sins The Stoicks say all sins are alike and there is no difference It is true in regard of the object all sins are against God yet when you come to beg pardon for sin according as your sins are greatned you are accordingly to behave your selves in seeking for pardon God can pardon great sins as well as small in regard of God there is no difference nor in regard of the merits of Christ but yet in your behaviour in seeking for pardon of sinne you are to make a great difference between the greatnesse and the smallnesse of your evils For consider the scripture makes a difference between sins therefore we must doe so The Scripture compares some sin to Camels and some to Gnats The Scripture compares some sin to beams and some to motes some sins as talents and others but as pence and in Amos there is mention made of mighty sins Amos 5. in John of greater sins Joh. 19. 11. Jesus answered Thou couldest have no power at all against me except it were given thee from above therefore he that delivered me unto thee hath the greater sin It is true every sin deserves hell yet there is more of the punishment of hell inflicted on some sinners then others the reason why I speak of this case is to let you know that as God hath suffered any of you to fall into aggravated and hainous evils so he requires more of you then of other men Consider That God requires of you more humiliation then he requires of other men In the Law you read that if a man toucht the unclean thing he was unclean till evening but if a man bare an unclean thing he was to wash his cloths to shew that the touch of sin requires humiliation but the bearing of a sin in thy bosome thy continuing in sin requires more work then meerly the touch of sin Peter wept bitterly for his deniall he did more for that sin then for an ordinary sin So that you are to consider that though in regard of Christ there is no difference between a great sinne and a small as the red Sea could drown Pharaoh and his host as well as a single man so Christs blood can drown a huge host of sins but yet you must encrease your humiliation on the aggravation of your guilt thus much for the sixth case of Conscience Case 7 The seventh is this What are those great and hainous circumstances that doe greaten sin that so I may see whether I have aggravated my sin or not here are these circumstances which do aggravate and greaten sin Ans 1 First Sinning against the frequent manifestation of Gods love to thy soule this greatly aggravates sin this did aggravate Solomons sin 1 King 11. Solomon was the beloved of the Lord yet he provoked him to anger after he had appeared to him twice Secondly To sinne against the rebukes and checks of thine own Conscience doth greaten sin Jam. 4. 17. Therfore to him that knoweth to do good and doth it not to him it is sin It is sin to another man that doth not know it but to him that knoweth it it is a greater sin this Christ refers to and speaks of Judas that would betray him and yet knew that he was the Son of God What my Disciples to betray me his sin was the greater Conscience is Gods Officer in man it is a greater fault to strike a Constable then an ordinary man out of Office for thee to sin against the rebukes and checks of Conscience aggravates sinne Thirdly To sin against Gods judgements upon other men is an aggravated evill for thee to sin when God hath given thee warning of sin from other mens blood this did aggravate Belshazzars sin Dan. 5. 22. 23. And thou his son O Belshazzar hast not humbled thine heart though thou knewest all this But hast lifted up thy selfe against the Lord of heaven c. Thou that knowest how a man is plagued for his uncleannesse thou that knowest how a man is plagued for riotous living yet thou wilt live riotous and thou wilt live adulterous that thy sin is the greater thou sinnest against the monument of the eie as well as against the warning of the eare Fourthly Sin against Gods judgements upon our selves doth weighten sin this did aggravate Abaz sin 2 Chron. 28. 22. And in the time of his distresse he did trespasse yet more against the Lord. Fifthly To sinne against mercies is an aggravation of sin 2 Sam. 12. I delivered thee out of Sauls hand I gave thee thy Masters house I gave thee the house of Israel and if all this had been too little for thee I would have moreover given thee such and such things Wherefore hast thou despised c. What thou sinne David and hast been loaden with a heap of mercies this greatens thy sin Sixthly It greatens sin when the sinne is immediately against God 1 Sam. 2. 25. If one man sin against another the Judge shall judge him but if a man sin against the Lord who shall intreat for him If a man sinnes against God O who shall plead for him Seventhly To sin against the motions of Gods spirit aggravates sin when the spirit of God shall in thy Conscience perswade thee that thou wouldst not follow such wicked waies as thou art walking in when the Spirit of God shall come and wooe thee to be reconciled to alter thy course and to walk in better paths when not only the voice of conscience but the motions of Gods Spirit shall be stifled this aggravates sin Hence it is that Scripture in setting out the wronging and withstanding the spirits motion whether to good or from evill doth ascend by gradations sometimes it is called quenching the spirit Quench not the Spirit a higher degree there is a grieving the Spirit when there are frequent acts to withstand divine motions that is a grieving the Spirit And then there is an higher aggravation then this that is resisting the Spirit Act. 7. 51. Ye stiffe necked and uncircumcised in heart and eares yee doe alwaies resist the Holy Ghost as your Fathers did so do ye This is caused by pertinaciousnesse in withstanding the spirits motion And then the scripture speaks of vexing the spirit Isa 63. 10. But they rebelled and vexed his holy spirit therefore he was turned to be their enemy and fought against them This is not only by one single act but when continually throughout thy course thou hast a wilfull and a gainsaying heart against all the motions of Gods spirit within thee Must not this be a great evill in thee when thou dost quench grieve resist and vex the spirit all these circumstances must needs aggravate and greaten thy sin Eightly Sin is aggravated when thou dost frequently fall into the same sin Ninthly Sin is aggravated when it is done in a way of complacencie that it is not onely acted by thee but loved by thee the acting of a sin is not so much as a loving
that might greaten my sin thou host forgiven them all J shal onely make a short entrance at this time into the first part of my Text I said I will confesse my transgression to the Lord These words contain in them a holy purpose in the Psalmist to set up the practise of a necessary and Christian duty to wit secret confession of sin to God In them five parts are observeable First the duty it selfe Confession Secondly a deliberate purpose to set on the practise of this duty I said Thirdly the subject matter of this duty Transgression and Transgression with a propriety my Transgression not of other mens sins but my sins I said I will confese my transgressions J remember Ainsworth he saith it should be translated thus more agreeable to the Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I will confesse adversum me against my selfe my transgression to the Lord. Many men confesse sin but they do confesse sin as against God that is they do confesse sin as if God were the author of sin that charge him to be the patron of their impiety and wickednesse I said I will confesse my transgression against myselfe Fourthly The object of this duty I will confess my transgression to the Lord and this beloved takes off Auricular confession used and stood on much in the Church of Rome Confession that God cals for and the Scripture cals for is in secret between God and your own souls when conscience shall suggest guilt to you in reference to your former misdoings when you can pour out your soul in complaint to God I said I will confesse my transgression unto the Lord. Fifthly and lastly The