feelingly to poure out his heart before the Lord in praier and in thankesgiuing for when the Princes and the people had offered very largely and very willingly Dauid reioyced with great ioy and blessed 1. Chron. 29.9.10.14.18 and praised the Lord before all the congregation saying Blessed bee thou O Lord God of Israel our father for euer and euer c. Who am I and who are my people that wee should offer willingly c. O Lord God keepe this for euer in the purposes and thoughts of the heart of thy people and prepare their hearts vnto thee Thus may wee obserue now the good affections and desires of the people doe stire vp and strengthen the hearts of their Rulers to pray for them whereas on the contrarie nothing doth so kill the hearts and discourage the spirits of Gods seruants from praier as when they see those that are vnder them to bee wilfull and heady froward and rebellious and vtterly voide of any good disposition vnto pietie and religious exercises They scarse dare speake a good word for them vnlesse it bee that God would humble them and conuert them they cannot pray as Hezekiah here doth The good Lord bee mercifull vnto him that prepareth his whole heart to seeke the Lord c. but the good Lord giue them hearts to prepare themselues and take away the stony and vnbeleeuing and carnall hearts out of their bodies Note And indeed many times it is a iust iugement of God vpon such wretched persons that his children should haue no heart to pray for them because as it is said of Elies sonnes God hath a purpose to destroy them or at least grieuously to afflict them And therfore little doe these stubborne and obstinate children and seruants know what iniurie they doe vnto themselues by entering into and continuing in their sinfull courses for they thereby not onely prouoke Gods heauie displeasure against them which is a burden importable but also hinder and it may bee vtterly cut off the praiers of those that would otherwise crie vnto God night and day for the obtaining of his fauour and the procuring of the light of his countenance to shine vpon them Thus much for the first point Now further marke who they bee that hee praieth for not prophane or carelesse persons but for those that prepared their whole heart to seek the Lord c. that is which laboured with a true sincere heart to be partakers of the mercie and goodnes of God which he made offer of in his holie ordinances In that Hezekiah neither doth nor dares pray for a blessing vpon any but vpon such as were true-hearted The Doctrine is that Whosoeuer would haue any mercie from God in the Sacrament Doctr. 2 Sincerity requisite in all communicants must come with a sincere and vpright heart thereunto That howsoeuer hee cannot put away all sinne for who can say his heart is cleane yet hee may and must put away the liking of all sinne and the purpose of sinning So far as any man hath a loue vnto iniquity and an intent of committing iniquitie he is tainted with hypocrisie and doth pollute and defile euery good thing that he medleth withall and so can haue no benefit but much hurt therefrom If then wee would haue God to meete vs in mercy we must meete him in sincerity and if wee would haue him to come vnto vs in goodnesse wee must draw neere vnto him in vprightnesse Agreeable to this point is that exhortation to the Hebrewes Let vs draw neere with a true heart in assurance of faith Heb. 10.22 sprinkled in our hearts from an euill conscience and washed in our bodies with pure water As if hee should haue said except you come fitted and prepared with a heart voide of guile and deceit as good not come at all For God will bee so far from giuing countenance or comfort vnto such that hee will assuredly plague them for their fraud and falshood that they haue vsed with him This wee may plainely see in that which befel the ill grounds there are three sorts of them mentioned all professors that came to the word of life and yet had no benefit by it and therefore by a necessarie consequent Note they could reape as little fruit by the Sacrament For the word must giue life and strength before the Sacrament can nourish and increase the same What was the reason why they profited not because they came not with a good and honest heart Luke 8.15 as the fourth sort of hearers did who receiued instruction and comfort and the power of godlinesse by the conscionable hearing of the word But what is that good and honest heart which they are commended for it is a heart that doth fullie purpose to doe well though it faile much in that which it performeth that resolueth before hand to auoide the euill that shall bee reproued and to doe the good duties that shall bee commanded and to beleeue and rest vpon the promises that shall be pronounced as farre as God shall giue abilitie c. Now wheresoeuer there is such a ready inclination vnto goodnesse there will be a bringing foorth of fruit though not in all alike yet euery one will doe somewhat and God will acknowledge them for good ground and honest-hearted Christians that yeeld him but thirtie fold as well as those that yeeld him sixtie fold or an hundred fold for a lesse measure of fruitfulnes is an argument of truth as well as a greater measure and therefore shall bee respected and rewarded but as for those that haue naughtie and deceitfull hearts they shall goe away as bad or worse then they came and whatsoeuer faire colours they set vpon their profession for a time yet sooner or latter their hollownesse shall appeare to their shame and punishment Now the reasons that make for the confirmation of this doctrine That if we would finde acceptance with God we must bring sinceritie with vs are these First without this wee can haue neither remission Reasons 1 nor sanctification and therefore are so farre from hauing interest in Gods mercies through Christ his merits Without vprightnesse there is no remouall of sin Psal 32.1.2.3 that wee are liable to his wrath and lie open to the stroks of his reuenging hand None are pardoned and blessed but those in whose spirit there is no guile Secondly except there bee vprightnesse wee can haue no hope of good successe in any seruice of God that wee take in hand Iohn 9 31. Psalm 66.18 there being no promise made vnto vs for as God heareth not sinners in praier so he doth not helpe sinners by the word or Sacrament This is for the terror of those Vse 1 that when they come to the Lords Table Against vnprepared receiuers neuer examine themselues nor looke into the state of their soules at most they come but with a Pharisaicall washing of the outside of the cup and of the platter As if
cannot but walke fearefully in their ill courses wherein they walke and giue liberty vnto themselues This should make vs exceeding carefull Vse 1 and warie when we offer our selues to Gods seruices to search and dig deepe into our hearts that we may cast out all the loose earth that is there and so our building may bee on a rocke and not on the sand We must purge away that leauen of hypocrisie that hath wholy infected our nature that so we bee not found to halt in our worshipping of God lest he take vs with the maner Mat. 22. as he did him that came without a wedding garment whom he singled out from all the guests that were present and that not onely to ignominie and reproch but to euerlasting punishment and torment in hell fire It is very dangerous then we see to deale hypocritically with God it is not safe with men to pretend and say one thing before their faces and to speake and do another behind their backes because they may peraduenture discerne it but it is more dangerous to dissemble with God for he doth certainly discerne it and will as certainely punish it Many when they are reproued or admonished will snuffe at it and say What need you bee so hot in the matter I hope you cannot charge me to bee either Whore or Theefe But though man cannot charge you which all cannot say is that a sufficient discharge for you Nay you must looke vnto it that God find not matter sufficient to conuict you either of those particulars or of worse and viler offences And let none reply that it is sufficient that we frequent Sermons and partake of the Sacrament and come to prayer in publike and vse prayer in the family and performe other duties that Christian men and women should do and no more is required at our hands Yes God doth require more then this Answer Pro. 23. he calleth for the heart in all these though a man bee present at neuer so many Sermons yet if his minde run after his pleasures or after his couetousnesse so that when his body trauels one way his affections trauell another way all his hearing is nothing worth And so in prayer though there be neuer so many excellent words apt tearmes and goodly sentences yet if they come from the head and not from the heart from wit and memory and not from the inward feeling of the soule they cannot be accepted Ier. 29. God professeth indeed that he will be found of those that seek him but then they must seek him with their whole heart that is truly and feruently they must not come with a part of their heart for then they bring no part in Gods account but with all their heart for he that giueth him not all giueth nothing at all So for the workes of our calling if we do not labour therein as Gods seruants we can expect no wages we may haue commendation from men but we shal haue a check and rebuke from the Lord mens tongues may magnifie vs but Gods hand will confound vs. Therefore let vs when wee enter vpon any good way endeuour with an vpright and true heart to go forward in the same otherwise it had bene better neuer to haue entred thereinto Now that we may make sure worke in this regard let vs try our sincerity by the good effects that doe euer accompany the same Vse 1 1 One note therefore of a sound heart which wee should take for our tryall is to be vniuersall in our desires Marks of an vpright heart 1 Vniuersall obedience Psal 119.6 and in our practise that we haue respect to euery commandemēt of God to the first table as well as to the second and to the second as well as to the first that we be righteous towards men as well as religious towards God and so on the contrary that we looke to our hearts as well as to our actions and to our actions as well as to our hearts Contrary to this rule is the dealing of those that will giue dispensations vnto themselues for many things so that they can make a shew of some things What if we be not so strict for the Sabaoth thinke they yet we are no swearers nor blasphemers what if we take a little liberty for vain sports and idle discourses these are but trifles we will not be adulterers nor filthy speakers c. This is a shrewd signe of a heart full fraught with guile and deceipt the property of a good conscience is to be willing and desirous in all things to walke honestly Heb. 13.18 If one be neuer so strict for the Sabaoth if he will helpe himselfe by a lye now and then for his commodity or for his credit sake and if a man be neuer so rigorous and seuere for matters of iustice and yet will steale time from the Lord vpon his day and spend the same in his own businesses and affaires whether secretly or openly and so for any other thing we will make bold to borrow a little leaue of God this is an argument of a false and dissembling heart and therefore this must be taken heede of as being very dangerous A second marke is to haue a continuall increase in godlines neither to waxe worse Growth in Grace Phil. 3.13.14 nor to stand at a stay but still to striue to grow better and better as the Apostle Paul testifieth that he himselfe did I forget that which is behinde and endeuour my selfe to that which is before and follow hard toward the mark to the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Iesus And hauing shewed what he did himselfe he annexeth an exhortation also for vs Verse 15. Let vs therefore as many as are perfect that is sincere and void of grosse hypocrisie be thus minded He was not as a vaine foolish man who running in a race wil be euer and anon looking back how much ground he hath rid but his eye was vpon the marke considering how much he had yet to run how farre off he was from perfection and the same mind should be in vs and will be in as many of vs as are indued with the same spirit that Paul was We must euery day labour to abound more and more in all wisedome and in all godlinesse Rom. 15.14 If we prayed once a day in priuate Note and that somewhat coldly at the first we must afterward pray twise or thrise or oftner in a day as occasion is offered and that more feruently and feelingly then we did in the beginning If we did reade and meditate more seldome and with greater weaknesse and distraction at our first entrance into profession in our proceeding we must vse those exercises more frequently and performe them more seriously and chearefully and the like may be said for all other duties Thus if we can labour to do Note and when we slip and so are stayed now and then in our race yet if
must needs faile in the discerning and so also in the discouering and laying open of their corruptions and therefore faile of sound happinesse 2 Secondly this is for the reproofe of an other sort that are worse then the former Deniers of sinne who hauing the knowledge of sin doe yet denie their faults when they are told of them as Ananias Saphira did Acts 5. 1. King 5. and as Iehazi did when his master examined him Those sinnes that are smoothered and caried so closely God will manifest and discouer as openly as hee did theirs laying vpon the one the punishment of a sudden and strange death and on the other the leprosie of his flesh as a meanes to clense his soule 3 Heere are an other kinde of hiders to be condemned Disguilers of sinne that will not grosly denie the fact but will cloake it and disguise it and giue good names to foule faults Such are they that would haue their gaming and vnthriftines and cosonage to goe vnder the name of recreation and all their leaud meetings and abuse of the creatures of God and of the glorious and fearefull name of God vnder the title of good fellowship and meerie meetings c. And so for other notorious and greeuous sinnes which they paint ouer with faire colours but doe such prosper When they get a little monie Inconueniences that ensue on gaming do they not loose more in their soules then that comes to and doe they not bring vpon themselues hardnesse and profanenes of heart blindnesse and stupiditie of minde vnreadinesse and vnfitnes for any good thing vnwillingnes to reade heare meditate and conferre of holy things are they not afraid to come into Gods holie presence in praier to be in the company of such as will admonish or rebuke them to bee alone in the night at such times as the Lord doth waken their drousie consciences to say nothing of many foule braules and other hainous euils which doe vsually accompanie such exercises So others when they are passionate and distempered tell them of it their answer is readie What would you not haue a man angrie with sin Oh this is base hypocrisie and sinnefull disguising of your fault for tell mee you that can bee so eager against small offences in others when they concerne your selfe Note do you not beare with greater faults both in others and in your selfe when they doe more neerely touch the glorie of God your owne heart tel you that it is so and therefore neuer suffer your violent distempers and outrages to goe vnder the visard of zeale against sinne but let them goe for hatefull passions as they are Others wee shall finde that will terme their couetousnes frugalitte their pride in apparell comlines and decencie Hurt that comes by disguising of sin and the like all which persons little consider what great iniurie they doe to their soules this while for now the word cannot cure them of those sinnes which they would faine thinke though their hearts tell them otherwise to bee no sinnes they can neuer humble themselues by repentance for them and therefore they stand guiltie before Gods iudgement seate to answer for them besides all the hurt they shall in this life sustaine in regard of them 4 A fourth sort that come vnder this reproofe are such as therein shew themselues to be clokers of sinne Such as are negligent in searching out their sinnes that they doe not vse diligence to finde out their sinnes such as are partiall in dealing with their own soules and in searching to finde out their corruptions that are loth to dig too deepe throughly to ransack the lothsome corners of their hearts He that doth not his best endeuour to come to the sight of his secret sinnes is esteemed by God to be a hider of them and shall be destitute of that happinesse and comfort that otherwise hee might enioy Psalm 4.4 and therefore as Dauid exhorted his enemies for their good to examine their hearts vpon their beds that so they might desist from standing out against him so hee practised it himselfe for the good of his owne soule that hee might not long goe astray from the waies of the Lord. I haue considered my waies saith hee and turned my feete into thy testimonies Psal 119.59 Secondly Vse 2 this serues for our instruction if wee finde that we doe not prosper in the things of the Lord When wee prosper not fall to examination or of the world let vs examine if there be not some secrete sinne that is the cause of it One comes to the word preached and findes no helpe thereby against the corruptions vnto which he is inclined nor for the practise of good duties vnto which hee is slacke he cannot perceiue that there is wrought in him any great loue vnto the Saints to the ordinances of God or to the comming of Christ c. but he is dull and heauie when hee is at it and as dead and lumpish when he is gone from it Let him search and he shall finde that there lies in his heart some sin or other vnrepented or the gilt of some duties vnperformed the venome whereof doth so poison his conscience that the word of life can finde no place there for when the word comes to a pure heart it will enter speedily and worke effectually Another comes to the Sacrament and findes no benefite thereby Let him looke if there lurke not within him some hidden corruption that is the cause hereof for the Sacrament is mightie in operation if it be receiued with a pure and holy affection 1. Cor. 10. it is the very communion of the body and blood of Christ And therefore search and cast foorth that ill leauen that hath infected thy heart and hindered thee from the comfort of this excellent ordinance of God And the like may wee say for praier and any other of Gods ordinances Likewise for the things of the world doe we not prosper in our estate in our bodies in our children c. let vs make triall if there be not some wickednesse that hath countenance with vs. Note And if there be thence may wee bee sure comes all our woe they that will not greeue for sinne because it is sinne shall bee driuen to greeue for it by many sore troubles and they that are insensible of it when it is cōmitted shall be made sensible in the end by feeling it punished And this is a good vse that is made of the troubles of Gods Church in the Lamentations of Ieremie Wherefore say they is the liuing man sorowfull why doth hee turmoile and vexe himselfe Lamenta 3.39.40 man suffereth for his sinne what is the conclusion Let vs search and trie our waies and turne againe vnto the Lord c. Wee haue sinned Obiection and rebelled therefore thou hast not spared c. But we know no speciall sinne that should procure this hand of God against vs.
surprise them that all such boasting hath beene vaine and that true repentance consistes in a change of the life without as well as of the heart within and then if they haue not forsaken their sinnes they shall be in danger and in feare to goe from the pangs of death to the paines of hell In the second place Vse 2 seeing it is so dangerous to make semblance that wee are touched with repentance for our sinnefull courses when we proceede not to a reformation of the same Meanes to attaine to reformation therefore it behooues vs to vse all good meanes whereby we may attaine to this reformation such as are these that follow 1 First Auoide the occasions of euill wee must constantly and carefully auoide all the occasions of those sinnes which we pretend that we haue been humbled for If one would not be a gamester any more let him auoide the company of gamesters if one would not bee ouertaken with incontinencie and intemperancy or the like let him neuer frequent such places nor associate himselfe with such persons as that any temptation should by such meanes be offered vnto him Our nature is as tinder Our pronenesse to sinne if others doe but cast the least sparke vpon vs wee are in danger to take fire presently and therefore as we will not set flaxe or any such combustible matter neere the chimney for feare of the worst so let not vs aduenture to thrust our selues into any place where there is perill of infection but be iealous of our selues in eschewing all inducements as vnto any so especially vnto our owne sinnes and those vices that we are most prone vnto Secondly as we ought to forbeare all meanes of euill so we must vse all meanes of goodnesse Vseal meanes of goodnesse not one or two of the meanes but euery one of them in their places for otherwise if we refuse all of them or any of them it is a righteous iudgement of God that wee should liue and die in our sinnes Therefore let vs giue our selues to reading if we can to heareing if wee cannot read idest meditate on the word chieflie on such places as make most against our owne corruptions fast pray receiue the Sacrament and then vsing these meanes conscionably wee shall finde that euerie one of them will worke some grace and minister vnto vs strength and vertue against our speciall sinnes Thirdly if at any time we be ouertaken by infirmitie as who is not often Bewaile infirmities speedilie Iames 3.1 Note for in many things we offend all let vs lament bewaile our offences and that presently vpon the committing of them for if sinne bee quickly and hartely lamented the course thereof will be speedily staied and we shall gaine by an infirmitie which is by that means soundly healed For our experience of our owne weakenesse and so our humilitie will be increased our discerning of the subtilties of Satan and the deceitfulnes of sinne and our care and watchfulnesse to resist it hereafter will be thereby augmented Fourthly and lastly Couenant with God to fight against our master sinnes if none of these meanes will serue the turne wee must binde our selues by a solemne vowe and couenant to labour and striue against our principall and most dangerous corruptions and to abandon them whatsoeuer becomes of vs. And though we may be tempted and that often and strongly yet we must resolue by Gods grace neuer to yeeld vnto them againe If we could thus earnestly set against our sinnes satans assaults would bee nothing so strong for if we did manfully resist the diuell Iam. 4.7 hee would fiie from vs like a coward and his instruments seeing vs resolute would haue no heart to meddle with vs and if we should fall once or twice afterwards the breach of our vowe would so peirce and wound our hearts Note that it would make vs much stronger against new assaults And the true reason why the diuell is so violent in tempting and wee so weake in resisting is because wee hang off Note and halt betweene two opinions as it were and haue such faint resolutions of forsaking our sinnes and doe so seldome and sleightly make couenants for the repressing of them Thirdly Vse 3 this is for exceeding great comfort vnto those of Gods children that haue attained to such a measure of sound godlie sorrow that for their great and grosse sinnes they haue by Gods mercie left them all so that they would not commit them againe for a thousand worlds This is an infallible token of an vpright heart and such may be sure that they haue a portion in the mercies of God which hee promiseth to his chosen people Oh Obiect but they finde many passions and infirmities still Be it so Ans yet if they cease to loue them and to giue intertainement vnto them all is well For presumptuous and offensiue euils we must cease to practise them But for humane frailties it is impossible that the most penitent man should bee freed from them How to discerne that our sinnes are but frailties If our hearts checke vs and wee desire to haue others reprooue vs and vse the meanes before set downe whereby more grace may be euerie day conueied vnto vs though wee be ouertaken many times as a bird in the snare before wee bee aware and haue a sudden flashing in our affections that is readie to shew foorth it selfe in our outward actions yet our hearts are sound and sincere notwithstanding neither should we keepe from our soules that comfort which doth belong vnto vs. Shall finde mercie Heere is the promise of God vpon our obedience and this we may be assured of Whence the Doctrine is Doct. 4 That whatsoeuer we haue beene Mercie for the Penitent or whatsoeuer our sinnes haue beene if wee can bring confession and reformation wee shall finde mercy God will pittie vs and haue compassion vpon vs. as the word signifieth 1. First Wherein it consists that wee shall neuer bee vnder the bondage of it any more 3. Thirdly the Lord will accept of vs and of our seruices and make all the meanes comfortable and profitable vnto vs. When we come to the ministery he will write his Lawes in our hearts When we come to the Sacrament wee shall not onely receiue the blessed bread and wine but we shall haue communion with the sonne of God When wee offer vp our praiers 1. Cor. 10. God will heare in heauen and haue mercie vpon vs and fulfill our hearts desire All these things are promised in the couenant set downe Ezek. 36.25 and Iere. 31.31 as also Isa 1.18 which text is handled in the next Sermon and therefore to that place the larger handling of this point shall bee referred Onely a word or two for the vse of it Which is for very great consolation vnto Gods seruants Vse who neede not to bee discouraged by any of their former sinnes but may make full
seale of the eternall couenant and come to the word to heare the promises of life and yet depart without all comfort and assurance of Gods fauour because they came not with teares for their transgressions and rebellions against the Lord nor with that piercing sorrow which would goe as neere them and bee as effectuall in them as if they shed abundance of teares because wee will not doe the lesser which belongeth to vs God will not doe the greater which pertaineth to him Secondly Vse 2 seeing God would haue all to wash the best as well as the worst let vs be instructed if wee would haue fellowship and communion with God to search our hearts to the intent wee may finde out the hidden corruptions thereof and bewaile the same with a sound and earnest lamentation And then if wee doe but aske mercie wee shall haue it otherwise not For if one of our children haue fallen into some great and grieuous fault wee will not forgiue him till he first humble himselfe as the Prodigall sonne did if there bee in him no remorse for the offence committed but hee continue proud and stubborne still the father should spoile his child if hee should shew him fauour the best course hee can take with him then is to carrie a heauie countenance towards him and a strait hand over him that so hee may recouer him and saue his soule and euen in like sort will God deale with vs where hee loueth most hee will checke and rebuke most till they grow to that reformation which hee requireth and aimeth at in their correction Now to the end wee may the better get this holie affection of sorrow into our hearts Meanes wee must vse all helps needfull for this purpose And first because it is a supernatural worke Pray for it we must intreate the Lord according to his promise Zach. 12. to put his spirit into vs and thereby to mollifie our stonie hearts as hee hath couenanted Ezek. 36. otherwise wee may toile out our selues in vaine and after a long and tedious strife bee as farre nay farther from a tender heart then wee were at the beginning Secondly as wee must craue assistance from heauen so wee must vse the meanes that God hath appointed namely 1 First to call to minde our many and great offences against his maiestie Aggrauate our sinnes and to lay before our eies in as particular manner as we can our corruptions both originall and actuall before and since our callings considering how grieuous they haue beene many of them being commited against our knowledge and consciences yea and couenants made vnto the Lord for the resisting and forsaking of them Further we are to recount with our selues of how long continuance they haue beene how offensiue how pernicious and infectious to others how many we haue poisoned by them of whose recouery wee are altogether vncertaine some of them for ought wee know to the contrarie being already in torments in hell fire for the sinnes whereinto wee haue drawne them and others perchance likely enough to goe the same way after them if the Lord doe not in mercy preuent them by his grace c. These and the like meditations will cause our hearts if they bee not past sense and feeling somwhat to relent Thus did Nehemiah aggrauate their sinnes that liued in his time Neh. 9. and so did Dauid his own corruptions endeuouring in many words to make them odious in his owne eies Psal 51. acknowledging that hee was conceiued in sinne which was the fountaine of all and brought foorth in iniquitie that God requireth truth in the inward parts but hee had beene hypocriticall and false-hearted that God had taught him wisdome in the secrete of his heart but hee had put that out of his consideration and cast it behind his backe when it should haue restrained him from all those ill courses that hee tooke These and many other circumstances are either plainely expressed or by consequent necessarily implied in that 51. Psalme whereby hee labours to set out the hainousnesse of his offences that his own soule might abhorre them and all the world might see his vtter detestation of them Another excellent meanes is not onely with patience to endure Suffer admonition but with earnestnesse to intreate the admonitions and reproofes of those which haue beene and are acquainted with our courses for wee are so full of selfe-loue that others may easily discerne more euill in vs then wee can espie in our selues and those of all other are the best and most faithfull friends that will mercifully and wisely though sharpely and roundly tell vs of our faults as Nathan dealt with Dauid when his heart had beene a long time hardned by lying in sinnes vnrepented 2. Sam. 12. which priuate admonition of his as wee may obserue was a more effectuall meanes for his rousing out of that dead slumber then any or all the publike ordinances of God as the sacrifices of the Law and Sermons of the Prophets c. which all that while hee had frequented And sometime it is found by experience yet still that a wholesome Note and sound and wise reproofe of a Minister of God or some Christian friend in priuate throughly set on and effectually applied hath done that through Gods blessing that many holy and excellent Sermons could not effect and bring to passe for the reclaiming of diuers from the by-paths of iniquitie wherein they had a longtime wandred and gone astray Which is not spoken as if this priuate dealing were to bee preferred before Gods publike ordinances but that wee may haue each of them in due estimation that as we should not despise Prophecying 1 Thes 5.10 Heb. 13.22 but suffer the words of exhortation in the assemblies of the Saints so we should admonish one an other and be admonished one of an other Heb. 3.13 dailie in priuate lest any be hardned through the deceitfulnes of sinne 3 In the next place Meditate of Gods infinite mercy in Christ when wee by our owne searching and examination and by others plaine and faithfull admonition haue found out a great sea of our corruptions then let vs inwardly and seriously ponder vpon the infinite mercie of the Lord our God in giuing vs his dearely beloued sonne and the inconceiuable loue of the sonne in submitting himselfe to become a ransome for vs and that without any intreaty desert or desire on our parte yea euen then when wee were his mortall enemies This was it that caused them in the 12. of Zacherie so to mourne and lament because they considered what Christ had suffered in their behalfe And this should breake and melt our hearts as it did theirs that wee wounded and pierced our deere Sauiour by our transgressions for the Chastisement of our peace was vpon him Isa 53.5 and by his stripes we were healed If he would shedde his precious blood for vs why should we thinke it much to shedde
