will he do then to those that contemn the salvation that is brought by his Son So if the Lord would do this for the prophaning of the Ark that was but a type of Christ Jesus but a legal rite that had but
Consider how patient â—…nd â—…ow wise he is how he disposeth things for thy advantage better then thou couldest do of thy self Withal consider the portion thou hast with him 1 Cor. 3. 18. see it there All things are yours whether Paul or Apollo or Cephas or the World or life or death or things present or things to come are all yours that is as if he had said if here be not enough think all that thou canst all is thine that portion thou hast with thy Husband all the gifts in the world aâ—l the excellent men in the world they are made for thy service And if thou think not that enough the things of the world he tells thee all the World is thine every thing in the world of what condition soever it is thou shalt have no want of it if thou have need of it all the world is thine and then Life is thine that is when a man may be afraid that if he live long such and such things may befall him no faith he life is for thy advantage I but may not death come too soon and do me a shrewd turn by coming on me as a snare No faith he let it come when it will death shall be advantage That benefit a goodly man hath that whensoever death comes it shall be the fittest season of all other times Therefore when a man stands in fear that he knows not what shall become of him this is his security that whensoever death comes it shall be for his advantage And then if that content thee not that thou shalt have present things for we are apt to fear future things and who knows what may fall out for the time to come Those things are yours for your advantage If this be not enough all things are yours whatsoever thy heart can wish or desire this portion thou hast with thy husband I say we are to exercise our selves in the meditation of these things that it may encline our hearts the more to him and make us come more willingly to match with him and to confirm us in the choice we have made When this is done that we are willing to match with him and to take him in a greater degree then before this is to eat his flesh and drink his blood For taking him and comming to him and eating his flesh are promiscuously used Ioh. 6. He that eats more gets more strength he that drinks deeper gets more refreshing he that takes him more gets more grace from him Now taking him thus this resolution to take him for a Lord for a King for a Master for a Husband as there are more degrees added to it so you shall find more abundance of grace and life flowing from him to your hearts So much shall serve for this point There is but one point more and so we will have done with this text We have handled First his that It is the property of grace to make a man strong In that it differs from counterfeit grace Secondly That all grace is from Christ. Now there is another lies in this in the manner of the exhortation and the occasion of it Now my Son be strong that is Timothy know that thou hast grace and strength in thee but now thou art to preach the Gospel to fight the good fight of faith now thou hast many things to suffer now thou hast great imployments in hand stir up or use the strength that thou hast This is the point hence that We must not onely get strengthening grace but use it and improve it That is the strength that we have it must not be as a sleeping habit lie still there but we must draw it forth to action bring it out to practise and that upon all occasions So I say we must not onely get habitual strength but use it stir it up bring it forth to action upon all occasions You see how it is gathered from the words Thou my Son be strong But you will say to me What are those occasions wherein we must in such a special manner stir up this strength I say upon all occasions but yet to pitch your thoughts on some I will name these three First in imployments which are done with any special hazzard in such stir up thy strength for you see that is spoken to Timothy here that is iâ— there be any action to be done that will cost the loss of thy credit or estate or friends if there be any action to be done that will cost thee imprisonment losse of liberty and disgrace now be strong If the action have any such difficulty such losses and crosses depend upon it now be strong to go through with it do not say now there is a Lion in the way and bauke it but be strong stand fast break through all such impediments be undaunted quit thy self as a man for this iâ— a time to be strong As it was said to Sampson the Philistines are upon thee now it is a time to use thy strength So I may say to every man when there is a speciall business lies on him which must be done with hazzard having a fountain of strength in Christ use it This is that which the Scripture calls boldness when the Apostles were to preach the Gospel and had the priests and the whole Counsel against them now was the time for them to speak boldly therefore you see it is so expressed when Ioshua was to fight with the Canaanites with the Anakims and cities walled up to heaven Now be of a good courage be strong that word is used Ios. 1. 6 that is now is the time So Ieremy Ier. 26. when he had a special business to be done with much hazard that he must go speak in the name of the Lord to the King and Princes and people which were ready to put him to death Now be strong and keep not a word back So Iohn Baptist he was to tell Herod of his fault of that sin you know what hazzard that action was accompanied with now it was a time for Iohn to stir up his strength and to use it So in all such exigences as these when God puts us to the tryal whether we will do any thing for him whether we will part with any thing for his sake whether we will deny our selves and take up our cross and follow him I say these are the times And therefore iâ— a man have any treasure in heaven and be perswaded of the vanity and worthlesness of outward things herein stands his boldness to neglect them to let them go so he may do service to God and bring glory to his name and do good to the Church for indeed in that stands the stirring up of our strength As Luther said when he was so bold he gives the reason of his boldness saith he What can they take from me my credit what care I for that it is but small they may take away my estate
add to brotherly kindness love that is love to all mankind that when you do any action he means actions of mercy and compassion you must do it out of love to them though they be strangers from the Covenant of grace Now mark these are the times and seasons wherein a man is to stir up the strength of all these graces you see they come in season one after another Put case a man exercise one and leave another unexercised in its season there is a deformity and want when a man useth other graces and not temperance suppose a man will do any thing but when he is to suffer he will baulk the way because of the Cross he is loath to suffer he wants patience here is a thing wherein his weakness is seen therefore be strong that is in every thing in the practice of all the graces we receive that they may have their perfect work Well the use of this in a word is To put us in mind of our duty and to quicken us that we may all remember what person we sustain what we have to do for what end we come into the world and to do it for that which the Apostle saith here to Timothy we have all need to have it repeated to us and to be put in mind of it upon every occasion Now be strong to do this and this for all the actions of a mans life are divided into these two main heads Either they are such actions as are bestowed in gathering strength as when we pray keep the Sabbaoth and read and are occupied in holy duties now our business is to gather strength But now there are other actions that stand in converse in doing the business and works of our calling when we are to grapple with troubles and temptations when we fall upon change of our estate c. these are times of spending and not of gathering these are times to use strength now we must be as carefull to use our strength as to gather it we must be as careful to stir up our strength as the Apostle saith to Timothy Thou my Son be strong in the Lord we must stir up our strength I say we have need to be called upon for you must not think that the Lord doth all It is true he puts life in us but when we have life once then we may move and stir our selves he kindles the sacrifice from heaven at first but when the sacrifice is kindled when you have got fire you must keep it alive and blow it up and put fuel to it Therefore Iude 20. build up Edifie your selves It is true the Lord first layes the foundation he first layes us upon the corner stone he begins the building but when it is begun we must not think that it belongs onely to the Minister to build us up or to the Lord to build us up but we must edifie our selves that is we must still be adding to the building now one stone and then another so we have the building of grace going up in our hearts this should stir us up to use our strength And this is a matter of special moment the rather because all the graces we have otherwise are flitting habits in the soul. Some things we have that are altogether for use as money it is all for use if a man use it not he were as good not to have it And physick if a man have the best receipts and cordials if he use them not he were as good not to have them and so skill in a Trade if a man do not use it he were as good not to have it Of this nature is grace all the end of grace is for use the end of every habit is for action as we know not the Tree but by the fruit Now consider if the end of all the strength and grace we have be but for action that it may be stirred up Then you should not onely busie your selves in gathering strength but let half your thoughts at least be occupied in considering how shall I spend this strength use these graces To be on the thriving hand is good or else thou wilt have no strength to spend yet that is the special thing The rather because it is a general fault among us it is an old complaint we learn more for knowledge and dispute then for living That is when you come to hear you are glad of notions and there is delight in them and perhaps we add to our knowledge and perhaps some habitual strength too we add to that we had before but you must learn to live he that hath knowledge must learn to bring it into practice especially you that are able to do it Some cannot pray but you that can pray converse profitably stir up your own hearts to it when you are in company You neglect this and live as if you had not such grace wrought in you as if you were not regenerate as if you had not tasted of the powers of the world to come I say it is a shame for you therefore your business is now to stir up your selves to this And to help you in that I will briefly name to you some helps You must know that there is an essential power whereby a man is strong and able if he will put his strength to it to do of himself And besides this there is a certain energy an ability present as of body or mind ready at every turn to do holy actions Therefore if you ask how you shall do this how you shall bring this habitual power to this readiness and nimbleness I say exercise your selves to godliness Use makes perfect in other things so in this the more a man accustoms himself the more his soul is ready to do every good action As the hand gets a habit to play on the Lute or in writing or other things that are done with the hand by often applying it self to the work so the soul when it often applies it self to such actions it turns it self into it it gets readiness and nimbleness Therefore be ready to do it upon all occasions with facility and delight upon all sudden opportunities It fashions a man as it is said 2 Tim. 2. 21. as a vessel prepared to every good work The meaning is this that even as you see a vessel is fitted for such a turn as a spoon or a salt or a cup c. as there are variety of vessels so they are fitted for such a turn or use so a Christian should be a vessel fitted for good works Now this vessel is not fitted on the sudden but is moulded every day more and more and is brought to a better and better fashion and as it is fashioned more so it is readier to its proper work Now it is this suiting and applying your selves to good works that makes you ready If a vessel be not fit for the turn it will not do the business