issue and event of this duty and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin observe the connexion here is a connective particle and thou forgavest he doth not come with an Ergo or a Quare not with a causal but with an et a copulative and thou forgavest not J confesse sin therefore I am forgiven but I confesse sin 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and thou hast forgiven me Forgivenesse of sin is not laid down as an effect flowing from a cause but as a consequent flowing from an antecedent Indeed the Papists plead much for merit because sometimes causal particles are used but this is beyond my Text thus much for the explaining of the words Doct. At this time J shall onely raise a Doctrine from the first part of this Text J said J will confesse my transgression unto the Lord. The point of Doctrine is this That justified persons who have their sins forgiven are yet bound to confesse sin to God And here the confession J am to speake of is a private confession of our evils to God between God and our own souls and though it be but a familiar subject yet as God shall enable me J shall labour to make it useful and profitable for your edification in a Christian course in a holy confession of sin before your God There are many Queres to be dispatcht in the handling of this point The first Quere is What are the reasons why persons justified and pardoned are yet bound to make confession of sin unto God in private The Reasons are these following Reas 1 First They are to confesse sin unto God because holy confession gives a great deale of case and holy quiet unto the mind of a sinner concealed and indulged guilt contracts horror and dread on the conscience As wind when it is disperst and diffused through the air doth little hurt but when it is concealed in the bowels of the earth it makes ruptures and earthquakes overthrows things up and down Sin when it is unconfest concealed and indulged makes heart-quakes in the conscience and contracts a great deal of horror and terror Psal 32. vers 3. When J kept silence my bones waxed old through my roaring all the day long Meaning David when he kept close his sin he roared by reason of horror when he did not pour out his soul in confession to God but when a man shall with an ingenuous clearnesse confesse his evils unto God this doth alleviate his minde and lighten his burden and ease his conscience and quiet his spirit Origen doth call confession of sin to God the souls spiritual vomit Now you know vomiting doth give ease to a burdened stomach when the stomach is pained and burdened and opprest A man is sick at the heart when meat doth not digest the vomiting of the load off of the stomach doth ease the stomach when the conscience is burdened when a mans spirit is troubled pouring out of complaints and confession to God doth ease the mind A sinner is like a vessel of new wine filled and stopt up close till it hath vent it is ready to burst so is a godly man filled with sin till he can vent by confession to God his heart is ready to burst Psal 119. vers 25. My soul cleaveth unto the dust quicken thou me according to thy word Vers 26. I have declared my waies and thou heardest me teach me thy Statutes As if he should have said My soul cleaves to the dust I am in a very low and sad condition but I have declared my waies I have confest my sins then God heard me then I had peace then I had quiet then I had comfort that is the first Reason secret confession to God it doth give a great deal of ease and holy quiet to the minde Reas 2 A second Reason why justified persons must confess sin is because God loves to hear the complaints and confessions of his own people lying on the face the best gesture and the mourning weed the best garment that God is well pleased with Jer. 31. vers 18. I have surely heard Ephraim bemoaning himselfe c. that is confessing his sin unto God Cant. 2. vers 14. O my Dove that art in the clefts of the rock in the secret places of the staires let me see thy countenance let me hear thy voice for sweet is thy voice and thy countenance is comely God delights to see and hear the complaints and the confessions of his servants unto him so David speaks I declared my waies and thou heardest me with pity and complacency God had rather see men come with ropes about their necks and with sackcloth about their loins by a humble confession as the servants of Benhadad did then to see ornaments about their necks by a self-justification Christ loves to hear and see the mourning condition of a justified person Reas 3 A third Reason why justified persons must confesse sin to God is because confession of sin doth help to quicken the heart to strong and earnest supplication to God Psal 32. vers 6. For this shall every one that is godly pray unto thee in a time when thou mayest be found surely in the floods of great waters they shall not come nigh unto him Confession quickens supplication in Dan. 9. vers 20. And
and will say unto him Father I have sinned against heaven and before thee Though he was a Prodigal yet he would goe to God as to a father In confession you are to go to God hopefully as to a displeased father confessions when they come to God as a Judge create fear horrour and amazement on the conscience but when confessions are mingled with hope and come to God as a Father they work a holy brokennesse of heart a holy tendernesse and remorse on the conscience We should confesse our sins to God as a Patient confesseth his disease and bodily distemper to his Physician in hope of Cure Rule 5 A fift Rule in confession of sin unto God is this Content not your selves with slight and superficial confessions of sin unto God but leave not confession till you find sorrow for sin Psal 38. 18. For I will declare mine iniquity I will be sorry for my sin Dan. 9. 8. O Lord to us belongeth confusion of face to our Kings to our Princes and to our fathers because we have sinned against thee we blush and are ashamed to look up Leave not confessing of sin until shame hath filled your face and sorrow hath filled your heart it is a great fault in many people if they confesse their sin in crying God mercy in a general way they think they have made God a compensation for all the injuries they have done him though they never have any godly sorrow for their sins but beloved you are not to content your selves with such confession We should in this part of prayer imitate that holy Martyr Bradford who never gave over praying till his heart was somewhat affected and warmed in the duty Rule 6 A sixt Rule in confession of sin is this If thou findest thy heart straitned in confessing present guilt and present sins upon thee then labour to review recollect ancient guilt and ancient sins This is a very useful thing in a mans Christian course It may be a man or woman professing Christianity may not know the sins he or she hath done this last week for want of heedfulnesse and observation of their waies in that case let them recollect what they have done many years agoe recollect old sins when new sins do not come to remembrance and be humbled for them thus David did in Psal 51. 3. For I acknowledge my transgressions and my sin is ever before me It was meant his old sin of adultery that was his sin that he would now call to remembrance so when he found his heart dead he saith Lord remember not the sins of my youth he would go so far back as his youth I prescribe this rule not that a godly man who is under trouble of minde should take this course to collect old sins this may lead him to despair but in case of barrennesse if any man wants matter in respect of present sinnes and findes his heart hard and very insensible in secret prayer unto God in that case he is bound to let conscience recoyle upon himself and recollect sins of past years go back as far as his youth and see what conscience will bring in to provoke him to make humble confession unto God in his secret retirements Rule 7 Lastly take this Rule take more freedom in confession of sin in secret before God then in publick before men To provoke you to practise this Rule consider two things 1. First it is not fit to confesse all the evils you have done before men and if there were no argument to prove secret prayer this were enough that it is not fit for a man to confesse all the sins of his life before men Zach. 12. 