there haue beene brawles betweene man and man there shall bee some idle and formall reconciliation they will be friends and forgiue one another before they receiue the communion but if there be any difference betwixt God and them they neuer looke to the inward parts such can expect no blessing vpon their comming but may iustly feare some greeuous iudgement because their hearts are vnsound and vnfaithfull before the Lord. Secondly sith none haue any praier made for them but such as bring with them to the Lords house a single sincere heart therefore if we would haue benefit by any of the meanes of saluation let vs be sure that though we bee burdened with many corruptions yet wee seeke the Lord with an vnfaigned desire of profiting by his ordinances Now that wee may not deceiue our solues but may satisfie our consciences in full assurance that our hearts are right towards God A triall of an vpright heart let vs take this direction following First vse diligently to finde out as by searching wee may our speciall sinnes Renouncing of sinne Iam. 4.8.9 greiue heartely for them and put them a-away by true repentance So saith Iames Purge your hearts yee hypocrites but what must bee the purgation and receit which they must take sorrow and weepe That man or woman that hath neuer done so is not onely stained with hypocrisie but is a sinfull hypocrite All men by nature are full of deceit and guile and till they sit as Iudges vpon their owne soules they cannot bee clensed from the same but when they haue once throughly sifted themselues and by godly sorrow laboured to purge their consciences as neere as possibly they can from all secret sinnes then though they cannot say I haue no sinne yet they may boldly say I allow no sinne and therefore I am assured that I am no dissembler and that Gods iudgments shal neuer light on me because I haue preuented the same by abandoning those corruptions which might procure his wrath and displeasure against me Secondly let vs vse the meanes whereby our hearts may be made pure and vndefiled namely the word Sacrament Vsing the meanes Ier. 4.4 and praier for though wee mourne neuer so much that is but as it were a plowing of our hearts Note if there bee not good seede also sowen thereupon we cannot expect any crop of grace all the sorrow and affliction in the world without that can doe vs no good but rather much hurt therefore it is set downe in the text as a note of a true heart in those Israelites that came to receiue the Passouer That they did seeke the Lord God of their Fathers in that meanes which hee had ordained for the helping and healing of them wherein if we can imitate them we shall speed as they did all our breaches shall be made vp and al our deadly diseases shall be by degrees healed and at length fully and perfectly cured Thirdly we must not onely haue recourse vnto Gods ordinances but set downe our reckoning before hand Expectation of a blessing that we shall assuredly finde the efficacy and powerfull operation thereof and that God will not mocke and delude vs with vaine hopes but looke what promise he hath made in his word hee will accordingly make good the same and not one word shall fall to the ground of all the good thinges that he hath couenated to bestow vpon vs. And therefore as wee are exhorted in the former place to the Hebrewes Wee must draw neere in assurance of faith Reuel 3.18 and then according to our faith it shall be vnto vs. And the like wee haue in the Reuelation I counsell thee saith Christ to the luke-warme Laodiceans to buy of me Golde tryed by the fire c. teaching vs heereby that wee must highly esteeme and hartily desire the holy thinges of God and be at cost to part with our corruptions and make account that we shal not be disappointed when we come thus affected vnto Christ Iesus And then he will enrich vs that before were poore and cloath vs that before were naked and enlighten our eyes that before were altogether shut vp in blindnesse and ignorance Thirdly Vse 3 heere is matter of consolation for them that can approue the sincerity of their hearts by the forenamed trials Who before they dare present themselues at the Lords table or presume to aske any comfort from Iesus Christ doe first afflict themselues and before they intreat the Lord to bind them vp doe first seeke to breake their owne hearts by inward remorse and contrition for all their offences and yet content not themselues thus to breake vp the fallow ground of their hearts but come vnto the Lord as hee commandeth them to beseech him to sow his precious seede vpon them and doe rest and relie on him for the doing of it Let such be of good comfort for vndoubtedly the Lord will not send them emptie away their labour shall not bee lost nor their hope be disappointed but they shall certainly haue good successe according to their expectation 1. Because they haue done what they could for their part 2. Hezekiahs praier standeth in as good force yet still as it did at that time when it was made and the same in effect is continually offered vp vnto God by many of his elect for such as are so humbled and fitted for that worke yea and Christ Iesus also in his owne person hath sanctified and blessed that Sacrament to all beleeuers that shall worthily partake of it vnto the end of the world and therefore comming thus affected and prepared they cannot misse of the promised blessing Though hee bee not clensed according to the purification of the Sanctuary In these words hee preuenteth that feare and doubt of good successe that might arise in their hearts for want of preparation for the Law was that no vncleane person should haue anything to doe with the Passeouer now diuers of them were in their vncleannesse because they had not time to purge themselues according to the legall rites therefore Hezekiah here seeketh to help the matter and in effect he saith thus I confesse Lord there are diuers ceremoniall circumstances wanting in our preparation to the Sacrament but so the case stood with vs that wee knew not how possibly to helpe it and therefore Lord be mercifull vnto vs in that regard In that he prateth thus for thē albeit they had so failed in want of due preparation that they might iustlie haue been cut off from Gods people if they had had time to haue done better and had not this beene an extraordinary case the Doctrine hence arising is this that So long as wee labour to keepe the substance of Gods worship though wee faile in some circumstances thereof Doct. 3 Failing in circumstances of Gods seruice hinders not the blessing Iam. 5.11 hee will be mercifull vnto vs. If wee embrace the substance thereof willingly and faile in the
that doe spring vp in our hearts Mat. 6.14 Forgiue saith our Sauiour and yee shall bee forgiuen and therefore being able to doe thus in some small measure wee may bee assured that the Lord is appeased towards vs and that wee are in his fauour and therefore haue hearts without guile in his sight Note for a mercifull heart is alwaies a sincere heart whereas hypocrites are of a cruell and implacable nature so that when any iniury is done vnto them either in truth or in their imagination they will swell and fret and chafe and vow and protest or at least determine and resolue in themselues that they will not put it vp but one way or other at one time or other requite it at the full euer an euill heart is a proud and froward heart and can endure nothing lesse then wrongs and indignities Therefore if God hath wrought such a great worke in our soules as that our hearts are inclined to forgiue and forget abuses that are offered vnto vs and can pray for our enemies and long for their conuersion and reconciliation first vnto God and then vnto vs it is a notable testimony that wee are truely regenerated and sanctified in the inward and outward man There are none but they are apt to be angry with sin either in themselues or others but if wee can spend our anger at home vpon the euils of our owne nature Note and be more peaceable and quiet abroad not storming so much that others are so bad as greeuing that wee our selues are no better happy and blessed are wee that haue gotten such a conquest of our owne hearts wee may cheerefully and comfortably communicate at the Lords Table expecting from Christ Iesus a further increase of all holy and heauenly graces And albeit others haue greater gifts and fewer infirmities then we yet seeing we joine with them in the maine matters wee shall be ioyned with them in the fruition of that blessing which God vseth to bestow vpon his people though we bee but buds Iohn 15. yet being in the true vine we shall receiue sap and iuice from the root as well as the fairest and goodliest and fruitfullest branches that are in it And thus much for Hezekiahs praier and the parts thereof Now the successe followeth to bee spoken of Verse 20. And the Lord heard Hezekiah c. It being a praier of faith that hee made for such things as God had promised and for such persons as to whom the promise did belong hee receiueth an answer to his request for so it is said the Lord heard Hezekiah that is accepted and granted his suit whence this doctrine may bee gathered that The Lord doth accept Doct. 4 and will fulfill euery faithfull praier that is made vnto him Praiers of faith granted either for our selues or others For this fauor that hee shewed to Hezekiah and to them for whom hee praied is written for our instruction and consolation to assure vs that vsing the like meanes wee shall find the same good effect that they did 1. Ioh. 5 14.15 This is promised in the Epistle of Iohn where the words of this Text are expounded and the doctrine confirmed This saith hee is the assurance that wee haue in him that if we aske any thing according to his will he heareth vs. But what is it to bee heard hee telleth vs in the next verse If wee know that hee heareth vs whatsoeuer wee aske wee know that wee haue the petitions that we haue desired of him This Gods children may build vpon that if they aske of God lawfull things for righteous persons in that manner as the word prescribeth they shall haue a comfortable answer and speed according to their hearts desire The reason heereof is Reason because God is delighted with the faithfull supplications of his deare children It is musicke to God to heare Christians praiers Cant. 2.14 as may bee collected from the words of Christ to his spouse in the songs of Salomon Shew me thy sight let mee heare thy voice for thy voice is sweet and thy sight is comely So that there is reason why Christians should looke vp to God rather then be beholding vnto men and that they should vtter their complaints before his throane rather then before mens iudgement seat for whereas they many times cannot away with vs and our suits God delighteth to looke vpon vs and there is no melodious harmony so pleasant in our eares as a praier proceeding from an humble and broken heart is in the eares of the Lord of hoasts Let vs present our petitions with our soules full of griefe and our eies full of teares vnto men and we shall bee teadious and troublesome vnto them for the most part as the woman of Canaan was vnto the disciples Mat. 15.23 Send her away say they to our Sauiour for shee crieth after vs Note But Christ hath no greater ioy then to heare and releeue such worthy beleeuers as shee was that can spend so many holy praiers vpon him after so many repulses as shee had receiued Now sith it is a thing so well pleasing vnto him hee cannot but grant and satisfie the desires of such as faithfully and feruently call vpon him Heere may that folly Vse 1 and wretched vnbeliefe that is in our nature bee iustly reprooued which appeareth in this that wee are ready to runne to any one rather then vnto God and to seeke to them that are not able or not willing to heare and helpe vs Iam. 4.2 rather then vnto the Lord that hath ability and readinesse to doe both Iames blameth those to whom hee writeth for that they would bee in wants Yee lust and haue not c. yee fight and warre and get nothing and what is the reason because yee aske not As if he should haue told them you need many things and so you are likely to doe still except you take a better course for the way to obtaine good things is not to lust after them and to brawle and contend for them but to become petitioners vnto God for them Note If children will be so foolish so slothfull or so proud that they will not sue to their louing and kind parents that haue abundance for things necessarie it is iust they should goe without them and endure the smart of their owne folly and stubbornnesse and the like may bee said of vs if our necessities spirituall and corporall bee many and great and wee will not bemone our case vnto our heauenly father that is al-sufficient to helpe vs and most willing to accept of vs and to releeue vs in all our distresses it is a righteous thing with the Lord that wee should liue and die in our miseries and calamities and so sustaine the due punishment of a wretched distrustfulnesse and sluggishnesse in not repairing vnto him Secondly Vse 2 heere is matter of maruellous great comfort to them that betake themselues to this course that Hezekiah did
children are for their mothers milke but when once you attaine to such an eager desire of goodnesse then you shall grow from a little measure of strength to a greater and still increase in the inward man as children doe in the outward and finde a progresse in grace as they doe in nature Thirdly as those that are destitute of this spirituall thirst haue no commandement No fitnesse nor promise from God so neither haue they any fitnesse in themselues because they want that principall grace which doth fit men for the entertaining of Gods holy spirit which alone maketh Gods ordinances effectuall to wit humility which proceedeth from a sense of our owne miserie and a sight of Gods mercy now where this is wanting there is no place for Gods graces For God resisteth the proud Iames 4. and giueth grace onely to the humble Let a man bring vnto the word neuer so good a wit capacity and memorie hee shall neuer take profit by hearing till hee get a broken heart and an humbled spirit but God will euer resist and crosse and thwart all his endeauours because if hee should get any benefit by the Gospell hee would haue no minde to ascribe the glorie thereof vnto God to whom it is wholly due Note but to himselfe to whom no part thereof doth belong First Vse 1 for terror vnto such as haue no manner of appetite eagernesse nor earnestnesse for spirituall things but are altogether bent for profit and pleasure credit and promotion c. which carnall desires doe vtterly kill their appetite vnto better things and extinguish or bannish all good motions and affections that doe at any time arise in their hearts These wretched men are in a wofull case for they rush vpon the holy things of God without any commission and therefore without expectation of good from them And howsoeuer they may talke and brag of their profiting by the word yet God that seeth and searcheth their hearts esteemeth of them but as of dogs and swine that prophane his holy things If they would bee partakers of the water of life they must bee thirstie and if they would eate of the bread of life they must bee hungrie otherwise though they be present in the congregation and heare the word preached and see the wine powred out and the bread broken before their eies at the celebration of the Lords Supper yet they can haue no hope that they shall haue one drop of Christ his blood to wash away their sinnes but may rather expect the viols of his indignation to consume their bodies and soules and it is a iust vengeance of God vpon such prophane and irreligious persons that when they come to the Sermons to the Sacrament they get no good but rather much hurt therby and haue their lusts stronger their hearts harder and their minds far more blind and vncapable of any good knowledge euery day then other But what is the reason heereof may some demand Is not the word of God mighty to beate downe the strong holds of the deuill and is not the Sacrament powerfull in operation and able to worke great things Yes they are so and why then haue such no profit by them because they are abusers and prophaners and not meet receiuers of the same because they come not with any preparation or desire of a blessing vpon the meanes but for custome and fashion that they might not seeme to bee so bad as indeed they are nor to set so light by the holy ordinances of God as in truth they doe Secondly for instruction Vse 2 If wee would bee welcome to Christ Iesus when hee inuiteth vs to feast with him then let vs get a good stomacke to feed on such cheere as he offereth vnto vs. Otherwise if wee glut our selues before wee come to his Table and be onely looking on those dainties on which others are feedings it will not bee well taken at our hands but wee shall be as distastefull vnto the feast-maker as his prouision is vnto vs and those things which are vnto others the sauour of life vnto life shall proue vnto vs the sauour of death vnto our eternall destruction if our repentance doe not preuent Gods iudgement If Gods owne children comming carelesly and vnpreparedly cannot escape Gods hand 1. Cor. 11. then what shall become of those vngodly ones who come not onely negligently but altogether prophanely and so defile the sacred ordinances of God for to the vncleane all things are vncleane surely if iudgement begin at Gods house there is nothing remaining for vngodly men but a fearefull expectation of wrath and vengeance to be powred out vpon them in full measure In which regard it standeth vs vpon to looke vnto our hearts before hand and to the intent wee may come with this spirituall appetite the want whereof is so offensiue vnto God and dangerous vnto vs let vs vse all good meanes for the obtaining of it as First Meanes to get a spiritual appetite to purge away that which may annoy our stomacke and kill our appetite and what that is Peter telleth vs when hee saith Wherefore laying aside all maliciousnesse and all guile Allovv no sin 1 Pet. 2.21 and dissimulation and enuy and euill speaking as new borne babes desire the sincere milke of the word c. As if hee had said so long as you giue place vnto Note and delight in any euill so long as you carry a bitter and enuious mind against your brethren or an hypocriticall and dissembling heart towards God and suffer your euill affections to breake forth into euill speeches so long you can neuer delight in nor bee very desirous of the pure word of God and therefore can not possibly grow in the knowledge and practise of the same And therefore when we finde in our selues dulnesse and deadnesse and vnwillingnesse vnto good duties let vs conclude for a certainty that wee stand in need of Physicke for the purging of our soules for sinne worketh on our hearts as ill humors doe in our stomacks it maketh vs to loath all spirituall food and all meanes of refreshing And this take for an vndoubted truth which though our mouthes will not confesse yet our hearts must needs acknowledge when wee haue no desire to heare the word preached or to receiue the Sacrament when it is to bee administred there is some sinne or other not thorowlie repented of which so cloieth the soule that it cannot delight in those holy exercises and as our hearts are more purged by godly sorrow Matth. 5. so will our hunger and thirst after righteousnesse and the meanes thereof bee still increased in vs. This then is the first rule that wee must obserue for the getting of spirituall appetite viz. to put away the practise of all crosse euils and the allowance of all infirmities great or small A second is that wee must endeuour to know our owne misery what wee are by nature See thy miserie and
be made truly religious by which our mindes that are blind may be inlightned our hearts of crooked may be made straight of proud may be made humble and of fraudulent may be made true and faithfull And those meanes are the Word the Sacrament Prayer and the like which are the steps whereby we must ascend vnto this honorable estate for it is as possible for men to make stayres to climbe vp vnto the sky as for vs without these to ascend vnto heauen by any deuices of our owne framing The word is the key that must open hell gates to set vs at liberty from the bonds of sinne of Sathan and of death and to vnlocke heauen gates that we may haue entrance into glory in which respect it is that Christ saith vnto Peter that he would giue vnto him and consequently to all Ministers of the Gospel the keyes of the kindom of heauen that is the dispensation of the word which maketh the way vnto heauen ly open to al such as by faith receiue the same into their hearts So that we shold not come vnto the means with a base cōceit or light estimation therof but with a large ample desire and expectation of taking benefit thereby If men can once espy a way how they may rise in the world either to great wealth or promotion they wil be most industrious and laborious in that course they will refuse no paines in seedes time though the weather be vnseasonable and cold and their worke euery way troublesome but they will put themselues to it with all care and industry in hope though it be but an vncertaine hope of bettering their estate So those that liue by faires and markets wil nor faile one of them ordinarily neither heate nor cold winde nor raine nor any the like impediments shal hinder them from pursuing their commodity and why then should we be negligent and play the sluggards while our seedes-time lasteth the Lord biddeth vs plough vp the fallow ground of our hearts that hee may sow therein the seede of life which will neuer faile to yeeld vs a plentiful haruest if we can waite vpon him for the same And why should we be slack and carelesse when our chiefe market daies and faire daies come and not rather set our hearts and endeuours to seeke after those things which all that seeke shall finde and being found will make vs men for euer This should be an encouragement vnto vs Vse 3 not to thinke any thing too much that we can doe or suffer in or for the profession of Christianity Oh but it is an hard matter may some say to fast and pray Obiect and mourne and grieue our hearts continually for our sins Difficulties in Christianity and when we haue done all to be derided and maligned persecuted and slaine for a good cause and besides all these to feele Gods hand scourging vs sometimes with pouerty and want sometimes with feares terrors sometimes with temptations and inward conflicts c. These things seeme very great and very tedious indeed Answ to flesh and bloud but in truth they are but small yea matters of nothing if we consider what is the vse of them and what wil be the end of them therefore let vs remember for our cōfort when wee are in this strait and difficult and vnpleasant way Note that wee are going to be installed into a kingdome and who is there that being offered a Baronrie or a Lordship yea though it be but a Farme if so be he will take the paines to come for it who is here I say that would take exception and say Alas the aire is clowdie and the weather vncertaine nay it begins to raine or haile or snow alreadie and therefore I will euen stay at home and neuer wet my foote for the matter Nay if there be but likelyhood of some smaller gaine the weather fowle and the waies deepe and themselues somewhat out of temper also yet they will aduenture to goe through all and rather ferry ouer than come short of that profit that is offered how much more then ought we to breake through all impediments and swallow vp all difficulties with the consideration of this that our iourney tendeth not to the getting of some small commoditie or to the purchasing of some worldly possessions or to the obtaining of any earthly preheminēce or preferment whatsoeuer but that we are trauelling towards our owne countrey where we shall receiue an inualüable and eternall crowne of glory And albeit we must passe through many rough and craggie and thornie waies and meete with sundry things that wil be very irksome and vnpleasant yet let vs account withall that we shall find many sweet comforts and ioyes vnspeakeable and glorious in the middest of our pilgrimage and in the end shall haue the fruition of that happines which will make amends for all And this was it that made the Apostle Paul so comfortable in the middest of al his sufferings Therefore we faint not saith he but though our outward man perish 2. Cor. 4.16 17 yet our inward man is renued daily For our light affliction which is but for a moment causeth vnto vs a farre most excellent and an eternall weight of Glory Where we may note that when he speaketh of the happinesse of another life he magnifieth the same exceedingly both for the worth of it for the continuance of it calling it a farre most excellent and eternall weight of glory To be excellent is much to be most excellent is farre more to be far most excellent is yet an higher degree but when he calleth it a farre most excellent and withal an eternall weight of glory it maketh a great addition vnto all the former and sheweth that it is inded an inconceiueable vnutterable happines that in the heauen wee shal enioy but one the other side hee counteth his affliction light and momentany because it passeth as it were in a thought and is a thing of nothing being laid in the ballance against the neuer-sading blisse that we shall shortly come vnto And as for that weight that is in the tributions of this life it is but as an heauy bagge of gold that will make the heart of the owner light in the very cariage of it and so much the more light by how much weightier it is And therefore by all these motiues we should perswade yea euen compell our soules vnto patience vnder the crosse of Christ and to perseuerance in the practise of all the duties of godlinesse a patterne of which patience we haue in the Hebrewes Who after the had receiued the light endured a great fight in afflictions Hebr. 10.33.34 Partly saith the Apostle while ye were made a gazing stocke both by reproches and afflictons and partly while ye became companions vnto them which were so tossed to and fro For both ye sorrowed with me for my bonds and suffered with ioy the spoyling of your goods