I say there is a necessity lies upon thee Christ saith plainly to thee he saith to every man if thou wilt be mine I will tell thee before what thou shalt do thou must deny thy self and take up thy cross and follow me Choose whether thou wilt enter into my service and make the match or no but if thou wilt be my disciple this thou must do so when thou art once his disciple thou art bound to it thou art not now left to thy Liberty And besides if there were not this necessity put upon thee yet secondly it is best for thee and indeed that is that which moves every one of us It is best for thâ—… not to seek thine own The reason why men seek their own is because they think it best I say it is best for thee not to seek thine own For you know there are two wayes for a man to provide for himself one is by looking immediately to himself and seeking the things that belong to his profit and credit and pleasure The other is by neglecting himself and by serving the Lord and committing it to him Now consider which is the most compendious way to a mans happiness I say it is the next way the best policie for a man to provide for himself even out of self-love it is for him not to seek his own things but the things that are Christs For there are but two wayes for a man to do good to himself The one is direct when his end is to do good to himself that is his object he goes about without any more ado The other is when he doth it by way of reflexion that is when he serves God and men faithfully and leaves it to him to serve him This is the best way for a man to look to himself to serve God not to seek his own things but the things that are Christs why because he cannot do as much for himself as Christ can Think in all the needs thou hast how little thou canst do for thy self When thou art sick thou canst not heal thy self when thou art at the point of death thou canst not deliver thy self When thou hast businesse to do thou canst not bring thine enterprizes to passe When thou art in a doubtful case thou knowest not how to advise thy self God is onely wise Go through all the business thou hast need of God onely is able to do it Besides if thou go to seek happiness in thy self if thou seek thy own things know that thou seekest that which is not to be had there that is the way to undo thy self because it is not in the nature of the creature the happiness of the creature stands not in its own compass but in another without it self therefore if thou seek happiness in thy self thou art undone by it As if a glass be left to it self and be not held up it falls and breaks in pieces That is the nature of every creature if it go about to stand on its own bottom it is the way to break it assunder to undo it Besides consider what an unreasonable thing it is thou mayest not seek thy self It is true God may seek himself and his own end he is the utmost cause there is none before him there is no end beyond him he may therefore do all for his own end for his own glory he may seek his own things But thou art a creature and every creature stands in subordination to somewhat above it therefore thy happiness is in seeking anothers end if thou seek thy own end thou turnest the course of nature therefore thou art bound to do it Again when thou seekest thy self and thine own things what dost thou please Thy flesh thy disease thou givest it that it calls for that will destroy thee He that hearkeneth to and gratifies his disease strengthens his disease and kills himself So when a man hearkens to himself to his own lusts and desires that the flesh requires of him for whatsoever is contrary to this grace here is but the flesh that the more thou hearkenest to thou strengthenest that wihch will be thy destruction because thou dost not withdraw from it that fuel that it desires Therefore it is best for thee in all respects not to seek thy own things but the things of Christ. But besides this necessity that lies upon thee if thou be his and that it is best for thee Then consider if he do nâ—â— deserve it at thy hands if it were not best for thee is not he worthy Consider that in 1 Cor. 1. The Apostle tells them of divisions among them some were of Paul and some of Apollo c. saith the Apostle Was Paul crucified for you As if he had said you must consider that Christ is he that hath deserved all at your hands and will you tie your selves to Paul or Apollo and not consider what the Lord hath done hath not he been crucified for you And what is it to be crucified for you Is it a small thing to suffer death to have his body broken I but that was the least thing in it to have his soul poured out for your transgressions that is with grief and anguish of heart as he expresseth it himself My soul is heavie to the death And he made it good it fell cut so it was effected in the cold night when Peter crept to the fire he sweat water and blood I say consider that Christ was crucified and what it is to be crucified But this was but little to that conflict on the Crosse that brought forth those words My God My God why hast thou forsaken me I say consider that expression Was Paul crucified for you Consider what it was to be crucified and if it were not best for thee yet Christ deserves it Consider besides hath not he done as much for thee he requires that thou shouldst not seek thy own things but the things that are Christs he hath not sought his own things but denyed himself for thee He might have enjoyed happiness and glory with his father for ever but he denyed himself and was willing to part with his glory and riches 2 Cor. 8. He that was rich became poor for our sakes that we through him might be made rich He was willing to part with every thing to part with his glory and endure shame to part with his life and subject himself to the cursed death of the Cross. He requires no more of thee then he hath done for thee and is not he worthy and deserves at thy hands that thou shouldest serve him upon all occasions and stir up thy grace that thou shouldest not let it lie sleeping sometimes out of negligence sometimes of purpose to serve thy self Besides consider what he hath done for thee and see if he have not deservedit When thou wert subject to death he hath taken thee out of the jawes of death and hath given thee life when thou wert loathsom he washed
I have declared to you what it is to win your hearts to a more full assent to this that nothing but godliness is accepted we will shew you some reasons for it For a man will ask this What is the reason that God delights not in nature or natural vertues or in moral habits Why doth he not delight in these Why will he accept of nothing but godliness First there is this reason for it because the Lord loves nothing but that which is like himself as indeed no man doth nor no creature No man loves any thing but that which hath a likeness a consimilitude with something within himself For all love you know comes from similitude all delight comes from likeness Therefore the things that have no similitude with us we neither love nor delight in them Now therefore when God looks upon man and sees his own Image upon him when he sees that stamp upon a man he loves it and delights in it for it is like himself But now whatsoever is from nature whatsoever is but moral vertues it is but from the earth and is earthly it is but from the flesh and it is fleshly But that which is supernatural that which is infused into us from God that Image of his which is stamped upon us is from Heaven and is heavenly it is from the Spirit and it is spiritual Now God that is a Spirit and is holy he loves that which is spiritual and holy he loves his own Image wheresoever he finds it Now godliness is onely heavenly for all other beauties that seem so gaudy to us are but from the earth and are the beauty of the flesh therefore the Lord delights not in them the Lord loves it not with the love of complacency so as to be well pleased with it That is one reason Secondly the reason why the Lord doth love nothing but godliness that he loveth none of the rest so as to delight in them for there is a kind of love that he gives them as you know our Saviour Christ looked on the young man in the Gospel and loved him but I say he doth not delight in them he loves them not with that special and peculiar love because all these ornaments they do but beautifie the creature in it self Now no creature may rejoyce in it self or boast in it self no creature may magnifie it self which it would do if it might find an excellency in it self Therefore the Lord will have the creature to find no excellency in it self and therefore he doth not magnifie these things he sets no price upon them And the Lord would have the creature to know so much he onely magnifies and esteems that which draws the creature from it self makes the creature his therefore he prizeth and esteemeth onely the emptying graces You shall see the Scripture doth not magnifie those moral vertues that Aristotle and Plutarch and Seneca and the rest of those Heathens magnified For the scope of the Scripture looks another way and magnifieth those emptying graces most As faith for instance which emptyeth the creature of it self and makes a man to see nothing in himself not to trust in himself but teacheth a man to look for all from God therefore the Scripture magnifieth faith O woman great is thy faith that is this is the thing that onely makes thee amiable this is it that makes me set a high price upon thee And so in that speech to the Centurion I have not found so great faith no not in Israel It was that which set Iacob in that high esteem with God that which got him that title of honour to be called Israel it was his faith And why is it but because the Lord regards that onely in the creature which makes a man his which draws a man nearer to him and more out of himself Now this godliness doth for it makes a man to see nothing in himself but all in God and therefore to follow God altogether to seek God altogether Now all other ornaments all natural and moral vertues do beautifie and adorn the creature within himself they make a man to see something within himself now no creature is to do this no not the creature when it was in the flower of all its bravery When Adam and the Angels would begin to look on something in themselves and forget God and to think that they were some body and would stand upon their own bottom then they fell For the creature of it self is as a glass without a bottom if you set it down it breaks for it hath nothing to sustain it but as long as a man holds it in his hand so long it is safe Such a thing is every creature in it self Angels and men they are without a bottom when the Lord doth not hold them in his own hand when they will go about to stand of themselves they fall and break and that was the cause of the fall of the Angels and the fall of Adam and of all of us in him viz. self-dependance Our repairing again the restoring of the creature must be by learning to be altogether Gods to magnifie God to look to God and to look to him altogether for that is indeed onely prized and magnified by him And this is the second reason wherefore godliness is only accepted by God because it teacheth a man onely to mind him to look to him to draw near to him it makes a man altogether his and not his own We will add one more the Lord regards onely godliness and nothing else because it gives him all the glory Now onely the Lord may seek his own glory because he hath no other end beyond himself Every creature you know is made for a further end and therefore is bound to seek something above it self even as it stands subordinate to that Every man is subordinate a man in the Common-wealth must seek the good of that Every man is subordinate to God therefore he must seek the glory of God for the subordination will so carry it But now the Lord he hath none above himself therefore he may and doth seek his own glory now nothing gives glory to God but godliness In 1 Cor. 11. The man is the glory of God and the woman is the glory of the man The meaning of it is this look how the woman is the glory of the man so is the man the glory of God that is a man must have nothing in himself for then he would have some glory to himself but he must be wholly the Lords he must be wholly fashioned and accommodated to him as the woman to the Husband for then he is the Lords glory Even as a picture you know it hath nothing of it self but all from the Painter therefore the picture is the glory of the Painter we use to phrase it so because it hath all from him we call it the glory of the Painter because it shews his glory And so a