12. And the Land shall mourn every family apart the family of the house of David apart and their wives apart the family of the house of Nathan apart and their wives apart c. They are to go to God and confesse their sins apart Thou art a poor professor that dost confesse what thou confessest in publick onely and never in private thou art but a barren professor 2. Again consider this that though we read of wicked men that have made great confession of sin unto God yet we never read in the Scripture that wicked men ever made conscience to confesse sin to God in secret Pharaoh you know the story confest his sin unto Moses and unto Aaron but we never read that Pharaoh confest his sin unto God Exod. 9. 27. And Pharaoh sent and called for Moses and Aaron and said unto them I have sinned this time c. Saul confest his sin unto Samuel but we never read of his confessing sin unto god 1 Sam. 15. 24. And Saul said unto Samuel I have sinned for I have transgressed the Commandement of the Lord c. Verse 30. Then he said I have sinned c. Judas confest his sin but to whom was it to the High Priest and to the Pharisees but Judas never went into a corner and in secret to bewail bloodshed wicked men have made publick confessions of sin but in secret between God and their own souls they never made acknowledgment and confession of their evils unto God thus much for the third Quere The fourth Quere is this Wherein appears the difference of a gody mans making confession of sin unto God and between those confessions of sin in wicked men and there are these eight differences First Holy confession in godly men makes the soul to be more active and inquisitive after cure remedy and pardon for sin holy confession makes the soul industrious I confesse sin but how shall I subdue sin I acknowledge sin but how shall I get pardon for sin It makes it enquire how to get cure and remedy for the evils which before were confest Job 7. 20. I have sinned What shall I do unto thee O thou preserver of men c. I have sinned there is his confession Lord what shall I do there is his industry Thus the Jewes they were convinced by Peter of their great sin insomuch as they cryed out What shall we do to be saved But false confession leaves men idle and carelesse confesse they do but they are not inquisitive how to get pardon for those sins they do confesse Secondly Holy confession of sin unto God in godly men is attended with remorse of conscience and with grief of heart Psal 38. 18. For I will declare mine iniquity I will be sorry for my sin there is confession and sorrow joyned together Hos 12. 4. Yea he had power over the Angel and prevailed he wept and made supplication unto him Whilest confessions are in the mouth there will be either tears in the eye or sorrow in the heart if confession be true The wicked confesse sin but tey never grieve for the sins they have committed they are not ashamed neither can they blush in the Prophets language Thirdly A godly man in confession of sin hath more freedom of spirit
to confesse his particular sins in secret then he hath in publick I have powred out my soul before God saith the Psalmist confession of sin is a pouring out of the soul before God he that can pour forth complaints against sin in secret more then in publick is a grecious man The wicked are only for confession of sin before men and not before God 4. Fourthly Godly men confesse sin freely out of a willingnesse they have to be rid of sin wicked men confesse sin with confessions extorted and drawn from them as men on a rack whether they will or no. Godly men confesse sin freely they are freely willing to part with their lusts therefore they confesse them to God Job 32. 18. For I am full of matter the spirit within me constraineth me Verse 19. Behold my belly is as wine that hath no vent it is ready to burst like new bottles Verse 20. I will speak that I may be refreshed I will open my lips and answer Thus a godly man in confessing sin his belly is as ready to burst with new wine he must needs have vent else he is broken he must needs confesse sin his sin drives him to God But confession is extorted and wrested from wicked men It was the plagues of Egypt upon Pharaoh that wrung confession from him before these he would say Who is the Lord It was pangs and horrour of conscience in Judas that forced him to acknowledge he had sinned in betraying innocent blood Mariners cast over their goods not that they hate them but as they are forc't to do it to escape drowning when there is a storm and a tempest in their consciences then men are forc't to confesse sin it is by compulsion it is not voluntary Fifthly A godly man is conscious to confesse secret and small sins as well as grosse wickednesse David confest his pride and carnal confidence in numbring the people as well as his adultery with Bathsheba David confest the cutting off the lap of Sauls garment as well as spilling the blood of Vriah But hypocrites confesse their grosse sins but not their small sins Cain confest his murder but not his bad offering they confesse their grosse sins but not their smaller Pharaoh confest his oppression of the children of Israel but he did not confesse the hardness of his heart But godly men though they have not so many grosse and open evils yet small and secret evils pinch their consciences and trouble their spirit Those evils which will not break a wicked mans sleep will break their hearts what though they have not uncleannesse in the flesh what though they have escaped the pollutions of the world yet they know they have secret and inward defilements on the spirit and these they bewaile and these they acknowledge to God A sixth difference is this that godly men are distinct and clear to confesse their particular special evils that have most predominancy over them Beloved observe this Wicked men in their confessions are confused and only run in general that they are sinners Just like Ahimaaz when he would bring tydings to David touching the issue of the battel with Joab and Absalom saith he I saw a tumult and I heard a noyse but I know nothing Wicked men will tell you that their sins do make a noyse within them but they can tell you nothing distinctly and nothing particularly but only go at randome Wicked men in confessing sin are like Nebuchadnezzar Dan. 2. He dreamt something but he could not tell what it was Wicked men dream of sins and think of them as confusedly as a man in a dream but when how and where and with what aggravating circumstances they know not they have not a distinct and clear view of their corruptions The people of God do in their confessions single out their special lusts and say thus did the people of Israel Judg. 10. 10. Thus Belarmine did shew his wickednesse in saying he was not wicked when he was on his death-bed and his Confessor came to him to have him confesse his sin to him saith Bellarmine I do not know any sin in my self to confess This was not the holinesse of the man but the heedlesnesse that he did not observe his waies Donatus the great ringleader of the Donatists saith O Lord I have nothing that thou shouldst pardon me Beloved this doth arise from stupidity that men see not sin it doth not arise from holiness but from heedlesness and carelesseness It is an observation that one hath on Iob saith Iob I have sinned and cause me know wine iniquity and my transgression and my sin Whilst Iob made this complaint that he had sinned God saith in all this Job sinned not that is not absolutely but meaning comparatively Beloved to be free in complaints and to be full in confession of sins doth not argue that you have more sin then other men have but it argues that you have more sight then other men have and the less sin you have in you Seventhly Godly men confesse sin out of a sight and sense of sin as it is dishonourable to God rather then as it is a shame and reproach unto themselves Confess thy sin rather for the foul nature of it that it doth dishonour God then for the evil consequence of it that it deserves damnation to the sinner In Psal 51. saith David Against thee thee only have I sinned it was not against Vriah that he had sinned but against thee thee onely have I sinned for thou wast dishonoured by my sinne When the Apostle speaks of repentance he calls it repentance towards God Acts 20. 