commeth from them as if their heart should be taken out of their bellyes They give as the Apostle speaketh 2. Cor. 9.7 grudgingly and as of necessitie If the law compelled them not they would never give 2. Men give not according to their abiâ—ity and that that wee give is nothing worth unlesse it bee proportionable to our ability Acts 1â— â—9 The Disciples every man according to his ability determined to send reliefe to the brethren in Iudea They that are rich in this world should bee rich in good workes 1. Tim 6.18 And this is that for which our Saviour preferreth the gift of the poore widdow before all that was given by others Luke 21.4 that she gave to the utmost of her abiâ—ity and so did not they I would therefore have these men to consider that in giving to the poore if they give with good hearts they doe themselves more good then they can doe the poore if they gave much more then they doe Aâ—t 20. â—5 It is a more blessed thing to give then to receive Prov. 11.17 The mercifull man doth good to his owne soule The more plentifully thou givest the greater shall thy reward be 2. Cor. 9.6 He that soweth sparingly shall reape sparingly and he that soweth bountifully shall reape bountifully Pray therefore with the Apostles Lu. 17.5 Lord increase our faith Certainly if thou hadst faith to beleeve Gods promises it would be no such trouble to thee to give to the poore Now to shut up all I must answere one objection that our men usually make for this hardnesse of heart in this kind I could be content to give what I am assessed and more too so I saw equallity used in sessements To which I answer 1. That surely there ought care to bee had of this I meane not saith the Apostle 2. Cor. 8.13 that other men should bee eased and you burdened They that have to doe in businesse for the poore should deale faithfully and impartially See the Apostles care in this matter 2. Cor. 8 20 21. he was very carefull that no man might blame him in that businesse 2. But say there bee a fault this way suffer not thou the sin of others to hinder thee from doing thy duty or make thee doe it grudgingly and so to loose thy reward Remember what the Apostle saith Rom. 12.21 Bee not overcome of evill but overcome evill with goodnesse If any man shall thinke I stand too much on this point let him remember 1. That it well becommeth a minister of the Gospell at all times to plead for the poore When Paul tooke his leave of the chiefe Apostles the only thing they intreated of him was this that in his ministery hee would remember the poore the same which I also of my selfe saith he was forward to doe Gal 2.10 2. This is a time wherein officers are here and in all other places chosen to take care for the poore and sessements are usually made for that purpose and therefore this is a seasonable doctrine for this time 3. I speake the more of it to stirre you up at this time to shew your compassion and extend your liberality toward the poore of this Towne I have long thought it a shame unto us that such an assembly as this is should so often meete together to serve God and no collection be made in it in all this time for the poore I could alleadge the example of other reformed Churches to provoke us to this and name to you congregations in our owne land where collections are made for the poore every moneth once upon the Lecture day But I pray you rather consider the equitie of that law of God Deuterono 16.16 17. Three times in a yeere shall all thy males appeare before the Lord thy God in the place which he shall chuse and they shall not appeare before the Lord empty every man shall give as he is able according the blessing of the Lord thy God which hee hath given thee If it were for nothing else even to professe our homage to God it is fit in our Church-assemblies we should somtimes give somewhat to the poore I have hitherto forborne to doe it because of that willingnesse many of you shewed in your weekely contributions while that fasts continued Now I hope it will not offend any of you that beleeve this that you have heard as I doubt not but you all doe if once a quarter I crave this of you that as you are made heere partakers of our spirituall things so you will bee content to minister unto our poore in these carnall things Romanes 15.27 Lecture XXIII On Psalme 51.1 2. Aprill 25. 1626. THe fourth and last thing wee are to observe for our imitation in the example of the Lords goodnesse and bountifulnesse which the Scripture propoundeth for our patterne in giving to such as stand in neede of us is this That the Lord is not only good and bountifull to them that are in misery but to all his creatures to all men especially Psal. 119.68 Thou art good and dost good 1. Pet. 2.3 The Lord is gracious Psal. 145.9 The Lord is good to all Wee can looke no way but wee shall see monuments of his goodnesse and bounty Psalm 33.5 The earth is full of the goodnesse of the Lord. And this is noted of our Saviour that hee sought not himselfe but in every place where hee came did good Acts 10.38 Hee went about doing good Though hee had many in his time that were most lewd men and did well deserve it yet did he never shew his power in the destroying or hurting of any man but all his miracles still tended to the good and benefite of all men as himselfe answereth his Disciples when they would have provoked him to command fire to come downe from heaven to consume the Village that refused to lodge him Luke 9. â—6 The son of man is not come to destroy mens lives but to save them And in this is he also propounded by the holy Ghost as an example to us Phil. 2.4 â— Looke not every man on his owne things but every man on the things of others also As if he had said Labour to doe good to others Let this minde bee in you which also was in Christ Iesus And Rom. 15.2 3. Let every one of us please his neighbour for his good unto edification for even Christ pleased not himselfe sought not himselfe In this property all Gods children doe strive to resemble their heavenly Father They are not onely harmelesse peaceable and quiet men such as will not wrong nor wrangle nor hurt any that they live with In which respect David called them Psalme 35.20 The quiet of the land And this Hamor and Shechem witnessed of Iacob his family that while they lived among them though contrary in religion to them yet they lived peaceably with them Gen. 34.21 Esa. 11.9 They shall not hurt and destroy in all my holy mountaine But they that are
not that the thing thou lookest after in all the workes of men in all the services they doe unto thee The true worshippers saith our Saviour Iohn 4 23. shall worship the father in spirit and truth for the father seeketh such to worship him Hee even longeth for such servants as will worship him in that manner Secondly This is that that the Lord delighteth in Such as are upright in their way saith Solomon Prov. 11.20 are the Lords delight I know also my God saith David 1 Chron. 29.17 that thou hast pleasure in purightnesse We can by nothing we are able to doe gratifie and please the Lord so much as in this Thirdly This is all in all with God the onely thing that hee requireth of us let our hearts bee true to him and hee hath enough Indeed this comprehendeth much as wee shall heare and where this is nothing can be wanting and therefore the Lord asketh no more but this This is all that God required of Abram in that covenant that he made with him Genes 17.1 Walke before mee and be thou upright So speaketh Samuel also to the people when hee would renew the covenant betweene God and them 1 Sam. 12.24 Only feare the Lord and serve him in truth with all your heart So runneth the covenant also that God made with David and his posterity 1 Kin. 2.4 If thy children take heed to their wayes and walke before me in truth with all their heart and all their soule there shall not faile thee a man upon the throne of Israel Fourthly The Lord valueth and esteemeth of us and of all our words and actions according to this this is the very ballance of the Sanctuary whereby hee weigheth them all 1. Thus the Prophet describeth a good man Psal. 125.4 Doe good ô Lord to those that be good Who are they And to them that are upright in their hearts 2. A little grace a small measure of knowledge and faith the meanest and poorest service we doe unto God is of a great price and worth with him where hee seeth uprightnesse of heart Philadelphia is said Revel 3.8 to have had but a little strength and yet of all the Churches Christ wrote to hee findeth least fault with her shee pleased him best 3. Nay the Lord will beare with many frailties and faults where hee seeth there is truth in the inward parts See three notable examples of this 1. Asa had sundry great faults which you shall see recorded 2 Chron. 16.10.12 And yet because of this see what a testimony the holy Ghost giveth of him 1 Kings 15.14 Neverthelesse Asaes heart was perfect with the Lord all his dayes As if hee should have said for all his slips and frailties hee was a good man because his heart was upright 2 The second example is of Iehoshaphat his sonne of whom also we read that hee had many great frailties Hee made a league of great amity with Ahab 2 Chron. 18.3 Hee went with him to battell against Ramoth Gilead though hee had heard what Micajah the Prophet spake against it 2 Chron. 18.27 28. Though hee had beene reproved for this by Iehu the Prophet 2 Chron. 19.2 yet doth he after that againe joyne himselfe in speciall league with Ahaziah Ahabs sonne a most wicked man 2 Chron. 20.35 And he bestowed his sonne Iehoram in marriage upon Ahabs daughter 2 Chron. 21.6 And yet for all this God accounted him a good man all his dayes 1 King 22.43 Hee turned not aside from doing that which was right in the eyes of the Lord. And why did God so esteeme of him Surely because his heart was upright with God For saith the Prophet Iehu to him 2 Chron. 19.3 Neverthelesse there are good things found in thee in that thou hast prepared thine heart to seeke God And as it is said 2 Chron. 17.6 His heart was lift up in the wayes of the Lord. He was unfeinedly and zealously bent in the purpose of his heart to please the Lord. 3. The third and last example is of the people that received the passeover in Hezechiahs time of whom it is said 2 Chron. 30.18 that they did eate it otherwise then it was written they swerved in that holy service from the expresse direction and commandement of God For they had not cleansed themselves according to the purification of the Sanctuary they came not so prepared to the Sacrament as they ought to have done And yet did God passe by this fault and imputed it not unto them but at the prayer of Hezekiah healed and forgave them made his Sacrament effectuall to their comfort for all that And why so The reason is given verse 19. They had prepared their hearts to seeke God in that his ordinance the bent of their heart was upright with God in that service You see then what account God maketh of the uprightnesse of the heart 4 On the other side The greatest shewes of goodnesse that can be in a man the best workes he can doe are of no worth with him if this be wanting Iudas repented confessed his sinne in particular and made restitution also of that hee had unjustly got Matth. 27.3 4. and all to no purpose because his heart was rotten and unsound The Pharisee led so civill and honest a life that he justified himselfe before men and was highly esteemed for it as our Saviour speaketh Luk. 16.15 but was of no reckoning with God And why Our Saviour telleth us Matth. 23. â—8 Ye outwardly appeare righteous to men but within ye are full of hypocrâ—sie and iniquity The people in Ezekiels time frequented his ministery diligently tooke as great delight to heare him as as ever they did in any musicke yet were they starke naught in Gods account And the reason is given Ezek. 33.31 their heart was false their heart went after their covetousnesse Iehu shewed great zeale for Gods glory and did much for the advancement of it and gloried of it unto good Iehoâ—adab 2 King 10.16 Come with me saith he and see my zeale for the Lord. And yet did the Lord account of him no better then of a murderer I will avenge saith hee Hos. 1.4 the bloud of Iezreel upon the house of Iehu And why Because in doing that excellent peece of service his heart was not right as you shall see 2 King 10.31 Fiftly and lastly The Lord so highly esteemeth of this truth of heart that hee counteth him that hath this a perfect man a righteous man as if hee had no sinne no defect no frailty in him at all For in the phrase of the Holy Ghost an upright hearted man and a perfect man are all one So God calleth Iob 2.3 A perfect and an upright man So speaketh David Psal. 37.37 Marke the perfect man and behold the upright So Psal. 32.11 Rejoyce in the Lord ye righteous Why who can say he is righteous Hee answereth in the next words Shout for joy all ye that are upright in heart And 97.11 Light is sowen
be said which the Prophet speaketh of Israel Hos. 10.1 Israel is as an empty vine he bringeth forth fruit to himselfe As if hee had said In all good things he doth as he doth them out of selfe-love so he seeketh himselfe onely in them The meanest worke we doe in our calling if we doe it to the Lord and serve him in it will yeeld us assured comfort and reward also the best Sermon we can preach or heare if we do it not to the Lord but to our selves will yeeld us no comfort or reward from God Verily I say unto you saith our Saviour Mat. 6.2 they have their reward And so much for the first property that is required to the right manner of performing of all good duties they must be done to the right end In the other two I will be very briefe The second property required to the right manner of performing good duties is this they must be performed not with the outward man onely but with the heart See this 1 in the generall and 2 in some particular and speciall duties No obedience or service pleaseth God unlesse it be done feelingly and with the affection of the heart That is the thing God calleth for principally My sonne give me thy heart saith he Pro. 2â— 26 Fervâ—nt in spirit serving the Lord saith the Apostle Rom. 12.11 As if he had said No service pleaseth God unlesse it be done with fervencie of spirit This was the thing that God so much commendeth in the obedience of Iehoshaphat 2 Chron. 17.6 that his heart was lift up in the waies of the Lord. As though he should say Hee stirred up himselfe to walke in Gods waies with zeale and affection This also the Lord praiseth Hezekiah for 2 Chron. 31 21. In every worke that he began in the service of the house of God and in the law and in the commandements to seeke his God he did it with all his heart and prospered See this also in sundry speciall parts of our obedience and service unto God First No mans preaching pleaseth God unlesse hee preach with affection and zeale I serve God saith Paul Rom. 1.9 with my spirit in the Gospell of his sonne Secondly No mans hearing pleaseth God or will doe him any good unlesse he heare with affection If God open not your hearts as he did Lydias Act. 16.14 and make you able to heare with affection though you had as good preachers as Paul was your hearing would be to no purpose Thirdly No mans praying pleaseth God or will doe himselfe any good though his words be never so many or so good unlesse he pray with his heart with feeling and affection of heart The effectuall â—ervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much saith the Apostle Iames 5.16 As if he should have said The most righteous mans prayer that is will not be effectuall nor availe much with God unlesse it be fervent Fourthly Our singing of Psalmes pleaseth not God unlesse it be done with affection and feeling Our singing saith the Apostle Eph. 5.19 must be a making of melody in our hearts to the Lord. As if he had said The Lord regardeth no melody but that Fiftly The duties we performe to men in our callings please not God unlesse we doe them with affection of heart Whatsoever ye doe saith the Apostle to the servant Col 3.23 doe it heartily as to the Lord. As if hee had said Els you serve not God in any thing you do nor must looke for any acceptance or reward from him Sixtly and lastly The workes of mercy that wee doe though wee should give all wee have to the poore please not God unlesse they be done with affection and with a compassionat heart Whosoever hath ability and seeth his brother hath need saith the Apostle 1 Ioh. 3.17 and shutteth up his bowells of compassion from him though he open his purse and give him never so much how dwelleth the love of God in him Let every one of us apply this to our selves for the time will not permit me to doe it The third and last property required in the manner of that obedience and service wee doe to God is this if we desire to doe it in the right manner we must doe it in humility In the best duties wee doe wee must find cause of humbling in our selves because wee have done them so poorely and so corruptly When yee have done all those things that are commanded you saith our Saviour Luke 17.10 say wee are unprofitable servants As if hee had said Say this is nothing to that that I should have done Whatsoever ye doe in word or deed saith the Apostle Col 3 17. doe all in the name of the Lord Iesus As though he should say Acknowledge and feele the need you have of Christ to make the best things that you doe acceptable unto God Thus did Nehemiah when he had done a better worke and service to God then any of us are ever like to doe while we live yet see how he was humbled in himselfe Neh. 13.22 Remember me ô my God concerning this also and spare me pardon me according to the greatnesse of thy mercy Without this there can be no uprightnesse of heart in us how good duties soever we performe Behold saith the Prophet Hab. 2.4 his soule which is listed up is not upright in him Lecture LXXXIX On Psalme 51.6 May 13. 1628. IT followeth now that we proceed to the third and last signe and note whereby uprightnesse of heart and truth of saving grace may bee discerned and judged of namely The bent of a mans mind and will the purpose and desire of his heart towards God We must therefore know that one of the surest notes of uprightnesse of heart and truth of grace is this when howsoever wee faile in our practise and obedience yet God hath our heart Yea that is such a signe as a poore Christian may find comfort in when he cannot in the most of them that you heard of before In the handling of this signe I will for the helpe of your understanding and memory observe this order 1. I will shew you what I meane by it 2. I will confirme it unto you 3. I will answer that which may bee objected against it 4. I will make some application of it First therefore the Lord is then said to have our heart when the two principall faculties of our soule that is to say our mind and our will are for God 1. When in our mind we allow and consent to the will of God in all things and can say as David doth Psal. 119.128 I esteeme all thy precepts concerning all things to be right And even in those things wherein through our corruption and weaknesse we do offend against the law yet we can say of the law with the Apostle Rom. 7.12 The law is holy and the commandement is holy and just good 2. When our will is to please God in all things we desire nothing
in our hearts is because we observe it no more nor take our selves with it we feele it no burden nor trouble to us we complaine not more to God of it nor cry more earnestly to him for helpe against it We have not because we aske not as the Apostle speaketh in another case Iam. 4.2 LECTVRES ON PSAL. LI. 6 Lecture XCV On Psalme LI. 6. August XIX MDCXXVIII And in the hidden part thou hadst made me to know wisedome WE have already heard that David suing unto God for mercy in the pardon of those heinous sinnes hee had falne into doth make humble confession of his sinne and accuse himselfe before God for it not onely in grosse and generall ver 3. but more fully in the three verses following For 1. He acknowledgeth his sin in particular that very sin that Nathan had charged him with ver 4. I have done this evill in thy sight 2. He aggravateth his sinne by foure arguments that is to say 1. From the consideration of the person against whom hee had sinned verse 4. Against thee thee onely have I sinned and done this evill in thy sight 2. From the consideration of the fountaine and root from whence this his sin did spring even his vile and cursed nature ver 5. Behold I was borne in iniquity and in sinne did my mother conceive me 3. From the consideration of that delight the Lord taketh in the truth and uprightnesse of the heart which hee found his corrupt heart so farre from specially in the committing of these foule sinnes in the beginning of this sixt verse Behold thou desirest truth in the inward parts 4. Lastly From the consideration of that truth of saving grace which God had wrought in him before he fell into these sinnes in these last words of the sixt verse And in the hidden part thou hadst made me to know wisedome For so I read the words 1. Because the originall will beare this sense as well as the other as might be shewed by many other places of Scripture where words of the future tense are put for the preter-perfect tense and as appeareth by the judgement of the most and best interpreters that is to say the Septuagint the vulgar latine Pagin Vatablus Tremellius Calvin Bucer the Geneva translatours who all understand the words to be meant of the time past not of the present or future time 2. Because this sense doth best agree with the scope of the place for David doth yet continue in the aggravation of his sinne and in professing his humiliation and sorrow for it The summe then of these words is an aggravation of his foule sinnes from the consideration of that sound conversion and truth of grace that God had wrought in him before hee did thus fall And in the words there are these three principall things to bee observed 1. The description David maketh of his owne true conversion and regeneration In the hidden part he had knowne wisedome 2. The author and worker of this his conversion In the hidden part thou hadst made me to know wisedome 3. The end and purpose David had in mentioning the truth of his conversion in this place that is to say to aggravate and increase his sinne by the consideration of it And for the first of these three points before we can receive that instruction which the Holy Ghost intendeth to give us in them three questions must first be moved and answered for the opening of the words First What meaneth he here by Wisedome I answer By wisedome he meaneth true religion and piety the knowledge of the right way how to serve God and to save our owne soules This onely the Holy Ghost calleth true wisedome Vnto man he said saith Iob 28.28 the feare of the Lord that is wisdome Teach us so to number our daies to be so perswaded of and to thinke of the uncertainty of our lives saith Moses in his prayer Psal. 90 1â— as we may apply our hearts unto wisedome As if hee had said As we may seriously study and endeavour to please thee and provide for the salvation of our owne soules But wisedome is justified of her children saith our Saviour Matth. 11.19 As though he should say Though the right way of salvation which Iohn Baptist and I doe teach be despised and rejected by the world yet by all those that God hath appointed unto salvation it is approved of and received Secondly What meaneth he here by the hidden part I answer By it he meaneth the heart which he called before the inward parts Thus the Lord himselfe expoundeth it Iob 38.36 Who hath put wisedome in the inward parts or who hath given understanding to the heart So the Apostle calleth the regenerate part the hidden man of the heart 1 Pet. 3.4 because it is hidden and concealed from all men Who can know it Ier. 17.9 Thou even thou onely saith Solomon 1 King 8.39 knowest the hearts of all the children of men Thirdly And how is hee then said here to have knowne wisedome in the hidden part I answer He did not onely see and discerne in his judgement the right way of salvation but God had made him able also with his heart and in affection to approve and like of it to know it feelingly experimentally effectually And indeed this is the onely right and saving knowledge This was the knowledge of Christ that the Apostle made so high account of Doubtlesse saith he Phil. 3.8.10 I count all things but losse for the excellency of the knowledge of Iesus Christ that I mâ—y know him and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings that is experimentally and effectually And they that know not God and his waies thus in their heart but in their braine onely know him not aright As it is said of the Priests Elyes sonnes 1 Sam. 2.12 and may be too truly of many a Minister now even of such as can preach well that they knew not the Lord. The words then being thus opened we see this Doctrine doth naturally arise from them for our instruction That true and saving knowledge is the principall worke of Gods grace in the conversion of a man See the proofe of this Doctrine in three points First In every one whom God doth convert and regenerate hee worketh saving knowledge spirituall understanding This is the tenour of the new covenant Ier. 31 3â— 34. I will put my law in their inward parts and write it in their hearts and will be their God and they shall be my people And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour and every man his brother saying know the Lord for they shall all know me from the least of them to the greatest of them saith the Lord For I will forgive their iniquity and I will remember their sinne no more Every one whom God receiveth into covenant and to favour whose sinnes he forgiveth even the least the weakest of them all
Lords supper 1 Cor. 10.16 The cup of blessing which we blesse is it not the Communion of the blood of Christ As if he had said Is it not the making of it our owne Thus you have seene the first branch of the Doctrine confirmed to you that no man can receive comfort by the bloud of Christ but he that hath it sprinkled upon his heart and applyed unto him The second branch of it that none but the Lord himselfe can thus apply and sprinkle the bloud of Christ upon the heart of any man is also evident by the holy Scripture I will say unto them saith the Lord Hos. 2.23 thou art my people and they shall say unto me thou art my God When God shall once by his spirit say unto any soule of ours thou art mine one of my people of my redeemed ones when hee shall as with a bunch of hysop sprinkle the bloud of his son upon our heart and say to any of us as he did to his people Zac. 9.11 it is the bloud of thy covenant of the covenant which I have made with thee then shall wee have sound comfort in it and bee able with confidence to say to him againe thou art my God and to cry to him as poore weake Thomas the Apostle did Iob. 20.28 My Lord and my God till then we shall never be able to do it The spirit it selfe saith the Apostle Rom. 8.16 heareth witnesse with our spirit that we are the children of God As if he had said Though our owne spirit and conscience be never so confident in this point that wee are Gods children and Christ by his bloud hath made our peace with God this is to no purpose till Gods sanctifying spirit be in us and doth beare witnesse with our owne spirit in this point and assure us that Christ is ours we can never have sound comfort in him It is the spirit that beareth witnesse saith the Apostle 1 Ioh 5.6 because the spirit is truth As if he had said no witnesse is infallible or any thing worth in this case but the spirit of God And in this respect is the spirit of God called the comforter Ioh. 14.26 He could never be our comforter if he did not thus beare witnes with our spirits that we are Gods children that Christ is ours that his bloud was shed for us The reasons and grounds of the Doctrine are two according to the two severall branches of it First If you aske me Why can Christs bloud doe us no good unlesse it be sprinkled upon our hearts and applyed to us I answer Because reason and experience teacheth us that as the propriety a man hath in any good thing doth much increase his comfort in it And to this the holy Ghost alludeth Pro. 5.15 Drinke waters out of thine owne cistern and running waters out of thine owne well and 2 Thess. 3.12 Let them worke with quietnesse and eat their owne bread A little of a mans own is a great deale sweeter to him then a great deale that is another mans though he have some use of it so it is a great vexation and increase of misery to a man many times to see others enjoy a benefit which themselves have as much need of and can have no part in it And the greater they know the benefit to be the more are they vexed in this case Thus is it with a rebell that knoweth a pardon is granted to a great number that were every whit as unworthy of it as deep in the rebellion as himselfe and yet he can have no benefit by it And with a poore man that seeth a great dole given and multitudes releived by it and he can get nothing So is it certainly in this case the more any man knoweth of Christ and of the all sufficiency of that redemption that he hath made by his blood the greater must his torment and horror needs be when he shall find that he hath no part in it When like Tantalus he shall see there is water of life before him which others drinke of quench their deadly thirst by and he can get none of it himselfe This is that which the Apostle saith increaseth the torments of the devils themselves Iames. 7.19 The devils also beleeve and tremble They know Christ full well to bee an all-sufficient Saviour I know thee who thou art saith he Mar. 1.24 even the holy one of God But they tremble so much the more for that because they know withall that they neither have nor ever shall have any part in him Secondly If you aske me Why can none but God himselfe by his holy spirit sprinkle this bloud of his son upon our hearts I answer Because there is in every one of us an evill heart of unbeliefe as the Apostle calleth it Heb. 13 1â— and though in our peace and jolity wee thinke it is nothing to beleeve in Christ it is as easie by faith to feed upon his body and bloud in the Sacrament as it is to take and feed upon the bread and wine when our conscience shall bee once awakened we shall find our hearts not so strongly inclined to any sin as infidelity utterly unable to apply to our selves the bloud of Christ or to beleeve that God should ever love us so dearely as to give his son to dye for us Wee will bee apt then to flye from God as Adam did when his eyes were opened Gen. 3.8 And therefore the Apostle telleth us Ephe. 1.19 it is a worke of the exceeding greatnes of Gods power that any man is able to beleeve this Let us now make some use of this Doctrine unto our selves 1. For instruction 2. For exhortation 3. For comfort First This Doctrine teacheth us how to judge of popery that it is not onely a false and antichristian Doctrine that directly opposeth Christ and that in the most fundamentall point of his holy religion in the Doctrine of justification but that it is also a Doctrine of desperation and such as depriveth them that beleeve it of all true comfort in the houâ—e of death and time of distresse In which respect the holy Ghost hath most fitly resembled the teachers of it by those Locusts mentioned Rev. 9.5.10 1. They had faces like men and their Doctrine in shew hath no terror in it 2. They have the haire of women their Doctrine hath many inticements to allure men to the liking of them and to provoke unto spirituall lust and fornication 3. They have crownes of gold upon their heads they prevaile much and have great reverence and authority where they come But 4. they have tailes like unto scorpions and they have stings in their tailes saith the holy Ghost their Doctrine is such as will certainly in the end torment the conscience of them that receive it intolerably They can never have sound peace and comfort in their conscience that do beleeve it Their torment was saith the text ver 5. as the torment
unfeinedly and serve him with upright hearts that yet doe not know they doe so And though such may bee sure as you have heard in the former direction to attaine vnto assurance of Gods favour in the end yet would they certainly attaine unto it sooner and in better measure if themselves did know that they doe unfeinedly feare God and serve him with upright hearts Hereby wee know saith the Apostle 1 Ioh 3.19 that we are of the truth and shall before him assure our hearts When once we know we are of the truth of the number of those that are sincere and upright hearted then shall we assure our hearts even before God Now no man can know this well that is not carefull to observe consider and examine his owne waies Ponder the path of thy feet saith the Holy Ghost Pro. 4.26 and let all thy waies be established As if he had said By pondering and considering our doings well we may have them established make them stable and firme such as we may build sound comfort and assurance upon Hee that doth truth saith our Saviour Ioh. 3.21 that is hee that is indeed and in his practise not in profession onely a godly man commeth to the light that his deeds may bee made manifest that they are wrought in God As if hee should say Hee doth by the Word examine his deeds whether they bee so performed as God may bee pleased with them Certainely there is never a good duty wee performe at any time never a prayer wee make never a Sermon wee preach or heare never an almes wee give nay I say more never a bargaine wee make never a duty wee performe even towards men in our particular callings but it may give us assurance of Gods love if we can find it hath beene wrought in God that is done by the guidance of his spirit and with an upright heart For no man can doe any thing with an upright heart that is in faith and obedience and love to God till he be in Gods favour till he be in the state of grace and a justified man A corrupt tree saith our Saviour Mat. 7.18 a man that is in his naturall estate cannot bring forth good fruit As many as are led by the spirit of God saith the Apostle Rom. 8.14 they are the sons of God certainely Therfore also he telleth poore servants Col. 3.24 that did their service to their idolatrous and bad masters in singlenesse of heart fearing God that they knew even by this that they should receive of the Lord the reward of inheritance They might grow assured of their salvation even by doing the duties of servants with good and upright hearts And as any one duty performed with a good heart will give assurance of this in some measure so the more good works any man knoweth he hath done the longer he knoweth that he hath continued in a constant care to please God in all his waies the stronger his assurance shall be A strong and full assurance of salvation will not be gotten in a day or two by one or two good actions but by a constant continuing in wel doing and by long proofe and experience of the working of Gods grace in our hearts We desire saith the Apostle Heb. 6.11 that every one of you doe shewe the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end As if he should say You have good things in you now and such as accompany salvation such as may give you good assurance of your salvation you shew much labour of love ye have ministred to the Saints and yet do minister but if you would get full assurance of hope you must hold out and doe so still to the end Two things there be that are wont to be objected by many a good heart against this First If a man could certainely know that the duties hee performeth were done with an upright heart that in his conversation and course of life he were led by the spirit of God then he might indeed thereby get this assurance But there is all the difficulty every man may find by experience the truth of that which the Prophet speaketh Ier. 17.9 The heart is deceitfull above all things and desparately wicked who can know it To this I answer that though this be indeed an hard thing yet this is not impossible The Lord that knoweth our hearts as deceitfull as they be as the Prophet there speaketh verse â—0 maketh his children also able to know their owne hearts and the uprightnesse of them Hezekiah knew he had walked before God in truth and with an upright heart as himselfe professeth Esa. 38.3 And Peter certainely knew that hee did unfeignedly love the Lord and durst call the Lord himselfe to witnesse for this Ioh. 21.17 And there is no Christian but if hee would ponder the path of his feet and take heed to his to his waies according to the word and take paines to examine them by the rules thereof he might know the uprightnesse of his owne heart in them it might be made manifest unto him that they are wrought in God as our Saviour speaketh Iohn 3 2â— Yea when he is at the worst and most destitute of his assurance if he could examine his owne heart he should find in it evident arguments of uprightnesse as feare to offend God in any thing longing after his favour and prizing it above all things love of the brethren poverty of spirit and griefe of heart for it upon which he might ground good assurance that he is in the favour of God O the wrong we doe to our selves in the carelesse neglect of observing and examining our own waies This is a maine difference betweene the upright hearted Christian and the naturall man The one is ever best perswaded of his own estate when he thinketh least of his owne waies and doings he cannot abide to examine his owne waies or to thinke seriously of his owne doings If by any hand of God upon him or by a searching ministery they bee brought into his mind it is a death unto him Like unto the broken merchant that cannot abide to goe into his counting house to cast over his bookes On the other side The upright hearted Christian is never so comfortable as when he hath most seriously coâ—siâ—ered his owne waies when his heart hath beene so searched as he can looke into the bottome of it Let every man prove his own worke saith the Apostle Gal 6.4 and then shall he have rejoycing in himselfe alone and not in another A good man shall be satisfied from himselfe saith Solomon Pro. 14.14 He shall if he will take paines to examine his owne heart find sufficient ground of comfort in himselfe The second thing that many a good soule will object against this is That hee hath done what hee can to examine his owne heart and hee can find no truth of grace in himselfe nothing to ground any good assurance upon To this I
outward meanes that God hath revealed in his Word and appointed us to use to make this his ordinance effectuall in our hearts no way limiting Gods power but leaving his secret working to himselfe According to that Deut. 29.29 The secret things belong to the Lord our God but those things that are revealed belong to us and to our children for ever 3. Though many have felt this ordinance effectuall in themselves that never thus prepared their hearts unto it yet can none such have any assurance or hope that they shall profit by it that are not carefull to prepare their hearts before hand because they have no promise of God for it Now this preparation consisteth in eight things which I will distinctly deliver unto you and run over them with all the speed I can First you must come in repentance that is before you come to heare you must by unfeined repentance cast of every knowne sin Mar 1.15 Repent and beleeve the Gospell saith our Saviour Men must repent with legall repentance before they can beleeve And the Word can profit no man unlesse it bee mixed with faith Heb 4.2 This preparative the Apostle prescribeth 1 Pet. 2.1 2. Laying aside all malice and all guile and hypocrisyes and envies and evill speakings as new borne babes desire the sincere milke of the Word that ye may grow thereby Is it therefore any wonder though they that are usually drunke on the Saterday night or spend it in gaming and then come hither on the Lords day to heare or that immediatly before they come to the Sermon have beene scoulding or acting some other foule sins should go away from the Ministery of the Word never a whit better then they came Did you ever know any salve so soveraigne that could cure a wound that had a splint or an arrow head remaining in it Surely so will every knowne sin unrepented of hinder the saving operation of the word in any mans heart yea it will make the Word a savour of death unto a man See how God threatneth such Ezek. 14.7 8. For every one of the house of Israel or of the strangers that sojourneth in Israel which separateth himselfe from me and setteth up his idols in his heart and putteth the stumbling blocke of his iniquity before his face and commeth to a Prophet to enquire of him concerning me I the Lord will answer him by my selfe And I will set my face against that man and will make him a signe and a proverbe and I will cut him off from the midst of my people and ye shall know that I am the Lord. Secondly you must come with an empty and free heart lay aside and cast of all worldly cares and thoughts which will distract and draw away thy heart That is one chiefe reason of that rest that is enjoyned upon the Lords day and of the commandement the Lord gives to remember and thinke of it before hand and to do all our businesse in the sixe daies that we may have nothing to doe on that day Exod. 28.8 10. This is that that God intended to teach by that ceremony he commanded Moses to use Exod. 3.5 Put of thy shooes from of thy feet for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground to lay aside all their worldly thoughts and affections They that in this ordinance of God seeke for wisdome that is to be made wise unto salvation must first separate themselves from all other matters to this businesse as Solomon speaketh Pro. 18.1 1 Tim. 4.15 Give thy selfe wholy to them that thy profiting may appeare to all And how should they then profit by the Word that jumpe out of their worldly businesse from busying their heads and tongues about such matters into the house of God and will never take the paines to put of their shoes and to sequester their thoughts from such things Whereby it comes to passe that though they draw neare to God with their eares and lips yet their hearts are farre removed from him Esa. 29.13 Their heart goeth after their covetousnesse Ezek. 33.31 Thirdly you must come with an appetite and earnest desire to learne and profit by the Word without which as meat taken into a full stomacke the Word will profit us little With this heart came David to the Word Psal. 119.131 I opened my mouth and panted for I longed for thy commandements This preparative also the Apostle prescribeth 1 Pet. 2.2 As new borne babes desire the sincere milke of the Word that ye may grow thereby To such God hath ever beene wont to blesse his Word He filleth the hungry with good things Luk. 1.53 This maketh the Word sweet and wholsome to us Pro. 27.7 To the hungry soule every bitter thing is sweet But the most of our hearers come to the Word without all appetite or desire after it as may appeare by the heavinesse of their countenance while they are hearing Of whom it may be said as Esa. 3.9 The shew of their countenance doth witnesse against them Fourthly you must come with an humble heart affected with the sense of the need you have of this ordinance of God in respect of the ignorance hardnes of heart infidelity and other corruptions you find in your selves Psal. 25.9 God will teach the humble his way He giveth grace to the humble 1 Pet. 5.5 All conceit of our own knowledge must be cast of if we would profit by the word We must first become fooles in sense of our owne ignorance before ever we can be made wise unto salvation by the Lord in this his ordinance 1 Cor. 3.18 No man can hunger and thirst after righteousnesse and grace till he be first poore in spirit Matth. 5. â— â— And what marvell is it then that our hearers profit so little 1. Many come onely to heare for novelty sake that they may try and passe their sentence and censure on the preachers gifts Luke 23.8 9. Herod had heard a great fame of Christ and therefore was exceeding glad both to see him and to heare him too that he might try whether he were such a one as he had heard him to be 2. The most are Laodicean hearers too well conceited of themselves as it is said of them Revel 3.17 void of all sense of ignorance or any other corruption in themselves Fiftly come with an open heart ready to receive every truth that God shall teach thee in this his ordinance what God shall teach you I say not what any man shall teach thee be he never so good For as for the best teacher in the world you have a rule to try before you trust as 1 Thess. 5.21 Prove all things hold fast that which is good and nothing els As the noble Bereans did Act. 17.11 Even in these daies Gods people have need of that caveat Mar. 4.24 Take heed what you heare But this I say you shall never profit by the Word unlesse you come to it with open hearts ready to
receive whatsoever God shall teach you With such a heart came Cornelius to heare Peter Act. 10.33 We are all here present before God to heare all things that are commanded thee of God It is the suit of Christ to his Church Cant. 5.2 Open to me my sister my love my dove shut not thy heart against me and my Word To this also a promise is made Ps. 24.7 Lift up your heads ô ye gates and be ye lift up ye everlasting doores and the King of glory shall come in And Revel 3.20 If any man heare my voice and open the doore I will come in to him and will sup with him and he with me Certainely if men would come to the Word with such open and teachable hearts ready to receive and learne whatsoever God shall teach they would profit must more then they do But alas most that heare us come with prejudicate and forestalled hearts they have certaine imaginations and errors of their mind which they are resolved to hold concerning the Sabbath and recreations and even this point that I have now so largely handled touching the necessity of living under a sound and profitable ministery and diverse other things And these imaginations and errors of their judgement serve as strong holds to keepe Christ and his truth out of their hearts 2 Cor. 10.4 5. With this mind many a one comes to heare us I know the preacher well enough he differs from me in judgement in sundry things but it is no matter I can heare him and hold mine owne well enough I like his gifts well and will receive his doctrine so farre as I judge it to bee true but if once he fall upon his owne conceits there I will leave him And do so still in Gods name if any preacher teach his owne conceits though he had the gifts of an Angell beleeve him not Gal. 1.8 9. But take heed thou count not that his conceit which he teacheth thee by good warrant of Gods Word For in that case if thou receive not whatsoever he teacheth thee I will assure thee that that which thou seemest to receive will doe thee no good For certainely these men that in their hearing do thus limit and gage the Word and spirit of God would if it lay in their power as those wicked men mentioned Esay 30.10 Say to the Seers see not and to the Prophets prophesie not unto us right things speake unto us smooth things And those that did so the Lord calls despisers of his Word verse 12. Sixthly come with a heart resolved to obey and practise whatsoever God shall teach and command thee With such a heart came David to the Word Psal. 119.33 34. Teach me O Lord the way of thy statutes and I shall keepe it unto the end give me understanding and I shall keepe thy law yea I shall observe it with my whole heart To this the promise is made Ioh. 7.17 If any man will do his will he shall know of the Doctrine whether it be of God or whether I speake of my selfe Such shall attaine to a setled and certaine knowledge of the truth And Luk. 8.15 They that with an honest heart heare the Word keepe it and bring forth fruit with patience Mica 2.7 Doe not my words do good to him that walketh uprightly And how can they then profit by the ministery of the Word that in their hearing seeke nothing but knowledge intend nothing lesse then to practise ought they heare like those Ezek. 33.31 They heare thy words but they will not do them But rather resolve before hand they will be still as they were they will do as their neighbours doe as Zeâ—echia did 2 Chron 36.13 He sâ—iffaed his worke and hardned his heart from turning unto the Lord God of Israel No preacher shall alter them they can heare them they trow and ver do still as they list What Wee were wise men indeed if wee should practise what we heare leave our good fellowship bring religion into our families so should we be counted Puritans God forbid we should ever become such fooles Oh take heed God forbid it not indeed When Pharaoh had hardned his owne heart against the meanes God had used to soften it Exod. 8 15. ye read oft in that book afterward that God hardned his heart Exod. 9.12 O therefore take heed of this Heb. 3.7.8 If ye will heare his voice harden not your hearts Seventhly come in faith to the hearing of the Word and in a certaine expectation to receive that good from the Lord in this his ordinance which he hath promised to doe and worke by it We should thinke and meditate of the promises God hath made to this duty and expect by faith the performance of them Christ hath promised he will be with his servants in their ministery to the end of the world Mat. 28.20 Beleeve this and expect his gracious presence to make his ordinance effectuall in thine heart He hath said Luk. â—1 28 Blessed are they that heare the Word Consider who spake this beleeve him of his word and expect a blessing from him in thy hearing The Lord hath said Psal. 19.7 The law of the Lord is perfect converting the soule And Rom. 1. â—6 â—t is the power of God unto salvation Thou feelest sundry corruptions which thou wouldest faine have power to overcome and thy heart converted from them unto the Lord beleeve this which God hath said of his Word and expect to finde this converting power of God in this his ordinance So the Lord hath said of this ordinance Acts 20.32 that it is able to build his people up and to persit the worke of grace begun in them and thou wouldst grow and art troubled that thou growâ—st to better come in saith to it and looke to receive this benifit by it So the Lord hath said Esa. 57.19 that he createth and ordaineth the fruit of the lips to be peace peace to them that are nâ—are and to them that are a far of And thou wâ—ntest peace in thy conscience beleeve what God that cannot lie hath said and look verily to have peace wrought in thy heart by this meanes In a word God hath said of this his ordinance Esa. 55.3 Heare and your soule shall live And Iam 1.21 That it is able to save your soules beleeve this then and expect life and salvation by it How should the most of our hearers then receive any good by this ordinance of God when few or none come to it in this faith They never stirre up themselves to thinke of these promises or to expect any such good by it As it was with them that desired to receive good by Christs divine power in working miracles they must bring faith with them Marke 9.23 Iesus said to him that came to have his sonne dispossessed If thou canst beleeve all these things are possible to him that beleeveth And still according to their faith so they sped Matth. 9. â—9 So
to open his griefe and make his moane and powre out his heart unto Nature taught Haman that wretched man when hee was full of heavinesse for the honour that was done to Mordecai to ease his heart that way Est. 6.13 Hee told Zeresh his wife and all his friends euery thing that had befallen him In which respect great Princes have esteemed it a cheife part of their happinesse to have some speciall bosome friend whom they might make use of this way Such a one was Hushai to David 2 Sam. 15.37 and Zabud to Solomon 1 King 4.5 Now there is no such friend in the world for this purpose as the Lord is Trust in him at all times saith David Psal. 62.8 ye people powre out your hearts open your greifes before him God is a refuge for us Thus Anna the mother of Samuel told Ely that shee had done 1. Sam. 1.15 I am a woman of a sorrowfull spirit and have powred out my soule before the Lord. Thus did Samuel her son seeke to ease his heart when it was full of heavinesse 1. Sam. 8.21 Hee rehearsed all their words in the eares of the Lord hee made his moane to God Thus did Iob My friends scorne mee saith he Iob 16 â—0 counted him an hypocrite Oh heauie affliction for a man in his case to bee so iudged of and censured by such men as they were but mine eye saith he powreth out teares unto God as if hee should say That is all the helpe I have Thus did Hezechiah when he was in that paine and anguish of spirit as the poore mother in trauell whose child is even come to the birth and shee wanteth strength to bring it forth as hee complaineth to the Prophet Psa. 37.3 He taketh Rabshakehs blasphemous letter and goeth up to the house of the Lord and spreadeth it before the Lord ver 14. As if he had said Behold Lord what hee hath written O that wee would acquaint our selues so with the Lord that wee might make him our bosome friend and make this use of him in all our sorrowes Secondly The Lord is able and none but hee to yeeld us helpe in this case and restore us to our comfort He maketh sore saith Eliphaz Iob 5.18 and bindeth up he woundeth and his hands make whole This is the Lords peculiar prerogative to comfort a soule that is any distres He is the father of mercies and God of all comfort as the Apostle speaketh 2. Cor 1.3 I even I am he saith the Lord Esa. 51.12 that comforteth you And therefore David when hee had lost his feeling and comfort cryeth oft earnestly to God to restore it to him Psal. 51.8 Make me to heare joy and gladnesse As if he had said though never so much bee delivered to me for my comfort by the skilfullest of all thy servants I shall bee utterly uncapable of it and remaine still deafe of that eare till thou make me able to heare it And vers 12. Restore to me the joy of thy salvation And 86.4 Rejoyce the soule of thy servant for unto thee doe I lift up my soule And thus should every one of us cry unto God for helpe and comfort when we are in the like case Thirdly The Lord as he is able and none but he to revive such a soule so is he most ready to doe it he is very pitifull and of tender mercy as the Apostle speaketh Iames 5.11 specially to his servants who are wounded in spirit yea he hath bound himselfe by promise to helpe such Psal. 34.18 The Lord is nigh to them that are of a broken heart and saueth such as bee of a contrite spirit and 147.3 He healeth the broken in heart and bindeth vp their wounds and Esa. 57.19 I create the fruit of the lips peace peace to him that is farre off and to him that is neere saith the Lord and I will heale him So that wee may boldly go to God and seeke to him for comfort and even challenge him vpon these promises that he hath made unto us and say unto him as Psal. 85.6 Wilt thou not reviâ—e vs againe but let us remaine so dead hearted that thy people may reioyce in thee Fourthly The Lord doth therefore many times withdraw himselfe from his people and deprive them of the sence of his favour of purpose to make them more importunate in seeking to him by prayer I will goe and returne to my place saith the Lord Hos. 5.15 till they acknowledge their offence and seeke my face in their affliction they will seeke mee early And this was the cause why our Saviour was so harsh with the woman of Canaan and caryed himselfe so strangely toward her a great while even to try her faith and encrease her fervencie and importunitie in seeking to him by prayer Mat. 15.22.28 Fifthly and lastly Gods servants that have beene in this case have recovered their comfort this way even by fervent prayer when nothing else was able to doe it and have set their Probatum est upon it When David was in that case that hee said in his hast he was cast out of Gods sight Psalme 31.22 Neuerthelesse saith hee Thou heardest the voice of my supplications when I cryed unto thee as if hee had said By prayer I found comfort and thereupon hee inferreth verse 23. O love the Lord all yee his Saints as if hee should say Who would not love so gracious a God that is so ready to bee found of them that seeke him though it be in so weake a manner as I did So Psal. 77. when he was in that case that he said verse 3. he remembred God and was troubled he complained and his spirit was overwhelmed within him yet even then he found comfort by prayer ver 1. I cryed vnto God with my voice even unto God with my voice and he gave eare vnto me The sixth and last direction that I am to give to them that being afflicted in minde desire to recover their comfort is this Admit thou canst not finde comfort by any of the former meanes yet consider well and bend thy minde to meditate of that mercie and goodnesse of God whereof David speaketh heere and thou hast heard the handling of this Doctrine and thou shalt finde that thou hast no cause to doubt but that hee loveth thee First Consider the goodnesse of the Lord to all his creatures even to the worst men that live and even that may be a great helpe to thy faith in this case Alas thou wilt say that is a poore helpe if God be no otherwise good to me if he love me no otherwise then he loveth them what comfort can that yeeld me O say not so for the holy Ghost in the Word hath oft commended this to us for a helpe to our faith and bids us observe how good the Lord is to all his creatures and even to wicked men for the confirming of our owne hearts in the assurance of his love to vs. So saith
with shame sorrow when he considered that he had done so lewdly the Lord being by the Lord looking upon him And surely so will this work upon every one of us also when God shall be pleased to awaken touch our hearts as he did his It is a matter of extreame shame and trouble of mind even to most wicked men to know that any man hath seene them and bin privy to that which they have done If one know them saith Iob 24.17 they are in the terrors of the shadow of death How much more must it trouble the heart of Gods child when he considereth the Lord saw was an eye-witnes of all the foulest sins that ever he committed All men by nature would be much restrained from many sins if they knew of any body though it were but a child that were by them to see what they did And thus the murderer and adulterer are brought in by Iob 24 5. emboldening themselves No eye shall see me As if he had said If they knew there were any eye to see them they durst not do it And they are noted for men grown to an extraordinary height in sin that feare not at all nor are restrained from sinning by the eye of man that are so impudent as they care not who see or know what lewdnes they do Esa. 3.9 Such as declare their sin as Sodom that hide it not Such as are like Absalom who spread his tent upon the top of the house and went in to his fathers concubines in the sight of all Israel 2. Sam. 16.22 And will not this appeare to the child of God when God shall open his eyes a far greater impudency height of sin that he in sinning regarded not nor feared the Lords eye that he durst do such such things when the Lord looked upon him Surely to David it did here O Lord I have done this evill in thy sight And so it will do to every one of us when God shall be pleased to give us such hearts as he did unto David For thus doth the Lord oft aggravate the sins of men Esa. 65.12 Therfore wil I number you to the sword you shal al bow down to the slaughter because when I called ye did not answer when I spake ye did not heare but did evill before mine eyes and did choose that wherein I delighted not The second attribute of God the consideration wherof setteth forth the hainousnes of sin is his infinite holines and the dislike he beareth unto sin This is a chiefe attribute of his that wherein his glory doth principally consist This is plain by that song of the blessed Angels Esa. 6.3 Holy holy holy is the Lord of hosts the whole earth is full of his glory And in the first petitiō of the Lords praier where when our Saviour would have us to pray that Gods name may be glorified he teacheth us to expresse it in these termes Hallowed be thy name let holines be ascribed unto thee Now the Lord being thus infinitely holy 1. He hateth and disliketh sin there is nothing so contrary and opposite to his nature as sin is No man doth hate any thing in the world no mans heart doth so much loath or rise against any thing as the Lords doth against sin Hab. 1.13 Thou art of purer eyes then to behold evill canst not looke on iniquity He cannot abide to looke upon it Ier. 44.4 I sent unto you all my servants the Prophets rising early sending them saying do not this abominable thing that I hate The Lord in the ministery of all us his servants doth in the most patheticall manner he can perswade and entreat you to be afraid to sin to repent of your sin even for the Lords sake even for this cause because his soule doth so much hate and loath sin Oh do not this abominable thing which I hate 2. Because the Lord is infinitly holy he must needs be grieved with sin Nothing grieveth the Lord so much as sin doth It is a great griefe to any ingenuous mind and a thing that of all others we can worst brooke to see our selves despised and contemned by any David complaineth oft of it and prayeth against it Ps. 119.22 Remove from me reproach contempt But never was man so much grieved to see himselfe despised as the Lord is to see men despise and sleight him as I told you we all do when we sin against him Grieve not the holy spirit of God by your corrupt communication saith the Apostle Eph. 4.30 As if he had said Because he is holy sin must needs grieve him 3. Because the Lord is infinitly holy sin must needs anger disquiet and vexe his spirit Nothing in the world can so much provoke a man unto anger nothing can so cut him to the heart so vexe disquiet his mind as the Lord is provoked cut to the heart vexed with our sins Esa. 63.10 They rebelled and vexed his holy spirit Eze. 16.43 Thou hast fretted me in all these things Now when Gods child doth consider well of this his sin must needs trouble him more in this respect that he hath done that that God so loatheth hateth that he hath grieved and vexed him so much by it then in respect of any evill or punishment he hath brought upon himselfe by it So did it David here Against thee thee only have I sinned And so wil it the senslessest heart here when God shal touch him as he did David here O that we could consider how God may complaine of us as Ps. 95.10 Forty yeeres long was I grieved with this generation How long have we grieved the Lord some of us by living in one sin some in another O that we could say to our own hearts as the Prophet doth to Ahaz Esa. 7.13 ô my soule is it a small thing for thee to grieve men by thy sins that thou wilt also grieve my God The third attribute of God that setteth forth the hainousnes of our sins is the infinite greatnes majesty of the Lord Great is the Lord saith David Ps. 145.3 greatly to be praised his greatnes is incomprehensible And indeede this is the beginning and foundation of all religion and piety to esteme the Lord to be higher then the highest Eccl. 5.8 and to acknowledge in our hearts this infinite greatnes and majesty of the Lord Ascribe ye greatnes to our God saith Moses Deut. 32.3 And thus did the blessed Virgin Lu. 1.46 My soule doth magnifie the Lord. Every transgression even among men is more or lesse hainous according as the person is against whom it is cōmitted He that doth smite his father or his mother or but curse revile them shall surely be put to death saith the Lord in his Law Exo. 21.15 17. Whereas the reviling yea or wounding or maiming of another man was not so great a sin nor to be punished in so severe a manner as you may
refuge for us Gods people have no other refuge to flye unto in all their distresses but him alone Yea nature hath taught this to all men as wee may see both in Scripture Ion. 1.5 and in dayly experience how the worst will looke towards God in their extreame sicknesse and send for the minister then to pray for them For that which Solomon saith of riches Prov. 11.4 may bee said of pleasures and friends and all other things wee have most set our hearts on they will not availe us in the day of wrath Loe thus good and gracious the Lord hath beene to every one of us even in the things that concerne this mortall life but 2. he hath shewed much more goodnesse to our soules then all this commeth to For as our soules are farre more excellent then our bodies so the Lord hath much more care of them then of our bodies Hee is in a speciall manner called the father of spirits Heb. 12.9 and hath doubtlesse a fatherly care of them in a speciall manner Let me therefore say to you as the Prophet doth Ps. 6â— â—6 Come and heare all ye that feare God I will declare what hee hath done not for my soule onely but for every one of your soules Neither will I speake of those bounties of the Lord that are peculiar to some choice servants of his but of those that are common to all that doe unfeinedly feare him even to the meanest of them Nor of all them neither but of three of them only which may sufficiently serve to demonstrate this point First When wee had lost our selves by the voluntary transgression of our first parents and made our selves the children of his wrath and slaves of the Devill hee bought us againe with no meaner a ransome then the bloud of his only Sonne Iohn 3.16 So God loved the world that he gave his onely begotten Sonne that whosoever beleeveth in him might not perish but have life everlasting And how did he give him The Apostle telleth us Rom. 8.32 Hee spared not his owne sonne but delivered him up for us all He did not remit unto him the least jot of those torments that were due in his justice to our sins but made him a curse for us as the Apostle speaketh Gal. 3.13 Hee dranke at the hand of the Lord the cup of his fury as the Prophet speaketh in another case Esa. 51.17 He drunke the dregs of the cup of trembling and wrung them out This amplifyeth greatly the goodnesse and bounty of the Lord to his people that this ransome was paid for them in a speciall manner Esa. 53.5 Hee was wounded for our transgressions he was bruised for our iniquities and verse 12. He hare the sins of many He prayed not for the world Iohn 17.9 Oh what a goodnesse of God was this to us that passing by and neglecting the greatest part of the world he should thinke upon us in a speciall manner to pay such a ransome for us Oh what cause have every one of us to admire this mercy of the Lord and to say with Iob 7.17 What is man that thou shouldest magnifie him and that thou shouldest set thine heart upon him What was I that thou shouldest make so precious account of me that thou shouldest pay such a ransome to redeeme my soule Secondly when we lay snorting in our sins without all regard either to our owne wretched condition or to the ransome that was paid for us he awakened us and called us to the knowledge of our selves and of Christ. Hee cryed to us as Cantic 6.13 Returne returne ô Shulamite returne returne that wee may looke upon thee He besought us to bee reconciled to him as the Apostle speaketh 2 Cor. 5.20 stood long at our doore and knocked Rev. 3.20 waited long and endured many a repulse from us as he saith Rom. 10.21 All the day I have stretched out my hands unto a rebellious and a gaine saying people and at last overcame us with his kindnesse changed and converted our hearts and made us new creatures When the Apostle had said Ephes. 2.5 Even when wee were dead in sins he quickned us he addeth by grace yee are saved Nothing but grace nothing but the goodnesse of God was the cause of it He wrought such a change in us as is mentioned Esay 11.6 The wolfe shall dwell with the lambe and the leopard shall lye downe with the kid and the calfe and the young lyon and the fatling together and a little child shall leade them And this also doth greatly amplifie the goodnesse of God towards us in our conversion if we shall consider how rare a mercie it is 1. How the Lord vouchsafeth not so much as the outward calling in particular to the greatest part of the world by farre He sheweth his word unto Iacob saith the Psalmist Psal. 147.19 20. his statutes and his judgements unto Israel He hath not dealt so with any nation and as for his judgements they have not knowne them 2. How few of those that the Lord vouchsafeth the outward calling unto receive grace to believe and obey the truth as our Saviour speaketh Mat. 22.14 Many are called but few are chosen How many our selves may observe of our owne kindred of our owne neighbours of them that have as long as we obtained the same meanes of our betters every way of them whose lives have beene far more civill and unblameable then ours whom yet God vouchsafeth no such grace unto So that I may say to you as the Apostle doth 1 Cor. 1.26 You see your calling brethren how that not many wise men after the flesh not many mighty not many noble are called This consideration was the thing that bred such zealous love in Davids heart toward the Lord 2 Sam. 6.21 It was before the Lord saith he to scoffing Michall which chose me before thy father and before all his house to appoint mee ruler over the people of the Lord over Israel therefore will I play before the Lord. This was that that moved our blessed Saviour to rejoyce so in his spirit in the behalfe of the faithfull in his time and ascribe it all meerely to the free grace and goodnesse of the Lord. Luke 10.21 Thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent and hast revealed them unto babes Thirdly When after he had thus converted and called us wee have beene apt through our frailty and corruption ever and anon to fall away from him againe we are kept by the power of God unto salvation as the Apostle speaketh 1 Pet. 1.5 he will not suffer his to take such falls as shall breake their neckes or to fall into such pits as we should never get out of againe Hee will keepe the feet of his Saints from such falls as Hannah speaketh 1 Sam 2.9 Hee hath beat us for falling and haply for our carelesnesse left us to take such falls as have bruised us fore or broken an arme or a leg of us but he
