break-neck it will be a Devill unto me the more I have been delighted with it the more it will gall me the more I have gotten by it the more it will damne me the sin which I most of all loved will most of all torment me Ecclesiast 11.9 look thus upon sin The third means dive into thine owne soul and heart there is a tough brawn over thy heart that it feels not its sins Now Meditation must look through and come to the heart at the quick and cause the truth to dive into the deep places of the soule When the timber is hard the workman cannot thrust in the nail with the weight of his hand no he must hammer it in Meditation is the hammering of the heart It 's a pertinent phrase Jer. 23.24 Is not my word like a fire saith the Lord and like a hammer that breaketh the rocks in peices There be two similitudes first of a hammer the Word of God is the hammer meditation is the hand that taketh this hammer and knocks the nail into the rocky heart and makes it enter Wilt thou not feele I le make thee feele saith meditation wilt thou not take notice of thy wretched estate Meditation comes with blow after blow and makes it take notice Seeondly of fire the word is like fire Meditation kindles it about the heart A man benummed with cold is senselesse the water frozen with cold though the least peble would have sunk in it before now a great milstone is able to lie upon it and not sink the water is able to beare it so is the heart be it sins never so heavie as the hill of Basan yet it bears it and feels no weight but Meditation thawes the heart and then every sinne pincheth and oppresseth Is not my word like fire as if he should say think of it and muse of it and meditate of it and thou shall feele it as a fire Meditation is the often smiting of the heart with this hammer so did Ephraim smite upon his thigh Jer. 31.19 like a man in a miserable agony he thumps his own breast and in a vexation strikes his hand on his thigh Oh miserable wretch that I am So did Ephraim Oh what an unruly Ox am I how unwilling am I to bear the yoke of the Lord Oh and oh the hardnesse of my heart oh that I could tell how to beat thee black and blue Many men smite their hearts but they smite them not often enough When Elâ—sha bad Joash smite upon the ground he smote thrice and staâ—ed The man of God said to him in anger Thou shouldest have smitten five or six times for then thou hadst smitten Syria till thou hadst consumed them where as now thou shalt smite Syria but thrice 2. Kin. 13.19 So men smite their hearts twice or thrice or so but they will not smite their sins dead it may be they break the head of their sins but they recover again and grow strong upon them as at first Thou must smite five or six times yea fifty times five times till thou hast quite broken the impostume of thy heart Meditate on the mercies of God and with them smite it often and often Meditate on the justice of God and with it smite it again and again Meditate on the wrath of God which is as a consuming fire and with it smite it soundly Meditate on the truth of the Lord this threatning and that threatning this commandement and that commandement this promise and that promise and with all these smite it to powder The forth manner Anticipate and prevent thine owne heart meditate what thy heart will one day wish if it be not humbled and tell thy soule as much thou wilt one day wish Oh that I had been humbled under the reproofes of the Lord Oh that I had been wise to have understood mine owne mercie Cursed bee the day that ever I neglected the means of grace so the Lord brings in a foolish obstinate sinner cursing and banning his owne soule sobbing and howling at the last Oh how have I hated instruction and my heart despised repâ—oofe and have not observed the voyce of my Teachers nor inclined mine care to them that instructed mee Pro. 5.12 13. I had Ministers to preach to me but I would not come at them â—or if I did I cared not for their doctrine I had friends that advised me wel but woe is me damned wretch I heeded them not Thus thou wilt cast the foole into thine owne teeth and fling a thousand curses into thine own face because of thy madnesse I might have learned but I would not I might have been humbled but I would not I was almost in all evill in the midst of the assembly of the congregation vers 14. I lived where the Saints of God were in whole assemblies but I mockt them I hated them I misliked them for being too precise I was not ashamed of my security no not in thy sight Thus thou wilt cry out one day if now thou wilt not yeeld unto meditation which must make this as present with thee Know thou O my soul the time of thy visitation is at hand thou wilt curse thy selfe hereafter if thou doest not now be moved by Gods mercies thou shalt never see mercie more Now be awaked by Gods judgements or else thou shalt feel them for evermore now or for ever thou shalt roare for them Then thou shalt curse thy gains and thy profits that bewitched thee thou shalt curse thy pleasures and delights that besotted thee curse thine own heart and thine own soul and thine own conscience that have damned thee Meditation may tell thee thus it will be with thee unlesse thou obeyest now Hear ye me now oh ye children and depart not from the words of my mouth ver 7. hear the word now and obey it let it not depart out of thy meditation Now be humbled with grace oâ— then thou shalt be humbled with horrour then thou shalt wish Oh that I had been ruled When thou art in hell then thou shalt meditate 〈◊〉 it was good counsell that such and such a â—ster gave me good counsell that such a 〈◊〉 and such a brother gave me but wretch 〈◊〉 I was I had not grace to follow it I had more mind of my pleasures more mind of my vanities then of grace Oh if it were to do again I would not do so for a thousand worlds but alas it is now too late Therefore let Meditation presse this upon thee before-hand Now follows the third thing how to put life to Meditation Foure duties are to be done to this purpose 1. Let Meditation haunt thy heart let meditation dogge thee with the hellish looks of thy sins and follow it with the dreadfull vengeance of God haunt it with promises haunt it with threatnings haunt it with mercies and haunt it with judgements and haunt it with Commandments The heart is like the Beaver when it perceiveth it cannot possibly escape
the 23. verse turn you at my correction lo I will poure out my mind unto you and make you to understand my words As if he should say Do you not see how you are going apace to confusion and that the way you take leadeth unto destruction turn ye therefore turn ye back again for there is a Christ behind you O turn ye for if ye go on in your sins you perish for ever Fourthly here is a yearning promise made unto the world in the end of the 23. verse Lo I will poure out my spirit upon you and cause you to understand my words As if he should say return back again with me and you shall have better welcome then you can possibly have if you go on in your sins the Devill will never let you gain so much by your living in your lusts as you shall do by repentance for them and forsaking of them For behold I will poure out my spirit upon you whereby you shall be far greater gainers then you shall be by your sins Fifthly here is a grievous threatning against the world even all those that have loytered out the day of grace As time and tyde stayes for no man no more doth the day of grace Because I have called and you refused I have exhorted but you have not regarded I have denounced judgements against you for your sins but you have harned your hearts now a day of woe and misery shall come upon you a time of vengeance and desolation shall over-take you there will a day come wherein there will be weeping and crying Mercie Lord mercy but I tell you beforehand what you shall trust to let this be your lesson now I call and you will not hear now I stretch out my hands but you will not regard you shall seekâ— me early but you shall not find me and shall crie but you shall not be heard The words are a thunderclap against all those that procrastinate their repentance and returning home unto God wherein note first the parties themselves that do prolong this time of grace they that is they who when God cals on them will not hear when God invites them by his mercies patience and forbearance by his Ministers and servants by his corrections and judgements by all fair means and foul means yet withstand the means of grace they are the men they shall call but God will not answer Secondly here is their seeking after God they shall call upon me Thirdly here is their earnest and diligent seeking unto God they shall not onely call but seek to and not onely seek but seek as to labour to find nay they shall seek me early even strive to goe about it with all haste and flie to repentance but they shall not find me Fourthly here is the unseasonablenesse of the time of their seeking then that is a demonstrative then even a time which the Lord points at as if he should say you shall see then these men will be of another mind then they will be glad to be converted then they will be glad to come out of their sins then they will be glad to get grace and seek reconciliation with God but alas they saw not this then but God foresaw it well enough then shall they call but I will not answer they shall seek me early but they shall not finde me Lastly here is the frustration of their hope which hath two things in it First in regard of their selves in regard of the slaw of their seeking it being not aright Secondly in regard of the â—ustice of God who rewards every man according to his works But I will not hear them Whence observe this point of Doctrine Dect 1 Those that will not hear God when he calleth them God will not hear them when they call upon him Those that will not hear the Lord when he calleth upon them by the ministery of his Word and voice of his Spirit the Lord will not hear them when in their misery they call upon him Thus the Lord dealt with the people in Ezekiels dayes the Lord called them to repentance and obedience but when they stood out and neglected the opportunity of grace and seasons of conversion see how God deals with them though they cry in mine eares with a loud voice yet I will not hear them saith the Lord. When men have gone beyond the time of Gods mercie and out-rowed the tide of Gods forbearance and will not return the Lord sets it down with himself that his wrath shall return upon them he will no longer forbear they had a time wherein the Lord did pitie them and offered grace and mercie unto them but they neglecting this season and withstanding this proffer of grace God resolves with himself they shall never have it again There was a time wherein God did pitie them but now he will not pitie them any more twenty five yeers he called unto them and sought to bring them home but because they stood out and refused the Lord saith I will love Ephraim no more Beloved there is a double day a white day and a black day there is a day of salvation Isa 49.9 this is the day in the which the Lord said to the prisoners Come forth and to those that lie in their sins repent and beleeve Now if any man will come forth and humble his soul before the Lord let him come and welcome for it is a day of salvation But there is another day of damnation which is a dark day a black and a duskie day wherein the Lord will visit the sins of the world and revenge the quarrell of his Covenant Hos 9.7 The day of visitation is come yea the day of recompence the people shall know it the Prophet is a foole and the spirituall man is mad Beloved we are fools and all the spirituall men under heaven are mad that lay not this day to heart For the day of the Lord is a day of visitation and all the world shall rue it though now men sleepe in security If once mercy be rejected and God turn away his eare from a man then grace shall be no more the doore of life shall for ever be shut up against him and when once this day comes he hath lost his own peace and deprived himself of eternall happinesse Reas 1 Now there are three reasons of this point the first is the law of retaliation of rendring like for like which is the justest law that can be made with man for to give unto every man according to his works to make him take such as he brings as the Heathen call it to give a man quid for quo Now if God call upon thee and thou wilt not hear it is righteousnesse with God yea equity with God that is more that when thou callest on him he should not heare thee For thus runs the tenor of Gods Word Prov. 28.9 He that turns away his eare from hearing the Law even his prayers shall be abominable
how doth he know but this one robbery may bring him to the gallows So the man that sins this day how doth he know but that this very dayes work may bring him to hell Deut. 32.35 To God belongs vengeance their feete shall slide in due time Therefore if a man sin against him he may stand to day and to morrow and many dayes but when the due time comes even the time which God hath set then up goes his heels he shall slide and break his neck thy houre-glasse runs in heaven and thou seest not when the sand comes to the bottome but when t is out then down thou goest to hell for ever There was one resolved to kill Julius Caesar such a day the night before a friend sent him a letter to acquaint him with it but being at supper and busie I will not look upon it now saith he to morrow is a new day The next day when he should have read his letter he was stabd Whence this Proverb came in Greece To morrow is a new day God sends thee a letter and a message from heaven to day hear his voice to day repent and come out of your sins or for ever to hell to day be converted and sanctified or for ever be hardned Dost thou refuse to bearken to day and puttest it off untill to morrow it may be to morrow may be a day of Gods wrath and then thou maiest be hardned seared and bound over unto the great day of Gods vengeance to morrow God may set the decree upon thy soul that thou shalt never repent Therefore if thou refuse this thou refusest all for what knowest thou but this very day may be thy day Reas 1 The reason is because Gods patience is in his own brest and who can tell how long it will last Hast thou Momus his glasse-window to look into Gods secret counsell hast thou a key-hole to look into Gods treasurie canst thou stand on tiptoe to look over Gods shoulder to look into Gods decree to see how long his patience will last It may be God hath suffered thee till this day thou art guilty of ten thousand sinnes and yet he is patient towards thee God hath stayed thus long for thee that hast sworne I know not how many oaths God hath born thus long with thee that hast told I know not how many lies prophaned I know not how many Sabbaths contemned I know not how many ordinances and sleighted I know not how many judgements yet Gods patience is in his own brest it is the long sufferance of God Thou mayest say I would fain have it to morrow and this seven yeers but alas it is his long sufferance and not thine and how dost thou know when he will conclude it it may be this day as well as to morrow Joel 2.13 Rent your hearts and not your garments saith the Prophet for the Lord he is gracious and mercifull This word for hath a great deal of force in it First It is a descriptivum for for he is gracious and a mercifull God therefore rent thy heart and let thy soul burst within thee that thou hast sinned against him for he is a mercifull God and it may be he will pardon all thy