21. Testifying both to the Jewes and also to the Greeks repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Iesus Christ To note That where sorrow and confession of sin is true it is more out of a sense of sin as it is against God then as it is against self But wicked men never confess sin as it is a dishonour to God but as it contracts a guilt and a shame on themselves Lastly Holy confession of sin in godly men leaves a holy awe and a dread upon the heart making them afraid to commit the sin after they have confest it making them afraid to come into the occasion of that sin which they have confest thus you read Acts 19. 18. And many that believed came and confessed and shewed their deeds Verse 19. Many also of them which used curious Arts brought their books together and burned them before all men c. He speaks of their sorcery and witchcraft they would burn their books that there should not be an occasion of committing again that sin which they confest unto God Beloved this is holy confession when thou shalt come to God on thy knees in secret and there bewail a lust and thy confession leaves a holy awe and dread on thy soul to take heed on that sin thou hast confest A godly man may commit a sin which
of God in thy esteem A famous story of Austin when God converted him and smote his conscience for the vanity of his youth how doth he aggravate his sin when he was a boy for robbing of an Orchard he doth aggravate that sin with many circumstances First I robbed an Orchard meerly out of vanity not out of need to steale for need is more tolerable though not justifiable but when he had enough that was vanity then it was not for the goodnesse of the fruit but meerly for the lust of the eye then I did not rob the Orchard alone but I got others with me then it was an unseasonable time of night then he went to rob the Orchard after he had spent all the day in vain sport then what they could not eat they gave to the hogs then saith he I wronged and injured an honest neighbour that never did me wrong O see how hee clothed that sin with many hainous crimes and circumstances canst not thou cloath thy uncleannesse thy oppression thy extortion thy unjust dealing with hainous circumstances let me direct you a little in this rule First To aggravate thy sin consider all sins against the manifestation of Gods love are great when God speaks peace to thee if thou shouldst then return to foolishnesse Psal 85. 8. this greatnes sin it was an aggravation of Solomons sin that he sinned against the Lord after God had revealed himselfe twice to him 1 King 11. 9. And the Lord was angry with Solomon because his heart was turned from the Lord God of Israel which had appeared to him twice Secondly It aggravates sin when you commit a sin upon a slight temptation for a man to sin when he hath little or no provocation that greatens sin What made the sin of the Devil so great it was this that those Angels had none to tempt them for thee to follow the stews for thee to follow thy lusts when the Devil doth not tempt thee to doe it when the provocation is meerly from thine own heart this greatens a mans sin and thus in the Prophet Micah that men should sell the righteous for silver and the needy for a paire of shoes O when thou shalt recollect and say how have I dishonoured God how have I run the hazard of an immortall soul when the Devil hath laid no temptation to me this greatens sins exceedingly A third thing to greaten sin by is when a man doth sin against the checks and rebukes of his own conscience Conscience saith doe not sin doe not wickedly and the man saith I must I must I shall lose all else When Conscience shall arrest thee and accuse thee of sin and thou shalt stifle and put by all this aggravates thy sin Fourthly The frequency of the acts of sinne to commit a sin once is not so much but to fall often into the same sin this greatens sin Fifthly Complacency of heart in sin when sin is not onely the sin of thy practise and of thy life but thou delightest in sin if sin be rivetted and rooted in thy heart thou art unclean canst thou go to God say Lord what grace is here land what mercy is here that thou hast pardoned great transgressions and those sins that I can aggravate by many hainous circumstances I have read my pardon and yet I have now blotted my pardon canst thou say I have sinned and upon a very trivial occasion and on a smal temptation I am a drudge to the Devil on an easie temptation when the Devill can draw thee by a silken thread to a sin O it is a great aggravation when Conscience arrests thee for sin and thou wilt still be stifling the cries of conscience would you greaten sin you are in a ready way to greaten mercy pardoning grace that is a 4th direction Fifthly If God doth out of the riches of his grace pardon aggravated sins take you heed that when you have obtained great and gracious pardons for great and grievous sins you do not extenuate your sins do not say of your sins as Lot of Zoar Is not this a little one doe not say of wilfull enormities as Jacob did Peradventure it was an oversight do not mince the matter and doe not lessen sin but greaten sin The reason why thou shouldst not doe it consider first by extenuating sin and making it smal and little in your eye you will lessen the greatnesse of Gods pardoning grace who will value the skill and Physick of a kitchin woman That Physitian is valued that can cure a deadly and dangerous disease when a mans spirits are gone and strength is consumed the Physician is prized thou by lessening thy sin dost lessen pardoning grace 2. By the extenuating thy sin thou doest lessen the value of Christs bloud 3. Thou wilt lessen thine own repentance and humiliation for what man will labour after great humiliation for small transgessions therfore there is a world of wrong done to thy own soule when God hath pardoned great transgressions if thou shouldst extenuate and lessen the greatness of thy evils Sixthly Content not your selves with slight and superciall repentance so falling into great and gross evils be not like Lewis the eleventh King of France when he did an evill against his conscience he pulled off his hat and tooke his Crucifixe and cryed God mercy for what he had done so many men if they can but cry God mercy in ordinary and generall tearms they think they have made a Compensation to Divine Justice And thus have I done with the second branch of the use in these six particulars The third and the last branch shall be by way of Consolation to troubled and perplexed Consciences that by reason of their falling into aggravated and hainous sins do entertain doubtfull thoughts of their own pardon five Consolations I shall lay down to you from the scripture who have repented of great and many sins First Consider for thy comfort that conversion and repentance for sin before God wipes off the ignominy and the infamy of thy former miscarriages suppose thou hast been an ignominious notorious soul creature yet repentance puts a vail over thy ignominious lusts Secondly Take this for thy comfort that Jesus Christ doth manifest more love to those men who have fallen into gross sin after repentance and humiliation then he did to any other sorts of men in the world It is observable of Peter Peter did sin more then all the Disciples unless Judas that was the cast-away after Peter did humble himselfe and repent of his denyall Christ did shew more love to Peter then to all the other Disciples First Christ appeared to Peter after his Resurrection before he appeared to any other so Paul tels you in 1 Cor. 15. 5. And that he was scen of Cephas and then of the twelve there was love in Christ Peter did deny but three daies before and Peter must first see him Again When Christ was risen from the dead