jealous of his word which is the rule of his worship what jealousie is we may see by the Emperour who would not onely have his wife without fault but also without suspition of fault so God would not onely have his word to be without mixture but he would not have it to come nigh it and therefore we must consider that Ministers are Embassadors and interpretors First Embassadors and therefore ought to deliver their embassage as nakedly as may be they are interpreters and therefore the less they mix of their own the better it is so the more purely the word is delivered the better it is The Orators of Athens were then suspected when they began to speak besides the matter making excursions into florid expressions So there is a suspition in the Ministers when they mix their words with Gods God is not pleased with it Secondly Because the native colour of the word is best when it is without any other tincture if the face be fair enough what needs it painting other things since the fall being out of order there are arts to reduce them but the word is pure as being immediate from the spirit it is enough to adorn the word with it own ornaments it needs no beauty but it own it is best when it is steeped in it own liquor because whatsoever is added unto it doth not adorn it as conceits do an oration but detracts from it something as for men of a masculine virtue to be calamistrati est compti for them to be effeminate it doth not add but detract from their gravity so the word being of a Masculine Oratory when such light things are added it detracts from the beauty of it Thirdly Because words are pictures and characters of things Preaching is the Character of the word and the word is the character of Gods mind The word is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the first pattern preaching the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 made according to that pattern it must resemble that and the more the better the excellency of the picture is that it come as near the thing pictured as may be as our measures must be no bigger then the standard so must our preaching be equal to the standard viz. the word of God May we not adde something to it to beautefie it and make it acceptable to the ear and digresse from the standard a little It is not enough that it be either broader or longer then the word but as it must be like the word as for matter so for manner look what oratory you find in the Word that use and though you cannot reach it yet you must aim at it A Painter would have his Picture like the person pictured in every thing in the cast of the eye and colour of the face so must it be in preaching as in the Word there is no affectation you must square your preaching to that Fourthly Because we must abstain from the appearance of evil suppose the drink be never so good yet if it be muddy the stomack goes against it when the husks of meat gives a suspition of rottenness the eater is offended That therefore no offence be given we must deliver pure words as near as we may May we use no art nor author I speak not against the use but the abuse of them the coralaries and uses are these First If the Minister must keep a pattern of wholesome words whatsoever then is different from wholesome words must be abstained from and hence two sorts of words are reproved First When there is a tincture of error and falshood in their words that are not sound for Doctrine squinteyed words that speak not plainly but border on errour as when words tend to Popery and Arminianism this is the means to bring heresie into the Church for it comes into the Church as water into a ship that comes insensibly and by little and little but sinks the ship on a suddain and therefore it is said the envious man soweth tares in the night when none saw him whereas if he had sown in the day every one would have resisted him or at the least have taken heed of him Paul saith they come creeping into widdowes houses but it is secretly and unawars whereas if they did knock at the door and come in violently every one would have a weapon to keep them out so Gal. 2. 4. they come in privily to spie our liberty Therefore it is a true saying Principia Haereseos sunt verecunda the beginning of heresies are bashful and if they were not so promoted the endeavours of them that trade in heresie would not become so effectual for who will take poyson by it self but when it is mingled with milk and a fish will not take a bare hook but when it is baited for when so it is not easily discerned If one bring a plain piece of brass none will take it but if it be guilt and have the Kings stamp on it one may be deceived so when heresies are propounded in words that are not distastful many are deceived all deceit comes by similitude as we may say of virtue saepe latet vitium proximitate boni vice oft lieth hid under a shew of good so of truth falsehood often lieth under a likeness of truth It is an act therefore of prudence to discern between things that are alike for every one can discern between things that differ besides what reason is there that if the meaning be good the terms should be ambiguous when we see how ready people are to take things by the wrong hand and the most Orthodoxal writers have been mistaken though the Fathers have writ well yet how much have they been wrested by the Papists to maintain errors though indeed there be some fault in them Let us come to Paul whose words are without exception Peter saith many did wrest the word of God to their own perdition great need then is there that words should be plain easy and perspicuous therefore the fathers that lived presently after Pelagius admonished the people saying Cavete fibras virulentiae Pelagianorum take heed of the strings of the heresies of the Pelagians Hence may arise this question whether it be good to symbolize with our adversaries whether it be a good policie to be used that they do not flie further from us Such is not the policie of God but of Satan First mark Gods institution of the Church for the Jewes if he did ever appoint symbolizing with Nations How often in Leviticus would he not have them do many things because the nations did them when as otherwise they might have been done For what other cause did he command the Cananites to be slain man woman and children why else would he have the Kings burnt and their ashes cast into the brook Kidron and their names blotted out of mens memories if it were possible Therefore this course should not be affected because it
think they feed when they do not the question may be what it is to feed them It consists in three things First Let every one feed his own flock it is best for the mother to feed her own childe while it is done by step-mothers its not so well done because they want natural love the opinion of propriety makes them more careful and that which is most remarkable is that the want of large wages doth not discourage from it and it is not substitutes and proxies that shall give account for the sheep but the shepherd himself Secondly Let it be frequently done not once a quarter or once a month The people are weak therefore they must be fed with a little and often line upon line precept upon precept for weak stomacks will not bear much at a time but it is best to give them often and a little hence it was that Paul 2 Tim. 4. charged Timothy before God and our Lord Jesus Christ to be instant in season See what Canons the Counsels have induced hence and thou shalt find to preach in season and out of season is to preach twice every Sabboth day when the people meet together for then it is seasonable to instruct them and not to let them go away without their food And out of season is as oft as opportunity is offered and the Minister is able Thirdly Let them be fed with convenient food let it be such as they can eat else they may die for all that Therefore it is not enough to preach unto them but to Catechise them to their capacity For want of this it is that Ministers though they have been diligent in preaching yet the people perish and are as ill at seven years end as before Now two things are required to make the food convenient the matter and the manner First The matter that their termes be not too high so that the people understand them not Secondly The manner some people are so weak that a continued course doth not profit them And it were to be wished that Ministers would do this teach them in a Catechizing manner For then many souls would be saved which die for want of knowledge Yet the people though they were ignorant they should not spend their whole life in Catechizing for these people are like narrow mouthed bottels pour water in drop by drop and they will receive it but if you pour it in by full streams it will fall beside So if the ignorant be taught line by line it will profit them when a continued course is too high for them it will not therefore the Minister must deliver the word in such manner as they can fittest receive it and this is laid upon their charge for they must instruct the people And if they find that this course doth not do it they must feed them with food convenient for them to express it by a similitude children are put to a nurse which should give them milk but if she spreads a table with wholesome meat constantly which is too strong for them and if their parents come and find them dead shall she be excused though she say it was not her fault for she provided meat for them So it is if the Minister provide wholesome meat on the table twice a Sabboth yet if the people perish because they cannot eat it he shall not be excused and therefore Ministers ought to consider the pretiousness of a soul and they must be careful that if the people perish it must not be for wants of knowledge they may preach to them and yet they may perish for Cathedram habet in Coelo qui corda docet He it is that sits in Heaven that turnes the heart onely they must inform the understanding The other five advertisements concern the manner First Their preaching must not be a general discourse but a particular And this is gathered from the text thus because general discourses fit not neither heal nor nourish but are like lightnings that break the air but light upon no particular subject if they do it is seldom so these general discourses make great shewes but men are not inflamed with them As if a Minister should find faith in a text and discourse of it but never apply it Ministers are fullones animarum the fullers of the soules and it is not enough for them to bring soap though it be of the best but they must apply it to scour the blots out of mens hearts and consciences They are builders therefore it is not enough to square the stones and bring profitable matter but application makes the building go forward and that is the laying of one stone upon another yea it is that wherein practising consists interpretation and application to expound and apply what else did Paul mean when he bad Timothy to divide the word to wit not to deliver it in gross but tell them in particular such a thing serves to cut down such a sin for when the word is applyed it is a searching plaister First to draw out corruption and then to heal I appeal to every mans breast if the word be not more effectual when it is applied for then men fall down and say that God is in them of a truth viz. you speak in the evidence of the spirit 1 Cor. 14. 