sins and heal all thy rebellions committed against him Secondly it is an upbraiding for upbraiding thee for thy sins rent thy heart therefore why he is a patient God wilt thou goe on in thy sins against such a patient God and rebel against such a loving Father that hath loved thee with so much compassion Rent thy heart for he is patient Thirdly it is a comforting and incouraging for rent thy heart for there is incouragement for thee to repent give over thy sins and go to the throne of grace For there is much mercie to welcome thee and great patience for to bid thee come home and abundance of grace for to incourage thee therefore rent thy heart and come home unto the Lord for he is patient and long-suffering Fourthly it is a forewarning for rent your hearts for the Lord is gracious and mercifull slow to anger and of great kindnesse yet his mercie lasteth yet his patience endureth yet hee hath all his attributes and yet he is pleased to manifest the same still tendring grace and mercie unto thee Oh turn unto him while these endure or else thou shalt perish for ever Fifthly it is a threatning for now he is gracious now he is mercifull but his mercy will end his patience will end and then if thou hast not rent thy heart before it will be too late then Therefore as ever thou lovest thine own soule now rent thy heart and turn unto God It is Gods own proclamation The Lord the Lord slow to anger and of great mercie forgiving iniquity and sin Yea what man soever it be that humbles his soule before him he shall find grace and mercie with him yea abundance of mercie pardoning iniquity transgression and sinne yea any thing Let but a soul come prostrate before him humbling his soule he will pardon his sin But as it followeth in the words He will by no means clear the guiltie if notwithstanding all Gods patience and mercie thou go on in thy sins the Lord will never forgive thee but will visit thy sinnes upon thee unto the third and fourth generations because thou hast withstood the day of grace Beloved men run on in their sins as if so be an Angel from heaven should cry unto them and tell them yet God will be good unto them yet God will show them mercie and forbear them Beloved let your consciences answer if you ever heard the Lord God say to any of you thus long I will forbear you No Gods patience is in his own breast and therefore no man knows how long it will last Reas 2 A second reason is because Gods patience giveth no marks or inklings of it before it ends commonly when God strikes a man with death he giveth some signes of warnings of it before as sicknesse and pains and gray hairs and many sorrowes c. Now because thy life is in Gods hands thou carest not for it but venturest to go on in thy sinnes hoping to have some warning though thousands be cut off without it but the day of grace may come to an end and yet thou never have any inkling or warning of it before-hand commonly when God strikes a man with death he tells him of it before-hand by aches and pains as if the Lord should say Now thou shalt die now will I take thee out of the world But when the Lord taketh away the day of grace from a man though the spirituall man may take some notice of it yet there is no sensible apparition of it but after the day of grace is set upon a man he may be as strong and lustie as before he may come to Church as well after as before performe religious duties and do many good things as well after as
Thirdly another reason is because the Lord Christ when he administers himselfe in this heavenly mystery he offers to come into the soule and he looks for good entertainment and therefore of necessity there must bee preparation for it You see when a mortall man an earthly Prince or a Noble man comes to another mans house what a deale of preparation there is to provide for him there is meat made ready and purging the house and sweeping the yard and trimming up the very pales and every thing and making clean all the Chambers and riding out whatsoever fills it and every thing that is out of order is set in tune And what will my Lord think and what will his Majesty think he will think he is slighted and contemned And when he comes in it may be his owne children shall serve and his owne wife wait at the Table and there is running up and down of errands and a great deale of adoe to give such a one entertainment There is preparation to entertain a man as Saint Paul said to Philemon I will that thou prepare me a lodging how much more when the eternall God shall come under a mans roof and dine with him Lastly Because the Sacrament of the Lords Supper it is a part of Christs last Will and Testament Now it is a terrible thing when we know our Lords will and prepare not for the doing of it Look in Luke 12.48 he that knew it not did things worthy of stripes but in verse 47. That servant that knew his Lords will and prepared not himselfe neither did according to his will shall be beaten with many stripes that man shall be damned with much damnation he shall be damned deeper then any body Dost thou know that the Lords Table that this blessed Sacrament it is part of Christs last Testament and wilt thou not prepare thy selfe for it to get an humble heart and labour for a holy life and seek for a thirsty soule and vow upon new obedience and enter into Covenant with the Lord Jesus Christ for a better kind of conversation for the time to come Wilt thou not go and examine thine own soul and go and reforme whatsoever is amisse in thy family in thy place and calling Wilt thou not do these things to prepare for this holy will of Jesus Christ thou shalt be damned deeper then any body else because this is a part of Gods last Will and Testament and thou knowest it and therefore woe unto thee if thou prepare not for it THE DVTIE OF THE REPROVER AND The Persons reproved SET FORTH In a SERMON Preached By that Reverend and faithfull Minister of Gods Word WILLIAM FENNER B.D. Sometime Fellow of Pembroke Hall in Cambridge and late Parson of Rochford in Essex London Printed by T.R. and E.M. for J.S. THE DUTY OF REPROVERS And Persons reproved A Sermon preached by Mr. WILLIAM FENNER Minister of Gods Word Pov. 29.1 He that being often reproved hardeneth his neck shall suddenly be destroyed and that without remedy THese words by reason of the ambiguity in the Hebrew tongue they bear two expositions and our English can suffer but one The first Exposition is this He that reproveth another and hardeneth his owne neck shall suddenâ—y be destroyed and that without remedy The othet is as we have it here translated He that being often reproved hardeneth his necke shall suddenly be destroyed and that without remedy I desire to speak of both these expositions fot feare I should misse the true sense of this Text. For the first it is a truth of God every where confirmed in the Scriptures that hee that reproves another and yet hardeneth his owne heare hee doth but make a rod for his owne back hee puls sudden destruction upon his owne selfe Then Secondly there is no hinderance from the context but that this may bee the meaning of the text you know the Proverbs have little or no coherence except two or three chapters Indeed there is a coherence in them but generally through the Proverbs there is none so that if the text it selfe will beare one exposition as well as another indifferently the meaning none can tell onely as it is hit Thirdly and lastly the Text it selfe savours this exposition for so the word in the Hebrew is A man of reproofes that hardens his owne neck shall suddenly be destroyed and that without remedie Now the Question is Whether the wise mans meaning here be of the actuall reproof the reproving of another or of passive reproof this is undetermined which of these is meant A man can have no light from the coherence none in the world and from the text it selfe there is as much reason why we should expound it one way even almost as the other So that I say for feare I should let goe the true meaning of the wise man I desire to speak a little of the active sense He that often reproveth another and yet hardeneth his own neck shall suddenly be destroyed and that without remedy From hence I may observe that A reprover whether a Master or a Minister or a Magistrate or a Father or a private Christian be he what he will be that reproveth another and yet is guilty himselfe either in the same kind or else in another or in any kind and hardeneth his own heart in it that man shall suddenly be destroyed without remedy Take a Preacher that preacheth strict doctrine to the people that is very zealous against their sinnes he is up with hell and damnation against their filthy courses he preacheth for quickning but himselfe is not quickned hee threatneth judgments against hardnesse of heart and yet he hath a hard heart himselfe this man puls destruction upon his owne pate Hee is like the Pharisees that imposed upon others grievous burdens and heavie to be born but would not touch them with one of their fingers themselves Matth. 23.4 The Reason of this is because First such a reprover of sinne it is against his office the office of a reprover binds him to be blamelesse as the Apostle speakes A Bishop must be blamelesse 1 Tim. 3.2 Every Christian should be blamelesse how much more Ministers that beare the office of reprovers they should be blamelesse Nay if a man though hee take not the office of a reprover yet if he beare the person of a reprover as every private Christian must when God calls him to it for every man may be called to reprove though he have no authority over another though hee bee a private man he may beare the person though not the office of a reprover Now a man must be unculpable and unblameable himselfe or else hee sinnes against his person If a man reprove another for being carnall himselfe must be spirituall Gal. 6.1 If any man be overtaken with a fault yee that are spirituall restore him The reprover the exhorter and admonisher must be spirituall if hee would draw another to be spirituall
then he will prevent the mischeif a man is guilty of bodily murther but thou art guilty of the soule of thy brother if thou let him fall into sin Thou thinkest thy brother is harsh he will not bear with thee he is hasty and testy no thou art in an error That man that hates reproof erreth saith Solomon Indeed a man should not be too sharp but first tell his brother in private that he is in an error for reproof is a means of grace it flowes from great love it is the providence of God that hath cast it about that thou shouldest have reproof given thee if thou have a heart to take it it is an argument of love Another reason is taken from the primary end of reproof which is to bring a man to good to reduce him into a right way to convert a man to save his soule that is the primary end of reproof and admonition therefore to go on in sinnes contrary to it must needs be a great evill As Solomon brings in the wisdome of the Father Jesus Christ calling upon people O yee fooles how long will yee love folly turn at my reproof Mark what followes to what end I will poure my spirit on you There is the end he tells them O yee fooles wretched people without understanding that go on in sinne and harden your owne hearts that repent not nor turne not to God that will not submit to his wisdome nor imbrace his word yee fooles that wrong your own souls oh turne at my reproof Why This is the reason that God reproves a man on this fashion it is that a man may have the Spirit of God granted him If thou have an eare to heare reproof and a heart to drink it in and to weare it as a crown of gold on thy head and as a chain about thy neck thou shouldest have the Spirit of God for thy labour the Lord reproves thee that thou mightest return back and have his Spirit and have mercie and forgivenesse This is all the ill will that Gods Ministers beare thee and all the hatred that reprovers shew when they tell thee of thy sinnes whatsoever they be that they may stop thy steps from going downe to Hell When the Lord sends thee Sermon upon Sermon Preacher after Preacher thou art called on day by day as you here in this place This is the infinite goodnesse of God toward your souls therefore your sinne is infinite great if you do not amend as the wise man saith He that hates reproof shall surely die Prov. 15.10 there is no remedy for that man that man that puts off repentance God reproves him from day to day on the Sabbath day and on the week dayes hee goes to this man and there he is reproved and to another and there he is reproved and yet he goes on in this deadnesse and formality in the ordinances of God that man shall surely die there is no remedy he sins against the infinite mercie of God Thirdly there is no reason in the world why reproofe should be taked otherwise then with all willingnesse and thankfulnesse and chearfulnesse If a man have but the reason of a man in him he must needs take reproof in good part he must be a beast that doth not judge well of him that reproves him There is an excellent place Prov. 12.1 He that puts off reproof is brutish he that hates reproof is a brute that man hath no reason in him Art thou a swearer and art reproved for it thy brother tells thee thou wilt be damned for it Doest thou chafe at that man thou art a beast thou hast no more understanding then an Ox or an Asse As it is with a horse when the Ostler comes to rub him he kicks with the heel when he only beats off the dirt he lifts up his hinder legge on him and it may be wounds him so thou hast no more understanding then a beast that finds fault with one that reproves thee for thy sins So that whatsoever thy sin be he that tells thee of it there is no reason in the world but he should be a dear man to thee Me thinks of all men under heaven godly Ministers that are faithfull in their place and calling should be the dearest men to you upon the face of the earth Why because they reprove you and tell you of your sins and what will become of your souls what will be the issue and Catastrophe of all your wayes You that come to Church every day may read a Lecture in the Word of God what will be your doom at the last day you are told of your pride and adultery of your whoredome and oaths carnall Gospellers of their secure and carnall condition and common professors of their formality and other lusts that men are given to you are told of all I say the feet of Gods messengers should be beautifull you should hug the messengers and put their reproofs in your bosomes and let them have power and efficacie on your souls and go and put them in practice The Use of this is First is it so that it is the infinite mercie of God to reprove men of their sinnes to tell them of whatsoever is amisse in their hearts and lives let me tell you First see here what an infinite punishment God is bringing upon that Kingdome when hee is taking away reprovers from them when God takes away reprovers he takes away all mercie and loving kindnesse Therefore God when he threatned to deliver up Judah to curse that Kingdome to plague them for their rebellion and utterly to give them over he saith he will take away the reprover saith hee to the Prophet Thou shalt be dumb and not open thy mouth thou shalt not be a reprover to this people Ezek. 3.26 When the Lord would curse that people and bind them over to a reprobate sense and deliver them to wrath the Prophet shall not be a reprover he silences the Prophet Or as Piscator thinks the anger of God silenced him or confined him to his house that he should not prophesie So when God silences his Ministers that he takes them from a place or threatens to take them away it is a signe of heavie vengeance toward such a people It may be wicked people laughed at them and made it a matter of nothing they were glad that Ezekiels mouth was gagged and it were no matter if the countrey were rid of a company of Puritans though they had no such word then they had as bad they think all is well but the time will come that they will curse the day that ever they provoked God to take away their Ministers we enjoy them by the mercie of God other places have lost them God knows how soon wee may lose ours In Hosea 4.4 the Lord there when he would set out the desperate estate of the children of Ephraim he delivers them up to such a state and condition