he sent a messenger to Peter particularly by name Goe tell my Disciples in generall and tell Peter that I am risen Mark 16. 7. But goe your waies tell his Disciples and Peter Peter was crying weeping and be wailing that he should deny his Master and saith Christ Goe tell Peter that I am risen 3. Christ doth single out Peter after he rose from the dead Christ hath more discourse with Peter then hee hath all with his Disciples else Joh. 21. Thus you see that Jesus Christ manifests love to those sinners that sinned foully after they have repented and are sufficiently humbled for their sin Thus it is with Mary Magdalen after she repented what expressions of love doth Christ to her First we read that hee cast out of her seven Devils Luk. 8. 2. Then he appeared first to Mary shee was the first that saw him when he was risen Mark 16. 9. Now when Jesus was risen early the first day of the week he appeared first to Mary Magdalen Again Christ commanded that where ever the Gospell came to bee preacht the fame of Mary should be made known Matth. 26. 1 3. Verily I say unto you wheresoever this Gospell shall be preached in the whole world there shall also this that this woman hath done be told for a memoriall of her what a great honour was this to Mary Magdalen Thus it appears that God doth manifest to those persons that have sinned the grossest sins if afterward they shall have the more serious and through humiliation the clearest evidences and the strongest comforts Thirdly Take this for your comfort It is not the greatnesse of that sin thou committest but onely the hardnesse and impenitency of thy own heart that can exempt thee from pardon Divines doe generally say that the reason of that saying in Scripture All sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven neither in this world nor in the world to come It is not that there is not more merit in Christ to save then there is guilt in that sin but it is because that man cannot will not repent of the sin Therefore that sin cannot be forgiven because he cannot repent Suppose thy sin be blasphemy this doth not exempt from pardon It is not the greatnesse of thy sin but the Judiciall hardnesse and finall impenitency of thy heart that can exempt thee from pardon when Peter preached to the Jewes that had a hand in crucifying the Son of God yet saith he repent and your sins shall be blotted out O what sin could be greater then their embrewing their hands in the bloud of Christ yet doe but repent and your sins shall bee blotted out It is not for want of great mercy on Gods part and great merits on Christs part that men are unpardoned but it is want of repentance on thine owne part Fourthly That no grosse sin committed by a justified person can make void his former pardon A rule among the Shoolemen the worke of God cannot bee made void or frustrated by the worke of man Election is a work of God Redemption the work of God Justification the worke of God which cannot be made void by the work of man therefore if God hath elected thee redeemed thee justifyed and pardoned thee the incursion of grosse evills cannot restrain thee of former pardon It is true sinne may make void thy former comforts thy former evidences gross sins may lay wast thy conscience but they cannot lay wast the grace and the mercies of God herein you may be greatly comforted and established Fifthly Take this for thy comfort though thou dost fall into grosse and aggravated guilt yet such is the goodness and mercy of God that he orders thy very falling into sin to turn to thy good I doe not mention this to any that they should be imboldened to fall into sin because it may turn to good O it is God that orders a mans fall for his good A threefold good that God doth to his people out of their very sins God doth not onely doe good to his people by their afflictions but he doth good to his people by their very sins First Sometimes God doth so order that the falling of a godly man into sin shall abate pride in his heart men of great parts are apt to be proud God many times will let strong lusts attend strong gifts the more to abate and keep under the exaltation of spirit therefore saith Paul I have the messengers of Satan to buffet me that I might not be exalted above measure God doth many times to keep under pride let a temptation loose on a man so God doth him good that way Austin saith I am not afraid to say that it is profitable sometimes for good men to fall into sin Secondly It will prevent many other sins here is Gods great mercy the putting of a man to pain takes away pain God sometimes suffers a man to sin that sin might keep out another sin one sin may be so ordered by God to keep out another sin Thirdy Falling into sin sometimes doth renew the work of repentance the Lord sometimes lets them sleep that so he might awaken them by a greater humiliation and to tast the more of the bitternesse and fruit of sin here then is Gods goodnesse to a sinner that by letting him fall into a sin he doth thee good and makes thee to renew repentance and greatens humiliation in thy heart Now for the finishing of this subject there are seven Cases of conscience that in this Doctrine are needfull to be resolved First Whether God may forgive a man his sin and yet the man himselfe not know it here David had sin forgiven him and David did know it I acknowledge and thou forgavest but whether may a man have sin forgiven him and yet not know he is pardoned I answer in the affirmative that a man may have sin forgiven him and yet not know that his sin is pardoned though David did know his pardon at this time yet he did not know his pardon at other times Psal 51. Restore unto me the joy of thy Salvation God broke Davids bones for his Adultery and David was driven to shed a River of tears before God did pour in one drop of joy Job 33. 10. Behold hee findeth occasions against me he counteth me for his enemy Job thought that God was an enemy unto him and you have not onely the confession of one man but the doubts and fears of the Church in generall Lament 3. 42. We have transgressed and have rebelled thou hast not pardoned we have rebelled c. Yet God had pardoned and God had forgiven them yet here was their fear and their doubt they lay under suspense of pardon God may pardon a sinne unto the Elect and yet they not know that they are pardoned and in the manifold Wisdome of God there are divers reasons for it first by keeping them under a suspense
of pardon they may sympathize with and carry more tenderness of compassion towards them that are troubled in minde it was one end of Christs sufferings his soule was in an agony and under a desertion crying My God my God why hast thou forsaken me what was the end of it it was for this that Christ might carry more compassion and more bowels of tendernesse towards persons that are under deep desertions Let a scholar that studies many things read in a Booke of the storms and distresses that sea-men are subject unto yet by all he reads he cannot pity men in a storm if he have never been in a storm himselfe let one read what the scripture mentions of the pangs of a woman in travell she cannot so compassionate a woman in travell unlesse shee hath had the pangs her selfe so in Divine things it is experience that makes men have compassion Secondly It is for this reason to raise up in mens hearts a higher esteem of pardoning grace things hardly come by are highly set by what is the reason that birds do chirp and sing more sweetly in the spring then in any other part of the year it is for this because after the vanishing away of a long and tedious winter the refreshing Spring comes in Beloved The Lord makes his people chirp and sing in the sense of pardoning grace rejoycing in that the more the longer the winter of desertion hath been when God lets them have long desertion then they doe the more rejoyce and sing when pardons are attained Men do then prize the shore when they have been tossed by a tempest on the sea Those that have been tossed on the waves of spirituall trouble that