had spoken to him by Nathan were in it selfe very sharpe and dolefull as you shall see it recorded 2 Sam. 12.10 12. namely 1. That the sword shall never depart from his house 2. That he would raise up evill against him out of his owne house 3. That his wives should be defiled and abused by his owne son and that before his owne eyes that is himselfe should know it 4. That all this should be done openly all Israel should take notice of it yet doth David 1 justifie the Lord in all this yea 2 he professeth heere that he did therefore thus accuse himselfe that he might justifie the Lord in all this that he hath said against him From whence this Doctrine ariseth for our instruction The Lord must be justified in whatsoever he hath spoken The man that it truly humbled for his sinns dareth not gaine say or murmur against any thing that the Lord hath spoken but is apt to justifie him in it Before I come to the confirmation of the Doctrine the tearmes of it must in a word be explaned by answering two questions First How doth the Lord speake unto men I answer In old time God spake to his people 1. Sometimes openly by a lively and audible voice thus he delivered to them the ten commandements the summe of the law In which respect they are called lively oracles Acts 7.38 2. Sometimes secretly by dreames and visions Acts 18.9 God spake to Paul by night in a vision Now also God speaketh to his people but after another manner 1. By the holy Scriptures for by them the spirit of God is said to speake to the Churches Rev. 2 7. They are therefore called the Oracles of God Heb. 5. â—2 2. By the ministery of his servants that speake to us by authority and commission from him and by warrant of his word As that which Nathan spake heere David saith God spake So saith our Saviour Luk. 10.16 He that heareth you heareth me Secondly How may men be said to justifie the Lord in whatsoever he speaketh I answer 1. When they beleeve it to be true and give credit unto it 2. When they yeeld consent to it and allow it to be just and equall 3. When they take it to heart and submit themselves unto it Thus must God be justified in whatsoever he hath spoken in every part of his word The word of God we shall finde consisteth of foure parts 1. There is the word of Doctrine and history sundry truths are delivered and affirmed in the holy Scripture that are neither precepts nor promises nor reproofes or threatnings 2. There is the word of precept or commandement 3. There is the word of promise 4. There is the word of reproofe and denunciation of Gods judgements against sinne First We must undoubtedly beleeve and give credit to whatsoever God hath spoken though the thing seeme never so unlikely never so much against reason yet when once God hath spoken it when we have his word for it we must make no do doubt nor question of it See this 1 in the word of Doctrine and history in all truths taught us in the holy Scripture As that the world was made of nothing onely by the word of God Heb. 11.3 Through faith we understand know and are fully perswaded that the worlds this and that that is to come were framed by the Word of God And that the bodies of all men howsoever they died shall rise againe at the last day Iob 19.26 I know and am fully perswaded that though after my skin the wormes destroy this body yet in my flesh I shall see God See it 2 in the word of precept What a strange commandement was that that Abraham received from God Gen. 22.2 to sacrifice his owne sonne and that that Paul received that he that had beene so bitter a persecutor and so infamous for it throughout the whole world should goe and preach the Gospell both to the Iewes and Gentiles How many reasons might they have alledged against these commandements yet when God had once spoken it they were fully perswaded they must doe it and went about it presently without all reasoning or disputing against it And as Paul saith Gal. 1.16 Immediatly so soone as I had received this commandement I conferred not with flesh and bloud See this also 3 in the word of promise What a strange promise was that which God made to Abraham when hee was an hundred yeares old that he would give him a feed and posterity that should be as innumerable as the stars in the firmament Gen. 15.5 and that by Sarah an old and a barren woman Gen. 17.16 How many things might they both have objected against this Yet they did not but undoubtedly beleeved it should be even as God had spoken they justified the Lord when he had spoken the word As Paul saith of Abraham Rom. 4.20 21. He staggered not at the promise of God through unbeleefe but was strong in faith giving glory to God and being fully perswaded that what he had promised he was able also to performe And of Sarah he saith Heb. 11.11 She judged him faithfull who had promised 4 and lastly See a proofe of this first degree in the word of reproofe and threatning which most directly suiteth with my Text heere though the words be so generall as they may not be restrained to that onely What likelihood was there in that reproofe and threatning which God delivered to Noah and would have him to preach and publish to the whole world Gen. 6.13 The end of all flesh is come before me for the earth is filled with violence through them and behold I will destroy them with the earth And how would God destroy them By a floud verse 17. I even I do bring a floud of waters upon the earth to destroy all flesh How unlikely how impossible would this seeme to all wise men in the world How would they scorne and deride Noahs preaching of such a doctrine as this Yet did Noah verily beleeve this and preached this 2 Pet. 2.5 Why Because God had said it he justified the Lord in that he had spoken As the Apostle saith Heb. 11.7 By faith Noah being warned of God of things not seene as yet moved with feare prepared an arke So what likelihood of truth was there in the reproofe and threatning of vengeance that Ionah preached to the Ninivites Ionah 3.4 He cryed and said yet forty daies and Niniveh shall be overthrowne Yet because God had said this though he spake this to them not immediatly nor by an Angell neither but by a man a stranger a weake man they verily beleeved it would be so if they by extraordinary repentance and humiliation did not prevent it For so it is said Ionah 3.5 So the people of Nineveh beleeved God and proclaimed a fast Thus you see the confirmation of the doctrine in the first degree of proofes we must beleeve whatsoever God hath delivered to
judged thus for they have shed the bloud of thy Saints and Prophets and thou hast given them bloud to drink for they are worthy and I heard another out of the altar say even so Lord God Almighty true and righteous are thy judgements But yet David by accusing himselfe thus and confessing his sinne may be said to cleare the Lord that is to acknowledge the Lord to be cleare when he judged him for this made him able heartily and unfeinedly to acknowledge the righteousnesse of God in correcting him when he considered his sins and what he had deserved thereby And indeed till men see their sins and can confesse them and bee soundly touched and humbled with the sense of them they can never heartily acknowledge Gods righteousnesse in correcting of them but from the teeth outward till we can accuse our selves we can never justifie the Lord. So it is said 2 Chron. 12.6 The Princes and King of Iudah were humbled in themselves before they could acknowledge the Lord is righteous Nay till a man be soundly and throughly humbled for his sin he can never soundly and throughly acknowledge Gods righteousnesse in his corrections upon him specially if they be sharpe indeed and more then ordinary but there will be still in him some doubting of Gods righteousnesse some secret murmuring and repining against him This is plaine in the Lords speech to Iob 40.8 Wilt thou also disanull my judgement wilt thou condemne me that thou maist be righteous How could Iob be charged to do thus He was in some measure humbled and did confesse his sin as appeareth vers 4. Behold I am vile what shall I answer thee I will lay my hand upon my mouth But he had not yet done it so throughly and sufficiently as after he did Iob 22 1 6. He had in himselfe a secret conceit that he was not so sinfull as to deserve such afflictions as he had endured And all this while he did not cleare the Lord but disanulled his judgement and did indeed condemne the Lord to have dealt unjustly with him Thus therefore David did heere by confessing his sin cleare the Lord thereby he was brought heartily to acknowledge Gods justice in correcting of him And when we do in this manner acknowledge the Lord to be just we are said in the Scripture phrase in Gods acceptation to justifie and cleare him to make him just and cleare So Gods people are said to sanctifie the holy one of Iacob Esa. 29.23 to glorifie him Mat. 9.8 to magnifie him in their soule Luk. 1.46 to justifie his wisdome Luk. 7.35 The words then being thus opened this Doctrine ariseth from them for our instruction That the man that truly knoweth his sins and it humbled for them will be ready to cleare the Lord from all injustice and cruelty from all aspersion of rigor and extreamity in any of his judgements executed either upon himselfe or others Thus did David heere And this is oft noted in the holy Scripture for a fruit and signe of true humiliation and repentance in other of the servants of God as well as in David heere This is that passive obedience that God requireth of all his children and whereunto he bringeth all such as unto whom he hath effectually discovered their sins whose hearts he hath conquered subdued and humbled by his Word and Spirit he maketh them apt to cleare him when he judgeth them See the proofe of this in these foure degrees First They have bound themselves to silence in this case so as they durst not give liberty to their tongue or thought to murmur or repine against any of Gods judgements Who will say to him saith Iob 9.12 what doest thou And as David saith 2 Sam. 16.10 Who dare say wherefore hast thou done so See an example of this in Aaron when God had executed a very strange judgement on his two eldest sonnes that were Priests and that for a very small sin as a man would have thought because they had offered incense with strange fire God devoured them suddenly with fire from heaven How did Aaron their father brooke this The text saith Levit. 10.3 Aaron held his peace not a word durst hee speake against this See another example of this in Iob whose afflictions you know were very strange and such as asmuch exception might have beene taken against Gods righteousnesse in them as in any wee can ever read of And indeed so extreame they were that they wrung from him some speeches of impaciency but he pleased not himselfe in it but blamed himselfe for and strove against it as a great corruption as you may see Iob 40.4 5. I will lay mine hand upon my mouth once have I spoken but I will not answer yea twice but I will proceed no further See a third example of this silence in David when some affliction was upon him that was so grievous as that hee cryeth out unto God Ps. 39.10 Remove thy stroake away from me I am consumed with the blow of thine hand Yet even then he professeth ver 9. I was dumbe I opened not my mouth because thou didst it Nay we must not only bind our tongues to silence from daring to speake impatiently against the Lord when he correcteth but our hearts also from inward fretting and repining a gainst any thing the Lord doth Truly my soule saith David Psal. 62.1 keepeth silence unto God Secondly We must be ready even to subscribe and give testimony unto the righteousnes of God in his sharpest corrections upon us heartily to acknowledge all is just and righteous that the Lord hath done See an example of this in David Psal. 119.75 I know ô Lord that thy judgements are right and that thou in faithfulnes hast afflicted me The Babilonish captivity was the heaviest judgement that ever God had inflicted upon any people under heaven as appeareth by that which is said of it Lam. 1.12 and Dan. 9.12 yet the Church speaking of it professeth Lam. 1.18 The Lord is righteous for I have rebelled against him and Neh. 9.33 Thou art just in all that is brought upon us for thou hast done right but we have done wickedly Thirdly We must submit our selves unto Gods corrections patiently and willingly beare them out of this perswasion that they are most just and equall And as it is said of our blessed Saviour Esa. 50.6 that in obedience to God hee gave his back to the smiters and his cheeks to them that plucked off his haire he hid not his face from shame and spitting and Ioh. 18.11 Shall I not drink the cup that my father giveth me So must all the members of Christ in their measure willingly drink the cup that their heavenly father giveth them acknowledge it is never a whit too much nay not so much as they have righteously deserved So it is said of Gods people Lev. 26.41 when their uncircumcised hearts are humbled they shall then accept of the punishment of their iniquity
were the meanes to win him to God As wee see in the affection of the Galathians towards Paul Galat. 4.15 I heare you record that if it had bin possible you would have plucked out your owne eyes to have done me good Thirdly and lastly This will be a comfortable testimony unto us of the truth and soundnesse of that grace that is in our selves when we are carefull to breed grace in all that doe belong unto us and specially in our owne children And without this we can have no such testimony and assurance of our selves Therfore wee shall find this oft observed for a note of them that were soundly converted themselves that their care was to reforme their families and make them religious also as of Abraham Gen. 18.19 of Ioshua Iosh. 24 15. of Zacheus Luke 19.9 of the Nobleman of Capernaum Iohn 4.53 of Cornelius Actes 10.2 of Lydia Acts 16.15 of the Iaylour Acts 16.33 34. of Crispus the chiefe ruler of the Synagogue Acts 18.8 Therefore the Lord in his law forbade any Proselite to be admitted to the passeover though he were himselfe circumcised and did outwardly professe the faith unlesse all the males in his house were circumcised also and did professe the faith aswell as himselfe Exod. 12.48 And in the condition of that promise he maketh to his people for delivering them out of the captivity which hee foretelleth hee would bring them into for their sins hee requireth not only that they themselves should returne unto the Lord and obey his voice but their children also Deut. 30.2 3. If thou shalt returne unto the Lord thy God and shalt obey his voice thou and thy children with all thy heart and with all thy soule then the Lord thy God will turne thy captivity c. As if hee should say Thou dost not turne to the Lord thy selfe unfeinedly with all thy heart unlesse thy care be that thy children may do so also Bat alas if that law were now in force that none should bee admitted to the Lords Supper that had any in their family that did not make at the least an outward profession of religion how few communicants should wee have If none may be accounted unfeinedly religious themselves whose children and servants doe not live in an outward conformity and obedience to the Word how few sound-hearted Christians will there bee found in this age The third and last sort of motives doe concerne our duty to God and the respect we should have unto his glory and they are two principally First The trust that the Lord hath put us in and the charge that hee hath given us concerning our children For this we must know that our children are not our owne but the Lords I speake to such as are Gods people and members of his Church Thus speaketh the Lord to his people Ezek. 16 20. Thy sons and thy daughters whom thou hast borne unto me thou hast taken and sacrificed And as we have begotten and borne them for him so hath he charged us to educate and bring them up for him And that with such a charge as the Prophet telleth Ahab in a parable that hee had received for the keeping of a man committed to his trust in the battell 1 Kings 20.39 If by any meanes hee bee missing thy life shall be for his life If the childs soule perish through the parents default whom God put in trust to keep and looke to it the parents soule must dye for it For this is the righteous sentence of God against them whom hee hath charged with the soules of others Ezek. 3.18 Hee shall dye in his iniquitie but his bloud will I require at thy hand If any shall object that that is spoken of the charge God hath given to Prophets and Ministers concerning their flocks not of that that he hath given to parents concerning their children I answer That every parent is as deepely charged by God with the soules of his children as any Pastor is with the soules of his flocke and more deepely too You call our congregations that we are set over our charge and you say well for so they are and you can cry shame of us if we either by idlenesse or worldlinesse shew our selves carelesse of our charge and you have indeed just cause to do so But in the meane time you forget that your children family are your charge also you make no scruple of neglecting all duty all care of the soules of your owne charge Know you therefore for certaine that you are as much yea much more charged with the soules of your families and of your children especially then any Pastor is with the soules of his flocke And hearken to your charge I pray you 1. You are as oft and as expressely charged to use the meanes to save your childrens soules and to breed grace in them as any Minister is Exod. 13.8 Thou shalt shew thy sonne the meaning the end and use of the Sacrament of the Passeover Deut. 6.6 7. These words which I command thee this day thou shalt teach them diligently to thy children Psal. 78.5 He established a testimony in Iacob and appointed a law in Israel which hee commanded our fathers that they should make them knowne unto their children Ephes. 6 4. Yee fathers bring up your children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. No Minister is more straitly charged of God to teach catechise his flock then you are to instruct your children 2. Parents stand obliged to their children by more and stronger bonds then any Pastor can be to his flocke as we have heard in the first sort of motives 3. Parents have more meanes and opportunities to prevaile with their children then any Pastor can have to doe good upon his flocke The interest they have in their childrens love and affection is a great matter and so is the advantage they may take of their childrens tender yeeres and so is their continuall conversing with them and so is their authority also None have such opportunities to instruct and bring others to goodnesse as parents have This was that that good Hezechiah meant in his prayer Esa. 38.18 19. The grave cannot praise thee death cannot celebrate thee The living the living he shall praise thee and who among all the living the father to the children shall make knownâ— thy truth In which respect we have seene in those eight examples that I mentioned unto you how soone godly maisters of families have prevailed with all that were under them to bring them unto an outward profession and conformity in religion And Ioshua is bold â—4 15 to undertake for himselfe and his house that they shall serve the Lord. Some might have said to him soft Ioshuah speake this for thy selfe and that is well too Nay saith he and that before all the people I will undertake this also for my whole house And in this respect also it is that the childrens sins are said to be a blemish and reproach
this originall corruption of nature did not reigne neither why were they so humbled for that neverthelesse And why must we in the daies of our humiliation when we are to renew our repentance remember and bewaile our originall sin Surely because First That was the cause of all the foule sins that ever we committed and consequently of all the sorrowes and miseries that ever we felt or stood in feare of Iam. 1.14 Every man is tempted when he is drawne away of his owne lust and enticed And Mar 7.21.23 from within out of the heart of men proceed evill thoughts adulteries fornications murders c. all these things come from within and these defile a man Secondly Because though all other sins that we have committed be repented of and done away yet this root of bitternesse remaineth still in us and is ever sprouting and putting us in danger to do as badly againe as ever we did And may fitly be resembled by that comparison of a tree that Iob useth Iob 14.8 9. Though the root thereof wax old in the earth and the stocke thereof die in the ground yet through the sent of water it will bud and bring forth boughs like a plant He therefore to conclude that bringeth unto God in the fast an heart humbled onely for some grosse actuall sins that he hath committed but was never humbled for the vile corruption of his nature could never feelingly confesse that unto God nor bewaile it before him hath just cause to suspect the truth of his repentance and humiliation for sin Shall Iob and David and Esay and Paul cry out so much of themselves for this and dost thou thinke thou art in a good case that art never troubled for that untowardnesse thou findest in thy heart to any thing that is good for those vile motions and inclinations thou findest in thy selfe unto all evill This God complaineth of as of a thing that did much provoke him against his people Ezek. 16.22 In all thine abominations and thy whordomes thou hast not remembred the dayes of thy youth when thou wast naked and bare and wast polluted in thy bloud Lecture LXIII On Psalme 51.5 Iuly 10. 1627. THe third use that this Doctrine serveth unto is for exhortation to stirre up in every one of us a care to be cured of this loathsome leprosy to be delivered from the danger of this poison this fountaine of all sin this root of all bitternesse that is in the nature of every one of us This use the blessed Apostle did make of this Doctrine Rom. 7.24 For having bewailed greatly this corruption he felt in his nature and professed that he was deepely humbled in himselfe for it which made him cry out O wretched man that I am As if he had said O what a wretch am I that have such a deale of corruption remaining in me which was the former use that I told you this Doctrine serveth unto and handled by me the last day immediately he bursteth forth into these words Who shall deliver me from the body of this death As if he should have said O how may I be rid of it and delivered from the danger of it Now for the better enforcing of this exhortation 1 I will give you certaine motives to provoke you unto this care to seeke to be freed from the danger of this sin 2 I will shew you the meanes whereby deliverance from the danger of this sin is to be obtained And for motives I shall not need to give you any other then such as you have already heard in the proofes and reasons of the Doctrine 1. This is the fountaine and cause of all other our sins and consequently of all our woe and misery as wee have heard out of Iames 1.14 And it is a point of wisedome in this case to lay the axe unto the root of the tree Matth. 3.10 2. This is an universall leprosie that is gone over the whole man the whole spirit and soule and body and is therefore called the old man Rom. 6.6 3. This is such a cursed root and fountain of all evill as will never cease sprouting boyling and bubling up one corruption or other Fitly resembled Esa. 57.20 to the troubled Sea that cannot rest whose waters cast up myre and dirt continually So as when we have repented and made our peace with God for our actuall sins that wee know by our selves yet this is still apt to defile us againe and cast filthy dirt upon our best actions yea to bring us into danger of falling againe into the same or fouler evils and so apt ever and anon to interrupt our peace with God and to minister unto us matter of new doubts and feares continually It therefore standeth us upon to enquire how and by what meanes wee may bee delivered from the danger of this sinne especially And this is the second thing I propounded for the inforcing of this exhortation to shew you the means how wee might bee delivered from it And those we may best learne of the blessed Apostle who when hee had professed this desire that I now exhort you to Rom. 7.24 Who shall deliver mee c. In the words following hee answereth himselfe and giveth full satisfaction to his owne conscience in this weightie question which is the answer also that I must give to every one of you in whom the Lord hath wrought that care and desire that was in Paul as doubtlesse hee hath in every good heart here that knoweth the viâ—enesse of his owne nature and doth remember and beleeve that which I have taught you at large touching originall sin he answereth himselfe I say by telling us who delivered him from the body of this death how hee was freed from the checks and accusations of his owne conscience for it 1. By Iesus Christ who delivered him from the guilt of it that it should never bee imputed to him unto condemnation verse 25. I thanke God through Iesus Christ our Lord. And 8.1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them that are in Christ Iesus 2. By the spirit of God who freed him from the power and dominion of his corruption and did mortifie it in him Rom. 8.12 They that are in Christ walke not after the flesh but after the spirit for the law the commanding power of the spirit of life which is in Christ Iesus hath freed me from the law the commanding power of sin and death The same answer he also giveth 1 Corinth 6.11 Yee are washed yee are sanctified yee are justified in the name of the Lord Iesus and by the spirit of our God Here are therefore beloved you see two wayes and other way then these two there is none whereby wee may bee delivered from all the hurt and danger that may come to us by the Originall corruption of our nature 1. By Iesus Christ that hath justified us and delivered us from the guilt and punishment of it 2. By the spirit of Christ which
with can do when ye leave holding of it In which respect the Lord compareth himselfe to a nurse that dadeth a child Hos. 11.3 I taught Ephraim to goe taking them by their armes We can neither goe nor stand any longer then the Lord doth uphold us This is the inference that the Apostle himselfe maketh Phil. 2.12 13. Worke out your owne salvation with feare and trembling for it is God that worketh in you both to will and to do even of his good pleasure Because we have no ability to preserve our selves in the state of grace but all dependeth upon the power and goodnesse of God therfore we must feare Continue in his goodnesse as the same Apostle speaketh Rom. 11.12 keepe in favour with him otherwise thou also shalt bee cut off But you will say that is not possible whom God once loveth in this kind he loveth for ever I answer First Whom God doth love in this kind them he maketh fearefull to offend him fearefull to fall and to decay in grace and this feare is a principall meanes whereby he doth preserve them from falling away This is plaine Ier. 32.40 I will make an everlasting covenant with them and I will not turne away from them to doe them good but I will put my feare into their hearts that they shall not depart from me So that by this thou shalt know whether thou be indeed converted whether there be any truth of grace in thee if God have put this feare into thy heart there is otherwise there is none at all Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed least he fall 1 Cor. 10.12 Secondly Though those whom God loveth according to his good purpose he loveth to the end and therefore will never disinherit them nor utterly cast them off yet if they be not fearefull to offend him though he love them yea because he loveth them he will chasten them as the Apostle speaketh Heb. 12.6 and he scourgeth every sonne whom he receiveth And in what kind he will scourge them how long his scourge shall lie upon them how deepely he will wound them with the lashes that he will give them with his scourge that the Lord onely doth know Admit that if ever we had the spirit of God and truth of grace in us it will never depart from us we can never loose it utterly but yet if we grow secure and neglect the meanes whereby we may preserve grace in our selves and keepe it alive whereby wee may preserve our selves from falling away we may quench the spirit in our selves This is plaine by the Apostles speech 1 Thess. 5.19 20. Quench not the spirit despise not prophesyings Even the despising of hearing the Word will quench the spirit that is deprive us of the operation of the feeling of the comfort of Gods grace in us Be it he that is once in the state of grace shall be preserved by God from falling totally from taking such falls as should break his neck and quite deprive him of the life of grace and from falling finally from falling into such pits as he should never be able to get out of againe from taking such falls as the Apostle speaketh of Heb. 6.6 which they that take them can never after be renewed againe by repentance Yet if he grow secure and looke not well to his feet if he nourish not in his heart the feare of the Lord he may fall fearefully he may take such falls as may breake his bones as may put him to such anguish of soule as if he had a kingdome he would give it to be eased of it This is plaine by the words of David in the 8. verse of this Psalme Make me to heare joy and gladnesse that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoyce His fall into adultery and murder had broken his bones that is had put him to more anguish and griefe then ever man felt that had his bones broken in his body Lecture LXXI On Psalme 51.5 October 9. 1627. THe fift and last point of application is to comfort and strengthen those poore soules that being indeed in the state of grace are yet much perplexed that either they are already or shall and may hereafter fall fearefully from it Two tentations there be whereby the best of Gods servants are often troubled greatly in this point of their perseverance in grace First Some of them are apt to conclude that they are already quite fallen from grace because 1 They have lost their first love that delight and fervency wherewith they were wont to serve God 2 They have lost their faith and cannot be assured of Gods favour as once they were 3 They slip ever and anon into the sins they have repented of and find no strength to overcome them Against this first tentation there is notable comfort and strength ministred to Gods people in the Word of God and even in that which we heard the last day of the admirable worke of God in the perseverance of his Saints And for the comfort and strength of Gods people against this tentation the Scripture giveth us two notable preservatives First The choisest of Gods servants and such as unto whom the Lord hath given the best testimony in his Word have beene in this case that thou art in subject to this variablenesse to these alterations in their spirituall estate They have not stood alwaies steady in one state but have beene of and on with the Lord. 1. For their delight and fervencie in good duties You shall read of David that sometimes hee did service unto God with marvellous alacrity and cheerefullnesse of spirit When hee contributed to the building of Gods house he did it with exceeding joy 1 Chron. 29.9 David the King rejoyced with great joy You shall also read of his going to the house of God with the voice of joy and praise as one that were going to a feast Psalme 42.4 And sometimes againe you shall heare him complaining of the deadnesse of his heart that he could serve God with no life or cheerefullnesse at all Psalme 119 25. My soule cleaveth to the dust quicken thou mee according to thy Word 2. So it is with them for their faith and confident assurance of Gods favour David that one while glorieth The Lord is my light and my salvation whom shall I feare Psalme 27.1 At another time you shall finde him quite void of this assurance Psalme 31.22 I said in my hast I am cut off from before thine eyes You shall heare him complaining Psalme 88.15 While I suffer thy terrours I am distracted And blessed Paul who at one time speaketh so triumphantly Romanes 8.35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ At another time 2 Cor. 7.5 you shall heare him complaine of inward feares and terrours 3. For their conscionable care to please God in all their waies they have shewed great inconstancy in that also 1. Abraham was sometimes so obedient unto God so carefull to
can do it no better wil be ready to helpe us and make that easie to us by his helpe which was full of difficulty and impossibility before Arise and be doing saith David to Solomon 1 Chron. 22.16 and the Lord will be with thee If we draw neare to God do our best endeavour God will draw neare unto us as the Apostle speaketh Iames 4.8 LECTVRES ON PSAL. LI. 6. Lecture LXXIV On Psalme LI. 6. Novemb. 6. MDCXXVII Behold thou desirest truth in the inward parts and in the hidden part thou hadst made me to know wisedome WEE have already heard out of the former verses of this Psalme that David in seeking to God for mercy in the pardon of his grievous sins doth make confession of his sinne and accuse himselfe before God and that not only in grosse and generall verse 3. but more fully in these three verses following For 1. Hee acknowledgeth his sin in particular that very sin that Nathan charged him with verse 4. I have done this evill in thy sight 2. The fountaine and root from whence this his sin did grow even his vile and cursed nature verse 5 Behold I was borne in iniquity and in sin did my mother conceive me 3. From the consideration of that uprightnesse and truth of heart which the Lord so much desireth and which he found his corrupt heart so farre from specially in the committing of this soule sin For oh what a deale of fraud and cunning did he use in this matter to hide and cloake his sin 1. Hee sent for Vriah home and perswaded him to goe and lodge at his owne house 2. Sam. 11.6 2. When perswasion would not serve hee made him drunke in hope that that would provoke him to lust verse 13. 3. When all this would not serve nor hee could get Vriah to father the child hee procureth him to bee made away that so by marrying of his wife he might cloke his sin the better ver 15. in the beginning of this sixt verse Behold thou desirest truth in the inward parts 4. From the consideration of that measure of saving knowledge and grace which hee had received from God before hee fell into this sin in the last words of this verse And in the hidden part thou hadst made me for so I read it and not thou shalt make me to know wisedome And thus you see the scope and drift of this verse and what coherence and dependance it hath on that which went before The words divide themselves naturally into two parts as they doe containe two arguments and considerations whereby David doth amplifie and aggravate his sin 1. What a one God would have David and all his children to bee that is to say Vpright in heart 2. What a one David was before hee fell into these foule sins that is God had wrought soundnesse of grace in his heart In the hidden part thou hadst made me to know wisedome In the former part three points are to bee observed 1. The thing the grace that God desired that God would have to bee in David and all his children Truth thou desirest truth that is sincerity and uprightnesse which is opposed to guile and hypocrisie So is truth taken Iosh. 24.14 Feare the Lord and serve him insincerity and in truth And 1 Cor. 5.8 Let us keepe the feast with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth And Iohn 1.47 Behold saith our Saviour of Nathanael an Israelite in truth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in whom is no guile 2. The subject the place where God would have this grace to be in the inward parts that is in the heart For so wee find this place interpreted by Iob 38.36 Who hath put wisedome in the inward parts or who hath given understanding to the heart And by our Saviour Marke 7.21 From within out of the heart of men proceed evill thoughts And by the Apostle Ephes. 3. who when hee had prayed for them verse 16. that they might be strengthened by Gods spirit in the inner man He expoundeth himselfe thus verse 17. that Christ might dwell in their hearts by faith The heart is the proper seat of this truth and sincerity For then a thing is said to be spoken or done in truth 1. When that which is said or done agreeth with the heart and proceedeth from it As a good man is said Psal. 15.2 To speake the truth in his heart He speaketh the truth in his heart because he speaketh as hee thinketh 2. When the purpose and intent of the heart is upright in that which a man speaketh or doth My father saith Solomon in his prayer 1 Kings 3.6 walked before thee in truth and uprightnesse of heart therefore in truth because in uprightnesse of heart Therfore also is this sincerity called singlenesse of heart Acts 2.46 When a man in that which he saith and doth hath but one heart not a heart and a heart a double heart Psalm 12.2 one heart for that which hee pretendeth and another for that which he intendeth It is said that the Zebulonites that came to make David King 1 Chron. 12.33 were not of a double heart And that is expounded verse 38 that they came with a perfect or an upright heart A true heart is called a whole heart also Psal. 119.10 a false heart is called a divided heart Hosea 10.2 3. and lastly The note of observation that David prefixeth before this Behold As if he should say this this is that which I cannot but take notice of and thinke much upon that whereas I am by nature so filthy and corrupt and have so much falshood and hypocrisie in my heart which hath beene the maine cause of this my fearefull fall thou art a God that lookest for and requirest yea desirest above all things and delightest in the truth and uprightnesse of the heart and where that is wanting all that a man can doe is nothing in thy sight Now all this cunning and falshood he had used doth greatly augment his griefe and shame when he considereth how much the Lord delighteth in truth and abhorreth hypocrisie Then the Doctrine that wee are to learne from the first part of the verse is this That truth and uprightnesse of heart is that which God highly esteemeth of and desireth and delighteth in above all things Observe the proofe of this Doctrine in five points and degrees First The Lord would have all his servants upright in heart hee would have that obedience and service that is done unto him to bee done in truth and sincerity that is that that hee looketh for at our hands which hee greatly desireth and longeth for Hee cannot abide hypocrisie that wee should counterfeit and halt with him My son saith the Lord Prov. 23.26 give me thine heart that is it that I looke for So Ioshua 24.14 calleth upon the people Now therefore feare the Lord and serve him in sincerity and truth Are not thine eyes upon the truth saith Iere. 5.3 As if he should say Is
this naturall weakenesse there is a sinfull weakenesse also in the best of Gods children even weaknesse of faith which maketh them subject not to naturall feares onely but to sinfull feares also There is much lacking in their faith as the Apostle said of the Thessalonians 1 Thess. 3.10 And this is a chiefe cause of all their feares Why are ye fearefull ô ye of little faith saith our Saviour to his Disciples Mat. 8.16 pointing at the chiefe cause of all our feare When are apt to doubt of Gods favour and of the pardon of our sinnes and who can choose but bee much disquieted in his heart with â—eare when he doubteth of Gods favour When the Prophet complained Psal. 88.15 While I suffer thy terrours I am distracted he telleth us verse 14. what was the cause of those terrours he felt in himselfe Lord why castest thou off my soule why hidest thou thy face from me Hee could not be perswaded of Gods love hee thought God had cast him of And can you wonder then though his heart were full of terrour The second cause of these feares is the Lord himselfe Certainely his holy hand is to be acknowledged in this kinde of affliction as well as in any other These feares are therefore called the Lords terrours Psal. 88.15 and 2 Cor. 5.11 because they come from him And the Lord seeth it to bee good and profitable many waies for sundry of his servants to bee much exercised by them 1. This maketh them carefull by repentance to purge themselves from all their knowne sinnes So the Lord speaketh of the feare which they that travell by sea are in when they see the strange breaches which the whale by his rising doth make in the sea Iob 4â— 25 When he raiseth up himselfe the mighty and most stout hearted are afraid by reason of his breakings they purifie themselves As wee see the mariners that carryed Ionah did Ionah 1.5 The mariners were afraid and cryed every man to his God Every one sought to make his peace with God in the best manner that he could This effect wee know feare usually hath even in all men but much more certainely in Gods children 2. This keepeth them humble fearefull to sinne tractable and willing to obey God in all things This is also a naturall effect of feare to abate the pride of mans heart and to make it humble and tractible Put them in feare ô Lord saith David Psal. 9.20 that the nations may know themselves to bee but men Certainely if the Lord should not now and then visit them with inward terrours and gripes there be many in the world would even forget themselves to be men But this effect it hath in Gods children especially O that there were such a heart in them saith the Lord of his people Deut. 5.29 that they would feare me keepe my commandements alwaies As if he had said Now they are fearefull to offend me in any thing now they are willing to doe any thing I would have them as they protested verse 27. But when was that Surely when by seeing the law delivered in that terrible manner they were brought into a wonderfull feare 3. Lastly This prepareth them and maketh them fit to receive comfort from God Thus the Lord hath beene wont to prepare his servants whom he meant to give most comfort unto Before the Lord delivevered that large and comfortable promise unto Abram Gen. 15.13 21. it is said verse 12. Loe an horrour of great darknesse fell upon him Before Elijah could heare that still and small voice that spake so much comfort unto him concerning himselfe and the whole Church the Lord first affrighted him with a great and strong wind that rent the mountaines and brake the rockes in pieces and then by an earthquake and after that by a fire 1 King 19.11 12. hee deepely humbled him by feare and terrour first that he might prepare and make him fit to receive that comfort You see then that this may bee the case of them that are most upright hearted and such as truly love the Lord they may bee much subject to these feares And this is the first thing I told you I had to say for the comfort of such poore soules The second is this That it is not onely possible that thou maist love God unfeignedly though thou be so subject to these terrours but even while thou art in this case thou hast evident signes in thee that thou dost so and if thou couldst observe thine owne heart well thou wouldst be able to discerne that thou dost love God indeed For First Thou desirest Gods favour above all things in the world and no crosse afflicteth thy heart so much as this that thou thinkest thou hast lost it thou canst not be assured of it this is a certaine signe thou lovest him When the Churches diligence in seeking after Christ when she had lost him is described Cant. 2.1 4. she expresseth the cause that moved her so to seeke after him by calling him him whom her soule loved and this title she repeateth in every one of those verses Certainely if her soule had not dearely loved him she could not in that manner have sought after him So that this griefe and trouble thy heart is in because thou canst not be assured of Gods favour argueth plainely that thou art sicke of love as the Church saith she was Cant. 2.5 and 5.8 Thy love to God is the cause of thy sicknesse and griefe O how happy a thing would it be with many if they were sicke of this disease Secondly Thou darest not doe any thing that thou thinkest would offend God but makest conscience to doe his will therefore thou lovest God Hee that hath my commandements and keepeth them saith our Saviour Ioh. 14.21 is hee that loveth me And 1 Iohn 5.3 This is the love of God that we keepe his commandements we could not els do it constantly nor conscionably Thirdly When thou hast through infirmity done any thing to offend God thou grievest unfeignedly and art troubled with it This argueth that thou lovest the Lord. It was love that made Mary Magdalen to weepe so abundantly for her sinnes as our Saviour testifieth of her Luke 7.47 And this was the onely thing whereby Peter did expresse that though he haâ— so shamefully denied Christ yet he loved him above all things when he had so offended hee went out and wept bitterly Mat. 26.75 Fourthly Thou lovest the Word and ordinances of God and the sincerity of his worship Therefore thou lovest God For the Lord calleth them that keepe the second commandement specially and above all others such as love him Exod. 20.6 And David professing himself Psal. 119 132. to be one of those that did love Gods name declareth it by no argument so much as by this throughout that Psalme even by that love hee bare unto and that delight hee tooke in the Word of God Fiftly thou lovest the children of God even because of the
God Thy loving kindnesse is before mine eyes saith David Psal. 26.3 therefore have I walked in thy truth If wee would set that oftner before our eyes meditate more seriously of that certainely it would make all Gods waies more easie and pleasant to us then they are On the other side he that hath no assurance of Gods love in Christ can never pray or heare or receive with any delight or comfort Wouldst thou know the true cause why it is so irksome a thing for thee to pray or to reade or to heare or to keepe the Sabbath that thou sayest of all these duties in thy heart as they did Mal. 1.13 O what a wearinesse is it Certainely thou hast in thee an evill heart of unbeliefe as the Apostle calleth it Heb. 3.12 Thou art not assured of Gods fatherly love to thee in Christ. Nor thou seekest not to be sure of it Get more faith and more assurance of Gods love and it will seeme no bondage to thee to serve God thou wilt finde ease and pleasure it Fiftly This and this only will cure us of that stone that is in our hearts and make them soft and fleshy make us able kindly to mourne for offending God by our sinnes When God once maketh thee able by the spirit of grace to see that Christ endured so much for thee that thy sinnes pierced Christ so then wilt thou bee able to mourne for thy sinnes saith the Prophet Zach. 12.10 as a man would mourne for the losse of his onely sonne When Mary was once assured by faith that her sinnes were forgiven yea how many sinnes God had forgiven unto her Luke 7.38.47 ô how she wept for her sinnes If thou wert indeed assured of the forgivenesse of thy sinnes and of Gods favour in Christ thou couldst never thinke of thy sinnes without griefe of heart And if thou desirest to grow more soft hearted labour to increase thy faith and to get more assurance of this speciall love of God to thee in Christ. Sixtly and lastly As no grace can grow in thy heart till thou have faith so as the measure of thy assurance of Gods love shall increase in thee so shall every saving grace increase and abound in thy soule Therefore the Apostle praying for the Ephesians Ephes. 3.19 that God would make them able to know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge he giveth this for the reason of it that ye might be filled saith he with all the fullnesse of God And these are Motives strong enough if God be pleased to work with them to perswade our hearts to seek to be assured of Gods love in Christ to make our calling and election sure It followeth now I should shew you the Meanes how this may be attained but those I must I see leave till the next day Lecture LXXXII On Psalme 51.6 February 26. 1627. NOw then there be five things principally to be done by them that would get and preserve in themselves this assurance of Gods favour First If thou desire to get assurance of Gods speciall love to thee in Christ assurance that Christ is thine assurance of thy salvation thou must first settle this perswasion in thy heart that it is possible to be attained By harbouring this conceit in thy heart that it is presumption for any man to say he is sure of his salvation I hope well but it is not possible for me or any man to be sure of this thou makest thy selfe uncapable of this comfortable assurance Know therefore that though 1. It be a very difficult thing to get and keepe this assurance 2. Few attaine unto it 3. Though this assurance be not perfect in any while they live here but they that have it best have it with some mixture of doubting and unbeliefe 4. They that have had it in the greatest measure have not had it at all times Yet every true beleever may attaine unto it if the fault be not in himselfe â—or 1. God hath commanded the faithfull to make their calling and election sure 2 Pet. 1.10 2. God hath promised that he will certifie and assure his people of this Ezek. 34.30 They shall know that I the Lord their God am with them and that they even the house of Israel are my people saith the Lord God 3. God hath given his people in all ages experience of the truth of this his promise in themselves Rom. 8.15 16. Ye have not received the spirit of bondage againe to feare as if he should say once ye had it but yee have received the spirit of adoption whereby we cry Abba father This could not be without assurance of Gods favour and this he saith not of himselfe onely but of all the faithfull of all Gods children Gal. 4.6 Because ye are sonnes God hatâ— sent forth the spirit of his sonne into your hearts This spirit witnesseth with our spiritâ— saith the Apostle Rom. 8.16 that wee are the sonnes of God We know saith the Apostle 1 Iohn 3.2 not of himselfe but of all Gods children that when Christ shall appeare we shall be like him And againe verse 14. We know we are translated from death to life And againe Chap 4.16 We have knowne and beleeved the love that God hath to us Nay I say more It is not onely possible for thee if thou be Gods child to have this assurance of Gods love in some measure but it is in some manner necessary thou shouldst have it thou must get it the hope thou talkest of is to little purpose without it Know ye not your owne selves saith the Apostle 2 Cor. 13.5 how that Iesus Christ is in you except ye be reprobates that is except ye be unsound and counterfait in the profession of the faith His house we are Heb. 3.6 if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoycing of the hope firme unto the end That hope that hath no confidence nor rejoycing in it is little worth Hope must bee as an anker of the soule both sure and stedfast as the Apostle speaketh Heb. 6.19 Well then seeing we both may and must get this assurance it standeth us upon to enquire how and by what meanes we may get it What is then next to bee done I answer Secondly We must bind our selves to a diligent and conscionable use of Gods ordinances which he hath sanctified to be the meanes whereby he will worke and increase all saving grace and consequently this in our hearts I will instance but in three and that briefly too First There is great force in the Word to worke in our hearts not onely faith Rom. 10.17 Faith commeth by hearing but this blessed fruit of faith also the assurance of Gods favour The Scriptures were written to this end to breed in us this assurance These things have I written to you 1 Iohn 5.12 that ye may know that ye have eternall life And 1.4 These things write we unto you that your joy may be full that you may have sound
The Lord hath forsaken me Thou art troubled with strong and fearefull tentations unto desperation Well for all this if thy heart bee upright though thou perceive it not nay if ever it were upright certainely they shall end in joy Marke the perfect man and behold the upright As if he had said It is our great sinne that we observe no better the manifold examples and experiments God giveth us of this for the end of that man is peace Yea proportionable to the measure of thy desertion and discomfort shall thy joy be in the end According to the comparison the Lord useth in this case Ps. 7.11 Light is sowen for the righteous and gladnesse for the upright in heart And 126.5 They that sow in teares shall reape in joy Proportionable to the seedâ—esse of their sorrow shall the harvest and crop of their joy be Now then to conclude all that I have said of these motives seeing there be so many promises made so many excellent priviledges belonging to them that are upright in heart let us not any longer content our selves with shewes of goodnesse with professing and thinking we are Christians we feare God we serve him But let us be ashamed of and bewaile and strive against our hypocrisie and our halting with God Let us labour to attaine to that uprightnesse of heart which we have heard at large described to us out of Gods Word and which the Lord our God so much delighteth in And for our helpe herein I will shew you some of the principall meanes which God hath in his Word directed us to use for the obtaining of it And I will passe over them as briefly as I can First It is not possible for a man to have an upright heart till his heart have first been truly humbled for sin Behold saith the Prophet Hab. 2.4 his soule which is listed up is not upright in him It must be humbled before it can be upright As when a bell is crackt it can never be mended till it have beene first broken in pieces and melted and cast a new so before the heart of man that is so full of cracks and unsoundnesse can be made sound and whole it must first be broken David could not rid himselfe of that guile that was in his heart till he tooke this course till with an humbled soule hee did acknowledge against himselfe his wickednesse to the Lord as is plaine Psal. 32 2-5 Secondly He that would have an upright heart must labour for a true faith for assurance of Gods fatherly love to him in Christ. Let us draw neere saith the Apostle Heb. 10.22 with a true heart in full assurance of saith For it is faith onely that purifieth the heart as the Apostle speaketh Acts 15.9 as from all other corruptions so from that falshood and hypocrisie that is in it by nature When David had professed Psal. 16. â— that he had walked in his integrity he nameth this to be the cause of it and the meanes whereby hee was brought unto and preserved in this integrity verse 3. For thy loving kindnesse is before mine eyes when wee once know that the service we doe is unto our father that hath so dearely loved us this will make us serve him heartily and unseignedly Thirdly He that would have and keepe an upright heart must take heed of living in any knowne sinne of doing any thing against his conscience Keepe thy servant from presumptuous sinnes saith David Psal. 19.13 let them not have dominion over me then shall I be upright The end of the commandement is love saith the Apostle 1 Tim. 1.5 out of a pure heart and a good conscience Purity and truth of heart can never be had or preserved without a good conscience Fourthly He that would have an upright heart must thinke oft of this and keepe it in his minde that Gods eye is upon him wheresoever he is and whatsoever he goeth about This the Lord himselfe prescribeth unto Abraham Gen. 17.1 as a meane to breed and preserve uprightnesse of heart in him Walke before me saith he and be thou upright By this meanes Paul kept his heart upright in his ministery and so may we do now from seeking his owne praise or advantage or the humouring of men As of sincerity saith he 2 Cor. 2.17 as of God in the sight of God so speake we in Christ. By this meanes Noah kept himselfe upright in a most corrupt age and so may we do now as bad as the times are Noah was a just man saith the Holy Ghost Gen. 6 9. and upright in his generations Noah walked with God He looked not to the practise of men but set the Lord alwaies before him and walked as in his sight and presence and that kept him upright By this meanes the Church and people of God kept themselves upright in times of extreame trouble and persecution and so may we doe when the like times shall come upon us All this is come upon us say they Psal 44.17 18. even all that they had mentioned in eight verses before yet have we not forgotten thee neither have we dealt falsly in thy covenant our heart is not turned backe Why What was it that kept them from halting with God in such a time as that was That they tell us verse 21. even the consideration of this thaâ— they could not hide themselves from God they were ever in his eye Shall not God search this out say they for he knoweth the secrets of the heart Certainely a secret Atheisme that lodgeth in our breasts whereby either we beleeve not or remember not that Gods eye is upon us is a chiefe cause as of all other foule sins according to that Ezek. 9.9 The land is full of bloud and the city full of perversenesse for they say the Lord hath forsaken the earth and the Lord seeth not so is it a chiefe cause of all that falshood and hypocrisie that is in our hearts Fiftly and lastly He that would have an upright heart must diligently observe the falshood and hypocrisie of his own heart how apt it is to halt and dissemble with God in every service he doth unto him and out of an humbled soule for it complaine much to God of it and beg helpe of him against it By this meanes David here laboureth to get an upright heart he complaineth to God in this verse of the want of that truth in the inward parts which God so much delighteth in for as we have heard he speaketh of that here for the aggravation of his sin and then he beggeth of God helpe against this falshood of his heart verse 10. Create in me a â—leane heart ô God and renew a right spirit within me And so doth he likewise Psal. 119.80 Let my heart be sound in thy statutes that I be not ashamed As if he had said O Lord give me a sound heart And certainely one chiefe cause why hypocrisie so much prevaileth that increaseth
of doctrine as the Apostle speaketh Ephes. 4.14 certainely were never taught of God had never any saving knowledge in them Secondly Saving knowledge hath no fullnesse nor satiety in it but the more any man hath of it the more he still desireth to have A wise man will heare saith Solomon Pro. 1.5 and will increase learning And 15.14 The heart of him that hath understanding seeketh knowledge And 18.15 The heart of the prudent getteth knowledge and the eare of the wise seeketh knowledge David may bee a notable example for this who though hee had attained to that measure of this knowledge as hee excelled all his teachers yet seeketh still to God for more knowledge as if hee had beene the most ignorant man in the world Psalme 119.27 Make mee to understand the way of thy precepts verse 73. Give mee understanding that I may learne thy commandements verse 125. I am thy servant give mee understanding that I may know thy testimonies verse 144. The righteousnesse of thy testimonies is everlasting give me understanding and I shall live They then that thinke they have knowledge enough and feele no need they have to learne any more that wonder at and deride the folly of them that thinke they can never heare enough or read enough certainely were never taught of God nor have any saving knowledge in them Wo unto you that are full saith our Saviour Luke 6.25 for ye shall hunger Lecture XCVIII On Psalme 51.6 Septemb. 16. 1628. THe third and last sort of the signes of saving knowledge is taken from the effects of it and those are foure principally First Whereas carnall knowledge even of heavenly things I meane such a knowledge of them as a man by the strength of his owne wit in hearing or reading or study even of the Word of God attaineth unto will puffe up a man and make him proud and apt to censure and despise others Knowledge puffeth up saith the Apostle 1 Corinthians 8.1 Yea Paul himselfe was apt to bee exalted above measure with the abundance of revelations he had received above other men as himselfe saith 2 Corinthians 12.7 Saving knowledge that is wrought in the heart by the spirit of grace hath a quite contrary effect for it humbleth a man and maketh him thinke more lowly of himselfe then ever he did before See this is Iames 3.13 Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you saith he let him shew out of a good conversation hit workes with meeknesse of wisedome As if he had thus said If he have true and saving knowledge and wisedome indeed let him shew it by his meekenesse and humility in his whole conversation The meeke will he guide in judgement saith David Psal. 25.9 and the meeke will he teach his way As if hee had said Those that are taught of God will be meeke and humble men And indeed it must needs be so For the more this light shineth into the heart of a man the more ignorance and corruption shall he see to be in himselfe All things that are reproved evill and reprovable saith the Apostle Ephes. 5.13 are made manifest by the light This experience sheweth us in the best of Gods servants and such as have most saving knowledge in them None complaine so much of their ignorance none so much humbled in the sense of their owne corruptions as they are Nay themselves before their conversion when they had farre lesse knowledge and lesse goodnesse then now they have never thought so basely of themselves as now they doe What is the cause of this Surely God hath now opened their eyes that were shut before this light of grace hath discovered that ignorance and corruption of heart unto them that before they never discerned nor thought had beene in them Let every one of us by this note try his owne knowledge whether it be the good knowledge of God such as will doe us good whether it be the worke of Gods spirit and grace or of nature onely 1. Seest thou no matter of shame and humbling in thy selfe no ignorance and blockishnesse no sluttish and foule corners in thine owne heart that thou never discernedst before Nay art thou not indeed humbled oft for these things Certainely this light of saving knowledge never yet shined in thy heart The first worke of it wheresoever it commeth is the discovering of ignorance and corruption and the humbling of the heart for it 2. Art thou well perswaded of thine owne knowledge and proud of it doth it puffe thee up and make thee censorious and apt to despise others that thou thinkest have not that knowledge and grace that thou hast like the supercilious Pharisees Iohn 7.49 This people who know not the law are accursed a fault that many of our young professours doe much dishonour the Gospell by certainely thou maist have knowledge I will not deny but thou wert never yet taught of God saving and sanctified knowledge thou hast not For so saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 8.2 If any man thinke he knoweth any thing if he be conceited and proud of his knowledge if it make him swell and puffe him up as he had said verse 1. he knoweth nothing yet as he ought to know The second effect of saving knowledge is this It swimmeth not nor floteth aloft in the braine onely of him that hath it but it soaketh and sinketh downe to the heart it worketh upon the heart and affections of a man And a God is said to know them onely whom he doth affect and love and care for as he saith to his people Amos 3.2 You onely have I knowne of all the families of the earth And of wicked men whom he loveth not nor affecteth he saith Mat. 7.23 that he never knew them So man is said to know nothing in religion unlesse his heart be affected with that which he knoweth Thus speaketh Ioshuah of the knowledge of Gods people Iosh. 23.14 Ye know in all your hearts and in all your soules As if he had said Ye know the truth of God in his promises not speculatively onely but feelingly comfortably and experimentally So speaketh the Lord of his peoples knowledge Esa. 5â— 7 Hearken unto mee ye people that know righteousnesse in whose heart is my law As though hee should say No man knoweth righteousnesse and religion indeed and with a saving knowledge unlesse the law of God and that that he knoweth in religion be in his heart and affection as well as in his braine and understanding O tast and see saith David Psalme 34.8 that the Lord is good As if hee had said You can never see nor discerne and understand it well unlesse yee tast and feele the sweetnesse of it in your owne hearts So the Apostle saith 2 Cor. 2.14 that by his ministery God made manifest the savour of his knowledge in every place That knowledge of God which the faithfull gat by his ministery and whereby they were converted had savour in it it was a