life and many other outward comforts and supports But thou wilt heare more of these things in the Sermons themselves the wholesome Admonitions and Reproofs wherein contained with the rest of that heavenly provision for thy Soule which thou shalt find here gathered together and laid into thy hand I heartily wish may be sanctified unto thee by the highest hand of the Sanctifier that so thy sins and corruptions may flie seven wayes before that Spirit of power which here pursueth them and thou never presume to return back again unto them more The God whom we serve is able to performe this great petition by Jesus Christ To whose grace the peace of thy soule is faithfully and feelingly recommended by That poor and unworthy servant of Christ and his Church John Goodwin The Contents and Heads of the eight following Sermons The Contents of the first two Sermons from HAG. 1.5 THe Preface showing the usefulnesse of Meditation together with the danger in neglecting it Page 1 The opening of the Tex in severall particulars pag. 4 Doctrine Serious Meditation of our sins by the â—ord is an especiall means for to make us repent 4 The definition of Meditation in four particulars 4 1 It is an exercise of the mind 4 2 A setled exercise of the mind 5 3 It is to make a further enquirie into all the parts of the truth 6 4 It labours to affect the heart 7 Two Reasons 1. Because Meditation presseth â—ll Arguments home to the heart 7 2 Because Meditation fastens sin close upon the â—oul and makes the soul to feel it 9 1 Use For the reproof of severall sorts of men â—hat are loth to put in practise this so necessary a duty 12 Four lets of Meditation 1. Vain company 14 2 Multitude of worldly businesse 14 3 Ignorance 16 4 That naturall aversnesse is in the heart of man unto it 16 This aversnesse of heart consisteth in three things 1 In the carelesnesse of the heart 17 2 In the runnings and rovings of the heart 17 3 In the wearisomnesse of the heart in meditation 17 2 Use For terror unto all those that dare sit down in security never at all regarding this soul searching duty 18 Four means or helps to meditation 1 With all seriousnesse tell the soul that thou hast a message from the Lord unto it 20 2 Observe sitting times for meditation viz. 1 The morning 21 2 The night 22 3 The evening 22 4 When the heart is after some extraordinary manner touched with Gods word or providences 22 3 Call to mind what evill thou hast done ever since thou wast born 23 4 Rouse up thy heart and thoughts as high aâ— heaven 23 3 Use For the reprehension of those that meditate upon their sins and how they may with the more freenesse commit sin 24 Four grounds upon which meditation must be raised 1 Meditate on the goodnesse mercy and patience of God that you have oft abused by your sins 26 2 Meditate on the justice of God that you have so oft provoked 28 3 Meditate on the wrath of God that you have so oft kindled 29 4 Meditate on the constancie of God who is a constant hater of all sin 30 Four directions how to carry Meditation home to the heart 1 Weigh and ponder all the foregoing things in â—hine own heart 33 2 Strip sin and look upon it starknaked and in â—ts own colours 33 3 Dive into thine own soul and search thine â—eart to the quick 34 4 Prevent thine own heart by meditation and â—ell thy soul that it will one day wish that it had not â—eglected this so necessary a duty 36 Four duties to be discharged that we may put life to Meditation 1 Let Meditation haunt and dogge thy heart with the promises and threatnings mercies and judgements of God 38 2 Let Meditation trace thy heart in the same steps and run over all thy duties discharged 41 3 Let Meditation hale thy heart before Gods Throne there to poure out thy complaints before the Almighty p. 43. and let thy complaint be 1 Full of sorrow 44 2 A full complaint of all thy sins 44 3 A complaint aggravating all thy sins by all their circumstances 45 4. A self-condemning complaint wherein the complaint of Ezra is illustrated in eight particulars 46 4 Let Meditation when it hath searched out thy case and made it appear how wofull it is cast thee down before God 49 Four motives to stir up the soul to Meditation 1 Consider it is the part of a fool not to meditate It is a madnesse for a man to walk on in a course and not to consider whither it will tend 50 2 Consider not to meditate is the brand of a Reprobate 52 3 He that meditates not robs God of his honor 52 4 All the service that a man performeth unto the Lord will be abominable if he meditate not before it and after it 53 The reason why we have so many vain thoughts in our holy exercises is because we prepare not our hearts thereunto by meditation 54 The Contents of the third Sermon Proverbs 1.28 1 THe opening of the context in 5 particulars 59 2 The opening of the words of the Text in four particulars 62 1. Doctrine Those that will not heare the Lord when he calleth upon them by the ministry of his word and voice of his Spirit the Lord will not hear them when in their misery they call upon him 62 3. Reasons of the point 1. The law of Retaliation of rendring like for like requires it 64 2. Because Gods two Attributes of Mercy and Justice have their season in this life and when Mercy hath acted her part then commeth Justice upon the stage for to act her part 66 3. Because it is Gods manner for to doe so in temporall things and therfore much more in matters of grace and salvation 68 God giveth to men a day and no Man nor Angell knoweth how long this day lasteth or when this season of grace shall have an end 71 73 And as there is a Personall day so there is a Nationall day 74 Object 1. A man may be called at the 11th or 12th houre of the day 75 Ans Those that were called at the first hour came in at the first houre these that came in at the twelfth houre were not the same that were called at the first hour 75 Object 2 The day of grace lasteth as long as the day of life 77 The Objection is cleared under three particulars Ans And it is answered that the day of grace may end to a particular man long before his death 1. Because God may harden a mans heart 78 2. Because God may sear mens consciences 78 Object 3. Suppose I go on in my sinne and repent upon my death-bed will God hear me Ans The answer is negative 80 Object 4. Suppose I humble my self by fasting and prayer will not God hear that The answer is negative if thou neglect the day of grace
warres were there but many scores come against an Army they might be conquered or many hundreds they mighr be resisted but if many thousands should come against a small army it would be in danger indeed Meditation leavieth a whole Army of arguments a whole Army of curses miseries judgements commandements against the soul how ever one misery or plague will not knock it down but the soule may brook it and goe away with it but meditation brings a great Armado of arguments and tells the soule God is against thee and against thy wayes God is against thee where ever thou art or what ever thou doest Then the heart begins to cry out as Elisha his servant did Master what shall wee doe 2 Kings 6.15 So many horses against us so many charets and so many men against us Master what shall we doe so many sinnes and so heynous so many judgements and so heavie and so many evils and spirituall maladies Oh what shall I doe to be saved that I should commit sinne against a God that hath damned innumerable Angels millions of Kings Princes and Nobles that I should commit it against this God so mercifull to me so gracious so patient so good to my soule that I wretched rebell should for a cup of drink refuse heaven for a lust not worth a straw under my foot cast off Christ and grace and all how shall I doe Then the soule stands in a maze Reas 2 The second Reason is because meditation having bundled up all Items against the soule and brought in all bills of account it fastens sin upon the soule I meane it makes the soule feele it so that it must needs be convinced without any evasion Meditation deals with a man as Elisha dealt with the messengers of King Joram the murderer he was comming to doe mischeife to the Prophet and the Prophet did shut the door and held him fast at the door 2 Kings 6.32 and then he made him know that the evill was from the Lord before he could stirre so meditation when the soule would fain out of doores into iâ—s old course againe it shuts the doore upon it and holds it fast Meditation tells the soule this evill is from the Lord upon thee O my soule if thoâ— stirre in or out upon this or that lust any more this evill that curse that vengeance and damnation if ever thou stirre forth thou losesâ— thy mercy thou losest Christ thou losest all possibility of comfort Stirre not out if thou dost thou wilt roe it Sometimes when men heare the Word they go away touched they resolve not to commit sinne again as they have done yet when they are gone it works not but the heart recoyles again and turnes to its old passe The Reason is because they meditate not upon the Word they fasten it not upon their consciences It is with the Word as it is with a salve if a man that hath never so good a salve that will heal any thing in foure and twenty houres if a man should do nothing but lay it to the wound and take it off lay it on and take it off it will not heale the wound and no marvell Why hee will not let it lie on the best salve will not heal the soare nor eate out the corruption unlesse it be bound on and let lie so it is with the Word many a soule heares it heart conscience affections all toucht but when he is gone out of the Church all is gone his affections die his heart dies and his conscience becomes unfruitfull Why he is still removing of the salve and will not let it lie on and therefore the Word over-powers not his corruptions the Word is like the salve conviction of conscience is like the laying on of the salve meditation the binding of it to the soare St James compares a slight hearer to a man that looks into a glasse who soon forgets his visage but a good hearer doth two things First hee stoops down and looks into it to take a perfect view of his estate Secondly he continues looking into it James 1.25 he doth not leave the glasse behind him but he carrieth away the glasse with him This man shall be blessed in his deed If the pills be never so bitter yet let a man swallow them speedily there is no great distaste but if a man chew a pill it will make him deadly sick Thy sinnes are like those pills they go down very pleasingly because thou swallowest them thou swallowest down thine oathes lies ignorance pride thou swallowest downe the threats of the Lord but if thou wouldest chew these bitter pills and meditate and ruminate and chew the cud drunkennesse would be as bitter as hell swearing and security and Sabbath-breaking would be as bitter as wormwood thou durst not go on in them they would make thee look sourly upon them for ever like a man that hath chewed a pill he can hardly ever see a pill but his stomach riseth against it Behold I will hedge up thy way with thornes Hosea 2.6 I will not be so precise saith the heart I will goe on as I have done I will goe after these and these courses I will hedge up thy way with thorns saith God meditation is Gods instrument and sets a thorne in the way to every sinne to bring the heart backe again Would the heart lash out into luke-warmnesse Meditation sets a thorn in the way God will spue thee out of his mouth Would the heart sally forth into any sinne Meditation sets a thorn in the way Cursed arâ— thou if thou dost erre from Gods Commandements The heart cannot step forth into any lust but meditation meets it with a thorn this curse and that curse this plague and that Plague Would the heart reach at mercy in its sinne Meditation pricks it from it mercie is vengeance unto thee so long as thou hankrest after sinne Would the heart reach after Christ in his sinne Meditation pushes it backe with a thorn No Christ for thee but a severe judge so long as thou itchest after thy vanities Vse 1 What shall wee think of them then which are loth to practise this dutie Most men are loth though they be willing enough to meditate on their worldly affaires The Mariner meditates and considers his course by his Compass or else hee might soon runne on the quick-sands a Pilgrime is full of thoughts what am I in my right way He never comes to a doubtfull turning but he stands in a study muses O which is my right way The Merchant meditates and his minde runnes on his Count-book or else he is soone bankrupt The voluptuous man his thoughts run on his pleasures the drunkards on his cups the proud mans on his credit But it is one thing to looke to that which is thine and another thing to looke to thy selfe Take heed to your selves saith the Lord Deut. 11.16 Deut. 12.30 Deut. 4.9 Exod. 34.12 as if he should say think on thy selfe