And why knowing in your selues that you haue in heauen a better and more enduring substance If their riches had bene of such value as they made shew of as the world takes them for they could not haue bene so quickly taken from them but sith they had betaken them to their wings these faithfull ones knew that heauen which was reserued for them in stead thereof was farre more excellent and more durable and therfore full glad were they that for the cause of God they had made so happy and so blessed an exchange Verse 1. Blessed are those that are vpright in the way c. And vers 2. Blessed are those that seek him with their whole heart These words hauing been expoūded before offer vnto vs this doctrine That whosoeuer would haue sound happines must haue a sound heart So much sincerity as their is Doct. 2 so much blessednesse there wil be and according to the degree of our hypocrisie wil be the measure of our misery It is not in the action done or in the words spoken that blessednesse consists but in the quality of them that all be done and spoken soundly and sincerely this is required Psalme 15. that he that will be a member of the Church militant on earth and of the Church triumphant in heauen must Walke vprightly and speake the truth from his heart And againe in another Psalme a question is made to the same effect Who shall dwell in the mountaine of the Lord and who shall stand in his holy place Psal 24.3.4 and the answere is He that hath innocent hands and a pure heart which hath not lift vp his mind to vanity nor sworne deceitfully In which words we haue a discription of a sound hearted man 1 By his actions that he dealeth vprightly and so hath innocent hands 2. By his affection that he lifteth not vp his minde to vanity that is setteth not his heart on any earthly thing in which sence that Phrase is vsed in the originall Ier. 22.27 3. By his speeches that he hath not sworne nor any way spoken deceifully The reasons to confirme this point are drawne from the great inconueniences that will follow on the contrary for if there a be in any fraudulent and deceitfull heart 1 First there is a deadly quarrell Reasons and mortall enmitie betweene God and him for who are they that are reconciled to the Lord God hath a quarrell against hypocrites whose sins are couered by the righteousnesse of his sonne so that they shall not be imputed vnto them euen they In whose spirit there is no guile And what wil follow then for those Psal 32.3 whose hearts are full of fraude and deceipt but that they must needs be destitute of all hope of the pardon of their sins and so consequently lye open to the strokes of Gods vengeance due vnto the same 2 And as their persons are hatefull to the Lord so are their seruices abhorred of him He loaths their seruices for indeed they are not the seruices of God but of Sathan and of our owne flesh and therefore be they neuer so glorious in outward shew and let them pretend neuer so much zeale in the performance of them yet the Lord hath them in vtter detestation As we may plainly see in the hypocritical Pharises they would be euery where praying with great deuotion and very often fasting with great austerity blowing a trumpet to giue notice vnto men of their almes-deeds and liberality and striuing with al their might by externall obseruations to winne themselues the praise of holy and zealous men yet for all this our Sauiour sharply rebuketh thē saying Luk 16.15 Yee are they which iustifie your selues before men but God knoweth your hearts for that which is highly esteemed before men is an abomination in the sight of God It is as loathsome vnto him as carions or toades or any such creatures as mans nature doth most abhorre can be vnto vs. Thirdly this is another misery of hypocrites They liue in cōtinuall danger that they liue in continuall feare and danger there are holes in their maskes at least their wil be and their double dealing shal be seene into it shall sometime or other come to light how they haue abused Gods presence and dissembled with their bretheren by making faire shewes and pretences of that which they neuer meant their sins shal not alwaies ly hid but either they wil giue ouer all in time of persecution as the stony ground did or in hope of promotion as Iudas Achitophel did Luk. 8.13 so discouer their false-heartednes or else it shall be drawne forth by their speeches in their merriments or in their distempers or else Gods spirit in godly men shall destroy it by working in their hearts a vehement suspicion of them and causing them with a iudicious eye more narrowly to pry into their works and waies By one such meanes or other God will lay them open to the view of the world so that being in such perill they cannot but haue a fearefull heart and a restlesse conscience And to this purpose notable is that saying of Salomon He that walketh vprightly walketh boldly or surely but he that peruerteth his waies shall be known Whence it is apparant that the vpright man needeth not to feare any thing he needeth not to bee afraid of ill men for though they may disgrace him they cannot shame him he needeth not to bee afraide of good men for the oftner he speaketh to them and conuerseth with them the more he is approued by them neither needeth he to bee afraid of God for hee that searcheth the heart and the reines knoweth and alloweth of the integrity of their soules They haue no cause of feare for the present because all things goe well with them neither is there any for afterwards because all things shall goe well with them for they shall neuer fall away from God None can plucke them out of his hand Ioh. 10 29. Ioh. 4.4 Sathan cannot because he that is in vs is stronger then he that is in the world sinne cannot because grace will preuaile against it the world cannot because this is our victory 1 Ioh 5.4 whereby we ouercome the world euen our faith And the Apostle concludeth generally for all other matters that neither death nor life nor Angels Rom. 8.38.39 nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come nor height nor depth nor any other creature shall be able to separate vs from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lord. What followeth now on the contrary part for hypocrites but he that peruerteth his way that is alloweth himselfe in any ill course though neuer so secretly shall be knowne that is his vile and wretched dissembling shall bee detected if not in this world yet when the thoughts of all hearts shall be made manifest they shall be found out first or last and therefore they
we recouer our selues with speede and set surer and looke better to our steps and make more haste in our way then we did before we must not be discouraged though we find not so good a progresse as were to be wished for God will accept of our endeuour and his spirit will beare vs witnesse that we haue a true heart notwithstanding we come farre short of that we should and other of Gods Saints do attaine vnto But on the contrary if we stand at a stay or start aside like a broken bow and so turne backe againe vnto folly it is much to be suspected that we had neuer any soundnesse in vs. 3 A third token of sincerity is A constant and conscionable vse of all the meanes constantlie and carefully to vse all the good meanes of attaining to goodnesse and to eschew all the inducements that may allure vnto euill Doth any one hate swearing then let him shew it by auoiding the company of blasphemers Doth any one hate impurity and filthinesse then let him testifie it by separating himselfe from all wanton and lasciuious company and from all suspected persons places Note If one pretend that he hateth these the like euils and yet will aduenture vpon the baite it is sure that such a one wanteth that truth of heart which should be in him and is in all so farre as they are sound within So for the contrary doth any one desire that grace and religion may flourish in his heart and that the fruites thereof may appeare in his life then let him vse all priuate and publike religious excercises wherby these things may be wrought and increased in him and delight in such company as both by precept and example may further him therein Doth any one wish that he could get victory ouer some special sins and corruptions that he is troubled withall then let him enter into combate against them as the Apostle did Rom. 7. Let him humble himselfe by fasting and prayer and complaine cry vnto the Lord for the repressing of them and get such forcible reasons against them out of the Scriptures as may quell the strength and violence of them and thus a sincere heart will do But if we make shew that we desire to be godly and religious Note and yet vse not the meanes at all or but some of them or if we vse them all it is but by fits and flarts or if we vse them constantly yet we do it but remisly and coldly we cannot haue any assurance that our hearts are faithfull vnto the Lord. A fourth argument of sincerity is to performe all duties as in Gods presence Respecting God in all things looking vnto him as the directer and discerner of our thoughts words and workes and thinking it sufficient if he approue of vs though men do dislike vs as the Apostle Paul telleth the Corinthians 1 Cor. 4.3.4 As touching me I passe very little to be iudged of you or of mans iudgement c. He that iudgeeth me is the Lord. And againe in the Epistle to the Thessalonians 1 Thes 2.4 As we were allowed of God that the Gospell should be committed vnto vs so we speake not as they that please men but God which approueth our hearts And therefore he prayeth in another place that the Corinthians might do none ill not that he might seeme approued 2 Cor. 13.7 and haue the credit of their goodnesse as being wrought chiefly by his ministery but that they might do that which is honest though he were disallowed to wit by men for with God the righteous Iudge he knew that he should be both approued and rewarded Thus he that is a seruant faithfull and trusty in his place seruing the Lord Christ in conscience not men with eye seruice albeit he should be accounted the most idle and vntrusly seruant in all the family being indeed the most diligent and painfull of all he will still go on with his faithfulnes and not diminish any iotte of his industry and laboriousnesse This Iob alledgeth as a testimony of his integrity that wheras he might haue giuen free scope to his eie for wanton lookes and to his heart for sinfull affections Iob. 31.1 yet he saith of himselfe I made a couenant with mine eyes why then should I think on a maid And why was he thus iealous of himselfe and thus carefull to guide his eye and to gouerne his heart in a right maner the reason is rendred vers 4. Doth not he behold my wayes and tell all my steps That also is Iosephs commendation that whereas he might haue liued in impurity and filthinesse not only without blame and reproch but euen with the fauour of his sinfull and vnchast mistresse yet the feare of the Lord restrained him from that monstrous and abhominable sinne How can I do this great wickednesse saith he and so sinne against God Gen. 39.10 Yea though she spake to him from day to day yet he refused and would not so much as be in her company lest any tempation should be offred vnto him by that occasion Note he would rather haue her displeasure then Gods rather be imprisoned amongst malefactors for forbearing of euill then to be vexed and tortured on the racke of an euill conscience for commiting of euill And this good disposition Gods seruants do many times find in themselues that when they haue falne into any secret sin and haue entertained vaine folish thoughts or corrupt carnal affections when they haue ouershot themselues in their speeches or in their cariage and no man discerneth it yet they take thēselues with the maner knowing that Gods holy eies are vpon them they iudge condemne themselues and are throghly angry with thēselues for that which they haue done Note Yea sometimes when men praise and extoll them yet they blush within themselues and haue an holy indignation against their owne soules that they haue dealt hypocritically or vaine gloriously or lightly or indiscreetly or passionatly This is a very singular mark vndouted argumēt of great piety sincerity As on the cōtrary it is a certain note of grosse hypocrisie euer to be caring what mē thinke speak of vs of our doings neuer to regard what god seeth amis in the same To receiue a rebuke will ngly and profitablys 1 The last note though many other might be named shall be this patiently to endure an admonition and reproofe and to be desirous of the same to the intent we may profit thereby in publicke to like best and desire most those sermons wherein our owne corruptions are most throughly met withall and strucke at with greatest sharpnesse and vehemency Note and in priuate to be most glad of the society of those friends that will in wisedome and mercy tel vs most often and most plainly of our faults Hypocrites cannot abide that any should rubbe vpon their galled backs as it were or come neare thē
haue an eye vnto them least they should hang themselues or drowne themselues or get a kfe to cut their throates or some way or other worke themselues mischiefe but farre worse is their case that are possest with a spirituall frenzie and led by the suggestions of Sathan who are euermore labouring to worke out their owne ouerthrow to bring vpon thēselues destruction of body soule which is the reward that Sathan giueth them The reward for all their paines that they haue taken in seruing him and in fulfilling the lust of their owne wicked flesh according to the saying of the Apostle Rom. 6. The wages of sin is death that is euerlasting death Which is an vtter separation from Gods blessed presence and from all maner of comforts whatsoeuer to endure vnspeakeable and endles torments in the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone Reuelation which is the second death Another reason why it is a great priuiledge to be exempted from the dominion of sinne is Reason 1 Iohn 3.8.9 because it is a testimony that we are the sonnes of God as it is said by the Apostle Iohn He that committeth sinne is of the Diuell and Whosoeuer is borne of God sinneth not And why because the efficacie of the word and spirit doe restraine him therefrom A third reason is because that is it whereby we are made conformable vnto Christ Iesus when we are freed from the slauerie of sinne we are still translated from glory to glory and haue the Image of God renued in vs daily more and more purging our selues euen as Christ is pure 1 Iohn 3.3 Vse 1. This serueth for our instruction that seeing it is such a preheminence not to be a worker of iniquity therefore we should hereby fence arme our selues against al enticements whereby we might be allured to sinne either in heart or in behauiour when pleasure smileth vpon vs or filthy lucre setteth on our hearts or preferment calleth for vs c. Let this be as a buckler whereby to repell all the firy darts of the Diuell It is a blessed thing to worke none iniquity and Luk. 9.25 Heb. 11.25.26 What should it profit a man to winne the whole world and to lose his owne soule Moses chose rather to suffer affliction with the people of God then to enioy the pleasures of sinne and the preferments of Egypt for ascason It was a foolish mad part of the Israelites to desire to returne into Egypt the house of their bondage that they might eate of their flesh pots and of the leekes and onions that in time past they had there enioyed but much more void of sence reason are they that whē they haue been once deliuered frō that spirituall seruitude will cast themselues into thraldome againe and when they haue bene puld out of the snares of the Diuell wherein they were held at his pleasure will returne againe to folly intangle themselues the second time Wherefore let this put strength into vs in all conflicts that we may stand resolutely as against other assaults so against that of the examples of great and mighty men who vsually take their liberty in all voluptuous and licentious kindes of liuing This consideration I say should arme vs against it The Lord hath pronounced them blessed that worke none iniquity and if I be of the number of them I shall be more happy in renouncing sinne then the greatest Potentate in the earth is or can be in committing of sinne And therefore let vs deale as Eliphaz did in the booke of Iob Iob 5.2 I haue seene the foolish well rooted saith he and suddenly I cursed his habitation not by way of imprecation but of denuntiation of Gods iudgements due vnto them for their euill workes shewing that they tooke such courses as did make them and theirs accursed and bring the vengeance of God vpon them the meditation whereof was a strong bulwarke to fence him against all temptations vnto the like sinful and vile practises Vse 2 2 This maketh for the terror of all such as do drinke in sin with greedinesse and giue allowance to themselues in blaspheming in Sabaoth breaking in wantonnesse in lying and slandering and scoffing and such other fowle vices If they be blessed that do not work iniquity then cursed are they that make a common practise thereof But I hope will some say a mans heart may be good Obiect though he ouershoot himselfe by rapping out an oath now then and by speaking foolishly and lightly c. you must not iudge say they God knoweth our hearts He doth so indeed Answer and he hath made knowne vnto vs by his word Luk. 6 45. Mat 7.17.18 that an ill tongue and an ill life do alwaies argue an ill heart for out of the aboundance of the heart the mouth speaketh and a good tree cannot bring forth such rotten fruit nor a pure fountain send forth such muddy filthy streames as do euermore issue forth at their profane mouthes are deriued from their impure consciences vnto all or to the most part of their actions Thou hast commanded to keepe thy precepts diligently The doctrine that these words affoorde is this that nothing is superfluous that is done in obedience to Gods holy will The word translated Diligently Doct. 4 Strict obediēce to be laboured for 2 Cor. 7.1 doth signifie in the originall tongue wonderfull much so that the words go thus Thou hast cōmanded to keepe thy precepts wonderfull much And this the Apostle vrgeth the Corinthians vnto Hauing such promises beloued let vs purge our selues from all filthinesse of the flesh and of the spirit that is from all maner of corruption as well inward as outward And that was the drift of Christ Iesus in giuing the the true interpretation of the law which the Pharisees had corrupted by their false expositions I say this was the drift to draw men from resting on the outward obseruation thereof to bring them to haue regard vnto their thoughts to the affections of their hearts more ouer in their practise to do those things which heathē men hypocrits could not attaine vnto therfore he often vrgeth this sentēce to shew the slendernesse and insufficiency of their obedience What singular thing do yee Implying that Christians must in many things be singular and differ from and go beyond the common sort of men If one could doe as much good as an hundred yet he could not doe the hundreth parte of that which a Christian ought to performe Luke 17.10 Let him say still for it is a truth I am an vnprofitable seruant I haue done no more then my dutie nor so much as my duty As Christ came to fulfil all that his Fathers law required so it behoueth vs to obserue euery thing that wee are commaunded though not in perfection which we cannot attaine vnto yet in vprightnesse and with our best endeuours When the Israelits
our corruptions By the law of God psal 119.59 which is the true touch-stone examining our selues by euery commandement that so wee may discerne if not all yet the most part of the corruptions of our soules and errors of our liues and for our more orderly proceeding herein we may vse this direction following wherein are set downe the chiefe heads of most of the sinnes against euery commandement Sinnes against the first Commandement 1 ATheisme which is If any desire prooues of Scripture for these particular sinnes mentioned he may vse the helpe of M. Dods booke on the commandements or of the True watch where many of these are touched when men either thinke there is no God or liue as if there were no God 2 Idolatrie which is the hauing of a false God 3 IgnoraÌ„ce vncapablenes of knowledge errors heresies 4 Forgetfulnesse of good things especially of those that most concerne vs and chiefly at that instant when we should make vse of them 2. Remembring of euill things especially of those that may most corrupt vs and chiefely then when wee should be most free from the thought of them 5 Vnwillingnesse vnto good things principally to the best readinesse vnto and wilfullnesse in euill especially the worst 2. Impatiencie vnder crosses 6 Distrust of Gods power mercie c. promises and prouidence whence carnall feares are wrought and cherished and the true feare of God is expelled and banished 7 Presumption vpon Gods mercie 8 Carnall confidence in wit learning wealth strength friends c. thinking our selues the better or safer simply for them whence ariseth pride and securitie 9 Too much loue of euil as also of our selues our friends our pleasure profit credit c. 2. To little loue of God and of goodnesse of Gods seruants and seruices 10 Hatred of God and goodnesse 2. Want of hatred against our owne and others sinnes 11 Abundance of worldly sorrow shame and discontentment 2. want of spirituall griefe and indignation against our owne and others transgressions 3. Not lamenting for the calamities of Gods people priuate or publike 12 Immoderate carnall mirth too little spirituall ioy 13 Hardnes of heart benummednes of Conscience or hellish terrors and accusations proceeding from doing things either without or against the rules of the word Sinnes against the second Commandement 1 BAse and vnwarranted conceits of God as when wee frame any image of him in our minds 2 Worshipping of images 3 Adoration of Angels or Saints obseruing holy daies in deuotion to them swearing by them c. 4 Approbation of Idolatrie by presence speech gesture silence keeping of superstitious relikes and monuments keeping companie with Idolaters c. 5 Neglect of any of Gods ordinances as of preaching hearing reading meditation conference the vse of good bookes and of good companie of priuate and publike praier fasting making of vowes c. 6 Superstitious fasting rash vowes breach of lawfull vowes abuse of lots c. 7 Want of sorrowe for being borne of Idolatrous forefathers Sinnes against the third Commandement 1 PRofession ioyned with profanenesse whereby Gods name is dishonoured 2 Abusing of Gods word by 1. fruitlesse speaking of it 2. framing iests out of it or against it 3. maintaining of sin by it 4. applying it to charming c. 3 Abusing the names or titles of God 1. By admiration as by saying in our common talke ô Lord oh Iesus c. 2. by cursing c. 4 Swearing vainely outragiously falsely c. 5 Blaspheming 6 Taking a lawfull oath without due reuerence and consideration 7 Praying without faith feeling reuerence feruency not waiting for an answer c. asking euill things aiming morein our requests at the releeuing of our necessitie then at the aduancement of Gods glorie 8 Hearing reading meditating conferring singing of Psalmes and receiuing the Sacrament without preparation attention reuerence delight and profit 9 Light passing ouer of Gods great workes of creation preseruation redemption as also of other his mercies and iudgements 10 Abuse of our Christian libertie to the hardening insnaring peruerting or iust greeuing of any Sinnes against the fourth Commandement 1 NEglect of preparation for the Sabbath before it come and of fitting our heartes for holy seruices when it is come 2 Profane absence from or vnfruitfull presence at Gods ordinances 3 Excessiue eating and drinking which causeth drunkennesse and vnfitnesse for Gods worship 4 Doing any ordinarie worke of our calling 5 All recreations which distract 6 Vaine and worldly speeches and thoughts 7 A secret desire that the Sabbath were ouer 8 Neglect of calling our selues or others to a reckoning after holie exercises 9 Giuing libertie to our selues in the night before the whole Sabbath be ended Sinnes against the fifth Commandement Sinnes of all inferiours in respect of their superiours 1 VVAnt of reuerence inward or outward 2. Neglect of praier 3. and of humble submission Sinnes of all Superiours 1 Want of loue 2. Failing in praier 3. and in giuing good example Sinnes of Children in respect of their Parents 1 Disobedience 2 Murmuring at their parents corrections though vniust 3 Contemning of them for any defect of body or minde 4 Vnthankefulnesse in not releeuing them not standing for their deserued credit c. Sinnes of Parents 1 Negligence in not instructing their children betime 2 Not correcting them till it bee too late or doing it with bitternesse without compassion instruction and praier 3 Giuing them ill example 4 Neglect of bringing them vp in some lawfull calling 5 Not bestowing them timely and religiously in mariage 6 Light behauiour before them and too much familiaritie with them whereby they become vile in 〈◊〉 eies 7 Louing beautie or any outward parts more then Gods image in them 8 A sin peculiar to the mother is reâ—â—sing to nurse them Seruants sinnes inrespect of 〈◊〉 â—ouernours The three first sinnes of childreâ— may be in seruants as also these that follow 1 Idlenesse in their calling 2 Vnthriftinesse and vnfaithfulnes in dealing with their Masters goods and affaires 3 Stealing priuy defrauding of them c. 4 Eie-seruice Diuers sinnes of Parents are found in Masters as also these that follow 1 Vnaduised entertainement of sinfull seruants 2 Not vsing religious exercises with them not admonishing nor correcting them or doing it in an ill manner greeuing more when they faile in their businesse then when they are slacke in Gods seruice 3 Not recompensing their labours by giuing them a due reward when they are with theÌ„ when they part froÌ„ them 4 Neglect of them in sickenesse vniust stopping of their wages for that time 5 Not releeuing them if they be able in their age who haue spent their youth in their seruice Sinnes of the wife in respect of her husband 1 Failing in reuerence which appeareth in froward looks speeches or behauiour 2 Disobedience in the smallest matters Sinnes of the Husband 1 Not dwelling with his wife 2 Neglect of edifying her by instruction and example 3 Denying her comfortable
fathers wrath and with Satan death and hell and for our sakes in particular sustained such wofull terrors in his soule and torments in his body that he cried out in the bitternesse of his heart my God my God why hast thou forsaken me and at length shed foorth his most precious blood for the pacifying of his fathers displeasure and the satisfying of his infinite iustice And withall wee should seriously ponder vpon the inconceiuable loue of God the father in giuing his onely and welbeloued sonne to suffer such vnspeakeable tortures for vs who were cursed rebels against him and thence bee drawen to thinke on the hainousnesse and odiousnesse of our sinnes which so farre incensed the Lords wrath and indignation that nothing could quench the flame thereof but onely the precious blood of his deere sonne Secondly when we see the minister distributing the bread and wine we are to consider that as those outward elements are offered vnto vs by man so Christ Iesus with all his benefits is offered vnto vs by the blessed Trinitie Thirdly when we reach foorth our naturall hand to receiue the bread and wine we must withall reach foorth the hand of faith to apprehend and lay hold of Christ Fourthly in eating the bread and drinking the wine we must apply Christ with all his merits particularly vnto our selues and be assured that as that bread and wine are made the nourishment of our bodies so Christ his body and blood are made the nourishment of our soules and as certainly as the bread and wine are made one substance with vs to strengthen our bodies and to refresh our hearts so surely Christ is made one with vs and we with him and than our soules shall bee strengthned and our hearts spiritually reuiued either presently in the very act of receiuing or afterwards in due time when wee shall stand in most neede of comfort And therefore in assurance of faith wee should stirre vp our hearts to expect all the forenamed benefits of remission of sinnes and sanctification of our natures together with the fruition of all necessarie outward blessings and the remoouall of all hurtfull crosses Well were it for vs indeed if wee could looke for these things to be bestowed vpon vs but the greatnes and multitude of our sinnes is such that we iustly feare they will keepe good things from vs. This doubt should not perplexe nor trouble vs See the Sermon on Isa 1. if wee bee truely penitent for all our transgressions for Christ hath paid for many and great sinnes as well as for fewer and lesser Doct. 7 1. Iohn 1.9 Ezek. 36.25 and through him the Lord is ready to pardon all and all manner of iniquities as well the greatest of them as the smallest and if once our sinnes bee done away all the fore named benefites doe of right belong vnto vs. Thus much concerning the meditations that are needefull in the very act of receiuing What is to be done after our receiuing 1 First wee must giue hartie thankes vnto the Lord for this inestimable benefit which we haue receiued in being partakers of the Lords supper What to bee done after our receiuing Secondly wee must carefully marke how wee speed and what successe we finde and if the Lord afford vs present comfort wee must bee much more thankefull and endeauour by all good meanes to nourish and cherish the same and if wee misse of it for that time wee must notwithstanding giue God the glorie of his truth in making good his couenant and euerie part thereof and therefore with confidence and constancie waite and pray for the blessing resoluing with our selues euery one in his owne soule that as sure as God is true and faithfull in his promises wee shall in the fittest season reape fruite and profit by his ordinance which in conscience and obedience vnto him we haue been partakers of In which regard euery particular beleeuer may boldly speake in this or the like manner vnto his owne soule I haue with as great vprightnesse as I could communicated at the Lords table and there receiued the seale of the euerlasting couenant of grace and therefore shall it assuredly bee performed vnto mee and albeit my faith and assurance of Gods fauour bee but weake it shall be strengthned and whatsoeuer Satan or mine owne deluded conscience tell me all mine iniquities are pardoned and couered and I am at this very instant as free from sinne in Gods account Psal 32. as Adam was before his fall and as the Saints and Angels are now in heauen yea as Christ Iesus himselfe is I being a member of his mysticall bodie And so for Sanctification though I be tainted with much ignorance with many errors with bad affections and euill actions yet the Lord according to his couenant will reforme all and giue me a minde to know him and his will and a memory to hold fast what I know hee will giue me a heart to loue him to feare him and to obey his commandements I shall haue Christ his power to strengthen and vphold me his wisdome to instruct and direct me his spirit to work al needful graces in me so that all the powers of hel shal neuer be able to preuaile against mee much lesse shall the affictions of this world be able to separate me frō Christ Iesus I need not feare any euill For all shall worke together for the best vnto mee Rom. 8. neither can I want any thing that is good for God hauing giuen vs his sonne how shall hee not with him giue vs all things Thirdly wee must determine and endeuour to lead a new life bringing foorth the fruits of repentance faith and loue more abundantly then in former times as hauing renewed our couenant with the Lord for that purpose and therefore when wee finde any sinnefull motions stirring within vs wee should reason thus did I not at the Sacrament vowe and couenant with God to striue against all manner of corruptions and did I not receiue the seale of the couenant in assurance that I should haue power and strength against them why then should I yeelde vnto them why should I bee any longer in bondage vnto them nay I will not serue sinne in the lusts thereof but will resist it and by the power of Christ I shall get victorie ouer it Rom. 6.14 for the Lord hath said that sinne shall not haue dominion ouer vs. So also when we finde wants and imperfections in our best seruices as coldnesse in praier distractions in meditating vnfruitfulnesse in hearing deadnesse in singing of Psalmes c. As also impatiencie or fainte-heartednes vnder crosses disgraces persecutions c. Let vs then relieue our selues with these or the like meditations was I not lately at the Lord table where I receiued a pledge of my ingrafting into Christ who is the true vine and is there not in him sufficient Iuice of all good graces to bee deriued to euery branch that is