of that which my brother spake the last day touching their estate But to you beloved I am to direct my speech at this time that have more then a forme of godlinesse that have felt the life and power of it in your owne hearts to every one of you that can say with David here unto the Lord out of the feeling and experience of his owne soule In the hidden part thou hast made mâ—e to know wisedome To every one that is such I have two words of exhortation to speake from the Doctrine that you have heard 1. Be thou above all men most afraid to fall into any sin for the time to come 2. Be thou above all men most humbled for the sins that since thou wert in this estate thou hast fallen into For the first No man hath so great cause to bee afraid to sin as the child of God as the regenerate man hath O feare the Lord ye his Saints saith David Psalme 34.9 As if he had said Though you be his Saints in the state of grace and in his favour yea because yee are his Saints in his favour and in the state of grace therefore you must feare him none have more cause to feare him then yee But to speake distinctly of this point I will shew you 1. How farre forth this feare of sinning must extend 2. Reasons why the regenerate the child of God hath more cause to feare sin then any other man For the first The extent of this feare is to be observed 1. In the object of it the kinds and degrees of sin that we must be afraid of 2. In the continuance and durablenesse of it For the first of these for the helpe of your understanding and memory you shall see it in seven degrees First The child of God hath cause to be afraid of falling into grosse and scandalous sins As Ioseph was when he was strongly tempted to adultery and might have committed it most secretly and securely yet he durst not doe it How can I doe this great wickednesse saith he Genesis 39 â— and sin against God And David when hee was as strongly tempted to take revenge of his mortall enemy and had such opportunitie also as flesh and bloud would never have let slip insomuch as Saul himselfe wondred at it 1. Samuel 24 18 19. yet hee durst not doe it And why durst he not doe it Was it out of basenesse of mind because he was a coward No no he was as valiant a man as ever drew sword Why then durst hee not doe it Surely hee durst not sinne nor doe that that would so offend God Who can stretch foorth his hand or offer to doe such a thing saith he 1 Sam. 26 9. against the Lords annointed and be guiltlesse These were grosse sins you will say and he can be no better then an hypocrite that is not afraid to doe such things I say therefore secondly If thou be Gods child be thou afraid to do the least thing that might offend God Daniel was afraid of the Kings meat Dan. 1.8 Because it was such as God in the ceremoniall law had forbidden he knew it would have defiled his conscience Nay thirdly If thou be Gods child be thou afraid to do any thing that thou seest cause to doubt thou shalt sin and offend God in doing it He that doubteth is damned if he eat saith the Apostle Rom. 14.23 Nay fourthly If thou be in the state of grace thou hast cause to be afraid not only to speake amisse but even to thinke evill to offend God in the very thoughts of thy heart Beware that there be not a thought in thy wicked heart saith the Lord Deut. 15.9 saying the seventh yeere the yeere of release is at hand Fiftly If thou be a Christian thou hast cause to be afraid of doing good duties loosely perfunctorily carelesly Serve the Lord with feare saith David Ps. 2.11 Yea sixtly Thou hast cause to be afraid even of standing at a stay and not growing better under the means of grace Worke out your own salvation saith the Apostle Phil. 2.12 with feare and trembling As if he should say If the worke go not forward if it be not forwarder then it was many yeares since you have cause of feare and trembling even for that Nay seventhly and lastly If thou be Gods child be thou afraid to do any thing that thou seest is of evill report and will cause thy religion and profession to be evill spoken of though thou know never so assuredly that the thing in it selfe is not sin but lawfull enough Dare any of you having a matter against another saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 6.1 goe to law before the unjust and not before the Saints Yea why not I pray you might some of them have said What sin what unlawfulnes is there in that Hast thou not taught us Rom. 13.1.4 that the law and magistracy is ordained of God for our use and benefit whatsoever the man be that executeth it And didst not thou thy selfe seeke the benefit of law before an unbeleever when thou didst appeale unto Caesar Act. 25.11 Yes might the Apostle say But though the thing in it selfe be never so lawfull yet because it exposeth your religion to the scorne and reproach of the unbeleevers you that feare God may not dare to do it saith he All things all such kind of things as he there speaketh of are lawfull saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 6.12 but all things are not expedient Though the thing be never so lawfull yet if thou see cause to think that hurt will come of it thou must be afraid to do it You see in these seven degrees how tender hearted how cautelous and precise the child of God had need to be The Prophet calleth them Esa. 35.4 such as are of a fearefull heart and you see they have just cause to be so But how long must they be so will you say which is the second thing I told you was to be observed in the extent of this feare Surely so long as we live we have cause to nourish this feare in our selves My son saith Solomon Prov. 23.15.17 let thy heart be in the feare of the Lord all the day long And the Apostle 1 Pet. 1.17 Passe the time of your sojourning here all the time of your life in feare If any man shall object How can this be Seeing the Apostle saith of the faithfull 2 Tim 1.7 God hath not given us the spirit of feare And Rom. 8.15 We have not received the spirit of bondage to feare againe but the spirit of adoption whereby we cry Abba father As if he had said Before we beleeved in Christ we were indeed subject to much feare but now wee have received another spirit and are freed from those feares And the life of a Christian is the greatest bondage and slavery in the world if he must be alwayes of so fearefull an heart To this I answer That to live continually in
also to every faithfull man That worthy that noble and excellent thing which is committed unto thee keepe by the Holy Ghost which dwelleth in us Spartam quam nactus es hanc orna Grace that holy religion that thou professest hold it out so that it may bee the better thought of and have the more honour even for thy sake For though it lie not in mans power to add any thing to the honour of Gods name and religion or to make it greater in it selfe yet with men certainly they may by their holy profession and good example make it much greater and more honourable then otherwise it would be Paul was confident Phil. 1.20 that Christ should be magnified in his body whether he lived or died And of the poore servant he saith Tit. 2.10 that by his holy life he may adorne the doctrine of Christ and make it more beautifull and amiable in the eyes of men In which respect the Apostle speaking of certaine brethren that were the messengers of the Churches he calleth them 2 Cor. 8.23 the glory of Christ. These so held out the word of life in their whole profession and conversation that they were even a glory to Christ they made him and his religion more honourable and glorious in the Church then otherwise he would have been This is such a dignity as the child of God would not forgoe for all the world the credit and honour of Gods holy name and religion which he doth professe is dearer to him then his life It were better for me to die saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 9.15 then that any man should make my glorying void And what was his glorying Surely that he had so carried himselfe in his whole conversation that the Gospell received no blemish but honour by him See how earnestly David prayeth against this Psal. 69.6 Let not them that wait on thee ô Lord God of hosts be ashamed for my sake he repeateth it againe Let not those that seek thee be confounded for my sake ô God of Israel As if he had said O keep me from doing that that may cause thy people to hold downe their heads for shame because of the discredit I have brought upon religion Now this comfort this glorying the child of God shall utterly loose if he fall into scandalous sins Such sins of Gods people bring shame and reproach upon the Gospell they cast dirt and dung upon Gods holy name and religion and make it contemptible and loathsome in the eyes of men Yea the more note any man hath been of for piety the more will his sins make men to loath religion So the Lord saith of his people that they did by their sins profane his holy name Amos 2.7 and pollxte his holy name Ezek. 39.7 Ye see then there is great cause that the child of God should be more afraid to offend him then any other man in the world O that the Lord would give us all hearts to take these things home unto our selves to beleeve and bee affected with them as we ought to be For certainly many of us of whom yet I dare not doubt but they are the children of God do so live as it appeareth evidently that either they beleeve not or at least they do not consider and thinke seriously of these things But I must proceed to the second word of exhortation which I told you I must from this doctrine direct unto all you that truly feare God Be thou that art Gods child above all other men most humbled in thy selfe for those falls that thou hast taken since thou wast in the state of grace Every mans humiliation and sorrow for sin if it be true will be in some measure proportionable unto the quality and degree of his sin David watred his couch and made his bed to swimme with his teares Ps. 6.6 Manasseh humbled himselfe greatly before the God of his fathers 2 Chron. 33.12 Mary Magdalen wept so abundantly that she washed Christs feet with her teares Luk. 7.38 Now our sinnes who are in the state of grace are as we have heard many waies for degree and quality greater and more odious to God then the sins of other men For first They have beene committed against knowledge and conscience and consequently have been presumptuous sins And the servant that knew his masters will and prepared not himselfe nor did according to his will saith our Saviour Luk. 12.47 shall be beaten with many stripes Secondly They have beene committed against the marvellous mercy and goodnesse of God after that we had not only heard but felt and tasted in our selves how gracious the Lord is and consequently have been done in a contempt of God And to whom soever much is given of him shall much be required saith our Saviour Luk. 12.48 Thirdly Consider with what hazard thou hast sinned What mischiefe and losse thou either hast run into by thy sin or at least didst endanger thy selfe to run into That is to say 1. The provoking of thy father to be angry with thee and to plague thee thou knowest not how sharply how grievously 2. The losse of the assurance of thy fathers love and consequently of thy peace and joy thy boldnes and communion with God 3. The losse of the feeling and use and lively operation of Gods grace in thy heart With this hazard with this danger thou hast sinned And consequently thy sin hath argued thy heart to be desperately wicked as the Prophet speaketh Ier. 17.9 Fourthly and lastly Thy sins have dishonoured God and caused such as have beene privie to them to like the worse of his holy religion as thou hast heard this cannot be avoided And this must needs lie heavie upon thine heart if there be truth of grace in it The reproaches of them that reproached thee saith David Psal. 69.9 are fallen upon me O this is a most profitable meditation for us all that meane to be partakers at the Lords table When we are at the Lords table and heare Gods Minister bid us in Gods name take and eat the body of Christ which was broken for us take and drink the bloud of Christ that was shed for us I grant there be then other meditations and dispositions of our soule that are needfull and fit for us Then should we stretch out the hand of our soule with faith and confidence thankfullnes to receive that gift the Lord offereth us feed upon that heavenly food with joy and gladnes of heart But for the preparing of our selves to come to the Lords table in a right manner certainly no disposition of our soule is so fit as sound humiliation and sense of our own sins and unworthines no meditation is so fit as a serious calling to mind and consideration of our sins and of all the circumstances whereby we may aggravate them against our selves for our sound humiliation And therfore the Apostle maketh this the summe of all true preparation 1 Cor. 11.28 Let a man examine
Sacrament that hath not care before hee goe to it to purge and cleanse himselfe from his sinnes 2. For the ministery of the word Every one saith the Lord Eze. 14.7 8. which separateth himselfe from mee and setteth up his idols in his heart every mans lust wee know is his idoll covetousnesse is idolatry Col. 3.5 and putteth the stumbling blocke of his iniquitie before his face affecteth it loveth it cannot looke of on it and commeth to a Prophet to enquire of him concerning mee seeketh to know my will out of my word I will set my face against that man saith the Lord. Certainely that man that bringeth to the hearing of the word any knowne sinne with him in his heart affecteth it loveth it is not willing to part with it separateth himselfe from God can have no hope that God will joyne or worke with him in this his ordinance nay hee highly provoketh God by comming to it in this manner Wherefore saith the Apostle 1 Pet. 2.1.2 laying aside all malice all guile and hypocrisies and envies and evill speakings as new borne babes desire the sincere milke of the word that ye may grow thereby As if hee had said There is no hope wee should ever grow in grace or thrive by the word in the best ministery under heaven if our care bee not before wee come to it to lay aside all our knowne sinnes with full purpose of heart never to take them up againe 3. Lastly For prayer If thou prepare thine heart and stretch out thine hands toward him saith Zophar Iob 11.13 14. if iniquitie bee in thine hand put it farre away and let not wickednesse dwell in thy tabernacles As if hee had said If a man before hee goe to prayer bee not carefull to cast away all his knowne sinnes nay if hee winke at or beare with any sinne that hee knoweth to be in his family he can have no hope to find audience or acceptance with God in any prayer that hee maketh unto him So that you see how undoubted a truth it is which the Prophet speaketh Esay 59.2 Our iniquities will separate betweene us and our God Certainely this is the maine cause why all Gods ordinances prove so fruitlesse to us wee read and heare and receive the Sacrament and pray ordinarily yea wee sometimes keepe fasts too and yet are never the better Though God have promised hee will meet with his people in his publique worship There that is in the tabernacle of the congregation I will meet with the children of Israel saith the Lord Exodus 29.43 And hee hath bound himselfe every whit as much to meet with his people in his publique worship under the Gospell as hee did then as is plaine Matth. 28. â—0 yet wee frequenting the tabernacle of the congregation ordinarily can seldome or never meet the Lord there nor find his gracious presence there What is the cause of this Surely some knowne sinne we harbour in our selves and which wee have no care to purge our selves of when we should goe to God breaketh the meeting and seperateth betweene us and our God So that to conclude the third Meanes If it bee indeed a trouble to us that we feele no more life and power no more fruit and comfort in any of Gods ordinances let us learne of Saul and do as he did 1 Sam. 14.37 38. When he had sought to God and the Lord answered him not he resolveth to search and find out by the best meanes that he could the speciall sinne that was the cause of it And so should we do Fourthly and lastly If wee doe indeed desire that God would accompany his ordinances and worke with them in our hearts we must beg this of God by fervent prayer This course wee should take in all things we are troubled with the want of in every thing wee doe desire Bee carefull for nothing saith the Apostle Philip. 4 6. but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thankesgiving let your request bee made knowne unto God As if he had said Acquaint God with all your desires But in our spirituall wants especially we should doe this No suit we can make to God pleaseth him so well as this when we beg grace of him It pleased the Lord saith the Text 1 King 3.10 that Solomon had asked this thing that is to say Wisedome and grace to governe well Neither is there any suit that we may be so sure to speed in as this How much more saith our Saviour Luk. 11.13 shall your heavenly father give the holy spirit to them that aske him And thus have I finished the two first things that I promised to handle in the enforcing of this exhortation it followeth that I proceed to the third and last thing that is to say To answer that which many good hearts are apt to object against themselves in this case There is no one thing that many of Gods servants doe more complaine of and mourne for then this that in no action or occasion of their life they are so heartlesse or uncomfortable as in the duties of Gods worship they profit not by any of Gods ordinances the Lord worketh not with them in their hearts For this they mourne and vexe themselves as judging it to be a certaine signe that they are forsaken of God and out of his favour yea they are even apt to resolve with themselves as good never a whit as never the better it is to no purpose for them to frequent the ordinances of God any longer seeing they are never the better for them To these good soules I have two things to say 1. Somewhat for their direction 2. Somewhat for their comfort First For thy direction I must say unto thee that 1 Seeing thou art expressely commanded of God to read and heare the Word to receive the Sacrament to pray 2 and that these are the meanes he hath ordained to work grace in thee and to save thee if ever thou be saved Therefore thou must 1 hold thy selfe bound to use them still even though yet thou think thou dost receive no good by them 2 strive to use them in obedience to God 3 use those foure meanes thou hast beene directed 4 wait for Gods blessing in the use of them Remember what the Apostle saith Gal. 6.9 Let us not be weary of well-doing for in due season wee shall reape if we faint not Thou must do as those poore impotent persons did Ioh. 5.3 they came to the poole of Bethesda and lay waiting there for the moving of the water So must thou still bring thy selfe to these ordinances of God and wait till God shall be pleased to stirre and move thy heart by them We read of Iacob that when the Lord had wrastled with him and seemed desirous to leave him and be gone Gen. 32.26 Iacob resolved he would not let him goe till hee had blessed him So should all true Israelites doe follow the Lord constantly in the use
sinnes have parted them These things which God hath joyned together we have put asunder Our sinnes have separated betweene us and our God as the Prophet speaketh Esa. 59.2 There is great force in the Word to worke in the heart a comfortable assurance of thy salvation but thine owne corruption hindreth the efficacy and working of it in thee And what corruption principally doth this Surely the infidelity that is in thy heart The word preached did not profit them saith the Apostle speaking of the Israelites that perished in the wildernesse Hebrewes 4.2 not being mixed with saith in them that heard it Nay it is said of our blessed Saviour Marke 6.5 6. that he could do but a little good in Nazareth because of their unbeliefe Thou dost not in thy reading and hearing of the Word believe and make claime unto these promises that God hath made to this his Ordinance thou dost not looke to receive this benefit by it and what marvell is it then if it doe thee so little good Learne in thy reading and hearing of the Word to wait upon God for the performance of these promises with David Psalme 85.8 I will hearken what the Lord God will speake for he will speake unto his people and to his Saints If thou canst with an honest and humble heart wait upon God for comfort in the use of his Ordinance thou shalt certainely find a great deale of comfort by it in the end For they shall not be ashamed that wait for me saith the Lord Esa. 40.23 The second ordinance of God that hath great force to worke and preserve in us assurance of Gods favour in Christ and to recover it when it is lost is the conscionable use of the Lords Supper It is said of Gods people that had received the Passeover in Hezekiahs time with good hearts 2 Chron. 30. that they found marvellous comfort in it Verse 21. They kept the feast with gladnesse And Verse 26. There was great joy in Ierusalem And what was the cause of this great joy Surely they had prepared their hearts to seeke the Lord and his favour in this Ordinance as we read Verse 19. And in the conscionable use of this Ordinance they found assurance of Gods favour and that was the cause of their joy Two things there be that will make it evident to us that there must needs be great force in the conscionable use of the holy Sacrament to sprinkle Christs bloud upon our hearts and to give us assurance it was shed for us First That in this Ordinance Christ and his bloud is applied to us more particularly than by any other meanes that ever God ordained His body and blood is offred by his Minister in his Name and by his commandement to every receiver and offered as meat and drinke which of all things that we receive is most nearely applyed to us and made our owne And offred with a charge and commandement to receive him and feed upon him by faith undoubtedly believing that his bloud was shed for us For this is the commandement of Christ to every one of his people as the Apostle recordeth it 1 Cor. 11.24 Take eat this is my body which was broken for you Secondly Christ and his bloud is in this Ordinance not onely thus particularly offered and applied but verily and really though not corporally but spiritually exhibited and given to every worthy receiver In which respect every Sacrament is said by the Apostle Rom. 4.11 to be a seale of the righteousnesse which is by faith And our Saviour calleth the bread his body and the wine his bloud Mat. 26.26.28 This is my body this is my blood saith he As if hee had said As verily as the one is present unto and received by the body so verily is the other present unto and received by the soule of the worthy receiver And the Apostle moveth a Question as appealing thereby to the conscience of every true believer 1 Cor. 10.16 The cup of blessing which we blesse is it not the communion of the blood of Christ Is it not an applying of Christs blood to our selves and making of it our owne And how falleth it out then that we that have so often received this holy Sacrament have gotten so little assurance by it that Christ is ours That there is never a whit the more joy in Ierusalem Gods people are never a whit the more comfortable in themselves for being at our Passeover Surely 1 We do not before-hand prepare our hearts to seeke the Lord our God in this Ordinance as they did in Hezekiahs time 2. Wee doe not when wee are at this Ordinance stirre up our selves with humble and thankfull soules to receive that mercy that is offered us from the Lord. But that complaint may bee taken up in this case which the Prophet maketh Esa 64.7 There is none that stirreth up himselfe to take hold of thee Christ commeth to us in this his Ordinance and offereth as with a bunch of hysop to sprinkle his bloud upon us and we will not open our hearts to receive it from him The third and last Ordinance of God that hath great force in it to breed and preserve in our hearts this particular assurance of Gods favour and to recover it when it is lost is prayer This is that that giveth virtue and force to all other meanes and without which no meanes we can use will doe us any good If thou wouldst attaine to a particular assurance of Gods love to thee in Christ thou must seeke to God for it as David doth here and cry unto him as hee doth likewise Psalme 35.3 O Lord say unto my soule I am thy salvation Great is the force of humble and fervent prayer as in all other cases so in this especially Two things we have to assure us of this First The promise of God I will make my people joyfull saith the Lord Esa. 56.7 in my house of prayer What is the thing that maketh Gods people joyfull and comfortable Surely when the Lord lifteth up the light of his countenance upon them and giveth them assurance of his favour as we see plainely Psalme 4.6 7. How and by what meanes will the Lord worke this joy and comfort in them By prayer I will make them joyfull saith he in my house of prayer So speaketh our Saviour Ioh. 16 24. Aske and ye shall receive that your joy may be full So the Lord promiseth unto his people Levit. 23.27 that the day of their most solemne and fervent prayer wherein they should humble themselves by fasting and afflict their soules to that end that they might pray the more fervently shoud bee a day of attonement and reconciliation betweene him and them they should obtaine more comfortable assurance of his favour upon that day and by that means than by any other Secondly The experience of Gods people may assure us of this Two experiments onely I will give you of this in David The first is set
certainly loose his assurance and comfort by it Your iniquities saith the Prophet to Gods owne people Esa. 59.2 have separated betweene you and your God and your sins have bid his face from you You need no other experiment of this then in David What man hath ever had more comfortable assurance of his salvation and of the favour of God in Christ then he sometimes had Thou art my God and I will praise thee saith he Psal. 118.28 thou art my God and I will exalt thee And Ps. 27.1 The Lord is my light and my salvation whom shall I feare But when this man had once given liberty to himselfe to sin against his conscience in the matter of Vriah see how his assurance and comfort was quite lost and how much adoe he had to recover it againe Make me to heare joy and gladnesse saith he here verse 8. and verse 12. Restore me to the joy of thy salvation But what speake I of grosse sins Let a Christian but grow worldly and secure let him but remit any thing of that watchfulnes care to take heed to his wayes of that feare to offend God in any thing that was wont to be in him and his comfortable assurance of Gods favour will be lost See an experiment of this in the Church and spouse of Christ the mother of us all Cant. 5.2 6. Shee complaineth ver 6. that her wellbeloved had with-drawne himselfe and was gone shee had lost the comfort and assurance of his love and both in that verse and those that follow it appeareth shee had much adoe to recover him againe Shee sought him but shee could not find him shee called upon him but hee gave her no answer And how came this to passe What had shee done Surely shee came to this wofull losse not by any foule sinne shee had falâ—e into but onely through a spirituall lazinesse and wretchlesnesse and worldly security that was crept upon her as appeareth by her answer verse 3. I have put off my coate how shall I put it on I have washed my feete how shall I defile them Shee answered him as a lazy sluggard newly awakened out of his sleepe and loath to arise out of his bed and the effect of her answer was this I am now at ease and quiet and by opening my heart unto thee by receiving thee to rule and governe in it by hearkening and yeeldding unto thee in every thing I shall put my selfe to a great deale of trouble and labour that I am now eased of Certainly this is an answere that many a poore soule hath oft made unto Christ. He hath fallen asleep in worldly security Christ both by his word and spirit knocked oft at the doore of his heart and sought to enter and take full possession of it and because this could not be without trouble to the flesh it would put him to labour and paine therefore he hath refused to open unto Christ and so hath lost him and the comfortable assurance of his love Let us now make some application of this unto our selves And first Let every one of us that complaine wee cannot get assurance of Gods love examine well whither this bee not the cause of it Dost thou not or hast thou not lived in some knowne sin that thou hast not yet repented of or beene humbled for as thou oughtest to bee Or art thou not growne more secure and carelesse of thy wayes and cold in holy duties then once thou wert Certainely this must be found out and repented of or thou canst have no hope at all to recover the assurance of Gods favour Sinne unrepented of is like a filthy vapour rising out of the soule that will cause such a mist and thicke fog betweene God and us as will keepe the light of his countenance from shining upon us That remedy therefore that is prescribed unto us in all other afflictions Lamenta 3.39.40 must bee used in this case Wherefore doth living man complaine a man for the punishment of his sinne Let us search and try our wayes and turnâ— againe unto the Lord. Search thine owne wayes and crave helpe of God also crying to him with Iob 10.2 Shew mee wherefore thou contendest and art angry with me and with the Church Psalme 44 24. Lord wherefore hidest thou thy face If thou canst find out thy sinne that is the cause of this and humble thy selfe and returne unto God by unfeined repentance thou needest not doubt of recovering thy assurance againe Returne unto mee and I will returne unto you saith the Lord of hosts Mal. 3.7 Secondly Let this restraine us from sinne For is there not force enough in this beloved though there were nothing else to make us afraid to sin to doe any thing that wee know would offend God that wee shall bee such loosers by it That though we do not thereby loose our fathers love so farre forth as to cause him to disinherite us yet wee shall loose thereby the assurance of his love wee shall so offend him as it may be wee shall never have kind looke of him againe while wee live Is there any pleasure or profit to bee found in sinne that will countervaile this losse As ungracious a child as Absalom was yet hee professeth 2 Sam. 14.32 that it was no comfort to him at all to bee restored from his banishment to his owne house and land nay it was no comfort to him to live so long as his father refused to looke upon him Thirdly and lastly Should not this make every one of us in love with a Christian course and willing to walke circumspectly and exactly as the Apostle speaketh Ephes. 5.15 To watch end be sober as the Apostle Peter exhorteth us to bee 1 Peter 5.1 to grow in grace and take heed of decaying in zeale or 〈◊〉 If you grow remisse and carelesse though you loose not your salvaâ—â—â—â— yet the full and comfortable assurance of it you will certainely loose I know this will not bee done without paine and labour But of all the labours in the world this is the most profitable yea the most comfortable and sweete labour The labour of the righteous tendeth unto life saith Solomon Proverbs 10.16 And who would not labour for life specially for life eternall That which Solomon saith of bodily labour Ecclesiast 5.12 The sleepe of a labouring man is sweete whether hee eate little or much may much more bee said of this labour it will make both our food and rest and all other comforts sweet unto us for it will preserve in us the assurance of Gods love in Christ which will give a pleasant relish unto them all The second of these more inward and spirituall meanes of assurance that I told you of is A diligent observation of our owne wayes It is profitable and necessary for a man that would get or preserve or recover the assurance of Gods favour to observe diligently his owne wayes Many good soules there bee that feare God
and unchangable love yet to the elect they be though a man to whom these blessings come single and alone cannot ground any good assurance of Gods speciall love upon them yet the elect of God and such as find them sanctified unto them and themselves bettered by them have beene able to raise good assurance of Gods love even from them and have beene greatly confirmed in their faith and confidence in God by them By this I know saith David Psal. 41.11 that thou favourest me because mine enemy doth not triumph over me Even by a temporall deliverance he had received from the practises of Saul he gathered assurance that the Lord loved him And Psal. 18.19 He delivered me because he delighted in me So Iacob telleth his brother Gen. 33.10 that in the strange alteration he found in him and in the great kindnesse hee received from him he saw the face of God that is the loving countenance of God towards him Thou that fearest God maist certainely confirme thy selfe much in the assurance of Gods love even by calling to mind the manifold experiments thou hast had of Gods goodnesse towards thee even in these outward things from thy youth up hitherto Nay I will say more The observation of the common goodnesse that God sheweth unto all men yea even unto all his creatures may help thee much that desirest to feare God to grow assured and confident of his speciall love unto thee Your heavenly father saith our Saviour to his Disciples Matâ—h 6.26 feedeth the foules of the aire and are not ye much better then they Thus David from the consideration of this common goodnesse of God to all the creatures falleth into an admiration of his goodnesse to his people Psal. 36.6 7. Thou preservest both man and beast How excellent is thy loving kindnesse ô God Therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of thy wings As if he had said Therefore the children of men poore sinners are apt to put their trust in thee and grow confident of thy speciall love towards them because they seeing how good thou art to all thy creatures conclude thereupon that thy loving kindnesse towards such as desire to feare thee must needs bee excellent So having spoken at large Psal. 107. of the providence and goodnesse of God towards all men he inferreth verse 42 43. The righteous shall see it and rejoyce they shall take comfort even in this And hee giveth the reason in the next words Who so is wise and will observe these things that is the goodnesse of God that appeareth in the ordinary passages of his providence towards all men even they shall understand the loving kindnesse of the Lord that is to say towards righteous men towards such as feare his name But then secondly I answer That though the observation of Gods goodnesse to us in outward things may helpe us much this way yet the experiments wee have had of his goodnsse to us formerly in spirituall things will doe it much better If thou hast had experience formerly that God hath beene gracious to thee in thy spirituall desertions and tentations by delivering thee out of them and giving thee victory over them by giving thee much comfort in prayer and in the Word thou mayst from thence gather a comfortable assurance of his speciall love much better then by any outward blessing that ever thou receivedst from God See how David did ground his assurance and confidence upon this Heare me when I call saith he Psal. 4.1 ô God of my righteousnesse thou hast enlarged me when I was in distresse have mercy upon me and heare my prayer and thereupon inforceth verse 3. The Lord wiâ—â— heare me when I call upon him He was confident God would returne to him againe and give a gracious answer unto his prayer because he had had experience that God had formerly when he was in like distresse enlarged his heart and given him much comfort in prayer So Psal. 22.21 Save me from the Lyons mouth for thou hast heard me from the hornes of the Vnicornes The experience he had had of Gods power and goodnes formerly in the like tentation giveth him assurance of help in this also So Ps. 27.9 10. Hide not thy face from me saith he put not thy servant away in anger Thou hast beene my helpe in such like distresses as I am now in leave me not neither forsake me ô God of my salvation And see in the next verse the confidence he grew unto upon this experience When my father and my mother forsake me then the Lord will take me up Let us learne therefore beloved to take notice of and observe all the speciall favours of God and experiments we receive of his love from time to time Yea let us labour to remember them to keepe a register of them and to repeate them oft to our owne soules Consider how great things God hath done for you saith Samuel to the people 1 Sam. 12.24 Yea wee should call upon our hearts as David doth Psal. 103.2 Blesse the Lord ô my soule and forget not all his benefits Gods people have beene so carefull to keepe in remembrance Gods speciall favours that they have used to give names to persons and places and times of purpose to helpe their memories in this case Hannah called her sonne whom she had obtained by prayer Samuel begged of God 1 Samuel 1.20 that so oft as she heard him named she might be put in remembrance of the respect God had had to her prayer Abraham called the place where God had spared Isaak and provided another sacrifice in his roome Iehovah-jireh God will provide Gen. 22.14 that he might never forget that experiment he had had of Gods gracious providence Iacob changed the name of Luz into Bethel the house of God Gen. 28.19 that he might ever remember how graciously and comfortably God had revealed himselfe to him in that place Iehosaphat and Gods people that they might never forget the marvellous comfort they had received from God after a generall fast in a strange deliverance from an invincible army of the Ammonites and Moabites and Edomites 2 Chron. 20.26 called the place where they met together to praise God for this mercy the valley of Berachah that is the valley of blessing So Mordecai and Gods people to keepe in perpetuall remembrance another marvellous deliverance which they had obtained by fasting and prayer from the conspiracy of Haman did not only keep those daies which he according to the counsell of his judiciall astrologers and magicians found to be the most lucky and fit daies for to put the decree against the Iewes in execution as daies of rejoycing every yeare but called them also the daies of Purim as you may read Est. 9.26 They would have the Lords defeating of Hamans lottery and magicke never to be forgotten Certainely these examples are written to teach us that we who have received the like blessings from God who have had
never have said he might seeme to have had matter of glorying in those works he did while he was an idolater but matter of shame and confusion rather 3. The Apostle speaking unto men that feared God Act. 13.16 telleth them ver 39. that they could not be justified by the law of Moses that is by those workes which were commanded in the law of Moses 4 Lastly David when he was the servant of God a true beleever professeth that he could not stand before Gods judgement in the confidence of his own righteousnes it could not justifie him in Gods sight and therfore cryeth Ps. 143.2 Enter not into judgement with thy servant ô Lord for in thy sight shall no man living be justified And thus you see No man no not the best man that ever lived can be justified before God by any righteousnes that is in himselfe Now I will give you two reasons of it out of Gods Word First The righteousnesse and goodnesse that is in the best man is lame and imperfect and farre short of that God in his law requireth of him yea it is also spotted and defiled with the Leprosy of his originall corruption and therefore it cannot justifie him in Gods sight it cannot stand before God nor abide the tryall at his judgement seat The blessed Apostle himselfe professeth Phil. 3.12 that he was not perfect Iohn Baptist though he were sanctified in his mothers womb yet avoucheth Mat. 3.14 that he had need to be baptized of Christ he was not washed and cleansed sufficiently his sanctification was imperfect And the Church complaineth Esa 64.6 We are all as an uncleane thing and all our righteousnesse are as filthy rags There is not a just man upon earth saith Salomon Eccl. 7.20 that doth good and sinneth not In many things we offend all saith the Apostle Iam. 3.2 If we say saith the Apostle 1 Ioh. 1.8 we have no sin we deceive our selves and the truth is not in us True saith the Papist the justest man is not free from venial sins but that is no hinderance to his justification by his inherent righteousnes To this I answer First 〈◊〉 no sinne is so veniall but it justly deserveth etâ—râ—all â—eath The soule that â—â—nneth it shall die saith the Prophet Ezek. 18.4 And the wages of sin is death saith the Apostle Rom. 6.23 And Gal. 3.10 Cursed is he that continueth not in all things that are written in the law to do them Not onely every thing that is done against Gods Law how small soever it be but every thing that is lest undone which the law commandeth how small soever it be maketh a man lyable to the curse of God Secondly The holiest men that have ever lived and such as the Holy Ghost hath given testimony unto that they were just and perfect men have beene notwithstanding that guilty of such sinnes as the Papists themselves confesse to be mortall Zachary though he were a just man before God as the Holy Ghost saith of him Luke 1.6 yet was he guilty of grosse infidelity in not believing the Word that God spake to him by the Ministry of an Angell Luk. 1.20 yea the holiest men have had that deep sense of their owne sinfulnesse and corruption as they durst not stand before God in their owne righteousnesse they have freely professed they could not be justified by it in Gods sight Thus was Iob perswaded of his owne righteousnesse though hee were a man of whom the Lord himselfe giveth testimony Iob 1.8 that there was none like him upon the earth an upright and a perfect man Though I were righteous saith Iob 9 15. yet would I not answer him but I would make supplication to my Iudge And 10.15 If I be righteous yet will I not lift up my head As if he should say I will not plead my righteousnesse before thee I will not trust to be justified by it in thy sight And thus was David perswaded of his owne righteousnesse of whom yet the Lord saith that hee was a man after his owne heart 1 Samuel 13.14 If thou Lord shouldst marke iniquities saith David Psalme 130.3 O Lord who shall stand Lastly Thus was blessed Paul perswaded of his owne righteousnesse I know nothing by my selfe saith he 1 Corinth 4.4 yet am I not thereby justified but he that justifieth me is the Lord. As if he had said Though I should discerne no defect in mine owne righteousnesse as for the maine bent of my heart and course of my life I do not yet dare not I plead it before God nor hope to be justifyed by it for the Lord that is my Iudge can espie in me much more than I can in my selfe And certainly to conclude this first reason there is no Papist under heaven that hath not lost all conscience but his heart must needs give his tongue the lie when he saith he believeth to be justified before God by that righteousnesse and goodnesse that is inherent and dwelling in himselfe A second reason against it is this If a man could be justified by that righteousnesse that is inherent in himselfe then might he have in himselfe just cause of boasting and glorying before God neither should the whole glory of mans salvation and justification bee due unto the free grace and mercy of God in Christ. This argument the holy Apostle presseth against justification by works and for justification by faith onely Where is boasting then saith he Rom. 3.27 it is excluded By what law or doctrine Of works Nay but by the law or doctrine of faith And againe Rom. 4.2 If Abraham were justifified by works he hath whereof to glory but not before God By grace ye are saved through faith saith he Eph. 2.8 9. not of works least any man should boast So 1 Cor. 1.30 31. he giveth this for the reason why Christ is all in all to us in the matter of our salvation wisdome righteousnesse sanctification and redemption that according as it is written he that glorieth let him glory in the Lord. As if he had said God cannot abide that man should glory before him but would have him to be humbled to the very dust but if he could be justified before God by any goodnesse that is in him then might he have just cause of glorying even before God True saith the Papist if a man could be justified by his owne works by such works as he doth by the power of nature then had he indeed matter of glorying and boasting in himselfe But not when he is justified by such works onely as are wrought by the power of Gods grace in him For these workes are not his owne but the works of Christ and his grace in him according to that speech of the Church Esa. 26.12 Lord thou hast wrought all our workes in us And that of the Apostle Romans 15.18 I will not dare to speake of any of those things which Christ hath not wrought by mee Wee doe not therefore say
in meditating and feeding upon the goodnesse and love of God towards him in Christ and of those promises of God which through Christ hee hath title unto doth quicken and increase every saving grace in his heart And nothing hath that force to quicken and increase grace in us as this hath The better wee know the love of Christ that passeth knowledge the more assurance wee have of it the more oft and seriously wee thinke of it and meditate upon it the more we shall bee filled with all the fullnesse of God that is with all spirituall and saving and sanctifying grace as I shewed you the last day out of Ephes. 3.19 And the apprehending and beleeving of the promises of God these exceeding great and precious promises that God hath made to us in Christ hath great force to quicken and increase grace in the heart of man By them saith the Apostle 2 Peter 1.4 wee are made partakers of the divine nature O Lord saith Hezekiah in the prayer that hee made after that God had given him a promise to restore him to life Esa. 38.16 ô Lord saith he by these things by these gracious promises of thine men live and in all these things is the life of my spirit so thou wilt recover mee and make mee to live As if hee should say Though I be not fully recovered yet having thy promise for it I am revived in my spirit by these promises of thine thy people doe live thy promises are the life of their spirit If you aske mee what promises of God they bee that are so effectuall to breed and quicken grace in the heart of man I answer All Gods promises are very forcible and effectuall that way for in them all Gods marvellous love and goodnesse towards us is manifested And these bands of love as the Lord calleth them Hos. 11.4 have great force to draw the heart of Gods child unto him By them thou hast quickned mee saith David Psalme 119 93. But yet there is a speciall promise which above all other is most effectuall this way and that is that God hath promised to all them that are in the covenant of grace that are reconciled to him in Christ that hee will give them his holy sanctifying spirit A new heart will I give you saith the Lord Ezekiel 36.26 27. and a new spirit will I put within you and I will put my spirit within you and cause you to walke in my statutes As if hee had said Hee will by his holy spirit worke sanctifying and saving grace in his people And yet more particularly God hath promised that as wheresoever Christ came when hee was upon earth he restored the deafe to their hearing and the blind to their sight and the lame to their lims and even the dead to life as wee read Matthew 11.5 Yea hee made that woman goe straight and upright that had had a spirit of infirmity eighteene yeeres and was so bowed together that shee could not lift up her selfe of whom wee read Luke 13.11 13. Even so the Lord hath promised to worke the same mighty workes in the hearts of all his people that have by a lively faith received and entertained Christ. The eyes of the blind shall bee opened saith hee Esa. 35.5 that is they that were ignorant shall have knowledge wrought in them and the eares of the deafe shall bee unstopped they that could not heare heavenly things with any affection or fruit shall bee made able to heare the Word feelingly and fruitfully the lame man shall leape as a hart they that were before reprobate to every good worke shall bee made able cheerefully and willingly to walke in Gods waies and the tongue of the dumbe shall sing they that could not speake of any goodnesse before shall bee able to speake graciously for in the wildernesse shall waters breake forth and streames in the desart they whose hearts were most barren before of all goodnesse shall bee made most fruitfull in grace and good workes Now the promises of God all that are reconciled to God in Christ all true beleevers have just title unto they are all heires of the promises of God as the Apostle calleth them Hebrewes 6.17 the promises of God are their chiefe inheritance They are set downe in Christs testament and wee may challenge them as our legacy And if wee would make use of our faith when wee find in our selves most want of any grace or are most troubled with the poverty of our spirits and lay claime to these promises of God that in Christ wee have so just title unto certainely wee might bee farre more rich in grace then wee are Why are wee still so blind and so deafe so dumb and so lame so barren and unfruitfull Surely because though God have made us promises to helpe us in all these things wee doe not stirre up our faith to lay hold of and make claime unto them and therefore wee have so little benefit by them That as wee read Christ did not many mighty workes in his owne countrey Matthew 13.58 nay it is said Marke 6.5 hee could doe no mighty workes there and the reason is given because of their unbeleefe so it may truly bee said that the true cause why the Lord hath not in all this time wrought more spirituall miracles in our hearts is because of our unbeleefe either wee doe not at all beleeve these promises or at least wee doe not stirre up our faith nor make use of it in making claime unto them and challenging our right in them as wee ought to doe But I shall make this plainer unto you by handling it more particularly and distinctly and shewing you the force that is in justifying faith 1 to breed every saving grace in the heart 2 to enable a man unto every good duty And for the first I will instance but in foure particular graces by which you may easily judge of all the rest The first of them is saving repentance What is it that maketh a poore sinner when hee hath offended willing and able to turne unto God againe and seeke reconciliation with him Not the knowledge of Gods justice and power to consume him though I know there is a kind of repentance a legall repentance such a one as Iudas his was of whom wee read Matthew 27.3 that when hee saw Christ was condemned and what a gulfe of misery hee had cast himselfe into by his sinne hee repented himselfe that is wrought thereby But this will never worke saving repentance in a man it will never cause him to turne unto God and seeke reconciliation with him no no it will make a man hide himselfe from God and flie from him if possibly hee could as Adam did Genesis 3.8 It is the apprehension and perswasion the heart hath of the mercy of God and of his readinesse to forgive him upon his repentance and turning to him and that onely that giveth a man a heart to repent and turne unto God when
every truth of God even the least truth that God hath taught us in his holy Word The fourth and last direction is this He that desires to abide in the truth and keep himselfe from being drawne into errour must be constant in a conscionable use of all Gods holy ordinances and meanes of grace How effectuall and forcible a means this is to uphold a man in the constant profession and love of the truth I will shew you by instancing in three particular ordinances of God that is 1 The Ministery of the Word 2 The Sacrament of the Lords Supper and 3 Prayer For the first The constant frequenting of the Ministerie of the Word is a singular means to preserve men from errours of all sorts and to establish them in the truth The Apostle tels us Eph. 4.14 that God ordained it for this end that we should no longer be as children tossed to and fro of every wind of doctrine And as God ordained it to that end so he hath given to us his promise Esa. 55.11 that it shall prosper in the thing whereunto he sent it Certainly they that frequent it and depend upon it with honest and good hearts shall not like children be tossed to and fro with every wind of doctrine nor seduced by erroneous spirits When the Apostle had said Heb. 10.23 Let us hold fast our profession without wavering he adds Ver. 25. Not forsaking the assembling of our selves together as the manner of some is He that gives liberty to himselfe to forsake or neglect the Church-assemblies how is it possible that he should hold fast the profession of his faith without wavering And this is the reason that the Spouse and Church of Christ gives of that prayer she makes unto him Cant. 1.7 Tell me O thou whom my soule loveth where thou feedest where thou makest thy flock to rest at noone that is direct me to the place where I may enjoy the sound Ministerie of thy Word for by that Christ useth to feed and refresh his flock and then mark the reason she gives for this suit For why should I be saith she as one that turneth aside by the flocks of thy companions Why should I harken unto or follow after any of these heretickes and seducers who though they pretend to be thy companions and friends as the false Apostles transformed themselves into the Apostles of Christ 2 Cor. 11.13 yet indeed are not so Certainely if ye bee true members of the Church of Christ if ye bee such as can truly say Christ is he whom your soule loveth above all other things ye will highly esteeme of a sound ministery ye will seeke it and enquire after it you will take paines to enjoy it and when you have it you will be thankfull for it and make much of it For 1 without it you will never attaine to that knowledge and understanding as shall feed and nourish you and make you thrive and grow in grace This is the meanes whereby Christ the great and master shepheard of the sheepe as the Apostle calls him Heb. 13.20 doth feed his flock I will give you pastours according to mine owne heart saith the Lord Ier. 3.15 which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding 2 Without it you will never attaine to that sound comfort as may be able to refresh your soules in the scorching heate of all persecutions and tentations for this is the meanes whereby Christ maketh his flock to rest at noone when the Sunne is at his height I create the fruit of the lips the preaching of the Word saith the Lord Esa. 57 â—9 to be peace peace that is the meanes of abundant and constant peace to him that is a farre off and to him that is neare that is to all mine elect Gentiles and Iewes saith the Lord and I will heale him by this meanes I will cure all the wounds that doe put his soule to anguish and paine In this placâ— Hag. 2.9 in mine house which is the place and seate of the sound Ministery in this placâ— will I give peace saith the Lord of hosts 3. And lastly Without it you will be ready ever and anon to be seduced and drawne into one errour or other by those false companions that by much flight and cunning crafâ—inessâ— lye in wait to deceive as the Apostle speaketh Eph 4.14 For it is the meanes that God hath sanctified to preserve you from that danger as the Apostle teacheth us in that place And the Church heere you see had no hope to keepe her selfe from turning aside by the flocks of such companions unlesse Christ would direct her to the place where she might enjoy a sound ministery where he feedeth his flocke and maketh them to rest at noone The second ordinance of God that is effectuall this way is the Sacrament of the Lords Supper He that oft frequents the Lords Table and receiveth that Sacrament with faith and understanding having first duly prepared his heart unto it shall find great force in it to strengthen and preserve him from falling from the truth Three evident reasons there bee for this For 1. As Baptisme was the Sacrament of our regeneration and new birth so this is the Sacrament of our nourishing and strengthening in that state of grace and Christ therein is received as bread the use whereof is to strengthen mans heart Psalme 104.15 and it must needs therefore bee most effectuall to make us stand fast in the faith and to be strong in it 2. This Sacrament is a seale of that everlasting covenant whereof the Lord speaketh Ier. 32.40 whereof this is one branch that wee shall never depart from God and consequently never fall away from his truth 3. And lastly In and by this Sacrament is represented and confirmed to us the communion that wee have both with Christ himselfe and with all his faithfull people throughout the world The bread which we breake saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 10.16 17. is it not the communion of the body of Christ for wee being many are one bread and one body for we are all partakers of that one bread And while we hold and are confirmed in our communion with Christ and all his faithfull people we are safe enough from forsaking his truth and falling into any dangerous errour for that would separate us from Christ and from his faithfull people The third and last ordinance I said I would instance in is prayer Fervent and constant humble and faithfull prayer is a most effectuall meane to make us stand fast in the truth and to keepe us from declining from it He that out of the sense of his owne ignorance unsetlednesse weakenesse and unability to stand against the subtilty of seducers can flee to God this way and depend upon him for strength is safe enough Therefore have godly people ever beene wont by this meanes to seeke helpe of God in this case even to keepe themselves from all kindes of declining and falling from God either in
faithfull Iewes that had beene before much offended with Peter for going unto Cornelius heard of the fruit and successe of his Ministery there it is said Acts 11.18 That they hâ—ld their peace and glorified God saying then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life Though we know that the Iewes naturally fretted at nothing so much as this to heare that the Gentiles should become Gods people as every naturall man doth to see others more Religious then him selfe yet the Iewes that were converted joyed greatly in this When Paul and Barnabas Acts 15.3 declared to them the conversion of the Gentiles they caused great joy unto all the brethren He that hath any grace in his owne heart will joy in the conversion of others And on the other side he that hath the spirit of Christ in him cannot choose but grieve to see how unfruitful the Gospel is in most places how little power it hath in the hearts of men This the Prophet foretold Esa. 53.1 should be the complaint and lamentation of the Ministers of the Gospell and daily experience proves it to be so Who hath beleeved our report and to whom is the arme of the Lord revealed And of our blessed Saviour it is said Mar. 8.12 that when he saw the infidelity and hardnesse of heart that was in the Pharisees and Iewes who though they had seene so many miracles of his and heard so many of his gracious and powerfull Sermons could not beleeve but asked still for a signe from heaven that he sighed deepely in his spirit to see and thinke of this And so will every one in some measure doe that hath the spirit of Christ in him when hee seeth the marvellous senselessenesse of most men under the powerfull and excellent meanes of grace that they doe enjoy The reasons of this point and the application of it I must deferre till the next day Lecture CLI On Psalme 51.7 November 29. 1631. IT followeth now that we proceed to give you the grounds and reasons of this point and then make some application of it unto our selves The reasons then why we should thus take to heart the cause of God and of his holy Religion why we should joy in the liberty of the Gospell and in the fruitfulnesse and good successe of it and mourne for the contrary are three principally according to the respect we ought to have unto three severall persons that are interested in it in respect had 1. Vnto other men 2. Vnto our selves 3. And principally unto the Lord. The first reason I will for the helpe of your understanding and memory deliver distinctly unto you in three degrees First we are bound in conscience to love the persons of all men and we can have no comfort in our owne estate unlesse our hearts can beare us witnesse we doe so The Lord make you saith the Apostle 1 Thes. 3.12 to increase and abound in love one towards another and towards all men Secondly If we do not love their soules unfeignedly desire their salvation there is no true love to them in our hearts I know well the most of you thinke otherwise you thinke you love your neighbours your friends your Wives your children well and dearely though you have no care at all of their soules but leave the care of them to God alone Nay they are of all others accounted the most loving and kind natured men that have least care of all either of other mens or of their owne soules whose kindnesse and good fellowship shewes it selfe in nothing more then in poysoning and destroying one anothers soules But be not deceived beloved the holy Word of God by which thou must be judged at the day of thy appearing before the judgement seat of Christ defineth love otherwise then thou doest and saith thou bearest no true love at all to the person whose soule thou hast no care of Thus Paul expressed and proved his unfeigned love to the Iewes his country men Rom. 10.1 Brethren my hearts desire and prayer to GOD for Israel is that they might be saved Because we are bound to love all men we are bound to desire the salvation of all men that God would give to all places to all people the meanes of their salvation and make them effectuall in their hearts This is plaine by that prayer of the Church Psalm 67.2 3. That thy way may be knowne upon earth thy saving health among all nations let the people praise thee O God let all the people praise thee If we doe not grieve to see how people lye in ignorance and infidelity and profanenesse and so under the power of Satan we beare no true love to them at all The Apostle professeth his love this way also unto his country men Rom. 9.1 2. his conscience did beare him witnesse in the Holy Ghost that he had great heavinesse and continuall sorrow in his heart for their blindnesse and obstinacy Nay he hateth them in his heart that cannot grieve to see them live in this estate Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thy heart saith the Lord Levit. 19.17 thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbour and not suffer sinne upon him If we suffer men to live in any sinne were it in our power to helpe it if we be utterly carelesse of it and it never trouble us to see it the Lord you see saith plainly that we hate them in our hearts And whosoever hateth his brother is a murtherer saith the Apostle 1 Ioh. 3.15 and ye know that no murtherer hath eternall life abiding in him or is in the state of grace If this be so as doubtlesse it is alas how hainous a sin are we all guilty of that neither doe any thing to bring them out of this misery they lye in nor are at all grieved and troubled for it Thirdly If we doe truly desire the salvation of men and grieve to see them perish in ignorance and profanenesse then will we desire that sound preaching may abound and will grieve to see the preaching of the word hindred any way Because the meanes whereby the soules of men must be saved is preaching It hath pleased God by the foolishnesse of preaching to save them that beleeve saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 1.21 that is first by preaching hee workes faith in men according to that faith commeth by hearing Romans 10.17 and then by faith hee saveth them But why doth hee call it the foolishnesse of preaching Not that it is so indeed but that carnall men doe account it so for so he expoundeth himselfe Verse 18. The peeaching of the crosse is to them that perish foolishnesse they that perish and shall goe to hell account so of it But you will object and say cannot men be saved without preaching I answer that preaching is the meanes that he hath appointed to doe this worke by ordinarily Other sheepe I have saith our Saviour Iob. 10.16 which are not of this fould are not yet come
hath given to them that cleave constantly to his truth p. 769. The faithfull themselves have found much comfort in this p. 770. Lect. 145. The Spirit of God wheresoever he dwellâ— will teach and effectually perswade the heart in the truth of religion p. 771. No man can grow to certainty in matters of religion by any other meanes but by the teaching of the Spirit and proportionable to the measure of the Spirit of sanctification that a man hath shall his certainty be p. 773 774 Yet is not this to be accounted every mans private Spirit p. 775. The Spirits teaching to be judged by the Word Ibid. The ministery of the Word is the meanes whereby the Spirit useth to teach men p. 776 They whom the Spirit hath once taught and perswaded will certainely persevere in the truth Ibid. Lect. 146. Th'exhortation to constancy in the truth is very needfull and that even in these daies p. 777. by reason 1 that Papists increase 2 the multitude of other erroneous spirits 3 the generall decay of the zealous love of religion and of the life power of it p. 778. 1 Motive to constancy Corruption in judgement is the most dangerous corruption of all other p. 779 780. 2 Motive He that falls from the truth and embraceth errour was never taught of the Spirit p. 780. Though in some things of smaller moment the faithfull may be subject to errour and errors of that nature should not alienate Christians one from another yea in fundamentall points for a time Ibid. 781. Lect. 147. Though our perseverance in the truth be to be ascribed to the Lord alone yet he worketh it by meanes and will have us to bee agents in this work our selves p. 782 783. 1 We must carefully shâ—n all things whereby we may be in danger to be corrupted and drawne from the truth viz. 1. We must shun the hearing and conferring with them that are hereticks and seducers and the reading of their books We should not long to heare what they can say for their errors or against the truth p. 784. 2 Wee must take heed of affecting the knowledge of intricate curious and unprofitable points p. 785. There is a desire of knowledge which is commendable and no Minister should mislike in his hearers p. 786. Yet is there a desire of knowledge that is most dangerous Ibid. 1 When wee desire to know more of Gods matters then hee hath pleased to reveale in his Word Ibid. 2 When neglecting other things we seeke the knowledge of those high points onely that are above our capacity to understand and busie our selves in matters of controversie p. 787. 3 When wee desire knowledge onely for knowledge saâ—e without respect to the use and profit we may make of it for our edification in faith and holinesse p 788. Lect. 148. He that desires to hold fast his profession must use the meanes whereby hee may bee established in the truth and preserved from falling away from it foure directions are given us in Gods booke for this p. 788. 1 Hee must ground himselfe well in the knowledge of the truth and labour to bee assured upon good grounds that it is indeed the truth he holdeth Ibid. 1 Hee must acquâ—â—nt himselfe with the maine principles of religion and seeke to be perfect in them p. 789. 2 examine by Scripture what ever hee heareth or readeth and labour to get good proofes of Scripture for whatsoever he holdeth p. 790. 2 He must labour to take to heart that which he knoweth love it and make conscience to practise it He that by reading or hearing seeketh knowledge with an honest and good heart shall hold fast that which he professeth and none but he p. 792 793. Lect. 149. 3 He must take heed of declining from or forsaking the least truth his conscience hath beene convinced in Two things there bee that deceive men in this case p. 793 794. Though some truths be of greater moment then others yet it s a dangerous sin to be willfully ignorant of any truth God hath revealed or forsake it when we know it upon conceit that it is but a trisâ—e for 1 nothing that God hath revealed is of small moment or lightly to be accounted of 2 a man may make himselfe abominable to God by forsaking wittingly the least truth or receiving the least errour p. 794. 3 the best way to keepe us from falling from the truth in the maine points is to make conscience of falling from the least truth p. 795. 4 He must be constant in a conscionable use of all Gods ordinances 1 the ministery of the Word p. 796. 2 the Sacrament of the Lords Supper 3 prayer p. 797 798. Lect. 150. Every one that hath the Spirit of Christ will take to heart the cause of God and his holy religion p. 798. 1 No man can have the Spirit of Christs unlesse he love God unfeignedly above all things els Ibid. 2 He that doth thus love God must needs be zealous for God grieved and troubled to see him dishonoured 3 He that hath any true zeale to God in him will shew and expresse it principally towards the house and worship of God p. 799. More particularly 1 He that hath the Spirit of Christ must needs rejoyce to see or heare that the true religion of God doth prosper and that the purity of it is restored or set up any where p. 800. 2 He that hath the Spirit of Christ will rejoyce in the frequencie and fullnesse of Church-assemblies 3 In the plentifull and free preaching of the Word p. 801. 4 Hee will rejoyce to see and heare that the ministery of the Word is fruitfull among them that enjoy it and powerfull to reforme their hearts and lives p. 802 803. Lect. 151. Three Reasons and grounds of the former doctrine 1 He that hath the Spirit of Christ cannot but love the persons of all men and we love no man unlesse wee love his soule and unfeignedly desire his salvation grieve to see his soule in danger of perishing p. 803. He that desires the salvation of all will joy in the plentifull and sound preaching of the Word p. 804. Though God can save men without preaching yet he doth not ordinarily without it and its a fearefull signe hee meaneth not to save them he denieth preaching unto Ibid. 805. Though all bee not saved that have preaching yet it s a cause of comfort to see sound preachers abound p. 805. A man that hath no truth of grace in himselfe may yet be a meanes of conversion to others Ibid. 2 The respect wee have to the state and Church wherein we live which we are bound to love p. 806. 1 Nothing will make the state and Church so honourable as the liberty of the Gospell 2 nor so strong and peaceable 3 nor so prosperous and plenteous in blessings p. 806 807. On the other side nothing will sooner deprive it of all blessings then the neglect and opposing of religion p.