their Dogges their bellies and their backes before they serve God in meditation or prayer unlesse it be the mumbling and roting a few Lord have mercy upon us that pray not till after many other businesses it may be not then neirher David prayed and meditated in the morning In the morning thou washest thy face and thy hands but thy soul hath more need which thou washest not in the morning thou puttest thy cloathes on thy body but thou puttest not on afresh the new man upon thy soule in the morning thou shakest off sleepinesse from thine eyes but thou shakest not off drowsinesse from thy soule Thou lookest into the glasse in the morning to see if thy face be as it should be but thy soule is not composedly looking into the glasse of Gods word In the morning look up in prayer look up in thanksgiving look up in meditation Secondly the night too O Lord I meditate on thee in the night watches Ps 63. not as carnal ones do when they cannot sleepe then their mind runnes on their Cow and their Calfe their markets and vanities this neighbour and that neighbour like Petronius his dogge that was hunting while he lay asleepe in his kennell Thirdly in the evening I prevent the night watches that I might meditate Psal 119.148 he did not as wicked men doe sleepe like a horse in the stable on his litter with his neck tied to the manger they goe to bed with their hearts roped to the world worldly thoughts this thought and that thought and God knowes what Fourthly when the heart is touched at a Sermon or Sacrament or observing of any judgement or mercy or act of Gods providence it is best striking when the Iron is hot David when his heart was touched at the reproaches of the wicked then he meditated Ps 119.23 When the Instrument is in tune then it is good playing upon it when a Churle is in a good mood then it is fittest to deale with him Oft will thy heart be out of tune oft churlish and in an ill mood if thou lettest the good opportunity go thou knowst not when thou shalt have such another When the fish is nibbling at the bait then it is good twitching at the angle rod when the heart is a nibbling at grace then give a pluck at it by meditation See Act. 17.11 now while the tide â—asts see thou maist get into the haven Means 3 Thirdly rub up thy selfe and thy memory call as much to mind as thou canst what evill thou hast done ever since thou wast borne what in the womb what in thy cradle childhood youth age what a servant what a Master what as a servant what as a sonne what as a neighbour what as an inferiour what as a superiour either in thought or word or deed how often thou â—ast omitted good duties or done them by â—alves Item for this and Item for that They shall remember themselves and turne unto the Lord Psal 22.27 First they shall remember themselves and say What have I done O wretch how carelesly have I lived Secondly so meditating they shall turn unto the Lord. Many say Oh! they cannot remember their sinnes They lie in a thousand particulars for they can remember to commit them wel enough See Lam. 3.19 20.21 our Greek translation turnes it I spâ—ke to my selfe and meditated as if they should say O what a rebell have I been how unthankfull how unprofitable under all the means of grace I may thank my sins for all the plagues of the Almighty that are upon me if he had damned me I had been well served What followes The heart bowed and was humbled as it is in the text Means 4 The fourth means Rouze up thy heart As it is with the eye of the body so it is with the eye of the soul when a man would look wishly upon a thing as if he would look through it he sets his eyes on it as Paul set his eyes on Elymas Ah thou child of the Devil thou c. Acts 13.9 Meditation is the setting of the eye of the soul upon a thing set thine eye upon thy selfe and say Ah thou child of the wicked why hath Satan filled thy heart O wretched heart whence hadst thou thy self-love hadst thou not it from the Devil God might do well to send thee to the Devill if thou lovest so to bee his Broker Seâ— thine eyes stedfastly upon thine owne wayes and thou shalt see infinite hellish evils in thy sins Vse 3 The third use is for reprehension What is more usuall then this that men make sleight account of their sins Nay when God tells them in their hearts Thou shalt not do this thou shalt not doe that yet they meditate and think Why may I not Samuel bid Saul stay for directions from him before he sacrificed unto God It seemes that God spake to his heart Stay till Samuel comes to direct thee yet Saul forced himselfe to disobey and to doe sacrifice 1. Sam. 13.12 he was bold as Vatable turnes it hee confirmed himselfe as Pagnin translates it hee thrust himselfe upon the doing of it God forbad him he would doe it God urged him in his conscience not to doe it yet he would doe it God again whispered to him to doe it not yet hee forced himselfe to doe it as if he should say I hope I may doe it I have stayed seven dayes wanting an houre or a piece of an houre and a little piece breakes no squares No God rejected Saul for that venture God would have forced him by meditation O no doe it not by no meanes he made him think Oh it is against Gods commandements I may not doe it No but neverthelesse he forced himselfe to doe it Thus God deals with thousands and millions in the world Be not a drunkard God flings the meditation into the conscience yet a drunkard thou wilt be be not a drunkard again a drunkard notwithstanding thou wilt be Be not again they force themselves they will goe to the Ale-house And so of all other sinnes If men will cast oft this work of meditation darted into their soules they cast off their owne mercy God tells them pray not hear not offer not without directions from me they dread not the commandement they will I trust prayers are good I will say them Thus they will not meditate or if they doe they break it off before it comes to any strength or perfection yea Gods owne servants that desire to look towards Sion is not this your complaint oft I cannot find sinne heavie I confesse the word discovers it to me but I cannot be troubled for it Look as it is with men in the world if five hundred pounds weight bee laid upon the ground if a man never pluck at it he shall never feele the weight of it Your sinnes are not many hundreds but many thousands yea many ten thousands selfe-love security hardnesse of heart base fears c. it is impossible to
reckon them The least vain thought that ever you imagined the least vain word that ever you uttered were weight enough to presse your soules down to hell Therefore what are so many sins and so great and so often committed What are they they are as heavie as rocks and mountains yet ye feele them not so heavie Why Ye weigh them not if ye did yee should finde them heavier then the sand as David did when his sinne was ever before him Psal 51.3 that is his sinne was ever in his thoughts and in his meditation his sinne was ever like a huge Milstone before him and he was ever tugging and pulling to remove it out of his way Object I but you will say How shall I come to feele my burden Answ I answer three things are here to be discovered First the ground upon which our meditation must be raised Secondly the manner how to follow it home to the heart Thirdly how to put life and power in it The ground I referre to these foure heads First meditate on the goodnesse patience and mercy of God that hath been abused by any of your sins the greater they have been to you the greater is every sinne this maketh them out of measure sinfull because God is out of measure mercifull There are many sinnes in one when a man sinnes against many mercies See Iudg. 2.2 3. Why have ye done thus I have done thus and thus mercifully unto you why have yee done thus unthankefully to me Why was my mercy abused Why was my goodnesse sleighted Why was my patience despised as if the Lord should say I speak to your owne consciences think of it meditate of it why have yee done this Doe ye thus requite the Lord O foolish people and unwise Is not he thy Father Meditate of it first and tell me then For it is a question put to thy meditation to answer Do yee thus requite the Lord ye foolish people Wert thou ever in want but God supplied thee Wert thou ever in weaknesse but God strengthened thee Wert thou ever in straits but God delivered thee When thou wert in sicknesse he cured thee when thou wert in poverty who relieved thee when thou wert in misery who succoured thee Hath not God been a gracious God to thee Every soule can tell never poor sinner hath had a more gracious God then I poore sinner have found to my soule All my bones can say Lord who hath been like unto thee This heart hath been heavie and thou hast cheered it this soul hath been distressed thou hast eased it many troubles have befallen me and thou hast given me a gracious issue This poore man saith David pointing to himselfe this poore man cried and the Lord heard him Psa 34.6 And shall I thus reward the Lord shall I sinne against this goodnesse Then what shall I say Heare O heavens and hearken O earth Sunne stand thou still and thou Moon bee amazed at this and be avenged on such a heart as this The Oxe knowes his Owner and the Asse his Masters Crib but here is a heart that will not remember to know the Lord Heare O heavens this villany crieth so loud that your eares may heare it Heare all yee Angels and be astonished here is villany to make your eares glow yea hear Hell hear Deviâ—s if ever there were worse committed by you When men are but ingenuous if they have received any kindnesse from a friend they were never in want but hee relieved them never harbourlesse but he housed them never to seek but he found them Let a man deale thus kindly with a man if this man should deny him any ordinary favour he will be ashamed of himselfe ashamed to come into his presence What will he think his house was mine his cubboard was mine and his purse was mine and his friends were mine and that I should deale thus unkindly with him even nature rebukes me This serious meditation will help to breake thy heart The second ground of meditation is to meditate on the justice of God God is a just God as well as mercifull Speak all yee Devils in hell Doe yee not feele that he is a just God Speake Sodome Speake Gomorrah your fire and brimstone can testifie that he is a just God Speak Adah Zillah and all yee that were drowned in the old world your deluge can testifie he is a just God His judgements are in all the world 1 Chron. 16.14 What is become of drunken Nabal and swearing Saul and covetous Ahab and proud Iesabel and mocking Iehu and envious Shimei What is become of all blind Jebusites and prating cavilling Dioâ—repheses Justice hath taken hold of them What is poverty What is nakednesse What is famine sicknesse the gout the stone Feaver plague These are the little arrowes of Gods justice What is shame disgrace crosses afflictions unseasonable raines dangerous weather warres rumours of warres What are all the evils under the Sunne They are the little finger of Gods justice Thou spiest them here and there in every Town and in every parish in every Countrey doe they not all witnesse that he is a just God Read Psalm 7.11 12 13. God hath bent his bow already saith David the arrow is ready to slie out of the string It will not be long before it hit thee if thou meditate not upon amendment God is angry with the wicked every day as an angry man useth to say I will be revenged on thee Wilt thou not give over thy sins I will be revenged on thee Read Psal 11.5 6 7. Meditate on this he will neither spare King nor subject nor rich nor poore nor noble nor base nor Judges and Justices yet judges and Justices may spare but God will not spare they may bee bribed to pardon but God will not be fee'd to spare them that goe on in their wickednesse and doe I think to escape Nay my soule thou canst never escape except thou obeyest The third ground is Meditate on the wrath of God Oh! what wrath is it Can I stand against it It burnes like an Oven and all the proud and all that doe wickedly shall be as stubble and the day of wrath shall burne them up Behold this saith the Text. Malac. 4.1 Behold it and meditate on it Can I goe naked in a hot fiery oven Can I lift up my hands against it My hands will be scorched Can I kick against it My legs will be baked Can I blow upon it with my mouth my mouth is fired Did I ever see lime burned were I in the limes roome could I endure that boyling and yet if I live in my sinnes I shall be as the burning of lime Isay 33.12 Let thy heart meditate terror Who among us shall be able to dwell that is the meaning of it as Montanus sheweth who among us shall dwell with devouring fire who among us shall burne with everlasting burnings vers 14. Gods mercie shall say Take him wrath I would have
from the Huntsman it cuts the member for which it is hunted and slings it down and so escapes saith Aesops So pursue thy heart with its sins with the hue and cry of Gods mercies pursue it with the hubbub of Gods judgements let meditation haunt it and let thy soul see it shall never be rid of the haunt at last it will be content to part with its lusts Let meditation say Wilt thou forsake thine own mercies If thou livest thus and thus if thou prayest thus and thus dead-heartedly thou kickest against thine own mercie wilt thou rush upon the pricks This mercie thou maist have if thou wouldst amend that vengeance thou shalt have if thou do not amend Either cut off thy sins or else God will cut off thy soul Return O Shulamite return return it s the voice of Christ to thee Let meditation say Return O my soul return return and thou mayst be saved return or else thou shalt be condemned Now what was the effect of this haunting meditation Or ere I was aware my soul made me like the Chariots of Aminadab vers 12. That is my soul musing and meditating on these and these commandments it so humbled my soul that it made me yeeld yea and made me run as fast as the Chariots of Aminadab freely and willingly to Christ Deal with thy heart as Junius his father dealt with him he seeing his son was Atheisticall he laid a Bible in every room that his son could look in no room but behold a Bible haunted him upbraiding him Wilt thou not read me Atheist Wilt thou not read me And so at last he read it and was converted from his Atheisme So let meditation haunt thy heart hold forth the commandments promises threatnings of the Lord that thy heart may see them let meditation haunt thee in thy luke-warmnesse prayest thou thus luke-warm This prayer will break thy neck one day Repentest thou This luke-warm repentance will cause God to spue thee out of his mouth Hearest thou speakest thou thinkest thou These luke-warm duties will confound thee ere long if thou lookest not to it Let Meditation haunt thee as they haunted Nehemiah with warnings ten times saith the Text they sent to Nehemiah they will be upon thee Nehem. 4.12 Beware of the danger the enemy will be upon thee ten times they warned him never giving over till Nehemiah looked about him vers 13. So do thou haunt thine own heart they will be upon thee this curse this wrath that hardnesse of heart this security will be upon thee Ten times yea a thousand times ten times never give over thine own soul untill thou hast made it to submit Indeed there be some let God send Meditations to haunt them and follow them saying Repent leave this or that sin why wilt thou be damn'd with this sin Oh forsake it presently they will gagge the mouth of Meditation and of conscience and strike them stark dead as Abner when Azahel would haunt him and follow him and turn neither to the right hand nor to the left but follow him at the heels Turn aside saith Abner but he would not turn aside from following him Turn aside from me sayes Abner again or I will kill thee but he would not turn aside he would follow him close Then he up with his Spear and slew him 2 Sam. 2.19 20 21 22 23 So many deal with the meditation of conscience when conscience would dogge them and weary them out of their sins they will not when conscience would haunt them they will not be haunted therewith when conscience would follow them up with their desperate wilfulnesse they gall and wound and murder conscience to be quiet But David haunted his heart and would have it haunted The second duty Let Meditation trace thy heart as it should haunt thee so also let it trace thee in the samesteps So would the Church Let us search and trie our wayes and turn again unto the Lord Lam. 3.40 The word in the originall sayes Buxtorf signifies track or steps step by step this step was in the ditch that in the mire that step awry track them all that we may ungo them all again and turn unto the Lord. Never pray but let Meditation track thy prayer this passage was right that passage was amisse Never keep a Sabbath but let Meditation track thy keeping of it this duty was sincere that was rotten Never do any thing but let Meditation track it This thought this word this action was warrantable that was out of the way track thy heart as the Lord tracted Eliah he tract him in the wildernesse he tracted him under the juniper tree he tract him in the cave What dost thou here Eliah go forth 1 King 19. What dost thou here Eliah go return He tract him in the mount Go return what dost thou here Eliah this is not a place for thee So let Meditation wait thee what dost thou here O sinner what dost thou here O drunkard in thy covetousnesse or in thy prophanenesse what dost thou here this is not a place for thee unlesse thou mean to perish It may be thou art now scard out of these sins and art run into civill honesty let Meditation still track thee What dost thou do here O sinner Civilitie is not a case fit for thee unlesse thou wert better thou shalt be torn in peeces It may be thou art driven out of thy civility and art gone further to the profession of Religion though it be without the power of it let meditation still wait thee What dost thou here O sinner this sorry kind of profession is not a race fit for thee unlesse thou be godlier then so thou shalt be devoured with everlasting fire Meditation is like the coursing of a hare in the snow the hare fearing to be taken by the dogs here she stops there she leaps here she interleaps there she goes backward and forward upward and downward and all to deceive the dogs that they may not find her but they go smelling and maundring winding and turning and track her step by step till they find her so meditation in the coursing of the soul the heart hath a thousand fetches a thousand meanders and labyrinths a thousand crosse windings and compassings and deceits and all to puzle Meditation But Meditation must track the heart as God dealt with Job he counted his steps step by step Job 14.16 Meditation is the souls blood-hound it will never leave howling the wrath of God till it hath taken the hearts sin for a prey Meditation haunts it out of one sin and it runs into another Meditation haunts it out of that and it runs into a third Meditation is a good pursevant it prosecutes the sinner and attaches him Now because the heart is most cunning and hardest to be trackt by its sent when the heart hath taken up abundance of good duties and attained unto sundry graces these good duties and common graces drown the sent of the hearts