have had a storm and tempest in their conscience they will prize pardoning grace most Thirdly God doth sometimes pardon a mans sin yet not tell him of it and it is for rebuke to him because he hath not lived in the exercise of grace thou keepest back obedience from God and God keeps back comfort from thee this is a main reason why sometimes God pardons a sinner and yet doth not tell him of it in his own conscience It is done in heaven the pardon is written there but it is not done in the conscience it is not written here It is to give thee a rebuke a check in thine own heart surely I have not exercised grace therefore surely God will not give me the comforting work of his Spirit when thou art not much in grace then thou shalt be but little in peace it is just with God so to doe Fourthly the Lord pardons a sin when he doth not tell that it is pardoned it is to make the repentance of men more visible and satisfactory to the world that hath been offended by their sin The Lord will make the world see that if men will sinne notoriously they shall smart bitterly to make the world see that repentance is no slight worke and to make peace with God is not easie Fifthly to make men to taste the evils and bitternesse of sin should a man that is notoriously wicked presently attain the sense of pardon it may be he would not tast the bitternesse of sin 6. Another reason is this to teach doubting Christians that assurance is not essentiall to pardon it is separable from pardon it is separable from faith therefore from pardon A man may beleeve yet know not that he doth beleeve The Lord doth it for that end to teach doubting Christians that though they have not assurance yet they may have faith though they want the sense of pardon they may be pardoned there cannot be fruit but there must be a tree yet there may be a tree when there is no fruit there may be grace in the heart when there is no peace in the conscience to have peace is additionall to grace now the Lord for these holy ends doth sometimes pardon a sin in heaven when the pardon is not sealed to the conscience Thus much for the first case A second Case of conscience is this if God pardons a sin whether or no doth he afflict and punish men for it after it is forgiven this is an usefull question and the reason is because there are errors and mistakes about it mistakes on the right hand and on the left The Antinomians say that a pardoned sinner is never afflicted for sin and say they to say that a man whose sin is forgiven is afflicted for sin doth derogate from the satisfaction and sufferings of Christ Then the Papists say that men are afflicted and punished for sin and that these punishments are for satisfaction to divine Justice and they are meritorious and on this ground they bottome Purgatory that after a man is dead he must for some years lye in Purgatory to satisfie for some notorious grosse sin done in his life Now Beloved to keep you from swerving either way I shall lay down the true genuine state of this Question and resolve it to you First consider this That God doth not afflict any man but where sin is that is my first position God doth not cruciate an innocent creature indeed the Schoolemen have a question whether God by his soveraignty may torment an innocent creature but that is but a nicety but this is most certain that God in the dispensation of his Judgements doth punish no man but where sin is sin entred into the world and death by sin Secondly though God afflicts none sinlesse yet sometimes it may be for triall and not for any particular sin so was Jobs affliction it was not for sin but for triall to try Iobs grace Thirdly and chiefly it is apparant from the Scriptures that pardoned sinners may be punished for their sins Would not this be partiall for a father to beat the servant for a fault yet not beat the child for a worse fault Now the Lord will not leave such a plea as this in any wicked mans heart In all the Kingdomes of the world where sword where pestilence where famin and where plagues have been the good have fallen with the bad the righteous have fallen by the sword as well as the wicked the reason is that the world should not say that he is a partiall God Now to satisfie and to establish your thoughts in this point I shall give you two expresse testimonies in the Scripture that God doth punish his people for sin though their sins be pardoned The one is of David 2 Sam. 12. 14. Howbeit because by this deed thou hast given great occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme the childe also that is born unto thee shall surely dye I will punish thee in thy child I will pardon thy sin yet I will punish thy sin so likewise in 2 Sam. 7. 14. 15. I will be his father and he shall be my son If hee commit iniquity I will chasten him with the rod of men and with the stripes of the children of men but my mercy shal
you captive Christ alluded to the custome among the Romans when the Roman Conquerour rode to the Capitol of Rome to rejoyce in his victory over his enemies the Conquerour did use to tie his Captives to the Chariots wheels So Christ did carry his captives by his wheeles as it were he led captivity captive Colos 2. 15. And having spoyled Principalities and powers he made a shew of them openly Triumphing over them in it So that beloved here is one great comfort that Christ by going up to heaven doth manifest and declare to all the world that he hath overcome the Grave Death Devill and Sinne. Secondly Christs going bodily to heaven It is a pledge to you that Christ will one day bring your bodys to heaven I go to heaven that I may receive you to my self that you may be bodily in heaven where Christ is In Joh. 14. 19. Yet a little while the world seeth me no more but ye see me because I live ye shall live also As if he should say wel I must leave you and I must goe to Heaven before you but because I live in heaven and live there bodily you shal also live with me in heaven with your bodies Tertullian doth make this use of it to comfort the Christians in his dayes saith hee Jesus Christ did carry our flesh into heaven with him and he is of our flesh and of our bone Now saith Tertullian Jesus Christ hath carried flesh into heaven and this is a good pledge unto us that our flesh shall be in heaven where Christ is also Therefore O flesh and bloud doe thou rejoyce that hast possest heaven in Christ already And Christ would be imperfect in heaven should not the bodies of beleevers come there also because he lives in heaven you shall live there also Thirdly Christs going bodily to heaven it is a ground of comfort to you in this because Christ is gone bodily into heaven to performe and accomplish his Sacerdotall Office that is as a high Preist hee is now in heaven to performe the Office of a high Priest to make intercession to God his Father in your behalfe that your sinnes might be pardoned that your soules might bee saved that your bodies might he raised and received into heaven with him in Glory Heb. 9. 24. For Christ is not entred into the Holy places made with hands which are the Figures of the true but into heaven it selfe now to appeare in the presence of God for us Christ is entred into the very heavens that he might appeare before God for us so in Heb. 7. 26. For such an high Priest became us who is holy harmelesse undefiled separate from sinners and made higher then the heavens It became us to have a high Priest in Heaven Therefore observe though it was a great benefit to the Disciples to have Christs bodily presence yet Jesus Christ could never have fulfiled the office of the Priest-hood to make intercession for all the Elect if Christ had not gone bodily into heaven Will you observe one Text in Heb. 8 4. For if he were on earth hee should not be a priest seeing there are Priests that offer gifts according to the Law Christ must goe to heaven and there hee is a Priest now if hee were upon the earth hee could not be a Priest for us therefore we have great advantage by CHRISTS going into heaven O beloved then looke on this as a great comfort that our Lord Jesus Christ is now in heaven in his body flesh and bloud appearing before God making Intercession for all his people this was typified out under the Law Exod. 28. 