Trie your owne hearts and waies diligently Answer and then if you finde no such iniquitie your crosse is in mercie and not in iudgement for triall and not for punishment a medicine to purge cure and not a poyson to infect destroy But if we will haue this comfort we must striue to finde out what is principally amisse in vs for the heart is deceitfull aboue all things and the diuell would make vs thinke that great faults are but small faults and that small faults are no faults Iere. 17.9 let vs therefore bring our soules to the touchstone of Gods Law Iere. 77.10 and then we shall not be deceiued as he himselfe saith I the Lord search the heart so his word is a discerner and a discouerer of the thoughts and intents of the heart Heb. 4.12 and will make vs able to descry the same And this let vs be assured of for our comfort that he that is truely desirous Note and withall industrious to finde out his speciall sinnes hee shall haue them discouered vnto him because that is the end why God smiteth him as may appeare by that former place of the Lamentations that hee might bee brought to the sight and sense of his transgressions and to sound humiliation for them and therefore they that vpon a good and conscionable search made can discerne of no grosse or presumptuous sinne in themselues may be comforted notwithstanding their crosses and rest fully assured that God will not lay any thing to their charge because they are enemies to sinne and not louers nor maintainers of the same And thus much for the first point It followeth But hee that confesseth this is contrarie to the former hiding of sinne when wee so search and sift our hearts that wee come to the knowledge of our offences and the acknowledgment of the same before the Lord. Whence this doctine may be gathered that Whosoeuer would finde pardon for his sins Doctr. must confesse the same Confession necessarie before remissiō Hee that lookes for remission on Gods part must bring confession for his part wheresoeuer sinne is vnacknowledged there it is vnpardoned no mercy till there be a sight and confession of iniquitie Therefore Daniel confesseth his owne sinnes the sinnes of the people and the sinnes of their forefathers and aggrauates the same in many words Dan 9.5.6 7.8.10 saying Wee haue sinned and haue committed iniquitie and haue done wickedly yea we haue rebelled and haue departed from thy precepts and from thy iudgements We would not obey thy seruants the Prophets that spake in thy name c. Vnto vs appertaineth open shame to our Kings to our Princes and to our Fathers c. For wee haue not obeied the voice of the Lord our God c. Yea all Israel haue transgressed thy law c. therefore the curse is powred vpon vs. And thus doth Ezra likewise in the behalfe of the people that had taken strange wiues for hauing rent his clothes and his garment hee fell vpon his knees and spread out his hands vnto the Lord his God and said Ezra 9.5.6 O my God I am confounded and ashamed to lift vp mine eies to thee my God for our iniquities are increased ouer our head and our trespasse is gone vp to heauen c. The same course doth Nehemiah take for thus he speaketh in the name of all Isaael Nehem. 1.7 We haue grieuously sinned against thee and haue not kept thy commandements nor the statutes nor the iudgements which thou commandedst thy seruant Moses c. So those that beleeued Acts 17.19 came and confessed and shewed their workes And there is reason to prooue that this confession is verie necessarie Reasons if euer we would finde fauour with God for 1 First God cannot in iustice forgiue sinne vnlesse there be confession without it we haue no promise belonging vnto vs as God cannot in iustice withhold mercie from such as plainly lay open their trāsgressions before him so can he notwithout violating his truth vouchsafe mercie to those that smoother and hide their sinnes from him for thus runnes the promise If wee acknowledge our sinnes 1. Iohn 1 9. hee is faithfull and iust to forgiue vs our sinnes and to clense vs from all vnrighteousnes Whence wee see that where there is a generall acknowledgement of sin there is promised both a general remitting of sin and purging frō sin but wher that is wāting no such thing can be expected 2 Secondly those must needs haue the gate of mercy shut against them Without it there is no repentance that doe not confesse their faults vnto the Lord because acknowledgement of our guiltinesse is one of the first steps to true repentance and one of the chiefe testimonies of a true penitent heart As is manifest in Dauid who when his heart smote him after he had numbred the people dealeth plainely with God O Lord saith hee I haue sinned exceedingly in that I haue done now O Lord I beseech thee take away the trespasse of thy seruant for I haue done very foolishlie And all those that are truely and thorowly wounded in their soules for their offences as Dauid then was will enforce themselues to doe as he did for till men frame to this confession it is certaine they are not yet fallen out with their sinnes 3 Thirdly to the intent wee may the sooner be perswaded heereunto It is a preseruatiue against reuolting wee must vnderstand that this is a very soueraigne preseruatiue against relapses and backslidings for hee that hath once done this penance before Gods iudgement seate it will bee such a corasiue vnto his heart that he will hardly fall into those open and grosse sinnes twice Obserue which he hath sincerely and heartily acknowledged once When Peter and Dauid and Paul had attained to this and laid open their sins in an vnfained confession of them to the Lord they neuer returned to those ill practises againe Infirmities and slips they had many in other kindes but they were so fensed and fortified against those particulars that they stood strong against them and neuer fell againe into them whiles they liued 4 Fourthly this is a very effectual meanes to quicken vs vnto praier and therfore stil in the Scripture wee shall finde It quickens vnto praier that where there hath beene heartie confession there haue followed as heartie petitions as wee see in the former examples of Daniel and Nehemiah For how vehement their requests were may appeare in the places before alleaged by the manner of putting them vp O Lord heare O Lord forgiue Dan. 919. O Lord consider and do it saith Daniel deferre not for thine owne sake O my God And Nehemiah comes with the like importunitie Nehem. 1.5.6 11. O Lord God of heauen the great and terrible God that keepest couenant and mercie c. I pray thee let thine eares be attent and thine eyes open to heare the praier of thy
walke on your beds as you sleepe or wake c. Consider how many vaine and idle thoughts how many worldlie and couetous desires how many lustfull and carnall yea wicked and impious imaginations you haue swarming and as it were mustering together by whole troopes and armies within your minds and within your hearts euery one of which is a sufficient summons to put you in minde to cleanse your soules for if they were pure and vndefiled such cogitations and affections woul dnot bee stirring there neither so often nor so much as now they are Ioel 2.13 The Prophet Ioel in like sort vrgeth the same vpon those of his time saying Rent your harts and not your cloaths c. But how must that be done Verse 12 hee had told them in the verse immediatlie going before Turne vnto the Lordwith all your heart and with fasting and with weeping and with mourning which is thus much in effect vse all meanes to get godly sorrow and holy remorse for sinne for that is it that will bruse the heart indeed The effect of godly sorrow and make it gentle and pliable For as worldly griefe and heauines doth harden the heart and make it like a flinte so spirituall griefe doth soften it and makes it tender as flesh and a fleshie heart is alwaies a cleane heart as doth appeare in that former place of Ezekiel Ezeck 36.25 where softnes of heart is set downe as an effect that euer followeth vpon the thorow cleansing of the heart And as this is commended so the practise thereof is Prophecied and foretold by Zacherie in his 12. Zache 12.10 c. Chap. and the good issue and effect thereof declared in the 13. Chap. As touching the first we may read it in the 10.11.12.13.14 verses of the former Chapter I will poure vpon the house of Dauid saith God and vpon the inhabitants of Ierusalem the spirit of grace c. and they shall lament c. where we may note first the grieuousnesse of their mourning when once Gods holy spirit hath entered into their hearts in that they should make such wofull lamentation as one would doe for his onely sonne and for his first borne or as the Israelites did for Iosiah their godly and zealous and faithfull King and gouernour 2 Chro. 35.25 when hee was slaine by Necho King of Aegypt in the valley of Megiddo where Ieremy and all the rest mourned for him with an exceeding bitter lamentation And secondly wee may note the sinceritie thereof in that they should not weepe for company as an hypocrite may doe but euery one aparte and in secret before the Lord. For so it is said And the land shall bewaile Verse 12 euery familie apart the familie of the house of Dauid apart and their wiues apart the family of the house of Nathan apart and their wiues apart c. all the families that remaine euery familie apart and their wiues apart Then for the good effect that should follow thereupon it is contained and expressed Chap. Zache 13.1 13. verse 1. the words are these In that day there shall be a fountaine opened to the house of Dauid and to the inhabitants of Ierusalem for sinne and for vncleannesse Whence it may bee gathered that when once we fall a washing in this sort we shall not long wash alone but God will ioyne with vs and open a fountaine of mercie vnto vs to wash away all manner of sinnes whatsoeuer they are or haue beene and to giue vs grace in steed thereof And this promise is made not onely to the house of Dauid that is See Chap. 12.8 for this interpretation to strong Christians but also to the inhabitants of Ierusalem that is to weaker Christians Till such time as wee finde this worke of the spirit in vs albeit wee be of the number of Gods elect wee haue nothing to doe with that fountaine no key can open it but this alone of true and heartie griefe and remorse for our euill workes and waies that are not good This point may bee further confirmed vnto vs by plaine reasons drawne from the Scriptures of God for 1 First there can bee no sound repentance Reasons without this religious and holy mourning No sound repentance without mourning for sinne therefore when Ephraim fell to repentance God himselfe witnesseth that hee heard him lamenting and bewailing his former sinnefulnesse and the follie of his youth Till then though there bee many requests for the obtaining of mercy yet they proceed from the lips not from the heart and till such time as men be wounded in their soules for their sinnes they and their praiers shall bee reiected For The Sacrifices of God are a contrite spirit Psal 51. a contrite and broken heart hee will not despise And when Dauids sinne troubled him and was euer before him Verse 8 being as painefull vnto him as if his bones had beene broken in peeces and the splints thereof runne into his flesh Verse 2 then he might boldly and comfortablie beseech the Lord as hee did Wash me thorowly from my sinne c. And againe Purge mee with Isope and I shall bee cleane wash mee and I shall bee whiter then snow Verse 7 For then hee might bee assured that hee came not to God as an hypocrite with a double heart but as a true penitent person with a troubled heart 2 A second reason to shew the necessitie of this inward touch for sinne is No faith without it that without the same it is impossible wee shoud haue any faith for the promise is made to them that are wearie of their corruptions as a poore prisoner is of his bolts and Irons Luke 4.18 euen to them that account sinne to bee a bondage and a captiuitie vnto them Math. 11.28 And none haue any warrant to come vnto Christ but those that are wearie and heauie laden if they feele not their sicknesse the Lord Iesus Christ is not a Phisitian for their turne he wil not bind vp the wounds nor cure the maladies of any but of those who are touched and pained with the sense and feeling of the same For reproofe of those men and women that are audacious and venturous enough to come before God Vse 1 and to presse into his presence with these or the like requests Lord bee mercifull vnto vs Lord wash vs from all our sinnes c. and yet they themseues neuer labour to make their hearts cleane but rather cloake and couer nay excuse and defend their faults Such doe but take the holy name of God in vaine they make not praiers of faith that shall preuaile for them but praiers of sinne that shall stand in record against them being sinnefull and abominable in Gods sight They draw neere with their lippes Matth 15.8 but their hearts are farre from God and therefore in vaine they worship him Hence it commeth to passe that many offer themselues to receiue the Sacrament the
God knowes your hearts for that which is highly esteemed among men is abominable in the sight of God And the like the Prophet Isaiah laieth vnto the Iewes charge elswhere Isa 29.13 saying This people come neere vnto me with their mouth and bonour mee with their lips but haue remooued their heart farre from mee Hee blameth them not for that they came not to Church or that they refused to make an outward semblance and shew of worshipping him either in word or deed for herein they were verie forward but for that they brought a lame sacrifice or rather a dead carkasse presenting before God the outward man but not caring to bring before him the inward man which hee chiefely regardeth and looketh after and without which the other is of no reckning with him but is esteemed to bee a vaine and sinnefull worship And the same detestation of such hypocriticall seruing of him the Lord sheweth in an other place of this Prophecie Where first hee declareth what kinde of worshippers he requireth and delighteth in Isa 66.2.3 To him will I looke sath hee euen to him that is poore and of a contrite spirit and trembleth at my words Thus ought all to bee disposed and affected that expect any fauour from the Lord that because hee is so holie and mightie and glorious they must come with feare and trembling through a sight and feeling of their owne basenesse and vnworthinesse Which if they striue to doe the Lord promiseth that hee will looke vpon them with a mercifull and gracious eie Then in the next verse hee setteth downe what account he maketh of ceremonious worshippers that contented themselues with offering oblations of bullocks and sheepe c. thinking that God was beholding to them for the same they trembled not at the word neither were sorrowfull nor heauie hearted for their sinnes yet because they were at coste and charges to serue God in sacrifices and incense they thought themselues as good as the best but the Lord sheweth there that he condemneth and abhorreth them and their oblations saying hee that offereth a sacrifice and doth not offer himselfe it 's all one as if hee were a murderer for to that effect are the words He that killeth a bullocke is as if hee slew a man verse 3. and hee that sacrificeth a sheepe as if hee cut off a dogs necke which was then an vncleane beast and reiected amongst others by the Leuiticall law he that offereth an oblation as if hee offered swines blood which was likewise forbidden at that time and counted an abomination to be offered to the Lord. And as for their incense and bowing downe in Gods house he sheweth that it is as if they bowed to an Idole and blessed it it was as hateful and lothsome in Gods eies as the most vile and monstrous Idolatrie that was For hee required of them in those outward oblations that they should haue spirituall affections Note without which the other were so farre from pleasing him that they grieuously prouoked him Hee that did bring a beast to bee killed was thereby to professe before the Priest that hee deserued for his transgressions to bee killed himselfe Now when hee could stand by and see the beast slaine with a bold face and a senselesse heart not trembling at the consideration of his owne wretched deserts the Lord professeth that he will neuer looke with a pittifull eye vpon such an one but esteeme him as a notorious malefactor and punish him accordingly and that he was of power so to doe he maketh it euident in that place by this vers 1.2.4 that his hand had formed the heauens and fashioned all the wonderfull works that are on the earth And they were not so wittie to deceiue the Lord as hee was wise and mightie both to hunt them out and to execute strange and fearefull iudgements vpon them Besides these places there are reasons to confirme this Doctrine for Reasons 1 1. First God doth as strictly command the manner of our obedience as the matter of it and lookes as much that it should be well performed as that it bee performed Hee enioynes the Minister not onely to preach true and sound doctrine but to deuide the word aright and to apply it wisely and fitly giuing euery one their portion in due season Hee commandeth the people not onely to come to the Sermon for so the wickedest may doe but to come with a good and honest heart Hee biddeth vs not onely to pray but to pray in the holy Ghost as Iude speaketh and to pray feruently as Iames saith Iam. 3.16 The praier of the righteous auaileth much if it be feruent And so for all other duties hee would haue vs to be carefull how wee doe them as well as that we doe them Secondly God is a spirit Iohn 4.14 and therefore will bee worshipped not in outward ceremonie alone but in spirit and truth giue him the best words that may bee if we doe not giue him our hearts all is nothing worth Iudas dealt best with Christ of all the disciples in appearance for when all shrunke from him hee stucke to him came and bowed himselfe before him saluted and kissed him Who would not say now had he not been priuie to Iudas his heart that he was the true and faithfull friend aboue all the rest that would shew himselfe thus friendly in the time of aduersitie Yet the swords and staues of those that apprehended Christ were not so odious vnto him as was Iudas his kisse that betraied him because hee had an ill and corrupt minde and a treacherous and false heart in that which he did And such are the seruices of all hypocrites euen Iudas his kisses and therefore they shall bee requited with Iudas his reward except they reforme their hearts and amend their works This makes for the great reproofe Vse 1 not onely of grosse sinners and of hollow-hearted diffemblers but euen of those that haue some sparckles of grace in their hearts nay of the best that liue vpon the face of the earth for none can say hee is innocent in this point but at one time or other in one dutie or other hee hath failed more or lesse if not in the matter yet in the manner of performing the same This will bee more euidently seene in the particulars and therefore my purpose is to speake of 4. kinds of works namely Of the workes 1 Of religion 2 Of loue and mercie 3 Of our ordinarie callings 4 Of recreation And first to giue instance in the exercises of religion Works of religion Euils of hearing who can cleare himselfe therein For if men come vnto Sermons and offer vnto the Lord their bodily presence doe not the most thinke they haue acquited themselues well Albeit in the meane while they bee altogether negligent in making preparation for this worke by searching their soules to cast out the leauen of corruption which wil hinder the powerfull operation of
the word and by getting that sight of their wants that might cause them to come with an eager appetite vnto Gods house They seldome or at least very coldly pray vnto the Lord to giue them an vnderstanding minde and a teachable heart to profit by the meanes but for the most part thrust in themselues ruedly with a proud and vnprepared heart and with vnrulie and distempered affections that when they stand in Gods holie presence are wandring from the duties in hand and running after their couetousnesse or after their delights and so if the word flie in at the one eare it flies out as fast at the other And they doe not mingle it with faith as they should doe but with theirowne corruptions Hebr. 4. which hinder the effectuall working of it and so it seales vp vnto many their owne iust condemnation in steed of being an instrument of God for their edification and saluation And as for Gods owne children in steed of those excellent graces that might be thereby wrought in them it oftentimes hardens their harts and fittes them for sharpe correction So for praier whereas they should lift vp pure hands without wrath and without doubting Corruptions in praier many neuer care what maner of sacrifice they offer vnto the Lord but are full of passion which distracts them and full of vnbeleefe which excludes them from hauing interest in God blessings and so their praiers tumble down againe vpon their heads and bring vpon them iudgements in steed of mercies They may truly say that they haue sought for helpe often and haue had no hearing but it is long of themselues for the sea is not more full of water then God is full of mercy to all that call vpon him in truth and if they could put away their vnbeleefe and hypocrisie and other euils that are mixed with their suites and supplications they should finde that none is so kinde a Father as God is and they should not bee so ready to aske but hee would bee more readie to giue if so be they did come in faith and aske aright as God requireth The like may bee said for the Sacrament of the Lords Supper diuers there are that partake of it as often as their neighbours doe but they are so farre from receiuing benefit and comfort therefrom that it proues hurtfull and vncomfortable vnto them and why because they put not away the euils of this worke Euils to be remoued by communicants But what are they may some demand They are diuerse One common euill Ignorance 1 is grosse and palpable ignorance that men come not discerning the Lords bodie and blood that is not being able to put a sensible difference betweene that and common bread and wine and so comming vnto it no otherwise then to their ordinarie foode not conceiuing much lesse well considering what they are to receiue from God what from man what examination is to be vsed that they may bee worthy receiuers of it what iudgements are to bee feared if they bee vnworthy receiuers and so they feele those iudgements before they feare them 2 A second euill to bee remoued from this worke Vnbeliefe 2 is vnbeliefe which hinders vs that wee cannot finde the inward vertue of those holie mysteries For when wee drawe neere to the Lords table wee should make reckoning of greater benefits then all the kings and kingdomes of the earth can affoord vs. For there God the Father is the feast-maker hee giueth vs for our intertainement the body and blood of his owne sonne to feede vpon hee offereth vs and would exhibite vnto vs if wee had faith to apprehend it Christ his perfect righteousnesse and increase of our true holinesse and entitleth vs to all comforts in this life and to the crowne of glorie in the life to come This many know but they want faith to make application of it to themselues and thence it commeth to passe that their soules are so barren of grace notwithstanding their often communicating at the Lords table The woman in the Gospel that was troubled with a bloody issue said in her heart before shee came to Christ Note if I may but touch the hemme of his garment onely I shal be made whole Math. 9.21 and according to her faith it was vnto her for that touch healed both her soule and body yet shee had no speciall commandement to come nor promise of good successe if she did come nor experience of any in her case that had sped well before her if shee were thus confident hauing had so few meanes to confirme her what strength of faith should wee come withall and what a stedfast expectation of mercie should wee haue setled in our hearts when wee come to Christ Iesus in this his ordinance seeing that wee haue both a commandement and a promise and the examples before our eies of such as haue found vnspeakeable good by this holy Sacrament and there is more reason why our Sauiour should pitie vs then why he should pitie that woman for we haue a more dangerous issue of sinne in our soules then she had of blood in her body and many of vs haue beene longer troubled with it then shee was with hers and hee came rather to heale the sicknesse of the soule then to cure the maladies of the bodie And besides all the former hee shall haue more glorie by sauing vs from sinne then by healing her from a bodilie infirmitie and the taking and eating of the blessed Sacrament of the eternall couenant is much more effectuall to draw vertue from Christ then the bare touching of his garment was and hee is neerer vnto vs now in his gracious presence then hee was vnto her then in his bodilie presence This wee should beleeue and rest vpon and if wee doe not wee offer vnto the Lord the greater iniurie for hee is no deceiuer but purposeth to bestow that vpon vs in truth which he makes offer of in shew euen to giue vs as full a communion with the righteousnesse of the second Adam as wee had with the corruption of the first Adam Euen as the branches doe partake of the sappe of the Vine and the members of the body haue life and motion deriued vnto them from the head so shall we receiue grace and life from Iesus Christ in and by his holy meanes so often as wee doe thankefully vse them 3 A third euill that must be put away when wee are to bee partakers of the Lords Supper Vncharitablenesse is vncharitablenes and vnmercifulnesse for that is a feast of loue where we are to receiue further assurance of Gods loue to vs and an increase of our loue to God and men And how can we looke for mercie if we shew no mercie or how can wee expect from the Lord a generall acquittance for all our debts and trespasses when we will not passe by small matters of offence in our brethren Therefore as we would finde any fauour in heauen let