wickednesse As Huntsmen observe that the hounds cannot well hunt in the Spring as Theophrastus and Pollux and others observe the sweet odors of the flowers and herbs sayes Oppian hinder the hounds from smelling the hare so it is with Meditation it is hard for it to track the heart in the green Spring time of civill honestie and formalitie And therefore let Meditation make diligent search saith he The third duty hale thy heart before God and let Meditation bring it before his throne and there powre out thy complaint against it before God there out with all thy villany and article against thy self and bring as many complaints against thy self before heaven as there be drops in a bucket full of water So do the godly I powred out all my complaints before him Psal 102. in the preface I powred out my complaints as a man powreth out water out of a vessell generally men are willing to call for mercie but they are not so willing to bring complaints unto God against themselves ye shall have them whisper after the Minister as he is begging for pardon and mercie but they will not do so whiles he is complaining of their sins the hellish and devillish abominations of their heart These are men of corrupt minds reprobate concerning the faith and shall never have mercie till they be as forward to complain of their sins as to be plaintives for mercie When a man in Meditation meets with a hard matter that he cannot sufficiently dive into he breaks it to another so do thou to God break all thy heart to God tell him of thy hardnesse of heart of the pride of thy heart of the desperate prophanenesse of thy heart but take these rules with thee First thy complaint must be full of sorrow Psal 55. Secondly it must be a full complaint of all thy sins and of all thy lusts Lam. 2.18 19. Poure ouâ— thy heart like water before the face of the Lord. Water runs all out of a vessell when you turn the mouth downward never a spoonfull will stay behind The wicked will not complain of their sins fully they make hypocriticall professions If it be a sin I am sorry for it saies one if it be naught I cry God mercie saith another when their own consciences tell them it is a sin yet they will not complain of it absolutely Thirdly thy complaint must be with aggravation thou must aggravate thy sins by all the circumstances that may shew it to be odious as Peter did when he thought thereon he wept Mark 14.72 the originall hath it he cast all these things one upon another Wretch that I was Christ was my master and yet I denyed him such a good master that he called me before any of my fellow Apostles and yet I denyed him I was ready to sink once he denyed not me I was to be damned once he denyed not my soul and yet I denyed him he told me of this sin beforehand that I might take heed of it and yet I denyed him I said I will not commit it nor forsake him and yet I denyed him yea this very night no longer ago did I say and say again I would not deny him and yet I denyed him yea I said though all others denyed him yet would not I and yet worse then all others I denyed him with a witnesse before a maid before a damosel nay more filthy beast that I am I said I did not know the man nay more I sware I did not know him nay more then all this I did even curse my self with an oath that I did not know him nay more all this evill did I not above five or six strides from my Lord and Saviour nay more even then when if ever I should have stood for him I should have done it then when all the world did forsake him Oh wretch that I was I denyed him he cast up all these circumstances together and meditating on them he went out and wept bitterly Fourthly thy complaint must be a self-condemning complaint thou must condemn thy self and lay thy self at hell gates and set the naked point of Gods vengeance at thy throat Thus and thus have I lived damned cast-away as I have deserved to be So did Ezra in the behalfe of the Jewes Ezra 9. For 1 He fell on his face he did not bow down on his knees but like a man astonished he fell on his knees ready to feele on the ground in amazement 2. He spread out his hands unto the Lord verse 5. as if he should say here is my heart-bloud Lord here is my breast Lord we deserve thou shouldst stab us with thy wrath 3. He blushes to look heaven in the face verse 6. so vexed to think on the sinnes of his people that he is even confounded to beg mercy 4. He is as it were dumb and speechlesse before God And now our God what shall we say after all this for we have forsaken thy commandements verse 10. Shall I excuse the matter alas it is inexcusable What shall we say after all this Shall we call for thy patience We had it and yet were little the better Shall we call for mercie Why we had it and yet our stubborne hearts would not come downe I know not what to say for our selves for we have sinned against thee 5. He declares Gods truth that he had warned them by his Prophetâ— vers 11.12 but no warning can better us 6. He shewes how God had punished them yet they would not be humbled for all that God had brought upon them lesse evils then they deserved and wrought deliverances for them which they could not have expected What shall we say should we for all this break thy Commandements verse 13 14. What can we expect but hell and confusion 7. He is sensible of Gods judgements and righteousnesse O Lord thou art righteous as if hee should say How canst thou spare us for this sinne How can it stand with thy righteousnesse How is it that such hell-hounds as we are should live above ground when thou art so righteous a God It is a wonder that the earth opens not her mouth for to swallow us up quick for O Lord thou art righteous 8. He laies downe his soule and all the peoples soules at Gods feet as if he should say here we be thou maist damne us if thou wilt Behold we are all here before thee in our trespasses for we cannot stand before thee because of this ver 15. Behold here we are rebels we are here are our heads and our throats before thee if now thou shouldst take us from our knees unto hel from our prayers unto damnation we cannot aske thee why thou doest so Oh it 's mercie it 's mercie indeed that we have been spared Thus meditation must bring our hearts before God and there complaine against them before heaven Meditation should deale with the heart as the Father did with his possessed child who carried him to
He that turns away his eare from Gods Law God wiâ—l turn away his eare from his prayer He that turns it is spoken in the present tense that is he that now turns away his eare his prayer shall be abominable in the future tense that is the Lord marks what master or servant what father or mother what husband or wife what man or woman it is that turns away the eare of his head or the eare of his heart from hearing his will and obeying of his Commandments the Lord takes speciall notice of it and sets it down in his Calender and records it in his Memoriall keeping a strict account thereof as if God should say Well is it so I now call and will not this man or that woman answer Do I now stretch out my hands and will not they take care to obey me Well let them alone saith God there is a day coming that I shall be a hearing of them times of sorrow and misery will take hold of them and then they in their afflictions will cry unto me but I will not hear they will begge for mercy but I will not regard they will seek me early but they shall not find me It was one of the Articles of high Treason brought in against Cardinall Woolsey that he had the pox and a stinking breath and yet durst come into the Kings presence So it will be an Article against thee of high treason before the King of heaven if thou come into his presence with the stinking breath of thy sins living in thy lusts and wallowing in thy silthinesse all thy prayers are but as so many stinking breaths in the nostrils of the Lord and every duty that thou performest unto the Lord shall be as so many Articles of high treason against thee for to condemne thee because thou livest in rebellion and a Traitour against God His prayer shall be abominable he doth not say I will turn away mine eare from hearing his prayer which turns away his eare from hearing my Law that is the true exposition of the words no like for like is sometimes in justice for if a man should strike a Magistrate a box on the eare it were not justice for him to give him another for it is a greater sin to strike a Magistrate then any other common person and therfore a greater punishment the Law requireth So God doth not say he will turn away his eare from hearing his prayer but will serve him in a worse kind he will count it abominable yea abomination in the abstract it shall be loathsome yea loathsomnesse it self in the worst manner Galat. 6. As a man soweth so shall he reap if thou sowe sparingly thou shalt reap sparingly if thou sowe a dull eare to Gods Word thou shalt reap a dull eare from God to thy prayer for God will reward every man according to his works Reas 2 Secondly because of the time of Gods attributes both mercy and justice have their season in this life and when mercie hath acted her part then commeth justice upon the stage and acteth her part so that God will have his attributes manifested to all the sons of men yea to the face of the whole world There is no market nor Fayre day that lasteth alwayes if the countrey will not come in the Tradesmen will put up their wares and be gone but if they come in time they may have a peniworth otherwise if they come too late they will find none For the Merchant will not alwayes dwell in tents but away he goeth and will not stay for them Beloved Gods standing is now open and his shop set wide unto the sons of men if men will not come in cheapen and by without money whiles God offers his wares he will put them up and be gone For the Merchant will not lose his wares which he should do if he should alwayes remain in the open ayre with them if he alwayes continue in the fields expecting customers his wares would spoyl and rot So it is with God how many sweet counsels doth he lose how many sweet exhortations how many blessed Sermons and holy Sacraments and Sabbaths doth he lose how many checks of conscience how many dayes of grace and motions of his spirit have been squandred away in vain do you think that God wil lose all these and let them rot upon the stall with staying for you No no the day of grace and mercie will have an end and grace and mercie will have an end and then the day of wrath and vengeance will step up To day if you will hear his voice then barden not your hearts then they hardened their hearts and would not be led by Gods mercies to forsake their sins Therefore he swaâ—e in his wrath that they should never enter into his rest If it be so with you as it was with Israel in the wildernesse in the day of temptation you do not know but that your sinnes may now begin to pluck vengeance upon you I tell you if you harden your hearts this day you do not know but this very day the Lord may clap an oath upon your heads that you shall never enter into his rest For one and the selfe-same occasion lasts not alwayes as every day is not a Market day nor every week in the yeare a Faire week nor every season in the yeare a time of Spring or harvest so every day of a mans life may not claime to be the day of grace Therefore if a man fore-slow it now he fore-sloweth his own happinesse and putteth off his owne peace for ever Excellent is that annotation of Gregory on Job 27.9 Will God heare his cry when trouble commeth upon him Beloved now Gods patience is troubled wilt not thou repent Now Gods Spirit is troubled wilt not thou obey Now Gods Justice is troubled wilt thou not relent Now Gods Word is troubled wilt thou refuse to hearken Will God heare his cry He speaketh interrogatively as if he should say Art thou so mad so vaine so foolish to promise to thy selfe being an hypocrite that God will hear thy prayer Oh no then justice cometh to take place Reas 3 Thirdly it is Gods use to doe so in other things even upon the contempt of temporall blessings and therefore much more in matters of grace and salvation Thus God promised to give Israel the Land of Canaan Num. 12.22 but the text saith They tempted God ten times that is as some Expositors expound it many times or as others ten severall times But what ever the meaning of the text be certainly it was very many times so long til at last he sware in his wrath that they should never enter into his rest Beloved though there be many a hot swearer that regards not an oath yet certainly if the Lord sweare we may beleeve him the Word of God is as strong as oaths if he say it upon his word wee are bound to beleeve it how much more then when he