25. If the matter be good and substantial it is no matter the Hearers may apply it therefore it is supervacaneous needless to do it This is all one as if a Chyrurgion should say to a Patient that hath a swelled arm I have prepared a knife and cannot he launch and cut his arm himself as this would be a folly in them so it is in Ministers to say so for it is as dear cutting off spiritual hands and legs as it is to cut corporal therefore it is not enough to bring good matter but they must press it on them not in a word or two or by intimation onely but to lay it on them with as full a hand and as seriously as they can and as perticularly as they can Men are so mannerly this way that they will be ready to lay admonitions on other mens consciences rather then on their own this thing will they say belongs to such a one but not unto me Heb. 13. 22. suffer the word of exhortation a while He speaks as a Physitian there to his patient suffer me to see the wound and to put a tent into it which shewes that there is a backwardness in our selves and therefore if Ministers will do any good they must apply the word home Secondly As they must apply so they must not misapply And this is gathered from the Text thus Physick if it be misapplied it will not heal And meat misapplied will not nourish And this misapplying of the Word may be double First General Secondly Particular First General when they give milk to them to whom strong meat belongeth and when they give strong meat to
them to whom milk belongeth And this second is most failed in when Ministers preach to ignorant people and walk as it were in clouds When they deliver the Word in scholastical terms this is as it is in the fable to put meat into a narrow mouth'd pot though the Crane get it out yet the Fox cannot So though Schollers can pick out the meaning the plainer people cannot it is the fault of some to preach University Sermons to the people which they have made for a more learned auditory It is all one as if a man should come to a fair where there were none but poor people and bring Jewels to self he might carry them home again the people would not buy of them because their purses would not reach the price or because they know not the use of them but bring spades and such things as they have use of and you may sell them So when they preach these Sermons to the people though they be pearls yet they be such as the peoples capacity cannot reach to but bring plain Doctrine such as they have use of and you do them good The second particular and that is when that particular part is misapplied concerning healing and nourshing confâ—ting and dehorting this is two-fold First Concerning Time Secondly Persons First For the time either when they comfort too soon or where comfort does not belong so that they are like a wound too soon healed that breaks out worse Esay 50. 19. God hath given me the tongue of the learned to minister a word in due time to him that is weary they that be weary must be refreshed Again secondly they stay too long ere they comfort 2 Cor. 2 7. Let not the Incestious person stay too long least he be swallowed up of grief Secondly When it is misapplied to the persons when they speak peace to whom God speaks not peace and when they speak to the grief of those whom God would not have cast down Ezek. 13. 10. They cry peace where there is no peace and dishearten those that are sincere that is to apply playsters where there is no sore and to strengthen the hands of the wicked But of this I will say no more but that Prov. 17. 15. He that justifies the wicked and condemns the just both of them shall be an abhomination unto the Lord. Thirdly Their words must be pleasant they must not be such as people loath This is gathered thus Meat will not nourish unlesse it be eaten and if they like it not they will not eat it and so will not be nourished therefore the words must be such as please the appetite of an honest and good hearer such as excite and sharpen Ministers must be like shepherds that give the sheep the tender grasse and not the blown fodder and therefore the Steward was commended that brought out of his treasury things both new and old So Ministers may bring variety of dishes but with this caution that they be out of Gods pantry Eccles. 12. 10. He taught the people and in teaching for the manner he sought out pleasant words and upright writings even the words of truth where three things are observable First He took not what came first to hand but sought out pleasant words 2. He had veriety 3. They were pleasant and yet upright The choicenesse hindred not the truth nor the pleasantnesse their uprightnesse So Ministers must make their words as pleasant as they can yet they must have no flowers but out of Gods Garden no honey but out of his Hive no physick but out of his Shop and they must be as eloquent as they can make them It is commended in Apollo that he was an Eloquent man but it was in confuting the Iews so long as it runs in a right channel let it run with as strong a stream as it can yea the Ministers are bound to this for cursed is he that doth the work of the Lord negligently and therefore they must use all their art to this purpose And this made Paul cry 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Who is fit for these things But some may say What must they do that their words must be pleasant First They must be good for substance well wrought there must be strength and power in them they must be wine not water silver not drosse cream not whey let them be of the best Secondly Let them be new for matter and manner for things common breed loathing the best dishes if we feed every day on them we shall loath them in the end Manna though it was the best food Angels food yet the Israelites grew weary of it and the word is not onely common when it is not new but it loses the efficacy Physick if it grow familiar to the body it will not work so when admonitions are familiar there is not so much notice taken of them they pierce not so effectually nor enter into the soul. Fourthyl Their words must be methodically delivered This is gathered thus the word is meet as meat will not nourish unlesse it be retained no more will the word and that is not retained without method He that preaches without this puts water into a sieve that will run out so the word confusedly taught runs out and stayes not with them if it do it doth them no good they may be compared to the walls of Besaxtim the joynters whereof were so close that unum continum putares Lapidem you would think it were one stone though it be a commendation in a wall it is not in a sermon for three reasons First The end of preaching is not onely to stir up the the affections but to enform the judgement and that is performed when it is remembred now the memory is strenghtened by method and although the other kind of preaching may please as it is doubtful for long wayes are most tedious where there is no turning yet when it is most remembred it doth most good and it is then most remembred when it is most methodically delivered Secondly The end of preaching is to beget knowledge in the people and this is done by method for it helps the understanding and the memory Thirdly It s necessary that the word be repeated now method helps that when one thing is linked to another And this is needful because we have more then a natural forgetfulnesse in good things and the Devil is ready to steal away the word that is sown in our hearts since therefore we are so forgetful and the Devil so ready we had need of all the helps we can and therefore Ministers must make their points plain and frame their method to that purpose Fifthly Their words must be all spiritual holy substantial not frothy or light and how much is this better then to fetch in haeterogenea that cost so much labour what racking is there of wits to please the people and what choise of phrase when plain preaching profits more we may say of
Christ said to his Disciples Let these sayings c. that is these works mark what I have done what you see you have an experiment of my power and then he gives the reason For the Son of man shall be delivered into the hands of men c. but they understood not these sayings You will say how could this be understood it seemeth hard Let those sayings sink down into your ears for the Son of man shall be delivered into the hands of men As if he should have said remember now you have an experiment of my power and Godhead let it be a means to strengthen you for the dayes will come when your faith will be put to the tryal when I shall be delivered into the hands of men when you shall see me crucified and then you will be ready to stagger and waver in your hearts Therefore now when you see an experiment of my power and ability lay it up in your hearts that you may be stablished in that day So in divers places in the Psalms David took that course when he was in trouble and fear and perplexity he brings out of his Treasury ancient things pledges of Gods love and so he recovered himself So if a man can but get hold of a promise of God he may work himself and wind himself into the Armes of God for this is like a rope or a line taken out from him if a man take hold of it by Faith and depend upon it That is the power of the Word of Truth Isay 50. 