him to heare him And our Saviour was so farre from blaming them as if they neglected their worldly businesse this way that hee defendeth and praiseth Mary for doing this Luk. 10 4â— though happily she had some whatelse to do at that time Thirdly few or none are thankefull to God for this ordinance of his nor do in their hearts esteeme it any such blessing to the land or towne that enjoy it as for which they should thinke themselves much bound to praise God They can be thankefull for peace and for health and for seasonable times but for a goâ—d ministery few or none can be thankefull to God whereas we should account it our chiefe blessing from God for so the Lord speaketh of this as his chiefe blessing bestowed upon a people Iere 3 15. I will give you Pastors according to mine owne heart that shall feed you with knowledge and understanding And Amos 2.11 I raised up of your sonnes for Prophets and of your young men for Nazarites And Mic. 6.4 I sent before thee and Moses Aaron Miriam Yea such a blessing it is as should abundantly content us and assure us of Gods favour even in the want of all other blessings For so speaketh the Lord of it Esay 30.20 Though the Lord give you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction yet shall not thy teachers be removed into a corner any more but thine eyes shall see thy teachers 2. We should account a faithful ministery the very glory and strength of our land When the Arke of God was gone the glory was departed from Israel 1. Sam. 4.31 And the true ministery of the Lords Levits is said to be that that strengthened the kingdome of Iudah 2. Chron. 11.17 And Abijah makes this a maine ground of his confidence and hope of successe in his battell against Ieroboam that he in his kingdome had a true and faithfull ministery which the other had not 2 Chron. 13.9 10. Have not ye cast out the Priests of the Lord the sonnes of Aaron and the Levites and have made you priests after the manner of the nations But as for us the Lord is our God and we have not forsaken him and the Priests which minister unto the Lord are the sonnes of Aaron and the Levites waite upon their businesses Now to this first sort of persons that this Doctrine reproveth I have no more to say but this that I would have them to thinke seriously of two things First That they have cause to suspect whatsoever grace or goodnes seemes to be in them while their heart tells them they make no more reckoning of the ministery of the Word but despise it rather Two good things such men use to put most confidence in 1. They find some devotion in themselves they love prayers well and can say their owne prayers sometimes 2. They beleeve in Christ. Foolish man let not Satan deceive thee certainly while thou makest no reckning of the ministery of the Word they faith is nothing worth thy prayers will do thee no good For thy prayers know all the service thou seemest to doe unto God is no better then the sacrifice of fooles till thou be more ready to heare Eccles. 5.1 To hearken is better then the fat of Rammes 1. Sam. 15.22 And for both thy praying and thy beleeving in Christ marke well that knowne place well knowne indeed ô that it were aswell beleeved Rom. 10.14 How shall they call on him in whom they have not beleeved and how shall they beleeve in him of whom they have not heard and how shall they heare without a preacher How canst thou pray that hast no faith how canst thou have faith that camest not to it by hearing the Word preached that art no hearer But me thinks I heare many of you say this toucheth not me for I am a hearer I have heard many a Sermon O but marke what followeth in the next verse verse 15. and thou shalt find thou art no such hearer as Paul speakes of the hearers that Paul speaketh of are such as can cry O how beautifull are the feete of them that doe preach the Gospell of peace But thou seest no beauty in their feete thou hearest them but thou joyest not in them thou countest them no blessing nor art thankfull to God for them thou seest no great need of hearing of them thou art weary of them and how shouldest thou have any true faith how shouldest thou be able to pray aright The second thing I would have these men to consider is this that the holy Ghost speaketh of this as of a fearefull sinne and signe of a most gracelesse heart to be unwilling to heare the word to have no mind unto it 1. Such a one hath no care of his soule what becomes of it whether it sinke or swimme as we say whether it be saved or damned Pro 15.32 He that refuseth instruction despiseth his own soule Nay 2. more then that such a one careth not for God or the things of God regardeth him not feareth him not is in his heart a very Athiest they that desire not the knowledge of his wayes say in their hearts unto God depart from us Iob 21.14 My people would not hearken to my voice Israel would none of me saith the Lord Psal. 81.11 Nay 3. to refuse to heare the word preached when wee may and God offereth it unto us to have no mind to it no love to it is a greater sin if Christ be to be beleeved then the sinne of Sodome and Gomorrah Mat. 10.14 15. When all is done and the time of reckoning shall come this will be found to be thy chiefest sinne The second sort that are to bee reproved by this Doctrine are they which heare often seeme also to delight in the best ministry yet profit not at al by it but remaine as ignorant unreformed profane as they that never heard Sermon If tryall were taken of the most hearers they would be found such as the Apostle speaketh of 2 Tim. 3.7 ever learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth Such hearers I desire to consider and weigh well with themselves these sixe points First That it is no great matter of comfort to a man nor thing wherein any should blesse himselfe that he is a hearer a constant hearer a hearer of the best teachers and that with delight also This testimony the Lord gives of notorious hypocrites Esa. 58.2 They seeke me daily and delight to know my wayes and Ezech 33 3â— 32. They come to thee a faithfull Prophet as the people commeth and they sit before thee as my people and they heare thy words with their mouth they show much love praising the faithfull minister greatly and loe thou art unto them as a very lovely song of one that hath a pleasant voice and can play well on an instrument No musicke did ever delight them more then a good Sermon Yea of Herod himselfe it is said
4â— The Lord 〈…〉 the Church daily such as should be saved And as Maâ—th 11 12. The kingdome of heaven suffered violence and the violent tooke it by force In those cases 〈…〉 have beene said of us as Esa. 32.20 Blessed are yee that sow beside all waters that send forth thither the feet of the Oxe and the Asse Men might have called us blessed and happy men in the fruitfulnesse of our ministery the ground God gave us to till and husband was a most fruitfull soile But those daies are gone no such thing is to be seene now we now plow and sow in stony and thorny and barren ground you heare still but with no such affection love and delight as once you did you feele no such power in the Word to reforme you and draw you unto the practise of that you learne as once you did So that I may say to many of you as the Apostle doth Heb. 10.32 Call to remembrance the former daies Thirdly consider well what may be the causes of this that though there bee as much preaching and hearing as ever there was yet men profit now adaies nothng so much in the life and power of godlinesse as once they did First it cannot be denied but that one cause why the ministery of the Word is so weake and unprofitable is the want of that due inspection that Christ hath lest to his Church to make it fruitfull and effectuall The Minister is by Gods ordinance not onely to teach but to oversee his slocke Act. 20.28 Take heede to the slocke over which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers Heb. 13.17 Remember them which have the rule over you who have spoken unto you in the name of the Lord. They have authority from God not only to teach you his will but to oversee all your waies at home and abroad to observe how you profit by that which you heare to require at your hands the practise of that they teach you Matth. 21.34 The Lord sends his servants to demand fruit of them that occupie his ground The Guides of Gods Church have also authority from God not onely to admonish and reprove you if you be unfruitfull but also to correct you by executing the censures of Christs Church upon you Paul speakes of a rod that God hath committed to his servants to that end 1 Cor. 4.21 Shall I come to you with a rod Certainely Gods vineyard and garden hath need not onely of such as plant and water it but of such as take continuall care of it to looke unto it to dresse and husband it Luk. 13.7 8. If it be not pruned nor digged no marvell though it beare briers and thornes rather then any thing that is good Marke that curse Esa. 5.6 I will lay it wast it shall not be pruned nor digged but there shall come up briers and thornes And surely this is a great cause why the ministery of the Word doth so little good 1. That Ministers take so little care of their people how they live whether they profit or no by that they heare but thinke if they preach constantly unto them they have done asmuch as God requireth of them Whereas it is a chiefe part as I have told you of the Ministers office to oversee the flocke 1 Pet. 5.2 Taking the over-sight thereof and to take care of them 1 Tim. 3.5 If a man know not how to rule his owne house how shall he take care of the Church of God 2. That the people generally are sonnes of Belial will not beare Christs yoke but conspire together against it and say Psal. 2.3 Let us breake their bands asunder and cast their cords from us They will be content to heare us now and then in our publique ministery but if we offer to deale with them in private and come in our Masters name to demand fruit of them they will be ready to offer all violence and despite unto us as they did Matth. 21.35 Secondly another cause of the unfruitfullnesse of the ministery is this that the Lord for the contempt men have shewed unto the Word doth denie to give his blessing unto it in their hearts Even as if he should say of many places as Esa. 5.6 I will command the clouds that they raine no raine upon it And as Matth. 13.14 By hearing ye shall heare and shall not understand and seeing yee shall see and shall not perceive Many aone there is and would to God there were none such among you that seemed once to be fruitfull and to profit much by that they heard that are now growne so senselesse so sottish so hardened in their evill courses as if for their apostacy God had pronounced of them in his decree as once he did of the figtree Mat. 21.19 Let no fruit grow on thee hence forward for ever Thirdly but the chiefe cause sure why we profit no more by the Word is in our selves Esa. 59.1 2. The Lords hand is not shortned that it cannot save but your iniquities have seperated betweene you and your God And as the Apostle saith of praying Iames 4.3 Ye aske and receive not because ye aske amisse so may I say of hearing ye heare and heare often but receive no profit at all because you heare amisse It is therefore necessary for you all to be directed how you may heare to profit by your hearing how you may heare so as your hearts may feele the divine power of God in this his ordinance This direction then consisteth of three parts For such as would profit by their hearing must do something before they come to heare something during the time that they are in hearing and something after they have heard the Word For the first As Physicians before physicke use to give somewhat to prepare the body that their physick may worke the more kindly so must the soule be prepared for the receiving of this heavenly physicke or it will never worke kindly upon it But you will object There is no such need of this The Word hath wrought mightily to the conversion of some that never prepared their hearts to receive it as in that convert mentioned 1 Cor. 14.24 25. Yea in some that came with that in their hearts as might utterly have hindred the saving operation of it even with hatefull hearts and with full purpose to cavill and oppose it As in the case of the pursevants that were sent to apprehend Christ Ioh. 7.32 46. And in those Iewes that immediatly before Peters sermon mocked him and the rest of the Apostles and said they were full of new wine Act. 2.13.37 And in those Athenians who when they came to beare Paul esteemed him no better then a babler Act. 17.18 34. To this I answer 1. That I speake not now to the unconverted for such I know can do nothing to prepare their owne hearts seeing they are dead in their sins Ephes. 2.1 but to Gods people and such as are regenerate 2. I speake of the
that knocketh it shall be opened But he is never so ready to be found of them in prayer as then when they are in greatest distresse Psal. 46.1 God is our refuge and strength a very present helpe in trouble yet he hath promised Psal. 50.15 Call upon me in the day of trouble any trouble whatsoever and I will deliver thee and thou shalt glorifie me And no marvell for 1. the Lord beares to his people the affection of a father Psal. 103.13 Like as a father pitieth his children so the Lord pitieth them that feare him And what father is there that sheweth not most love to his child and readinesse to helpe him when he is in greatest misery 2. Gods people are then most humbled and thinke most basely of themselves and that is a great furtherance to the successe of their prayers 1. Pâ—t 5.5 God resisteth the proud and giveth grace to the humble 2. Chron. 7.14 If my people shall humble themselves and pray then will I heare from heaven 3. Then Gods people use to pray heartily and fervently 2. Sam. 22.7 In my distresse I called upon the Lord and cryed unto my God and he did heare my voice So saith Anna of her prayer 1 Sam. 1.15 I am a woman of a sorrowfull spirit and have powred out my soule before the Lord. And this God greatly delighteth in Iam. 5.16 The effectuall fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much And this readinesse they knew to be in the Lord to heare their prayer at such a time specially hath beene the chiefe thing that hath encouraged them to seeke to him in their distresse Psal. 65.2 O thou that hearest prayer unto thee shall all flesh come and 86.7 In the day of my trouble will I call upon thee for thou wilt answere me This Doctrine concerneth every one of us for there is not one of you that heare me this day but you are in some distresse or other or have beene or at least may be And it serveth First for reproofe for the wickednesse and Atheisme of our hearts is in no nothing more discovered then in this that in our distresses we have no mind to seeke to God Hos. 7.14 They have not cryed to me with their hearts when they bowled upon their beds Three sorts chiefly are to be reproved by this Doctrine First such as so long as they can thinke of any meanes to helpe themselves by in their distresse they will never seeke to God Like to the Prodigall who while he had any meanes though it were but by tending of swine and feeding with them he never thought of seeking to his father Luk 15.16 17 This was Asaes foule sin 2. Chron. 16.12 When his disease was exceeding grievous yet he sought not to the Lord but to the Physicians Whereas alas no sound comfort can be found in any meanes till we have first sought to God and appeased his anger If God will not withdraw his anger saith Iob. 9.13 the proud helpers do stoupe under him All meanes men seeke to may say as that counterfeit Samuel indeed the devill whom the witch that Saul sought to for comfort in his distresse as too many wretches do in these dayes raised up did say unto him 1. Sam. 28.16 Wherefore dost thou aske of me or seeke helpe of me seeing the Lord is become thinâ— enemy Secondly such as are most destitute of all meanes to helpe themselves in their distresses yet never seeke to God Poverty and want of all humane helpe shâ—uld drive men to God and cause them to seeke helpe and comfort from him and to give themselves much to prayer Thus it wrought with David Psal. 142.4 5. I looked on my right hand and beheld but there was none that would know me refuge failed me no man cared for my soule I cryed unto thee ó Lord and said thou art my refuge and my portion So saith the Apostle 1. Tim. 5.5 Shee that is a widow indeed and desolate trusteth in God and continueth in supplications and prayers night and day But alas we find that no people under the heaven pray lesse seeke lesse to God care lesse for God then the poore and miserable people doe Miserable indeed in this respect more then for any outward want that they doe endure They cry out by reason of the arme of the mighty saith Elihu Iob 35.9.10 but none saith where is God my maker that giveth songs in the night Thirdly such as when God hath begun to soften their hearts and trouble their consciences for sin as he did Davids at this time do not as David doth here seeke to God for helpe and comfort But 1. either seeke to hide themselves and flye from God by keeping themselves carefully from all such means as might touch upon that sore as Adam did Gen. 3.8 Or 2. betake themselves to mirth and all such meanes as may lull them asleepe and cause them to forget their sins and Gods anger and make them senslesse of those inward gripings and stings as Saul did and found ease by it for a short time 1. Sam. â—6 23 but alas his fitts and terrours returned and became the more extreame violent afterwards as you may see 1. Sam. 18.10 11. or else 3. fall into utter desparation of Gods mercy as Iudas did who when his conscience was deeply wounded with sense of sin could go to the chiefe Priests and Elders and confesse his sin to them but could not go to Christ himselfe to seeke mercy of him Matth. 27.3 Lecture XI On Psalme 51.1 2. Ianu. 3. 1625. THe second use now followeth which is for exhortation to stirre us up in all our distresses to seeke for helpe and comfort from God by prayer It is the Apostles exhortation Iames 5.13 Is any man afflicted let him pray Wee all have need of this exhortation For as we heard the last day there is not one of us here but either we are or have bin or may be in that distresse either through outward or inward affliction and anguish that we are ready to cry with Iehoshaphat 2. Chron. 20.12 We know not what to doe O that wee could bee perswaded when we are in that case though not then only to flye unto God One would thinke there needs no motives to be used to perswade us to this What needs any man perswade a poore wretch that hath not bread at home to seeke abroad for reliefe be he never so bashfull his necessity will perswade him to it sufficiently The poore speaketh supplications saith Solomon Prov. 18.23 You shall heare nothing from him but bewailing his wants and humble intreaties and supplications for helpe and reliefe to such as are able to doe him good But alas our hearts are so estranged from God even from the very wombe as David speakes Psal. 58.3 that no necessity no extremity will drive us to goe a begging to him We have need of strong motives to drive us to it Thinke therefore seriously of the foure reasons
I cannot I want the spirit of prayer for I have no faith and the spirit of prayer in the spirit of adoption that perswadeth us of Gods fatherly 〈◊〉 and witnesseth to our spirits that wee are his children Rom. 8.15 16. Now I have no such witnesse in mee My heart is so oppressed with sorrow that it is even utterly dead and indisposed to prayer Certainely this hath beene the case of many a good soule A tentation indeed it is but 〈◊〉 one as the best either have or may be subject unto The Apostle acknowledgeth it in the name of all the faithfull Rom. 8.26 Wee know not what to 〈…〉 For answer to this objection I have two things to say 〈…〉 What we are to judge of them that are in this estate 2. What 〈◊〉 they are to take that are in this case For the first we must know two things First They that have any truth of grace at all in them have in them certainely the spirit of prayer though it may bee they 〈◊〉 it sad they 〈◊〉 it not in themselves As the first thing the childe be in to speake is to cry my father and my mother Esa. 8.4 For this is given by the Holy Ghost as the common badge to know all Gods servants by that they are able to pray Thus Paul discribeth Gods people 1 Cor. 1.2 All that in 〈◊〉 place call upon the name of Iesus Christ our Lord. And 2 Timothy 2.12 For 〈◊〉 righteousnesse with them that call on the Lord with a pure heart 〈◊〉 4.6 Because yee are sonnes God hath sent forth the spirit of his sonne into your hearts crying Abba father So that I may reason thus with the weakest of Gods servants that are in this case thou art poore in spirit and 〈◊〉 for nothing more therefore thou hast truth of saving grace on thee for Christ calls thee blessed Matth 5.3 4. Thou lovest such as are godly even because they are godly therefore thou hast truth of grace in thee For so saith the Apostle 1 Iohn 3.14 Wee know that we have pâ—â—â—ed from â—â—â—th to life because wee love the brethren Thou art afraid to doe any thing that might offend God therefore thou hast truth of saving grace in thee For the Holy Ghost saith Psalme 128.1 Blessed is every one that feareth the Lord. Why then from hence thou maist undoubtedly conclude thou hast in thee the spirit of prayer And whereas thou 〈◊〉 than thou hast it not because thou feelest not in thy selfe the spirit of adoption thou feelest 〈…〉 in thy selfe I answer 1. Thou maist leave saith though thou seek it 〈◊〉 for a time neither maist thou judge of thy state by thy feeling In the Churches 〈…〉 her beloved had with drawne himselfe and 〈◊〉 gone Cant. 5.6 Nay in Christâ— owne feeling his father had forsaken him Matth. 37.46 â— Thou hast said though thou feelest it not 1 If thou mourne for nothing 〈◊〉 thou for the 〈◊〉 of it as that poore man did Mar 9.24 as the 〈◊〉 that cryeth was not borne dead or the man that feeleth himselfe sick hath life in 〈◊〉 If there 〈◊〉 nothing so much as to beleeve and to be rid of thy infidelity For Christ saith such are blessed Mat. 5.6 which they could not be if they had not saith Even the will is of grace Phil. 2.13 As lusting after a woman is adultery â—at 5.28 so on the contrary lusting after faith is faith The second thing we must know touching the state of these men that complaine they cannot pray is this That a man may not onely have in him the spirit of prayer though he feele it not but he may also have the use of it and pray most effectually and acceptably when in his owne feeling his heart is 〈…〉 indisposed unto prayer when he is to overwhelmed with griefe and his thoughts to distracted and troubled that he is unable to utter or conceive a prayer in any fit words or method at all this is evident both by examples and by reason also When Dâ—vidâ— spirit was overwhelmed when he was so troubled that he could not speake as he complaineth Psal. 77.3 4. yet even then he prayed and prayed most effectually as he saith verse 1. I cryed unto God with my voice even unto 〈◊〉 with my voice and he gave care unto me How could that he 〈◊〉 â—â— such verse 4. he was so troubled that he could not 〈◊〉 He 〈…〉 could not doe it distinctly and orderly but he could cry to God 〈…〉 make a noise as he saith Psal. 38.8 I have rowed 〈…〉 oâ— my heart and 55.2 I mourne in my complaint and make a noise yet God gave care to that prayer When Hezechiah was so oppressed with sorrow that he could not speake he could but chatter like a 〈…〉 mourne like 〈◊〉 as he complained Esa. 38 14. yet eveâ— then the spirit of prayer was in 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 effectually in him that chattering and mourning of his was a prayer and 〈…〉 unto God as appeareth by verse 5. I have heard thâ— prayer 〈…〉 apostle tells us Rom. 3.26 27. that the spirit it selfe maketh 〈…〉 in according to the will of God when wee are in that case that we know not what to pray when wee can doe nothing but sigh and groane unto God and can utter no requests unto him And David even when he had strong motions unto despaire prayed yet most acceptably Psal. â—1 22 And to 〈◊〉 for the Lord is able enough to understand our desires though we expresse them not to him in words You that are tender mother 〈…〉 Doe you never understand what your little ones doe 〈◊〉 and what they would have Doe you never relieve nor succour them till they can speake to you O the Lord doth as much and 〈◊〉 more 〈◊〉 you this way then you do the Dragons and Ostriches This made 〈…〉 thus to God Psal. 38.9 Lord all my desire is before thee and 〈…〉 not hiâ— from thee and 〈◊〉 7 Lord thou hast heard the desire of the 〈…〉 145 19. He will 〈…〉 of them that feare him 〈…〉 cry and will save them 〈…〉 you that are tender 〈…〉 moved with the groanes 〈…〉 of your children 〈…〉 is with the Lord the 〈…〉 of his children 〈…〉 much more and give in 〈◊〉 to our prayers then any 〈…〉 wee can 〈◊〉 Thâ— Lâ—rd is said Psalme 102.20 to 〈◊〉 the groaning of the 〈◊〉 And when Hezechiah in his prayer could but chatter God 〈◊〉 him word not â—â—ely that hee heard that prayer but tells him what it was that made that prayer so effectual with him Esa. 5â— 5 I have seene thy teares 〈…〉 faithfull themselves have had more comfort and confidence in their 〈…〉 in their prayers they could 〈◊〉 unto God then in any words 〈…〉 use in prayer Psalme 39.12 Hold not thy peace 〈…〉 My friends scorne mee but mine eye 〈…〉 is he prayed and that way sought comfort 〈…〉 expressed the desires of his heart to God by 〈…〉 by words O happy soules
by the house of Israel to doe it for them Yea this is made a certaine signe God hath determined to doe us some great good when he stirreth up our hearts to be earnest with him in prayer Ier. 31.9 They shall come with weeping and with supplications will I lead them and 29.12 13. Then shall ye call upon me and ye shall goe and pray unto me and I will hearken unto you and ye shall seeke me and find me when ye shall search for me with all your hearts How earnest was Daniel with God in prayer for this immediatly before the returne from the captivity Dan. 9. Thirdly this doth nothing derogate from the glory of Gods goodnesse and graciousnesse that he will not doe us good till we seeke to him for it by prayer as may appeare in these three things 1. It is a sufficient demonstration of his goodnesse that he will give us all good things upon our asking when he saith to us Matth. 7.7 Ask and have Deut 4 7. What nation is so great who hath God so nigh unto them as the Lord our God is in all things that we call upon him for Esa. 30.19 He will be very gracious unto thee at the voice of thy cry when he shall heare it he will answer thee 2. It is he alone that stirres us up to pray to that end that he may doe us good Psal. 1â— 17 Thou wilt prepare their heart thou wilt cause thine eare to heare 3. The reason why he will have us pray first before he gives argues his exceeding love to us For it is 1. out of the delight he hath to heare this worke of his owne spirit in us which makes us thus to speake and cry unto him Cant. 2.14 Let me heare thy voice for it is sweet Even you that are parents delight much to heare your little ones speake but nothing so much as God doth to heare his children 2. Because he knowes his blessings will be sweeter to us when we have got them by prayer So we see how David joyed in the deliverances and favours hee had received because he had obtained them by prayer Psal. 30.1 2. I will extell thee ô Lord for thou hast lifted me up c. O Lord my God I cryed unto thee and thou hast healed me and 116.1 2. I love the Lord because he hath heard my voice and my supplications because he hath inclined his eare unto me therefore will I call upon him as long as I live The fourth last reason whereby Satan laboreth to perswade men that it is to no purpose to pray is from the experience themselves have had of the fruitlesnesse of their owne prayers That themselves have long used to pray and have found no comfort no benefit by it This reason hath greatly prevailed with wicked men they cannot abide to attend long upon God but though their prayers be indeed nothing worth yet are they apt to quarrell with God if they have not a present answer as Esa. 58.3 Wherefore have we fasted say they and thou seest it not Wherefore have we afflicted our soule and thou takest no knowledge of it And thereupon they resolve to leave praying Malac. 3.14 It is in vaine to serve God and what profite is it unto us and 2. King 6 3â— What should I wait on the Lord any longer Yea this hath also greatly troubled many of Gods dearest ones they have oft complained that they got no good by their praying Iob 30 20. I cry unto thee but thou dost not heare me I stand up and thou regardest me not Habac. 1.1 O Lord how long shall I cry and thou wilt not heare Yea they have thought that they were the worse for praying Ps. 80.4 O Lord how long wilt thou be angry against the prayer of thy people And thereupon they have even growne weary of praying and ready to resolve to give it over as you may perceive Psal. 69.3 I am weary of my crying Now for my answer to this reason it shall consist of two parts 1. I will shew you how we are to judge of this case when we pray and pray often and â—â—nd our selves never the better for it 2. What a Christian is to do in this case And for judging aright of this case two things you must understand First That it is no argument that God neglects us regards not us nor our prayers because we obtaine not presently nor of a long time that that we have begged of him It may be the Lord may do this out of his love First It may be he seeth it is better for thee to want it then to have it we are apt like children and sick-men to desire that that is hurtfull for us And the promise runs thus Psal. 34.10 They that seeke the Lord shall not want any good thing and Matth. 7.11 How much more shall your father which is in heaven give good things to them that aske him Secondly It may be he seeth it is not good for us to have it yet The Lord hath made every thing beautifull in his time Eccl. 3.11 He best knoweth which is the fittest time to doe any thing for us When he may have most honour by that which he doth for us Zachary had prayed for a child while he and his wife were young but God granted not his request till they were both old Luke 1.7.13 because he might have more glory by it then Christ would not comfort Martha and Mary by helping their brother Lazarus while he was sicke though he loved them dearely but delayed to helpe them of purpose Iohn 11.5 6. Why that he might have the more glory by that worke verse 15. I am glad for your sakes that I was not there to the intent that ye might believe And verse 4â— Said I not unto thee that if thou wouldest beleeve thou shouldest see the glory of God He best knoweth also when that he doth for us will doe us most good he watcheth the time and will not delay us one moment longer Esa. 30.18 The Lord will waite that he may be gracious unto you He seeth it good for us to be delayed a while and how long he only best doth know Acts 1.7 It is not for us to know the times or seasons the father hath put them in his owne power 1. to humble us further Let patience have her perfect worke saith the Apostle Iames 1.4 He meant to heale Miriam at Moses request but not so soone as he would have had it she must be better humbled first under the hand of God Numb 12.14 And the Lord said unto Moses If her father had but spit in her face should she not be ashamed seven daies Let her be shut out from the campe seven daies and after that let her be received in againe As if the Lord had said it is too soone for her to be healed yet So he meant to take from Paul that messenger of Satan that buffetted him but not so
5. That these grievous plagues should be upon him not for a day or a weeke or a moneth or a yeare but all the dayes of his life The sword shall never depart from thine house Yet in this whole prayer of his ye shall not find one petition one word for the removall or putting by of these judgements all his suit is only for the pardon of his sin Why may you say might he not lawfully have prayed against these temporall judgements I answer yes verily he might For so did Abraham when God had threatned destruction to worse people then these yet he prayed against it Gen. 18.32 Yea so did David himselfe for the life of the child that was begotten in adultery 2. Sam. 12.16.22 And at another time Psal. 39.10 Remove thy stroke away from me for I am consumed by the blow of thine hand What then will you say made he no reckoning of these judgements in his wives and children so long as himselfe was spared I answer yes doubtlesse for he was as tender hearted and good natured a man as ever lived He loved his wives dearely as may appeare by the care he had to provide for them even after they had bin ravished 2. Sam. 10.3 He loved his children dearely as may appeare by the extreame passions he was in for the death of two of them though they had bin both of them extreamely lewd and unworthy of his love For Amnon first 2. Sam. 13.36 he wept very sore and then for Absalom 2. Sam. 18 33. He was much moved and went up to the chamber over the gate and wept and as he went thus he said O my sonne Absalom my sonne my sonne Absalom would God I had dyed for thee O Absalom my sonne my sonne If ye aske me yet further why then prayed he not against these judgements Had he not hope to have prevailed in such a suite Had God reveiled to him that his decree concerning these things was irrecoverable Had he sayd of them as Ezek. 14.18 Though these three men Noah Daniel and Iob were in it as I live saith the Lord God they shall neither deliver sons nor daughters I answer that I cannot say so neither For there is hope in Israel and among Gods people concerning this as Shechaniah speaketh Ezr. 10.2 Temporall judgements that have bin as peremptorily denounced as these were have yet by the repentance and prayers of the parties beene kept of as we see in the case of Hezechia Esa. 38.5 I have heard thy prayer behold I will adde unto thy dayes fifteene yeares But why prayeth not he against these judgements will you say I answer Surely his sinnes now tooke up all his thoughts and affections he could now thinke of nothing else he counted these judgements nothing in comparison of his sins he thought himselfe a happy man if his sins might be pardoned though all these judgements did light upon his house And this is the first thing is to be observed in this suit But then observe secondly how earnest he is with God in begging this suit 1. He oft repeateth this suit and hath never done with it in these two verses thrice blot out my transgressions wash me from mine iniquitie clense me from my sin And then verse 7. againe Purge me with Hysope wash me and I shall be whiter then snow And againe ver 9. Hide thy face from my sinnes blot out mine iniquities 2. It is not his whoredome and murder only that troubled him or that he desired pardon of that would not serve his turne Wash me throughly or multiply thy washings upon me and vers 9. Blot out all mine iniquities as if he should say Let not one spot of any of mine iniquities abide on me Now from these things thus observed 1. That he desireth not so much the removall of so heavy judgements as the pardon of his sins 2. That he maketh no suit for that but for this alone 3. That hee presseth God in this suit with such importunity and earnestnesse we have this Doctrine to learne That pardon of sinne is more to be desired then deliverance from the greatest judgements that can befall us Observe the proofe of this doctrine in foure points all exemplified here in the person and practise of David a man after Gods owne heart First The man that truly knoweth what sinne is whose heart is rightly touched with the sense of it counteth his sin the greatest evill and misery that he can fall into it troubleth him more he is more afraid of it then of any other David now was in great perplexity and anguish of soule which he compareth to that anguish a body is in that hath all his bones broken verse 8. If Nathan should have come to him now and asked him why where is thy paine David Where art thou sicke What is it that troubleth thee so Is it the feare of that open shame I told thee God will bring upon thee in thy wives Is it the feare of the sword I told thee God would bring into thy house Is it any such matter His answer would have bin No no Nathan it is nothing but my sin that paineth and troubleth my soule those things trouble me nothing so much Nothing is so much to be feared nothing will so trouble and humble the heart as sin will doe when once God shall charge it upon a man it will bite like a Serpent and sting like an adder as Solomon speaketh Prov. 23.32 When the poore man that had an incurable palsie was brought to Christ the first word that Christ spake to him was this Markâ— 2.5 Sonne thy sins be forgiven thee He saw that the poore mans sins troubled him much more then his palsie did All bodily diseases are but as flea-bitings in comparison of that anguish that sin will put the heart unto The spirit of a man will sustaine his infirmity saith Solomon Prov. 18.4 but a wounded spirit who can beare When the Angel telleth Ioseph that Christ should be called Iesus a Saviour a deliverer and Redeemer of his people he giveth this for the reason of that name Matth. 1.21 For he shall save his people From what not from poverty nor sicknesse nor shame nor persecution but from their sinnes Sin is the greatest misery and evill that a man can be saved or delivered from Secondly That man that truly knoweth what sin is accounteth the pardon of his sin to be sufficient ground and cause of comfort in any distresse David was now in great anguish of soule as I told you he stood in great need of inward comfort that was his earnest desire as you may see ver 8.12 Make me to heare joy and gladnesse restore to me the joy of thy salvation Which way sought he to come to comfort what made he the maine ground of all his comfort surely the pardon of his sin If once he might obtaine that he knew he should have comfort enough without
and say is not the Lord among us And on the other side many a good man hath his pardon knowes not nor can be assured that he hath it It was so with David here Nathan upon his repentance had told him 2 Sam 12.13 The Lord hath put away thy sin thou shalt not dye and yet could he not beleeve it nor be assured of it And therfore begs it here so earnestly The elect Apostles had obtained their pardon when Christ said to them Ioh 12.10 Ye are cleane And yet Christ taught them to pray daily Lu. 11.4 Forgive us our sins the best had need daily to seeke for more assurance that they have it Yea 2. It is a matter of great difficulty to be assured of it Therfore God bindeth this promise with an oath Esa 54.9 As I have sworne that the waters of Noah should no more go over the earth so have I sworn that I wil not be wroth with thee nor rebuke thee Therfore hath Christ annexed a reason to be a propâ—â— to our faith in the fift petition Mat. 6.12 and to none of the rest Many of Gods dearest servants find little assurance of the pardon of their sins and they that have had it in great measure yet have not had it at all times See how comfortable aâ—d confident David was at sometimes Psal 27.1 The Lord is my light and my salvation whom shall â—â—â—re At another time he was farre otherwise Psal. 88 1â— 15. Lord why â—â—stest thou off my soule Why hidest thou thy face from mee While I suffer thy terrors I am distracted So Paul somtimes was most assured Rom 8 38 39. I am perswaded that neither death nor life nor Angels nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come nor hâ—ight nor depth nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Iesus Christ our Lord. Sometimes againe he had his inward terrours and feares 2. Chr. 7.5 and was perplexed greatly 2. Cor. 4.8 And this ariseth First From the weakenesse of faith that is in the best and slownesse to beliefe that is in us all by nature They were beleevers to whom Christ said Luke 24 25 O fooles and slow of heart to beleeve The greatnesse and strangenesse of the blessing doth even astonish and amaze them so as they cannot be perswaded God should shew mercy to such wretches as they know themselves to have beene As it is said of the Apostles when Christ appeared to them first after his resurrection Luke 24.41 They beleeved not for joy and wondered And Peter when hee was brought out of prison by the Angell Acts 12 9 Wist not that it was true that was done by the Angell but thought it was but a vision Secondly Sometimes from the violence of tentation For the faithfull are compared to bruised reedes Matth. 12.20 and tentations are compared to Winds and Tempests Matth 7 5. now a reede specially a bruise I reede is easily shaken with the Winde Matthew 11.7 and if we had not a gracious promise of Christ Matthew 17.25 A bruised reede shall hee not breake it were not possible but the strength and violence of the tentations the faithfull are subject to would quite overthrow their faith It was tentation that deprived â—ob of his assurance and made him cry Iob 16.9 He teareth mee in his wrath who hateth mee hee gnasheth upon me with his teeth mine enemy sharpeneth his eyes upon me It was tentation that deprived David of his assurance when he cryed Psal. 22.1 My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Thirdly Sometimes from this that they kept their pardon no better That whereas once they had it so faire written and in such Capitall letters that they could haue runne and read it now through their carelesnesse and sensuality they have so soiled it that they cannot reade it So did the Church loose her assurance Cant. 5 6. Her beloved had withdrawne himselfe and was gone Her sensualitie was the cause of it as you may see verse 3. In her answer unto Christ. I have put off my coat how shall I put it on I haue washed my feet how shall I defile them Yet as we haue shewed before that our pardon may be obtained so may we even in this life know and be assured that wee are pardoned aâ—d clensed from all our sinnes Iob was assured of his salvation and consequently that his sinnes were forgiven Iob 19.25 I know that my redeemer liveth whom I shall see for my selfe And Paul speaketh thus of all the faithfull Rom. 5.11 Not only so we are not onely reconciled to God and shall be saved but we also joy in God through our Lord Iesus Christ by whom wee have now received the atonement And indeed though our sins be pardoned yet unlesse we know they be pardoned we can have no sound comfort nor joy That maketh David cry thus to God Psalm 35.3 Say unto my soule I am thy salvation as if he had sayd Let mee know it Lord and Psalme 51.8 Make mee to heare joy and gladnesse As if hee had sayd Nathan hath told mee so but I cannot heare and believe what he saith Lord make thou me to heare it then I shall have joy aâ—d gladnesse and never till then This is therefore a matter worth the hearkening unto how we may know our sins are pardoned How may that be knowne I answer 1. Wee may not bee our owne judges in this case Prov. 28.26 Hee that trusteth in his owne heart is a foole Prov. 30.12 There is a generation that are pure in their owne eyes and yet they are not washed from their filthinesse 2. The Lord only by his word must be judge in this case that even as it was under the Law no man that had bin a Leper himselfe or whose house was infected with leprosie might judge himselfe or his house to be clean till the Priest who was a type of Christ by the mark God himselfe had given had pronounced them to be cleane Levit. 13.37 The Priest shall pronounce him cleane And therefore Christ when he had clensed the lepers bad them Lu 17 14. Goe shew your selves to the Priest Even so may no man judge himselfe to be cleane from his sins till he be such a one as God in his word hath pronounced to be cleane And these notes and markes are principally foure First If a man came by his pardon that way and by those foure meanes that you have heard of Examine therefore your hearts that thinke ye are sure your sins are forgiven How came you by this assurance Did God so prepare you by an effectuall sight and sense of sin and of your wretched and damnable condition by reason thereof Was thy heart thereby brought to cry fervently unto God for thy pardon Wert thou made able humbly and freely and particularly to confesse thy sins to accuse and condemne thy selfe before God Wert thou brought thereby to despaire of
many good workes Suffered great wrongs from Saul with wonderfull patience and freedome from desire of revenge 1 Sam. 24.5 6. Shewed marvellous zeale for God in fighting his battells 1 Sam. 25.28 Shewed marvellous love to the Word and worship of God Psal. 27.4 One thing have I desired of the Lord and that will I seek after that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the daies of my life and 84.1 How amiable are thy tabernacles O Lord of hosts And even at this instant when he maketh this prayer to God there was a great deale of goodnesse and grace in him 1. He confesseth freely his sinne unto God verse 3 4. 2. He was wonderfully humbled for it and grieved and broken hearted verse 8.17 3. His heart was quite changed and turned from his sinne unto God he loved him unfainedly and desired his glory verse 13 14. 4 And all this he did in uprightnesse of heart verse 6. Yet now comming to beg pardon of his sins he groundeth his hope to obtaine it upon none of his former good workes upon none of the goodnesse that he found now in himselfe but onely upon the mercy of God Now from these three points thus observed in the Text this Doctrine ariseth for our instruction That the best of Gods servants have no other ground of hope to find favour with God for the pardon of their sins but onely in the mercy of the Lord. Vpon this Gods choicest Saints have builded alwaies and in seeking pardon of their sins have pleaded nothing but this So doth David heere and so doth he in many other Psalmes Psal. 6 2 4. Have mercy upon me O Lord for I am weake returne ô Lord deliver my soule ô save me for thy mercies sake and 25.6 7. Remember ô Lord thy tender mercies and thy loving kindnesses for they have beene ever of old according to thy mercy remember thou me for thy goodnesse sake ô Lord. So doth Daniel in his prayer Dan. 9.9 To the Lord our God belong mercies and forgivenesses All pardons are mercies and are obtained by mercy onely Yea in all their prayers wherein they have sued to him for any blessing this hath ever beene in their eye and that which they have built all their confidence upon Psal. 5.7 As for me I will come into thy house in the multitude of thy mercy This shall ever draw me and incourage me to come unto thee And 69.13 O God in the multitude of thy mercy heare me And 115.1 Not unto us Lord not unto us but unto thy name give glory for thy mercy and for thy truths sake But what should I heape up testimonies in so plaine a case And yet because it is so usefull and comfortable a point I will not passe over it too sleightly but insist a while upon it so farre as I shall judge necessary for your edification And before I come to the reasons and grounds of the Doctrine I will answer two maine objections that the heart of man wil be apt to make against this Doctrine First How can our hope to finde favour with God be grounded onely upon the mercy of God How can the pardon of our sins bee ascribed to the meere mercy of God and to his free grace when wee obtaine not this favour of God till it was dearely bought and purchased 1 Cor. 6.20 Ye are bought with a price Yea sucha price as was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fully answerable in worth to the soules of all Gods elect and to that which God hath given us 1 Tim. 2.6 He gave himselfe a ransome for all The Lord forgave not one farthing of that summe wherein we stood indebted to him till he was fully satisfied for it First hee exacted and received by Christs passive obedience the whole forfeiture of our obligation hee had against us and so came wee to the pardon of our sins In which respect it may be said as Esa. 40.2 Wee have in our surety received at the Lords hand double for all our sinnes Secondly hee exacted and received also in Christs active obedience the whole debt of obedience to his Law that wee did owe unto him For Christ our surety not for himselfe but for us fulfilled all righteousnesse Matth. 3.15 And so came we to the title and right wee have to the Kingdome of Heaven So that it may seeme not the meere mercy and free grace of God but Christ is the only ground of our hope as he is called 1. Tim. 1.1 The Lord Iesus Christ is our hope And 1. Iohn 2.2 He is the propitiation for our sins To this I answer That the foundation of all our hope and comfort we have in Christ is in the mercy and free grace of God only For although the pardon of our sins and salvation of our soules in respect of Christ our surety was no free gift but a deare purchase and the Lord shewed no mercy at all to him but justice only yea rigour of justice Rom. 8.32 He spared not his owne sonne but delivered him up for us all Gal. 3.13 Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the Law being made a curse for us Looke upon him when he was in his agony and passion paying our forfeiture and there was nothing to bee seene from top to toe soule and body but the curse of God he was all curse made a curse Yet do we obtaine this pardon and the salvation of our soules not by purchase but by the free gift of God Esa 9. ◠Vnto us a Sonne is given Ioh. 4.10 If thou knewest the gift of God And the mercy and free grace of God never appeared so much to us-ward in all the works that ever he did as in this worke of redeeming us from our sins by the bloud of Christ. For thus speaketh the Apostle Ephes. 1 7. In whom we have redemption through his bloud the forgivenesse of sins according to the riches of his grace the riches of Gods grace appeared in this Observe this I pray you in five points First It was the wonderfull mercy of God to us and nothing else that moved him to find out and appoint the meanes to satisfie his owne justice by It was the Lord himselfe that did fore-ordaine his owne Son to be our propitiation Rom. 3 27. He purposed this in himselfe Ephes. 1.9 And so the Lord indeed made satisfaction unto himselfe 2. Cor. 5.19 God was in Christ reconciling the world to himselfe His love and mercy appeared more unto us in this then if by his absolute prerogative he had forgiven us without exacting any satisfaction at all Iohn 3.16 God so loved the world that he gave his onely begotten Sonne And Iohn 4.10 Herein is love not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins Secondly It was the wonderfull mercy of God to us and nothing else that moved him to give any of us to Christ and to appoint
we are chastened of the Lord that we should not bee condemned with the world Yet taketh he no pleasure in correcting them but as hee doth it most unwillingly Psal. 103.8 He is slow to anger Lament 3.33 He doth not afflict willingly nor grieve the children of men so is he most apt to repent him of the evill hee is constrained to bring upon them and to bee troubled with it Therefore it is said of him Ioel 2.13 and in many other places that he repenteth him of the evill Both which properties are most pathetically expressed Hosea 11.8 How shall I give thee up Ephraim How shall I deliver thee up Israel How shall I make thee as Admah How shall I set thee as Zeboim Mine heart is turned within me my repentings are kindled together And this is the first point in this comparison Secondly the very sight of the misery another is in will move a man that hath the bowells of a man and is tender-hearted to pitty his case and bee willing to helpe without any other respect at all to the person be he friend or foe good or bad onely because he seeth him to bee in misery Mine eye affecteth my heart saith the Church Lamen 3.51 because of all the daughters of my City yea the more the misery is that he seeth any man in the more he will pity him and be ready to helpe him as we see in the example of the Samaritan Luke 10 33 34 When he saw the Iew stripped of his cloathes and wounded and halfe dead he had compassion on him and went to him and bound up his wounds c. And in this respect it is oft mentioned as a duty wee owe to them that are in misery to visit them to go and see them Iam. 1.27 Pure religion and undefiled before God is this to visite the fatherlesse and the widow in their affliction But you will say is that enough I answer yes he that doth that if he have a mans heart in him cannot choose but doe what he can to helpe him They have cut off my life in the dungeon saith the Church Lament 3.53 and cast a stone upon me because they would not see my misery and therefore that is noted for the cause why neither the Priest not the Levite helped the poore man they could not abide to looke on him but passed by on the other side Lu. 10.31 32. Even so is it with our most mercifull and tender-hearted Father the very sight of our misery without any other motive in the world is sufficient to move him to pitty and helpe us yea the more our misery is the more ready will he be to succour us Exod. 3.7 See how pathetically the Lord speaketh Surely I have seene the affliction of my people for I know their sorrowes and am come downe to deliver them Ieremy 31.20 My bowells are troubled for him I will surely have mercy upon him saith the Lord. Yea the sight of the misery even of wicked men doth worke this upon his tender heart Psal 146.7 8 9. The Lord looseth the prisoners the Lord openeth the eyes of the blind the Lord raiseth them that are bowed downe the Lord preserveth the strangers hee relieveth the fatherlesse and widow So againe Psalme 78.38 He being full of compassion forgave their iniquity and destroyed them not yea many a time turned he his anger away and did not stirre up all his wrath and yet these men were but hypocrites they never sought to God but in their affliction verse 34. and 36. They did but flatter him with their mouth and lyed unto him with their tongues And thus have you seene the tender mercies of the Lord. Thirdly In the Lord there is a multitude of tender mercies He is aboundant in goodnesse Exod. â—4 6 Plenteous in mercy Psal. 86.5 Full of compassion Psal 86.15 Rich in mercy Ephe. 2.4 Admire it we may but no man is able to expresse and utter how great the mercy of the Lord is Psal 36.7 How excellent is thy loving kindnesse The mercies and kindnesses of all the men in the world compared to it are but as a drop of water to the great Ocean My thoughts are not your thoughts neither are your wayes my wayes saith the Lord. Esay 55.8 9. For as the heavens are higher then the earth so are my wayes higher then your wayes and my thoughts then your thoughts See this difference in three points 1. A man can forgive small wrongs but the wrongs may bee so great as no man can forgive but there is no sin so heinous but the Lord is able to forgive it Exod. 34.7 Forgiving iniquitie transgression and sin Matth. 12.31 All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men Hee is able to forgive a debt of ten thousand talents and not be undone nay be never the poorer Matth. 18.27 2. A man can forgive one a great wrong if it were but in one action but the wrongs may be so many and of so many kinds as no man can forgive them but the Lord is able to forgive sins though they were as many yea more then the haires of our head as David complaineth his were Psal 40.12 3. A man is able once to forgive yea to forgive it may be even such wrongs as hee counteth very great and manifold but hee can never forgive or thinke well of him whom hee having forgiven sundry times yet hee still wrongeth him in the same kind but the Lord is able to forgive him that hath relapsed often into the same crime For hee requireth this mercy even in us Matth. 18.22 Thou shalt forgive him I say not unto thee untill seven times but untill seventy times seven times So that Gods children shall have no cause to say to their heavenly Father as Esau said to his father Gen. 27.38 Hast thou but one blessing my father Canst thou forgive but once yes hee is able to forgive the same offence often times if it be truly repented of The use of this Doctrine is first for instruction even to teach and assure you to testifie unto you as the Apostle did to Gods people 1. Pet. 5.12 that this is the true grace of God wherein you stand that the religion and Doctrine that is at this day and hath beene through Gods mercy now many above sixty yeeres without interruption taught and professed in the Church of England the Lord in mercy grant it may continue so to bee and which you have received and found comfort in is the only true ancient Catholique Propheticall and Apostolike faith Because it giveth the whole glory of mans salvation and of every degree and piece of it from the beginning to the end to the free grace and mercy of God and to nothing else Therefore the Apostle in that place I last named 1. Pet. 5.12 calleth the true religion and Doctrine of God for that is it hee meaneth in that place by a Metonimy the true grace of God because the whole
loved thus hee was grieved that his enemies would not be reclaimed Mar. 3.5 He mourned for the hardnesse of their hearts and 8.12 He sighed deepely in his spirit for them And of our heavenly Father we read that he loved his enemies thus Psal. 95.10 Fourty yeeres long was I grieved with this generation Canst thou say thou hast loved thus O happy thou then If any man shall object as Iohn 6.60 this is an hard saying who can heare it who can endure such Doctrine flesh and bloud can never doe this I answer 1. flesh and bloud indeed cannot nor flesh and bloud can never inherite the kingdome of God 1. Cor. 15.50 If thou be not regenerate and borne againe thou canst not see the kingdome of God Ioh. 3.3 2. Pray with the Apostle Lu. 17.5 Lord increase our faith If thou wert well perswaded how great the Lords love hath bin to thee thou wouldst easily doe it Lecture XXII on Psalme 51.1 2. Aprill 18. 1626. IT followeth now that we proceed to the second duty that we owe unto men This Doctrine therefore which hath made knowne unto you the wonderfull goodnesse and loving kindnesse of the Lord and the infinitnesse of his tender mercies towards poore miserable sinners that stand in need of his mercy must stirre up and provoke us to be good and mercifull to them that stand in need of us Neither is there any thing in the world that will have that force to make us willing to doe good and to shew mercy unto men as the true knowledge and consideration of this how good and mercifull the Lord hath beene unto us Luke 6.36 Be ye mercifull saith our Saviour as your father also is mercifull and Matth. 18.33 Shouldst not thou also have had compassion on thy fellow-servant even as I had piety on thee Yea Mat. 5.45 our Saviour teaching how bountifull and good the Lord is to all sorts of men perswadeth all his Disciples to be so too by this argument that you may be the children of your Father which is in heaven As if he should say there is nothing whereby you may better be knowne to be the children of God nothing wherein you can more resemble him then in this willingnesse and readinesse to do good and to be beneficiall unto others And there be foure things principally commended to us for our imitation in this example of our heavenly father 1. He is full of the bowells of mercy apt to pittie them he seeth to be in misery 2. He is bountifull and ready to helpe them and do them good 3. His bounty is altogether free and respecteth nothing in them that might move him to it but onely this that they are in misery and have need of him 4. He is apt to do good not only to them that are in misery but to all even to all his creatures First we must labour to be tender hearted and pitifull towards them that are in distresse and misery For this is our fathers disposition as we have heard Iam. 5.11 He is very pitifull and of tender mercy And so must we be if wee will approve our selves to be his children Ephes. 4.32 Be ye kinde one to another and tender hearted 1 Pet. 2.8 Have compassion one of another be pitifull Col. 3.12 Put on as a beautifull garment that will greatly adorne and grace your profession as the elect of God holy and beloved bowels of mercies They are therefore certainely most unlike to our heavenly father 1. That are hard hearted towards the poore not affected nor moved with their cryes and miseries Deut. 15.7 Thou shalt not harden thy heart from thy poore brother 1 Ioh. 3.17 He that shutteth up his bowels of compassion from his needy brother as if he should say when he findeth his heart apt to be moved with compassion violently restraineth himselfe from it how dwelleth the love of God in him We should provoke and force our selves to it as we have heard and not against it Pro. 21.13 He that stoppeth his eares at the cry of the poore and striveth not to be affected with it he also shall cry himselfe God can make the hardest hearted man cry himselfe but he shall not be heard And Pro. 11.17 He that is cruell to the poore troubleth his owne flesh 2. That do the workes of mercy without any mercy at all without any compassion of heart toward the misery of them that they doe relieve But either 1 out of a respect to their owne credit as the Pharisees Mat. 6.1 2. Or 2 out of hypocrisie as Iudas Ioh. 12.5 6. Or 3 out of a desire to be rid of them and freed from the noise of their clamour as the unrighteous judge relieved the poore widow Luk. 18.5 Where as indeed the mercifulnesse of the heart from whence that proceedeth which wee do for the poore is that which graceth our alms-deeds more then the valew of the thing that wee give unto them Mat. 5.7 Blessed are the mercifull Esa. 5 8.10 If thou draw out thy soule to the hungry then shall thy light arise in obscurity and thy darknesse be as the noone day Iob. 30.25 Was not my soule grieved for the poore Secondly we must not content our selves to pity the poore but we must also relieve them and be ready to doe them good For this is the disposition of our heavenly father Psal. 146.7.9 He giveth food to the hungry he relieveth the fatherlesse and the widow Yea he is bountifull in his goodnesse to such Iames 1.5 He giveth to all men as need liberally and upbraideth not And so must we do if we will approve our selves to be the children of our heavenly father And surely there was never any that did find the Lord to be mercifull to them in the pardon of their sinnes that were not by the spirit of God made mercifull to them that stood in need of them Psal. 112.4 5. The righteous man is mercifull and full of compassion a good man is mercifull and lendeth And verse 9. He hath dispersed he hath given to the poore Two things there be that do highly commend this duty unto us 1. That the Lord in his Word hath declared himselfe to be greatly pleased and delighted with it Mic. 6.8 What doth the Lord require of thee but to do justly and to love mercy It is a duty that doth greatly grace all other even the best duties that we can performe Acts 10.4 Thy prayers and thine almes are come up for a memoriall before God Yea it is a duty more pleasing unto God then any outward duty even of the first table Mat. 12.7 I will have mercy and not sacrifice 2. That it is a duty that God hath made greater promises unto then to any other almost that a Christian can performe Mat. 5.7 Blessed are the mercifull for they shall obtaine mercy In which respect Solomon saith Pro. 14.21 He that hath mercy on the poore happy is he And three sorts of promises