confirmes it with an oath Therefore if the Lord sweare thou shalt not how darest thou how canst thou hope or think ever to enter into his rest This was almost fourty yeares before he died that the Lord made this oath against them and God knowes how many thousands of them fel short not only of the land of Canaan but also of the Kingdome of heaven So God took Ismael an hundred and seventeen yeares before he died twenty yeares God offered him grace and repentance but he would not take warning a mocker he was and a mocker he would be for he mocked Isaac when he was a child of six yeares old and no meanes would reclaim him before he heard the voice Cast out the bond-woman and her sonne Out with him saith God for he shall never be heire with my sonne this was an hundred and seventeen years before Ismaels death And so God took Saul five and thirty or six and thirty yeares before he died according to Josephus Chronology if it bee true howsoever hee took him divers yeares before his death for so the Scripture makes it plain 1. Sam. 15.20 The strength of Israel will not lie nor repent for he is not a man that hee should repent Therefore because thou hast rejected the word of the Lord the Lord also hath rejected thee from being a King And do not think that thou by thy prayers and crying God mercie canst ever alter him for his councell is immutable and hee is strong in his decree and cannot change Hitherto Grace and Mercie have been offered thee which if thou hadst embraced thou mightst have found mercy from the Lord and the Kingdome should have been established and confirmed unto thee but now it is too late for the strength of Israel cannot lie God took Esau fiftie yeares before his death for so long he lived after he sought the blessing with teares but he was a hunting when God was a calling he was following his prophanenesse when God was wooing him to repentance At last when he called for repentance and sought it earnestly yea his soule was carefull for to get it yet he could never obtaine it though hee sought it earnestly with teares fiftie yeares before he died Now if the Lord so severely punish contempt of temporall blessings O how will he punish the contempt of proffers of grace and salvation I tell you God will be more strict in revenging of this sinne then of any other sinne he will come with Martiall law against all those that contemne his Gospell Joh. 3.18 He that beleeveth not is condemned already Doth Christ preach repentance and salvation and the Kingdome of God and wilt thou not repent and beleeve Martiall Law beloved martiall Law hang him up for he is condemned already Even like a souldier that rebels against his General forsakes his Colours they doe not cast him into prison and stay for the Assizes or Sessions but give him Martiall Law even hang him up So if the Lord sound his Gospell in thine eares and offers thee conditions of peace knocking at the doore of thy heart by his Spirit and thou refuse to open to him thou art condemned already for the Strength of Israel cannot lie nor repent Oh therefore take heed now whiles his word sounds in thine eares while his Spirit secretly whispers in thy heart to thee open to him for else thou art condemned for ever Take notice then that God doth commonly give men a day and no man or Angel doth know how long this day lasteth To some it lasteth to their last gasp to some to their old age and to some it is cut off in their childhood God gave the Angels a day the which because they neglected they are reserved in chains of darknesse untill the great judgement day God gave Cain a day Genes 4. During all the time of this day though Cain sinned again and again and went on in his sinnes a great while yet he heard nothing but a still voice If thou do well Cain shalt thou not be accepted but if thou dost ill sinne lieth at the doore But when no meanes will prevaile but Cain will go on adding sinne to sinne and murder unto all the rest of his sinnes and so let go the season of mercy the Lords tells him from heaven that the day of grace is past the gate of mercy is shut against thee for thou art now accursed from the earth As if the Lord should say Before I gave thee a day of salvation and offered thee mercy but thou wouldst not accept of it but now I have clapt a curse upon thy soul that thou shalt never claw off So God gave Nineveh a day to repent Jona 3. Yet forty dayes and Nineveh shall be destroyed God gave the Fig-tree a day even three yeares before he would have it cut down God gave the old World a day of an hundred and twenty yeares during this time God sent unto them Noah a Preacher of righteousnes to call upon them to repent and so set it down also that his Spirit shall not alwayes strive with man but his time shall be an hundred and twenty yeares yet one writes that the Lord cut off twenty of the hundred and twenty yeares because of their iniquities which were so grievous and provoked him so much that they hasted him to come before he would have done In all this space if they had repented they should have found mercy from the Lord but when this time was gone and the day of grace was out the Deluge came in upon them and God by his judgments overthrew the whole World Object You my ask me when this day or season of grace doth end or cease Answ I answer that neither men nor Angels can tell but this I say it may be yet this day of grace lasteth unto thee now it may bee God speaketh whom to thy soul now it may be God warms thy heart and givs thee good purposes resolutions now it may be the Lord Jesus passeth by thee in a good thought and desire lay hold on it for thy day may cease this very night for ought thou knowest Luke 17.22 The time shall come saith Christ when you shall desire to see one of the dayes of the Sonne of man and shall not see it Now is the day of Christ upon you now is Christ offering and preaching himself to you but if you let this day passe thou mayst desire to have one of the drops of that bloud that hath been offered to thee and yet never have it thou mayst desire to feele one rap of that Spirit that hath knockt at thy heart and yet goe without it thou maist intreat for one dram of that mercy that hath been offered and thou hast rejected but it shall never be granted to thee God may clap that fearfull sentence upon thee Now henceforth never grow fruit more on thee never repentance come into thy heart more If now thou wilt not repent and be
converted the Lord may set it down in his decree from this day forward that thou mayst fumble about thy sinnes but shalt never get victory over them thou mayest ever bee mourning for thy corruptions but never mourne aright for them thou mayest blunder about repentance but never doe the work Ezekiel 24.23 You shall not mourne nor weep but you shall pine away for your iniquities and mourn one towards another There is many a soule for contemning of God and not taking up repentance while they may have it this plague of God is come upon them that they are ever repenting and are never able to repent ever poring upon their sinnes but never able to come out of them they pray and pray against them but their prayers moulder away under them for they shall pine away for their iniquities What is the reason he showeth in the 13. verse Because I would have purged thee and thou wast not purged thou shalt not be purged any more Because I gave thee line upon line precept upon precept motion upon motion Sacrament upon Sacrament Sabbath upon Sabbath and Ordinance upon Ordinance because I used all fair meanes and foul meanes I awaked thy conscience and stirred up the motions of grace in thee but because I would have cleansed thee and thou wast not cleansed thou shalt never be cleansed A fearfull sentence it is if mens hearts were soundly opened to consider rightly of it And as there is a personall day so there is a nationall day if the Nation turne unto God during that time then that nation shall find mercy but if they neglect that day then God will hide those things from their eyes that belong to their peace as Christ saith of Jerusalem Luke 19.42 O Jerusalem if that thou hadst known in this thy day those things that did belong to thy peace but now they are hid from thine eyes in this thy day if thou hadst known it during that day it had been happy for thee but now the day of grace is gone the Lord hath concealed it from thee and thou shalt never perceive it any more Some mens day of grace God endeth even in their very childhood therefore if there be any little ones any children here in this congregation that are of age to know what belongs unto an exhortation to them I speak that they take heed how they rebell against the commandment of a father or a mother or master against the teaching of Gods Word for though you be children yet God may inflict judgements upon your heads for not only the day of grace but also the day of life may be cut off from children as 2 Kings 2.24 Four and twenty children were torn in peeces for mocking the Lords Prophet Some mens day of grace is not shut up untill their youth some not untill their old age some not untill they are a dying and if they refuse then they are alike yea sure to perish for ever I know the day of grace may have several returns but at last Gods Exchequer will be finally shut up Object May not a man be called at the eleventh or twelfth hour of the day The day of grace lasteth alwayes and doth not the Apostle call the day of life the day of grace 2 Cor. 6.2 Answ Is it true the Lord calleth men at the eleventh and twelfth hour but yet look and you shall see in the twentieth of Matthew that they were not called at the first houre nor at the second nor third houre nor at the sixth and ninth houre i. he doth not say he found the same men that he found at the first and third sixth and ninth houres but he saw others standing idle No those that were called at the first houre came in at the first houre and they that were called at the third houre came in at the third houre and they that were called at the sixth and ninth houre came in at the sixth and ninth houre Well doth God call thee in thy childhood in thy youth or in thy middle age now at the first or sixth or ninth houre now come in and labour in Gods Vineyard and worke out your salvation with feare and trembling and make use of the season of grace now whiles it is upon you for if thou be called the first houre the sixth is for another and not for thee if thou be called the sixth houre the ninth houre is for others and not for thee if thou be called the ninth houre the eleventh houre is for others and not for thee The Text saith He came and found others standing idle in the market place and said unto them Why stand yee here idle And they say unto him No man hath hired us as if they should say We never had any means of salvation we have had no Ministers to preach unto us but now God calls upon thee to come in this is thy houre look unto it If God call thee see thou come in whether it be at the first or third houre at the six or ninth houre lest the Lord in his wrath clap bardnesse of heart upon thy soul Object But you will say that the day of life and the day of grace are parallel'd and likened one to another and therefore there is hope so long as a man remaines in the Congregation of the living Answ I answer it is true indeed that the day of grace lasteth so long as the day of life 1. In regard of others for others are so to esteeme of it the Minister is to look to his people as to a people to be converted as long as they live 2. In regard of a mans owne selfe he is so bound to beleeve for the commandment of faith standeth in force on a man so long as he liveth and therefore infidelity and despaire cease not to be sins till a man is actually in hell when he is in hell then they are no sins because then he is not commanded to beleeve but are part of the punishment of the damned but whilst a man lives it is a sinne for men are now bound to lay hold upon Christ and to beleeve at what houre of their life soever 3. It may be said to last all a mans life long because it is bounded within the compasse of life for no man hath a day of grace after this life But what is the meaning of all those Scriptures which show how God doth deliver up men unto the Spirit of giddinesse and unto the Spirit of slumber And what means the hardning of mens hearts and searing of mens consciences but only to show that the day of grace may end unto a particular man ten twenty thirty nay forty yeeres before his death 1. Because God may harden a mans heart Jerem. 13.10 and deale with them as with Israel in the Rock so shut up their hearts that they shall never melt at any Sermon never be wrought upon by any judgement God having closed them up in a rocky heart that he
while thou art in the way quickly Matth. 5.25 Now God is in the way with thee Christ and his Spirit are in the way with thee thou needest not now say who shall go up to heaven and bring downe the Spirit to thee Christs Spirit is now knocking at thy heart and now God offers his mercy to thee now thou art in the way now he calls unto thee to accept of his mercie now hee commands thee to take Christ now hear him caling to thy heart now he tenders grace unto thee imbrace it now receive Christ and make up thy peace with him remember the saying of the Apostle 2 Corinth 13.5 Examine your selves whether you be in the faith prove your selves Know you not your own selves how that Jesus Christ is in you except you be reprobates As if the Astostle should say I have been an Apostle to you this yeer and half I have preached thus and thus long unto you I have wrote one Epistle to you to reforme those abuses that were among you and now I write this second Epistle to declare the whole will and counsell of God to you Now cast up your reckoning examine your selves and make up your account see if you have gained Christ O I have Christ saith one I have Christ saith another I but prove it saith the Apostle and try your selves know ye not that by this time Christ is in you or else you be reprobates As if he should say if yet Christ be not in you and grace wrought in your hearts if yet you lie festring in your sins and go on in your wicked wayes it is to be feared you are reprobates either you or we are reprobates you for not obeying or wee for not delivering the truth of God unto you But I trust that ye shall know that we are not reprobates verse 6. God forbid that this word should be ever spoken unto any soule in this Congregation but this let mee say is there any man here that goes on in his lusts and in his carnall course of life in pride security hardnesse of heart and impenitencie that hath not the soundnesse of grace he hath a fearfull signe and brand of a reprobate whose conscience is stifled it is a fearfull signe if he be not a reprobate before God yet he is one that is not approved but for the present in a wretched and miserable condition Now is the time of grace wherein God hath spoken to your souls remember that vengeance that is coming towards you if it be rejected now the Lords fatlings are ready his Oxen and Sheep are slain and laid upon the board Christ is sacrificed and his blood is shed and the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ is tendered to you you that have grace get more grace you that have no grace get grace and Christ and take heed of neglecting any opportunity of grace for that may come unto thee in one hour that will never come againe FINIS VAIN THOUGHTS ARRAIGNED At the Barre of Gods JUSTICE SET FORTH In a Sermon preached at Linton in Kent Septem 29. 1629. By that Reverend and painfull Minister of the Word WILLIAM FENNER B.D. Sometime Fellow of Pembroke Hall in Cambridge and late Parson of Rochford in Essex London Printed by T.R. and E.M. for J.S. A SERMON OF Mr. WILLIAM FENNERS Preached at Linton Septem 9. 