9. I said not to Iacob seek my face in vain but I the Lord declare faithful things I declare faithful words So when God I say hath given a man a promise that he will not leave him nor forsake him First there is in every promise of that nature there is a spiritual truth in it and in the heart of a man that is a believer there is a spirit of Faith likewise and these two know one another Now the spirit of Faith in the man meets there with the spirit of truth and power in the Word in regard it comes from God these joyn together and draw a man close to God So though a man see not God yet he rests his soul and stayes upon him because he leans on that promise As as a Mariner at Sea that casts an Anchor that holds the Ship he sees not the Anchor that falls to the bottom yet he knows the Cable will hold it safe the Ship may tosse the length of it but no further So the Anchor that the soul hath in the promises of God it is fixed now though a man see him not stand by and strengthen him in the tryal yet he hath the Word of truth for it And these promises though it be a long time ere they speak yet at such times as these then they speak Before then they are sealed up and it is not known perfectly what treasure is in them whether they be empty or any thing worth but when there comes a day of tryal now is the the time the Lord hath made such promises for such a day And here I must give you a caveat concerning this means If you will be strong in the Lord make not haste that is the phrase that is used he that believeth maketh not haste That is he gives the Lord liberty he lets him move round in his sphere he is not ready to snatch deliverence out of his hand but let the Lord take his own leisure for then he will do things best And this is an item that must be understood The Lord notwithstanding those promises that are plentifully made for the safety and preservation of his yet many times he deferres the fulfilling of them to the last cast Many times he will use all that liberty that he hath left himself for indeed therefore it is left he may use it when it seems good in his eyes I mean a liberty in regard of the means how he will help and of the time when he will help us but further we know he hath left himself no liberty but hath bound himself and it is impossible he should deceive us if we rest and rely on him for this and cast our selves in the armes of God Nay we make no question as long as we have the promise of God and keep our hearts and our faith close cleaving to that we are sure the Lord in his own time will remember us and come to us to deliver us Remember that which is said Psal. 9. Salvation belongs to the Lord. Therefore if it belong to him let us take heed that we ascribe it to him not to be strong in any other Even as the making of any thing in Art belongs to such and such a Trade shoos to a shoo-maker there are none makes them but those of that trade and so for other things so Salvation belongs to the Lord there is nothing in heaven or earth that can work salvation but he all the help that is done in the earth he doth it himself Now the onely way for a man to make him his friend that is able to work it is to ascribe it to him to acknowledge it belongs to him that he hath been the doâ—r of it from the foundation of the World and so will continue this blessed trade and gracious manner of working and doing for his So much now for the fift means be strong in the Lord. A sixth means is this Wee must likewise compell and work our hearts to take this cordial you have it Rom. 8. 28. We know saith Saint Paul that all things work together for the best to those that love God I say let us have this perswasion in our hearts ready that all things shall work together for the best therefore they shall not hurt thee Now he saith they work together that is to be marked the Apostle saith not that this or that thing alone worketh for good to the servants of God As now there are divers ingredients in a receipt if a man take one or two or three they may poyson and kill and be deadly but altogether being tempered by the Physician are a preservative and save life So if a man stay Gods leisure as before I said to adde one thing to another to do that he hath to do as well as that he hath done when you put all together and make the up shot of all you shall see and acknowledge it for the best David saith It was good for him to have been in adversity Now certainly whatsoever hath been true in regard of the time past hath been true for the present then as now It was as true for David when he was in adversity to say it is good for me to be afflicted as well as after when he was come out of it to say it was good that he had been for if it were not good then it was never good Therefore in regard of this the assurance
and through temptation it will vanquish and subdue corruption and bring him on his knees and so he falls flat before the Lord In such a case I say a man that hath his corruption subdued though it were a tryal tentimes greater and more sore yet he may live upon better terms with the Lord and more comfortably then another man with a lighter cross As it falls out many times in the time of War and hostility between two Cities or Nations the weaker part in the time of War indures and sustains more inconvenience and blood-shed and loss of men then after the full conquest is made especially if the government of the Conqueror be moderate and just as it is sometimes So as long as a man stands out with God in pride of spirit and will not yield he lives far more uncomfortably then when he is truly humbled and subjected to God Thirdly and lastly these general and greater afflictions may be born more comfortably and a less may more disquiet and trouble the heart because when a man hath been afflicted but in some one thing or a few things and hath many outward contentments and comforts yet remaining to him this is the usual course of men in such a case they think when their spirits are bruised and wounded with grief of heart they have lost such a friend they have lost part of such an Estate or credit then presently they fall to other things that are left them and they think to make themselves whole there when they have lost their contentment in one particular they enjoy they think to make them whole and to supply it with the outward things that remain This succeeds not because the wound that is made in the spirit by the loss of that whatsoever it be thou art crossed with it may be the anger of the Lord is mixed with it it may be the arrow of the Lord sticks in thy soul. Now if that be thy case all the outward application of comforts of the world will not do the turn Onely that hand that strook the arrow in our side is able to pluck it out of us And we see nothing more frequent and usual in the world men as long as they have other things to solace themselves with to set their delight on they never go to God If a man go to God for comfort it is as it were because he shuts every door else against him he hath no passage else that he must needs go that way or no way Therefore as long as God affords men the things of the world to solace and comfort them they do their utmost to seek it there but when God takes away all things and strikes away every prop that he hath nothing to rest on as the Dove that Noah sent that had no rest for the sole of her foot till she returned to the Ark this forceth a man of necessity to the Lord. Now though the wound were ten times more grievous and heavy coming to the right Physitian the Lord that made the wound he can cure it and comfort a man again If a man have but a scratch with a pin if he have an unskilful Chyrurgion the wound goes on to ranckle more and more and at last it costs a man his life On the other side if a man have a wound that is dangerous if he go to one that is skilfull this man recovers and lives in the world So many times many men live with disquiet minds they go to the world and seek to be whole there they seek their Physitian there and make the wound that is made worse and the latter end is worse then the beginning But now though a man be never so empty of comfort and be struck down and the hand of God be never so heavy upon him if he go to God and seek to him the Lord is able to make him a comfortable man again and to revive his spirit and bring him again from the grave So we see that objection fully answered that though we be not able to stand under lighter afflictions we may be able and strong enough to bear greater So much for this time THE LAVV OF SIN and GRACE COMBATING Rom. 7. 23. But I see another Law in my members warring against the law of my mind and leading me captive to the law of sin which is in my members THat which is to be done for the solemnity of this day which hath been most profitable and necessarily set a part by the Church for the rememberance of our deliverance from the Gun-powder Treason I leave it to be performed by another We have now pitched upon a text which will serve for our particular use This day indeed puts us in mind of a great Treason which was intended against the whole State both of Church and Common-wealth and this will put us in mind of a Treason within us Now it is true that these outward Treasons and when we hear of Wars and rumours of Wars such things as are terrible to us every man is ready to be affected affrighted with things of this nature change of state loss of goods abreption of life these things are naturally terrible to us the very hearing of them But this now is a War within which is much more dangerous and concerns every one of us to be affected with a thousand times more for it is a deadly War a War that devours the soul the other destroys onely the body this is a War which kills us with an everlasting death when as the other is onely the loss of a temporal life And this is a War which is for the most part forgotten and not minded for it is a fight that makes no noise it comes not with the sound of drums and trumpets it carrieth along with it no terrible appearance hence it is that we think of it but little Now what do we serve for that are the watch-men of your souls but to stir you up to a mindfulness of this War to sound an allarm to you and if you will be stirred up to work your deliverance well if not we have delivered our own souls and he that perisheth his blood shall be upon his own head In this Chapter in the verse before my Text the Apostle Paul triumpheth in that liberty which he had through the grace of God I delight saith he in the Law of God concerning the inner man though I find many temptations to the contrary But when he had exprest that triumph he comes now with another caution which he expresseth in these words that I have read But I see another Law in my members warring against the Law of my mind and leading me captive to the Law of sin that is in my members That is I find in my self a strong inclination a strong habit of sin carrying me violently to that which is evil Now this he sets forth by these properties First he calls it a Law Secondly he saith it is
thou must go as far beyond him in performance otherwise it is done remissely As now take a childe and a tall man that both go to a goal when the child runnes the man man walks the child doth it diligently with all his might whereas the other doth it negligently So is it when we do not improve all our might we have for the advantage of the Lords Work For you must know when any man hath to do any businesse he is not to compare himself simply with another to say another man doth no more It is no matter what the thing is but what proportion it holds with thy strength and ability When the Widdow gave all that she had the Text saith That she gave more then they that put more into the Treasury because it was the utmost that she could give As we say he hath given most that hath least left behinde so he bestows most upon the Lord that leaves the least of his strength unimproved And again it requires not onely that you put all your strength to it but that you be constant in doing it for if a man hold not out this man is not diligent but negligent It is a usual thing for men in doing the Lords businesse to be weary in well doing to give over well-doing therefore you must add that also to it that if you will do it diligently you must do it constantly That was the commendation of Caleb they that came from Egypt went a great way in the wildernesse and brake through many difficulties but they gave over Whereas Caleb had a constant spirit which clave to the Lord that he went through So the Apostle exhorts them Heb. 3. Confirm your feeble hands and weak knees least that which is halting he turned out of the way This is accounted negligence when a man grows weary that his hands begin to faint and he begins to leave his way therefore to hold out in well-doing is to do a thing diligently and this is the second thing required to seek the things of Jesus Christ. First To seek them willingly And then to do his work diligently Thirdly and lastly as to do it willingly and diligently so to do it faithfully Many a man may be willing to do something for Christ and to be diligent too for the time but to do it faithfully that is without any respect to himself not for his own ends but to do it for the