9 10 11 and 12. verses And thou shalt take two Onix stones grave them on the names of the children of Israel Six of their Names on one stone and the other six Names of the rest on the other stone according to their Birth With the work of an ingraver in stone like the ingravings of a signet shalt thou ingrave the two stones with the names of the children of Israel thou shalt make them to be set in Ouches of Gold And thou shalt put the two stones upon the shoulders of the Ephod for stones of memoriall unto the children of Israel And Aaron shall beare their names before the Lord upon his two shoulders for a memoriall This is a type of Jesus Christ our high Priest who is gone into that which is so in it selfe the Holy of Holiest and there he hath not onely the names of al the elect of God throughout the world on his breast but hath them in his heart and there he makes intercession for them to his father This is a third ground of comfort that they have of Christs going bodily into heaven A Fourth ground of comfort you have by Christs going into Heaven is this That Jesus Christ is gone into heaven to convey to you a fuller communication of the gifts and graces of his spirit which was bestowed on his people whilest he was upon the Earth Ephes 4 ver 8. Wherefore he saith when he ascended up on high he led captivity captive and gave giftes unto men It is an allusion to the Roman custome that when the conquerour rode in Triumph towards the Capitoll he did not onely lead the Prisoners by the Charet wheeles but likewise scattered mony to the Spectators that saw him ride along in triumph so the Lord Jesus Christ having by his Ascension spoiled death and the Devil thus Jesus Christ doth cast his gifts unto men dispenseth his graces in a greater measure into the hearts of his people not that we are to run into the Sociâ—ian errour because of this text they gather that before Christs Ascension into heaven there was no saving gift of the spirit and they ground it on that text Ioh. 7. ver 38 39. He that believeth on me as the Scripture hath said out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water But this spake he of the spirit which they that beleeve on him should receive For the Holy Ghost was not yet given because that Jesus was not yet glorified The Holy Ghost was not yet given because that Jesus Christ was not yet glorified but this Text is not to be taken simply then it will follow that Abraham Isaac and Jacob had not the spirit and then they could not bee in Heaven but the meaning is that the gifts of the Holy Ghost in that abundant measure was not given because Christ was not yet ascended Christ did reserve the full giving of the Holy Ghost to the time of his Ascension and untill he was glorified therefore the Apostles soon after his ascension received the Holy Ghost in a greater measure then was given to the people of old and beloved not onely gifts to bring you to Heaven but also Ministeriall gifts to qualifie men fit for the Ministery you are to looke on this also as the fruit of Ascension Ephesians 4. 10 11 12. vers He that descended is the
his garments lest he walke naked and they see his shame Fifthly and this Divines stand much upon it is said wee according to his promise looke for new Heavens and a new Earth wherein dwels righteousnesse That the dwelling of a righteousnesse here doth not imply that such a thing shall bee on the new Earth but the dwelling of righteousnesse referres to righteous men not to heaven or earth the Greeke word cleares it plainely it is a word in the Plurall Number Therefore it is referred to the Earth which is in the Singular Number Therefore Divines say from the Originall 2 Peter 3. 13. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—e in whom â—wels righteousnesse look for a new Heaven and a new Earth So that the dwelling of righteousnesse it is not to be interpreted as referring to the Earth but that righteousnesse should dwell in men wee read of none being on the Earth wherein dwells righteousnesse Thus much for that other Scripture Wee looke for new Heavens and a new Earth A third Scripture and that they deeme to have some strength in too In Daniel 2. 44. And in the daies of these Kings shall the God of Heaven set up a Kingdome which shall never bee destroyed and the Kingdome shall not bee left to other People but it shall breake in pieces and consume all these Kingdoms and it shall stand for ever Now beloved to give you the scope of the Text take these answers First It is true that a Kingdome is given by God to Jesus Christ and that Kingdome was given by God to Christ while hee was here upon the Earth in the forme of a servant and this Luke tells you Chap. 1. vers 32 33. Hee shall bee great and shall bee called the Son of the highest and the Lord God shall give unto him the Throne of his Father David and hee shall reigne over the house of Jacob for ever and of his Kingdome there shall be no end So that Jesus Christ had a Kingdom and he is now King of Kings and Lord of Lords in heaven Secondly it is said here that this Kingdome it was begun in the daies of those Kings Now whose daies doth this Text speake of It speakes of those that divided Alexanders Kingdome who overcame the Medes and Persians it was divided betweene Ptolomy Lagides King of Egypt Zeleuchus King of Assyria In that time Jesus Christ did set up a Kingdome for he was born King of the Jewes Thirdly it is apparent that this cannot bee referred to Christs Kingdom in this world for a thousand yeares Because it cannot bee said that it should bee a Kingdome for ever and ever for a Kingdome for a thousand yeares cannot bee said to bee a Kingdome for ever and ever but it is said in Daniel It shall bee for ever and ever A fourth Scripture is in Eph. 5. 5. For this yee know that no Whoremonger nor Uncleane person nor Covetous Man who is an Idolater hath any inheritance in the Kingdome of Christ and of God And this Text Gerrard quotes and doth well resolve it they say there is not only a Kingdome of God that is Heaven but the Scripture doth make mention of a Kingdome of Christ as a Kingdome of God Therefore they build on this Christs reigne and of having a Kingdome here upon earth First I answer it is true Christ hath a Kingdome but hee saith expresly that his Kingdome is not of this world John 18. 36. Jesus answered my Kingdom is not of this world c. Secondly though it be said here that there is a Kingdome of Christ yet it is not expressed to be upon the Earth for a 1000 yeares Thirdly this Kingdome of Christ Interpreters refer it to the same with the Kingdome of God and to bee meant exegetically A fifth Text they have is in Mat. 26. 29. But I say unto you I will not drinke henceforth of this fruit of the Vine untill that day when I drinke it new with you in my Fathers Kingdome Alsted quotes from thence they gather it cannot bee meant of Heaven why because there is no eating and drinking there here is a promise by Jesus Christ to come to them no more till he would drinke with them Wine in his Fathers Kingdome and it cannot bee unlesse Christ doth come in person amongst his people and have a Kingdome to eat and drinke with his people in this World This they stand much upon Take these clear answers to these Quotations First this cannot be meant of a Kingdome in this world for a thousand yeares my reason is this because the Kingdome which is Christs personall reigne should bee called Christs Kingdome and not his Fathers Kingdom it should have been called my Kingdome and not my Fathers Kingdome that is one Answer that Divines give Secondly observe this that this may referre to that time between Christs Resurrection and Ascension for after Christ did rise from the dead you know hee did continue forty daies upon the Earth and the Scripture telleth you in Luke 24. 