vs put away from vs that vnlouing dispositiō that is naturally ingrafted in euery mans heart and striue to get in our soules and to expresse in our liues a true loue and Christian affection And to the end wee may shew indeed that wee haue this excellent vertue in vs let vs practise these 2. rules 1 First Rules of charitie Matth. 18.35 if thou haue a grudge against any labour from thy heart to forgiue and for euer to forget whatsoeuer iniurie or indignitie hath been offered vnto thee 2 Secondly if thou thy selfe hast done wrong to any other seeke to vndoe it againe Many when they haue beene iniurious vnto their neighbours and reuenged themselues vpon them will bee ready to plead for themselues and say I am satisfied I hope I need not seeke reconciliation with him for I beare him no malice But haue you not giuen him cause of griefe Note haue not you spoken wordes that sticke in his stomacke and wound his heart if you haue goe and reconcile your selfe vnto your brother Math 5.23 else your sacrifice cannot be accepted though you haue nothing against him yet if hee haue somewhat against you the rule of loue requireth that you should seeke peace with him if hee will not seeke it of you The like might be said for singing of Psalmes Singing of Psalmes men will vse it for a fashion sake because they would not seeme to reiect any religious seruice But if they would haue any edification or consolation thereby they must sing with the heart as well as with the voice and make melody to the Lord as well as outwardly before men And as these and the like corruptions are to bee separated from the workes of pietie towards God so Secondly there are other euils to bee remoued from our workes of mercie and of loue towards men Workes of mercie As in the matter of almes if wee thinke to merit thereby as Papists doe or seeke vaine glorie thereby as Pharises doe wee put not away the euill of that worke and therefore God will reiect the work itselfe So for admonition and reproofe Admonition they are very necessarie to be giuen yet if men doe these duties in wrath and distemper they shall doe more hurt by their bitternesse and passion then they can possibly doe good by their admonition Thirdly concerning the workes of our ordinarie callings we must cast off those euils that vsually cleaue vnto them Workes of our callings as First for masters to touch that part immediately before mentioned The masters dutie as it concerneth them more particularly in their places it is their dutie to deale with their seruants by admonishing them and by reprouing them yea and if need bee by correcting them also Reproouing which is as necessarie for them as their meate and drinke but then they must beware of wrath and outrage of bitternes crueltie and do as the Lord doth here he telleth the Iewes that they were worse then bruit beasts and nothing inferiour to the Sodomites in sinne and impiety but how doth hee leaue them here Oh no he deales mercifully with them and shewes them how they may amend all for otherwise they would haue fretted or dispaired So must masters deale not minister a sharpe and biting reproofe and then fling away from their seruants in a passion for that were not to deale as a Surgeon that comes to heale but as a robber Note or a theefe that comes to kill that giue a gash or a wound and so away nay as wee must shew them their sickenesse so we must giue them a medicine tell them where they goe out of the way and direct them into the right way yea and beseech the Lord also of his owne mercie and goodnesse to guide and order them better hereafter for else our admonitions will doe them more hurt then good a great deale They will hate the reproouer and despise the reproofe but neuer leaue the fault reprooued And thence it is that there are so manie complaints neuer man or woman was troubled with such children or such seruants Why what is the matter Oh wee haue reprooued them and told them of their faults so often and so earnestly and yet there is no reformation nor amendment of any thing but looke backe to your selfe now and perhaps the greatest blame will lie vpon you You are still exhorting Note and still crying out against them for their misdemeanour but how is it not done in a passion to ease your selfe and not in compassion to helpe them you haue giuen them diuers biting and cutting speeches but how many feruent praiers haue you made for them in secret you haue often beene greeued and rebuked them and doe still chide them verie sharply for failing in your worke but how many teares haue you shedde for their failing in Gods seruice and their grieuous offences against his holie maiestie if you cannot bee thus spiritually affected nor affoord them your praiers as well as your rebukes you may spare a labour for any good that is likely to come of all that you doe Therefore let masters of families and parents and likewise husbands when they are to deale this way with their wiues be carefull to do this dutie in wisdome and moderation in loue and tender affection to the soules of the parties offending If the faults bee priuate let the admonition bee priuate if they be great bring strong arguments to conuince the offender and to beate downe his sinne but spare tart and bitter and reuiling speeches that will rather exasperate then worke any cure vpon them that are faultie and blame-worthie So for labouring in our vocations It 's good to rise earely and to goe to bed late Labour and to eate the bread of painefulnesse so that a moderation bee kept that masters and seruants bee not oppressed but then we must take heed that we labour not for couetousnes nor in desire of filthie lucre but in conscience and obedience to God Note for otherwise wee shall bee froward and distempered when things goe crosse with vs and luste after the world and dote vpon the vanities of the world when things goe well with vs. If we serue the world or our selues in the paines that we take we shall be vexed and disquieted with continuall discontentment and euer turmoyled tossed with some inordinate affection or otherwise if we can get aduantage by doing of wrong we shal not much sticke at it and if a commoditie lie in our way wee will bee sure our neighbour shall be a looser rather then our selues Whereas if wee aimed at Gods glorie in our dealings and affaires of this life wee would rather suffer wrong then doe wrong and helpe others then hurt them knowing that when we doe best we alwaies speede best And as masters must heerein looke to themselues so must seruants in their places they must beware of eie-seruice Seruants dutie for many there are who when
bewitch the common sort of men Thus haue we seene as particularly as the time would permit what drosse of corruption is to be purged away from the seuerall actions and duties wherein vpon seuerall occasions and according to our seuerall callings we are to be busied and imployed These euils therefore we must with all conscionable and faithfull endeauour seek to remoue and that from before Gods eies For whereas many may haue this conceit no man can charge me I will neuer accuse my selfe and my companions will certainly conceale and keepe all to themselues and therefore I need not feare the disclosing of my actions and dealings From before mine-eies this will not serue their turnes for though men cannot touch them yet there is an all-seeing God that alwaies looketh vpon them and where his eie is displeased his hand wil surely be auenged And therfore if we would haue any blessing from any of Gods ordinances Psal 26.6 let vs wash our hands in innocency when wee compasse his Altar as the Prophet Dauid speaketh and clense our inward parts from that that God may dislike as well as our outward behauiour from that which men may disallow of Cease to doe euil From these words this doctrine might bee raised that It is not sufficient Doct. 3 in a passion to be sorrowfull for sin and ouerly to confesse and acknowledge it but these duties must be so sincerely and effectually performed that there be a ceasing from euill afterwards But this point hath been handled in the former Sermon Doctrine 3. where the reader may finde the same prosecuted at large The third Sermon of the Lords Supper ISAIAH 1. 17 Learne to doe well seeke iudgement releeue the oppressed iudge the fatherlesse and defend the widdowe 18 Come now and let vs reason together saith the Lord though your sins were as crimson they shall be made white as snowe though they were red like skarlet they shall bee as woll 19 If yee consent to obey yee shall eate the good things of the Land LEarne to doe well Doct. 4 Hauing shewed them what they must not doe All must be Christ his Scholers Now hee proceedeth to declare what they must doe and biddeth them doe well and because there was in them no fitnesse hereunto therefore he wisheth them to Learne to doe well Whence the Doctrine is that All godly and penitent persons while they liue in this world must alwaies be learning to doe well and apply their minds to know what duties of religion and of righteousnesse they ought to performe and in what manner they must be performed So saith our Sauiour Take my yoke vpon you Math. 11.29 and learne of mee c. For I am meeke and lowly in heart and yee shall finde rest vnto your soules As if he should haue said If any take vp my yoke and continue not to be a learner from my word how to beare the same either hee himselfe will be wearie of it or others will perswade him to take vp the diuels yoke or mens yoke which is much at one for they are both of one side therefore learne of me saith Christ And that they might the sooner be drawne thereunto hee remoues the reasons that might discourage them Obiect For they might thinke Oh I am so full of corruption and my nature is so ouergrowne and ouerrunne with sinne and iniquitie that if I should come vnto Christ Iesus who is perfectly holie and righteous hee could not but be angrie with me and sharpely chide and rebuke me Nay Answer saith Christ you need not feare that for I am mecke and therefore not so prone and ready to fall out with men that haue corruption and are wearie of it as you imagine Another might say Obiect but alas I am so blockish and ignorant that if I should come to bee instructed Christ Iesus would despise me For the answering of that obiection Ans he saith that he is lowlie in heart and the propertie of those that are lowly is neuer to contemne any for their defects and imperfections but rather to pittie them and helpe them and therefore they may boldly haue recourse vnto such a teacher as our Sauiour is and expect to bee still further informed by him in all the waies of godlinesse and righteousnes In this regard Math. 10.42 Iohn 15.8 Christians are called Christs disciples which signifieth nothing else but to bee Christ his Scholers And it is giuen as a note and brand of a forlorne and desperate wicked person Psal 36.3 that hee hath left off to vnderstand to doe good And on the contrarie it is set downe as an euident signe of a maruellous sanctified and holy man to acknowledge still that hee knoweth but in part that hee knoweth nothing as hee ought to doe and to cry out 1. Cor. 13 9. 1 Cor. 8.2 Psalm 19.12 Psal 119.33 who knoweth the errors of this life clense mee from my secret sinnes Teach mee O Lord the waie of thy statutes and I will keepe it vnto the end with many the like requests And it must needs bee so that they that are truely conuerted and in any good measure acquainted with their owne hearts should be thus instant to be still further directed and taught First Reasons because they perceiue the darkenesse that doth naturally ouer-spread their minds and that those which haue most light The mind is blind the hart deceitfull haue very little in comparison of that they should haue and might haue had if they had constantly and conscionablie imploied themselues in the vse of the meanes which they haue enioied They know well inough how readie their fleshlie hearts are to deceiue them vnlesse they goe often to God by feruent praier and to men by holy conference to bee directed in the right path wherein they should walke And this makes them so desirous of some vnderstanding They wisely consider that the drift and whole scope of all their actions should be to please the Lord and therefore they would most willingly bee informed what his good will and pleasure is in euerie thing 2 Secondly hee hath commanded them to grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord Iesus Christ 1. Pet. 3.18 There is no further growth in faith or in any other grace then there is in knowledge A man may know more then hee beleeueth but hee can neuer beleeue more then hee knoweth True knowledge is as it were the chiefe wheele in a clocke that draweth all the rest of Gods graces after it and if that stand still all the rest must needes stand still with it And therefore it was that Dauid praied so often and so earnestly Psal 119. Teach mee thy statutes open my eies that I may see the wonders of thy Law c. Why might some say was not the Prophet wel taught when hee was a teacher of others and one of the holy men of God whom the spirit vsed as an instrument to penne
a great part of the Scripture Yes surely few were better instructed then he was yet he found such great blindnesse of minde and deceitfulnesse of heart still when he came to matters of practise that hee neuer ceaseth crying for more vnderstanding of heauenly things As also the wise man exhorteth to call for knowledge to seek her as siluer Prou. 2.3.4 and to search for her as for treasures That as couetous men neuer thinke they haue gold and siluer enough so Christians must neuer thinke they haue heauenly wisedome enough 1. Cor. 14.1 but still couet more and more after spirituall things 1 Heere are those sharpely to bee reproued Vse 1 and much to be condemned who are too too well conceited of themselues and of their owne wits that will bragge and boast that they are not so simple but they know well enough how to serue God and to doe the duties that pertaine to them in their families they haue not beene so many yeeres maried nor liued so long in the world but they know sufficiently without teaching what belongeth to the dutie of an husband of a father Note of a master and all other things that a Christian man should know These foolish men in saying thus doe little consider what they speake against themselues and how farre they discouer their own nakednesse hereby they make it apparant that they haue in them no Christianitie at all for what are they wiser then all the Prophets and righteous men that liued in ancient times they saw and acknowledged their great want of the vnderstanding of holy things and that not for modesties sake 1. Sam. 1.11.13.14 but they and others rued it and felt the smart of their defects that way How foulely was Eli ouertaken through ignorance in censuring condemning good Hannah for drunkennes when shee was powring out her soule before the Lord because shee moued her lips onely and vttered no words in his hearing but spake in her heart vnto God And the like might be said of many indiscreete speeches actions of the disciples of Christ before the resurrection and till they had receiued the spirit of vnderstanding in a more plentifull measure Want of wisdome And to come more particularly to our selues who hath that wisedome that he should haue to make his vse of prosperity or aduersitie to profit by Gods hand in mercie or in iudgement vpon our selues or others nay who hath attained to that soundnesse of iudgement as to vnderstand the Scriptures so well as hee should when hee readeth them or heareth them read by others or which is a farre easier matter to make a right vse of them in applying them to his own soule when they are plainely and soundly preached and expounded vnto him he that thinketh that hee knoweth any thing fully and perfectly in these matters let him be assured that hee knoweth nothing as yet Prouerb as hee ought to know and as for him that is wise in his owne conceite there is more hope of a foole then of him For a naturall foole though hee bee not capable of instruction and aduise yet by the whip may bee kept within some compasse Prouer. 27.22 but nothing will be auaileable with a conceited foole Though thou shouldest bray him in a morter as the wiseman speaketh among wheate braied with a pâ—stell yet will not his foolishnes depart from him you may sooner driue his soule out of his body then you can driue folly out of his soule This is for our instruction Vse 2 that if wee would carry the name of Christians and be such indeed then we must learne our dutie to the intent we may doe it and euery one striue principally to know what hee himselfe should bee Many labour to speake well and to haue words of discourse but let vs learne to doe well which if we endeuour to doe then Thirdly here is matter of great consolation for vs Vse 3 for hereby we may gather good assurance vnto our owne hearts of the soundnes of our repentance and conuersion vnto the Lord this beeing here in the text set downe as an infallible note of those that haue indeede turned from their euill waies to serue the liuing God that they learne to doe well Proposing of good questions Therefore they may take this for their comfort who are still proposing of good questions what they must doe and how they must do it by what meanes they may get out of this or that sinne and attaine to such or such a grace how they may be most profitable helpefull and comfortable to themselues and others this was the practise of the Publicans and fouldiers and of all sortes that were inwardlie touched in their consciences by the preaching of Iohn Baptist Luke 3. euery one of them came vnto him saying what must we do of the Gayler who when once he began to be humbled came trembling and fell downe before Paul and Silas saying Sirs Act. 16.29.30 what must I doe to be saued for howsoeuer Gods seruants haue learned for the most part what things in generall must be done yet still they haue many scruples and doubts in their consciences as whether such and such things come within the compasse of their callings what warrant there is for it in the word whether it may be done at such a time in such a place before with or amongst such persons what circumstances they must obserue in their proceeding what affection they must carie in the matter and the like For they finde such a Sea of hypocrisie and pride in their hearts that they thinke they are neuer sufficientlie furnished with wisdome and goodnesse for the performance of holy duties but are still icalous and suspicious of themselues lest they should be led aside with by-respects Howsoeuer such men and women thinke and speake hardlie of themselues and are still bewailing their manifold imperfections and failings in euery good exercise yet the Ministers of God Note finde that of all others they are the worthiest hearers and practisers and receiuers of the Sacrament Manie count them learned Christians that haue gotten such knowledge as that they can say much but they are in truth the best learned that haue obtained grace to doe much according to the exhortation of the Prophet in this place Learne to doe well Seeke iudgement Now because men will very easily shift off generall precepts hee contenteth not himselfe with the former exhortation but as hee had bidden them to doe well so here hee commeth to particulars and sheweth them wherein their chiefe and speciall care and endeauour should bee to doe well Seeke iudgement c. Hee had before charged them that their hands were full of blood and that their great men and men of authoritie were notable oppressors and spoilers of their brethren and neighbours that were meaner then themselues following after rewards and not iudgeing the fatherlesse and the widowe nor suffering them to haue equitie
is that other place of Paul to Timothie Let as many seruants as are vnder the yoke count their masters worthy of all honour 1. Tim. 6.1.2 that the name of God and his doctrine be not euill spoken off And they that haue beleeuing masters let them not despise them because they are brethren but rather doe seruice because they are faithfull and beloued and partakers of the benefit And that was a thing worthy singular commendation in Iacob that hee serued Laban though a couetous Gen. 31.6.40 deceirfull and hard master with all his might Being in the day consumed with heate and with frost in the night his sleepe also departing from his eies And therefore those seruants are much to bee blamed that make religion an occasion of their vnfaithfulnesse which by how much it is more thorowly and deepely rooted and setled in the hearts of any should and will make them more true and trustie more conscionable and fathfull to their rulers and gouernours And the like may bee said of children what gifts of knowledge and speech soeuer they haue they can haue no comfort of the same vnlesse they giue all honour and reuerence and shew all dutie and obedience vnto their parents as the Lord commandeth them This may be an instruction vnto vs. Vse 2 Would wee be Christs scholers then the first letter and lesson that wee must learne is to doe well in our places Are wee children let vs labour by searching of the Scriptures to know our duties and to doe them Are wee seruants let vs get vnderstanding of the things that doe most concerne vs in our places and let our practise bee answerable to our profession and then wee shall shew our selues to bee truely religious indeed And the same exhortation might bee giuen to all others in their seuerall vocations which if wee can follow whatsoeuer our callings be wee serue the Lord Christ in them and shall be sure of full reward from him Oh but my calling is meane and my seruice base Though your worke be base yet it is not a base thing to serue such a master in it Note They are the most worthy seruants whatsoeuer their imploiment bee that do with most conscionable and dutifull hearts and minds serue the Lord where hee hath placed them and in those works which hee hath allotted vnto them Releeue the oppressed Hauing in the former words shewed them that they must doe that which is iust and right hee cōmeth now more particularly to declare vnto them wherein that consisteth namely in shewing mercy to such as are in misery and in being meanes of comfort vnto them that are in discomfor tand griefe of heart Whence this doctrine may be collected that It is a most acceptable seruice vnto the Lord Doct. 6 to comfort and releeue his people when they are in miserie and distresse Mercy to the afflicted an excellent seruice Psal 41.1 This is a worke so well pleasing vnto God that hee pronounceth him happy and blessed that considereth wisely and iudgeth charitably of the poore and needy though they haue no abilitie to helpe them nor to direct and counsell them yet if they can but prudently and mercifully consider with themselues surely this man or woman haue caried themselues so holily and blamelesly that this stroke is not fallen vpon them for their wickednesse nor for their foolishnesse but for their good and comfort as in the end it will appeare This merciful iudgement and censure concerning those that haue many and strange and heauy crosses lying vpon them is a thing that God much regardeth and recompenceth in all that are so affected towards his poore distressed seruants This also the Apostle Iames yeeldeth as an vndoubted marke of true religion saying Pure religion Iam. 1.27 and vndefiled before God euen the father is this to visit the fatherlesse and widowes in their aduersitie and to keepe himselfe vnspotted of the world His meaning is not that it is religion it selfe for it is a thing belonging to the first table but a signe of the same when our faith in God and loue vnto God maketh vs pitifull and liberall towards the children and Saints of God and such as he would haue respected and relieued So at the great and generall day of iudgement when all the world shal come to receiue sentence according to their works whether good or euill what is the matter of commendation that is giuen to the elect and the most euident marke of difference betweene the sheepe and the goates euen this Mat. 15.35 that they desired to doe good not in some one or two or in some fewe but in euery worke of mercie and of charitie That they fedde the hungry gaue drinke vnto the thirsty clothed the naked visited he sicke and imprisoned And on the other side the reprobate shall not be charged so much that they did hurt as that they did not the good that they might haue done vnto poore Christians in their wants and miseries And further Reason this sheweth it to be an excellent seruice for one to stretch forth his hand in relieuing the needie and in succouring distressed soules that whatsoeuer kindnesse is done to the least of them Christ sets it on his score and counts it as done vnto himselfe and hee will acknowledge it and reward it both in this present life and in that which is to come Euery one will come to this that if Christ Iesus should repaire vnto their houses hungry or thirstie or cold or naked they would with all their hearts part with any thing they haue to refresh and releeue him let such heare then what Christ himselfe saith to them that shew mercie to the poore Saints In as much therefore as yee haue done it to one of the least of these my brethren yee haue done it vnto mee Which is first for the great condemnation of them that do altogether shut vp their bowels of compassion from Gods children in their sorrowes Vse 1 and temptations and afflictions Whosoeuer hath this worlds good 1. Iohn 3.17 and seeth his brother haue need saith the Apostle Iohn and shutteth vp his compassion from him how dwelleth the loue of God in him This goeth sore against such in not louing his children they proclaime vnto all the world that they loue not God himselfe and therefore are not beloued of him and if it be so with those that doe not make manifest their loue by shewing mercie what shall wee thinke of those that are so farre from pitying and releeuing the distressed that they are readie to adde affliction to the afflicted It 's iust vpon you say they your indiscretion and want of wisedome in that you made more ado then needs and would bee more precise then wise and more forward then your neighbours c. hath brought you to all this woe and miserie This is cruell and vnmercifull dealing if they would do them no good they should do them no hurt Yet this
was the case of Iob and of Dauid in their great calamities and perplexities and wee may reade of the lamentable complaints that both of them made in that respect If it be a marke of a damnable person to withold mercie from the sorrowfull and heauie hearted then what shall become of them that lay heauie burdens on those that are pressed downe too low before if there shall bee iudgement without mercie to them that shew no mercie much more fearefull shall their state bee that are so full of crueltie towards them whom the Lord so tenderly respecteth Here is a singular comfort for Gods children Vse 2 that are in many wants and necessities so long as there is any godly man or woman that will doe any thing for Christ his sake and for their owne comforts sake they shall not bee destitute of reliefe For God hath commanded his seruants to succour them and hath made many gracious promises to such as are mercifull and will beare the burdens of others And if men should faile them the Lord himselfe will looke vnto them who beholds their troubles and sees their teares and is acquainted with all their griefes And hee that bids others to be mercifull will not be vnmercifull himselfe And therefore it is that men doe denie vs helpe and comfort many times because God would haue vs draw neerer vnto him whose eies are euer vpon vs Note and whose eares are alwaies open to heare the cries of the poore and of those that are humbled before him Therefore let the Saints of God make full reckoning that one way Psal 72. or other they shall be prouided for if men will not God will Onely let them bee sure that they bee found in the number of those that be humble in spirit and broken in heart for to such alone doe the mercies of God appertaine If one bee a gamster or an vnthrift a riotous person or a drunkard or giuen out to any such reproachfull vice or if there bee any that will not take paines to get their liuing by diligence and labour in their honest calling but giue themselues to idlenesse and sluggishnesse God himselfe will not in mercy at least and his children must releeue such kind of persons Hee that will not labour must not eat 2. Thes 3.10 and the best almes for such is to giue them nurture and correction that they may desist from their lewd behauiour and betake themselues to better courses 18 Come now let vs reason together Heere the Prophet is about to meete with an obiection that they might make It 's long ere men bee brought to the sight of their sinnes but when they come once to perceiue the multitude and grieuousnesse of them they begin to thinke their case remediles and that it is in vaine to hope for pardon But God bids them make no such conclusions and therefore he saith Come now let vs reason together which is in effect as if he should haue said If you hearken what the diuell and the flesh can say that will rather make you dispaire then beleeue and therefore heare you withall what I can say which if wee could doe we should easilie see that the arguments of Satan and of our owne wretched carnall reason are but delusions and that Gods arguments will swallow them vp all euen as Moses true Serpent did the Serpents of the sorcerers Hence wee may learne this doctrine that They that will come to the Lord Doct. 7 God is to bee heard before any and doe him seruice must not hearken what reasons flesh and blood can yeeld them against it but what reasons God can giue them for it The diuell will haue much to say against goodnesse and our owne fleshlie wisdome will haue as much and the world will bee as great a pull-backe vnto vs if wee will giue it the hearing but if wee can lend an attentiue eare vnto the Lord wee shall finde that he will bring better arguments to perswade vs to goodnesse then all those our enemies can to diswade vs from it And therefore it is that men are so often and so groslie deceiued because they heare what the one side can say to discourage and hinder them but not what the other can say to hearten and draw them onward in good waies For if they did bring a spirituall eare to receiue the proofes that are brought from the word they would bee mroe forcible to bring them to God then all other meanes could bee to allure them to forsake God and to embrace this present world Therefore when the Lord would haue men to practise any dutie or to forbeare any sinne wee see what strong reasons he bringeth for that purpose as is euident together with innumerable other places in the second and in the fourth commandement And thence it is that men doe so commonly and so wretchedly transgresse those commandements because they doe not well weigh the Lords reasons to the contrarie for if they did they would neuer incline so much to superstition and Idolatrie nor euer so giue themselues to the prophaning of the Lords day but know that it is farre better to procure Gods blessing by keeping it then his curse and vengeance by the violating of it Holy Iob wee see tooke that course that the Lord would haue vs take for the repressing of all inordinate lusts and affections Iob. 31.1 I made saith hee a couenant with my eies why then should I thinke on a maide A carnall sinfull man would haue thought this too much curiositie and nicenesse What not to looke on the beautie and comely visage of a woman at least not to take some libertie for thoughts tending that way it's too too much precisenesse who can take any notice of such things in vs Oh saith Iob What portion should I haue of God from aboue and what inheritance from the almightie from on high q d I durst not giue way vnto the flesh in any sort for that were the directest course to depriue my selfe of the comforts of the word and spirit heere and of the crowne of happinesse which is reserued for the Saints in the world to come Albeit I should speed little the worse with men yet I should bee sure to come short of many speciall fauours and blessings of the Lord. And further hee addeth Is not destruction to the wicked and strange punishments to the workers of iniquitie q. d. Suppose I should escape the censures of men yet hath not the Lord meanes that I cannot conceiue of for the punishment of rebellious sinners and though things may be smoothered for a time cannot be bring secret sinnes to open shame grant that it be kept close from the eies of the world yet doth not hee behold my waies and tell all my steps though the eies of men take a view onely of the outward actions yet he looketh vpon the inward disposition and affection of the heart these and the like reasons he vsed to keepe himselfe