Lord and for his sake that is that which is required Therefore whereas the word here in the new Translation is translated naturally the other Translation hath the word faithfully who will faithfully care for your matters So that for a man when he comes to do the things of Jesus Christ to have an eye to himself to be considering what will make for my advantage what profit shall I have by it and so to be put on by that motive this is to do the work of Christ unfaithfully And herein our hearts for the most part are exceeding deceitful when we have to do any thing for Christ the flesh in us is ready to have the first and the chief hand in any such businesse that is self-respects and self-aims are ready to mingle themselves with the best actions we do unlesse we have a narrow eye to them You know Iehu did the work of the Lord very diligently but not faithfully for his zeal was not for the Lord but for himself They that followed Christ many of them followed him far but it was not for him but for the loaves because they were fed with them and were filled You see Baalam professed much that if Balaak would give him his house full of gold and silver yet he would not go from the Word of the Lord but yet this was not done faithfully he had an eye to himself in all this So I say a man may do the things of Christ diligently and yet not faithfully Two servants may both be very diligent in their masters work and yet there may be a broad difference between them the one hath indeed an eye to his masters profit the other to his own This is all in all therefore to consider whether the talents that we use we use them for our Masters advantage or our own Thou mayest do very much thou mayest use thy talent as diligently as any man yet if thou examine thy heart and deal strictly with thy self thou mayest find that these are used for thy self and not for thy Master which is the greatest folly in the world For my brethren what do we gain when we take a great deal of pains for Christ surely there is nothing ours but the sincerity we do it withall It is for other mens advantage the most glorious and specious works we perform the greater they are the more may be the profit and benefit of the Church by them but there is nothing thine own but thy faithfulnesse and sincerity in doing them Therfore consider this whether when we do any thing for Christ we do it faithfully or no for in this our hearts are apt to deceive us How many are there that pass not much for the doing of the thing so themselves may have their end Diotrophes was willing to work with the Apostle but it was to have the preheminence How many great actions are overthrown for want of this faithfulness that men do not simply do that which they do but out of contention and vain glory they do it How many great actions I say are overthrown So that when two men are both of them alike set to do a thing both are willing to do the work yet because one may not have the praise of it the glory of it because he may not be first and chief in the business therefore he lets it go I cannot better compare it then to two men that are to carry a beam in at a narrow door both would be first in and when they do so we see they carry it a cross and in a twhart manner and so they cannot do it if one would be first and another second it might be done with ease So when the business of Christ is to be done we go crossly about it and the work is left undone because every one seeks for his own particular preheminence But you will say if it be a thing wherein the heart is so exceeding deceitful how shall I find whether I do that I do faithfully with a single sincere heart or no Consider what thou doest when thy own case and Christs are severed if thou find that when thy own credit and profit and advnage is involved in Christs business then thou art willing and forward in the work of Christ and not otherwise thou mayest suspect thy self When one servant followes two Masters that go before while they go together it is difficult to know to whom he belongs but when they part you know who the Master is by the servants following of
Apostle Paul 2 Cor. 5. he gives this reason why he sought the things of Christ with the neglect of himself The Love of Christ constraineth me saith he As if he should say though I undergoe much scorn and discredit and losse in the world yea I am content to be thought to be out of my wits to be accounted any thing for the love of Christ constraineth me that is it makes me ready to do any thing seeing it is for Christ and his advantage I am willing to be so accounted of Now how came he to this love of Christ why thus we judge saith he that if Christ died for us c. So that if you would bring your hearts not to seek your own things but the things of Jesus Christ you must labour to have your hearts enflamed with the love of Christ and that you may do so use the means that Saint Paul layeth down he died for me he is worthy of it he deserves it of me he hath done this and this for me therefore there is reason I should no longer live to my selâ— therefore there is reason I should seek his things that I should do his work Thus to stir up our hearts to love the Lord Jesus is the means â—o prepare us to seek him And so you see the business we have to do we are to seek the things of the Lord Jesus willingly diligently and faithfully And also what it is that prepares and disposeth the heart so to do First to give up our selves to Christ. Secondly to labor to have it kept in the purpose of our hearts Thirdly to have faith in the promises and providence of God Lastly to have Love to the Lord Jesus And so much for this point and for this time PRAYERS PREVALENCY 2 CHRON. 32. 24 25. And in those dayes Hezekias was sick unto the death and he prayed to the Lord who spake to him and gave him a sign but Hezekias did not render according to the mercies bestowed upon him but his heart was lifted up and wrath came upon Israel WE made some entrance into these words in the morning In those dayes Hezekiah was sick to the death Those words we have done withall And he prayed to the Lord hence we observed this That Prayer is the chief means to obtain any thing at Gods hands It was the means whereby Hezekiah obtained his recovery when he was sick to the death So it is a general rule that prayer is the chiefest means of all other to obtain any thing at Gods hands The reasons of it we gave in the morning we came to apply it And the first Use was this If it be the chiefest means of all other therefore we should learn to esteem of our prayers more then we do to set them at a higher rate to know what the efficacy of prayer is When prayers are performed in a customary negligent manner when men think it may be they will be answered and it may be they will not it may be they will do them good it may be not no marvel if they misse of the effect If men did believe that prayer were so effectual to bring their enterprizes to passe they would surely be more frequent and fervent in this duty We shewed you in the morning what the efficacy of prayer was we purpose to repeat nothing Onely there is an objection or two that we will answer and so passe from this point First This may be objected how can prayer be so effectual a means to obtain any thing at Gods hands when the Lord is purposed to do what he will do and how can the intreaty of a weak man change the purpose of God or altar his mind he knows what we have need of before-hand before we ask and God is subject to no alteration To this I answer It is true when we seek to the Lord by prayer he is not changed by any of our petitions that we make to him but the change is wrought upon us because we are made more fit to receive mercy from him then before we were As for example When a patient desires his Physician to give him a cordial to give him some restoring physick something that is pleasant to him The Physician delayes and defers he will not for the present hearken to his request at length he doth it Why is it not because the Physician is altered but because there is an alteration in the patient he is now purged and vomitted his body is cleansed and so made fit to receive the cordial therefore the Physician yields to his request there is some suitablenesse now between him and the physick which he requires there is no alteration in the Physician but in the patient So when we seek any thing at Gods hands we do not cause him to alter his mind but there is a change wrought in us so that when we think we bring God to us by our prayers we rather bring our selves to God That is when we contend with God in prayer and use arguments to perswade him those arguments perswade our selves to repentance to faith to more obedience and willingnesse to serve him and so our hearts are drawn more near to him when we think we draw God near to us in this action we draw our selves near to him and when our hearts are drawn near to him when our faith is strengthened by the arguments that we use then the Lord is moved to do that which before he was not moved to do Not because he is altered or any way changed but because the change is in us we are more fit to receive the mercy that we beg for then before Again Secondly it may be objected many obtain mercies and blessings at Gods hands without prayer therefore it seemes that prayer is not so great a means to obtain mercies because they are ours sometimes without prayer I answer it is true men may have and have usually many great mercies bestowed upon them without prayer but there is a great deal of difference because that mercy which is obtained by prayer it comes with a blessing and it comes by vertue of the promise that the Lord hath made And it is one thing to receive the same mercy in a way of blessing and another thing to receive it iâ—…n ordinary course The same comfort may come to one man with a blessing and may be conveyed to another man with a curse There is a two-fold way of Gods bestowing of mercies One is when he conveyes them to a man by vertue of a promise Another is when he bestowes them by a common providence When God dispenseth mercies by a common providence thou must not think thy self to be such a gainer in the receiving of such a mercy when thou hast not sought the Lord for it it may be thou hast more cause to judge thy self better in the want of that mercy Ahab had been better to have wanted a vineyard Ieroboam