42. And they gave him a piece of broyled Fish and of a hony-combe and hee tooke it and did eat before them So he may as well drinke and eate but that to me is somewhat uncertaine Thirdly which is the true scope of this place I will not drinke henceforth of this fruit of the Vine untill that day when I drinke it with you in my Fathers Kâ—ngdome he was taking the Lords Supper and was drinking the cup of Wine saith hee I am going away and will drinke no more till wee meet in Heaven not that there should bee Eating and Drinking in Heaven but when you and I meete wee shall have sweet fellowship and communion together as is in Eating and drinking together As Feasting is a badge of communion and of Love so there shall be endeared love and endeared communion with Christ in Heaven you shall drinke it new not new Wine nor eat new Bread but after a new manner of Love and communion they should expresse Love each to other and have everlasting communion one with another They say likewise that there shall bee no sinne in the world and that the Earth shall bee restored to its primitive fruitfulnesse as it were before the fall but I shall not middle with these And thus according unto my poore measure I have laboured to lay down the grounds from Scripture why Christ cannot come to reigne personally upon the Earth a thousand yeares and have vindicated those Scriptures that seeme to patronize that Opinion Use Is it so that the Scripture doth not determine of any coming of Christ out of Heaven till his last and great coming to judge the world O then labour to make it your worke to have Jesus Christ as King to reign in your hearts by mortification to rule in thy Heart by his Spirit to mortifie thy head-strong lusts that are in thee Secondly Seeing there is no coming of Christ as King in this world then labour to have Christ
when men shall bee eating and drinking possessing and adding muck to muck when men are secure and never thinke of Christs coming to burn all with fire then the powers of Heaven shall be shaken and the world be set on fire Hence it is that you read in Scripture in five or six places Christs coming it shall be as a Thiefe in the night a Thiefe will come in the dead time of the Night as Christ said to his Disciples in Luke 21. 34. The coming of Christ it is an unexpected coming thus you have six Particulars of Christs coming Use Now a word of Application Having shewed you how this Doctrine of Christs coming it is a Doctrine of comfort I shall finish this point in shewing you how this Doctrine of Christs coming is a Doctrine of terrour and of dread and to whom It is observeable that the word is not compared onely to Milke and Honey but the word is compared also to Salt which also hath an efficacy to make smart Beloved you have heard the Hony of this Doctrine what great comfort it will afford to Godly men but remember the word is Salt also and it is of a smart efficacy to terrifie and fret the conscience Now the Doctrine of Christs coming it is a terrible Doctrine in these four things To all wicked men Christs coming again it is a terrible Doctrine because first al the secretst sins that ever a wicked man hath committed in this world they shal be made manifest to all I confesse it is a contest among learned men whether the sinnes of good men as well as bad shall not be known and there are strong arguments that all shall be made known but the Scripture is full in this that at the day of Judgement the sinnes that a wicked man hath done in this world shall bee published to all the Saints and Angels in Heaven and all the men that were on Earth It may bee thou goest for an honest man amongst thy Neighbours yet thou lovest thy Neighbours wife and goest in unto her if thou hast been so or thou hast deceived in thy Trade why for all thy secresie here yet then all the world shall know thy deceit and uncleannes it is built upon that Text Luk. 8. 17. For nothing is secret that shall not bee made manifest neither any thing hid that shall not be knowne and come abroad Here a thousand things are hid that men do not know here thou carriest it fairly and squarely in the world that men cannot say black is thine Eye but then they may say shame to thy Face this is dreadfull Secondly Christs coming it shall bee dreadfull in regard of thy Separation from all the Elect of God In Mat. 25. 32. 33. And before him shal be gathered all Nations and hee shall separate them one from another as a Shepherd divideth his sheepe from the Goates And hee shall set the sheep on his right hand but the Goates on the left Here thou art mingled it may bee thou livest in the same house with a godly man and lyest in the same bed with a godly man but remember a parting time is coming that as the Shepherd parteth the Sheepe from the Goats so doth Christ part the wicked from the godly Thirdly Christs coming againe it is dreadfull to wicked men in regard it shall be the time of the promulgation of thy Sentence A Thiefe in Newgate is a miserable creature a Thiefe at Bar is in a sad condition but a Thiefe when the Sentence of death is past upon him then hee is in a hopelesse condition O thou wicked man at thy dying day thou art a Malefactor but at thy Sentence giving thou art an undone man thou art in a hopelesse condition Fourthly Christs coming it is the time of the reuniting of thy body and soule together and of thy taking possession of Hell when thy body and soule that have been so many hundred yeares parted shall come to meet together and your meeting to bee but a going into Infernall torments this makes the coming of Christ to be a dreadfull coming I but you will say it is true indeed A Felix may tremble when Paul shall Preach to him of Judgement to come but have wee Christians cause of feare Yes you that are Christians in case you bee found under these particulars that I am now naming to you the day of Judgement will be dreadfull to you Christs coming againe to judge the world is not onely a dreadfull Doctrine to a Felix but may make thee a Christian to tremble in these cases First The Doctrine of Christs coming may make men tremble who are guilty of Acts of Oppression and Violence in Courts of Judicature Eccle. 3. 16 17. And moreover I saw under the Sun the place of Judgement that wickednesse was there and the place of righteousness that iniquity was there I said in my heart God shall judge the righteous and the wicked for there is a time for every purpose and every worke That is to judge every purpose and every worke When God shall come to places of Judgement and places of Judicature and shall say wickednesse is there and shall say bribery is there and the deferring of the cause of the poor is there woe bee to all Oppressions of the poore and grinding their Faces in Courts of Judicature many whereof are Seats of violence and not Courts of Judicature Christ shall come to judge things that men will not judge men will not judge Adulterers but whoremongers and Adulterers God will judge Men will not judge men for Heresie but God will judge them Christs coming is dreadfull to all men that live by Oppression and Violence in Courts of judicature Secondly Christs coming to judgement is dreadfull to all them who to save their worldly advantage are ashamed to professe the Gospell of Christ O! Christs coming is a dreadfull time to these In Mark 8. 38. Whosoever therefore shall bee ashamed of mee and of my words in this Adulterous and sinfull Generation of him also shall the Son of man bee ashamed when hee cometh in the glory of his Father with the Holy Angels I pray you marke here are two answers to an Objection in these words First men might say why blessed Jesus who would bee ashamed of thee if Christ were on the Earth wee would never bee ashamed of Christ Therefore Christ addes whosoever is ashamed of mee and of my words though you might not bee ashamed of Christs person yet you might bee ashamed of his words Then men may Object and say why truly if it were a peaceable time a safe time to professe Christ but what when wee live in a wicked place and among a wicked people will not Christ bear with us to hold down our heads a little and to sleep in a whole Skin no saith Christ whosoever shall be ashamed of mee and of my words in this Adulterous and sinfull Generation of him also shall the Sonne of man c.