neither Gods iustice is vnsatisfied nor any sinne vnrepented in those that labour to wash their soules by true and godly sorrow it is apparant that there is no transgression no not the most hamous that shall stand in record against them but all shall be remitted and couered from Gods sight that hee shall neuer looke vpon them in anger and indignation for the same Indeed those that haue fallen in to more notorious and grieuous crimes Why the pardon of great sinnes is not so soone apprehended cannot ordinarily get the assurance of their reconciliation vnto the Lord so soone as others that haue not beene so great offenders but the cause hereof is in themselues in that such open and scandalous offences doe make an exceeding great breach into their faith and bring maruellous great hardnesse vpon their hearts and they are very vnwilling to set their consciences vpon the rack to sift and examine their owne soules to the intent their hearts may bee pierced and wounded for their sinnes but they will rather shift and scamble and put off their humiliation as long as may bee as Dauid did Psalme 32. so that it 's a wonder they euer get out of the snares of the diuell till God either by some sharpe rebuke or by some fore affliction doe rouse them and as it were by violent hand pull them out thence But if once they come to great sorrow for their sinnes and in humblenesse of heart and assurance of faith can make claime to the blood of Christ they shall be discharged freed from all their transgressions and bee brought to that puritie and whitenesse which they neuer dreamed such miserable ereatures as themselues could haue attained vnto For confutation of that wretched errour of the Papists Vse 1 that would beare men in hand Against Purgatorie that there is a Purgatory where some men after this life must haue a further purging and scouring then heere they haue attained vnto but see heere what the Lord saith Though men haue broken foorth into neuer so many abominations though their sinnes were as crimson and as scarlet yet if they would seeke to wash cleanse themselues by the meanes that God hath appointed hee giueth them his faithfull promise that they shall be made white as wooll yea white as snow as if they had neuer offended at all To what end then should men appoint a second washing when God himselfe hath vndertaken to wash vs from all our filthinesse and from our greatest corruptions as hath beene more largelie declared before What an absurd thing is it to imagine that we must goe thorow a strange inuented fire which may more thorowly purge away the drosse of our corruptions as if Christ his blood were not sufficient to make vs white as snow This is but a carnall conceit of mans foolish braine for if fire and enduring of paines and torments could haue scoured off sinne the reprobates in hell should haue beene purged therefrom long agoe But God alone hath cleane and precious water and a skilfull and powerfull hand to effect that worke and in the Reuelation Christ Iesus the true and faithfull Witnesse telleth vs how all our vncleannes may be couered from Gods eies Reu. 3.18 I counsell thee saith he to the Church of Laodicea to buy of me white raiment that thou maist be clothed and that thy filthy nakednesse may not appeare Nakednesse there is in the best but Christ his righteousnesse is that garment which must couer it and then God will neuer in anger and displeasure looke vpon it but in mercie and goodnesse looke vpon the holinesse of his sonne wherewith our soules are inuested and all our iniquities hidden and couered Secondly Vse 2 heere is matter of great comfort vnto those that that doe in good earnest set vpon this worke of cleansing and purging themselues they shall not be destitute of companie to ioine with them for God himselfe will assist them and inable thē to go thorow with that worke and therfore this should incourage vs vnto the exercises of humiliation and of examination and iudging of our selues for are not a few teares well bestowed vpon God when he will thereupon bestow on vs the blood of his sonne Many are afraid to aduenture vpon the worke of repentance lest they should bee driuen thereby to desperation but let vs neuer feare that though our vncleannesse be neuer so great though wee bee stained and died from top to toe within and without in euery part and power of soule and body by reason of our originall corruption and actuall transgressions so that all the men in the world cannot take away the foule spots and horrible staines of sinne that cleaue vnto vs and are settled in vs yet the Lord of heauen who hath all sufficiencie of power in his hand can and will without any difficultie purge vs from euery one of our iniquities by sprinkling on our hearts the precious blood of his owne sonne which is as it were a souereigne Bath ordained for the cleansing of the soules of his elect from that contagious leprosie of sinne wherewith they are wholly ouer-spread And therefore let none bee discomforted in regard of his many and greeuous offenses seeing that the Lord hath entred into a sure couenant with vs for the pardoning and healing of them all who can as easily cure the most deadly wound as the smallest scarre and the harder the cure is the more hee shall bee glorified in shewing foorth the riches of his mercie towards poore sinners that stand in need thereof Our greatest extremitie is Gods fittest oportunity Now the chiefe meanes that he vseth for our cleansing and sanctifying Meanes of cleansing are two One is the word which being receiued into the heart by faith doth purifie the same The word according to that of our Sauiour to his Disciples Iohn 15.3 Now are ye cleane through the word that I haue spoken vnto you Another meanes is the Sacrament whereby God is ready to conuey vnto vs the merit and vertue of his sonnes death The Sacrament by the effectuall operation of his spirit that Christ may be vnto vs holinesse for our sanctification 1. Cor. 1.30 as well as righteousnesse for our iustification God doth not offer vnto vs onely the outward elements but hee is more willing to giue vnto vs the things signified thereby then any earthly father can bee to giue foode vnto his hungrie child that crieth for some reliefe at his hands when he hath all plentie and abundance whereby to supply his need I say hee is so much more willing then any earthly father as God is kinder then man and his store more plentifull then mans and it 's lesse cost and lesse paines vnto him and yet more for his praise to refresh the thirstie soules of his poore seruants then for a mortall man to satisfie the appetite of his hungry child For as the Prophet speaketh Mercy pleaseth him
warning that they had a multitude of the people of Ephraim and Manasseh Issachar and Zebulun had not clensed themselues according to the Law in that behoofe prouided Exod. 12. and Numb 9. and therefore were in danger to bee cut off Leui. 7.20 In this regard they were in great distresse and in a sore strait yet they thought it better to receiue the Sacrament though they failed in some circumstances of their preparation then to omit it vntill the next yeare hauing wanted it so long before whereupon they aduentured to eate the Passouer which being ended Hezekiah in feare of Gods displeasure and in commisseration of the people that stood in danger of Gods plagues and punishments falleth to praier for them and is instant with the Lord in their behalfe hee saw their great desire to bee made partakers of it the paines that they had taken to come vnto Ierusalem for that verie purpose and perceiued a strange hand of God in inclining their hearts so far and thereby was hee incouraged to become a mediator as it were betwixt God and them and thus he prayed vnto God for them The good Lord bee mercifull toward him that prepareth his whole hart to seek the Lord God of his fathers And the word that is translated be mercifull signifieth thus much in effect as if he had said the good Lord pardon and supply that which is wanting in him that prepareth his whole heart And now they wanted not so much willingnesse as time to prepate themselues and therefore he praieth the Lord to bee fauourable vnto them And that he might haue more assurance that his praier should bee effectuall he buildeth it vpon strong and sound reasons taken 1 First from the nature of God implied in the word good verse 18. which goodnes of his is neuer seene so much as in shewing mercie to them that are in distresse As if he should haue saide Lord thou art good in thy selfe and good vnto thy people and heere are such as stand in great need of thy goodnes and therefore be mercifull and gracious vnto them 2 Secondlie from the name of God Iehonah implying his constancie and vnchangeablenes in himselfe and in his loue and the fruits thereof towards his seruants Hezekiah knew that he had beene mercifull vnto as great sinners as they were in former times and that he was the same God still and therefore hee intreateth to manifest so much in passing by the frailties of these communicants Verse 19 3 A third reason is taken from the Couenant that hee is the God of their Fathers by reason whereof he was bound vnto them and their children so that hee could not denie them any thing that they should aske in faith These arguments are drawne from God Verse 19 Another argument there is taken from them that they sought the Lord c. which seeking of theirs is set out by the manner of it that they prepared their whole heart to seeke him not as if their hearts were so free from sinne or so ful of grace as they should haue been but that they were true plaine sincere not such as had no sinne for it is said they were not clensed according to the Purification of the Sanctuarie but that did loue no sin not such harts as wanted no grace or preparation for Gods ordinance but such as were humbled for the want of grace and of that preparation that they should haue made This was his praier with the reasons of it the effect followeth Verse 20 And the Lord heard Hezekiah that is so heard him as that hee accepted and performed his request for it is said he healed the people that is gaue them that which God doth offer vnto his people in the Sacrament they receiued the seale of the couenant and he made good the Couenant vnto them as shall be shewed afterwards more plainlie and particularlie in the seuerall branches thereof The summe then of these words is the godly care of Hezekiah for those that came in part vnprepared vnto the Passeouer And here we may consider 1 What he did he prayed for them where we may note 1. The substance of his praier to wit that God of his rich mercie would supply all their wants 2. The persons for whome he praieth who are described 1 By their sinceritie that they were such as feared God and sought him with their whole heart 2 By their infirmitie that they wanted the legall clensing 2 The effect that followed vpon his praier which was two-folde God 1 Heard his praier God 2 Healed the people Vers 19. The good Lord be mereifull Doct. 1 In that Hezekiah being appointed by God to be a gouernor Praier to be ioyned with instruction taketh this course of seeking to the Lord for his people we may from his example learne this Doctrine that it is the dutie of all gouernors and superiours not only to teach them that belong vnto their charge and depend any way vpon them but likewise to pray for them Good Rulers must not onely informe those that are vnder them what they must doe and stir them vp to good duties by wholesome instructions but they must also become suiters to the Lord for them that hee would frame their hearts to do as they are taught and to pardon them where they come short It was well done of Hezekiah to send abroad messengers to call the Israelites to the worship of God But this he knew was not inough and therefore hee beseecheth the good Lord to shew himselfe fauourable vnto them Thus also dealt Dauid another King Psal 51.18 placed ouer Gods inheritance Bee fauourable vnto Zion for thy good pleasure saith hee builde the wales of Ierusalem And so did Moses that worthy gouernour of the Lords people not contenting himselfe to bee often teaching and instructing them whom hee had the charge of but euer and anon praying for them as occasion was offered that God would releeue them when they were in wants that hee would defend them when they were set vpon by enemies that he would pardon them when they had kindled his wrath against them c. The like is noted of Iob how carefull hee was for his children euen when they were in a sort from vnder his shadow and had houses of their owne to dwell in for it is said Iob 1.4.5 that his sonnes went and banqueted in their houses euery one his day c. and when the daies of their banqueting were gone about Iob sent and sanctified them and rose vp earely in the morning and offered burnt offerings according to the number of them all For Iob thought it may bee that my sonnes haue sinned and blasphemed God in their hearts thus did Iob euery day Heere wee must vnderstand when it is said that hee offered sacrifices for them that hee praied for them also for those two sacrificing and praying euer went together that God would pardon them al their sinnes which they had committed while
teadious iourney but may haue it ministred vnto them neerer at hand and that with lesse cost and yet a larger blessing then they could in the daies of the ceremoniall Law surely if they doe neglect so great saluation well they may escape the punishments of men but they shall feele the strokes of God and shall bee cut off from hauing communion with him and with his seruants they shal beare their sinne as in that place the holy Ghost speaketh which otherwise by receiuing the Sacrament they might haue discharged their consciences of and put it ouer vnto Christs accounts Further those that by reason of their infirmities will forgoe that ordinance doe greatly dishonor God and lay an hard imputation vpon him as who should say that hee were such an extreame and rigorous Iudge aswill accept of none but of those that haue attained to a great measure of perfection Besides such kind of persons doe as much as in them lieth proclaime themselues to bee hypocrites for if they bee not such they haue a calling to partake of the Sacrament as appeareth in this text by the praier of Hezekiah who doth in assurance of faith as the effect manifestly proueth make request for all such as prepared their whole hearts that is did their best indeauour with a true and sincere heart to seeke the Lord. Lastly they giue very ill example vnto others and expose themselues to the censures of men as contemners or at least neglecters of Gods ordinance And therefore in these regards let all beware how they withdraw themselues when the Lord inuiteth them to such a banquet Secondly Vse 2 this is for instruction and consolation both together albeit wee perceiue many blemishes and great imperfections in our selues yet let vs take the Lords offer when he calleth vs to his table and come with certaine expectation of good successe as well as those that haue a greater measure of repentance 1. Pet. 2.25 Iohn 21.15 and of faith and loue then wee can attaine vnto For Christ Iesus the great shepheard and Bishop of our soules taketh order that not onely his sheepe but his Lambes also may bee fed All the good grounds bring not foorth a like quantitie of fruit yet all agree in this substantiall point that they bring forth good and ripe fruit Mat. 13.23 though some doe not yeeld the third part so much as others doe yet they are grounds blessed by God and respected of God Note He that gained fiue talents had the commendation of a good and faithfull seruant and so had he likewise that gained but two talents so that euery one shall haue the praise of weldoing according to the gifts and graces that God hath imparted vnto him Indeed those that doe most and best as they bring more glorie to Gods name so shall they haue larger reward from him yet withall those that haue fewer talents and doe him lesse seruice shall not be despised nor reiected but according to their workes be accepted and recompenced for one may bee faithfull in a little as well as in a great deale Therefore let this bee an incouragement vnto vs to draw neere vnto God in his worship if wee cannot come as we would let vs come as well as we can and bring those talents which we haue if wee cannot make a long praier let vs make a short if wee cannot crie feruently vnto the Lord let vs sigh that wee cannot doe better if wee haue but a little faith let vs pray with the man in the Gospel Lord I beleeue helpe mine vnbeliefe Mar. 9.24 which if we can do the Lord will be mercifull vnto vs though wee be not fitted in euery respect according to that which is required of vs. But my wants are such as I am afraid I shall faile Obiect no not onlie in some circumstance but in the substance it selfe and shall not only receiue weakly but altogether vnworthily how then may wee certainly know that our hearts are sincere and vpright before the Lord By these workes that follow Answ First if wee dislike all sinne in our selues and others Markes of sincertitie and desire that all Gods graces might bee wrought in our selues and others Hypocrites will allow foule faults in themselues A general dislike of sinne and liking of goodnesse and yet seeme to dislike them and much exclaime against them in others whereas first they should bee humbled and grieued for them in their owne soules and then proceed to speake against them in others Againe this hypocrisie is in our cursed nature that Hypocrisie whereas wee could wish that we might liue without offence and that our names might bee preserued from reproach yet we shall finde a tickling delight in our selues when wee see the nakednesse of others discouered and their faults ripped vp to their disgrace that so their blacke may the more commend our white And againe wee can bee content to haue many good gifts and graces and would not bee much grieued if we could get all other that we want yet we are ready to bee offended that others should be indued with the like especially that they should goe beyond vs in doing good and in receiuing praise sutable thereunto But this argueth great want of sinceritie and if wee bee not humbled for these corruptions 1. Cor. 13.4 it sheweth palpable and grosse hypocrisie for loue enuieth not but if wee carrie an inward hatred of this euill disposition that is in vs and labour to abhorre and seeke to hinder all manner of sins Note as well in our selues as in others and in others as well as in our selues and on the other side if wee desire to loue and further good motions and good actions both in our brethren and in our owne persons neuer mocking nor deriding nor discouraging the hearts of Gods seruants from goodnes this is a cleere case that wee faile not in the substance of godlinesse but that our hearts are very vpright therein Secondly if wee indeauour still to bee better and to doe better euery day then other Grouth in grace Phil. 3.14.15 neuer standing vpon what wee haue done but pressing hard to the marke this is an infallible note that we are true-hearted Hee that feeleth but a little faith a little loue a little repentance c. and would with all his heart haue them increased and on the contraie findeth much deadnes much impatience much vnfitnesse for death and much vnwillingnesse to heare of the comming of Christ much distraction on the holy Sabbath c. but would most willingly haue these corruptions diminished these very desires if they bring him to the concionable vse of the meanes are euident signes of a faithfull and wel-affected heart A third rule of triall is if from our hearts we can forgiue or at least Forgiuing desire to forgiue those that haue done vs wrong either in word or deede and are greeued at wrathfull and malicious and reuengefull thoughts and motions
by desert in regard of our great and greeuous offences that so being poore in spirit wee may sigh and cry for grace whereas those that are proud in spirit care not for it We see this by common experience that the perceiuing and feeling of greeuous and dangerous diseases and distemperatures in the bodie will driue men to the Physitian to intreat for physicke that so their sicknesse may be cured and in like sort the discerning and descrying of the lothsome and noisome corruptions wherewith our soules are infected and indangered will driue vs vnto the Lord to craue mercie and grace from his owne meanes that our iniquities may bee fully pardoned and our sinfull nature soundlie healed For when nothing is more irksome vnto vs nor more feared of vs then sinne then nothing is more desireable with vs nor more desired of vs then grace Especially if in the third place wee consider the excellencie thereof how it bringeth with it freedome from all euill Consider the excelency of grace both from the guilt of sinne and from the punishment of sin and withall the enioyment of all blessings needfull for body or soule for this life or that which is to come If I say the setled meditation hereof doe once sinke into our hearts it cannot but set our affections on fire with an ardent and earnest desire of the same Nothing makes vs so weake and cold in hearing the word or communicating of the Sacrament as that wee haue not sufficiently tasted how good the Lord is And thus much of the meanes of getting a spirituall appetite Now it followteh Come I say buy wine and milke And verse 2. Eat that which is good and let your soules deligt in fatnesse The drift of all these borrowed speeches is to shew that God offereth vnto and will bestow vpon the faithfull that seeke vnto him such spirituall good things as shall much comfort and refresh their hearts and make their soules as it were fat and well liking Whence ariseth this doctrine Doctr. 2 that Whosoeuer commeth to Christ Iesus in the religious vse of his ordinances All the wants of the faithful supplied by Christ shall haue all his wants supplied be they neuer so many and neuer so great Are they thirstie hee hath water of life for them Are they hungry hee hath all variety of dainties to refresh them Are they babes here is milke to feede vpon Are they strong men yet wearied out with afflictions and temptations here is bread that wil strengthen their fainting hearts Are they heauy and pensiue here is wine to glad their sorrowfull hearts In a word Christ Iesus hath plentifull prouision of all sorts and would haue vs eat that which is best for vs commanding that our soules should delight in fatnes and in the good things that hee offereth vnto vs. This doctrine is further illustrated and proued vnto vs out of Ezekiel Ezek. 34. where the Prophet hauing sharpely reproued the shepheards of Israel that fed themselues and not their flocks that did not strengthen the weake nor heale the sicke c. hee promiseth that God will set a shepheard ouer them euen Christ Iesus verse 23. who should performe these two things viz. feede his sheepe and bring them to their rest then hee vndertaketh in all casualities to looke vnto them I will saith hee seeke that which is lost c. where obserue how hee frameth his remedy to their necessitie some haue lost themselues and as silly sheepe would wander vp and downe and neuer returne to their shepheard againe but become a pray to the enemies of their soules those he wil seeke and not loose any of them whom he hath so dearely bought Some are as it were driuen away by strong corruptions and violent temptations those hee will bring againe though they be caried neuer so far Others haue been crushed and broken with many sorrowes and miseries euen with one breaking vpon another by reason of their owne sinnes those he will bind vp and cure all their wounds Others againe are weake and full of imperfections those hee will strengthen by the power of his might and at length make them strong men in Christ So that wee see euery one according to his need shall receiue comfort and reliefe from him and there are reasons hereof The first is taken from the infinite power of Christ Reasons whereby hee is able to saue and to succour his people whatsoeuer their estate bee If the first Adam being onely man Hee is able were able to destroy and ouerthrow all mankind then much more is the second Adam being God and man of sufficient power to recouer his elect especially seeing that the meanes he vseth are farre more forcible to repaire our breaches then Adams meanes were to make them and more effectuall to worke out our happinesse and saluation then his were to procure our miserie and destruction The second is taken from his readines being euery whit as willing as he is able to do this for vs. He is ready As God the father gaue him a charge so he vndertooke it and accomplished the work which hee gaue him to doe Iohn 17.4 it was his fathers will that he should saue his people and hee willingly performed whatsoeuer was required of him in that behalfe and therefore before hee yeelded vp the ghost hee vttered these words It is finished Iohn 19.30 signifying that hee had gone thorow with that painfull worke which the Lord had imposed vpon him now hauing done the greatest for vs hee will not faile vs wee may bee well assured in smaller matters which depend vpon the former Thirdly hee is also infinite in wisdome and therefore able to finde out the best way He is infinitly wise and to determine of the fittest time withall other circumstances to releeue and comfort vs. There is many times such confusion in the minds such hardnesse in the hearts such blemishes in the names such weaknesse vpon the bodies and such wofull breaches in the estates of Gods seruants that no man nay nor all the men in the world know how to redresse the things that are amisse but if it please our Lord Christ Iesus to take the cure in hand nothing shal be found too difficult for him but that which seemeth impossible in the eie of reason shall appeare not onely possible but very easie vnto him and therefore in all these respects it must needs be a certaine truth that those that seeke to him and waite vpon him shall in due season bee receiued by him Which may be an incouragement vnto vs Vse 1 whatsoeuer our wants and necessities be to make Christ our refuge and to flie vnto him for a supply if wee come to wisedomes feast wee shall finde all things prepared that may bee for strength or for delight Prou. 9.2 if wee bee hungrie our Sauiour will satisfie vs with good things and neuer send vs emptie away if wee be babes hee hath
milke for vs if wee bee of geater growth in Christianitie he hath stronger meat for vs. Secondly let vs therefore labour to bee meete guests for this heauenly banquet which that we may bee let vs obserue the rules giuen vs in this text viz. First if wee will haue any refreshing at this feast wee must buy it which is twice repeated to shew that it is a matter of necessitie and a matter of weight that neerely concerneth vs not that wee can giue any thing answerable to the worth of that which wee shall receiue for grace is an vnmachable treasure but heereby these two things are signified First How we must buy that as in bargaines betwixt man and man he that buieth a thing must part with somewhat so must wee in this purchase of ours Part with sin And what is it that wee must part withall with nothing but our owne sinnes which will doe vs no good but infinite hurt if wee retaine them still and with those things which can be no longer kept without sinne as wealth and libertie and credit and life it selfe when God calleth for them Mat. 13.44 To this purpose is it said that the kingdome of heauen is like vnto a treasur hide in the field which when a man hath found hee hideth it and for ioy thereof departeth and selleth all that hee hath meaning all that hee hath by nature renouncing all his carnall affections and withdrawing his heart from the things heere below for it is not intended that euery man should sell all his substance and earthly possessions and commodities but onely that hee should withdraw his confidence from these and his immoderate loue of these being content to forsake them quite rather then to forgoe Christ and to forfait his owne saluation so that as the price wee pay for any thing is altogether alienated from vs so must sin be though neuer so much esteemed and beleeued before time And so are these words expounded in this very Chapter verse 7. Let the wieked forsake his waies and the vnrighteous his owne imaginations c. Many forsake some ill waies but not their owne or if they doe leaue their olde waies and works outwardly yet they doe not forsake their owne imaginations but to leaue anothers sinne for the procuring of this pearle is as if one should buy cattle or grounds c. with another mans money which is plaine theeuery and will not go for currant pay the Lord would haue all penitent sinners both to forsake their owne waies and their owne imaginations A second thing in buying is that wee must receiue and retaine the thing bought Receiue and retaine grace and so would God haue vs to hold fast grace when wee haue got it Therefore the wise man exhorteth vs buy the truth and sell it not likewise wisdome and instruction and vnderstanding Wee may chaffer for other things as we will buy and sell and sell and buy c. but heere wee must not doe so when once wee haue obtained heauenlie wisdome and gotten religion in our hearts wee must get as much increase to it daily as wee can but neuer let goe any of that we haue And thus much for buying and the things to be obserued therein A second thing required in the text is that wee must eat and this standeth in excellent proportion with naturall food If a man come where there is great store of meat and varietite of choice wines and he see others haue a notable appetite and himselfe none all the cheere that is set before him will doe him no good but rather vexe and trouble him euen so it is in the spirituall feast 1. Cor. 11.24 and therefore Christ exhorteh vs so often to feed vpon him take eat saith hee shewing vs what that is viz. to beleeue in him Iohn 6.51 in which regard hee is said to dwell in our hearts by faith whereas vnbeliefe chaset hhim thence and will let him haue no roome nor place of abode in our soules Therefore let vs make account that as the naturall food so the spirituall also is to be receiued into our stomackes and there to be as it were digested before wee can haue benefit by it Without siluer Hence wee see that God offereth vs the greatest and most excellent things without money or money worth The best things are best cheape Doct. 3 Nothing can be gotten at a lower rate then things that are of geatest worth God giueth nothing on our delert Reuel 22. Therefore are we bid to drinke of the water of life freely and as grace so also glory is without any desert of ours bestowed vpon vs for the gift of God saith the Apostle is eternall life Rom. 6. Now the reasons why heauenly things are not set at sale but to bee had of free cost are these First Reasons because God will haue the praise of his mercy if he should take any thing of vs hee should lose a great part of his glorie From his glorie We are too ready to boast now when wee are pardoned sanctified and saued of his free grace and not by our owne workes in that God puts life and strength into vs to be working instuments of our owne happinesse though not of our iustification what then should wee doe if God should make vs our owne Sauiours and propose heauen vnto vs as a price bidding vs winne it and weare it Secondly grant that God were desirous of some consideration from vs in regard of that kingdome which hee offereth vnto vs Our penurie Ephes 2. hee knoweth full well that wee haue nothing to giue but are meere beggers and could but pay God with his owne for in our selues wee are poore miserable naked and destitute of all goodnesse Indeed wee haue in vs matter enough to deserue Gods wrath but none at all to procure his fauour Thirdly if wee had somewhat to giue yet it were in no sort correspondent to that which wee shall receiue The inualuablenesse of Gods gifts for the graces of Gods spirit and the crowne of glorie are vnualuable so that nothing that is in the possession of any creature may bee laid in the ballance against them Therefore when Simon Magus would haue bought but one gift of working a miracle Act. 8.19.20 towit that on whomsoeuer he should lay his hands he might receiue the holy Ghost Peter answered Thy mony perish with thee because thou thinkest the gift of God may be obtained by money Much more then may this be spoken of sanctifying gaces which are far more excellent they are not to be obtained by money or by any earthly treasure for there is no price that can come neere them For the confutation of Papists Vse 1 that would buy out heauen by their owne meritorious works they are euen like Simou Magus their father and would rob God of his honour which hee will not giue vnto any other plainely manifesting vnto all the world that they