had better to have wanted the Kingdom Gehazi had better to have wanted Naamans courtefie there goes a curse with those things that we have in that manner when we have them without prayer or when we have them by a common providence when we receive them in the neglect of this duty and yet in the mean time we may have as much as others And though this be that which men are ready to object yet this is the way to forfeit all that they have As you know when men will be ready to take in their goods at the Custom-house and to steal the Custom oft-times it is the way to lose all the whole fraight and to for feit their whole venture So it is here when we use the means that God hath appointed and walk in his way and observe his ordinances then we shall have mercies at Gods hands And when God bestowes them not in mercy as a blessing for so he doth not except you seek to him you must needs conclude that you not onely have them as a curse but in having them out of his way you forfeit all the rest Therefore I say prayer indeed is the means to obtain any thing at Gods hands Hezekiah prayed and he was delivered But here one causion is to be added and that is that it is not every kind of prayer it must be such a prayer as the Lord looks for at â—ur hands it must be a prayer so qualified as he hath appointed for though it be true that prayer be the key that opens the door into the Lords treasury and when we go about to open this lock we must have this key otherwise we go in a wrong way yet faith is the hand that must turn this key There are certain conditions required in prayer Every customary formal ordinary prayer will not prevail with God No 〈◊〉 Saint Paul saith I serve him night and day but I serve him in the spirit you must pray in the spirit that is when you pray to the Lord you must pour forth your spirits to him in your petitions your suites that you make to him must not be such only as your understandings dictate to you but the will and affections the intentions of your souls must go together in the performance of the duty otherwise it is but an hypocritical performance of the duty For this is hypocrisie when a man is neither willing to omit the duty altogether nor careful to do it in that manner that he ought Therefore you must know that you may make a prayer that is but the expression of your 〈◊〉 and will he think you receive such a prayer as thâ—… No your prayers must be an expression of those holy â—esirâ—â— that arise from the regenerate part it must be the voice of the spirit in you that is the voice of the regenerate part stirred up and acted by the Holy Ghost When your prayers are such prayers though it be true 〈◊〉 flesh is mingled with them they will prevail for â—hat is still required Therefore I say every prayer will not prevail it must be such a kind of prayer as God appoints Now why hath God appointed prayer It is that our hearts may be quickened and drawn near to the Lord that our hearts may be put into a fitter frame of prayer And therefore when thou shalt pray and thy heart never a whit the warmer never a whit the nearer drawn to God by it the business is not done For the same rule is true in this as in other things a business we say is not done when the end is not obtained when the enterprize is not brought to pass So I say you have not prayed say what you will express what you will except your hearts are made warmer by it and drawn nearer to God by it and brought to a better frame by it When you edifie your selves this is the prayer God accepts Therefore we must take heed of that common errour that because we hear that prayer will prevail therefore we use some certain formalities and make some petitions and so we do make account to prevail with God this is the common errour of people we are deceived in this it is not every kind of prayer that will do it An ordinary prayer would not have recovered Hezekiah and restored him to health It was the fault of Gehazi when he had got the staff he thought to recover the child but he wanted Elisha's spirit A man may make a prayer to God but when he wants the spirit of prayer he cannot expect an answer for the promise is not made to such Therefore when we deliver this point to you that prayer is an effectual means to prevail with God for any thing you must understand that those conditions must accompany it that the Lord requires And so much for this point he prayed to the Lord Who spake unto him We must be very brief in this because we hasten to the next verse Two things we may observe out of these words First That We ought to observe what answer the Lord gives to our prayers You see the Holy Ghost notes it here he prayed to the Lord and the Lord gave him a good answer he told him that the thing he desired should be done I say we should learn when we seek to the Lord to consider what answer we have from him Otherwise we do as children that shoot arrows and consider not where they light When we send our prayers and consider not what answer they have it is an argument that we do it not in faith we do it not diligently but in a negligent manner When a Fowler layeth baits and snares to catch birds if he believe them to be effectual he will be still looking to them to see whether any thing be taken or no to see what successe he hath When we come to call upon the Lord we should consider whether our prayers prevail what success they have You see Elias when he prayed to the Lord he sent his servant to see what answer the Lord had given and he sent him seven times to see whether any cloud appeared he was very dilegent to consider whether the Lord gave him any answer to his prayers Whensoever therefore we call upon the Lord we should observe that For indeed in this our walking with God doth consist when we converse with the Lord from day to day as we ought It stands not in this onely that we open our minds to him and make our requests known to him but that we should consider what the Lord doth unto us back again If the Lord grant our requests we ought to take notice of it that we may praise him and give him thanks If he do not answer them that we may consider what the cause is Many causes it may be there are why the Lord doth not hear It may be thou doest not pray aright It may be thou retainest the love of some
particular sinne in thee It may be God doth it for the tryal of thee It is good for thee to observe When any thing falls upon men amisse and contrary to their expectation or to their prayers they are ready to attribute it to other causes it is good rather to say that thou hast prayed amisse and that is the cause of it When a man is distempered in his health either he will say that he hath not taken physick or else it was not physick fit for him it is still forgotten whether he hath prayed to God or whether he hath prayed amisse In Iames 4. there the cause is given you have either not prayed or prayed amisse you ask and receive not because you ask amisse therefore you do not obtain It may be I say that that may be the cause why thy prayers are not heard that thou prayest amisse Therefore you should do in this case as a fisher-man doth that hath cast a bait and hath waited long and nothing taken he takes up the angle and sees whether or no the bait be well placed and whether things be in the right order or no. When we see we do not obtain any thing at Gods hands by our prayers that we have sought the Lord and got no answer let us look well to our prayers and see whether there be not something amisse there Besides it may be when thou prayest thou art mistaken in the thing thou askest it may be the thing thou desirest is not good for thee for there are many cases wherein we seek to the Lord wherein we are perswaded that if we had it it would be good for us but if it were granted it may be it would be our undoing The Lord denies many things to a man in mercy as he grants many things to men in judgement It may be thy great advantage that though thou pray and pray earnestly yet thy requests are denied Again it may be the Lord hath done the thing but in another manner then thou expectest many times the same thing is done though not in the same fashion A man desires money and riches it may be the Lord denies him that and gives him meat and drink and cloathing A man desires his enemies may be at peace with him God denies him this it may be but he gives him a helmet to bear it off and so for other things I say it is to be considered that the Lord may do the same thing in another manner though it be not in the same kind that we expect Besides God may do it by another means then we look for Commonly we pitch upon some means which we think if it fail all is gone but the Lord may go another way to work I will instance no more in these things for this is not the thing that I must stand upon Onely I say that when we make our prayers to God we must consider what answer we have of them And this we should do upon this occasion of Thanksgiving when we have sought to the Lord in prayer and fasting as we have done we are now to consider what answer the Lord hath given he hath removed the judgement we must set it down among the memorandums of his mercy that he hath heard our prayers and healed our land But I say I must not stand upon this The second thing that is to be observed is this And the Lord spake to him Observe that When we pray to the Lord he is exceeding ready to hear As we see he was ready hear to hear Hezekiah And so David and Asa and Iehoshaphat so he will do to us to the end of the world when men seek to him Onely this must be considered that the Lord hath an ear open to our prayer but if it be no prayer if it be but a lip-labour if it want the conditions of prayer the Lord rejects it And this is not because he hearkens not to it but because it is no prayer Therefore make account when thou goest about to pray that God doth encline his ear to hear that is he doth not onely hear the prayers of his servants but also of those that are carnal men of those that are strangers and that are without the covenant as yet As you shall see 2 Chron. 12. It is said that Rehoboam and the Princes humbled themselves and sought to to the Lord and Rehoboam was not upright hearted yet because he and the Princes did humble themselves the Lord did not destroy them but sent them deliverance So did he to Ahab he heard him And so it may be the Lord hath done with us in removing this judgement though it may be our prayers and our humiliation and fasting have been but overly and perfunctory yet it may be the Lord hath heard us for he is ready to hear prayers Although mens hearts be not humbled aright in their prayers yet when men are humbled in any manner before him to shew that he is ready to hear prayers he hears them And this is a thing that should wound our hearts and break them more then any thing in the world to make us see that the Lord is patient and long suffering that though the humiliation of men he not sound and according to what he expects yet he is ready to remove the judgement And this use we should further make of it that if the Lord hear when humiliation is not found what wil he do when our prayers are servent and sound when our humiliation is perfect This is a thing that we ought to take notice of that when the Lord is so ready to hear we should be encouraged to pray and to seek unto him For when the Lord shall do as he hath done with us when he shall stay the plague when he shall say to it as he doth to the raging sea thus far thou shalt go and no further when we look upon this and observe this dealing of the Lord we should have a store house of such experiments as these that we may learn thereby to know the Lord and to trust him that we may be encouraged thereby to seek unto him For when such actions as these are slighted we take his name in vain and the Lord will not hold us guiltless if we take his Name in vain no more will he if we pass by these actions of his without taking notice Therefore it is well that such a day as this is set apart that we may remember it and consider what answer the Lord gives our prayers and acknowledge it but I will not stand to enlarge this The next words are And he gave him a sign You know there is a double ground of asking a sign One is when a man asks a sign to tempt the Lord. As the Iewes asked a sign not out of a desire to profit by it but because they would see what the Lord would do and this Christ denyed them this is a sinful asking of