1629. PHIL. 3.18 19. For many walk of whom I have told you often and now tell you weeping that they are the enemies of the Crosse of Christ whose end is destruction whose belly is their God whose glory is their shame â—nd who mind earthly things THE Apostle in the closure of this Chapter setteth out unto us a twofold kind of life First the life of the godly and that 1. by way of Exhortation verse 17. Brethren be followers together of me and mark them which walk so as you have us for an example 2. By way of declaration verse 20. But our conversation is in heaven whence also we look for the Saviour even the Lord Jesus Christ Then secondly hee sets forth unto us the life of the wicked which walked otherwise then the Disciples and Apostles of Christ walked in these words read unto you The Apostle warned those wicked men again and again but they would not take warning neither did they think themselves so bad as he made them and therefore they thought they should speed well enough he preached to them in the Pulpit and wrote unto them though he were six hundred miles and more distant from them and that weeping too that they are enemies to the Crosse of Christ whose end is destruction whose God is their belly who mind earthly things The words may be constâ—ued two wayes either as being meant 1. Of severall wicked men as first of Heterodox walkers such as walk contrary to the Apostles 2. Of wicked persecutors of the Gospel enemies to the Crosse of Christ 3. Of Drunkards and hypocrites whose God is their belly 4. Of Ambitious and proud persons whose glory is their shame and 5. of covetous and carnall minded men who minde earthly things or as Chrysostom expounds the words and so it seems is the meaning of them to be meant of one sort of men who mind earthly things they are such as walk otherwise then the Apostle walked Who are they that mind earthly things they are enemies of the Crosse of Christ Who are they that mind earthly things Whose hearts and affections run more after the things of this life then after the crosse of Christ Their God is their belly Who are they that mind earthly things and think only how to increase their living and enlarge their estate and make them sure unto themselves their glory is their shame Who are they that mind earthly things that give their hearts the flower of man and their affections the flower of their soules unto the world and unto the base things of the world still they are they that mind earthly things which set either their loving thoughts or their carking and caring thoughts or their fretting and vexing thoughts or their eager covetous and vain thoughts on earthly things they are they that walk otherwise then the Apostles of Christ walked These are those that are enemies to the crosse of Christ whose God is their belly whose glory is their shame who mind earthly things whose end is destruction Hence then will we observe this point Doct. That those whose minds and hearts run habitually on earth and earthly things their end must needs be destruction Jerem. 6.19 Heare O earth saith God behold I will bring evill upon this people even the fruit of their thoughts because they have not hearkened unto me but rejected my Law Wherein we may see 3 things 1. That the curse of God is the desert of cursed evill vain thoughts 2. That the plague and curse of God is the event of evill and vain thoughts evill thoughts do not onely deserve Gods plagues but also bring them
3. Here is notice given to all the world Heare O earth as if he had said here is a reckoning that you little dream of I will bring a plague upon you not onely for your idolatry for your whoredome and fornication but even for your vaine thoughts Prov. 24.9 The thoughts of the wicked are sinne the Lord doth not only condemne the actions and courses of wicked men but sets his curse upon their very thoughts Sinne is of an homogeneall nature of which every part of a thing is the whole every piece of stone is stone for it hath the nature of the whole even so it is with sin the least part of sin the least thought of sin the least shiver of sin is sin and abominable before God Reas 1 The reasons why those whose hearts and thoughts run habitually on earth and earthly things must needs end in destruction are 1. That mans end must needs end in destruction that never repents Now so long as a mans thoughts runne usually and habitually on the things of the world that man never repents repentance not onely cleanseth the outside of man but the inside also even the heart repentance goeth as farre as the Law of God goeth where the word of God begins there repentance must needs begin now the word of God begins and strikes at the heart as saith the Apostle The word of God is sharp and powerfull sharper then any two-edged sword piercing to the dividing asunder of the soule and spirit the joynts and marrow and is a discerner of the thoughts of the heart Heb. 4.12 Now then if the word of God strike at the thoughts of the heart then repentance must goe and teach so farre to reforme and amend the things of the heart or else he never repents Let a man sweep his house never so much yet it is not clean so long as there remains one Cob-web in it so if thy heart be swept from drunkennesse whoring and swearing and yet if the old Cob-web of vain thoughts remain in any corner of thy heart not washed out nor swept down thou hast not as yet repented Oh Jerusalem saith God by his Prophet wash thy heart from wickednesse that thou maist be saved how long shall thy vain thoughts lodge within thee Jer. 4.14 Mark how the Lord inforceth his exhortation see how he backs his counsell that thou maist be saved as if he had said thou canst not be saved unlesse thou wash thy heart from vain thoughts how long shall thy vain thoughts lodge within thee He doth not say why doe vain thoughts come in thee for they will come into the best most holy heart but how long shall they lodge within thee If but vain thoughts do lodge in man take up their nest in his heart if a man let his thoughts dwell upon vain things and hee give way unto them and use them as his market trade and recreations hee cannot be saved it is an emphaticall kind of speech as if the Lord should say O Jerusalem thou never considerest this and thus he doth as it were pity and compassionate them in their blindnesse and ignoranâ—e and horrible besottednesse that think that thought is free Beloved when the Lord comes to reckon with the world he will not only reckon with them for their pounds and shillings for their hundreds and thousands of sinnes for their murders whoredomes blasphemies c. but he will call them to account for their least sinnes the pence and farthing sinnes even their very thoughts agree with thine adversary quickly while thou art in the way lest he deliver thee up to the Jaylor and thou be cast into prison thou shalt not come out untill thou hast paid the utmost farthing thou must deliver up thy farthing as well as thy pound sinnes or else thou never agreest with thine adversary When the Lord by his prophet calls upon his people exhorting them to repentance he willeth and exhorteth them to change their thoughts Esay 55.7 Repentance is the change of the thoughts according to the English Proverb I have changed my thoughts Look unto thy feet when thou goest into the house of God Eccles 5.1 Thou canst never go to the House of God without thy feet the thoughts and affections of the heart are the feet of the soul and thou canst never go to God without them and therefore if thy heart and affections run habitually on earthly things thou didst never repent and so thine end is damnation Reas 2 The second reason is that mans end must needs be destruction that hath no Christ in the world now so long as thy thoughts run habitually on earthly things thou hast no Christ It is not enough for a man to hang on Christ for many a man doth so and yet is cut off from Christ and perisheth for ever thou must not onely hang upon Christ but thou must also get into Christ As in the old world when the deluge came and the waters increased so greatly that the mountaines and high hils were covered with them and the people could not save themselves by getting unto the tops of the mountains no question but many seeing the Ark swim above the water did climb up and hang upon the sides of the Ark thinking to save themselves yet none of them were saved but those that were gotten into the Ark so many a man will catch hold of Christ but his hold will be gone and he perish for ever unlesse he get into Christ Now a man can never get into Christ unlesse his heart bee purged from vaine thoughts For Christ when he entreth into a man cleanseth his heart from vain thoughts 2 Cor. 10.5 If Christ once come into the heart he will set up his throne there he will hold up his Scepter of Righteousnesse in it when Christ cometh see what a work hee will make in the heart he will not suffer a proud thought to remain there to upbraid him he will not suffer ever a sinfull lust to stand up to beard him but he will cast down every imagination and all high things that exalt themselves and he will bring every thought into subjection unto himself Therefore if thy thoughts run after the lusts of thy owne heart thou hast no Christ in thee for Christ beloved will never dwell in a foule house I know there is no wheat without some darnell no gold without some drosse no wine without some lees so there is no man but hath some sin no man so clean but hath some defilements of sin upon him therefore if a man have not his cleansing grace of Christ in him cleansing the heart from vain things there is no Christ in him for Christ will never dwell in a foule heart Now beloved the very vain thoughts of a man defile him as Christ saith Matth. 7.21 22 23. Out of the heart proceedeth evill thoughts and they are they that defile a man All these not onely murder and adulteries and uncleannesses and all
Minister after Minister to instruct them in the knowledge of my wayes I laboured to convert them and to bring them home unto my self and to work better thoughts in them but still they are a people that walk after their own thoughts that provoke me continually unto my face There is never a thought of thine but it is in the verse face of God both thought and imagined But some man may say I think of God and of Christ of faith and repentance and of calling on God of mending of this and that course I think of death and of my last account and every foot I have holy thoughts in my mind But beloved give me leave I pray you for to speak something unto you which it may be may stick by you while you live I will propound these foure things and distinctions unto you which I will use First what doest thou think of God and of heaven then tell me whether thy thoughts be injective thoughts into thy heart or thoughts raised by thy heart for there is a great deale of difference betweene thoughts injected and thoughts raised God casts good thoughts into a godly mans heart which being fit soyl it fructifies and brings forth fruit Again God casts good thoughts into a wicked mans heart but because his heart is not sanctified and therefore no fit soyl to harbour in they die and vanish God casts in and they cast out God casts in again and they cast out again therefore if thou hast good thoughts examine and try whether they be thoughts raised from thy heart or no see whether thy heart be a renewed heart a sanctified an holy heart fit to bring forth good thoughts every day Beloved a wicked man may have a thousand good thoughts and yet go to hell in the midst of them all God cast a good thought into the heart of the King of Babylon to go against Judah and Jerusalem for to punish his people for their sins and to avenge himself on them for the breach of his Covenant but what saith the text Reas 1 Howbeit he thought not so Isa 10. No his only ayme was how to get honour how to inrich to enlarge his territories and to bring down the Nations under him and to make his name and fame to be spread and declared through all the world So God casts many good thoughts into many a wicked mans heart to repent and to leave his drunkennesse his pride his swearing and whoring to be holy and religious howbeit he thinks not so but he thinks how to eate and drink how to be proud and haughty how to be rich and great in the world how to be vain and licentious yea thy thoughts are vile and vain all the day long Oh that men were wise truly to understand this the want whereof is the cause why many thousands go to hell and are damned for ever I will make it plain to you A wicked man reasons thus with himself I confesse and it is true I sinne every day against God and sometimes drink a pot with my friend though sometimes I let fall an oath and am overtaken in my infirmities yet I thank God he hath sanctified my heart for I think of God and of Christ and I oft call upon his name and let my thoughts run on good things God and heaven are many times in my mind and I am sorry when I do amisse and the Lord hath blest me with a large portion of outward things Besides I see these and these signes of grace in me and therefore I think my case to be happy And thus securely they live and so they go on and so they die and so go to hell and perish for ever and ever Here is the misery of it many think of God and of Christ of death and of their last account of heaven of hell of faith and repentance of leaving sinne of crucifying their lusts and practising of holinesse Now men think that their thinking of these things is a part of their discharge when indeed they are Additions to and peeces of their talents which increase their judgements God casts in a thought of repentance of holinesse of the remembrance of death and last account Dost thou find thy heart never the better and holier by them Then know it is only Gods haunting of thy heart and Gods calling upon thee and Gods inviting thee unto repentance to leave thy sinnes to come out of thy deadnesse and formality to prepare for thy death and judgment and therefore I say if thy heart now think not so if thy heart do not repent beleeve and grow more zealous and thou art not drawn the neerer to God I say then that the more of these good thoughts that thou hast had the greater thy doome will be if thou hast had ten thousands of them if they have beene onely Gods haunting of thy heart think thou then now of grace of God of thy poor soul which is not bettered by them nor made holy then know they are peeces of thy talent and it doth make thy torments in hell the greater Secondly thou hast good thoughts but the question is whether they be fleeting or abiding thoughts Many think of God of grace of heaven of the word of God and when they heare a Sermon they will think of God but these thoughts though they come into their minds yet they go away presently they are in and out at an instant in a trice they passe away and are gone Beloved there are two kinds of vaine thoughts 1. vaine because the substance and matter of them is vain and so all worldly thoughts are vain 2. or else for their want of durance and lasting and so are all thoughts of heaven of God and grace and of Christ it they vanish away they are all vain thoughts though they seeme otherwise Haer what God saith Gen. 6.5 God saw that the wickednesse of man was great upon the earth and all the imaginations of the thoughts of his heart were only evill continually all the imaginations great is the emphasis of this word all all the thoughts yea all universally are only evill continually But you will say unto me Doth not a wicked man think that there is a God why that is a good thought doth he not think that this God is to be observed and worshipped why this is a good thought doth he not think that sin is to be forsaken that is a good thought doth he not think of heaven and of Christ how then are their thoughts only evill and that continually I answer because all the thoughts of a wicked mans heart are vaine that is vanishing thoughts not vaine for the matter which sometimes may be good and holy but vaine because they soone vanish away thoughts that come and tarry not that leave no impression in their hearts behind them these are all vaine thoughts according to that of the Apostle The Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise that they are vaine 1 Cor.