and exercise our selues in things of no worth which will make vs neuer the better or honester though wee haue them in neuer so great abundance but let vs labour for godlinesse which will free our hearts from discontentment and replenish them with true peace and lasting comforts The doctrines following shall be but euen named Heare and your soule shall liue Whence this doctrine is implied that All men and women are dead in sinnes and trespasses till the word haue wrought life in them Another point from hence might be this that They that conscionably vse the meanes shall receiue the life of grace and glory Prouided that they come thereunto with 1 Preparation setting themseues in Gods presence Eccl. 5. 2 With attention hiding the word in their hearts Psal 119. Pet. 2. 3 With an expectation of good successe at length though God make them waite for a time The sixth Sermon of the Lords Supper MATTH 22. VERSE 11. c. Verse 11. Then the King came in to see the guests and saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment 12. And hee said vnto him friend how camest thou in hither and hast not on a wedding garment and he was speechles 13 Then said the King to the seruants bind him hand and foote take him away and cast him into vtter darknesse there shall bee weeping and gnashing of teeth IN the former part of this Chapter is set foorth the maruellous goodnesse and fauour of the Lord towards the nation of the Iewes vnder the parable of a King Connexion inuiting guests vnto the mariage-feast of his sonne and withal their horrible vnthankfulnesse in making light of it and refusing to come preferring their profits and pleasures before the meanes of their saluation whereunto they were called which indignitie and ingratitude of theirs towards the King of heauen together with their barbarous crueltie against his messengers is further set out by the punishment inflicted vpon them which was that the King being wroth sent foorth his warriours destroied them and burnt vp their Citie in which words our Sauiour hath reference vnto the destruction of that nation and of their Citie by the Romans who are called Gods warriours because howsoeuer they came against the Iewes in maliee and reuenge yet God had a speciall hand in ordering and disposing of all that they did so the greatest part of that people was vtterly cut off and the rest left vnder a heauie stroake euen vnto this day being destitute of the meanes of saluation which they contemptuously reiected when they were offered vnto them But howsoeuer these that were first bidden would not come to the supper yet the Lord would not bee vnfurnished of guests and therefore he sends his ministers vnto the Gentiles which sate in darkenesse and in the shaddow of death who made their vse of Gods message and came aboundantly vnto the feast so that the wedding was furnished with guests some good and some bad Thus farre the messengers had good successe that multitudes made profession as if they were desirous to liue vnder Christ his gouernment and to feede of his Supper though many of them did it with false and hypocriticall hearts Hauing thus shewed what the messengers did our Sauiour next declareth what the King himselfe did the place being filled with guests The interpretation hee came to see the guests implying that when men begin to make profession God vseth a more deligent search and examination then his ministers can doe for they can but iudge of men by their actions but the Lord dealeth immediatly with their hearts and consciences And therefore it is added that when he came in hee saw that which the Ministers did not a man which had not on a wedding garment where wee must not conceiue that their was but one such present for it is afterwards said that many are called but few are chosen vers 14. but this is the meaning that if there be but one hypocrite amongst many thousands God will finde him out and single him from among the rest The partie being thus taken the Lord falleth to an examination of him Friend saith he how camest thou in hither that is how darest thou come to the royall table of so glorious a King and hast not one a wedding garment that is hauing no repentance for sinne no freedome from the guilt or from the power of sinne nor any sauing grace at all how is it I say that thou shouldest presume to come into such a place and into such a presence hauing made no better preparation When God began thus to examine him in his owne person it is said hee was speechles hauing an ill cause and a guilty conscience hee had nothing to say for himselfe Heereupon the Lord proceedeth to passe sentence vpon him which is done after the manner of earthly Iudges Then said the King vnto his seruants that is vnto the Angels whose office it is as to gather the good corne into Gods barne so to bind the tarres together in bundles that they may be cast into hell fire bind him hand and foot there must not bee present execution but he must bee dealt with as a prisoner whose hands are bound that hee may not resist and his feet that hee may not runne away if either of them had beene at libertie hee might haue made some shift but when God comes to proceed in iudgement against men hee will strip them of all meanes both of defence and of escaping Further they are bid to take him away to wit from hauing communion with God with his Saints or Angels he must be taken from the place and meanes of all comfort and peace and happinesse and is that all nay saith God cast him into vtter darkenesse that is into hell a place of all miserie and woe which is implied by vtter darknesse a fit punishment for such kind of persons for seeing they are full of ignorance and of spirituall darkenesse while they liue God hath prouided that they shall haue enough of it they shall bee cast into a place of vtter darknesse where there shall be nothing but horror and anguish And yet if this were all their state were the more tollerable but this addeth vnto the miserie of the place that they shall bee very sensible of that miserie which is intimated when it is said there shall bee weeping not such weeping as many times befals men here when the teares of their eies abate the anguish of their hearts but such weeping as is ioyned with gnashing of the teeth signifying that they should not onely haue sorrow and griefe but such as should bee mingled with desperation and with horrible vexation and torture not such as should bee an ease vnto their soules but rather an addition vnto their woe In these words then is declared the seueritie of God against those that come vnworthily vnto his roiall feast where is shewed 1 First the cause of this his seueritie namely because they abuse
the world Thirdly he that would bee a good chapman and procure himselfe these heauenly robes Seek it where it may be had must come to the places and shops where he may buy and haue choice for his mony which are where the word is powerfully preached and the Sacraments duely administred Thence must these robes be fetcht whereby all naked soules may be couered and the most deformed creature may be beautified Iames 1.18 1. Cor. 10.16 the word is it which worketh grace and together with the Sacraments doth continually increase the same so that thereby the Lord conueieth vnto vs whatsoeuer legacies Christ hath deserued for vs. And thus we see how the wedding garment may bee come by our owne ragges must be reiected this must be desired and sought for where it is to be found A third vse of this point Vse 3 may bee for an exceeding great comfort vnto them that haue put away their sinnes by godly sorrow and haue gotten an appetite to the food of their soules they may come as welcome guests and such as haue put on the wedding garment This is for terror vnto those hypocrites Vse 4 who though the Lord doth call vpon them and profer them his sonne and his spirit and his kingdome yet they will not part with any sinne for the obtaining of these excellent things but haue their appetites so taken vp with earthly things that they haue no mind to spirituall things neither wil they come to the meanes nor repaire to the market where this royall cloathing is to be had but abstaine from the word and especially from the Sacarment These are much to be condemned and sharply to be rebuked as despisers of the holy things of God Oh but one liues in malice an another in vncleanesse c. Obiect and therefore they forbeare comming This is the most wretched excuse of all Answ why doest thou not get out of thy malice and leaue thy filthinesse wilt thou preferre the satisfying of thy lust before the sauing of thy soule what is this but plainly to refuse and to reiect the Lords banquet Note and can such looke to escape the heauie hand of the Lord if they were worthy to be destroied that staied away vpō this pretence I haue married a wife and therefore I cannot come I haue bought oxen and therefore I cannot come What then do they deserue that will absent themselues vnder this colour I liue in malice and therefore I cannot come I must follow my sensual and diuellish lusts and therefore I cannot come if the workes of our callings may not in any case keepe vs from the Lords feast then much lesse may the works of the flesh and of the diuell Verse 12. Doct. 4 Friend how camest thou in hither Doctrine When God hath to deale euen against sinners God deales in a peaceable manner euen with sinners yet hee dealeth in good and peaceable termes Friend saith hee how camest thou in hither what warrant hadst thou thus to abuse my presence and mine ordinances Thus God debateth the matter with him peaceably and quietly and conuinceth him of his fault before he condemne him for it So hee dealt with Adam when hee had eaten the forbidden fruit and thereupon fled from God and hid himselfe amongst the trees of the garden Adam saies he where art thou Gen. 3.9 q. d. why dost thou flie from mee and leaue the place of thy calling Hast thou not eaten of the tree whereof I commanded that thou shouldest not eate Hee comes not vpon him in violence or furie but quietly cals him by his name and in coole maner reasons the matter with him In like manner deales Christ with Iudas Friend betraiest thou the sonne of man with a kisse as if he should haue said Iudas howsoeuer this kisse may seem to proceed from your loue yet indeed it is otherwise as being appointed as a token to destroy me that so I may be apprehended and condemned and put to death this is not plain faithfull dealing with your master The reasons why God taketh this course are First Reasons 1 because this milde and gentle dealing maketh men see their faults more euidently whereas passionate hastie and violent speeches doe either discourage or imbitter the heart Secondly if there be proceeding to punishment the punisher is much cleared by this meanes for when the offence is quietly laid open to the view of the offender so that hee cannot but confesse his guiltinesse then must hee needs acknowledge that hee is iustly and equally dealt with when punnishment is inflicted vpon him This is for our imitation that if wee would haue any partie set downe and humbled for his sinne we should endeauour in the quietest and best maner to conuince him of his fault Vse as hard arguments as we will for so the Lord doth but withal look that we vse soft speeches for that is the way to make men thinke hardly of themselues whereas the contrary will cause them to thinke hardly of vs. And heere are such to be blamed as when any thing is distrustfull vnto them are presently hot and boisterous and loud and crying and so rather hurt the eare by the loudnesse of their voice then helpe the heart by the force of their reproofe whence arise these two inconueniences First that the partie lookes not so much to his owne failing as to their passion and secondly as hee is vnconuinced so they are not esteemed but though they haue the right on their side yet they loose the due regard of their cause reuerence of their persons And therefore the Apostle telleth Timothy that the seruant of God must not striue but must be gentle towards all men hee must not be clamorous and violent 2. Tim. 2.24.25 but suffer euill men patiently instructing them with meekenesse that are contrary minded c. for this is the way if there bee any to bring them to sound repentance that they may come out of the snares of the diuell This I say is the way to let them see good reasons against their sins and a good affection towards their persons these are the best helps and hereby we shall be sure to please God and if the partie will euer bee broken it must be by the weight of good arguments pressed in meekenesse of wisdome and proceeding from a mercifull heart But they are vile and wicked persons with whom I am to deale such as deserue little mildnesse Bee it so Obiect Ans yet wee see here when God was to reason with a reprobate that was ready to bee turned into hell hee proceedeth calmly and quietly against him And so dealt Ioshua with Achan that had committed such execrable wickednesse as that the whole host of God sped the worse for him Ioshua 7.19 My sonne saith he I beseech thee giue glorie vnto the Lord God of Israel and make confession vnto him c. Secondly this is for consolation Vse 2 Will the Lord giue such
good tearmes vnto repropates that are to be cast into hel fire then surely hee will much more vse mildnesse towards his people if Gods enemies haue good wordes from him then what may his friends expect at his hands And hee was speechles Doct. 5 Doct. Though sinners haue many excuses and colours Sinners shall to be put silence when they are to deale with men like themselues yet when God commeth to examine and sift their consciences they shall haue nothing to say for themselues This is to bee obserued in Iudas that though hee were very suttle and a notable cunning hypocrite yet when the Lord wakened his drousie conscience he brake foorth into a plaine confession I haue sinned betraying innocent blood Hee had no manner of defence or Apologie for himselfe in the world The reason of this point is Reason 1 because the conscience is the Lords officer and it cannot but speake truth when God will haue it through the light of knowledge which God hath put into euery mans soule by nature and that is the sorest and sharpest accuser that can be Further the Lord can set all their works in order before them and write them as it were in great letters that a man may runne and read the same If then we would be able to stand before the Lord at the last dreadfull day of iudgement Vse 1 when the bookes shall bee laid open and euery man shall bee iudged according to his works then let vs take that course which will make vs able to doe so and that is to get holy and sound loue and to testifie our louing heart by our louing behauiour not to loue in word alone but in deed Iob. 3.18.19 Chap. 5.17 Thereby shall wee assure our hearts before him and haue boldnesse in the day of iudgment so that pure and Christian loue with the fruites of it is the best meanes to make vs with confidence and comfort to hold vp our heads in the day of accounts Secondly Vse 2 this is for comfort against al the false clamors and accusations that are raised against Gods seruants the wicked here haue great matters to charge them with and haue much to say for their vnrighteous proceeding but at the day of the Lords reckning they that haue most to say now shal haue least to say for thēselues little doth any know how soone he may b called vnto the bar Therefore let Gods children commend thēselues vnto God in wel-doing he is the great Iudge of the whole world and with him righteous men shall haue good hearing in their iust and righteous eauses and all euill men shall be put to silence Godly men shall lift vp their heads with glory and wicked sinners shall stop their mouthes with shame Vers 13. Binde him hand and foot Hitherto of the examination conuictiō of him that had not on a wedding garment Now followeth this sentence well befitting the partie offending bind him hand and foot hee had abused his hands his feet and dishonoured God by his whole body and therfore iust it is that he should be punished in that take him away because hee had onely beene in the Church but not of the Church at the meanes but not profited by them therefore must he now be separated from all communion with God or his Saints And cast him into vtter darkenesse Seeing he loued darkenesse more then light therefore he shall haue enough of it Hee must be cast into a hell of darkenesse Doctr. 6 Out of all which this generall point may bee noted that the speciall time and place of the punishment of wicked men is after this life in hell fire heere vngodly men haue libertie both of hand and foote When and where wicked mens punishment shal be and the Saints of God are in greater restraint but why is that Because sinners shall neuer haue their full measure of woe till they be cast bodies and soules into hell fire at which time they shall be made capable of the extremitie of all miseries because their iniquities are growen to a full height Therefore let vs neuer enuy their prosperitie Vse 1 nor thinke that God taketh no notice of their sinnes because he delaieth to inflict punishment vpon them for the same Iudges doe cause notorious malefactors to be repriued sometimes but it is in no great fauour vnto them though in the meane time it may be they sharply correct their owne children so doth the Lord deale seuerely chastising those that are of his owne familie but letting reprobates thrine in their sinfull waies that in the end he may pay them home for all Secondly Vse 2 sith wicked mens punishment shall be principally in hell and the Church shall neuer be fully ridde of them till then Therefore let vs not be discouraged though for a while tarres be mingled with the wheat there is some vse of them and God seeth that wee haue need of such launders now and then whilst wee remaine vpon the face of the earth but when wee come to heauen wee shall be quite freed from them and therefore in the meane time let vs not take such offence at them as Brownists doe but wait Gods time when he shall command his holy Angels to separate them from amongst vs and to giue them their due in the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone for euer Thirdly Vse 3 let vs obserue this from the contrarie that as wicked mens full iudgement so godly mens full paiment is deferred till the last day They haue many comfortable refreshings here but at that day they shall be bathed in a whole sea of comforts As sinners at that time shall be depriued of all good things and bee vexed with all manner of euils so the Saints on the other side shal be exempted from all euill and be brought to the enioyment of all good things as sinners shall bee perfectly miserable so shall the Saints be perfectly happy as the one shall be sensible of their wretchednes so shall the other be of their blessednes and as the one shall be euerlastingly misesarable so shall the other be eternally happy in a word there shall bee euery way as much ioy and felicity in heauen and more too then there shall be woe and anguish in hell Which should stay vs from fainting vnder our crosses and sorrowes our temptations and corruptions Note wee can easily thinke that wicked men haue an ill bargaine though they enioy the pleasures of sin for a season because they must come to such torments in the end and why should not we iudge that we haue a good bargaine though wee passe thorow the fire and be in the Lords furnace for a while sith wee shall attaine to such ioies at last as farre furpasse the reach of any mortall man THE SEVENTH SERMON PSAL. 119. vers 1. c. 1 Blessed are those that are vpright in their way and walke in the law of the Lord. 2 Blessed are they that keep his
testimonies and seeke him with their whole heart 3 Surely they worke none iniquity but walke in his wayes 4 Thou hast commanded to keep thy precepts diligently IN this first part of the Psalme now read vnto you is set downe a descriptiō of a blessed man the things that make men good or at least the markes which shew them to be good which are two 1 The first in their hearts that they are vpright and sincere vers 1. and seeke God with their whole heart vers 2. that is truly not hypocritically and earnestly not slackly and carelesly 2 The second is in their outward behauiour that they walke in the law of the Lord vers 1. and keepe his testimonies vers 2. where are added also the causes of their happinesse 1 One is their freedome from sinne Surely they work none iniquity vers 3. not but they are compassed about with many infirmities still and fall into diuerse sinnes which Gods law condemneth but they do not wilfully and presumptuously slauishly nor desperatly worke iniquity as for their frailties the Lord passeth by them He will see none iniquity in Iacob nor transgression in Israel Numb 23.21 2 Another is taken from this that God hath commanded them to keepe his precepts diligently vers 4. Now he neuer giueth a precept but he also rewardeth those that yeeld obediēce therunto he neuer setteth any awork but he payeth them their wages and therefore all such as walk in the waies that he willeth them shall be recompensed with that happinesse that he promiseth them Vers 1. Blessed are those that are vpright in their waies c. IN that when the Prophet would make knowne vnto all the world who are in the happiest estate and in the highest place of account with God hee describeth and setteth them forth by this property that they are sincere in heart vpright in life conuersation in a word such as truly feare the Lord. The point hence to be noted in general is this that Grace and Religion is the way to all blessednesse Doct. 1 This doctrine the Psalmist confirmeth vnto vs in sundry other places Religion is the way to happinesse Psal 1.1.2 c. and 112.1 as Psalme 1. 112 c. In the former whereof he declareth who is a man truly religious to wit he that escheweth ill counsels and sinfull practises and on the other side embraceth and delighteth in goodnesse and godlinesse and in the meanes of obtaining and increasing the same and then he pronounceth such a man blessed Blessed saith he is the man that doth not walk in the counsell of the wicked nor stand in the way of sinners c. But his delight is in the law of the Lord and in his law will he meditate day and night And to the same effect is that in the other Psalme before named Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord and delighteth greatly in his commandements c. Throughout which Psalme we may obserue as the true and certaine notes of a righteous man so also his priuiledges which are very many and very great both in regard of himselfe and of his posterity which shall speede the better for his sake Notable likewise is that place of Deuteronomy Deur 33.29 where the Lord speaketh vnto his Church in this manner Blessed art thou O Israel who is like vnto thee O people saued by the Lord the shield of thy helpe the sword of thy glory which speech is not to be vnderstood as pertaining onely to that nation but as belonging to all that are the true Israel of God and that serue him with an vpright and faithfull heart Now what saith he of them Who is like vnto thee O Isral Why if they should haue looked to outward things they might haue answered the Egyptians the Edomites Assyrians yea the very Canaanites themselues are like vnto vs yea farre beyond vs for at that time when this was spoken they were in the wildernesse trauelling towards the promised land and what great matters had they then Moses who was the best of them had not a house to rest his head in none of them could say this is my ground there is my corne thus large are my reuenewes by the yeare c. but they were all tenants at will at a daies or at an howres warning or lesse euen as Gods pleasure was yet the Lord maketh a chalenge against all the world Who is like vnto thee O people saued by the Lord meaning indeed that no nation vnder heauen was comparable vnto them in regard of the wonderfull things that God had wrought for them and in regard of those heauenly prerogatiues which he had vouchsafed vnto them the meanest hewer of wood or drawer of water amongst them was to be preferred before the mightiest Monarch in the world and that may be said of all true Christians which was spoken of them Who is like vnto thee O people saued by the Lord The truth of this will more euidently appeare if wee well weigh the things that follow Namely 1. What misery grace doth free vs from 2. What good things it maketh vs to enioy 1. In this life 1. Estimation 2. Safety 3. Comfort 2. In the life to come all maner of happinesse 1 First therefore that we may see what misery it frees vs frō 1. What misery grace freeth vs from wee must consider that men naturally are the children of wrath vnder the curse and malediction of God subiect to horrible vexations and terrors all their life long they liue in feare of death and of such iudgements as are forerunners of death their table is a snare and their prosperity their ruine their aduersity is imbittered and their callings accursed and in a word nothing maketh them better but euery thing a great deale worse all being infected and poysoned vnto them by their owne sinnes Note and Gods fearful vengeance vpon the same If they liue it is to the increase of their damnation if they dye they goe to take present possession of destruction if they refuse to eate and drinke they are murderers of themselues if they doe eate and drinke they are vsurpers of that which is none of their owne If they come not to the Word and Sacrament they are contemners of Gods ordinances if they doe come they are profaners of the same and so shal be further hardened to their finall perdition and is not this a wretched case Though for their apparell they were cloathed as Salomon in the midst of his royalty though their robes were as rich as was Aarons Ephod or brest-plate or the most costliest parts of his garments all were of no worth without grace though they fed on the daintiest dishes and did eate Angels foode as the Israelits are said to doe yet if they be sinfull and rebellious they shall perish as Corah Dathan and Abiram many other of them did Though their habitations were as sumptuous and delightfull as Paradice was yet they could