as in comparison of these he maketh no reckoning of like a little over-measure that is given you when you have bought any thing like to the browne paper and pack-thrid that the mercers give you for nothing Mat. 6.33 these things shall be added to you But theâ—e mercies he maketh precious account of these are his jewells wherein he setteth forth the riches and glory of his mercy and bounty As Ahashuerus the King of the Medes and Persians shewed the riches of his glorious kingdome and the honour of his excellent majesty in that feast he made to his princes and servants Est. 1.4 so doth God much more set forth the riches and glory of his mercy in bestowing these precious mercies upon any For as the Apostle speaketh Rom. 14.17 The kingdome of God is not meat and drink but righteousnesse and peace and joy in the Holy Ghost These mercies therefore are called Ephes. 1.7 8. the riches of his grace wherein he hath abounded towards us Therefore when Paul speaketh of the mercy of God toward him in the pardon of his sinne he saith 1 Tim. 1.14 that the grace of God was exceeding abundant towards him This is a marvellous mercy of God that he should pardon any of us our sinnes and give us eternall life such a mercy as we can never sufficiently admire and wonder at Shew thy marvellous loving kindnesse ô thou that savest by thy right hand them that put their trust in thâ—e saith David Psal. 17.7 And Paul 2 Thess. 1.10 God shall be admired in all them that beleeve in that day Thirdly Those mercies are but of a short continuance they last no longer then this short and momentany life they are called therefore 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 things of this life 1 Cor. 6.4 But these are everlasting mercies and will out-last this life and endure unto eternity Psal. 103.17 The mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that feare him Fourthly Those mercies are uncertaine even in this life 1 Tim. 6 17. Trust not in uncertaine riches But these are sure mercies not flitting or uncertaine if they be once gotten they can never be lost and are therefore called Esa. 55.3 the sure mercies of David Davids mercies the mercies he begged heere the mercies he made such reckoning of the mercies peculiar to him and the elect of God are sure mercies and can never be lost Fiftly and lastly Those mercies a man may have and have them in abundance and be made never a whit the better man never a whit more acceptable to God never a whit the neerer unto eternall happinesse Nay for the most part they make men that enjoy them most abundantly the worse men a great deale they estrange their hearts from God and deprive them of his kingdome There is a sore evill which I have seene under the sunne saith Solomon Eccl. 5.13 namely riches kept for the owners thereof to their hurt Luke 18.24 How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdome of God vers 25. It is easier for a Camell to go through a needles eye then for a rich man to enter into the kingdome of God But these mercies of David never did any man receive but they made him a better man then he was before No man ever obtained this mercy to have his sinnes pardoned but his heart was changed and he became a new man presently Acts 5 3â— Christ giveth repentance unto Israel and forgivenesse of sinnes So Ezek. 36.25 26. I will sprinkle cleane water upon you and ye shall be cleane a new heart also will I give you and a new spirit will I put within you Labour therefore to make this thine owne to get assurance that these mercies of David do belong to thee that in the time of thy need thou maist have the benefit and comfort of these mercies Els will this one daylie heavie upon thy heart that there being so much mercy in the Lord such a fountaine yea such a sea of mercy yea thou knowing so much and having seene in the ministery of the Gospell this fountaine opened unto thee as the Prophet speaketh Zach. 13.1 yet thou art not washed in it thou art not cleansed from thy sinnes thou art never the better for it That there is mercy enough in the Lord to pardon Davids sinnes and Manasses sinnes and Peters sinnes and Mary Magdalens sinnes yea all manner of sinne and blasphemy as our Saviour speaketh Mat. 12.31 yet thy sin remaineth still unpardoned And all because thou hast despised these riches of the goodnesse of God as the Apostle speaketh Rom. 2.4 Thou hast esteemed much more of those common mercies of God then of these like the Prodigall who so long as he could get enough to fill his belly though it were but hogs-meate never thought of returning to his father and seeking for his favour Luk. 15.16 17. O this is it this despising of the Lords speciall mercies is that that will treasure and heape up wrath to a man against the day of wrath as the Apostle speaketh Rom. 2.5 Now if any man shall say I would faine know that this mercy of God belongeth to me but how may I come to be assured of it To that man I answer there be five things which may be both as signes and notes whereby thou mayst know it belongeth to thee and as meanes also to bring thee unto this assurance that thou desirest First If thou canst seeke and sue to him for this mercy with all thine heart that is more then for any other things prizing this mercy above all other mercies thou needest not doubt but it belongeth to thee thou shalt be sure to have thy part in it Marke the promises made to such as are in this case Ieremy 29.13 Ye shall seeke me and find me when ye shall search for me with all your heart Psalme 69.32 Your heart shall live that seeke God Other mercies thou mayst long for and sue earnestly for and never obtaine them but these spirituall mercies without which thou canst not be saved thou maist bee sure to obtaine if thou canst thus desire and seeke for them Luke 11.13 How much more shall your heavenly father give the holy spirit to them that aske him Psal. 105.3 Let the heart of them rejoyce that seeke the Lord. So that if thou want these the fault is in thy selfe Ye have not saith the Apostle Iam 4.2 because ye aske not Secondly If thou canst be miserable and dejected enough in thine owne eyes thou shalt not need to doubt but this mercy belongeth unto thee Misery we know is the object of mercy and chiefe motive to compassion If thou canst therfore unfainedly lay open unto God thy misery thy spirituall misery I meane the wounds sores of thy soule as poore creeples do their sores to meÌ„ whom they would move to pity them thou needest not doubt to find mercy with the Lord. Thus doth David seeke for mercy heere as you
he knoweth thee better then thou knowest thy selfe When my spirit was overwhelmed within me saith David Ps. 14â— 3 then thou knewest my path 3. Oh but thou wilt say Is it possible I should be in Gods favour and in the estate of grace and not perceive it my selfe feele no comfort in it I answer yes this is possible enough Davids sin was forgiven conseqvently he was in the favour of God so soon as ever he repented and Nathan in the name of God assureth him of so much 2. Sam. 12.13 The Lord hath put away thy sin and yet he perceived it not nor felt the comfort of it of a good while after as appeareth by this Psalme specially ver 8. Make me to heare joy and gladnes and ver 12. Restore to me the joy of thy salvation As our Saviour after his resurrection appeared to Mary Magdalen was with her and spake to her and yet shee sought for him and wept because shee could not find him inso much as Christ sayd to her Woman why weepest thâ—â— Hee was with her and spake to her and shee knew it not Iohn 20.14 15. So to the two Disciples that went to Emaus Christ appeared was with them and talked with them and yet they were sad and full of heavinesse Luke 24.15 16. Why Hee drew neere to them in a most gracious manner and went with them and yet they knew it not for so saith the text Their eyes were holden that they should not know him And even so it may bee with thee It is one mercy to have our sinnes pardoned to bee received into Gods favour and to have saving grace bestowed upon us and another mercy to have the knowledge of this to perceive and feele wee are in this case The former sundry of Gods servants have received and yet have spent sundry yeares in Gods service before they could attaine unto the latter At that day saith our Saviour meaning after his ascension Ioh. â—4 10 ye shall know that I am in my father and you in me and I in you Christ was already in them and they in him but they knew it not yet they had no feeling nor comfort of it to speake of A man may be you see in Gods favour though he perceive it not himselfe we may not judge our owne estate by our feeling Nay this is the praise and commendation of faith in Gods account when we can beleeve and rest upon his word and promise even when we have no sense nor feeling of his favour when he seemeth to frowne upon us to hide and turne away his face from us And that which our Saviour saith of sight may be said of all sense and feeling also Ioh. 20.29 Thomas because thou hast seene thou hast beleeved blessed are they that have not seene and yet have beleeved And this is the first consideration that may stay and comfort a poore soule that is in this estate Secondly thou must consider that this hath bin the case of many Gods dearest servants the Lord hath for a time hid his face from them they have beene deprived of all feeling of his favour Iob was in this case Iob 13.24 Wherfore hidest thou thy face and holdest me for thine enemy And Heman was Psalme 88.14 Lord why castest thou off my soule and hidest thy face from mee And Asaph was Psalme 77.3 I remembred God and was troubled I meditated and my spirit was overwhelmed And David complaineth Psal. 109.22 His heart was wounded within him hee had a wounded spirit And Paul 2 Cor. 7.5 that he had not onely fightings without but terrours within And the Blessed Virgins soule was pierced through as with a sword Luke 2.35 But what speake I of particular members of Gods Church that were in this case The whole Church the whole mysticall body of Christ is brought in by Solomon in his Song of songs complaining that shee was in this case Canticles 5.6 Her beloved had withdrawne himselfe and was gone from her shee sought him but could not finde him she called upon him but hee gave her no answer Esay 49.14 Zion said the Lord hath forsaken mee my God hath forgotten mee And Lament 3.18 the whole Church complaineth my hope is perished from the Lord. Yea what speake I either of particular members or of the whole body of the Church of God our blessed Saviour himselfe who never committed sinne neither was guile found in his mouth as the Apostle speaketh 1 Pet. 2.22 even he in the dayes of his flesh had experience of this tentation and was deprived for a time of the sense of Gods favour when he cryed out in bitternesse of his soule Matth. 27.46 My God my God why hast thou forsaken me This second consideration hath great force to sustaine the heart of any poore servant of God that is thus troubled And so it is spoken of 1 Pet. 5.8 9. Your adversary the devill as a roaring Lyon walketh about seeking whom he may devoure whom resist stedfast in the faith knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world As if hee should say Let him roare and shew his malice and rage against any of you never so much your case is no worse for this then other of Gods servants hath bin and therefore faint not yeeld not to him but resist him manfully For from hence thou mayst thus inferre and reason with thine owne heart 1. That a man may be deare unto God and highly in his favour and yet be for a time deprived of the sense of it For so was Iob certainly and David and Paul and the Blessed Virgin and our blessed Saviour And say therefore to thine owne soule as Psalme 73.15 If I should judge otherwise behold I should offend against the generation of thy children 2. That no child of God should thinke it strange if they fall into this affliction nor hope to be exempted quite from it but looke and prepare for it Beloved saith the Apostle 1 Peter 4 12. thinke it not strange concerning the fiery tryall as though some strange thing had happened unto you Nay a man should reason thus with his owne soule rather if I should alwayes remaine like these confident fooles that never had any doubtings nor feares which I see all the best of Gods servants yea the whole mysticall body of Christ yea Christ my Saviour himselfe were so much subject unto what should I thinke of my selfe If I should bee without this chastisement alway whereof all are partakers then were I a bastard and no son as the Apostle speaketh Hebr. 12.8 The third consideration that may stay us and keepe us from sinking and being overcome of this tentation is this That as in all other afflictions Esa. 45.7 so in this especially the Lord hath a speciall hand it is the Lords doing It is he that hideth his face from thee that with-holdeth from thee the feeling of his favour and thy spirituall comfort Ps. 30.7 Thou didst hide thy
face and I was troubled This consideration is forcible to quiet the heart that hath grace in any affliction and to keep us from murmuring and till we can humbly acknowledge this soveraignty of the Lord and stoupe unto it our heart can never find rest in any specially not in this inward affliction till we can say with Ely 1 Sam. 3.18 It is the Lord let him do what seemeth him good Why dost thou strive against him saith Elihu to Iob 33.13 for he giveth not account of any of his matters God is not bound to give thee a reason of his proceeding why hee dealeth thus with thee rather then with such and such but thou art bound to submit thy selfe to his will because hee can doe thee no wrong and may doe with his owne what pleaseth him Who hath enjoyned him his way saith Elihu Iob 36.23 or who can say thou hast wrought iniquity thou hast done wrong If therefore the Lord should bee pleased all the dayes of our life to hide from any of us the light of his countenance though this were indeed a most heavy affliction nay if hee should indeed not in our feeling only cast us away for ever yet doth it become us to beare it patiently and not to murmure against him for it but to put on Davids resolution and to say as hee doth 2 Samuel 15.26 If he doe thus say I have no delight in thee behold here am I let him doe to me as seemeth good to him Fourthly Thou must consider that the Lord in hiding his face from thee in with-holding for a time the comforter from thee intendeth to doe thee good by this meanes He chastiseth us for our profit saith the Apostle Heb. 12.10 And of thy infirmity I may say as our Saviour did of Lazarus his disease Ioh. 11.4 This sicknesse is not unto death But even as thou seest the wise and carefull Physitian maketh his patient by some vomits and potions much more sick in his own apprehension then he was before and the surgeon lanceth and maketh deep wounds of purpose to cure him of the mortall disease and sore he seeth him in danger of So doth thy heavenly Physician and Surgeon deale with thee he maketh thy heart sicke and woundeth thee thus of purpose that he may save thy soule and work a perfect cure upon it and make it more sound and healthfull then ever it was before Sundry are the benefits that God procureth to his children by this kind of affliction six of them I will shew you which may serve for so many reasons why he doth deale thus with them First by this meanes he correcteth them and maketh them to repent for their drowsinesse and carnall security Christ doth not use to withdraw himselfe from his people but when they grow drowsy and sleepy and neglect their watch This you shall see Cant. 3.1 5.2 3. Secondly he giveth them these thornes in their flesh these messengers of Satan to buffet them that by humbling them thus he may prevent and keepe them from sin that he seeth them in danger to fall into and thus did he deale with the Apostle 2 Cor. 12.7 Thirdly by this meanes the Lord prepareth his people for comfort and maketh them more capable of it and none have ever attained to that abundance of spirituall comfort as those that have most deeply tasted of this cup of spirituall affliction As the sufferings of Christ abound in us saith the Apostle 2 Cor. 1.5 so our consolations also abound in Christ. For the Lord our God delighteth for to work by contraries As in the worke of creation he caused light to shine out of darknesse as the Apostle speaketh 2 Cor. 4.6 and in the worke of redemption by Christs death he brought us to life by his extreame shame and ignominy he bringeth us to glory by his stripes he healeth us as the Prophet speaketh Esa. 53.5 and in that miracle that Christ wrought by anointing the blind mans eyes with clay he restored him to sight Ioh. 9.6 So in the work of grace he useth to bring his servants by hell to heaven by doubting to faith by much inward anguish and terror to abundance of peace and consolation in Christ. By what meanes did the Lord bring Mr. Bradford Mr. Glover and sundry other of the blessed Martyrs to that strength of faith inward comfort as even quenched the violence of the fire as the Apostle speaketh Heb. 11.34 for though the Apostles words be there happily to be understood literally yet may the phrase be fitly applyed to this also surely they were men that had bin much exercised with inward affliction of mind as we may read in their story And how did the Lord make Iacob so strong in faith that whereas before he was afraid of his brother Esau as he complaineth in his prayer to God Gen. 32.11 I feare him lest he will come and smite me and the mother with the children now he became bold as a lion and met him without feare going on to meet him before the rest Gen. 33.3 Nay he was so full of confidence and comfort in God that he gloried and boasted he had seene God face to face and therefore called the name of the place Penuel the face of God Gen. 32.30 Surely before he came to this comfort God had wrestled with him as an enemy Gen. 32.24 and made him out of the sense he had of Gods displeasure to pray and weep bitterly he wept and made supplication to him saith the Prophet Hos. 12.4 And few there be that ever came to see God face to face to behold the light of his countenance cleerely and manifestly as Iacob did with whom God hath not beene wont to wrestle sometimes as he did with Iacob Lecture XXVIII On Psal. 51.1 2. Iune 13. 1626. FOurthly By this meanes God weaneth his children from the love of this world and maketh them thinke of home and of their fathers house As you know affliction and nothing but affliction made the prodigall to do Luke 15.16 17. If we should alwaies possesse that outward peace those sweet joyes and comforts which the light of the Lords countenance and sense of his favour worketh in our hearts we should have our heaven upon earth and be too ready to say and thinke as Peter did when he was ravished with joy in beholding the light of Christs countenance shining as the sun Mat. 17.4 Lord it is good for us to be heere and to abide heere still These vicissitudes and changes these interruptions of our peace and spirituall desertions we meet with heere are a most effectuall meane to make us thinke of home where we shall be out of the reach of Satan and all his tentations where we shall never weepe more nor be troubled with these terrours and sorrowes that so much disquiet us where all teares shall be wiped from our eyes and there shall be no more sorrow nor crying nor paine as Iohn speaketh Revel 21.4 These
confession and aggravating of the sinnes of that Church and Nation And thus have you heard the Doctrine confirmed to you in both the branches of it Now for the grounds and reasons of it they are worth the enquiring into why have Gods servants beene wont thus to confesse their sinnes and that so fully and at large unto God Yea why hath God required them thus to do it and delighted in it Surely the Lord knoweth all our sins better then our selves and neede not have them discovered to him by us O God saith David Psalme 69.5 thou knowest my foolishnesse and my sinnes are not hid from thee And 1 â—9 2 4. Thou art acquainted with all my wayes there is not a word in my tongue but thou knowest it altogether thou knowest my thoughts afarre off And why have Gods people so openly before men discovered their owne shame seeing wee are bound to have a care even of our neighbours good name and not to publish his faults Matthew 18.15 Tell him of his fault betweene thee and him alone much more are wee bound to have care of our owne credit I answer Three reasons principally have moved Gods people to doe this First The fulnesse and aboundance of their hearts Their hearts have beene so full of the sight and sense of their sinnes that they could not containe themselves they must needes give a vent to their heart by confessing of them Out of the aboundance of the heart saith our Saviour Matthew 12.34 the mouth speaketh This appeareth to bee one reason why David here bursteth forth in this confession his sinne was ever before him And this was one reason doubtlesse why Iohn Baptists hearers could not hold but must needes in so publike an assembly burst foorth into a confession of their sinnes Matt. 3.6 Affection if it be full and vehement cannot bee kept close but it will out as wee see in the example of Ioseph Genesis 45 1. Hee could not refraine himselfe before all them that stood by but hee must utter his affection to his brethren Secondly They have done this and God would have them do it to testifie the sincerity and unfeinednesse of their repentance For as it is a signe a man loveth his sin and it is sweete to him when hee hideth it under his tongue and spareth it as Zophar speaketh Iob 20.12 13. So is this a good signe a man hateth his sinne and is desirous to leave it when hee is willing to disclose and confesse it freely The sicke man that will not bee content to tell his Physician what the meate was that hee surfetted of never meaneth to forsake that meate and that is the very cause why hee will not discover it So is it in this case Men by nature are full of selfe-love and cannot abide to heare any evill of themselves from their dearest friends much more to speake any thing to their owne disgrace And this hypocrisie and selfe-love is a chiefe cause of mens unwillingnesse to confesse their sinnes So Tremellius and others render that clause of Iobs words Iob 31.33 Hiding out of the love of my selfe my sinnes So that this argueth a man hath more in him then nature when hee can freely confesse his sinnes This is Davids meaning Psalme 32.2 Blessed is the man in whose spirit there is no guile As if hee should say While I kept silence I had a false heart my spirit was full of guile but when I became able fully to acknowledge my sinne then was my heart purged from that guile and hypocrisie that was in it before So Iob reckoneth this among the best arguments of his sinceritie and uprightnesse of heart that he could freely confesse his sins Iob. 31.33 He covered not his transgressions as Adam did hiding his iniquity in his bosome Thirdly and lastly They have done this and God hath required them to doe it that they might give glory unto God This reason Ioshuah giveth to Achan Iosh 7.19 My sonne give I pray thee glory to the Lord God of Israel and make confession unto him and tell me now what thou hast done hide it not from mee 1. In confessing our sinnes to God we give glory to him For wee acknowledge the righteousnesse and equity both of his commandements and threatnings and this reason David giveth verse 4. why he doth thus confesse his sins here That thou mightest be justified when thou speakest and cleare when thou judgest 2. In confessing our sins before men we give glory to God For he is greatly glorified by our profession of repentance when just occasion serveth Matthew 5.16 And therefore when Luke had said Act. 19.17 that the Name of the Lord Iesus was magnified in Ephesus he bringeth this for the proofe of it verse 18. And many that beleeved came and confessed and shewed their deeds Lecture XXXII On Psamel 51.3 Iuly 18. 1626. IT followeth wee proceed to the uses that are to the be made of it which are principally two 1. To exhort us to seeke for this grace 2. To direct us how to try and examine our selves whether wee have yet attained to it or no. The first use I say is to exhort us to seeke for this grace that is here commended to us in the example of David he when God effectually touched his heart with true sight and sense of his sins did breake forth into a free and full confession of it so shall wee bee ready to doe if ever wee attaine to true repentance hee tooke this course to finde mercy with God in the pardon of his sins and so must wee doe if ever we will hope to obtaine mercy and comfort Now in this example of David we have three sorts of confession of sin propounded and commended to us for our imitation 1. Hee confessed his sin to Nathan 2. Samuel 12 13. David said unto Nathan I have sinned against the Lord. 2. He confessed his sinne to the congregation and Church of God for hee directed this Psalme that containeth the discovery and confession of his sin to the chiefe Musician for the use of the Temple verse 1. and publisheth it for the vse of the Church to the end of the world 3. He confessed his sin chiefly and most fully to the Lord himselfe as appeareth verse 4. and sundry other verses of this Psalme For the first Why did he confesse his sin unto Nathan his owne subject and servant Why did hee not rather when his sin was effectually discovered unto him betake him unto some secret place and confesse and bewaile his sins unto God I answer He saw it necessary to do it 1. To make knowne and approve his repentance unto the Prophet who was better able to judge of it then himselfe 2. That hee might receive comfort from the Prophet in the distresse and anguish of his conscience And surely every Christian when hee is in Davids case must if he be wise do as David did Concerning this confession of our sin in private
thy heart a sorrow for all such as are corruptions in deede specially in the worship of God and professe also outwardly upon all just accasions thy dislike unto them or else thou wilt be in danger to be defiled by them as the Apostle telleth the Church of Corinth 1 Cor. 5.6 that the whole lumpe was in danger to be leavened because they did not mourne for the sin of the incestuous person and for the want or neglect of the discipline of the Church in that case as appeareth in the fourth verse Lecture XXXVI On Psalme 51.3 Octob 10. 1626. FOlloweth now the fifth and last way whereby we make our selves guilty of all the grosse sins committed in the places where we live and that is by neglecting to doe our best endeavour to bring these scandalous sinners to open shame and punishment for their sins We reade of Ely that the Lord pronounced him guilty of all those foule sins which his sons Hophny and Phinehas had committed 1 Sam. 2.29 Wherefore kicke ye at my sacrifice and at mine offerings to make your selves fat with the chiefest of all the offerings of Israel my people How could that be was Ely so prophane himselfe No but because his sons did so and he brought them not to that open shame and punishment which their foule sins deserved God imputeth their sinnes to him If any man shall object and say What it that to us Ely was a Iudge and magistrate he judged Israel 1 Sam. 4 18. and therefore had power to have restrained them from these sins by deposing and punishing them This the Lord chargeth him with 1 Sam 3.13 His sons made themselves vile and hee restrained them not He had a calling to doe it but we are no magistrates wee have no power to restraine or punish these lewd persons we are private men wee have no calling to doe it There are officers that haue a calling and are bound by their oath to present such offendours let them looke unto it It is through their negligence and default that these sinnes doe so much abound amongst us My answer unto this objection that hath as you see great colour of reason in it shall coâ—sist of two parts 1. I will grant that these officers are indeed in greatest fault or this and shew you reasons why it must be so 2. I will shew you that not they alone are in fault for this but that Christians of all sorts are deeply guilty this way First therefore they that by their office and oath stand bound to detect unto authority and to present these infamous persons if either out of negligence or partiality they wincke at any of them stand guilty of greater sin then they are aware of This we shall finde spoken of as one great cause of the captivity Ier. 5.28 that they did overpasse the deedes of the wicked they winked at them and made no reckoning of them and what followeth in the next verse 29. Shall I not visit for these things saith the Lord Shall not my soule be avenged on such a nation as this See the hainousnesse of their fault in three things First They sinne against the place where they live because they are a chiefe cause of the encrease of those foule sins in it that will provoke God to wrath against it If sinners were brought to open shame and punishment sin would not be so rise as it is This the Lord expresly teacheth oft in his Law when he commandeth open punishment to bee executed upon open offenders hee giveth this reason for it Deut. â—9 9 10. So shalt thou put evill away from among you and those which remaine shall heare and feare and shall henceforth commit no more any such evill among you The sparing of those whom God would have to be punished is a great wrong to the whole towne and countrey where they live even a meanes to bring Gods wrath upon it This is plaine Num. â—5 4 Take all the heads of the people and hang them vp that the fierce anger of the Lord may be turned away from Israel and verse 11. Phinehas hath turned away my wrath from the children of Israel while he was zealous for my sake among them that I consumed not the children of Israel in my jealousie And how can they be punished and brought to open shame if these officers winke at them and present them not Secondly They sinne against the soules of those poore sinners whom they seeme most to favour and love For the bringing of them to open shame and spâ—cially to confesse their sin and professe their repentance publikely is a meanes appointed of God to bring them unto repentance and so to obtaine of God assurance of the pardon of their sins That which Solomon saith of one kind may be said of all kinds of correction which God hath sanctified Pro. 22.15 Foolishnesse is bound in the heart of a child but the rod of correction will drive it away And of the censures of the Church which Christ hath appointed it may most truely be said as the Apostle speaketh 1 Cor. 5.5 They tend to the destruction of the flesh that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord. In winking therefore at such offendors they deprive them of the meanes ordained of God for their repentance and so for the salvation of their soules And what love call you this This is indeed hatred and not love Levit. 19.17 Hee hateth his brother in his heart that letteth his sinne to lye upon him Thirdly and lastly They sin against God and against their owne soules in that light account they make of the oath that they have taken 1. Let all men take heed before they take an oath that they binde not themselves thereby to doe that that is evill as they did that bound themselves by an oath that they would neither eat nor drinke till they had killed Paul Acts 23.12 An oath must not be Vinculum iniquitatis 2. When any man hath bound himselfe by oath to doe that that is evill let him repent of that sin and not double it by keeping that oath When the wise men had bound themselves to Herod if not by an oath yet by a very solemne promise certainely for Herod said they had mocked him and was in exceeding rage for that Mat. 2.16 to bring him word where Christ was yet perceiving afterward that the performance of that oath or promise was against the will of God and tended to the hurt of Christ they durst not performe it Mat. 2.12 And when Herod had unadvisedly taken an oath which afterward he perceived tended to the destruction of one whom in his conscience he knew to bee a good man it is noted to have beene his great sin that he made such conscience of keeping that oath Mat. 14.9 For we ought not to doe any thing to the open hurt of those whom God hath commanded us to be a shelter and a covert unto Esay 16.3.4 Hide the
faults they sin against the congregation and Church of God in depriving it of that right that by the ordinance of God is due unto it namely that they that have wronged given offence to it by their sin should give it satisfaction by their repentance This right these men spoile and rob the congregation of And as the Pharisees taught children to say to their parents that required any reliefe of them Marke 7.11 It is Corban that is to say a gift by whatsoever thou mayest bee profited by mee as if he should say I have given to the treasury and therfore looke for no duty from me so these men teach grosse sinners to say to the ministers and congregations that require satisfaction from them by their publike repentance I have satisfied the Court and to you I will give no satisfaction at all If in any other Court of justice it should bee said to any that were impleaded for wrong done to any one man in his body or goods or good name give somewhat to the Court and care not for the party that thou hast wronged hee shall have no satisfaction from thee all men would cry out and say this were extreame wrong and injustice and is it no sin thinke we for any man to wrong a whole Church and congregation thus Thirdly They sin against the soules of poore sinners whom by this means they deprive of a speciall means appointed of God to bring them to repentance and so unto salvation The corruption and injustice that is done in other courts toucheth but the goods or good names or bodies of men these are called and should bee indeed spirituall courts but if corruption be used in them there is merchandise made of the soules of men And of all covetousnesse of all filthy lucre that is most damnable that is gotten by the sale of the soules of men as the holy Ghost mentioneth it for the last and worst of all the commodities that Antichrist did traffique in Revelation 18.13 He made merchandise of the soules of men And thus have I done with the second sort of men that are to bee reproved by this Doctrine The third and last sort that by this Doctrine of publike confession are to be reproved are such as having sinned publikely scandalously refuse to make publike acknowledgement of their sin and profession of their repentance when they are required to do it It is strange to see what paines men will take yea what cost and charges they will be at to avoid this And that not the richer sort only but even the poorest and basest of the people Now these poore men in doing thus offend three wayes First and chiefly against the Lord in refusing to give glory unto his name and submitting themselves unto his ordinance For by confessing our sins even before men when God would have us to doe it wee give glory unto God as wee have heard in that speech of Ioshuah to Achan Ioshuah 7.19 And it is his ordinance that you should obey them that have the rule over you and submit your selves hee meaneth the ministers and governours of the Church Heb. 13.17 Secondly they sin against the Church and people of God in refusing to give them satisfaction by their repentance when they have given them offence by their sin When Gods people had but taken offence at Peter without any just cause of offence given unto them when hee had by the commandement of God gone to Cornelius and there conversed with the Gentiles see how that great Apostle doth not scornefully resolve them and aske them what had they to doe with his actions but is very carefull to give them satisfaction and to recover their good opinion by shewing them at large the reason why he did so Actes 11.4 It is a perilous signe of an ungracious heart to make no reckoning what Gods people thinke of him Do you not know saith the Apostle speaking of this very sin even of making light account of the judgement of Gods people 1 Cor. 6.2 that the Saints shall judge the world It is a great meanes of peace to our consciences when wee can approve our selves our repentance and conversion not unto God and our owne consciences onely but unto the Church and people of God Shew unto them saith the Apostle 2 Cor. 8 24. that is to Titus and the brethren that are with him and before the Churches the proofe of your love And on the other side it is a great trouble to the heart that hath grace in it to have the censure and hard opinion of Gods people So it was to Anna to be ill thought of by Ely ô how carefull was the poore soule to give him satisfaction 1 Sam. 1.15 16. And it was a great trouble to that good woman that powred the box of precious ointment on Christs head when she saw that the Apostles were much offended with her for it Why trouble yee the woman saith our Saviour Matth. 26.10 And should it not then trouble any such sinner as hath grieved all Gods people in the congregation by his sin and caused them to thinke ill of him Will he not desire if he have any grace in him to recover their good opinion by making knowne unto them his repentance If thou have given offence to any one of thy neighbours even the meanest of them thou art bound in conscience to make him satisfaction and to seeke reconciliation with him Matth. 5.24 Goe thy way first bee reconciled to thy brother c. Neither is he bound to thinke well of thee againe till thou hast professed thy repentance unto him Luke 17.4 If thy brother that hath trespassed against thee turne againe to thee saying I repent thou shalt forgive him And are not men much more bound to give satisfaction to a whole congregation whom they have offended and to seeke reconciliation with it then with any one man Is the congregation bound or can it thinke well of him that hath given publike offence unto it till hee turne againe unto it and professe his repentance This despising of the congregation and the people of God is a greater sin then most men are aware of Take heede saith our Saviour Mat. 18.10 that yee despise not one of these little ones What saith the Apostle speaking of a particular Congregation 1 Cor. 11.22 despise ye the Church of God for the contempt done to Gods people thus resteth not upon them but reacheth unto Christ himselfe as the Apostle plainely teacheth 1 Cor. 8.12 When ye sin so against the brethren ye sin against Christ. Thirdly and lastly These men that refuse to professe their repentance before the Congregation sin therein against their owne soules and as the Prophet speaketh in another case Ion. 2.8 forsake their owne mercie that is the meanes to assure them that notwithstanding their sins the mercy of the Lord belongeth unto them For 1. no man can ever obtaine the assurance of the pardon of his sin till he have repented
Luke 24.47 Repentance and remission of sinnes must bee preached in Christs name And this repentance must not be such a one as we fancie and frame to our selves but such as God in his word hath appointed and that is as we have heard that for publike sins we repent publikely He that refuseth to doe this forsaketh you see his owne mercy 2. In the offences we have done to men we can haue no benefit of Christs sacrifice for the pardon of them till we have first endeavoured to give satisfaction unto them whom we have offended This is plaine by that law Levit. 6.5 and by the speech of our Saviour Matt. 5.24 Leave there thy gift before the Altar and goe thy way first bee reconciled to thy brother and then come and offer thy gift He then that refuseth to satisfie the Congregation that he hath offended and to seeke reconciliation with it doth in this respect also forsake his owne mercy and barreth himselfe from having benefit by the sacrifice of Christ. Thus have I shewed you how hainous the sin of these men is now let me endeavour to remove the maine impediment that keepeth men from this duty and that I will doe briefly and so conclude I could be content to doe this but that it will be such a shame and reproch unto me Can any man that hath the spirit and heart of a man in him be willing to make himselfe a gazing and laughing stocke to a whole Congregation And surely it is lamentable to see how the devill who made men impudent and shamelesse when he tempted them to sin overwhelmeth them and stoppeth their mouthes with shame when they should confesse their sin and so finde mercy with God Certainely this is Satans worke and till God bee pleased to deliver men from the power of Satan it will never be better with them But as it is said of the man that was possessed with a dumbe spirit Luke 11.14 When the devil is once gone out of them the dumbe will speake and speake so freely and frankly in the acknowledgment of their sins that men will wonder to see it I answer 1. It will be no reproch unto thee at all 2. If it were yet must thou be willing to doe it First It will be no encrease of shame or reproch to thee at at all For. 1. hereby thou publishest not thy sin which is the onely true cause of shame man never knew what shame meant till sin entred into the world Gen. 3.7.10 nor makest it open that was secret before but thy repentance onely and that is a worke of Gods grace no matter of shame but of glory The spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you saith the Apostle 1 Pet. 4.14 Indeed ungracious men are ashamed of nothing so much as of religion to be thought to have any piety or grace in them but what a height of wickednesse is this Certainely religion will be a glory to him that hath it O yee sons of men saith David Psal. 4.2 how long will yee turne my glory into shame 1. Admit some lewd men will mocke thee for it all good men will esteeme the better of thee for it When Gods people saw Pauls repentance they never reproched him for his former blasphemies but glorified God for it as he speaketh Galat. 1.24 Yea there is more joy in heaven where God and Christ and the elect Angels and the blessed spirits are over one sinner that repenteth then over ninety nine just persons that need no repentance as our Saviour himself assureth us upon his word Luke 15.7.3 It is not possible thou shouldest loose any credit and reputation by obeying God and so honouring him Who thinketh the worse of Moses or David or Peter or Paul for the foule sins that they were guilty of And who is the author of all true credit and reputation even with men Is it not the Lord. Both riches and honour come of thee saith David 1 Chron. 29.12 and Psal. 33. Thou ô Lord art my glory and the lifter up of my head And God hath bound himselfe with promise that no man shall loose but gaine reputation and credit by serving him and doing his will 1 Sam. 2.30 Them that honour me I will honour especially that no man shall loose credit and estimation by humbling and taking shame upon himselfe in the way of unfained repentance as our Saviour promiseth upon occasion taken from his speech of the humiliation of the Publicane Luke 18.14 He that humbleth himselfe shall be exalted Secondly I answer that admit thou couldest not thus publikely confesse thy sin but it would make thee ridiculous and bring a perpetuall reproch and infamy upon thee yet should not this stay thee from this duty For 1. thou canst never have assurance thou hast truly repented that thy heart is truely changed and turned unto God till thou canst deny thy selfe and prefer the honour of God before thine owne credit with men If any man will come after mee saith our Saviour Luke 9.23 let him deny himselfe While we are so farre in love with our selves our owne reason our owne will our owne pleasure or profit till we can crosse our selves in that that is so deare unto us as our credit is and with the foure and twenty Elders Reu. 4.10 cast downe our crownes before the throne of God and at his feet till we can say with David 2 Sam. 6.22 I will yet bee more vile then thus and will be base in mine owne sight we can never know what true repentance meaneth 2. Thy peace with God the peace of thy conscience is more worth then thy credit with all the men in the world Take the blessed Apostle for an example in this point who having spoken Phil. 3.4 6. of many priviledges he had to glory in that tended greatly to gaine him credit in the world professeth verse 7 8. he counted them all losse that is he was contented to loose them all for Christ. For whom saith he I have suffered the losse of all things and doe count them but dung that I may winne Christ. Certainely thy credit will be a losse unto thee but thou shalt be a greater looser by the bargaine if for love of it thou loose thy peace with God O how hard penance will many of the poore seduced Papists endure to pacifie their consciences they will goe bare foot and bareleg to Tyburne c. and yet it is but a false peace that is gotten that way all their labour is spent upon that that satisfieth not as the Prophet speaketh Esay 55 2. And shall we be unwilling to crosse our selves a little in submitting our selves to that course of repentance which God himselfe hath prescribed and which will therefore certainely procure to our hearts that peace of God which passeth all understanding as the Apostle speaketh Phil. 4.7 Lecture XXXVIII On Psalme 51.3 Octob. 31. 1626. IT followeth now that we proceed to the third and last kind of
others at least not aggravate it by the circumstances of it as we shall heare it is fit we should doe There is therefore a necessity we should doe it in secret The second motive is from the conveniencie of it For we make confession of our sins in secret unto God much more effectually then any other way wee can doe And that in two respects First We may powre out our hearts more fully and freely unto God in secret then we can doe in the presence of any other man For we are all of us apt to thinke that if we should in a particular manner utter and expresse how vile wretches we are before those that love vs and thinke best of us they would never thinke well of us againe while we live but account vs ranke hypocrites And indeed it may be so they would In which respect we reade Zach. 12.12 that the husband should mourne apart and the wife apart they should not disclose their sins one to another But there is no such thing to stay or hinder us from being free and open hearted in secret For 1. we can say no worse by our selves then the Lord knoweth already better then our selves according to that speech of David Psal. 69.5 O God thou knowest my foolishnesse and my sins are not hid from thee and 139.2 3. O Lord thou understandest my thought afarre off thou compassest my paths and my lying downe and art acquainted with all my wayes 2. We may be sure he will not like the worse but the better of us for confessing and opening of our sins unto him if we accuse our selues he will be the readier to absolve us According to that we have heard 1 Iohn 1.9 If we confesse our sins he is faithfull and just to forgive us and 1 Cor. 11.31 If we would judge our selves wee should not bee judged Yee people saith David Psal. 62.8 powre out your hearts before him God is a refuge for us As if he had said ye have no cause to feare or be ashamed to open your hearts to him the more you can lay to your owne charge and accuse your selves of the more ready you shall finde him to bee a refuge and a comfort unto you There is no cause of feare for an humbled soule to goe to him Will hee plead against me with his great power saith Ioh 23.6 no but hee would put strength in mee Iames 1.5 Hee giveth to all men liberally and upbraideth not The second respect wherein the conveniency of secret confession may appeare is this That wee may in secret use more helpes of voice and gesture and confesse our sins and make our complaint against our selves with more expressions of griefe then we can doe in the presence of others A man that would be ashamed to shed teares before men in the acknowledgment of his sins may be bold to doe it before the Lord. As Iob speaketh of himselfe Iob 16.20 Mine eye powreth out teares that is weepeth aboundantly unto God Thus did Iacob when he was alone Hos. 12.4 And I tell you even this maketh our confession of sins the more effectuall with God when we can doe it with teares As appeareth by that speech of God to Hezekiah 2 King 20.5 I have heard thy prayer and seene thy teares And this second respect may seeme to have moved David when he fasted and prayed for the child to goe in to doe it 2 Sam. 12.16 and both other of Gods servants and our blessed Saviour himselfe too make choice of a secret place for their devotions So did Elizeus 2 King 4.33 So did Peter Act. 10.9 So did our Saviour Mar. 1.35 They knew they might have more liberty for voice and gesture and teares there then they could have had in the company of men The third and last motive that may provoke us unto this duty is the consideration of the fruits and benefits that are to be received by it And those are two principally First This will give a man farre greater assurance of the truth and uprightnesse of his heart when he can confesse and bewaile his sin in secret unto God then any confession of his sin in the presence of others is able to doe This is one of the arguments wherby Iob proveth himselfe to have bin no hypocrite as his friends charged him because he had not been wont to cover his transgressions from God as Adam did not to hide them in his bosome but had beene wont freely and ingeniously to confesse them unto God Iob 31.33 This argueth there is no guile in the spirit when a man can acknowledge his sins unto God and confesse his transgressions unto him Psal. 32.2 3.5 And our Saviour perswading his disciples to take heed of hypocrisie in performing religious duties prescribeth this for an antidote to preserve them from it to learne to make conscience of doing them in secret Mat. 6.5 6. Be not as the hypocrites for they love to pray in open places where they may be seene of men but thou when 〈◊〉 prayest enter into thy closet For it is strange to see how far an hypocrite may go in performing religious duties in the presence of others as our Saviour there sheweth they love to pray saith he standing in the Synagogues They will seeme to shew great delight and zeale in good duties so long as they have men to be witnesses of it Yea in this very point of making confession of their sins before men hypocrites and gracelesse men have gone very far Pharaoh did this to Moses and Aaron sundry times Exod. 9.27 and 10.16 and Saul unto Samuel 1 Sam. 15 24.30 auricular confession unto a Priest you see a rancke hypocrite may make and Iudas made confession of his sin before the Priests and Elders publikely in the Temple Yea to the party he hath wronged an hypocrite will be able to confes his sin as Saul did to David 1 Sam. 24.17 18. and 26.21 But of none of these you can read that ever they could go to God in secret and powre out their hearts before him So that you see this is one benefit a man shal receive by it it will give him a cōfortable assurance of the sincerity uprightnes of his heart before God Secondly It will give great assurance to a man of mercy from God in the pardon of his sins Gods people have bin wont to find as great ease to their consciences by confessing their sins to God as ever stomack that was sick and oppressed did by casting up the meat that offended it or sore that was impostumated by giving vent to the filthy matter that put it unto paine David professeth of himselfe Ps. 119.25 26. that when his soule cleaved to the dust that it was quite cast downe and dejected as one foyled and wounded by his enemy and ready to give up the Ghost he tooke this course to relieve himselfe and found comfort in it hee declared his wayes unto God and he heard him And in another place
confesse and seeke pardon of it 3. That his sin did thus represent it selfe unto him and trouble him after God had pardoned it and reveiled so much to him by Nathan the Prophet The Lord hath put away thy sin saith Nathan to him 2 Sam. 12 13 thou shalt not dye 4. and lastly How came this to passe Surely his conscience being awakened by the ministery of Nathan did ever and anon lay his sin in his dish and put him in mind of it dogd him and met him in the face whither-soever he went and would give him no rest till it had driven him to humble himselfe before God and to get further assurance of the pardon of it Now from these points thus observed in this speech and example of David we have this to learn for our owne instruction That they that have truly repented cannot easily forget their sins but are apt to thinke oft of them and to bee much troubled for them See the proofe of this First In the generall profession the Church maketh Esa. 59.12 Our sins testifie against us for our transgressions are with us whither-soever we go whatsoever we are doing they are ever with us Secondly See it in sundry particulars Iob professeth of himselfe Iob 13.26 that the Lord made him to possesse the sins of his youth he could not leave thinking of them and being troubled with them And of David we oft read not in this place only but in sundry other places that he was oft in this case his sins were ever in his eye and thought â—sal 38 3. and 40.12 and 25.7 11 13. If any shall object that these examples prove not the point for these men were in trouble of mind who are apt to thinke more of their sins then they should doe I answer That even with such as God hath beene reconciled unto and who have had a comfortable assurance their sins have bin pardoned it hath bin thus their sins have beene ever before them they could not forget them See this in Paul who though he knew he had obtained mercy and pardon of that wrong he had done to Gods people before his conversion as himselfe professeth 1 Tim. 1.13 14. yet was that sin all the dayes of his life ever fresh in his memory and would not out and therefore ever and anon he doth take occasion to speake of it Acts 22.4 5 26.10 11. 1. Cor. 15.9 Gal. 1.13 Ephes. 3.8 1 Tim. 1 1â— When the Lord upon their repentance doth pardon the sins of his people their sins are then quite blotted out of his debt-booke as the Lord speaketh Esa. 43.25 and cast behind his backe Esay 38.17 hee remembreth them no more Iere 31.24 but though they bee pardoned that blotteth them not out of their remembrance nor causeth them to cast them behind their owne backs but they keepe them â—tiâ—l in mind and cannot forget them for all that So the Lord saith of his people Ezekiel 16.60 61. that when hee shall have stablished with them an everlasting covenant then they should remember their wayes and be ashamed and Ezekiel 36.27 28 31. when hee had said verse 27 28. I will put my spirit within you and ye shall bee my people and I will be your God he addeth verse 31. Then shall yee remember your owne evill wayes and your doings that were not good and shall loath your selves in your owne sight for your iniquities If any shall yet object The sins of David and Paul and of those people that Ezekiel speaketh of were hainous and grosse sins no marvell though such stucke long in their mindes and were before them But it followeth not from thence that all Gods people should have their sins in their remembrance alwayes and be troubled with them I answer That it hath beene thus not onely with such as have beene guilty of grosse sins but even with them that have lived most unblameably their sins have beene much in their minde and have beene ever before them they have thought of nothing more nor have beene troubled more with any thing then with their owne sins and corruptions Take two examples for this 1. Iohn the Baptist who though he had the worke of grace begun in him sooner then any meere man wee can reade of and were sanctified in his mothers belly Luke 1.44 As soone as the voyce of thy salutation sounded in mine eares the babe leaped in my wombe for joy yet were his sins and corruptions ever before him he was never without sight and sence of his sins or else he would never have said unto Christ as he did Mat. 3.14 I have need to bee baptised of thee 2. Paul even after his conversion had his sin ever before him and was much exercised with the sight and sence of his corruptions as you may see in that large complaint he makes Rom. 7.15 What I would that doe I not but what I hate that doe I verse 18. I know that in me that is in my flesh dwelleth no good thing and verse 23. I see a law in my members warring against the law of my minde and bringing mee into captivity to the law of sin and verse 24. O wretched man that I am You see all Gods people of all sorts such as have beene in affliction of minde and such as have had most comfortable assurance of Gods love such as have beene guilty of grosse offences and such as had lived most unblameably yet all of them have knowne sin by themselves and have much thought of their corruptions and beene troubled with them Now if we shall enquire into the grounds and reasons of this we shall finde three causes of it The first is their owne conscience which God hath set in the soule to be 1. A faithfull register to record all our doings and is therefore compared to a booke Reu. 20.12 2. To bee a faithfull witnesse against us Rom. 2.15 3. To be a controuler and censurer of us to rebuke and scourge us for our sins So it was said that Davids heart smote him diverse times 1 Sam. 24.5 2 Sam. 24.10 I speake not of all the offices of conscience but of those that concerne this matter in hand Now though every man hath this faculty placed in his soule and most men are never troubled with their sins though they have more sins recorded in those bookes then Gods servants have the difference ariseth from this that the consciences of most men are sencelesse and feared as the Apostle speaketh 1 Tim. 4.2 but the consciences of Gods people are sanctified as Paul saith of himselfe 2 Tim. 1.3 Heb. 13.18 and the image of God according to which they were first created is renewed in it to doe the offices that God placed it in the soule for their conscience is wakefull and quicke sighted and tender as the apple of the eye This we shall see in David his conscience was so wakefull that the least knocke would awaken it so soone as
on me and on my fathers house but not on thy people that they should bee plagued And see how long and how heavily the wrong that he had done lay upon Pauls conscience he could never forget it 1 Tim. 1.13 I was a persecutor and injurious And so it will do upon every one of our consciences one day if we have bin injurious to any man howsoever we sleight it now and make nothing of it upon pretence either of the basenes or of the badnes of the parties we have done wrong unto Remember what I told you of the Gibeonites and how Davids heart smote him for wronging Saul as bad a man as could live 1 Sam. 24.5 But of all the hurts and wrongs we have done unto men by our sins the hurt that we have done them in their soules if we have bin any way the cause of their eternall perdition that may be to us a just cause of sorrow and trouble of mind for our sins O the bloud of soules which wee have destroyed by our sins will lye heavy and give an intollerable weight to our sins when God shall charge us with it And that we may and many doe make themselves guilty of diverse wayes Not only 1. by drawing and forcing others to sin by our authority as David did here both the messengers he sent to bring Bathsheba unto him 2 Sam 11,4 and Ioab whom he commanded to make away Vriah 2 Sam. 11.15 and as Absalom did his servants to murder Amnon 2 Sam. 13.28 and as Paul had done upon whose conscience this lay a long time that he had compelled many to blaspheme Act. 26.11 And 2. by drawing others unto sin either by our example or perswasion as David and his messengers did Bathsheba here 2 Sam. 11.4 and as full many a one dayly doth by being the authors beginning of sin unto others as the Prophet speaketh Mica 1.13 But even 3. by with-holding from any the helpe and meanes that God hath charged us to afford them for the preserving of their soules from perdition As you all will account that nurse that famisheth the child by with-holding the breast and food from it to have bin a murderer of it as much as if she had poisoned or cut the throat of it And surely many of us have just cause to feare God will one day say to us concerning the soules of any that have perished in our flocks that are ministers or in our families that are parents or masters as he doth to the Prophet Ezek. 3.18 His bloud will I require at thy hand Now for the second branch of the Doctrine Though our sins may justly trouble us in all these respects yet the chiefe thing above all others that should move us to hate sin and to mourne for it is the consideration of that offence we have committed by our sins against the Lord our God Observe the proofe of this in three points First This is that that hath had chiefe force in keeping Gods people from sin when they have bin tempted unto it As we see in the example of Ioseph Genes 39.9 How can I doe this great wickednesse and sin against God He considered not so much the wrong he should do his maister though that he knew was very great as the offence he should cōmit against God So David professeth Ps. 19.11 I have hid thy word in mine heart that I might not sin against thee The cause why he loved Gods word so much and tooke such paines by meditation prayer to make it his owne was that he might bee kept from sinning against God Secondly This is that that hath broken the hearts of Gods people and caused them to melt in sorrow for sin after they have committed it that they have done the thing that God is displeased with that hee is grieved and dishonoured by This was Davids maine griefe here And so in the confession he maketh to Nathan 2 Sam. 12.13 I have sinned against the Lord. And Psal. 41.4 Lord be mercifull unto me heale my soule for I have sinned against thee This was the maine thing that troubled the prodigal child that he had displeased his father Lu. 15.18 I will go to my father and will say unto him father I have sinned against heaven and before thee Against thee thee only have I sinned and done evill in thy sight Thirdly and lastly this is the principall thing that distinguisheth the obedience repentance and sorrow for sin which is sincere from that that is counterfeit An hypocrite we know may make great shew of obedience of doing the will of God 2 Chron. 25.2 Amaziah did that which was right in the sight of the Lord but not with a perfect heart The main thing that approveth the truth sincerity of our obedience is this when in doing the good things we do we respect the Lord himselfe we doe that that we doe because we would not offend him because we desire to please and honour him When we live not to our selves but to the Lord Rom. 14.7 8. Thus the Apostle proveth the sincerity of heart that was in those weak Christians that did make conscience both of using not using the meats prohibited by the law of Moses that both of them did it to the Lord Rom. 14.6 So an hypocrite may be able to mourn deeply for sin and wish with all his heart it were undone in respect of the mischiefe punishment of sin that either he feeleth or feareth As we see in the examples of Cain Saul and Ahab Iudas But this is a certaine note of Gods child when the chiefe thing that maketh us mourne for sin is that we have displeased grieved our father by it Therfore is true repentance called by the Apostle Act. 20.21 Repentance toward God Such a repentance as the respect we have unto God hath wrought in us And the sorrow for sin that causeth repentance unto salvation is called 2 Cor. 7.10 A sorrow that is according to God So it is said of Gods people that they lamented after the Lord. 1 Sam. 7.2 This sorrow proceedeth not from selfe love as the other doth but from love to God when though a man know himselfe to be reconciled to God and delivered from the wrath to come yea because he doth so and hath the spirit of grace that assureth him of Gods favour therfore he mourneth is troubled in heart that he hath by his sins offended grieved so good a father This is that sincere sorrow that God promiseth to worke in the hearts of his people Zac. 12.10 I will powre upon the house of David and upon the inhabitants of Ierusalem the spirit of grace and of supplications and they shall looke upon me whom they have pierced and they shall mourne for him not for themselves as one mourneth for his only sonne Lecture XLIIII On Psalme 51.4 Decemb. 26. 1626. IT Followeth now that wee proceed unto the grounds and reasons of the