the first till the last Saint that shall be upon the earth Surely the wicked shall never escape condemnation for 1. God the Father who judgeth by way of authoritie he will condemne thee all judgement cometh originally from him he that hath often commanded thee to repent and to come out of thy sinnes he shall condemne thee because thou hast not obeyed him 2. God the Sonne he will judge thee who judgeth by way of dispensation Act. 10. First Christ preacheth to thee repentance and remission of sinnes to which if thou yeeld not then know that there is a day appointed wherein he will judge thee That Saviour that thou sayest thou desirest if thou part not with thy lusts he himselfe will be thy Judge that will condemne thee 3. God the holy Ghost will judge thee that Spirit that now strives and wrestles with thee that suggests good motions into thy heart that puts thee in minde of repentance bidding thee leave and forsake thy sinnes and live holily but if thou wilt not this Spirit shall judge thee by way of conviction 4. The Word of God shall judge thee and that by way of forme it being the platforme according unto which Christ will judge the whole world Now suppose there be forty prisoners in the Gaole together one in for murther another for theft another for treason that man that knows the Law if there be equitie and justice in the Assise he I say that knows the Law knows who shall be hanged or quartered or burned or set free even so Beloved that man that looks through the Scriptures that reads this or that Chapter this or that sentence may know that or this man will to hell if he repent not Say I this of my selfe or sayes not the Scripture as much The fearfull and unbeleeving and all that love and make lies shall be cast into that lake that burneth with fire and brimstone for ever Rev. 21.8 By this text will the Lord Iesus come and judge the world and therefore as for all such as live and dye in their sinnes we may all know that they shall be all damn'd in fire brimstone for ever Hereby I know that all they that make no conscience of idle vain and earthly speeches and reproachfull words they shall give an account for them by this Text Mat. 12.56 Doth the Scripture say that all the wicked shall be turned into hell with all the Nations that forget God I know it shall be so by that text Psal 10. for all things shall be done according to the Scriptures Rom. 2.16 In that day saith the Apostle when God shall judge the secrets of menâ— hearts by Jesus Christ according to my Gospel that is just as Gods Ministers preach just as you find it written in the same Scriptures so will he judge at that day Beloved there is never a Text throughout the whole Scripture that commands you to leave and forsake your sinnes but it shall judge you if you doe not there is not one Text of Scripture that commands performance of any holy duty but it shall rise up in judgement against thee if thou performe it not Doth the Scripture say Be not drunk with wine wherein is excesse Eph. â— 18 It shall judge and condemn the drunkard that drinks excessively Doth the Scripture say Mortifie your members which are upon the earth fornication uncleannesse inordinate affectiâ—nâ— evill concupiscence and covetousnesse which is Idolatry Col. 3.5 If notwithstanding these sinnes live in thee this Text shall rise up and condemne thee to hell Doth the text say That the fathers to the children shall make known Gods truth Esa 28.9 Eph. 6.4 Parents bring up your children in the nurture and information of the Lord It shall rise up in judgement and condemne those parents that have not instructed their children to feare God Doth the tex say Thou shalt teach the word of God unto thy children and that thou shalt talâ—e of it when thou sittest in thy house and when thou goâ—st by the way when thou liest down and when thou risest up Deut. 6.7 It shall judge thee because thou makest no conscience of holy conference All these and the like Texts of Scripture shall rise up and stand in rank to condemne thee that hast not swayed thy heart and framed thy life according to the Scriptures 5. All the Ministers of God shall sit as Justices in common from the first Preacher of righteousnesse unto the last Moses shall judge thee Joshua David Esay Jeremy Hosea Daniel Paul Peter c. they shall all judge you just as Gods Ministers judge you here so will God he will take all their Sermons and clap them upon the heads of all rebellious hearers and so damn them for ever Lastly The Saints shall judge you yea all the Saints from one end of the world to the other they shall assist the just Judge of heaven earth and they shall be interpretive Judges Beloved how can the wicked escape condemnation that have so many thousands of Judges so many thousand exhortations and reproofes so many thousand admonitions and invitations so many thousand mercies proffers of Christ When God the Father Sonne and holy Ghost shall judge them when heaven and all the Angels in heaven and all the Saints on earth shall judge them and condemne them How canst thou escape Is there never a drunkard in this congregation Is there never a swearer never a prophane person never a mocker never a railer in this towne that refuseth to hearken to the word The men of Niniveh shall rise up in judgement against them and condemne them because they still live in their sinnes notwithstanding they have had not three dayes preaching nor fortie dayes space onely for repentance but many years of grace calling upon them The Queen of Sheba shall condemne many that live in these sinnes who went many hundred miles to hear the wisedome of Solomon for going and comming it was well-nigh two thousand miles but you have the word of Christ preached in your eares and saying the Kingdom of God is come among you but you will scarce step out of your dores to receive it or take any paines for it This one woman shall judge them There will be no way for the wicked to put off their judgement then the sonnes of Eli shall have none to advocate between God and them none to cloke or cover their wickednesse they shall then have no excuses for themselves for would they excuse themselves the Saints shall judge them would they send out excuses the Saints shall cut them off Would they in the first place say Alas I was ignorant I knew not how to pray or to read or to meditate on the Scriptures nor to chatechize my family I was dull and blockish to conceive such points as were taught me and if I did live in sinne it was ignorance that taught it me I was never book-learned Saith Augustine this Ignoramus that was as ignorant and as
that none should reprove them Let none reprove another If they will sinne let them if they will go on in idolatry let them if they will harden their own hearts let them if they will die in sinne let them if they will perish and be damned for ever let them Let no man reprove another It is a lamentable state Generally people are glad when the Land is swept of all the good Ministers and the good servants of God they had rather heare a fine song in a Pulpit of one that preacheth morally or it may be preacheth his own selfe or the like but the time will come when they shall say as Salomon saith It is better to heare the reproofe of the wise then the song of fooles Eccles 7.5 People love alife to hear the song of fooles When a foole comes up and preacheth At what time soevâ—r a sinner shall repent of his sinne And Bee not just over much and what need such adoe Herâ— is more puther then needs and abuse places and wrest Scriptures As for example the thiefe on the Crosse was saved at the last with a word or two and they bring the example of the Publican that cried God be mercifull to me a sinner and went justified to his house rather then the Pharisee that made long prayers And tush what need men be so zealous and precise and puritanicall Whosoever calls upon the name of God shall be saved people love alife such songs of fooles but the time shall come when peoples eyes shall be opened and their consciences awakened and then they will wish O that we had heard the reproofe of the wise The second use makes against those that despise the reproofe of the wise yee despise not men but God yee have despised me Prov. 1.30 You think you despise a poore Minister he is strict harsh with your souls and presseth these things upon your conscience and it may bee more then he hath warrant to doe so you think you do not despise God but one onely Minister Nay saith Christ you have despised my reproofe When you despise them that Christ sends you despise him This is an expresse and an explicite signe of a mans everlasting destruction when he despiseth reproofe as in that speech of the Prophet to Amaziah I know that the Lord hath determined to destroy thee because thou hast not hearkened to my reproofe 2 Chron. 25.16 So I may say I know that God hath determined to destroy a Nation a Citie or a people when they will not take counsell of Gods Messengers when they will not hearken to instruction They have beene called upon nationall sinnes have been ripped up parochiall sinnes have beene spoken of yet when they are told they will not be reproved We that are the Ministers of God know that God will destroy as many as turn not at reproof I let this passe I should now show the grievousnesse of this ill of standing out against reproof it is expressed two wayes First in the sinfulnesse of it to harden a mans heart Secondly in the punishment He shall be destroyed without remedy And in the destruction you may see here First the unexpectednesse of it He shall be destroyed suddenly Secondly the totalnesse of it Hee shall bee destroyed The word signifieth to shatter all in peeces Thirdly the irrecoverablenesse of it without remedy Fourthly the sutablenesse of it his punishment is according to his sin Mark as he hardened his own heart against God so God will harden his heart against him as no remedy would turn him from his sin so no remedy shall turn God from his wrath As his sin was in hardening his heart like a stone so God shall deale with him as a stone is dealt with he shall destroy him The word in the originall signifies broken to peeces as a stone is broken that is the Lord will deale with him just in his own kind Hence I might observe this doctrine that The Lord proportions punishments to mens sin Just as a mans sin is so is the punishment David sinned in numbring the people 2 Sam. 24.15 and God punished him in that Pharaoh sinned in destroying and drowning the males of the Israelites God smote his first-born He drowned their babes and he himself was drowned in the sea I might bring abundance of examples Now the Reasons of this are First because hereby a mans punishment appeare to be so much the more equall and worthy Retaliation is a most equall punishment to the sin there is no inequality in it but this that it is too mercifull An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth hurn for burn wound for wound You know an eye is equall for an eye so when God punisheth a man just in his own kind quid for quo that as there was no remedy would turn him from his sin so there shall be no remedy shall turn God from his wrath Herein Gods punishment appeares to bee most equall Revel 16.5.6 Thou art righteous O Lord in that thou judgest thus for shee hath shed the bloud of thy Saints therefore thou hast given them bloud to drink for they are worthy Thou thirstedst after bloud there it is for thee so this is most equall when men have dealt thus and thus with God when God shall deal so and so with thee thou canst not find fault When a man drinks as hebrews and reaps as he sowes and finds as he brings what inequality is here It shall come to passe that as when I called they would not hear so when they call I will not answer Zach. 7. When God calls upon thee and thou wilt not hear afterwards when thou callest for mercie if he do not hear thee it is just Secondly another reason is because this stops a mans mouth it convinceth a mans conscience when a mans conscience finds that he is served in his own kind that he is paid in his own coin it stops his mouth As Adonibezek he had cut off the thumbs and toes of 70. Kings afterwards hee was served just so as he had dealt with others he had cut off their thumbs and toes and made them gather orts under his table so afterwards his thumbs and toes were cut off Now mark what his conscience saith Judg. 1.7 As I have dealt so God hath dealt with me As if he had said God knowes wherefore the children of Judah have done this they know not why they cut off my thumbs and the reason why they cut off my toes God knowes what they looked at in punishing me thus but Gods just providence hath dealt thus with me in this kind I served others This is so palpable a punishment so equall and just that though the sin were committed twenty yeeres ago yet a mans conscience will find out his sin twenty yeeres after As Iosephs brethren they sold him and after cast him into a pit two and twenty yeeres after when Joseph was harsh with them see
3.20 Beloved in a godly mans heart when a good thought comes it abides and dwels a good while in him and when it goes away it leaves a good impression behind it it leaves a sweet smell and savour in the heart after it is gone It 's made more holy and sanctified by it When a good thought comes into a godly mans heart it leaves the print of it behind when a wicked man hath a good thought he tosseth it up and down and suffers it not to stay but presently puts it away let a thought of the world come in and he can give it entertainment for seven dayes yea for seven yeers yea all his life he sets his heart as a wide gate open to receive them and to entertain them but if a thought of God or of repentance of holinesse and salvation come into his mind he is tyred out with it and it soon vanisheth away therefore so long as thy thoughts are thus vain though for the matter good if thou hast never so many of them yet if they abide not but thou thinkest and unthinkest them again if they come and give thy soule a jog and so away the more I say thou hast of them though thou hast many millions the greater will be thy doom at the last day Thirdly thou thinkest of God but the question is whether thy good thoughts be studied or accidentall thoughts a wicked man that runs gadding in his thoughts here and there over the whole world upon this and that and I know not what in the midst of a lottery of thoughts he cannot chuse but stumble upon some good he thinks on God he thinks on Christ he thinks on heaven but it is by the by these thoughts of his are not naturall but if he think of the world of his pleasures of his outward delights and contentments these thoughts arise naturally out of his heart they are his owne Now it may be a thought of God comes by the way But a godly man not onely thinks of God but he studies how to think of God It is his continuall endeavour to bring his mind to be fixed upon God it is his whole care for to have good thoughts to dwell habitually in him There is an excellent phrase used to set it forth Malac. 3.16 They that feared the Lord spake one unto another and the Lord hearkened and heard it and a book of remembrance was written before him of all them that feared the Lord and thought upon his Name Where I pray you for to mark that thinking upon Gods name and the fear of God are joyned together for thinking on God comes from the fear of God a godly man thinks upon God and fears him he thinks that God is alwayes with him in every place and he trembles before him he thinks God beholds all his thoughts and affections and he trembles at him he thinks as he walks up and down in his way as he is imployed in his calling as he is performing of any duty of Religion that Gods eye is upon him and beholds him and therefore he fears to offend and displease him A wicked man will sweare and blaspheme the name of God and by and by it may be he will cry God mercy and so he thinks of God The man breaks out it may be into wrath and malice fury and passion and then it may be a thought will come into his mind for to cry God mercy for it and thus he thinks of God The man is carelesse earthly dead and luke-warme in the performance of good duties and because his conscience tels him it is not good he will ask God forgivenesse he will be proud vain and rotten in his speeches and then it may be a thought will come into his mind to ask God forgivenesse and so he thinks of God he will think of the world of his pleasures profits and of his lusts and sinnes and then it may be a good thought wil come into his mind and then it may be he will think a little of God too Beloved this is carnall and devillish thinking on God thy thoughts then of God must bee joyned with the fear of God Fourthly and lastly thou thinkest of God but the question is whether thy thoughts of him be profitable or unprofitable thoughts a godly man thinks of repentance and repents upon it hee thinks of calling upon God more faithfully and fervently then he did before and he accomplishes his thoughts for he goes about it and his heart is the better for it Thus it was with David when he said I thought on my wayes and turned my feet unto thy testimonies Psalm 119.59 I thought on my wayes there was his good thoughts and turned my feet into thy testimonies there was the profit of his good thoughts But on the contrary thou thinkest on God but God hath never the more service of thee thou thinkest of leaving of thy good fellowship and merry companions but for all thy thoughts thou retainest them still thou thinkest to give over all thy deadnesse and luke-warmnesse and to get more zeale and fervencie yet day after day and yeare after yeare thy heart is as dead vain and secure as before as ever before Examine thy selfe and see thou hast good thoughts thou saist but where is the profit of them thou thinkest of leaving thy wrath and of bridlling thy filthy passions but art thou enabled by thy thoughts to put up an injury the better It may be thou thinkest on death but is thy life the more holy and sanctified by it Thou thinkest of Christ and his bloud but is thy heart purged by it Oh the wretched misery of the most men in the world because of the unprofitablenesse of their thoughts they have many good thoughts but they want the profitable use of them they get no good by them There is an excellent description of the thoughts of wicked men though it be Apocrypha The heart of the foolish is like a Cart wheel and his thoughts like the rowling Axletree As the Cart wheele goes round all the day and yet remaines on the Axletree so is it with wicked men their thoughts wheele and wheele them up and downe a thousand thousand times their thoughts run upon this thing and then upon another thing and so they rowle up and down continually yet their heart is at the same passe it was still an earthly heart it was and so it is still a profane heart it was and so it is still a carnall proud heart it was and so it remains still But let these know that the time hastens wherein God will judge them even for their very thoughts Where are they then that say thought is free It is true indeed it is free from mens knowledge and from mens Courts but not from Gods they are not free from Gods all-seeing eye and know ledge meâ—â—aith â—aith the Prophet thou understandest my thoughts afarre off Psal 139. Beloved as you are in the Ale-house or gaming