wretched men in the world But as for those that wil not feed their couetous humor though they were the best men that liued vpon the earth they shall tast of their doggish behauiour they shall be snarled at if not bitten if they put not into their mouthes saith the Prophet they prepare warre against them they furnish themselues with a number of bitter and biting reproofes with a multitude of heauy and grieuous threatnings to powre out against them in full measure But these are farre from our Sauiours spirit who would frame his speeches to the good of all without exception not sparing those that were kinde vnto him nor laying loade on men for witholding kindnesse from him speaking not pleasing but profitable things vnto all sorts Thus true and feruent loue vnto God and men made him to deale and selfe loue and selfe respect maketh false hearted hypocrites to take a quite contrary course Here is matter of instruction for vs to imitate our Sauiour in this point Vse 2 and of a great comfort vnto such as in a zeale of Gods glory and compassion ouer the foules of men and in conscience of discharging their owne duty seeke to recompence naturall kindnesse with spirituall kindnesse and when men shew their loue vnto them in a ciuill maner do endeuour to requite it in a Christian maner as well as in the like kinde and do not suffer the faire speeches or good turnes of any so farre to dazell their eies that they cannot see or to tye their tongues that they cannot speake against those things that are amisse in them but deale faithfully with their soules in that behalfe howsoeuer they may sometimes beare the imputation of inhumanity indiscretion yet if they deale wisely and mercifully as our Sauiour did though not in the like perfection they may take comfort therein For howsoeuer ignorant and carnall mens consciences be against them yet the testimony of God and of their consciences will be for them and beare them out of all calumniations reuiling speeches that are inuented to defame and disgrace them and this shall be found true whē all men shal be proued lyars that he that reproueth when he hath iust cause and calling thereunto shall finde more fauour at length then he that flattereth And thus much for the generall doctrine Now let vs consider the words more particularly Verily verily I say vnto you yee seeke me not c. In that Christ Iesus taketh notice of the disposition and inclination of their hearts that do now follow him and intended the filling of their bellies though they pretended to seeke after the satisfying of their soules the doctrine hence to be collected is this that our Lord Iesus Christ is acquainted with the purposes of such as come to his seruices and to the meanes of their saluation He obserueth what is the principall end that they aime at Doct. 2 as we may see in this place Christ is the searcher of the heart they affoord Christ very good words and are ready to acknowledge the miracle that he had wrought and yet he doth not onely see but narrowly looke into that fleshly respect that they had in coming vnto him and tels them plainly of their hypocrisie and that with a protestation Verily verily c. q. d. I say it for a truth disproue me if you can and I auouch it againe because it is a matter of weight that you come to feed your bodies vnder pretence of feeding your soules And as he did descend into their hearts and find out their fraud and guile so doth he continually behold all the windings and turnings that are in the hearts of the sonnes of men This may appeare in the Gospell of Iohn where it is said that many beleeued in his name when they saw the miracles that he did they were moued in a sudden passion vppon the sight of such great wonders to thinke that he was the Christ but it is added Iesus did not commit himselfe vnto them he would not trust them notwithstanding the faire shew they made because he knew thē all Iohn 2.23.24.25 had no need that any shoud testifie of man for he knew what was in man he proued that they were not sound whatsoeuer others thought of them neither did he stand in need of the testimony of any that should tell him this man is vpright this man is not for he knoweth a mans heart better then himselfe doth and it may be made yet more cleare by reason that God is priuy to mens thoughts because he 1. publisheth them 2. reproueth them 3. punisheth them First Reason that he publisheth them to others is apparant in Ezek. 14 1.3 Ezekiel where the Lord telleth the Prophet that howsoeuer the Elders of Israel came vnto him He publ sheth mens thoughts and sate before him yet they had set vp Idols in their hearts howsoeuer they would haue men to beleeue that they were the holy seruants of God that they loued the word of God came to heare what he would teach them yet the Lord declareth vnto Ezekiel that their hearts were not withdrawne from Idolatry and superstition therefore that he should thinke neuer the better of them for their outward semblance of religion Secondly as he publisheth their thoughts to others so he reproueth them for the same himselfe Reproueth them Mat. 9.4 as the Euangelist testifieth When Iesus saw their thoughts he said wherefore thinke ye euill thoughts in your hearts Where it is plaine that therefore he rebuked them because he discerned the corruptnesse of their thoughts in iudging hardly of him because he had said to the man sicke of the palsie Thy sinnes are forgiuen thee And indeede what equity were it that Christ should blame men for their cogitations vnlesse he were the searcher of the heart It is indiscretion and an iniurious part for a man to find fault vnlesse he can directly proue that which he layeth to another mans charge and how much vnbeseeming the infinite wisedome and righteousnesse of Christ must we needs thinke it then to deale with any in that sort Nay he forbiddeth vs to iudge rashly and commandeth vs to iudge righteous iudgement and therefore he will much more obserue that rule himselfe Thirdly he doth correct and punish men for their peruerse and naughty imaginations and affections He panisheth them and therefore he must needes be a discerner of the same for otherwise how should he proceed according to euery mans desert And that he doth inflict punishment on men for thoughts Isay 29.15 the Prophet Isaiah sheweth when God chargeth the people that though their bodies were neare him yet their hearts were remoued farre frō him and therefore he threatneth that he will do a maruellous worke with them to wit that the wisedome of the wise should perish In their soules c. that he would infatuate them and giue them vp to blindnesse of mind and to
the meat that c. q. d. You cannot doe both together you cannot seeke the things of this life and the things that pertaine to a better life both at once whence this doctrine ariseth that A man cannot bee both a wordling and a Christian Doct. these two are opposed and set one against the other as things that cannot stand together A men cannot be a worldling and a Christian one can not labour for these transitory things that is set his whole desire vpon them and bend his whole indeuour for the obtaining of them and withal labour for better matters and religiously and vnfainedly seeke after them He that persueth after earthly things cannot follow after heauenly things and he that followeth after heauenly things will not persue after earthly things Not but that one may be truly religious and yet enioy the commodities of this life but he cannot set his heart vpon them and vpon matters of godlines also no mā can be earthly minded and spiritually affected at one the same time nor seek that happines which is aboue that which is beneath at once in which regard the holy Ghost maketh an opposition betwixt them 1. Iohn 2.15.16 saying Loue not the world neither the things that are in the world if any man loue the world the loue of the Father is not in him Whence it is euident that a mans affections cannot be fastened both on the world and on God He may vse the world and yet loue God but he cannot loue the world but it will exclude the loue of God he that maketh it his felicity to enioy the things of this life the loue of the father is not in him neither doth he loue the father nor apprehend the Fathers loue vnto him But what are those things of the world which we must not loue he telleth vs in the verse following The lust of the flesh the lust of the eies and the pride of life Where by the lust of the flesh are all kindes of concupiscence meant as in eating and drinking 2. By the lust of the eyes are meant al such things as content the eyes as faire houses goodly pastures great store of cattell gorgious furniture c. 3. By the pride of life is meant aduancement and dignity c. or great men in the world any way either in place or in estimatiō for any speciall parts or endowments All the things of the world may be drawne vnto one of these three heads of pleasure profit or credit And concerning all these he saith that they are not of the Father honest delights wealth and preferment are frō the Father but the loue of these is not frō the Father but from the world therefore whosoeuer inordinatly affecteth them is a worldling not a Christian Therefore the Apostle exhorteth the Colossians If ye be risen with Christ Col. 3.1.2 seeke those things which are aboue and set your affections on things which are aboue and not on the things which are beneath implying that they could not do both It is as possible for a man to rise and fall to climbe vpward and to descend downeward at the same instant as to be godly and worldly to ascend to heauenwards and to grouell to the earthwards they cannot bee verified of the same person at one and the same time And the reason is taken from that of our Sauiour Reason Mat. 6. No man can serue two maisters for being of contrary dispositions and affections as God and the world or rather the Prince of the world are either of them would be whole maister and requireth the whole man Doth voluptuousnesse take place in the heart it will not endure any matters of religion to bee thought of or spoken of but that must haue the ordering of the cogitations of the mind and of the speeches of the mouth and of the actions of the body Doth worldlinesse or hautinesse beare sway then will they extinguish all the sparkes of goodnesse that are in a man and quite put out the light of religion carying all the meditations and practises of the party towards the obtaining of that which is aymed at On the contrary if religion once get the better and begin to rule in the heart it will root out sinne and make those that were Sathans bondslaues before to become Gods free men it will by degrees kill lust and couetousnesse and pride grace will be stil increasing and corruption decreasing so that they can neuer agree together no more then can fire and water Which is for the confutation and ouerthrow of that dangerous errour that is in the most part of men Vse 1 that take it to be a notable point of wisedome to ioyne these together to be reoters in the earth and yet prosessors of the Gospell so ordering the matter that they will neither be so apparantly prophane as others that notoriously practise impiety and wickednesse neither be so strict as others that exercise sound mortification and holinesse And herein they glory that they can carry the credit both of husbands for the world and of wise dealers for their soules that they can enioy a present happinesse in this life beyond the best and yet liue in hope of blessednesse in the life to come as well as the best and therein they applaud their owne wisedome and haue themselues in admiration and for want of this they censure their betters of folly and haue them in derision But of all silly men these are the silliest that thinke they can serue both GOD and Mammon the Lord and the world Christ had not found out the depth of that wisedome he professeth that his kingdome was not of this world and biddeth vs labour for the foode that endureth to eternall life and not for that which perisheth And therefore howsoeuer these vaine men blesse themselues in the high estimation of their great policy yet they do very palpably bewray their grosse ignorance and simplicity as all shall do that will try conclusions contrary to Christs conclusions whatsoeuer they dreame of in seeking for both they lose both they haue neither found comfort in God nor true contentment in the world Yet how generall is this errour amongst the sonnes of men they make some reckoning that there is a God and therefore they will now and then heare a Sermon sit at it and speake of it but neuer make vse of any thing that crosseth them in their pleasures or profites they will make a shew of keeping the Sabboth by frequenting the publike exercises of religion but when they are ouer they betake them to their sports and recreations But what will be the issue of these things Our Sauiour telleth vs in the Gospell for when men shall say vnto him Lord Lord and bragge of the workes they haue done in his name he will professe vnto them I neuer knew you or acknowledged you for mine depart from me ye that worke iniquity Matth. 7.22.23 Therefore it standeth
helpfull it maketh vs blessed in this present life and in the life to come it bringeth with it the comfort of the spirit the feeling of gods loue and fauour and the comfortable vse of all outward good things We are not likely at least not certaine to continue here many daies and what an vnspeakeable comfort then is it to be assured that when we goe from men we shall goe to God and when we leaue the earth wee shall inherit heauen that we shall haue peace at our death and glory after our death If the pestilence enter into our houses or take hold of our owne persons when none dare come vnto vs then God will be with vs though our bodies be insected yet our soules can neuer be so infected if we haue grace in our hearts but that God dareth to enter into our houses to visite vs and when our soules shall be parted from our bodies he wil not thinke it too much to giue them a place of rest with himselfe in his owne kingdome at length vnite them to our bodies againe that they may enioy euerlasting blisse together as they haue bene imployed in Gods seruice together Seeing then Vse 1 that the benefit of labouring for grace is so great this serueth to reproue those that are slothfull in the things of God slothfull in repairing to the Word and in mingling the same with faith in their hearts slothfull in trauelling with their owne soules in examining their hearts and laying the edge of gods threatenings to their corruptions for the cutting off of the same These men thinke that grace will grow as weedes doe without any plowing manuring or sowing of the ground though they neuer pray earnestly nor heare carefully nor be at any paines for the reforming of their hearts or of their liues yet they thinke they shall haue goodnes enough by an ordinary course and conclude that heauen shall be cast vpon them whether they will or not as if God could not chuse but saue their soules But these foolish men doe altogether deceiue themselues and they shall find by woful experience that except they set their minds hearts tongues hands and all the powers and parts of soule and body on worke they shall neuer attaine vnto any godlinesse at all and therefore of necessity be depriued of euerlasting life But we like of the Word Obiect and loue the preaching and preachers thereof Answ But what measure of faith and of other graces of Gods spirit haue you gotten thereby if you be distitute of those it is sure you haue not laboured as you should for the same for whosoeuer seeketh findeth Talking of gold siluer the like and declaring to others how much we affect them wil not keepe vs from penury we must so labour for them as that we get them if we would be rich men A sluggard may desire to get the victory but he must fight for it that will haue it and the like holds in spirituall things those that would be partakers of them must vse the meanes that God hath appointed for the accomplishing of their desire And therefore this rebuke lights vpon the heads of all such sluggards as will not bestir them in this weighty matter nor liue in the field of grace nay whē the crop of grace is brought home vnto their houses they wil not open their dores to receiue it they wil not so much as giue attention to the word but are like the high way side that doth not so much as receiue the seede that is cast vpon it but lette the Diuell catch away all from them Secondly Vse 2 this may be an Apologie for those that are faithfull and painefull in seeking for the Word if it be a thing so exceeding necessary then are not they to be blamed that are content to vndergo any toile for the obtaining of it it is no precisenesse nor needles labour neither are such to be checked and reprehended but rather to be cōmended and encouraged for this is it that is foretold in Daniel Dan. 12.4 Many shall run to and fro and knowledge shall abound If men haue a dangerous sicknes they seeke help from the Phisition though far off none findes fault with them nor makes question why they should seek to be healed If householders want prouisiō at home they wil repaire to the market none cries out vpon them What wretched men are these that cannot keepe them from the market haue they not oxen and sheep at home for though they haue men are so wise as to consider that they are not made ready for their turn Now if they are not blamed nor indeed blame worthy that do thus seeke for corporall Phisicke and sood then why should they be blamed by Papists and such as are Popishly affected that seeke for that which is spirituall Se the 2. Sermon one Mark 14. Doct 6. it being far more requisite and necessary Which the sonne of man shall giue c. Doct. The efficacie of the Word Doct. 5 The efficacie of the word and Sacrament of Christ and Sacrament is from Christs owne hand Whosoeuer would haue grace must receiue it from Christ himselfe hence is that promise made vnto the Israelites The Lord thy Gods will circumcise thy heart and the heart of thy seed that thou malest loue the Lord thy God with all thine heart and with all thy soule that thou maiest liue They to whom it did belong to circumcise their bodies could goe no further then the outward circūcision it was God only that could cut off the corruption of their hearts and frame them vnto obedience that which is spoken concerning that one Sacrament holdeth as true in all the rest man can giue only the externall signes God must giue the inward vertue And the reasons why it pertains vnto Christ is a work of the Godhead only are diuers First Reasons 1 one is taken out of the text where it said Him hath the Father sealed it is Christ his office vnto which the Father hath ordained him he alone hath commission and warrant to deale in it and whosoeuer else doth arrogate that vnto himselfe is an intruder and shall be punished for that he goeth about to thrust Christ out of his chaire Secondly as it belongs to him so he alone is of ability to doe it none besides him can deale with the heart wherein this worke doth principally consist He onely knowes it and he alone can cure it as the first Adam did kill vs 1 Cor 15.45 so the second Adam must quicken vs. No man can giue natural life vnto another no not that which brutish creatures doe enioy nay nor so much as that which plants doe liue by much lesse can any one giue spirituall life vnto another Paul may plant and Apolos may water but God alone giueth the increase Thirdly experience will confirme vs in this point for who be the mē vpon whom the ordinances of God
of them Verse 8. But now put ye away euen all these things wrath anger maliciousnesse cursed speaking filthy speaking out of your mouth Now therefore that you are called to the hope of a beter life lay aside farre from you as things you cannot abide the sight of not onely the grosser sinnes before mentioned but also all manner of sinne without endeuour whereof there is no true mortification For example anger heate from whence commeth malice which breaketh out at the mouth by railing and reuiling Verse 9. Lye not one to another seeing that ye haue put off the old man with his workes Specially when you cannot truly charge them take heede you lye not one against another but putting off as an old and rotten garment the old man which you bring from your mothers womb with the actions thereof as it were so many tatters Verse 10. And haue put on the new which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him Now lest being found naked you be ashamed put on as a new and comely garment the new man which if you aske what it is it is the same part which is renewed in you to the likenesse of him that made you which likenesse consisteth in the knowledge of God Verse 11. Where is neither Grecian nor Iew circumcision nor vncircumcision Barbarian Scythian bond free but Christ is all and in all things Whereby shall come to passe that howsoeuer the false teachers place it in beeing a Iew rather than beeing a Gentile circumcised rather than vncircumcised and the opinion of the common sort is that the Barbarian and Scythian is in a farre worse case than the Romane and the seruant but a beast in respect of the free man yet with God there is no difference seeing Christ whom by a new birth they haue put on is in all and is all that God respecteth and accepteth of Verse 12. Now therefore as the elect of God holy and beloued put on tender mercy kindnesse humblenesse of minde meeknesse long suffering To come to a more particular description of the new man deck your selues as it becommeth the elect of God and such as are holy through his loue the cause both of your election and holinesse with tender compassion easinesse to be imployed humility mildnesse long suffering Verse 13. For bearing one another and forgiuing one another if any man haue a quarrell to another euen as Christ forgaue you euen so do yee Which vertues must be declared effectually not onely in forbearing one another but also in frankly forgiuing one another if any haue a quarrell one against another euen as Christ hath frankly forgiuen you euen so do yee Verse 14. And aboue all these things put on loue which is the bond of perfectnesse And though those be singular vertues yet aboue them all as the roote and mother of them decke your selues with loue which is as it were a bond to bind in a bundle those and all other vertues tending to perfection and without which there is no foundnesse in any of them what glittering shew soeuer they carry Verse 15. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts to the which ye are called in one body and be ye amiable And though the spirit of the old man within you hath a desire to contend yet let the peace of God beare the sway and ouercome vnto the which peace you are euidētly called in that you are members of one mysticall body For the better entertainment of which peace be gratefull one to another as well in conferring as in requiting benefites Verse 16. Let the word of Christ dwell in you plenteously in all wisdome teaching and admonishing your owne selues in Psalmes and Hymnes and spirituall songs singing with a grace in your hearts to the Lord. To the end you may refraine all the vices aforesaid and practise all the vertues afore spoken of together with all other vices to be auoyded and vertues to be embraced it is necessary that you be exhorted that the word of God be as familiar vnto you as if now in one house it dwelt with you that you haue it also plentifully as it were treasured vp against the day of neede Last of all that you haue it in all wisedome making choyce both of the things that are most important in it and especially that which doth most concerne your selues and your owne particular vse anoyding all curious questions tending rather to strife than to edification of God which is by faith And as you must haue it for your owne vse so also for the vse of others as wel in teaching those that are ignorant as in admonishing those that walke not according to their knowledge they haue receiued And in your meetings to make merry let your mirth be shewed forth in Psalmes singing as well with instrument as with voyce also with hymnes of thankesgiuing for benefites receiued and for further variety against irksomnesse which our nature easily falleth into with songs of praising God for his noble acts all spirituall vnto the Lord not onely with the voyce but especially with the heart with such both tune and gesture as may giue grace to the hearer verse 17. And whatsoeuer yee shall do in word or deede do all in the name of the Lord Iesus giuing thankes to God euen the Father by him To conclude because it is infinite to speake of all things particularly whatsoeuer you do in word or in deed let it be such as calling on the name of God in Iesus Christ for good direction in them you may returne with thankefulnesse to GOD the Father through Iesus Christ the onely mediator betweene GOD and vs. verse 18. Wiues submit your selues vnto your husbands as it is comely in the Lord. Having instructed you in the duties which are generall to all I come to informe you in those that are speciall according to the seuerall callings of euery one of you as those which will easily come from you if you haue well profited in the former Now according to the order God himselfe keepeth in the 5. commandement I will begin with the duties of inferiors You wiues therefore notwithstanding you haue other duties I exhort you as to that which is hardest for you wherein you are customably shortest and being performed others will easily follow that you be subiect and obedient as to others that may be aboue you as parents and Magistrates so specially vnto your own husbands as that which is the most comely thing of all because you I know strine to comelinesse Which obedience and subiection is not yet so absolute so generall but it hath this exception so far as you are commanded things not vnlawfull by the word of God Verse 19. Husbands loue your wiues and be not bitter vnto them You husbands although you owe sundry duties vnto your wiues yet specially I exhort you to loue thē dearely as that which you are most customably shortest in and which being throughly
setled in you wil easily pul al other duties after it And therfore be not bitter towards theÌ„ which cannot stand with loue Verse 20. Children obey your parents in all things for that is well pleasing vnto the Lord. You children from a heart subdued and truly humble obey your parents not by halues and so farre as they command things to your liking but in all things not contrary to the word of God although it be to the crossing of your desires for which cause let it be alwaies before your eyes as a goade to stirre you vp to this obedience that in so doing you shall not onely please your parents but doe a thing acceptable to the Lord himselfe Verse 21. Fathers prouoke not your children to anger lest they be discouraged You parents abuse not your authority or the pliable minds of your children either by commanding things vnlawfull or by hard vsage of them to prouoke them to any vndutifulnesse towards you or to haue no courage or comfort to doe the things required of them Verse 22. Seruants be obedient vnto them that are your maisters according to the flesh in all things not with eye seruice as men pleasers but in singlenesse of heart fearing God You seruants from a mind subdued obey your Maisters whose commandement ouer you is but for a time whiles you are in this fraile estate that in all things which may stand with the keeping of a good conscience Now your seruice must not be alone when your maisters stand by and looke one as seeking onely to please your maisters but in singlenesse of heart as fearing God whose eye is alwaies vpon you when your Maisters eye is off Verse 23. And whatsoeuer ye doe do it heartily as to the Lord and not vnto men Your seruice ought also to be voluntary and cheerefull as that which is due to the Lord who loueth a cheerefull giuer and not as vnto man that cannot discerne whether it be done frankly Verse 24. Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receiue the reward of the inheritance for ye serue the Lord Christ. Knowing that you shall receiue in reward from the Lord life as an inheritance which he will freely as vpon his children bestow vpon you for it ought to vphold you in your dutifull seruice that you serue not so much your maisters which are but men and therefore sometimes vnthankfull and vnable to recompence but the Lord who is both able and will recompence your well doing Verse 25. But he that doth wrong he shall receiue for the wrong that he hath done and there is no respect of persons Remembring on the other side that whatsoeuer he be that doth wrong whether maister or seruant thereof he shall receiue the punishment from the Lord who accepteth neither the person of the seruant to pitty him because of his poore and base estate nor of the maister to spare him because of his dignity and high degree The end of the third Chapter CHAP. 4. Vers 1. Yee Maisters do vnto your seruants that which is iust and equall knowing that ye also haue a maister in heauen YOu Maisters looke that you yeeld vnto your seruants both wages and meate and drinke as that which is â—ight and with moderate rest and recreation some further recompence according to the good seruice they haue done as that which is equall considering that as your seruants are to render an account vnto you so you must giue an account vnto your Maister which is in heauen verse 2. Continue in prayer and watch in the same with thankesgiuing And now to returne againe to the generall duties yet such as for the most part belong rather vnto you than vnto other persons Churches not so stated or affected as yours I exhort you to take paines and to continue in petitions and requests vnto God with heed taken that it be not done carelesly and drowsily the which both with continuance painfulnesse and watching must be done and performed in thankesgiuing for graces already receiued verse 3. Praying also for vs that God may open vnto vs the doore of vtterance to speake the mystery of Christ wherefore I am also in bonds Praying in both sorts as for all men and the faithfull aboue others so especially for me and Timothy that God would open our mouthes wide as a gate otherwise shut is set open that we may speake the secrets of Christ naturally hidden from all men and by dispensation of GOD alwaies to the coming of Christ obscurely knowen to the faithfull yea to the Angels themselues for which I am in hold vers 4. That I may vtter it as it becommeth me to speake In which respect you are yet further to strengthen and stretch out your prayers for me that all feare set apart I may make it manifest as it is meet both in regard of the excellency thereof and the speciall trust of the Apostleship which is committed vnto me vers 5. Walke wisely towards them that are without and redeeme the time And seeing you dwell amongst those that are strangers from God walke wisely that you be neither infected with their euils nor they haue occasion to speake euill of the truth and that by the light of your godly conuersation they may be allured to giue eare to the truth therein following the example of diligent Merchants that to redeeme their losses that are past watch to take all oportunity of gaining vers 6. Let your speech be gracious alwaies and powdred with salt that ye may know how to answere euery man More particularly looke to your speeches in the wise ordering whereof Christian wisedome is singularly discerned that it be alwaies as sauory meate well seasoned whiles you shall be able to answere euery man according as their particular estates require verse 7. Tychicus our beloued brother and faithfull Minister and fellow seruant in the Lord shall declare vnto you my whole state In the loue care I beare vnto you I haue sent Pychicus vnto you who shall informe you of all my estate whereof I know you will be glad to heare whom that you may receiue as it becommeth I commend vnto you for a brother worthy to be beloued also for a faithfull Minister and my fellow in the Lords seruice vers 8. Whom I haue sent vnto you for the same purpose that he might know your state and might comfort your hearts Whom I haue sent as to let you vnderstand of mine affaires so to know what case you are in thereof to make report vnto me and especially that he may comfort you at the heart against the storme of persecution raised against you verse 9. With Onesimus a faithfull and beloued brother who is one of you They shall shew you of all things here And with him that the embassage may haue more authority and that in the mouth of 2. witnesses the things concerning you or mee may be better assured I sent Onesimus a brother both faithfull and worthy to be beloued