setting our hearts upon any earthly comfort of admiring and affecting it much and labour to bring our hearts to a more meane conceit of these things to bee more indifferently affected towards them If riches increase set not your heart upon them saith David Psal. 62.10 And describing the man that shall go to heauen he saith Ps. 24.4 he is such a one as hath not lift up his soule to vanity No man that warreth saith the Apostle 2 Tim. 2.4 entangleth himselfe with the affaires of this life And 1 Cor. 7.31 They that use this world must take heed of over-using it they must not be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for the fashion of this world passeth away We must part with all these things and the faster our hearts do cleave and are glued to them the more painefull will it be unto us to part with them In which respect certainely as it may be said of our whole land that if the Lord should bring these miseries upon us which the Palatinate and Bohemia and Germany have long endured we should be farre worse able to beare them then they or any other nation under heaven because we are so tender and delicate by the long peace and aboundance of all things we have enjoyed So may I say to every one of you that are rich and to you that are given to ease and to pleasure that the crosse and persecution the troubles and afflictions we have cause to looke for will be more heavie and intollerable to you then to others of Gods people If Moses had not learned to make light account of riches and of pleasures hee could never have so willingly and patiently endured to suffer affliction with the people of God as the Apostle observeth Heb. 11.25 26. Thirdly He that would be able patiently and Christianly to endure troubles and afflictions of what kind soever they be must before hand acquaint himselfe well with the Word of God he must be well seene and exercised in it And indeed this is one principall cause why the Lord hath given us his holy Word in wriâ—ing that by it he might prepare us for affliction and breed true patience and comfort in us Whatsoever things were written asore time saith the Apostle Rom. 15.4 were written for our learning what learning may you say What is it that God would have us learne by them that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope Many of the Philosophers have given in their writings excellent rules and grounds of patience but that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and patience that was wrought in men by their precepts and rules was stupidity and senslessenesse rather then true patience the patience and comfort of the holy Scripture is the onely true and Christian patience In which respect our Saviour giveth this title to his holy Word he calleth it the Word of his patience because saith he Rev. 3.10 thou hast kept the Word of my patience I will also keepe thee from the houre of temptation The holy Scriptures are fitly resembled and typified by that tower of David mentioned Cant. 4.4 builded for an armoury wherein there hang a thousand bucklers under which a man may without feare and with great safety encounter with the strongest and fiercest temptation and affliction that can assault him all shields of mighty men all armour of proofe such as all the Lords Worthies Iob and David and Paul and the rest have had good proofe and triall of in all their afflictions Heare what Iob saith of this armour Iob 23.12 I have esteemed the words of his mouth more then my necessary food As if he should say No food no not my necessary food did ever so susteine and strengthen me so refresh and revive my fainting body as the Word of God hath my soule in all my afflictions Heare what David saith of this who was also a man of sorrowes one that was much exercised with afflictions of all kinds Psal. 119.50 This that is to say the Word of God of which he had spoken in the former verse is my comfort in my affliction for thy Word hath quickned me And verse 92. Vnlesse thy law had beene my delights he speaketh in the plurall number As if he had said instar omnium in stead of all manner of delights unto me I should then have perished in mine affliction And verse 143. Trouble and anguish have taken hold on me yet thy commandements are my delights As if he should say In my greatest trouble in the extreamest anguish of my soule thy Word yeelded comfort unto me Therefore also you shall find he cryeth for nothing so earnestly in all his affliction as for understanding and knowledge in the Word Psal. 119. When hee had spoken verse 143. of the trouble and anguish he was in he cryeth in the next verse Give me understanding in thy testimonies he meaneth and I shall live And verse 169. Let my cry come neere before thee O Lord give me understanding according to thy Word And verse 171. My lips shall utter praise when thou hast taught me thy statutes See also the proofe that Paul had of this armour of the patience and comfort of the Scriptures in all his afflictions For speaking 2 Cor. 6.4 5. that he and all the rest of the Apostles did in all things approve themselves as the Ministers of God in much patience in afflictions in necessities in distresses in stripes in imprisonments in tumules he telleth how and by what meanes he attained unto this grace to endure so much misery with so great patience he reckoneth verse 6 and 7. this for a principall by knowledge saith he and by the word of truth And surely 1 if there were nothing els to breed in our hearts an high esteeme of the Word of God to cause us to seeke the knowledge of it to exercise our selves with delight in the reading and hearing and meditation of it this were sufficient to do it even the patience comfort it will yeeld us in all our afflictions The remembrance of one sentence of holy Scripture will be more effectuall to yeeld us comfort in the evill day in the houre of temptation will have more force to repell Satan in his fiercest assaults then is in all the wisdome of the world in all the counsell of our friends that shall be then about us For it is the sword of Gods spirit as the Apostle calleth it Ephes. 6.17 It is the onely weapon whereby Christ our Saviour the Captaine of our Salvation did overcome the divell and drive him away as you may see in the story of his temptations Matth. 4.4 7 10. Therefore also our Saviour when he promiseth his Disciples to send them the Comforter after his departure from them he telleth them how and by what meanes he should comfort them Iohn 14.26 He shall teach you all things and bring all things unto your remembrance whatsoever I have said unto you By giving them understanding in
the Scriptures and bringing the Word unto their remembrance he should be their Comforter 2. And for a conclusion of my speech touching this third meanes of patience let me say to such as are despisers of the Word that have not so much as a Bible in their houses or if they have take no delight in the reading or hearing of it but say unto God in their hearts with the Atheist in Iob 21.14 Depart from us for we desire not the knowledge of thy waies if persecution should come and the sword of the enemy with what patience and comfort will you suffer that have no grounded knowledge out of the Word whether the religion you professe be the truth or no No man can with comfort suffer for the truth that is not certaine it is the truth When Paul prayeth for the Colossians that their hearts might be comforted Col. 2.2 he prayeth that God would give them all riches of the full assurance of understanding to the acknowledging of the mystery of God He that is fully assured with understanding that that is the truth of God that he suffereth for he may suffer with comfort and none but he Nay I will say more unto you what patience or comfort can such as you that make no more reckoning of the Word have on your death beds whensoever that houre shall come Certainely none at all for as you have heard there is no true patience nor comfort nor hope to be found but in the knowledge of the Scriptures And therefore it is spoken of as the very upshot of the misery of a wicked man Pro. 5.23 He shall die without instruction O they are in a miserable case that die without instruction and alasse how many thousands are miserable this way Let me therefore say to every one of you as Solomon doth Pro. 19.20 Heare counsell and receive instruction that thou mayest be wise in thy latter end If nothing else will cause you to esteeme of the Word yet let this do it that you may die with comfort that you may finish your course with joy Fourthly He that would be able patiently and meekely to beare afflictions and to submit himselfe obediently to the will of God in them must labour to get a true knowledge and sense of his owne sinnes Nothing hath more force to tame the heart of man and to breed patience in it under the crosse then this hath I will beare the indignation of the Lord saith the Church Mic. 7.9 Because I have sinned against him This is also plaine in the order of the three first Beatitudes Mat. 5.3 5. Blessed are the poore in spirit and then blessed are they that mourne and then blessed are the meeke Poverty of spirit sight and sense of sin will cause mourning and humiliation and these two will make us as meek as lambs under the corrections of the Lord. It is the privie pride of our hearts and the having too good a conceit of our selves that is the chiefe cause of all our impatiency and murmuring under the crosses that lye upon us If we knew our sins well and were truly humbled for them we would easily acknowledge that that which we endure is nothing to that that we have deserved at Gods hands we would say with David Psal. 103.10 He hath not dealt with us after our sins nor rewarded us according to our iniquities And with holy Ezra 10.13 Thou our God hast punished us lesse then our iniquities deserve It was the sense that David had of his sins that made him thus to cleare the Lord when he so sharply judge and corrected him and to beare it so patiently as we have heard he did Let us all therefore when Gods judgements lie heavie upon us hearken to that counsell which the Church in her extreame affliction from her owne experience doth give us Lam. 3.39 40. Wherefore doth a living man complaine a man for the punishment of his sins Let us search and try our waies and turne againe to the Lord. But some will object This is bad counsell certainely If when the Lord hath cast me downe by any of his judgements I should also cast downe my selfe by calling my sins to remembrance this were the way to bring me to despaire to make me utterly unable to beare any thing to make me to faint and to sinke under mine affliction And from this conceit it groweth that men cannot abide no not upon their death beds that either themselves or their friends should be put in mind of their sins But to these I answer that the sight of sin when it is joyned with true sorrow and humiliation of soule for it is not the way to despaire it is the onely way to bring us unto true comfort He is worthy to be beleeved that said so Mat. 5.4 Blessed are they that mourne for the poverty of their spirits he meaneth for that want of grace and aboundance of corruption they find in themselves for they shall be comforted God that comforteth those that are cast downe saith the Apostle 2 Cor. 7.6 comforted us Let me apply this in a word or two to you al that are now shortly to go to the Lords Table This holy Sacrament is a Feast wherein every Christian soule may receive more sound joy and comfort then by any meanes that God hath given us under heaven besides It is said that at the receiving of the Passeover in Hezekiahs time 2 Chron. 30.25 26. all the congregation rejoyced and there was great joy in Ierusalem And yet that Sacrament was not so effectuall a mean to breed joy and comfort in the hearts of Gods people as ours is It is also said of the noble Eunuch that he found great comfort in the Sacrament of Baptisme Acts 8.39 He went away rejoycing And yet there is not so much comfort to be received by that Sacrament neither as by this This is the Supper of the Lord wherein the Body and Bloud of our blessed Saviour is represented and exhibited by the elements of Bread and Wine creatures that God hath given above all things to strengthen and make glad the heart of man Ps. 104 15. But alasse how few are there that receive any sound comfort by this holy Sacrament or that go away rejoycing from it Would you know the true cause of it Certainely this it is we go not to it with soules humbled and mourning for our sins and how then should we go away comforted from it Christ was anointed and appointed of God to bind up the broken-hearted to comfort such as mourne Esa. 61.2 3. and not such senslesse creatures as we are He biddeth such to come to him as labour and are heavie laden Matth. 11.28 and promiseth to give them rest He never promised to give rest and comfort to such as we are that when we come to him never feele our sinnes to be any burden unto us In time of Popery at this time of the yeare all men held themselves bound in
shall perish in that day as Bildad speaketh Iob 8.13 Yea the hope of every wicked man shall perish saith the holy Ghost Proverbs 10.28 But of true hope it is said Romans 5.5 that it maketh not ashamed it will not deceive nor disappoint him that hath it when hee shall have most need of it A few notes I will give you to try your hope by First He that hath true hope got it by the Word and the ministery thereof So saith the Apostle Rom. 15.4 That by patience and comfort of the Scriptures we might have hope The holy Scriptures are the breeders of true hope Yea of hope it may be said as it is of saith Hope commeth by hearing When he had spoken Col. 1.5 of the hope they had of that happines that was laid up for them in heaven he sheweth the means wherby it was wrought in them Ye have heard of it before saith hee in the word of the truth of the Gospel He calleth it therefore verse 23. the hope of the Gospel Alas then such as never received good by the word never felt any power or comfort in it never regarded nor tooke delight to read or heare it are not acquainted with it nor exercised in it at all what sound hope can they have to go to heaven when they die No no their doome is set downe Ps. 119.155 Salvation is far from the wicked sor they seeke not thy statutes They that care so little for Gods Word are far off from any true hope of salvation Secondly True hope is grounded upon true faith in Christ. For Christ is our hope as the Apostle calleth him 1 Tim. 1.1 the only ground we have to hope we shall goe to heaven And Col. 1.27 Christ is in you the hope of glory Till Christ be in us by faith we can have no hope of glory And Rom. 15.13 The God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in beleeving that ye may abound in hope through the power of the holy Ghost Without faith no hope as faith aboundeth so will hope also O then they that talke much of their hope and yet with Papists hold it presumption to say they are assured that Christ died for them and that their sins are forgiven them will be found in the time of triall to have no true hope in them They that are without Christ have no hope saith the Apostle Ephes. 2.12 Thirdly He that hath true hope cannot choose but think oft of heaven mind heavenly things more then earthly Where the treasure is saith our Saviour Mat. 6.21 there will the heart be also Gods spirit is compared unto fire Mat. 3.11 and will cause the heart it dwelleth in to mount upward and to think oft of heaven Our Saviour in that perfect forme of prayer he hath given us teacheth us we can never pray well unlesse our thoughts be in heaven For he teacheth us to direct our prayers to our father which is in heaven Matth. 6.9 to lift up our hearts to heaven when we pray yea he teacheth us to pray to God that his kingdome may come ver 10 to desire and looke after the glory and happinesse of the kingdome of heaven And these should be our thoughts not only when we pray but at other times also Set your affections saith the Apostle Col. 3.2 3. on things above not on things on the earth for your life is bid with Christ in God He that is perswaded his life happines is in heaven cannot chuse but have his thoughts and affections much set upon the things above Thus the Apostle saith of Abraham Isaac and Iacob Heb. 11.15 16. that they were not mindfull of that countrey from whence they came out but desired a better country that is an heavenly al their mind was of that wherfore God was not ashamed to be called their God because they minded heaven so much for he had prepared them a City Hee then that never speaketh nor heareth nor thinketh of heaven with any delight that feeleth in himselfe no desires nor longings that way but all his thoughts and affections are ever groviling upon the earth certainly hath no true hope in himselfe to go to heaven when he dieth For of them that mind earthly things onely or chiefly the Holy Ghost hath given sentence Phil. 3.19 that their end is destruction they shall never go to heaven Fourthly and lastly He that hath true hope to go to heaven will be carefull to prepare and fit himselfe for it 1. By ridding his heart and hands from every thing that will keepe him out of heaven Every one saith the Apostle 1 Ioh. 3.3 that hath this hope in him purifieth himselfe as he is pure He knoweth no uncleane thing must come there Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord saith David Psal. 24.3 4. and who shall stand in his holy place He and none but he that hath cleane hands and a pure heart who hath not lift up his soule unto vanity nor sworne deceitfully 2. He exerciseth himselfe in those things that may be of most use to him when he comes there Lay up for your selves saith our Saviour Mat. 6.20 treasures in heaven Seeke to be rich there Our Merchants that trade into Turky or Persia or such farre countries count it good husbandry to lay out their moneyes heere before they goe upon such commodities as they know will be of best esteeme and sell best in those countries And so will the wise Christian doe that hopeth to goe to heaven Our trading that we busie our selves in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is for heaven saith the Apostle Phil. 3.20 This is that that our Saviour meaneth Luk. 12.33 Give almes and so provide your selves bâ—ggs that wax not old a treasure in the heavens that faileth not As if he should say that that is so bestowed will prove more to your advantage when you shall come there then all that you keepe by you or lay out otherwise Our works will follow us Rev. 14.13 yea they will be there before us Luk. 16.9 Certainly the hope we have to go to heaven if it be sound will have great force to restraine us from sinne and worke in us a care of a godly life When Paul had spoken at large of the assured hope and longing desire that was in him and all the faithfull of their going to heaven he concludeth thus 2 Cor. 5.9 Therefore we labour that whether present or absent living or dying we may be accepted of him And 2 Pet. 3.14 Wherefore beloved seeing yee looke for such things such happinesse and glory in heaven be diligent that yee may bee found of him in peace without spot and blamelesse Alasse then what hope can most men have to go to heaven when they die that have no care at all to prepare themselves for that place while they live Be not deceived saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 6.9 10. neither fornicatours nor theeves nor covetous persons nor
to the parents Prov. â—8 7 Yea the Lord doth oft impute the sins of the children unto the parents and layeth them to their charge 2 Chron. 22.3 Ahaziah was a wicked man for Athaliah was his mother And the Apostle commandeth that such only should be admitted to the ministery as govern well their own houses keep their children in subjection 1 Tim. 3.4 5. as have faithfull children not accused of ryot or unruly Tit. 1.6 which hee would not have done if parents were not chargable with their childrens sinnes if they were not a chiefe cause of them if it lay not much in their power to prevent the ungraciousnesse of their children Let us all that are parents seriously thinke of this Motive namely how God hath charged us with our childrens soules and consider that it will bee a most heavie reckoning that wee must make unto God for them if any of them shall perish through our default And on the other side it will be a matter of unspeakable comfort to us at that day if we can be able to say of our children unto the Lord as our blessed Saviour speaketh Ioh. 17.12 Those that thou gavest me I have kept and none of them is lost The second motive that concerneth the Lord and his glory is this That the hope of Gods Church and of the propagation of religion unto posterity dependeth principally upon this that parents have care to make their children religious All that feare and love the Lord should unfeinedly desire and endeavour to provide for the continuance of religion and for the deriving of it unto posterity specially that the true Church and religion to God may continue in their owne posterity See a notable example of this care in the two tribes and the halfe that had their possessions given them beyond Iordan Iosh. 2.24 25. We have done it set upon this altar for feare of this thing saying in time to come your children might speake to our children saying what have you to do with the Lord God of Israel So shall your children make our children cease from fearing the Lord. Concerning which you must understand that there is no man doth so much desire to have a posterity and to provide for posterity as the Lord doth And as it is accounted a great honour to a man to have a great posterity Pro. 17.6 Childrens children are the crowne of old men So is this spoken of as a great honour to Christ that he shall have a great posterity Esa. 53.8 Who shall declare his generation And verse 10. When thou shalt make his soule an offering for sinne he shall see his seed And surely this is the meanes whereby the Lord may have a seed and posterity raised and preserved this is the meanes to derive religion unto posterity when Parents are not only religious themselves but are carefull to provide that their children may be so also This is the Seminary of Gods Church This was the cause of that commandement Deut. 4.9 Take heed to thy selfe and keepe thy soule diligently left thou forget the things which thine eyes have seene and lest they depart from thy heart all the daies of thy life but teach them thy sons and thy sons sons This is noted by the Prophet Mal. 2.15 to have beene the cause why the Lord at the first institution of marriage appointed but one woman for one man and did so restraine promiscuous lust that he might seeke a seed of God that is that he might provide for the continuance of his Church And this is made by the Prophet Psalme 22.29 30. one principall end God hath respect unto in converting of us Gentiles unto the Gospell and men of all sorts among us poore and rich that our seed might serve him and might bee accounted unto the Lord for a generation that God might have a posterity and a people to serve him when we are gon So that to conclude the motives if either we respect our children or our own comfort or the glory of God we must be carefull to do our best endeavour that the corruption of nature that we have conveyed into them may be healed and that saving grace may be wrought in their hearts Lecture LIX On Psalme 51.5 May 29. 1627. NOw it followeth that we proceed unto the Meanes that God hath in his Word directed parents to use for the saving of their childrens soules And those are five principally First If we desire to save our children and to heale their natures we must be carefull to maintaine that authority and preheminence that God hath given us over them We must take heed we loose not that honour and reverence that is due to us from our children Certaine it is that by the will of God and even by the law of nature there is an honour and inward reverence of heart due from the child to every parent be the parent never so poore never so full of weaknesses and infirmities You know that in the fift commandement Exod. 20.12 this is made the summe of all the duties the child oweth to his parents Honour thy father and thy mother because this is the chiefe duty of all others yea this is the root and fountaine of all other duties a child can performe If he do not in his heart honour and reverence them he can do no duty to them well A sonne honoureth his father saith the Lord Mal. 1.6 if I be a father where is mine honour And Deut. 27.16 Cursed be he that setteth light by his father or mother It is not sufficient for a child to love his parents but he must also out of this inward reverence and honour he beareth them in his heart stand in awe of them and be afraid to offend them Levit. 19.3 Ye shall feare every man his mother and his father See how fearefull Iacob was to grieve or offend his father though he were an old blind man Gen. 27.12 My father will peradventure feele me and I shall seeme to him as a deceiver and I shall bring a curse upon me and not a blessing And no marvell though this honour and reverence be due to the parent For our parents by being the meanes and instruments of our being are unto us in Gods stead and as his lieftenants have had his power communicated unto them for he onely is properly and absolutely our father and the author of our being Mat. 23.9 And in this respect that which the Apostle speaketh of husbands 1 Cor. 11.7 and so of all superiors may be said of them they beare the image and glory of God In honouring them we honour God in despising them we despise the Lord. Now this authority and preheminence that God hath given us over our children we must be carefull to maintaine we must take heed we loose not this honour and inward reverence that is due unto us from them That which the Lord requireth of a minister towards his slock Tit. 2.15 that he should speake and exhort
law of God and a breach of it For the law of God requireth of us that wee should love the Lord with all our heart and with all our soule and with all our strength and with all our mind Luke 10.27 And so can we not doe if there be in our heart or soules or mind at any time an evill thought or an evill motion Yet the Scripture teacheth us that this concupiscence or corruption of our nature even in the regenerate◠doth not onely swerve from the law of God but that it doth oppose and resist the spirit of God I see saith the Apostle Rom. 7.23 another law in my members warring against the law of my mind and Gal. 5.17 The flesh lusteth against the spirit and these are contrary the one to the other And therefore it must needs be sin For so the Apostle defineth sin 1 Iohn 3.4 Sinne is the transgression of the law 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is the word this is to teach us that every swerving from the Law is sin This was the argument that convinced Pauls conscience Rom 7.7 I had not knowne lust to be a sin except the Law in the tenth commandement had sayd thou shalt not covet And what kind of lust and concupiscence meaneth hee That which we delight in or consent unto No verily for by the light of nature hee might have knowne that to be a sin heathen men have acknowledged that to be sin hee must needs meane that concupiscence those motions unto evill which the heart doth not delight in nor consent unto Wee have heard how directly the Papists oppose the spirit of God in these two points of their Doctrine of Orignall sin and all to advance the nature of man but I will shew you yet a greater abomination in their Doctrine then these two Their third errour is farre worse then the former two For they teach that the corruption of nature that remaineth in the regenerate the concupiscence and evill motions that they have and consent not to but resist are so farre from defiling their good workes that they make them more meritorious before God then otherwise they could bee because they are done notwithstanding such a combat and resistance as they find in themselves against them I will not trouble you with many words in the confutation of so palpable an errour as this Two reasons only I will give you against it First If this should be true then should the obedience and good workes that mortall and fraile and sinfull men men who have while they carry this flesh about them many infirmities and imperfections bee better and deserve to be more acceptable and pleasing unto God then the good workes of such as have had no imperfection no infirmity in them I grant that God doth indeed in the riches of his grace and mercy in Christ accept of our poore services never the worse for this untowardnesse of our corrupt natures that wee are faine to combate and struggle with in the performance of them according to that of the Apostle Hebr. 6.10 God is not unrighteous that hee should forget your worke and labour of love But to say that this corruption and untowardnesse of our nature the evill thoughts and motions of infidelity blasphemy worldlinesse that trouble us in our best duties are no sins doe not at all defile them but make them the better and more meritorious in the sight of God is little better then grosse blasphemy For then should our poore unperfect and maimed obedience bee better and deserve to bee more acceptable unto God not only then Adams was before his fall and then that is which the Saints in heaven doe now yeeld unto God but even then the obedience of Christ himselfe for he found in himselfe no corruption of nature to struggle with nor to hinder him in it as we doe My second reason against this their last errour is this That if the corruption of nature the regenerate are faine to strive withall doth not at all defile their good workes but maketh them the more meritorious before God then certainely would not the choicest of Gods servants that wee read of in the Scripture have beene so humbled for it cryed out and complained of it unto God counted themselves so vile and wretched creatures by reason of it as they did Would David have so complained unto God here and beene humbled for his naturall corruption even more then for his adultery and murder and would hee have so cryed out of himselfe Behold I was borne in iniquitie and in sinne did my mother conceive mee And Iob 40.4 Behold I am vile And Esay the Prophet Esa. 6.5 Woe is mee for I am undone And the Church Esa. 64.6 We are all as an uncleane man and all our righteousnesses are as filthy raggs And the blessed Apostle Rom. 7.24 O wretched man that I am who shall deliver mee from the body of this death As if hee had said this is a death to mee and nothing so much as this Would all the Saints of God I say have so complained of the corruption of nature that was in them though it did not reigne in them though they obeyed it not in the lusts thereof if they had beleeved as the Church of Rome beleeveth If they had esteemed so lightly of it as Papists do If they had thought it had beene no sinne If they had beene perswaded it was so farre from defiling their good workes that it made them the better even more meritorious before God But I have beene too long in this use of confutation which yet I hope hath not beene altogether unusefull and unprofitable unto you Lecture LXII on Psalme 51.5 Iune 26. 1627. THE second use of this Doctrine is to humble us to abate the pride of our hearts and to cause us to thinke basely of our selves This is one maine end the Lord hath respect unto in not perfecting the worke of regeneration in any of his servants in this life but suffering much corruption of nature to remaine still in them even that hee might humble them and keepe them from pride thereby This is plaine in the Apostles case 2 Cor. 12.7 A thorne in the flesh was given him some lust or other stirred in him and put him to paine left hee should bee exalted Hee dealeth with his people in this case now whom hee bringeth into the Kingdome of heaven into the state of grace as hee did with them of old when hee brought them into the land of Canaan the type of the Kingdome of heaven hee driveth not out all these Canaanites that they might bee scourges in our sides and thornes in our eyes to vex and humble us as Ioshuah speaketh Iosh. 23.13 Great force there is in this to humble the heart of a man that hath grace in him to consider how vile his nature is and what aboundance of corruption doth still remaine in him The naturall man indeed is never the humbler for this because hee hath no
spirit of Christ. If any man have not the spirit of Christ saith the Apostle Rom. 8.9 hee is none of his And 1 Iohn 3. 24. hereby wee know hee abideth in us by the spirit which he hath given us And this is the second meanes whereby as I told you Paul said hee was delivered from the body of his death and whereby every one of us must seeke to bee delivered from it and from the accusations of our conscience for it by feeling in our selves the worke of Gods spirit subduing the corruption of our nature keeping it from raigning in us mortifying and killing of it in us Rom. 8.2 This is the way to know wee are in Christ and that by his death and the perfect holinesse of our nature in him wee are fully delivered from the guilt and punishment of it if by his spirit wee bee delivered from the dominion of it Hee will subdue our iniquities saith the prophet Micah 7.19 Where God pardoneth sinne hee subdueth it that it shall not raigne any more If thy corruption bee not mortified in thee but have as much strength and vigour in thee as ever it had certainely it is not pardoned thou art not in Christ. This second meanes of our deliverance though it be not so full and perfect as the former yet is it more sensible unto us and wee may better take notice of it then of the former because wee are agents in it our selves They that are Christs saith the Apostle Galat. 5.24 have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts And Rom. 8.13 If yee through the spirit doe mortifie the deeds of the body yee shall live And 1 Iohn 3.3 Hee that hath this hope in him purifieth himselfe And 2 Cor. 7.1 Let us cleanse our selves from all filthinesse of the flesh and spirit And 1 Pet. 1.22 Yee have purified your soules in obeying the truth through the spirit Wee must cleanse our selves purifie our selves keepe under our corruption that it raigne not in us mortifie and kill it or it will kill and damne us If wee doe not this our selves certainely wee have no part in Christ. Why will you say alas what can we do I answer surely nothing of our selves by nature Rom. 5.6 Yea 2 Cor. 3.5 Nothing till wee bee in Christ. Iohn 15.5 Without me ye can doe nothing Nothing till wee bee acted and led by the spirit of God Wee must through the spirit mortifie the deedes of the body as the Apostle speaketh Rom. 8. â—3 there is no way els to doe it The Popish exercises of mortification consisting in their kind of fastâ—ings and whipping and pilgrimage and wearing of haire cloth next their skin will never worke true mortification in the heart Of them we may say with the Apostle 1 Tim. 48. Bodily exercise profiteth little And Col. 2.23 Though they have a great shew of wisedome and humility and of neglect of the body yet they are of no worth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because they are but will-worship not such exercises of mortification as Gods spirit hath taught us If any man then shall aske what are those meanes and exercises of mortification that Gods spirit hath taught us to use I answer They bee seven principally Lecture LXIIII. On Psalme 51.5 Iuly 17. 1627. FIrst He that desireth to mortifie corruption in himselfe and to keep it from raigning in him must observe and make conscience of the very first stirrings and beginnings of it even in his heart Observe them I say first that so we may know what are the sins we are most inclined unto and then make conscience of them tread upon these eggs of the cockatrice as the Prophet calleth them Esay 59.5 while our heart is hatching of them Keep the heart with all diligence saith the holy Ghost Prov. 4.23 Take heed saith the Apostle Hebr. 3.12 left there bee in any of you an evill heart of unbeliefe to depart from the living God The unbeliefe of the heart the motion and inclination of the heart to depart from God must be taken heed of They that are Christs saith the Apostle Gal. 5.24 have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts The very affections and lusts of the flesh must be crucified This is the way to keep sin from reigning Take heed to your spirit saith the Prophet Mal. 2.15 and let none deale treacherously against the wise of his youth and againe verse 16. Take heed to your spirit that ye deale not treacherously The way for a man to keep himselfe from falling into any actuall sin against God or man is to take heed to his spirit And certainly the man that hath no care to observe his owne evill inclinations and the first workings of corruption in his heart that maketh no conscience of the vanity and wickednesse of his thoughts and affections hath no true desire to mortifie sin in himselfe or to keepe it from reigning in him Secondly He that desireth to mortifie sin in himselfe and to keepe it from reigning must so soone as he spyeth it set himselfe against it as against a mortall enemy that warreth against his soule 1 Pet. 2.11 and be content even to offer violence to himselfe and to his owne nature in it Certainly the corruption of our nature will not be weakened and kept under without putting our selves to much paine without doing violence to our selves This worke of mortification which is the first part of true repentance is compared to the plucking out of our right eye and casting it from us with detestation Matth. 5.29 It is called a sacrificing of our selves Rom. 12.1 And a crucifying of our flesh with the lusts and affections of it Gal. 5.24 All these were most painfull things See this in three particulers First Wee must resist and fight against every corruption wee find not consent not yeeld unto it but maintaine a conflict in our selves against it That I doe I allow not Romans 7.15 The spirit lusteth against the flesh saith the Apostle Galat. 5.17 and thâ—se two bee contrary the one to the other If the spirit bee in us wee shall find him like Iacob in his mothers womb Gen. 25.22 strugling with this Esan And certainly where there is not this resisting of corruption there is no truth of grace and where this conflict is maintained there corruption shall not reigne but will be kept under That which the Apostle saith of Satan himselfe Iam. 4.7 may be also said of this imp of Satan if we can but conscionably resist him we may be sure to overcome him Secondly We must heartily dislike and hate every corruption we discerne in our selves and be angry and displeased with our selves for it What I hate saith Paul Rom. 7.15 that do I. See two notable examples of this holy indignation against themselves The one in Ephraim Ier. 31.19 After I was instructed I smote upon my thigh The other in the Publican Luk. 18.13 who smote himselfe upon his breast As if either of them
should have said ô what a wretch am I that have in me so cursed a nature so apt to offend God Certainly where there is truth of grace the heart will rise against our own corruptions The righteous soule as we see in the example of Lot 2 Pet. 2.8 will vex it selfe even for the sins of others therfore much more for his own And where this anger indignation against sin is nourished there sin cannot reigne That which Solomon saith of a backbiter Pro. 25.23 may be said of our lusts An angry countenance will drive them away They will soon grow out of heart if they be not much made of Thirdly and lastly We must be unfeignedly sorry and grieved in our selves for our corruption Even our spirituall poverty the consideration of this that in us that is in our flesh dwelleth no good thing Rom. 7.18 but an utter unaptnesse and untowardnesse to that that is good should be a just cause of mourning unto us upon poverty of spirit followeth mourning Mat. 5.3 4. how much more these strong inclinations we find continually in our selves unto that that is evill And even this grieving for our sins hath great force to weaken the strength of sin and to mortifie it in us By the sadnesse of the countenance saith the Holy Ghost Eccle. 7.3 the heart is made better And 2 Cor. 7.10 Godly sorrow worketh repentance unto salvation not to be repented of Certainely if we could thus resist our lusts and be displeased and mourne heartily for them our corruptions would not be so strong in us as they are On the other side how can it be avoided but they must needs grow headstrong in us and carry us whither they list when we are so farre from killing and crucifying them that we cannot abide to be at any trouble with them at all to put our selves to any paine for the subduing of them we never set our selves in opposition unto them nor are vexed or grieved in our selves for them but make them our best playfellowes and as Zophar speaketh Iob 20.12 13. wickednesse is sweet in our mouth wee hide it under our tongue we spare it and forsake it not Thirdly He that desireth to mortifie the corruption of his nature and keepe it from reigning in him must carefully shun all occasions and provocations unto it and be content to weane and abridge himselfe of all such things as he findeth do feed and increase it though the things be in themselves never so lawfull We must lay aside saith the Apostle Heb. 12.1 not onely every sinne that hindreth us in our spirituall race but every weight also every clogg though it be no sin The overmuch liberty that men have given to themselves in such things as are in their owne nature lawfull hath marvellously strengthened and increased the naturall corruption of their hearts and made it out of measure sinfull Looke into the description that our Saviour maketh Luk. 17.27 28. of the behaviour of the old world and of Sodom at those very times when Gods vengeance fell upon them What were they doing then They did eate and drinke saith our Saviour and marry and buy and sell and plant and build Why what hurt was there in all this Were not all these things most lawfull for them to do Ye◠verily But by overu-sing of these lawfull things and setting their hearts upon them they choaked all grace and care of heavenly things they fed and increased the pride and covetousnesse and cruelty and lust of their evill hearts and so drowned themselves in perdition All things are lawfull saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 6.12 but all things are not profitable And a Christian must have respect to this whether the thing that he useth be profitable for him and will doe him good as well as to that whether it be lawfull or no. When the Apostle Peter exhorteth the faithfull to take heed of their adversary the divell that he prevaile not over them nor overcome them 1 Pet. 5.8 he bids them be sober and watch The same may be said to them that desire to be preserved from the power of their owne corruptions and to overcome it they must not take too much of these outward comforts not more then will do them good not so much as will overcome them See the necessity of this in two particulars First To keepe company and to refresh and make our selves merry by eating and drinking liberally and using of recreations as shooting or bowling or hawking or hunting is in it selfe a thing very lawfull It is spoken of as blessing of God upon his people in Solomons time 1 King 4.20 that they did eate and drinke and make merry together But a man may easily surfet of this and take more then will doe him good as they did Amos 6.5 6. who by their drinking together their recreation and their mirth were made unsensible of the afflictions of Ioseph Nay it is not possible but the corruption of the heart must needs grow and increase in the best man that is if he keepe not a measure in these things When Solomon himselfe as strong a man as he was gave himselfe too much liberty this way that Whatsoever his eyes desired he kept not from them as he saith Eccle. 2.10 he withheld not his heart from any joy he corrupted himselfe fearefully And certainly of those men whereof the world now is full that give their nature the full swing in these matters of delight that are never well but when they are in the ale-house and in good company as they call it never well but when they are at one sport or other make every day a festivall day as Dives did Luk. 16.19 as if they had no other calling or were borne for nothing els of such men we may be bold to say there is no mortification in them no care at all to subdue the corruption of their nature such men care not how strong it grow how much it increase in them A Christian therefore is bound in the use of these things to enquire whether he be made the better or the worse by them and to say as Eccl. 2.2 I said of mirth what dost thou To use them with feare lest he should take hurt by them Iude 12. And when a man findeth that his weaknesse is such that he cannot use recreations nor keepe company as he hath done but he is made the worse by it apt to exceed and be overcome more unapt to the service of God and the duties of his calling he is bound in conscience to abstaine and weane himselfe from them The Apostle give thus in his own example two notable rules for this The first is 1 Cor. 6.12 All things are lawfull for me but I will not be brought under the power of any thing The other is in 1 Cor. 8.13 If meat make my brother to offend I will never eat flesh while the world standeth lest I make my brother to offend And much more
in the history of the Gospel of sundry that came to Christ for helpe in their bodily diseases and infirmities and had wonderfull cures done upon them And concerning these cures three things are to bee observed 1. That there were none that came to Christ whatsoever their disease or infirmity was but he cured them all Matth. 12.15 Great multitudes followed him and he healed them all 2. That the cure that was done upon them and the helpe they received from Christ is still ascribed to nothing else but to their faith They did pray and cry to Christ for helpe but the helpe they received is ascribed to their faith and nothing else They came to Christ in full affiance and confidence of heart that they should receive helpe from him in these particular infirmities that troubled them and that was it that drew vertue from him to cure them This you shall see in the poore woman that had the issue of bloud Matth. 9.21 Shee said within her selfe if I may but touch his garment I shall bee whole And to this our Saviour ascribeth the cure that was done upon her verse â—2 Daughter bee of good comfort thy faith hath made thee whole and she was made whole from that houre So saith hee likewise to blind Bartimeus Marke 10.52 Goe thy way thy faith hath made thee whole And to the Leper Luk. 17.19 Arise go thy way thy faith hath made thee whole 3. That our Saviour requireth nothing else of any of them that came to him to be cured of any infirmity but only this that they would beleeve and rest confident in this that they should certainely receive helpe from him When the poore man came to him for his son that had been possessed with a divill from his childhood this is all that Christ saith to him Marke 9.23 If thou canst beleeve all things are possible to him that beleeveth So saith he to Iarius when his daughter was dead and all men counted it folly in him to seeke to Christ for any helpe then Marke 5.36 Be not afraid onely beleeve Where this faith was the cure was alwayes made where this was wanting no good could be done Acts 14.9 10. When Paul the servant of Christ stedfastly beholding the creeple perceived that he had â—aith to be healed he cured him presently Whereas of our blessed Saviour himselfe it is said Mar. 6.5 6. He could do no mighty worke at Nazareth because of their unbeliefe But to what purpose will you say are these cures that men received from Christ in all their bodily infirmities alleaged in this case that we have now in hand Surely to teach us to take the same course for the healing of our soules that they did take for the curing of their bodies Thou complainest of the blindnesse and ignorance of thy soule doe as blind Bartimeus did Marke 10.47 Thou feelest many foule issues and fountaines of sin in thy soule of blasphemy pride hypocrisie wrathfulnesse uncleannesse worldlinesse c. Wouldest thou bee cured of them Doe as that poore woman did that had the issue of blood twelve yeares and had spent all that shee had to get helpe and was never the neerer Mar. 5.25.27 Thou hast a spirit of infirmity in thee that maketh thee unable to doe anything that is good or to lift up thy heart to God doe as that poore woman did Luke 13.11 that had a spirit of infirmitie eighteene yeares and was bowed together and could in no wise lift up her selfe Goe thou to Christ for helpe as they did and goe in the same manner as they did in in faith with full assurance of heart to receive helpe from him and thou shalt be sure to receive as much help from him for thy spirituall infirmities as they did for their corporall Foure reasons and grounds of faith I will give you for this First Christ is as able to heale our soules as our bodies When the two blind men came to Christ for helpe Matth. 9.27 28. before hee would helpe them he asketh them this question Beleeve yee that I am able to doe this This perswasion of the power of Christ is necessary also in all them that would receive helpe of him for their soules We must bee confident in this that hee is able to heale our soules of all their diseases how great soever they bee Hee is full of grace and truth Iohn 1.14 In him saith the Apostle Col. 2.9 dwelleth the fulnesse of the Godhead bodily And as in respect of this all-sufficiency that was in him â—all bodily diseases were alike to him hee could as easily cure a leper Luke 17.14 or one that was lunaticke Matth. 4 24. or one that was borne blind Iohn 9.32 as one that had but an ague Matth. 8.14 15. So is hee as easily able as to pardon the greatest sinnes as well as the smallest so to heale the greatest of our corruptions as the smallest and to give us strength against these sinnes that wee have the strongest tentations unto as against any other Greater is hee that is in you saith the Apostle 1 Iohn 4.4 then he that is in the world Secondly Christ is as willing to yeeld helpe to his people in their spirituall diseases as ever hee was in their corporall Nay hee is more affected with compassion and commiseration towards us in the one then in the other For hee knoweth they make us much more miserable then any bodily disease can doe and misery being the proper object of mercy and compassion when hee seeth most misery hee must needs have most compassion When hee saw the multitudes like sheepe having no shepheard to take care for their soules it is said Matth. 9.36 hee was moved with compassion on them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his bowells even yearned with griefe and compassion towards them As a father pitieth his children saith the Prophet Psal. 103.13 14. so the Lord pitieth them that feare him for hee knoweth our frame hee remembreth that wee are dust So the Apostle saith Hebr. 4.15 that hee is touched with the feeling of our infirmimities Hee knoweth what our nature is and hee knoweth what the tentations are we are subject unto and pitieth our case for this more then ever hee did any man for his bodily diseases And he will therefore be more ready to yeeld us helpe in this case then he was then And so saith the Prophet Mic. 7.19 He will have compassion upon us he will subdue our iniquities Thirdly This was the speciall work that he came into the world for even to heale our soules All the cures he did upon the bodies of men when he was upon the earth were done of purpose to teach men to seeke to him for the cure of their soules that hee was the person by whom only their soules were to bee healed Therefore the Evangelist when he had spoken of the miraculous cures Christ had wrought Matth. 8.16 he addeth verse 17. that all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was
spoken by Esaias the Prophet saying himselfe tooke our infirmities and bare our sicknesses he meaneth our sins the infirmities and sicknesses of our soules When the name Iesus is given to him the reason is said to be this Matth. 1.21 Because he shall save his people from their sinnes And that not onely by procuring pardon for them by justifying and delivering them from the guilt and punishment of them but also by sanctifying them and healing their natures by killing sin in them All Christians will be ready to acknowledge and magnifie the all-sufficiency of Christ for procuring pardon at Gods hands for their sins and are apt to run to him for ease and comfort when their consciences are oppressed with the burden of them but few or none will run to Christ for strength against their corruptions for helpe in their spirituall combate and wrestling with them whereas he came into the world to yeeld us helpe that way as well as the other to sanctifie us as well as to justifie us to deliver us from the power of sinne as well as from the guilt and punishment of it For this purpose saith the Apostle 1 Ioh. 3.8 was the sonne of God manifested that he might destroy the workes of the divell that he might destroy sin And he is made to us of God saith Paul 1 Cor. 1.30 not onely wisdome and righteousnesse but sanctification also and redemption He gave himselfe for us Tit. 2.14 that he might redeeme us from all iniquity And how are we redeemed from it if it still be suffered to reigne and domineere in us and purifie to himselfe a peculiar people zealous of good workes Fourthly and lastly We have his expresse promise whereby he hath bound himselfe to yeeld us helpe that come to him for the healing of our soules and for strength against our corruptions which we do not read that any of them had that came to him for cure of their bodily infirmities Indeed the spirit of God did extraordinarily worke in them a full assurance that they should receive help from him For els Christ would never have said they had faith but an expresse promise of God which the Apostle calleth the word of faith Rom. 10.8 they had none as we have Why but will you say hath every member of Christ any such promise from God that no sin shall reigne in him That he shall have strength given him to master any head-strong and unruly lust that troubleth him if he will seeke to Christ for it I answer Yes verily hee hath the expresse promise of God and that not onely in particular against some speciall corruptions but also in generall against all Foure speciall corruptions there are that Gods people use much to complaine of for which we have the Lords promise in particular that we shall have helpe against them First Ignorance blindnesse and blockishnesse of minde that we cannot learne or carry away any thing no not from the best meanes Many good soules say that of themselves which Paul speaketh of bad ones 2 Tim. 3.7 I am ever learning and can never come to the knowledge of the truth But see what a promise we have against this Esa. 35.5 In Christs kingdome the eyes of the blind shall be opened and the eares of the deafe shall be unstopped 2 Cor. 3.16 When the heart shall turne to the Lord the evill shall be taken away And thus our Saviour expresly speaketh Ioh. 9.39 I am come into the world that they that see not might see And 12.46 I am come a light into the world that whosoever beleeveth in me should not abide in darknesse Secondly Hardnesse of heart is another great corruption that Gods people much complaine of they cannot repent nor mourne for sin nor be affected with Gods judgements there is a feared thick skin upon their hearts they are so brawny and hard See also what a promise we have from God for helpe against this Deut. 30.6 The Lord thy God will circumcise thy heart and take away this thick skin from it And Ezek 36.26 I will take away the stony heart out of you and give you an heart of flesh And Acts 5.31 God hath exalted Christ to be a Prince and a Saviour to give repentance unto Israel and forgivenesse of sinnes Christ will give thee grace to repent as well as forgivenesse of sins Thirdly O but saith many a good soule I thinke no body in the world hath so profane a heart I cannot feare nor stand in that reverent awe of God that I should but have oft most blasphemous thoughts rising in me against his Majesty his providence his Word c. Have I any promise of helpe against this Yes verily Ier. 32.39 I will give them a heart that they may feare me for ever And verse 40. I will put my feare into their hearts Fourthly O but I am so unconstant saith many a Christian in every thing that is good that I feare much there is no truth of grace in me I have by fits good motions and desires and can performe good duties with some comfort but all my goodnesse is like the morning dew as the Prophet complaineth of hypocrites Hos. 6.4 Have I any promise for helpe against this Yes indeed hast thou Hos. 14.4 I will heale their backeslidings Fiftly and lastly Whatsoever other sin and corruption any child of God can be troubled withall be it pride or worldlinesse or uncleannesse or frowardnesse or any other whatsoever he hath promise through Christ to receive helpe and strength against it Ezek. 36.25 I will poure cleane water upon you and ye shall be cleane from all your filthinesse and from all your Idols I will cleanse you And lest that should be understood onely of that washing we have by the blood of Christ in our justification he addeth verse 26. A new heart also will I give you and a new spirit will I put within you And Mal. 4.2 Vnto you that feare my name shall the sun of righteousnesse arise with healing in his wings When the sun of righteousnesse doth arise in our hearts he shall heale our nature and dry up the issues of corruption that are in it And so speaketh the Apostle Peter Acts 3.26 God hath sent his sonne to blesse you in turning away every one of you from your iniquities Christ will turne every one from his iniquities whom he is sent of God to be a Saviour unto Many more such promises I might alledge whereby God hath bound himselfe to sanctifie all such as are in Christ and to purge them from all their sins yea to strengthen them against the strongest of all their corruptions and tentations also that they can be subject unto as Ier. 33.6 2 Pet. 1.3 4. Mat. 5.6 Act. 26.18 Rom. 16.20 To conclude therfore If Christ be 1 as able now to heale our soules of all their diseases as he was to cure all corporall infirmity when he was upon earth 2 If he be as willing to
that ever they desired that ever it came into their thought to doe us any hurt Shall wee impute this to any goodnesse of nature that is in them No no this is to be ascribed to the powerfull restraining grace of that God who made this promise to his servants that were compassed about with most wicked people on every side Exod. 34.24 No man shall desire thy land when thou shalt go up to appeare before the Lord thy God thrice in a yeere Secondly Whereas we know there be many lewd men amongst us not Papists onely but others to whom we are an extreame eye-sore that do with all their hearts desire to do us a mischiefe and have even in their words oft bewraied as much Of whom we may say with David Psal. 57.4 My soule is among lions and I lie even among them that are set on fire How commeth it to passe that they have yet done us no hurt nor so much as attempted any thing against us Surely that God that restrained Laban from hurting Iacob though hee had pursued him sixe dayes journey with a great power and full purpose to bee revenged on him and continued in this purpose till the very night before hee overtooke him as you shall find Gen. 31.23.29 that God I say is he that hath kept all these lewd men from doing us that hurt that they have desired and purposed to doe Hee that when the Sunne ariseth Psal. 104.22 23. maketh the Lyons to gather themselves together and lay them downe in their dens that man may goe forth to his worke and to his labour untill the evening Hee that shut the mouthes of the Lyons from hurting Daniel 6.22 doth curbe and muzzle these men from hurting us and let him have the glory of all that safety wee live in Thirdly and lastly Whereas every wicked man doth naturally hate us according to that sentence of God Genes 3.15 I will put enmity betweene thee and the woman and betweene thy seed and her seed How commeth it to passe that many wicked men we live by are not onely harmelesse and void of malice towards us but neighbourly and courteous and kind unto us Surely of this wee may say as the Prophet doth in another case Psalme 118.23 This is the Lords doing and it should seeme marvellous in our eyes Hee that made Esau run to meet Iacob and to embrace him and fall on his necke and kisse him Gen. 23 4. Hee that gave his people such favour in the sight of the Egyptians Exod. 11.3 that they thought nothing too good for them is the only cause of all this And certainely if the Lord should not thus restraine wicked men if hee should set their hearts at liberty and let loose all that wickednesse that is in them wee might with much more safety live among Lyons and Beares then among them When our Saviour had told his disciples Matth. 10.16 Behold I send you forth as sheepe into the midst of wolves hee addeth presently verse 17. but beware of men As if he had said What speake I of wolves you have more cause to feare danger from men then from wolves or from any other creature whatsoever Let us therefore beloved 1. Among other mercies of God take notice of this and bee thankefull for it that in so wicked a world wee live in such peace and safety as wee doe 2. Let us in these dangerous times wherein wee see cause of so great feare on every side by reason of the multitude and cruelty and strength of our enemies both at home and abroad learne to secure and quiet our hearts in the providence of this mighty God that can thus command and rule the hearts of the vilest men upon earth yea though they were the mightiest Princes that can turne them whether soever he will as Solomon speaketh Prov. 21.1 Let us seriously meditate of that which the Prophet speaketh Psal. 76.10 Surely the rage of man shall turne to thy praise the remnant of the rage thou wilt restraine 1. God can and will in his time restraine the remnant of the rage that the bloudy enemies of his Gospel are apt to shew still against his people 2. And surely the rage that they have already shewed shall in the end tend to his praise or else it should not have proceeded so farre as it hath done That wee may bee able thus to quiet and secure our hearts in the providence of this mighty God 1. Let us never give our selves rest till wee be able through a lively faith to say with Gods people Psal. 48.14 This God is our God for ever and ever he will be our guide and shepheard even unto death 2. Let us live in his feare and labour to please him in all our wayes For when a mans wayes please the Lord as the holy Ghost saith Prov. 16.7 hee maketh even his enemies to bee at peace with him Then may wee bee secure and void of feare though the times were much worse and our enemies many more and stronger then they are then may we say as David doth when his heart was made glad with the light of Gods countenance Psal 4.8 I will both lay me downe in peace and sleepe also for thou Lord only makest mee to dwell in safety And so much shall suffice to bee spoken of the benefit wee receive by the worke of Gods restraining grace in the hearts of other men But yet in the worke of Gods restraining grace in our owne selves we have much more cause to admire the goodnes of God towards us By the former he hath provided for our outward security and safety in the world but by this hee doth procure and maintain the inward peace tranquilitie of our consciences For seeing as wee have heard wee are all of us by nature as bad as any other Wee are all by nature the children of wrath even as others as the Apostle speaketh Ephes. 2.3 Wee have all of us still even after our regeneration the whole body of sin not one member of it wanting in us the seeds of all sins as appeareth plainly by that complaint of the Apostle Rom. 7 24. Who shall deliver me from the body of this death How commeth it to passe that wee are not in our lives as well as in our natures as bad as any others Surely the Lord by his restraining grace suffereth not all the corruption that is in our nature to breake forth in us as hee said to Abimelech Genesis 20.6 so may hee-say to every one of us I have kept thee that thou shouldst not sin against mee in these and these kinds Why but will you say this is true indeed of heathens and naturall men they are kept from sin by restraining grace but there is more in us that are regenerate then so we have sanctifying grace also I answere This is true and of that I shall speake in the next place but yet the best of Gods servants are much bound to him also