Scriptures that when blessings are there mentioned the Lord sets an acâ—… upon the special benefits when he names what he had done for his people as his people of Israel I brought you out of Egypt and delivered you from Pharaoh these and these great mercies I wrought for you The Lord looks for great thankfulness for great mercies So when he speaks to David I tooke thee from the Ewes with yong and gave thee the Kingdome c. These great mercies As you must be thankfull for all so you must render according to the greatness of them This mercy bestowed upon Hezekiah was a great mercy and that he was not thankful for it accordingly the Lord took it ill at his hands Therefore that you may fulfil this condition you ought to look back to the former passages of your lives and consider what notable blessings you have received what great deliverances And still remember that as the mercies go beyond them which others have so we must go beyond them in thanksgiving for we ought to render to the Lord according to the mercies received Fourthly This is also required that it be presently done but Hezekiah did not render according to the mercies received It might have been said though Hezekiah had not yet done it yet he might do it afterward for the Ambassadours came to him immediately after his recovery yet because he did not do it at that time but deferred it you see the Lord takes the deferring to do it for an omission of it The Lord looked for this at his hands that as he had received great mercies from him so he should be careful to render thanks and to render it presently It is a sinne against God in a special manner although we should perform a duty yet to put it off and not perform it in due season Every duty we perform ought to have right circumstances the very deferring of our thankfulnesse is that which debaseth and lesseneth it as well as the omission of it David when he would shew himself thankful for the mercies he had received he would not go to bed nor suffer his eyes to slumber till he had found out a place for God We should therefore take heed of delayes in this kind When we go about any ill action indeed it is good to delay but in the service of the Lord the more hast the better In the service of the Devil and sin the more hast the worst speed To use an argument from the greater to the less As we see in Abraham there was two great commands that he had the one was to put away Ishmael The other to offer Isaack The Text notes this that in both of them he rose early he did not defer it For although they were duties very contrary to his flesh as he was a man yet because the Lord commanded it he did them speedily I say if in these duties which were burdensome and hard duties it is noted in the text that Abraham did them speedily what ought we to do in the duty of thankfulness It was the commendation of Abrahams servant that he would not eat nor drink till he had done his Masters business and declared his message When we have business of the Lords to do it is a sign of diligence to do it speedily Why is that noted in the servant of Abraham Is it not for our learning These four things therefore are to be observed Now to apply this If this be a thing that the Lord looks for at our hands that we render according to the mercies received Then let every one of us consider whether we have answered this expectation of the Lord or no Among men there is nothing so grevious as when their expectation is crossed When a man expects a thing from his Wife or his Friend or his Child and receives not according to that expectation there can be nothing more grievous When we answer not the Lords expectation it causeth his wrath to be kindled Now you shall find that in these cases in case of great affliction in case of great deliverance in case of great means in all these cases the Lord expects great thankfulness When the Lord sendeth afflictions and we do not make use of them when we are not drawn in by them when we are not wrought upon by them This is a thing that provokes him to anger You know what is said of Ahaz that when he was afflicted he was worse and worse This is King Ahaz he rebelled yet more and more A brand is set upon him The Lord looked for fruit from the fig-tree and when he found it not he cursed it When the Lord shall send such a mercy as he hath now to us to remove this visitation be sure the Lord looks now for something more then ordinary at your hands Consider therefore how you answer his expectation And if you say every one of us hath not such interest in it Those that have been in the danger and been in the fire and have escaped out of it let them look to it No my brethren let us know that every one of us have an interest in it for let me ask you When the Lord sends a sickness and it lights but upon one place of the Kingdome yet the Lord is at controversie with the whole Nation he is at war with the whole land For the end of a plague is to discover the wrath of God and that he is displeased with the whole people Now consider with thy self when the Lord hath a controversie with the Land who is he that should answer this there is no action of a whole body so considered that can be expected but every particular man must take notice of it and if every particular man why doth it not belong to thee as well as to another The Lord looks for this at the hands of every man that he should consider his dealing in sending this sickness and visitation and that he should consider again his mercy in removing it to humble himself under the one and be thankful for the other And this thankfulness is to be inward and in truth I say this belongs to every one of us And remember that if we answer not his expectation wrath will return upon us as it is said it did upon Hezekiah as the text saith I confess we have cause to fear that the Lords expectation is not answered among us that we have not profited by this judgement as we ought Let us remember this that if we have not a worse thing will befal us For it is a usual thing with the Lord to send diverse afflictions to take away one to try us and to make known his patience and if we do not amend then lesser wedges make way for greater as it is Levit. 26. If ye return not I will send greater judgments I will plague you seven times more That in Ier. 34. is worthy our observation when the Lord had sent Nebuchadnezar
and about us Therefore we must exercise faith in his providence that is labour to see God through every mercy Those that want this eye of faith it is impossible for them to be thankful If we had the eye of faith the creatures would be as a glass to help us to see God better When Esau was kind to Iacob he saw the face of God in Esau I have seen thy face as the face of God saith he that is he saw the face of God through Esaus face It is not the creature it is not thy friend that brings thee comfort But as we say of a messenger that brings good tidings it is not the messenger that comforts the heart but the good tidings that he brings this is to lift up the heart to the Lord the contrary is to lift up the heart to vanity Secondly to lift up the heart that is by reason of that strength and those riches by reason of that wealth and plenty which he had his heart began to swell within him he began to bear himself aloft too much upon it to think himself secure this caused him to forget the mercies received Indeed there is a double exaltation of the mind One is when a man lifts up his heart because he hath the Lord to be his God this is a holy magnanimity this makes a man to keep on his course like a Lion and in this we are all defective But there is another lifting up and height of the heart when we think we are secure by reason of that support that we have of the creature and so we begin to settle upon our bottom to rest on the creature this was Hezekiahs fault You shall see the same phrase used 2 Chron. 26. 16. It is said there of Vzziah that the Lord helped him till he was mighty but when he was strong his heart was lifted up he thought himself secure now he thought he could do well without God and so his heart was lifted up So Rehoboam when the Kingdom was strengthened in his hand he forsook the Law of the Lord that was the lifting up of his heart The last is when the heart is lift up with a carnal rejoycing You shall see this in the text in Hezekiah when the Ambassadours came to him he was glad of them there was a false joy Outward blessings the more they have of our love the less God hath of our thankfulness Indeed there is a spiritual joy and the more of that the more thankfulness but in Hezekiah it was a carnal joy a secure rejoycing in the outward things that God had bestowed upon him and that made him to forget his thankfulness There is a joy that the Lord calls for in his people Deut. 26. 11 12. he requires this that they should rejoyce in any case because they should be thankful therefore they are put together often in the Psalm as Psal. 33. and Psal. 107. rejoyce in the Lord and be thankful but when the joy is carnal when we rejoyce immediately in the very creature this is that which hinders our thankfulness FREE GRACE MAGNIFIED REVEL 22. 17. Let him that is a thirst come and whosoever will let him take of the waters of life freely NOt to stand to open the words we may observe in them five parts First an offer to all men Secondly that God calleth and inviteth us to come Thirdly that whosoever will come must thirst Fourthly that if they so come they shall take of the water of life Fifthly and that freely I purpose at this time to speak of the second viz. That God inviteth man to come The point wee will deliver is not a point of controversie which we rather decline but a point of singular and great comfort and that is that â—â—â—rious Gospel which Paul did so much magnifie that mystery the Angels did so much labour to prie into that secret that was so much kept from the Iewes and revealed in due time to the Gentiles and that is the offer of Christ to all men in the world that would take him without all exceptions of persons or sins God doth not onely or meerly offer Christ but he sendeth out his Ministers and Ambassadours beseeching us to be reconciled he doth not onely tell us that there is a Marriage of his Son and that whosoever will come may come but he sendeth Messengers to beseech and to use an holy violence and earnest perswasion yea and not onely thus but he commandeth men and chargeth them upon their allegiance to come this is his commandment saith the Apostle that ye believe on him whom he hath sent yea he chargeth us upon death and damnation to come If you believe you shall be saved If you believe not you shall not be damned The first reason of this is because God would not have the death of his Son to be of none effect he would not have the blood of his Son spilt in vain and therefore he doth not make a bare offer of Christ but he beseecheth and compelleth men to come and believe on him Saint Paul useth the same reason why he would not preach with eloquent words because then he should convert none to Christ and if none be converted to Christ the death of Christ would be in vain and of none effect so say I if God did not send out his Messengers to beseech and perswade and command men to believe the death of Christ would be in vain The second reason is to shew forth the riches of Gods mercy and the abundance of his love to mankind the same motives he had to give Christ the same motives he hath to entreat men to believe and this is his love and this he sheweth to the elect that they might know the greatness and largeness of his love to them and to the wicked that the glory of his justice might appear in their damnation when they shall see that they have displeased and despised so gracious an offer The third reason is because it is acceptable to God that the Gospel should be obeyed that is that men should believe that they might live and not dye and therefore he saith he desireth not the death of a sinner and so are many speeches scattered in the Scripture Oh that my people would harken why will ye die O ye house of Israel these and many more sheweth that it is a thing very pleasing to God that men should not perish but that they come in and believe and live for ever But here may objections arise for when you hear that it is a thing pleasing to God that all men should believe here it may be objected How can these two stand together that God desires that men should believe and live and he it is that must give them ability to believe and yet doth not he hath it in his power to make them to believe and yet will not notwithstanding he expresseth in the forenamed places of scripture