please him that there was no commandement of God so hard so contrary to reason but he made conscience to obey it When God said unto him get thee out of thy countrey and from thy kindred and from thy fathers house unto a land that I will shew thee Gen. 12.1 he durst not breake or neglect such a commandement as this Nay when God bad him goe and sacrifice his owne sonne Gen. 22.1 2. He durst not neglect such a commandement as that was But stood hee alwaies in this estate In this feare to offend God and care to please him No verily for you shall find this resolute man at another time dissembling and concealing for feare that Sarah was his wife and calling her his sister Genesis 12.13 Yea you shall find him slipping againe into that very sinne after he had doubtlesse repented of it Gen. 20.2 2. You shall heare David professing sometimes a strong and firme resolution that way Psal. 26.11 As for mee I will walke in mine integrity And Psal. 119.106 I have sworne and I will performe it that I will keepe thy righteous judgements But for all this we know what slips he had at other times yea what fearfull falls he took also By many more examples it might be made evident that in the holiest of Gods servants there hath beene much variablenesse and shew of changing and falling in all these three degrees In many things they have sinned all as the Apostle speaketh Iames 3.2 they have slipped oft and fallen also fearefully And you wil easily conceive it cannot be otherwise if you remember what you heard the last day 1 What a world they live in 2 What a kind of enemy Satan is 3 What a deale of corruption remained in the nature of the best of them still after their regeneration But you will say the Lord is able to uphold and keepe his servants from falling or slipping notwithstanding all this I answer It is true he can doe it and would also certainly do it if he did not see it were for his owne glory and for our good also for these two are inseparably coupled together to let go his hold sometimes in part and to leave us to our selves and so to let us take these slips and falls now and then The Lord doth saith Solomon Pro. 16.4 all things and consequently this for himselfe and his owne glory And all things and consequently this are for your sakes saith the Apostle 2 Cor. 4.15 How is God glorified hereby will you say I answer 1. He glorifieth his justice hereby and sheweth he cannot abide sinne but must needs correct it in them that he loveth best of all When good Hezekiah waxed cold in his thankfullnesse to God for his great deliverance and his heart began to be lifted up 2 Chron. 32.25 it is said verse 31. God left him a while and let him slip So when the Church grew secure and lazie and neglected her watch her well-beloved to correct her for this withdrew himselfe for a time Cant. 5.2 6. 2. God glorifieth his mighty power in this by making such weake wretches as we oft shew our selves to be able to hold out to the end and stand against such adversaries as we have Gods power is made that is declared to be perfect through our weaknesse as the Apostle speaketh 2 Cor. 12.9.3 God glorifieth his goodnesse and mercy in continuing so constant in his love to such unconstant ones as we are When the Apostle had said Romanes 5.6 When we were yet without strength in due time Christ died for the ungodly He addeth and inferreth ver 8. God commendeth his love towards us in this But how should it be possible that this should be for our good to be left thus to our selves I answer 1. Hereby we are taught not to trust in our selves but to the Lord alone to depend wholly upon him for our eternall salvation According to that of the Apostle 2 Cor. 1.9 We had the sentence of death in our selues that we should not trust in our selves but in God which raiseth the dead 2. To keepe us from pride As we see in the case of the blessed Apostle 2 Cor. 12.7 Tho whom lest he should be exalted above measure through the abundance of revelations there was given to him a thorne in the flesh the messenger of Sathan to buffet him Yet might all this speech may some say that hath beene used touching the slips and falls of holy men have well beene spared for many a carnall man will be ready to snatch at these examples and say Well I see then I may bee Gods child though I slip and fall now and then into the same sinnes I have repented of though I be oft drunken and wanton and sweare and lie and beguile my neighbour c. For the best men have had their slips and falls too To these I answer First That this is very true and cannot be avoided Lewd and ungodly men will be apt to stumble at this and to wrest it as they doe also the other Scriptures unto their owne destruction as the Apostle saith 2 Pet. 3.16 But then I answer Secondly That this is the childrens bread and belongeth not to dogs as our Saviour speaketh Matth. 15.26 This is written not for the encouragement of senslesse and secure worldlings but for the comfort of poore sinners that are humbled in sense of their often failings and dangerous falls they are apt to take To them I may say as the Apostle speaketh in another case 1 Cor. 9.10 This is altogether for your sakes for your sakes no doubt it is written And it were better that reprobates should stumble and breake their necks at these examples then that they should not have beene recorded in the Word for the comfort of the humbled soule Thirdly and lastly The carnall man hath indeed no cause of incouragement from these examples at all For though the godly have had and have daily their slips and falls yet their falls are not like the falls of wicked men but to them it may be said as Deut. 32.5 Their spot is not the spot of his children There are many broad differences betweene them as you shall heare in the second preservative which the Scripture giveth us against this first tentation and that is this Secondly That in none of these slips and falls thou complainest of thou didst ever fall desperately In the greatest falls that ever any of the Elect have taken the spirit of God did never wholly depart from them but even when they have lost the feeling and comfort of it when they could discerne no operation or working of it in themselves yet even then have they had the root and seed and habit of grace remaining in them First If they could but diligently examine themselves and search for it they might find in themselves some truth of grace remaining in them even when they are at the worst if
driveth him to despaire in himselfe and to seeke helpe in Christ Yet in the Gospell Christ requireth nothing of the faithfull that is impossible for them to do His yoke is easie and his burden light as he saith Mat. 11.30 Secondly The faithfull may be in this life certaine of their salvation They may be sure of their justification Surely shall one say it is the promise made to the faithfull that should live in the daies of the Gospell Esa. 45.24 in the Lord have I righteousnesse They may be sure of their adoption Doubtlesse thou art our father say the faithfull Esa. 63.16 though Abraham be ignorant of us They may be sure of their perseverance in Gods favour unto the end Surely saith David Psal. 23.6 goodnesse and mercy shall follow me all the daies of my life They may be sure that after this life they shall inherit eternall glory We know saith Paul 2 Cor. 5.1 not speaking in his own person but in the person of all the faithfull that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved we have a building of God an house not made with hands eternall in the heavens And we know saith Iohn 1 Ioh. 3.14 we are translated from death to life How knew he that By revelation No but by such an evidence as is common to all the faithfull Because we love the brethren saith he Now there could be no such assurance of their salvation in any of the faithfull if they knew not undoubtedly that their hearts were upright that they have truth of grace in them How could any conclude thus to the comfort of his soule I know I am translated from death to life because I love the brethren if he could not certainely know that he doth love the brethren and that in truth and sincerity and not in shew onely Hereby we know saith he 1 Ioh. 4.13 that we dwell in him and he in us because he hath given us of his spirit The spirit of sanctification and the truth of grace wrought in us thereby is the only thing that can assure us that we have any communion with God or are in his favour Thirdly and lastly That it is possible for us to know certainly that our hearts are upright is evident by the experience of Gods faithfull servants whose examples are recorded in the word for our comfort and incouragement We have a proverbiall speech probatum est Iob knew that his heart was upright or he would not have said as he did Iob 27.5 God forbid that I should justifie you till I die I will not remove mine integrity from me As if he should say I will die rather then beleeve you that would perswade me I am an hypocrite And 12.4 The just upright man is laughed to scorne And 16.17 19. There is not any injustice in my hands also my prayer is pure O earth cover thou not my bloud and let my cry have no place Also now behold my witnesse is in heaven and my record is on high Yea the poore soule had then beene in a most wofull case if he had not beene so certaine of the uprightnesse of his heart as that all those learned and worthy men could not make him to doubt of it David likewise was certaine of the uprightnesse of his heart or he durst never have said as he did Psal. 26.1 2. Iudge me O Lord for I have walked in mine integrity examine me ô Lord and prove me try my reines and my heart Hezekiah even in the time of his great affliction knew assuredly and was able to call God for a witnesse to his conscience Esa. 38.3 that he had walked before God in truth and with a perfect heart Yea Peter even then when he was so exceedingly dejected in himselfe for his fearefull fall knew so assuredly that his heart was upright that he did unfeignedly love Christ above all things in the world as that he durst confidently avouch it unto Christ himselfe and was grieved that Christ should question that the third time Lord saith he Iohn 21.17 thou knowest all things thou knowest that I love thee And to conclude the Apostle Iohn speaking in the name not of himselfe onely or of some rare and extraordinary persons saith 1 Iohn 5.19 We know that we are of God that is borne of God truly regenerate as appeareth by the former verse Thus you see there is no such impossibility no such difficulty in the matter but we may know and be certaine whether our hearts be upright or no. True it is the best Christian that is may be at some times doubtfull and uncertaine in this point unable to discerne that there is truth of grace in him If he could rightly examine his owne heart and waies he might find it out But he is not at all times in case to examine himselfe thus The best are subject 1 to spirituall desertion sometimes through their owne sloth and negligence as the Church was Cant. 3.1 and 5.6 2 To such tentations and sorrowes as doe even overwhelme their spirits Psal. 142.3 In such a case it is good 1 to call to mind the times that are past and the evidence thou hast formerly had of the uprightnesse of thy heart Psal. 77.5 6. 2 Even then cast not away thy confidence but having lost thine evidence seek and sue and cry to God for a new copy of it as David did even in that case Psal. 77. ◠3 Vse the helpe of some faithfull and experienced Christian who in this case may be better able to judge of thee then thou art thy selfe And that is the second Motive that may perswade us to examine our selves diligently in this point The third and last is taken from the benefit and comfort we shall receive in this when by diligent triall and examination of our selves wee can find that there is truth of grace in us that our hearts are sound and upright with God O the comfort that this will yeeld us will abundantly recompence all the paines wee can take about it This will appeare to be so in two points First This will make every duty every service we doe to God sweet and comfortable to us when we can know we have performed it in truth and uprightnesse of heart This motive the Apostle giveth us Gal. 6 4. Let every man prove his owne worke and then shall he have rejoycing in himselfe alone and not in another When the people in Davids time contributed largely towards the building of the Temple it is said they rejoyced and found great comfort and the reason is given 1 Chron. 19 9. because they did it with a perfect and upright heart So when all Iudah in Asa his time renewed their covenant and bound themselves by solemne oath to cleave unto the Lord and to the purity of his religion and worship it is said 2 Chron 15.15 they rejoyced at the oath and the reason is given because they had sworne with all their heart So Paul professeth of
that loveth the Lord is a good man a sound elect Christian an upright hearted man Let them that love thy name all good men all sound hearted men saith David Psal. 5.11 be joyfull in thee So Psal. 119.132 Looke thou upon me and be mercifull unto me as thou usest to doe to those that love thy name If any man love God saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 8.3 the same is knowne of him As if he had said Whatsoever men may thinke of such howsoever men may account many of such to be no better then hypocrites yea howsoever they may oft times thinke so of themselves also yet God approveth and highly esteemeth of them Secondly All Gods promises are appropriated unto such as love the Lord and therfore all such must needs be upright in heart See this first in heavenly and eternall blessings Iames 1.12 He shall receive the crowne of liâ—â— which the Lord hath promised to them that love him and 2.5 Hath not God chosen the poore of this world rich in faith and heires of the kingdome which hee hath promised to them that love him All that love the Lord shall goe to heaven and none but they See this secondly in spirituall blessings All the comforts of the Gospell righteousnesse peace and joy in the Holy Ghost the fatnesse of Gods house comfort in the Word and Sacraments are promised to them that love the Lord and to none but them 1 Cor. 2.9 Eye hath not seene eare hath not heard neither have entred into the heart of man the things which God hath prepared for them that love him See this thirdly in temporall blessings Because he hath set his love upon me saith the Lord Psal. 91.14 therefore will I deliver him Rom. 8.28 We know that all things worke together for the good of such as love God They that love God may be sure to be made the better by their prosperity and by their adversity by their sicknesse and by their health everything that befalleth them shall be sanctified unto them and to none but such And on the other side he that loveth not the Lord hath no right to any blessing of God no promise of God belongeth unto him but a certaine looking for of judgement and fiery indignation which shall devoure the adversaries as the Apostle speaketh Heb. 10.27 If any man love not the Lord Iesus saith the Apostle 1 Corinthians 16.22 let him bee Anathema Maranatha as if hee had said let him bee accursed even unto the comming of Christ to judgement Thirdly and lastly See this confirmed by a practicall experiment When Peter was so dejected in the sense of his fearefull sinne that hee thought himselfe unworthy ever to be imployed or to meddle any more in the worke of his Apostleship and ministery see how and by what argument our Saviour seeketh to raise him and comfort him Iohn 21.15 Simon thou sonne of Ionas lovest thou me As if he had said If this bee in thee be of good comfort thou art not quite fallen from God thy heart is upright for all thy fall And thus may we comfort any poore Christian in their greatest distresse of Conscience You see then that that we doe out of true love to God will give us a comfortable testimony that our hearts are upright so will not that doe that is done meerely out of such a feare of Gods wrath as hath no mixture of love in it See an instance for this in those false hearted Iewes that perished in the wildernesse as wee shall find it set downe Psal. 78.34 36 37. When he slew them sometimes by fiery serpents sometimes by strange pestilence and other judgements then they sought him and returned and enquired early after God They made great shewes of repentance great protestations of amendment as you have knowne many lewd men in extreame sicknesses doe But what came all these shewes unto That you shall find verse 36 37. They did but flatter him with their mouth and they lied to him with their tongues for their hearts were not right with him There is no truth of heart in those shewes of repentance and goodnesse that are extorted from us onely by the judgements of God and sense of his wrath that grow out of that feare that hath no mixture of love in it Now let us make some application of this that we have heard And seeing whatsoever good thing we doe out of love to God is pleasing to him and nothing els if we truly love the Lord our hearts are upright if the love of God be not in us there is no truth in our hearts but we shall be sure to have our portion with hypocrites Let us therefore try our owne hearts by this note Let us every one of us seriously bethinke our selves if the Lord should speake to every one of us particularly and by name and aske us that question that he did Peter Iohn 21.15 Simon thou sonne of Ionas lovest thou me what answer wee would be able to make unto him Certainely your answer to this question would be very indifferent Some of you that have no love of God in you at all but hate him in your hearts would be ready to answer him most confidently and some others of you that doe indeed intirely and unfeignedly love him would make a very doubtfull and fearefull answer unto this question Let mee direct my speech to you both severally and apart For the first of you I know you will be ready to say Is there any man so ungracious so lewd that he doth not love the Lord that he doth hate the Lord Yes yes alas there be many such in the world and in the Church too They hate the Lord not as he is their Creatour and preserver for in those respects they will seeme to love him but as he is a law-giver and hath given them such lawes as do curbe them and are most crosse and contrary to their nature as he is their Soveraigne Lord and King that requireth obedience of them unto those lawes as he is God the avenger as the Prophet calleth him Psal. 94.1 that will take vengeance of them for their sinnes in these respects they hate him His Citizens hated him saith our Saviour in the Parable Luke 19.14 we will not have him to reigne over us Yea they hate him with a mortall hatred Their soule abhorred me saith the Lord Zach. 11.8 and wish with all their hearts as to their most mortall enemy a fearefull thing to be spoken or thought that he had no being that he were quite rid out of the world Many such wretches I say there be in the world and even in the Church too and if thou knewest thy selfe well thou wouldst find thy selfe to be of that wretched number But though thou knowest not thy selfe the Lord knoweth thee well and will one day say to thee as he said to a great number that were members of the true Church as thou art professours of the true religion as thou
him and cry to him that is the God of love 2 Cor. 13.11 that by that blessed spirit of his which is the spirit of love 2 Tim. 1.7 hee would give thee an heart to love him And if thou canst seeke to him this way thou hast no cause to despaire For he that commandeth us Matth. 5.44 45. Love your enemies blesse them that curse you c. will doubtlesse love thee if in truth of heart thou desire to love him Lecture LXXIX On Psalme 51.6 Ianuary 29. 1627. NOw it followeth that we proceed unto the second part of this application and so unto the second grace whereof the right root of all true righteousnesse and goodnesse doth consist namely a lively faith I told you the last day that if God should move to every one of you particularly that that was moved unto Peter Iohn 21.15 as who knoweth how soone it may be moved to us either by the Lord himselfe when he shall wrestle with us as he did with Iacob Gen. â—2 or by Satan our adversary there is many a one among you that doe unfeignedly love the Lord would make a very doubtfull and fearefull answer unto this question because though you doe indeed love him yet you doe not feele or perceive in your selves that you doe so But you are ready upon the hearing of the former Doctrine to say Have none upright hearts but such onely as doe love the Lord Alas then I feare I am no better then an hypocrite for I am exceedingly subject unto slavish feare I cannot thinke of death but I tremble I cannot heare of any danger of an invasion or such like troubles but I am ready to quake for feare I cannot heare or see any great thunder or lightning but I am exceedingly distempered with slavish feare And can there be any true love of God in such a heart Now to these poore soules that object thus against themselves I have three things to say 1. Thou maist have the true love of God in thy heart though thou be subject unto these feares 2. Thou hast in thee evident signes that thou hast the true love of God in thy heart though thou bee so subject unto these feares 3. Yet thou must strive against these feares and labour to rid thy heart of them For the first I say It is possible for one that truly loveth the Lord and that hath an upright heart to be much subject to these feares This I will make evident to you 1 by some instances and examples that will make it plaine unto you that it may be so 2 by certaine reasons that will shew you why it may be and is so For examples we read Iob was subject to these feares even before the time of his great affliction while he enjoyed much prosperity and outward peace For whereas he saith of himselfe Iob 3.26 that in those daies I was not in peace neither had I rest neither was I quiet he telleth us in the former verse 25. that it was feare that did thus disquiet him David also oft complaineth of this Psal. 119.120 My flesh trembleth for feare of thee and I am afraid of thy judgements This may seeme to bee more then a child-like feare to offend God that he could not see nor heare of any strange judgements of God but his flesh trembled at it And Psal. â—â— 4 â— My heart is â—ore pained within me with what with feare as appeareth by the next words and the terrours of death are fallen upon me fearefullnesse and trembling are come upon me and horrour hath overwhelmed mee What poore Christian is there in the world can say more of his feares And yet Heman the Prophet goeth further Psal. 88.15 While I suffer thy terrours I am distracted and verse 16. Thy terrours have cut me off As if he had said For feare and terrour I know not what to doe I have no use of my understanding I am become even as a dead man Take another example for this in the Apostle Paul who professeth of himselfe 2 Cor. 7.5 that while he was in Macedonia he found no rest in his flesh but that as he had fightings without much opposition and trouble raised against him by men so he had terrours within Certainely he was much subject to these feares we speake of But what speake I of particular examples this is the condition of most Christians that at one time or other they are subject unto them Yea they are more subject unto them a great deale then the lewdest men are who have much more just cause to feare then they have as wee see the trees that have life and sap in them are shaken too and fro with the winds when those that are dry and dead are not moved at all but strand stone-still In which respect the Lord speaking to them to whom the promises of the Gospell do belong calleth them Esa. 35.4 such as are of a fearefull heart and chideth them for this Esa. 51.13 Thou hast feared continually every day because of the fury of the oppressour Now if you would know the reasons why Gods most faithfull and upright-hearted seruants may be so subject to these feares and why they are so I find two principall causes of this First Their owne weaknesse When the Apostle speaketh of those feares he was subject to among the Corinthians he imputeth them to his owne weaknesse I was with you saith he 1 Cor. 2.3 in weakenesse and in feare and in much trembling And there is a double weakenesse in the best of Gods servants a naturall weakenesse and a sinfull weakenesse and so there is a naturall feare and a sinfull feare in them Our blessed Saviour that had no sin in him yet when he was in the garden was sore afraid and being to pray durst not be alone but got three of his Disciples to be by him yea charged them to keepe themselves awake too as you shall find Mar. 14.32 34. Through this naturall weakenesse it is that the best man that is may feele in himselfe some feare of death and when he seriously thinketh of his appearing before God or when the Lord doth by any extraordinary worke as thundring and lightning and earth-quakes c. manifest unto him his glorious power he cannot choose but feare and tremble I remembred God and was troubled saith the Prophet Psal. 77.3 and that hath oft beene the case of many a good soule When God shewed his glory in the delivering of the law by darknesse and tempest by thunder and lightning it is said by the Apostle Heb. 12.21 that the sight was so terrible that Moses himselfe said I exceedingly feare and quake Yea when Christ did shew his divine and glorious power even in goodnesse by bringing such a multitude of fish to the net that it brake withall it is said Luk. 5.8 9. that Peter was so astonished with feare that he fell downe at Iesus knees saying depart from me for I am a sinfull man O Lord. But besides
us saith Paul Rom. 8.31 who can bee against us To hurt us hee meaneth The Lord is my light and my salvation saith David Psalme 27.1 whom shall I feare And 49.5 Wherefore should I feare in the dayes of evill when the iniquitie of my heeles shall compasse mee about Why David what maketh thee so secure in the midst of danger Hee telleth you verse 15. God will redeeme my soule from the power of the grave for hee shall receive mee On the other side hee that doubteth of Gods love to him in Christ must needes bee vexed with continuall feares feare of death and feare of troubles It is Christ only saith the Apostle Heb. 2.15 that delivereth them who through the feare of death were all their life time subject to bondage Thirdly This bringeth with it unto us all good things Seeke ye first the kingdome of God and his righteousnesse saith our Saviour Matth. 6.33 As if he had said Make your salvation sure make this sure unto your selves that God is reconciled unto you that you are in his favour and all these things shall be added unto you O that men could beleeve Christ in this that this is the best way to be certaine of all earthly comforts so farre as they shall bee good for us He that spared not his own son saith the Apostle Rom. 8.32 but delivered him up for us all how shall he not with him also freely give us all things Yea this sweetneth all Gods blessings to us and giveth a pleasant relish unto them when we can tast in them Gods love unto us in Christ. When Iob speaketh Iob 29.1 7. of the comfort he tooke in all Gods blessings in the time of his prosperity in his children and riches in that honour and esteeme God gave him among all men he giveth this for the reason of it verse 3. His candle his light the comfortable assurance of his savour shined upon my head Yea this will not onely susteine and keepe us from fainting in times of common trouble and calamity as Iob saith there Iob 29.3 By his light I walked through darknesse While the light of his countenance shined upon me I could walke cheerefully in the darkest and saddest times But it will also sweeten the bitterest afflictions that can befall our selves in particular when we know they are but the chastisements of our father that loveth us dearely though hee thus correct us The cup which my father hath given me saith our Saviour Iohn 18.11 shall I not drinke it All hope of deliverance and comfort in danger and distresse groweth from the assurance of Gods favour Vpon this David grounded his hope Psal. 42.5 Why art thou cast downe ô my soule c. Hope thou in God for I shall yet praise him for the helpe of his countenance To this he ascribeth all the deliverances the Church had received from the Lords right hand Psalme 44.3 They got not the land in possession by their owne sword neither did their own arme save them but thy right hand and thine arme and the light of thy countenance because thou hadst a favour unto them The sting of death saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 15.56 and if of death then of all other afflictions sure is sin and if the sting of them be once gone certainely there can be no deadly paine in them And thus Christ comforteth a poore man that was sicke of a dead palsy a disease that dulleth the spirits and maketh the heart as heavie as any disease can Matth. 9.2 Sonne be of good cheere thy sinnes be forgiven thee On the other side he that doubteth of Gods love to him in Christ what comfort can hee have in life or in death in prosperity or in adversity specially if God shall be pleased to awaken his conscience What sweetnesse can a man find in all his wealth or pleasure or good cheere when it hath this bitter tang and loose with it that his heart shall say to him I may be a vessell of wrath for all that Alas Cain had as much as all this commeth to and Esau and Dives who are all now firebrands in hell Must not the joy that all such men seeme to take in their prosperity be such as the Apostle speaketh of 2 Cor. 5.12 in the face onely and not in the heart And if this be their condition in their greatest prosperity then what comfort can they have in their affliction and in their death thinke you What is the hope of the hypocrite saith Iob 27.8 though he hath gained when God taketh away his soule Fourthly If we were once assured of Gods speciall love to us in Christ this would make us yeeld obedience unto God and do his service not grudgingly or as of necessity but as out of love and willingly and cheerefully For a good man a bountifull a kind man saith the Apostle Rom. 5.7 some will even dare to die And if the goodnesse and bounty of a man have such force with us that we thinke we can never do too much for him will not the assurance of this marvellous bounty and goodnesse of God to us in Christ make us to say with David Psal. 116.12 What shall I render unto the Lord for all his benefits towards me what might I doe to please and honour him that hath so dearely loved me This will make us pray with boldnesse and zeale O God thou art my God saith David Psal. 63.1 early will I seeke thee When our Saviour taught his Disciples and in them us all to pray Matth. 6.9 he biddeth us begin thus Our father which art in heaven Till our hearts doe thus conceive of God that he is our father that he loveth us with a fatherly love we can never pray aright We may say a prayer and that is all that the most of us doe but we can never pray with our hearts till then Therefore also the Apostle teacheth us Rom. 8.15 16. that the spirit that maketh us able to cry in our prayers unto God that is to pray fervently and earnestly is the spirit of adoption that spirit which witnesseth with our spirits that wee are the sonnes and daughters of God that assureth us God is our father and maketh us able to call him father yea to cry to him Abba father And as this will make us able to pray with comfort so will this also make us able to heare and reade and meditate in the Word with cheerefullnesse and a good appetite As new borne babes saith the Apostle 1 Pet. 2.2 3. desire the sincere milke of the Word if so be that yee have tasted that the Lord is gracious This will make us keepe the Sabbaths even whole Sabbaths without wearisomenesse Yee shall keepe every man my Sabbaths saith the Lord Levit. 19.3 Why so What may move us to doe this willingly and cheerefully I am the Lord your God saith he In a word this will make us walke cheerefully in every duty of obedience in every way of
to our hearts and wayes But secondly On the other side A constant care to please God in all our wayes and a feare to offend him will certainly bring to us a comfortable assurance of Gods favour sooner or later in one measure and degree or other See by how many promises the Lord hath bound himselfe to this To him that ordereth his conversation aright saith the Lord Psalm 50.13 I will shew the salvation of God As if the Lord should say I will cause him to see and know that hee shall bee saved So when David had said Psalm 85 8. God will speak peace unto his people and to his Saints God will speake peace to the heart of every godly man hee addeth verse 9. Surely his salvation is nigh unto them that feare him As if hee had said Certainely it will not bee long before God give to every soule that truly feareth him a comfortable assurance of his salvation though he doe delay it for a time he will not doe it long To you that feare my name saith the Lord to his people Matth 4.2 shall the sunne of righteousnesse arise with healing in his wings So that to every soule among you that truly feareth God I may boldly say Though it bee night with thee yet thou seest no light nor comfort thou art continually disquieted with feares and doubts of thy salvation yet certainly the sunne of righteousnesse will arise upon thee with healing in his wings thou shalt see the comfortable light of Gods countenance and have a sweete and full assurance of his favour Light is sowne for the righteous as the Prophet speaketh Psalme 97.11 and gladnesse for the upright in heart Thou hast in thee the seed of comfort and assurance and thou shalt surely see it spring and tast of the fruit of it Fifthly and lastly If by all these meanes wee cannot get or recover the comfortable assurance of Gods favour there is yet one thing more to bee done one helpe more to bee used that hath more force to doe us good this way then all the rest Wee must by faith rest upon Christ and cleave unto him But some may object and say this is an absurd direction to bid us rest upon Christ by faith that so we may get assurance For if I had faith I know I should have assurance of Gods favour For what is faith else but a full perswasion and stedfast assurance that Christ and all his merits belong to me and my sins through him are pardoned But alas by this I know I have no faith because I have no assurance of these things To such as object thus I answer That they are much deceived in defining faith thus and that this is a dangerous mistake and such as hath bred much needlesse feare and trouble of mind in many a good soule For the better understanding therefore of this fift and last point three things must bee distinctly considered 1. That assurance of Gods favour is not of the essence and being of true faith 2. Wherein then the nature and essence of true faith consisteth 3. That though true faith may be without this assurance yet if it be put forth and exercised it will certainely breed assurance sooner or later in one degree or other For the first That there may bee true saith where there is no assurance is evident in two examples to omit many more that might bee produced When David cryed out unto God Psalme 22.1 Why hast thou forsaken mee Why art thou so farre from helping mee and from the words of my roaring Doubtlesse hee wanted the assurance of Gods love and of his salvation And yet even at that time hee had true faith or els hee could not have prayed as hee did and said My God my God So when the Prophet cryed Psalme 88.14 Why castest thou off my soule Why hidest thou thy face from me his assurance was gone yet if hee had not had true faith at that time hee could not have prayed as hee did verse 1. O God of my salvation I have cried day and night before thee So that assurance of Gods favour and of the pardon of our sinnes is not faith it selfe but onely a fruit of it and such a fruit of this tree it is as is not to bee found on it at all seasons It is I say a fruit of faith and such as none can attaine unto till first hee have faith For 1. It is the spirit of adoption witnessing with our spirits that wee are the sonnes of God Romanes 8.16 that breedeth this assurance in us and that spirit wee cannot have till first wee have faith Galathians 4 6. Because yee are sonnes God hath sent forth the spirit of his sonne into your hearts First wee must bee sonnes before wee can have this spirit and wee must first have faith before wee can bee the sonnes of God Galathians 3.26 Yee are all the children of God by faith in Christ Iesus And Iohn 1.12 So many as received him even to them that beleeve on his name to them hee gave power to become the sonnes of God So Paul telleth the Ephesians 1.13 that they were sealed with the holy spirit of promise after they had beleeved in Christ. 2. Assurance of salvation is ever accompanied with peace of conscience and joy in the Holy Ghost Now neither of these can bee in any heart till first it have true faith they are the fruits and consequents of faith Being justified by faith saith the Apostle Romanes 5.1 3. wee have peace towards God and rejoyce in the hope of the glory of God And 15.13 The God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in beleeving Secondly If you would know wherein then the essence and being of true justifying faith consisteth I answer In foure acts of the soule whereof the former two are acts of the understanding the other two of the will First I must know Christ aright and that which the Gospell revealeth to us concerning him And that consisteth in three points principally 1. That Christ is an all sufficient Saviour both to deliver me from the wrath of God due to my sinnes and to bring me to eternall life For this the Gospell plainely revealeth to us Iohn 3.16 God so loved the world c. 2. That Christ and all his merits are offered by the Lord to me as well as to any other For Gods servants and Ministers are commanded by him to proclaime in his name a generall pardon and to make this generall offer of him unto all to whom they preach without excluding any Mar. 16.15 Preach the Gospell to every creature And what is it to preach the Gospell unto them but to say unto them as the Angell did to the shepheards Luke 2.10 11. I bring you good tidings of great joy which shall be to all people For unto you is borne this day in the city of David a Saviour which is Christ the Lord. And as Peter to the Iewes Acts 2.39
must every one of us learne to doe in the like case though wee have no assurance of Gods favour yet let us trust confidently in Christ through him to obtaine it For this is a thing highly pleasing unto God The Lord taketh pleasure saith David Psal. 147.11 in them that hope in his mercy And 1 Chron. 5.20 God was intreated of them because they put their trust in him And they that can do so need not doubt but that God will certainely lift up the light of his countenance upon them and give them comfort in the assurance of his favour For First Thou hast true faith and consequently thou hast Christ he is thine owne though thou perceive it not They that beleeve on the name of Christ trust to him rely upon him have received him hee is their owne as the Holy Ghost speaketh Iohn 1.12 Secondly Having received Christ certainely thou hast Gods favour all thy sinnes are pardoned thou hast just title to eternall life though thou perceive it not yea thou hast in thee the root of comfortable assurance of all this Ye are all the children of God saith the Apostle Gal. 3.26 By faith in Christ Iesus He that beleeveth on the sonne of God saith the Apostle 1 Iohn 5.10 hath the witnesse in himselfe He hath that in himselfe that will witnesse for him that hee is in Gods favour And Iohn 3.36 Thirdly and lastly If thou canst wait upon God for assurance and looke for it it will certainely come Doe as David did when he had lost his assurance of Gods favour Psal. 13.1 How long wilt thou forget me ô Lord for ever I how long wilt thou bide thy face from me What did he then to recover his assurance That you shall see verse 5. But I have trusted in thy mercy my heart shall rejoyce in thy salvation As if he had said My comfortable assurance of thy savour and of my salvation will returne againe And Psal. 42.5 Why art thou cast downe ô my soule and why art thou disquieted within me Hope thou in God for I shall yet praise him for the helpe of his countenance As if hee had said I shall for all this see the light of his countenance againe and rejoyce in it So that to conclude I may say to every soule here 1 that desireth assurance of Gods favour and 2 seeketh it in a diligent and conscionable use of Gods ordinance and 3 with an humbled heart and 4 by a conscionable care to please God in all his waies and 5 by faith hath received Christ and resteth upon him concerning this promise of restoring a comfortable assurance as the Prophet doth of his vision Hab. 2.2 The vision is yet for an appointed time God hath set the time in his own counsell when he will give thee the comfort of this promise but in the end it shall speake and not lie though it â—aâ—ry wait for iâ— because it will surely come and not â—arry one moment longer then God shall see it to be for thy good and advantage And whereas thou doubtest thine owne strength and fearest thou shalt never be able to hold out and endure resting and waiting upon God till comfort doe come and cryest with David Psalme 69.3 Mine eyes faile while I wait for my God Let me say to thee as David doth Psal. 27 14. Wait on the Lord â—e of good courage and he shall strengthen thy heart he will keepe thee from fainting and make thee able to hold out waite I say on the Lord. Lecture LXXXIV On Psalme 51.6 March 18. 1627. THe third note to try our goodnesse and righteousnesse by is the extent of it True goodnesse and grace is of a large extent 1. In respect of the subject of it it reacheth unto and goeth thorow the whole man 2. In respect of the object of it it sheweth it selfe in a conscionable respect unto all the commandements of God 3. In respect of the time it sheweth this conscionable care to please God in all things at one time as well as at another For the first If that grace and goodnesse that seemeth to be in any man be true and unseigned it worketh a totall change a reformation in the whole man in the inward man and in the outward man too in the minde and understanding in the conscience in the memory in the will in the affections in the outward senses and parts of the body in the words and in the actions of a man This was typified by the burnt offerings under the law The whole sacrifice as you may read Levit. 1.8 9 13. not the foure quarters onely but the head and the fat and the inwards and the legs must be offered unto God and burnt upon the altar Which was not onely a type of Christ who as a propitiatory sacrifice was wholly offered up and endured the fiery wrath of God for us not in his body onely but in his soule too and in every power and faculty of it but it was also a type of the obedience of the faithfull which are the members of Christ as appeareth plainely by the allusion that is made unto it both by the Apostle Rom. 12.1 and by our Saviour himselfe Mar. 12.33 And thus you see a totall obedience and sanctification of the whole man is required of us but I say more then so this totall change not onely ought to be in every Christian but it is wrought in every one that hath any truth of grace in him In this respect our Saviour compareth it Matth. 13.33 unto leaven which will leaven the whole lumpe of dough that it is put into Thus the Apostle describeth true sanctifying grace in that prayer he maketh for the Thessalonians 1 Thes 5.23 The very God of peace sanctifie you wholly that is true may you say this is to be desired and prayed for yea this is to be aimed at and we should endeavour to attaine unto it but this is not possible to bee attained unto in this life marke therefore what followeth in the next words and I pray God saith hee that your whole spirit and soule and body may bee preserved blamelesse unto the comming of our Lord Iesus Christ. As if hee had said Now your whole spirit and soule and body is sanctified you are sanctified throughout and my prayer is that this good worke that is begunne may bee increased and that you may bee preserved in this estate unto the end Of the soule and spirit men will easily grant that they are capable of grace yea that the whole spirit and soule of the regenerate man may bee sanctified but marke that the Apostle aâ—firmeth this of the body also yea of the whole body that it is capable of sanctifying grace And therfore also hee calleth the very bodies of the faithfull the members of Christ. 1 Cor. 6.15 And verse 19. the temples of the holy Ghost And saith of himselfe the rest of his brethren 2 Corinth 4.10 11. that the life
of the Lord Iesus that is his quickning grace was mad manifest in their bodies In this respect also hee calleth the regenerate part Colos. 3.10 not a new mind nor a new will nor a new heart only but the new man Ye have put on saith hee the new man it is a compleat man it hath all the faculties and powers of a perfect man in it So speaketh hee againe 2 Corinth 5.17 If any man bee in Christ in the state of grace hee is a new creature old things are past away behold all things are become new Every one that is in Christ is become a new man every faculty every part of him is renewed In this respect also every upright-hearted man is called a perfect man Marke the perfect man and behold the upright saith David Psalme 37.37 because they have this perfection of parts they are sanctified throughout in all their parts And as the children that wee beget are perfect men and women so soone as ever they are borne because they have the soules and bodies and all the parts of men and women though in great weakenesse so is it with all the children of God much more Men may beget children that are defective and want some of their parts wee reade of some that have beene borne blind Iohn 9.1 and of some that have beene creeples from their mothers wombe Acts 14.8 and of some that have beene borne fooles But our heavenly father begets no such children all his children are perfect and have no such defect of parts in them Now before I make application of this point I must first give you three cautions to prevent the children of God from taking occasion of much feare and discomfort by the mistaking and misunderstanding of this point The first caution is this As the goodliest child that ever was borne is defective when it is an infant and new borne not onely in the stature and strength of every member of his body but even in the measure of his understanding also even so is it with the new man They that are sanctified in the best measure are yet in every part in every faculty of their soule in every sense and member of their body defective in the measure and degree of grace Paul telleth those worthy Christians the Thessalonians 1 Thess. 3.10 that hee desired to come to them to perfect that that was lacking in their faith Yea of himselfe hee saith Phil. 3.12 that hee was not perfect And if that great Apostle could say of himselfe and such as he was 1 Cor. 13.9 we know but in part then how great cause have the best of every one of us to complaine alas how little spirituall light and knowledge have I in my understanding how little sanctifying grace and goodnesse have I in my thoughts in my memory in my conscience in my will in my desires and affections How little inclination to any thing that is good in my eye or in my eare or in any other of my senses or parts of my body Secondly Though they that have truth of grace in them have every faculty and power of their soule and every sense and member of their body seasoned in some measure with the new leaven of sanctifying grace yet have they also much of the old leaven of their corrupt nature remaining still in every facultie of their soule and in every sense and member of their body Purge out therefore the old leaven saith the Apostle 1 Cor 5.7 As if hee had said This is a worke wherein we must alwayes be doing and which we shall never make an end of while we live here In which respect the regenerate man may fitly bee compared unto the ayre in the twilight in which there is no part but it hath some light in it neither is there any part of it but it hath some darkenesse in it also and unto the water that is luke-warme there is no part of it but it hath some heate in it nor any part but it hath some coldnesse in it too Therefore as the spirit the regenerate part in us is called as we have heard the new man so is the flesh and the unregenerate part in us called the old man likewise Eph. 4.22 because it goeth through the whole man as the other doth And this maketh many a good soule thinke there is no truth of grace in them because that throughout in their whole spirit and soule and body they discerne still so much corruption From the sole of the foot say they as Esa. 1.6 even to the head there is no soundnes in me This maketh them complaine with Iob 40.4 Behold I am vile What a deale of ignorance and blindnes have I in my understanding how vaine wicked are my thoughts for the most part how hardly can I forget any small wrong that hath bin done me and how apt am I to forget any good thing how hard a heart have I and unable to mourne for any of my sins how apt to be overwhelmed with griefe for the smallest crosse that befalleth me With what delight doe mine eares listen to any evill I can heare of my neighbour how dull of hearing is it towards any thing that is good how apt is mine eye to wander and to steale away my heart when I should attend to the word and how hardly can I keepe it fixed upon any thing that might bring good to my soule These we know are the complaints of the best soules And yet all this may be where there is truth of heart Thirdly and lastly Though where truth of grace is it diffuseth and sheddeth it selfe abroad throughout the whole man every faculty of the soule is sanctified and every part of the body also yet is not the worke of grace therein so sensible and manifest as is the corruption of our nature The workes of the flesh are manifest saith the Apostle Galathians 5.19 more manifest then the worke of grace is I cannot perceive saith many a good Christian any worke of Gods sanctifying grace at all in my memory in sundry of my affections in my joy and my anger much lesse in the members of my body and how can I say then that there is any truth of grace in mee To such I say there may bee some sanctifying grace in thee yea in every faculty of thy soule and member of thy body though thou perceive it not The little infant hath all the parts of a mans body though there bee sundry of them thou canst discerne no use he hath of them in any action yea hee hath a reasonable soule and all the faculties of it though it appeare not in any operation at all Three things thou hast in thee that shew thou hast sanctifying grace even there where thou perceivest it least 1. As thou hast in thy whole man in every faculty and part both flesh and spirit so hast thou in thy whole man a conflict between them The flesh lusteth against the spirit
of men that are by this Doctrine discerned to bee void of all truth of heart are such as contenting themselves with this that they are reformed in the outward man thou shalt never heare them sweare or lye or talke either filthily or maliciously thou shalt never see them drunke or haunt evill company they constantly performe religious duties both publikely and privatly yet are they carelesse of the reforming and sanctifying of the inward man 1. their understanding is blind and blockish and full of errour 2. their thoughts are most vaine and wicked 3. their memories are like brasse for the reteining of that that is naught and like water for that that is good 4. Their affections are altogether worldly and disordered yet do these inward corruptions not trouble them at all neither doe they strive against them But to these men the time will not permit mee to say any more then this remember what you have now heard if that grace that seemeth to bee in us bee true and unfeined it will worke a totall change in us a reformation of the whole man at least in the unfeined desire and endeavour of the heart Lecture LXXXV On Psalme 51.6 March 25. 1628. THe second respect wherein the universality and large extent of true sanctifying grace appeareth is the object namely the matter wherein our goodnesse and grace is exercised it sheweth it selfe in a conscionable respect unto all the commandements of God He that hath truth of grace in him maketh conscience of every commandement of God of one as well as of another And as the sincerity of a Christians love to the brethren appeareth in this when he loveth all the Saints without respect of persons poore and rich weake and strong as the Apostle Col. 1.4 and els where oft noteth and the faithfullnesse of the governours of the Church when they observe the rules of Church governement which God hath appointed without preferring one before another and when they do nothing by partiality as the Apostle speaketh 1 Tim. 5.21 And on the other side the unfaithfullnesse of a Minister is chiefly seene in this when he is partiall in the law that is in the application of the law as the Lord chargeth the Priests to have beene Mal. 2.9 some truths they would teach that were needfull and profitable and some they would conceale some mens sinnes they would sharpely reprove and some mens faults they would winke at So doth the sincerity of our love and obedience unto God and his law appeare in this when we love and make conscience of all his commandements without preferring one before another and the hypocrisie and falshood of our hearts is seeene in this when we are partiall in the law when we will seeme to esteeme highly of some of the commandements of God with the slighting and neglecting of other some And this is that which the Apostle teacheth Iames 2.10 Whosoever shall keepe the whole law outwardly hee meaneth and in shew and yet offend in one point that is wittingly and giving himselfe liberty to breake any one commandement is guilty of all So the Lord chargeth the wicked Iewes Ier. 32.23 that they had done nothing of all that hee commanded them to doe How could that be Did they not circumcise their children and offer sacrifices and doe many other things that he had commanded Yes verily but because that in some things they had wittingly transgressed Gods commandement and namely in idolatry for that is the only particular sin that God chargeth them with in that place as you may see verse 29 34 35 therefore he saith they had done nothing of all that he commanded them to doe and verse 30. that they had done that onely that was evill before him They doe nothing with an upright heart that doe give themselves liberty in any one thing to transgresse Gods law we must either keepe all or els we keepe none at all Therefore we shall find this oft noted by the Holy Ghost for the property and marke of an upright hearted man that he maketh conscience of every thing that God hath commanded of one commandement as well as of another This you shall see in that speech of the Lord unto Sololomon 1 King 9.4 If thou wilt walke before me as David thy father walked in integrity of heart and in uprightnesse to doe according to all that I have commanded thee He onely walketh before God in truth of heart and in uprightnesse that doth according to all that God hath commanded Thus doth David also describe a perfect heart in that prayer he maketh for Solomon 1 Chron. 29.19 Give unto Solomon my sonne a perfect heart to keepe thy commandements thy testimonies and thy statutes thy precepts of every kind and to do all these things Lastly Thus is the uprightnesse of Zachary and Elizabeth described Luk 1.6 They were both righteous before God walking in all the commandements and ordinances of the Lord blamelesse The Apostle Iames 2.11 giveth two reasons for that which he had said verse 10. which to many might seeme a strange paradox that he that keepeth the whole law and yet offendeth in one point is guilty of all The first of them is in these words He that said doe not commit adultery said also doe not steale Every commandement even the least of them one as well as another hath God for the author of it God spake all these words as it is said in the preface to the law Exod. 20.1 So that every commandement ought to be of equall authority in our hearts The second iâ— like unto the first saith our Saviour Matth. 22.39 And therefore he that out of love and obedience unto God keepeth any one commandement must needs be carefull also to keepe at the rest Secondly All the commandements of God are so coupled together that they make but one sentence one copulative proposition but one law See this Deut. 5.17 21. Thou shalt not kill neither shalt thou commit adultery neither shalt thou steale c. So that as the Apostle inferreth Iames 2.11 if thou doe not commit adultery yet if thou kill thou art become a transgressour of the law Now because this is a point of manifold and daily use and one of the principall and most sensible signes of an upright heart of all those that are given us in the Word I will insist a little upon it and 1 give you certaine cautions to prevent the mis-understanding of it by answering two questions and doubts that may be moved concerning this point 2 I will make some application of it The first question is this Hath no man an upright heart that doth not live according to Gods law in all points That doth not walke in all the commandements and ordinances of the Lord blamelesse I answer first Yes verily for els there were not one upright hearted man upon earth In many things we offend all saith the Apostle Iames 3.2 Nay I say more the righteousest man upon earth
weakenesse that cost mee so deare yet my heart was for God I did it not with the full sway of my soule This you see every true hearted Christian can to his comfort say of every evill that through infirmity hee hath slipt into this I ought not to have done it was against the purpose of my heart against my will that I have done so and of every good thing that hee hath failed in either for matter or manner thus I should doe and thus with all my heart I desire to doe Now for the third degree of proofes for this point See what high account the Lord himselfe maketh of this when our mind and the purpose and desire of our hearts is set to please him though there be much wanting in our performance See this in three points First Hee accepteth the will for the deed Even as hee accounteth every wicked man guiltie of that sinne which hee purposed and desired to doe though he commit it not Hee that looketh on a woman to lust after her saith the Lord. Matth. 5.28 hath committed adultery with her already in his heart And 1 Iohn 3.15 Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer And as Solomon saith Prov. 23.7 As hee thinketh in his heart so is he in Gods account So on the other side the Lord accounteth euery good thing as done yea as perfectly performed by any of his servants which hee seeth them purpose and endeavour and unfeinedly desire to doe If there bee first a willing mind saith the Apostle 2 Cor. 8 12. it is accepted So the Lord saith of Abraham that he did offer up his son in sacrifice Heb. 11.17 because he was willing and purposed to do it So because David had a purpose and desire to build God an house he commendeth him for this purpose 1 Kin. 8.18 Thou didst well that it was in thine heart Yea he rewardeth him for it as if he had done it and telleth him 2 Sam. 7.27 that for that he would build him an house So when the servant that ought his Lord ten thousand talents had shewed himselfe willing to pay all and said Mat 18. â—6 Lord have patience with me and I will pay thee all a thing utterly impossible for him to do yet was he desirous and willing to do it as every true Christian is willing and desirous to keepe all Gods commandements compleatly though it be impossible for him to do it it is said in the next words ver 27. that his Lord had compassion on him and loosed him and fargave him the debt hee tooke this for full paiment he accepted of the will for the deed So when Zacheus had unfeinedly professed his willingnes to make restitution Christ saith of him Lu. 19.9 This day is salvation come to thy house So the Lord accounteth that soule a true beleever that doth unfeinedly desire to beleeve For Christ saith they are blessed that hunger and thirst after righteousnesse Mat. 5.6 And him a trve penitent sinner that doth unfeinedly purpose and desire to repent and turne unto God When the Prodigall did but purpose to returne humble himselfe to his father When he was yet a great way off his father saw him and had compassion and ran and fell on his necke and kissed him Lu. 15.20 And the Lord accounteth him a godly man and an observer of all his holy commandements that doth unfeinedly desire to obey him in all things If ye be willing and obedient saith the Lord Esa. 1 â—9 ye shall eate the good of the land Thus you see how God accepteth the will for the deed But secondly hee doth more then so For in the best services wee can doe unto him hee esteemeth more of our wills then of our deeds The Lord regarded nothing so much the benevolence that the Corinthians bestowed on the Saints in Iudea as hee did the willingnesse of their minde in bestowing You have begunne saith the Apostle 2 Cor. 8.10 not only to doe but also to be willing a yeere agoe Neither did God so much esteeme of Pauls preaching though that were excellent as hee did this that he preached with so willing a mind If I do this thing willingly saith he 1 Cor. 9 17. I have a reward And this God maketh high account of in every Minister when hee feedeth the flocke of God not by constraint but willingly 1 Peter 5.2 And when the Lord biddeth Moses speake unto the children of Israel that they should bring an offering for the making of the Tabernacle hee saith Exodus 25.2 Of every man that giveth it willingly with his heart yee shall take my offering hee esteemeth more of the willingnesse of the heart in offering then of the offering it selfe And this reason Paul giveth to Philemon verse 14. why he would not retaine Onesimus without his minde that thy benefite saith hee should not bee as it were of necessity but willingly he knew God did most esteeme of that Thirdly and lastly When God hath once wrought an unfeined purpose and desire of heart to please him for it is hee onely that worketh in us to will as well as to doe Phil. 2.13 hee will reward it with an increase of strength and ability to doe well and a chiefe cause why wee have no more ability to doe well is because wee no more desire to doe well For the Lord hath promised to fulfill the desires of them that feare him Psalme 145 19. to fill thy mouth if thou open it wide Psalme 8â— 10 to fill the hungry with good things Luke 1.53 And thus you have heard this truth confirmed unto you that a Christian may gather more comfortable assurance of the uprightnesse of his heart from the goodnesse of his will and desire then from the goodnesse of his life or of any actions he is able to performe Let us now come to answer that which may bee objected against this truth which is the third thing that in my methode I propounded and promised to doe For this doctrine may seeme to bee too broad a way and too open a doore of hope and comfort to the most lewd men Oh will they say this doctrine we like well this giveth us assurance that our hearts are as upright as the precisest of them all for wee also have good desires we would faine doe well we desire to beleeve in Christ we desire to repent and leave our sins And so we shall find in the word of sundry cast-awayes that have not onely had desires to be saved as Baalam Numbers 23.10 Let mee dye the death of the righteous and let my last end be like his and those foolish virgins that cryed Mat. 25.11 Lord Lord open unto us but have had desires also to go in the way that leadeth unto life desires to doe well Many I say unto you saith our Saviour Luke 13.24 will seeke to enter in at the strait gate and shall not bee able Now my answer unto this objection shall consist of two parts First
Admit that wicked men will take hurt by this doctrine as I doubt not but many doe and will doe the children of disobedience will be apt to stumble at the word and thereunto they were even appointed as the Apostle speaketh 1 Peter 2.8 yet must not so necessary a truth and that tendeth so much to the comfort of poore Christians be concealed for that We may not indeed take the childrens bread and cast it to dogs as our Saviour speaketh Mat. 15.26 but yet wee must not with-hold from Gods children their bread because such dogs will be snatching at it We are to have more respect in our ministery to the comfort of one poore Christian then to the offence of an hundred such as these And therein we are warranted by the example of our blessed Saviour himselfe Matth. 15.12 14. But secondly I answer If there were indeed in these whose lives are most wicked such infeined desires to doe well and to please God I will be bold to assure them in Gods name and by warrant of his word that notwithstanding all the wickednes of their lives their hearts are upright and there is truth of saving grace in them But alas no man whose life is wicked hath indeed any good and unfeined and sanctified desires to doe well nay he hath no true and unfeined desire to be saved Five notes of difference I will give you out of Gods word betweene the true saving and sanctified desires which are in the regenerate and the naturall and counterfeit good desires that are in wicked men First The regenerate mans desire of salvation or of any saving grace is joyned with a love and desire to the meanes of salvation and of grace So it was with David Psal. 119.174 I have longed for thy salvation ô Lord and thy law is my delight The naturall man hath no desire or love to the meanes of salvation and grace to those meanes that God hath ordained to bring them to faith and repentance by and therefore certainly he doth not unfeinedly desire to beleeve or to repent or to be saved He that desireth not the knowledge of Gods wayes doth say in his heart to God depart from me Iob. 21.14 he doth not desire Gods favour he doth not desire to beleeve in him or to serve him or to have any thing to doe with him Secondly The regenerate mans desire of salvation or of any saving grace is constant and permanent My soule breaketh for the longing that it hath unto thy judgements at all times saith David Psalme 119.20 and 27.4 One thing have I desired of the Lord that will I seeke after that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the dayes of my life The naturall mans good motions and desires be like the fits of an ague or flashings of lightning sudden and vanishing when the terrours of God are upon them Their goodnes is as the moring cloud saith the Prophet Hos. 6.4 and as early dew it goeth away therfore they are counterfeit they can have no comfort in them Thirdly The regenerate mans desire to doe well is not without endeavour to doe what he can and some ability also to doe well As Paul professeth of himselfe Heb. 13.18 that he was willing in all things to live honestly so hee sheweth the sincerity of his desire in this Herein saith he Acts 24.6 doe I endeavour my selfe alwaies to have a conscience void of offence towards God and towards man He had not onely a desire to live honestly but he did endeavour it also So speaking of the Macedonians mercifullnesse towards the distressed Saints in Iudea 2 Cor. 8.3 To their power saith he I beare them record yea and beyond their power they were willing They did what they were able though their will was farre above their ability The naturall man flattereth himselfe in this that he hath good desires hee desireth to be saved hee would faine leave his sinnes and beleeve and doe well but hee can take no paines use no endeavour that he may be saved that hee may beleeve and reforme his life he can leave no sinne nor doe any good duty God knoweth my heart saith he I would faine doe well and there hee resteth The confidence he hath in his good desires undoeth him The desire of the slothfull killeth him saith Solomon Pro. â—1 25 for his hands refuse to labour Pilat seemed very desirous to save Christ and deliver him out of the hands of the Iewes Pilat was willing to release Iesus saith the Evangelist Luke 23.20 Hee was determined to let him goe saith the Apostle Peter Acts 3.13 But Pilats good purpose and desire was counterfeit and such as yeelded him no comfort because hee did not what hee might and was in his power to doe Pilat gave sentence saith the Text Luke 23 24. that it should bee as they required Fourthly The regenerate mans good desires are vehement as the Apostle calleth them 2 Cor. 7.11 Like the desire of the thirsty and hungry man As the hart panteth after the water brooks saith David Psal. 42.1 2. so panteth my soule after thee ô God my soule thirsteth for God for the living God He desireth nothing so much as Gods favour as faith and grace to please him Hee can say with David Psal. 73.25 There is nothing that sense the originall will beare as well as any other on earth that I desire besides thee Yea hee so desireth Gods favour and grace as he is content to part with any thing for it He counteth it a pearle of such price as our Saviour speaketh Mat. 13.46 that he is willing to sell all that he hath to buy it As the condemned man desireth nothing so much as a pardon nor the thirsty man as drink But the naturall mans good desires are faint and cold there be a thousand things in the world he desireth more then his salvation or Gods favour and grace hee will part with nothing for it One that heard Christ speake in an heavenly manner of the resurrection of the just was presently ravished with a desire after heaven and cryeth out Luk 14.15 Blessed is he that shall eat bread in the kingdome of God But our Saviour to shew him the vanity of such wishers and woulders as he was uttereth the parable of the guests ver 18 20 that rather then they would leave but for a while their profits pleasures refused to come to the Kings marriage feast As if he had said and so it is with such as thou art you set your mind upon the earth and not upon heaven Fiftly and lastly The regenerate man so desireth Gods favour and grace as he mourneth for the want of it Hope deferred maketh the heart sicke sath Solomon Pro. 12.12 but when the desire commeth it is a tree of life He feeleth his poverty of spirit so as he mourneth for want of grace Mat. 5.3.4 He seeketh Christ sorrowing as his parents did Luk. 2.48 The poore man Mar. 9.24 so desired increase
his owne salvation He is not so dead but there is enough left in him to make him without excuse as the Apostle plainely teacheth Rom. 1.20 He may doe more then he doth to avoid damnation he may doe more then he doth to further his owne salvation and because he will not doe what he may therefore he is inexcusable therefore he is the cause of his owne destruction Why what can he do will you say I answer First He hath power enough left in him by nature to curbe and restraine himselfe from all grosse sinnes from drunkennesse and whoredome and such like sinnes yea and from haunting of lewd company that may draw him to such sinnes he may forbeare these things if he will he hath enough left in him to make him able to live a civill and unblameable life There is many a man that even by the strength of nature can truly say as he said Luk. 18.11 I thanke God I am no extortioner nor unjust in my dealings with men nor an adulterer Secondly He hath enough left in him to make him able to doe many good workes I meane workes that are materially and morally good He can if he will make restitution of that that he hath gotten unjustly and doe workes of mercy also to the poore Els would not Daniel 4.27 have spoken thus to such a man as Nebuchadnezzar was Breake off thy sinnes by righteousnesse and thine iniquities by shewing mercy to the poore And that which the young man saith of the outward observation of all the commandements of the second table Matth. 19 20. All these things have I kept from my youth up that the Apostle speaketh even of many a Gentile Rom. 2.14 The Gentiles do by nature the things contained in the law And in the Church many a man is even by the strength of nature able to say not of the second table onely but of the three latter commandements of the first table also so farre forth as the letter and externall observation of them all these have I kept Thirdly He can if he will frequent the ministery of the Word the plainest and most powerfull ministery and that constantly When thou wert young saith our Saviour to Peter Iohn 21.18 thou girdest thy selfe and walkedst whither thou wouldest So much freedome of will every man hath by nature so much power even by that generall and common grace and assistance that God communicateth unto all men that he may goe to Church if he will yea he may if he will ride or goe many miles to a Sermon ordinarily as well as he may to an market so farre The Lord speaking of such as were no better then naturall men telleth the Prophet Ezek. 33.31 They come to thee as the people commeth and they sit before thee as my people and they heare thy words Fourthly He may if he will so seriously marke and observe the Word that is preached unto him and the judgements of God which he seeth and feeleth as he may bring himselfe thereby unto legall repentance even to such a sight and sense of his sinne and of the wrath of God as may make his heart to quake and judge himselfe to be in a most miserable estate Of them that were no more then naturall men we do read Esa. 58.3 that they did use in the time of Gods judgements upon them to fast and afflict their owne soules And of Ahab and Felix we read how by hearing the Word and observing what they heard they were wrought upon Ahab 1 King 21.27.29 rent his clothes put sackcloth upon his flesh fasted and humbled himselfe before God And Felix Acts 24.25 trembled exceedingly Fiftly and lastly He may be able out of this sense he hath of his owne miserable estate not onely to desire the prayers of others as Pharaoh did Exod. 10.17 and Ieroboam 1 King 13.6 but even himselfe also to cry importunately and pray to God for mercy So it is said of the mariners Ionah 1. that in the extreame feare they were in through the apprehension of Gods wrath they cried not onely every man unto his God verse 5. but unto the Lord also unto Iehovah verse 14. So it is likewise said of Saul Acts 9.11 Behold hee prayeth When our Saviour exhorteth the hypocriticall Iewes in an allegoricall speech to make their peace with God in time while this life and the day of grace lasteth Luke 12.58 59. he maketh this preface to that exhortation verse 57. Yea and why even of your selves judge ye not what is right As if he had said You have so much light and judgement in your selves even by nature as to discerne that that is fit and necessary to be done Even by the light of nature a man may be able out of the apprehension and sense of his owne fearefull condition to desire reconciliation with God and to cry earnestly for it Now if any man shall aske me and what is all to the purpose that you say a naturall man is able to doe seeing none of all this is any thing worth in the sight of God or pleasing unto him seeing there is no true goodnesse in any of this that a naturall man doth Without faith it is impossible to please God Hebrewes 11.6 I answer First That though this be so yet I may say to the naturall man that doth these things that doth thus what in him lyeth as our Saviour said to the Scribe Marke 12.34 Thou art not farre from the kingdome of God such a man is nearer to heaven then any other naturall man in the world is Secondly That though by doing all this that lyeth in his power 1 he cannot deserve neither ex condigno nor ex congruo as the Papists speake that God should save him or give him his grace for Gods grace is free he worketh in men both to will and to doe of his owne good pleasure as the Apostle speaketh Phil. 2.13 2 He can have no certaine assurance when he hath done all this that lyeth in him to doe that he shall find mercy with God for there is no promise made to these things All the promises of God are in Christ yea and Amen as the Apostle speaketh 2 Cor. 1.20 till a man be in Christ he hath no promise from God yet may the naturall man be greatly incouraged to doe thus what lyeth in him to flie from the wrath to come and to please God and may conceive hope that by doing these things as well as he is able God will be pleased out of his infinite goodnesse to shew mercy on him And these grounds he hath out of Gods Word for his encouragement therein 1. Because the Lord hath revealed himselfe in his Word to be so infinite in mercy and goodnesse Exod. 34.7 and hath sworne Ezek. 33.11 that hee hath no pleasure in the death of the wicked 2. Because God seeketh to the vilest sinner in the ministery of his word 2 Cor. 5. â—0
cannot say it is so with me Some commandements and duties I doe indeed make conscience of but others I neglect wonderfully Some sins I hate and tremble at but others I slip into ever and anon 6. True grace is constant and durable and no man is blessed and in the state of grace but he that feareth alway Proverbs 28.14 that doth righteousnesse at all times Psal. 106.3 But alas the goodnesse that is in me is like the morning dew as the Prophet speaketh Hosea 6.4 there is no constancy nor durablenesse in it I am extreamely inconstant in good things and cannot continue in a good temper and disposition of my soule for any time 7. Lastly No man hath truth of grace that contenteth himselfe with this that he abstaineth from evill and doth good unlesse his care bee to doe all this in the right manner unlesse he doe it to the Lord that is with an intent to please and honour him Whatsoever yee doe saith the Apostle Coloss. 3.23 doe it as unto the Lord unlesse hee doe it with his heart and spirit and not with the outward man onely and can say with the Apostle Rom. 1.9 I serve God with my spirit unlesse he doe it in humility and can discerne cause to bee humbled even in his best actions Behold saith the Prophet Hab. 2.4 his soule which is lifted up is not upright in him Now though I doe good things sometimes yet doe I never any thing in that manner that I should For 1. The end that I aime at is not so much to please the Lord and to honour him but I have by respects to my selfe in every thing that I do 2. The good things I do I do without any affection and use to offer dead sacrifices unto God 3. I doe not walke humbly with my God but if I do any thing in any measure well I am ready at the least secretly to glory and to pride my selfe in it In a word all the signes of sincerity mentioned in the word of God make against me and are unto me as so many signes and evidences of the falshood and hypocrisie of mine owne heart These are the usuall complaints of the best of Gods people and there is no tentation wherewith they use to bee more troubled both in life and in death then with this that there is no truth of grace in them they are no better then hypocrites Now I have three things to say for the comfort of these poore soules and in answer to this first and maine objection that they make against themselves First Admit all this bee true that thou sayest against thy selfe this will prove indeed that there is hypocrisie in thee yea and much hypocrisie too it may bee but this will not proove that thou art an hypocrite It is not the having of hypocrisie or of any other wicked corruption in a man that maketh him to deserve the name of an hypocrite or of a wicked man but the raigning of hypocrisie and wickednes in him No man doubteth but Moses Samuel Iob and all the holiest men that ever were had wickednesse in them For who could ever say as it is Prov. 20.9 I have made my heart cleane I am pure from my sinne And yet to say that either Moses or Samuel or Iob were wicked men were to open our mouthes in blasphemy against them that dwell in heaven as the spirit speaketh Revel 13.6 So that a man may have sinne in him and as other sinnes so hypocrisie and much hypocrisie too and yet bee in the state of grace for all that so long as it raigneth not in him That which the Apostle saith of sin in generall 1 Iohn 1.8 may be said of this sin in particular If wee the best of the Apostles or Saints of God say wee have no hypocrisie in us wee deceive our selves and there is no truth in us How oft shall you find Master Bradford and other of the holy Martyrs complaine to God of their hypocrisie and crave pardon for it And certainely David would not have cryed unto God as he doth Psalm 119.80 Let my heart be sound in thy statutes that I be not ashamed if he had not felt himselfe subject to unsoundnes and to hyprocrisie and much troubled with it I know our Saviour Ioh. 1.47 describeth the true Israelite to bee one in whom is no guile and David the justified man the man to whom the Lord imputeth no sinne Psalm 32.2 to bee one in whose spirit there is no guile But these places are no otherwise to bee understood then that of David when speaking of godly men he saith Psalm 119.3 They doe no iniquity and that of the Apostle 1 Iohn 3 9. Whosoever in borne of God doth not commit sinne nay hee cannot sin because hee is borne of God Was there ever godly man of whom it could be truly sayd that hee did no iniquity that hee did commit no sinne No verily But this is the meaning of the holy Ghost in those phrases he that is regenerate doth not commit any iniquitie nor can doe it ordinarily and willingly with the full sway of his soule or in that manner as the unregenerate man doth so hee that is justified and sanctified hath no guile that is no raigning hypocrisie in him So this is the first thing I have to say for thy comfort though by this which thou objectest against thy selfe it may appeare there is hypocrisie in thy heart yet will it not follow from thence that thou art an hypocrite thou mayest be in the state of grace and the deare child of God for all that Secondly By this it is evident that though there be hypocrisie in thy heart yet it raigneth not in thee thou art no hypocrite because thou discernest thine owne hypocrisie thou feelest it and art so troubled with it It is not corruption but grace that maketh a man able to discerne his corruption specially so hidden and secret a corruption as hypocrisie is There bee thousands in the world that are indeed in that state that thou suspectest thy selfe to bee in that are hypocrites indeed and they discerne no such thing in themselves they thinke passing well of their owne estate But what speake I of others Thou thy selfe when thou wer◠an hypocrite indeed and hadst both this and many other vile corruptions reigning in thee perceivedst them not wert never troubled with them Yee were once darkenesse saith he Eph. 5.8 but now yee are light in the Lord. While wee were in the state of nature which the Apostle calleth darkenesse wee saw not a deale of naughtinesse and corruption which now wee discerne in our selves This discerning of our secret corruptions is a blessed signe we are no longer darkenesse but light in the Lord. All things that are reproved saith hee Ephes. 5.13 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all things whereof wee are convinced in our selves that they are sinnes are made manifest by the light for whatsoever doth make manifest is light Before wee
had saving grace wrought in us wee were dead in trespasses and sinnes as the Apostle speaketh Ephesians 2.1 and the dead man wee know discerneth not nor hath any feeling of his owne estate sense is a signe of a living not of a dead man This the holy Ghost expresseth by a different phrase hee useth when he speaketh of the sinfulnesse of the naturall and of the regenerate man Of the naturall man hee saith hee is in the flesh Rom. 8 8. hee is in his sinnes 1 Cor. 15.17 hee is in the bond of iniquitie and in the gall of bitternesse Actes 8.23 plunged over head and eares in sinne But of the regenerate man he saith Rom. 8.9 he is not in the flesh but in the spirit sinne dwelleth in him Rom. 7.17 While a man is in the water though he have as much water upon him as would fill many hogs-heads or tuns he feeleth not the waight of it it is no burden to him at all but let him be out of the water foure or five gallons of water will bee a burden unto him This therefore is a blessed signe thou art no longer in thy sins though much sin be in thee thou art not in the state of nature under the raigne or dominion of thy hypocrisie or any other sinne because thou dost discerne and feele it to bee a burden unto thee The third and last thing I have to say for thy comfort and helpe against this tentation is this that though thou can take no comfort at all in any of those other notes and signes of an upright heart that have beene mentioned and handled before yet in this last thou mayest Thou canst find thus much in thy selfe that notwithstanding all that hypocrisie that is in thee notwithstanding all other thy frailties and failings yet thou dost in thy mind allow and consent to the law and word of God in all things the constant desire purpose and endeavour of thy heart is to please God and to doe his will And if thou hast but thus much in thee certainely as thou hast heard it proved sufficiently out of Gods word in the handling of this point thine heart is upright and thou art no hypocrite thou art a true Israelite in whom is no guile But thou wilt object against this and say How can this be Can hee that wanteth all the rest of the notes of uprightnesse take comfort in this How are they then given for signes and notes of uprightnesse if he that wanteth them all may have an upright heart neverthelesse To this I answer That if it were possible for him that wanteth all the other signes of an upright heart to have in him this onely and no more hee could certainely take no comfort in this But that is not possible he that hath this in him hath all the rest also in some measure And I may boldly say to every one of you that hath this in him whatsoever thou thinkest or sayest of thy selfe thou hast in thy selfe every one of those signes of uprightnes which thou hast heard delivered unto thee out of the word of God This 1. I will declare and explaine unto you by instancing in every one of them particularly 2. I will confirme it unto you For the first 1. Thou dost make the word of God the onely rule of thy religion and of thy life because both in thy mind and judgement thou approvest of this rule and disallowest all other and thou dost also in thy will choose and desire to be guided by it and by nothing else thou endeavourest to follow the direction of it in all things 2. Thou dost eschew evill and do good rather out of love to God then out of slavish feare because as thou knowest thou shouldst do so so thou consentest in thy mind to this that thou oughtest to doe so and thou dost also unfeinedly desire and endeavour and strive to doe so 3. Thou hast true justifying faith and assurance of Gods favour in Christ because thou dost in thy mind consent to the promise of the Gospell and dost also unfeinedly desire and endeavour to beleeve and thirstest after nothing so much as the favour of God in Christ. 4. Thou hast a totall change wrought in thee by the spirit of God because as thou dost in thy judgement consent to the word in this that it ought to bee so and is so in all that are truly regenerated so thou dost in thy will unfeinedly desire and endeavour to be sanctified throughout 5. Thy obedience to God is universall in one thing as well as in another because thou dost in thy mind approve of every commandement of God and dost not allow thy selfe in any sinne and thou dost also in thy will unfeinedly desire and endeavour to forsake every sinne and to doe every thing that God hath commanded thee 6. The goodnesse that is in thee is durable and not temporary because thou dost in thy mind constantly approve of every good thing and constantly disallow of every thing that is evill and thou dost also in thy will unfeinedly desire and endeavour to 〈◊〉 constant in good things 7. Lastly Thou not onely dost good things but thou also dost them in the right manner because as thou dost in thy mind consent to the word in this that it ought to be so so thou dost in thy will unfeinedly desire and endeavour 1. to doe them to that end onely that thou mayest please and honour God thereby without all by respects to thy selfe 2. to serve God in them with thy spirit and affection and not with the outward man only 3. to be humbled for the blemishes and imperfections that cleave unto them See now the proofe of all this in three points First In the comfort that Gods best servants have taken in this against all their defects and failings when they have found that their mind and will hath beene set to please God in all things Three notable examples wee have for this The first is Davids who when hee had said Psal. 119.4 Thou hast commanded us to keepe thy precepts diligently Hee breaketh forth in the next words verse 5. into an expression of his unfeined and vehement desire to doe so Oh that my wayes were directed to keepe thy statutes As if hee had sayd ô that I could in all my wayes walke precisely and keepe thy precepts diligently And then in the next words hee answereth and satisfieth his owne soule in this manner Then shall I not bee ashamed when I have respect unto all thy commandements As if hee should say Though I cannot keepe thy precepts diligently as I ought yet if I have respect unto them all make conscience of every one of them allow and consent to them in my mind desire unfeinedly and endeavour to keepe them I know I shall never be ashamed nor disappointed of that hope and comfort that I have in thee The second example is Nehemiah who even in his prayer unto God found comfort in
this Neh. 1.11 that he desired to feare Gods name The third example is the Apostle Pauls who desiring the prayers of Gods people for himselfe Heb. 13.18 mentioneth this for their encouragement therein and for his owne comfort that hee had a good conscience in all things desiring to live honestly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And againe Rom. 7. he professeth verse 20 It is no more â— that doe it he did not transgresse Gods law Why so Because as he saith ver 15 hee did not in his mind allow himselfe in any evill that which I doe I allow not And because whatsoever evill he did was against his will verse 16 I doe that which I would not And verse 19. The evill which I would not that I doe and verse 15. What I hate that doe I. So on the other side hee professeth verse 25. that hee himselfe did serve the law of God hee kept Gods law How could that bee when hee confesseth verse 18. that hee found no ability in himselfe to performe that which is good Yes he telleth us how he kept the law for all that Because 1. in his mind hee did consent to the law that it is good verse 16. and verse 12. The law is holy and the commandement is holy and just and good and verse 25. With the mind I my selfe serve the law of God 2 In his will he did desire to obey God in every commandement To will is present with me saith he ver 18. and ver 19. The good that I would I doe not and verse 21. When I would doe good evill is present Certainely these holy men would never have made such mention of the goodnesse of their minds and desires if they had not held this a certaine evidence that they were in the state of grace if they had not beleeved that no sinne shall bee imputed to us which wee doe not allow our selves in and which wee commit against the desire and purpose of our hearts if they had not beleeved that that man hath truth of grace in him that doth unfeinedly desire grace hee doth truly beleeve that doth thus desire to beleeve hee doth truly repent that thus desireth to repent hee doth obey God in all things and lead an holy life that doth thus unfeinedly desire to doe so But see a second proofe of this in the sentence and testimony that God in his word hath given of such men Of this sort I will alleage but two only The first is that of the Apostle 2 Cor. 8.12 If there bee first a willing mind a man is accepted it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 If a man have a mind unfeinedly willing to doe good hee is accepted of God and that that is said of doing good may bee sayd likewise of beleeving of repenting and of every other grace if a man have a mind unfeinedly willing and desirous to beleeve to repent to love and feare God hee is accepted of God And how could he bee accepted of God if hee had not these graces in him indeed The second testimony is that which our Saviour giveth Matth. 5.6 Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousnesse And how could they be blessed that hunger after righteousnesse if they be not righteous how could he that hungreth after faith or any other saving grace be a blessed man â—f this unfeined desire were not a certaine evidence that there is truth of saving faith and grace in that man The third and last proofe is taken from the reasons and grounds of this and those are two First Because this unfeined desire of grace cannot grow from nature seeing while wee were in the state of nature wee were like to him which had a spirit of an uncleane Devill who cryed out with a loud voyce saying Let us alone what have wee to doe with thee thou Iesus of Nazareth Art thou come to destroy us I know thee who thou art the Holy one of God Luk 4.34 but is the worke of Gods sanctifying spirit It is God that worketh in us saith the Apostle Phil. 2 â—3 to will as well as to doe and that of his good pleasure his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his speciall favour and love Secondly This is a speciall part of that purchase that Christ hath made for us That whereas in the first covenant that God made with man no obedience pleased him but an exact doing of whatsoever hee commanded and the sentence of the law raâ—ne thus Galathians 3 10. Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things that are written in the booke of the law to doe them Christ by performing in his owne person this exact obedience to the law for us hath procured that our poore and imperfect obedience which standeth more in an unfeined desire and endeavour to doe the will of God then in any performance we are able to make should be acceptable unto him as the Apostle saith 1 Pet. 2.5 Yet is there a third objection that these poore soules are apt to make against themselves and my desire is to give them as full satisfaction in all their doubts as I can I grant all this saith one that if I had a true and unfeined desire of grace then I had truth of grace in mee indeed I had all the signes of uprightnesse in mee if I did indeed unfeinedly desire them But alas the good desires that seeme to bee in me are most hypocriticall and unsound If I did unfeinedly and with a good and upright heart desire grace I could not be so void of grace as I am For the Lord hath promised to fulfill the desires of them that feare him Psalme 145.19 Hee filleth the hungry with good things Luke 1.53 To this I answer Take heed of denying the work of Gods grace in thy selfe It is an high degree of unthankefulnesse to doe so But take these for certaine evidences that the desire of thy heart is right First Thou esteemest more of the favour of God and of his grace then of any thing else in the world and canst say with David Psalm 4.6 I would joy more in the light of thy countenance then ever worldling or Epicure did in his wealth or pleasure Secondly Thou allowest not thy selfe but strivest against every sinne and corruption thou findest in thy selfe and feelest in thy selfe that blessed combate that Paul speaketh of Galath 5.17 The spirit lusteth against the flesh Thirdly Thou seekest by prayer and all other good meanes to get more grace and cryest with that poore man Marke 9.24 Lord helpe mine unbeliefe Lord helpe my impenitency my worldlinesse c. Yea even when thou hast hardest conceit against thy selfe that thou art but an hypocrite but a cast-away yet thou cryest and prayest still to God for grace as David did Psalme 31.22 Fourthly and lastly Thou mournest and grievest unfeinedly that thou hast no more faith no more grace Thou dost as that poore man Marke 9.24 hee cryed out of his infidelity and watered
Iacob saith the Prophet Psal. 78.5 and appointed a law in Israel which hee commanded our fathers that they should make them knowne unto their children All parents you see are commanded to instruct their children themselves in the law of God 2. Wee are bound to bring our children and servants with us to the publique meanes of knowledge and instruction When Elkanah went to the house of God in Shilâ—h 1 Sam. 1.21 his manner was to take his whole family with him 3. We are bound to examine our children and servants what they have learned and how they have profited in knowledge by that which hath beene taught them For this we have the example of the best master of a family that ever was Matth 13.51 For though many that have beene from their childhood brought up thus in the knowledge of religion for the present seeme to be as void of grace as any other yet is not our labour lost for if they belong to God even this dead and senslesse knowledge which they have gotten by these our endeavours will be of good use unto them one day and a great advantage unto them when the time of their visitation shall come as there is good use of laying the wood together in the chimney before-hand though it will not burne till fire be put to it So that knowledge which the Iewes learned of Iohn the Baptist concerning Christ though for the present they regarded it not but rather were offended at it yet in the day of their conversion it proved a great advantage unto them and helpe unto their faith Iohn 10.41 42. Thirdly and lastly Seeing knowledge is both the foundation and seed of all other saving graces wee that are ministers must be exhorted to make it our first and chiefe care to bring the people to knowledge to ground and stablish them in it True it is this is not all that we have to doe we must apply as well as teach Hee that prophesieth saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 14.3 speaketh unto edification and exhortation and comfort Wee must labour to worke upon the heart and affection as well as upon the understanding Speake to the heart of Ierusalam saith the Lord Esay 40.2 Yet is this our first and chiefe worke to open the eyes of Gods people and to turne them from darknesse to light as the Lord told Paul Acts 26.18 to worke upon their understanding and to bring them to knowledge As he is said to bee a pastor according to the Lords owne heart Ieremy 3.15 that feedeth the people with knowledge and understanding That is that that feedeth the soule The Preachers chiefe care must be to teach the people knowledge Eccl. 12.9 The minister then that hath taken the charge of soules upon him and would approve himselfe to be a pastor according to Gods owne heart and liking must doe these things First He must hold himselfe bound to catechise as well as to preach and count catechising a chiefe part of his ministery The Apostles the great master builders tooke this course they taught first the chiefe principles of religion and laid that as a foundation to all their preaching Heb. 6.12 The Romans had a forme of Doctrine a catechisme delivered unto them this way Rom. 6.17 And so had other Churches also that the Apostles did plant Hold fast the forme of sound words saith the Apostle 2 Tim. 1.13 which thou hast heard of me Secondly Hee must not content himselfe to teach diligently but hold himselfe bound also to teach plainely that the people may understand the text that hee handleth understand how his Doctrine riseth from it understand how it is confirmed by the word Thus is the preaching of the Levites commended Nehem 8.7 8. They caused the people to understand the law they gave the sense and caused the people to understand the reading Thus it is said of Moses that hee laid before their faces all the words that the Lord had commanded him Exodus 19.7 Hee made all things most plaine and evident unto them Thirdly We must lay a good foundation of Doctrine for all our exhortations and reproofes and deale substantially and soundly in our ministery Be instant saith the Apostle 2 Tim. 4.2 reprove rebuke exhort but do it with all long suffering and doctrine Fourthly and lastly We must study and take paines for our sermons It is said of Ezra 7.10 that hee prepared his heart to teach in Israel statutes and judgements hee studied much Because the preacher was wise saith Solomon Eccles. 12.9 10. he still taught the people knowledge yea hee gave good heed and sought out and set in order many parables The preacher sought to find out acceptable words and that which was written was upright even words of truth I know well there is a great difference betweene that preacher and the best of us for hee spake and wrote by divine and immediate inspiration but that addeth much to the strength of the proofe I bring from this place For 1. If hee gave good heed to that he taught and sought out and set in order his parables was carefull both to find out good matter and to deliver it in a plaine and good method if hee had such need to take these paines If Paul the Apostle 2 Timothy 4.13 had such need of bookes and of his parchments too which may appeare to bee note-bookes of his owne making the Syriak translateth it the bundle of writings folded up together for they used then parchment to write in as wee doe paper now how much more need have wee who may expect no immediate inspirations as they had but must attaine all the knowledge wee have by reading and meditation and prayer to God for his blessing upon these ordinary helpes both to have bookes to read and note-bookes and common-place bookes of our owne and to study hard that wee may bee well furnished and prepared for this worke 2. His reasons concerne us as much as him For 1. we must still teach the people knowledge strive to teach them more then they knew before and bee as good stewards bringing forth new as well as old Matthew 13.52 2. We must labour to find out acceptable words such as may give our hearers content and make them delight to heare us 3. Yet not by humouring them but by words of truth And this cannot bee done without study Lecture XCVII On Psalme 51.6 Septemb. 9. 1628. WEE proceed now unto the second branch of the exhortation which is to stirre us up unto a duty that every one of us oweth to his owne soule And that is no other then that very exhortation the holy Ghost giveth us Pro. 4.5 Get wisedome get understanding And verse 7. Wisedome is the principall thing therefore get wisedom and with all thy getting with all that thou hast gotten with all thy wealth and substance get understanding Now when I exhort you to get knowledge and understanding I desire to perswade you unto these two things First That you would
Church is but one body If thou be not a member of the same body that all those afflicted Churches are certainely thou art no living member of any true Church And how canst thou bee a member of the same body with them if thou have no fellow-feeling of their miseries Secondly This is a singular grace of God and fruit of his spirit that may yeeld us great comfort and which the Lord highly esteemeth of and hath promised to reward when we can find our hearts affected with the miseries of the Church Thus saith the Lord Ier. 31.16 to his people that mourned for the captivity and affliction of his Church refraine thy voice from weeping and thine eyes from teares mourne not immoderatly as they that are without hope for thy worke shall bee rewarded saith the Lord he repeateth this twice in one verse for the undoubted certainty of it Certainely God will not faile to reward this as a singular good worke when hee seeth any of his people mourne in secret for the miseries of his Church I will restore comforts many comforts abundance of comfort to him saith the Lord againe Esa. 57.18 and to his mourners They that have beene partakers with the Church in her sufferings and have mourned for her shall bee partakers also with her in her comforts and none but they Now to make some application of this to our selves Alas how few are there of us to whom these comforts doe belong We heare and talke of the miseries and troubles of the Churches as of a matter that concerneth not us at all We read the Currantoes and listen after this as we do after other newes but are no more affected with it then Merchants use to be when they heare of the casting away of a ship that themselves have no share in No man abateth ought of any of his delights for this matter but we are even as senslesse in this case as if we were rather meere professed enemies to the Churches then their friends and members of the same body with them The King and Haman saith the holy story Est. 3.15 sat downe to drinke when the whole city Shuâ—shan was perplexed We drinke and quaffe we flaunt it out in all kind of bravery we run into all excesse of riot neverthelesse for this that the whole city of Shushan is perplexed that all the Churches of Christ are in so extreame distresse Our long peace and plenty the delights and pleasures of all sorts that we glut our selves withall make us void of all compassion of the miseries of our brethren Like unto those of whom we read Amos 6.6 They drinke wine in bowls and annoint themselves with the chiefe ointments and they are not grieved for the afflictions of Ioseph But marke what followeth in the next words verse 7 8. and tremble at it Therefore now shall they goe captive with the first that goe captive the Lord hath sworne by himselfe saith the Lord the God of hosts I abhorre the excellency of Iacob and hate his palaces therefore will I deliver up the city with all that is therein therefore even because they grieve not nor are affected with the afflictions of Ioseph therefore will I thus plague them In applying of this place to us I cannot say as the old translation without any warrant from the originall readeth it that no man is sorry for the affliction of Ioseph For I nothing doubt but there are in this land many and even among you some that have beene wont sometimes in secret to thinke of and grieve for the afflictions of Ioseph whose eyes with the Prophet Ier 13.17 have sometimes in secret wept sore and run downe with teares because the Lords flock is carried away captive that have sometimes abridged themselves of their lawfull delights even for this cause And blessed be God that hath put it into the heart of the King to proclaime a publique and generall fast to bee kept on fryday next for this cause principally as it hath pleased his Majesty to expresse himselfe in his royall Proclamation that we might altogether professe our sorrow and humiliation for the deplorable condition of all the Churches of Christ. But alas there be few or none in comparison that are at all affected with this matter And if we shall make a shew of keeping a fast for them and bee not at all humbled for them nor touched in heart with a fellow-feeling and griefe for their miseries we shall but play the part of hypocrites be in danger to do them no good at all and our selves much hurt by our fast No temper and disposition of the soule doth so well beseeme us in a fast as sorrow and humiliation Sorrow I say 1. For our own sins 2. For the sins of our own land 3. For the judgements of God present and imminent upon our selves 4. For the Churches of Christ whose case we are to commend to God in our prayers Remember the fearefull sentence of God against that man that shall keepe a fast without this sorrow and humiliation of soule Levit. 23.29 Whatsoever soule it be that shall not be afflicted that same day he shall be cut off from among his people Gods curse will be upon him And to keepe you from this curse to helpe both my selfe and you to this humiliation of soule upon the day of our fast I have thus enlarged my meditations in this point In the other two that remaine I must be the briefer Thirdly We ought in such times as these are not only to informe our selves by the best meanes we can how it fareth with the Churches of Christ and to mourne and grieve for their miseries but also to importune the Lord for them and never to forget them in our prayers unto God Yea that have escaped the sword saith the Lord Ier. 51.50 as blessed be God we have hitherto done stand not still be not idle but doe what you can remember the Lord afarre off and let Ierusalem come into your mind Though we be a great way from them yet may wee not forget them but remember them and put the Lord in mind of them in our prayers continually Yee that are the Lords remembrancers saith the Prophet Esay 62.6 7. For so I read it and so it is in the margine of your Bibles keepe not silence and give him no rest till hee establish and till he make Ierusalem a praise in the earth He hath for many yeares made Ierusalem his poore Churches a reproach and an hissing to the whole world we that are his remembrancers and solicitors as all the faithfull all that have the spirit of prayer are should like the importunate widow in the Gospell give him no rest till hee have established and setled his poore Churches in peace and given them beauty and glory againe even upon earth and in the sight of their enemies Thus did Nehemiah though a great man testifie his compassion of the Churches miseries Nehemiah 1.4 he sat downe and wept
all his haire and wash himselfe in water that hee may bee cleane Yea he that had but touched a dead body or but beene in the tent where any man was dead which was one of the least pollutions that one under the law could be subject unto could not be cleansed till he had washed himselfe in water He shall purifie himselfe saith the law Numb 19.19 and wash his cloathes and bath himselfe in water and shall be cleane at even No man could be purged from any legal uncleannesse were it greater or smaller unlesse hee were washed Secondly A bunch of hysope was also used for the cleansing of them that were any way defiled under the law The bloud and water whereby the Leper was to be purified must be sprinkled upon him with hysope or els it could doe him no good as you shall see Levit. 14.6 7. Yea in the least pollutions the party that was to be cleansed must have the water of separation sprinkled upon him with a bunch of hysope as you shall find Num. 19.18 19. But then it is secondly to be demanded what reason David had to beg this of God to purge him with hysope and to wash him seeiâ—g he might easily have beene thus purged and washed when he would himselfe To this I answer That he did not here beg of God the benefit and use of the outward ceremony but of that inward and spirituall grace that was signified by it These ceremonies were but shadowes and figures the substance and body of them as of our Sacraments now was Christ and his merits They are a shadow of things to come saith the Apostle Col 2.17 but the body is of Christ. The water of separation and all other waters wheâ—â—y the uncleane were purified under the law as well as that we use in baptisme now was a type and figure of the bloud of Christ which is said by the Prophet Zach. 13.1 to bee a fountaine opened to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Ierusalem to all the faithfull for sinne and for uncleannesse And the sprinkling of the water with hysope was a type and figure of the sprinkling and applying of the bloud of Christ to all them that are to have benefit by it Which is therefore called by the Apostle Heb. 12 24. The bloud of sprinkling So that when David prayeth here Purge me with hysope c. his meaning is as if he should have said thus Lord wash me from the filthinesse of my sinnes in thy sonnes bloud Lord sprinkle and apply that unto my conscience by thy holy spirit and then I shall bee cleane in thy sight yea not cleane onely but whiter then any snow But then yet a third Question remaineth Why did not David expresse his request in such plaine termes but thus darkly under the shaddow and veile of these legall ceremonies I answer That he did so out of these two respects 1. Out of the reverend esteeme he had of the ceremony it selfe because it was the ordinance of God 2. Because the remembrance and thinking of that ceremony was an helpe to his faith and made him the better able to conceive of the benefit he desired to receive by the bloud of Christ Namely that it was as water able to cleanse his soule from all her filthinesse and that before ever he could have benefit by it it must bee sprinkled upon his soule by the spirit of Christ as that water was wont by the priest to bee sprinkled upon the bodies of them that were to bee cleansed under the law The words being thus opened doe yeeld unto us sundry very profitable instructions Consider the verse first in the lump altogether and there be two things to be observed in it 1. The reverend account that David a great Prophet maketh of a small ceremony used under the law and the use he made of it the helpe he received by it by the washings and by the bunch of hysope they used in the sprinkling of them that were to be cleansed 2. That he understood the spirituall meaning of it and rested not in the outward ceremony in that which hee might receive from man but seeketh to God to doe his worke upon him and to bestow upon him that inward grace that was signified by this ceremony Secondly Consider this verse particularly in the severall branches of it and there be three other points to be observed in it 1. That the meanes whereby he desired and hoped to be cleansed from his sins was by washing him with water which signified the bloud of Christ. 2. That the meanes whereby this water this bloud of Christ was to be made effectuall to him was by the Lords sprinkling it upon him as with a bunch of hysope 3. The benefit he was assured he should receive by this washing and purging he should be cleane yea he should be whiter then the snow Of these points I will speake in order And first mark here That David a great Prophet esteemed reverently of and received helpe to his faith by a small ceremony appointed of God by the washings used under the law and the sprinkling with hysope that was then in use Which teacheth us That the outward helps that God hath appointed us in his worship yea the least ceremony or circumstance of his worship that he hath ordained seeme it in it selfe never so meane and of little worth may not be neglected but is reverently to bee esteemed of and observed by us Before I come to the proofe of the Doctrine two things I must premise to prevent the mistaking of it First These are not the chiefe things that God standeth upon or requireth at our hands Thou desirest not sacrifices saith David here verse 16. thou delightest not in burnt offering that is in comparison of other duties thou carest not for these things There are weightier matters in Gods law then these as our Saviour teacheth us Matth. 23.23 The piety of a Christian doth not consist chiefly in these outward things The kingdome of God is not meat and drinke saith the Apostle Rom. 14.17 18. about which much of the ceremoniall law is spent as the Apostle teacheth us Heb. 9.10 but righteousnesse and peace and joy in the Holy Ghost For he that in these things serveth Christ it acceptable unto God and approved of men Secondly If these outward things be performed never so constantly without the inward and spirituall worship of the heart they cannot please God nor doe us any good as we shall heare in the next Doctrine Nay they are most loathsome unto God as the body that hath beene most beautifull is unto a man when the life and soule is departed from it Incense is an abomination unto me saith the Lord Esa. 1.13 the new Moones and Sabbaths the calling of assemblies I cannot away with it is iniquitie even the solemne meeting as at your generall fasts and such like But though this be so yet is the Doctrine that
neglect any one of the rites and ceremonies of it Yea the Lord had said Numb 9.13 that he that observed not the just time that God had set for it should bee cut off from his people So dangerous a thing it is to swerve from the direction God hath given us in his Word even in the least circumstance of his worship The reasons and grounds of this Doctrine are principally two First The respect wee owe to the commandement and ordinance of God The least thing in Gods worship that hee hath appointed must not bee neglected even because hee hath ordained it Circumcision is nothing saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 7.19 and uncircumcision is nothing but the keeping of the commandements of God Though wee could see no other reason for them at all nor had any hope to receive good by them yet this is sufficient reason to move us to observe them because God in his Word hath given us direction so to doe In observing of them wee doe our homage to God and shew our obedience unto him This reason prevailed with our blessed Saviour 1. Hee received the Sacrament of circumcision in his infancy Luke 2.21 and afterward the Sacrament of baptisme too Luke 3.21 2. He submitted himselfe to the law of purification Luke 2 2â— 3. He received the Sacrament of the passeover Luke 22.15 4. He frequented the Church assemblies constantly upon the Sabbath Luke 4.16 and all upon this ground that these were Gods ordinances and hee must shew his obedience to God in all things Thus it becommeth us saith hee to Iohn Matth. 2.15 to fullfill all righteousnesse There were other purifications that were in use in that Church and much stood upon in those daies which hee made no such reckoning of though in themselves a man would have thought they had beene every whit as good as these that hee made conscience of upon this ground that they were not of Gods ordaining they were but the precepts of men Mat. 15.9 Secondly These things are ordained of God and enjoined us to observe for our owne good Keepe the commandements of the Lord and his statutes saith Moses Deut. 10.13 which I command thee this day for thy good That which is said of the Sabbath Marke 2.27 The Sabbath was made for man for mans great benefit and helpe hee could not have beene without it the same may bee said of every thing in Gods worship that hee hath ordained hee hath ordained it for our good even to further and increase the worke of his grace in our hearts And wee may confidently expect a blessing from God in observing the least thing that hee hath appointed us to use in his worship that God will give it vertue and make it effectuall to doe our soules good if wee use it aright See in three examples what vertue and force there was even in very small things that were of Gods ordaining 1. Numb 21.9 The very looking up to the brasen serpent cured all that were stung with fiery serpents 2 Iosh. 6.20 At the blowing of the trumpets of rammes hornes and shouting of the people the walls of Iericho fell downe flat to the ground 3. 2 Kings 5.14 By dipping himselfe seven times in Iordan Naaman was perfectly cured of his Leprosy See what force there was in small things that are of Gods ordaining and how undoubted a truth that is which the Apostle saith 1 Cor. 1.25 The weakenesse of God is stronger then man The ceremonies and religious observations that are of mens devising as crucifixes to pray before crossing of our selves observing of popish fasts and superstitious holydayes sprinkling with popish holy water and such like though they carry great shew of helping us in devotion yet of them all it may bee said as our Saviour said of the Iewish purifyings Matth. 15.9 they are a vaine worship there is no force nor vertue in them to further the soule one jot in true piety and devotion Yea those very things that were once Gods owne ordinances as these washings and sprinkling with hysope that David alludeth to here and such like when they grew out of date and ceased any longer to bee commanded of God even they then lost that vertue and strength that once they had and became weake and beggerly elements as the Apostle calleth them Gal. 4.9 The uses that this Doctrine serveth unto are two principally 1. For instruction 2. For exhortation For the first Two things we are to learne from this Doctrine First That wee are bound to follow the direction that God hath either by precept or example given us in his Word even in the least circumstance of his worship wee may not say that in matters of substance wee must follow precisely the direction but in matters of circumstance wee are not bound so to doe The direction that God hath given us in his Word for the least thing that is to bee done in any part of his worship may not bee neglected without great sinne and danger Admit it were but a matter of circumstance what day wee keepe our Sabbath on so we keepe one in seven as some have conceited it to bee yet because God hath given us expresse direction in his Word by the example and practise of the Apostle and of those Churches that were planted by him Acts 20.7 1 Corinthians 16.2 to keepe it on the first day of the weeke the Church may never keepe it on any other day then that See thou make all things saith the Lord to Moses as you shall find it Hebrewes 8.5 according to the patterne shewed unto thee in the mount The written Word is unto us in stead of that patterne that was shewed unto Moses in the mount In every thing wee doe about Gods tabernacle and worship wee must precisely looke unto and follow that patterne observe what hee commands Secondly This teacheth us how to judge of that imputation that is put upon many of Gods faithfull servants and that maketh them as odious in the world as any other thing doth that they are held to bee more precise then wise that they are too strict and singular in matters of small moment And surely such as are indeed more precise and singular then they ought to hee doe justly deserve to bee blamed for it And I will tell you who they bee that are so 1. Such as are strict and zealously superstitious in the observing of their owne fancies and the customes and traditions of men Such a one was Paul before his conversion exceedingly zealous of the traditions of his fathers as hee saith Galathians 1.14 Such were the Iewes that pressed with great heate and contention both Christs Disciples Marke 7 2 3. and Iohns Iohn 3.25 to observe their purifyings 2. Such as seeme to bee very precise in smaller things as in matters of ceremony and some outward observations which indeed God requireth them to make conscience of but make no conscience of the weightier points of Gods law This precisenesse our
unlesse he understand what I say as the Apostle teacheth 1 Cor. 14.16 so neither can I have confideâ—ce to receive any good by mine own prayer unlesse I know I pray according to Gods will as the Apostle saith 1 Iohn 5.14 Therefore hearing is the first duty that is injoined to them that goe into Gods house When thou goest into Gods house saith Solomon Eccl. 5.1 bee more ready to heare then to give the sacrifice of fooles As though he should have said All our prayers and other services we doe to God in his house are but the sacrifice of fooles till we have first by hearing beene instructed how to doe them according to Gods will For God hath no pleasure in fooles as he there saith verse â— hee taketh no pleasure in the prayers or other services that fooles and ignorant sots doe offer unto him Fiftly Our singing of Psalmes pleaseth not God nor can doe us any good unlesse we endeavour to understand what we sing Sing ye praises with understanding saith â—â—avâ—â— Psal 47.7 Sixtly and lastly No man can please God in taking of an oath which is also a part of Gods worship and a duty iâ—joined in the first table but he onely that can doe it with understanding Thou shalt swear in truth in judgement and in righteousnesse saith the Lord Ier. 4 2. As if he should say Though it be never so true that any man sweareth though the oath be taken in righteousnesse and no man wronged by it 〈◊〉 if it be not taken also iâ— judgement with good advisednesse and understanding it is an unlawfull oath Therefore in one of the best oathes that ever was taken wherein men women and children did bind themselves to walke in Gods law Nehemiah 10 28 29. there was care taken that this holy and necessary oath should yet be taken onely of every one having knowledge and having understanding You see then in all these particulars that we must labour to understand what we do in every part of Gods service and that no ordinance of God will do us any good unlesse we use it with understanding The reason of this first branch of the Doctrine is this That as God is a spirit and therefore delighteth in that service that is spirituall The true worâ—â—ippers shall worship the father in spirit and in truth saith our Saviour Ioâ— 4 23 for the father seeketh such to worship him he longeth for such worshippers as worship him with feeling and affection and they that doe not so worship him not in truth are no better then hypocrites So is it not possible to serve God spiritually and with feeling in any part of his worship if wee doe not understand what we doe in it For the devotion and good affections that grow not from knowledge are vaine and of no worth in the sight of God Knowledge is the root and foundation of all holy affections This I pray saith the Apostle Phil. 1 9. that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgement And this shall suffice to have beene spoken of the first branch of the Doctrine David did understand the meaning of the ceremoniall worship and so must we labour to understand what we do in Gods service Now wee must proceed to the second branch of the doctrine and for the plaine and distinct handling of it we must observe these foure things First Every part of Gods worship is spirituall and there is in it both an outward and bodily action done by man and an inward and spirituall worke that is done by the Lord himselfe In these purifications that David here alludeth to man did wash the body and sprinkle with hysope the water blood upon it for the legall purging and cleansing of it and God did wash the soule in the bloud of Christ and sprinkle it upon the consciences of his people So in circumcision man did cut of the fore-skin of the flesh and God did circumcise the heart Deut. 30.6 In baptisme Iohn baptized the body with water as hee saith Matth. 3.11 and God himselfe baptized the soule with the holy Ghost So in the ministery of the word man speaketh to the eare and outward man and God openeth the heart to attend unto that that is taught and beleeve it as we see in the example of Lydia Acts 16.14 Lastly In prayer man worketh and God worketh too The spirit it selfe maketh intercession for us as the Apostle speaketh Rom. 8.26 Secondly The Lord hath bound himselfe by promise to his people that hee will thus accompany his owne ordinances and worke with them in their hearts God will worke with us in every part of his worship he will doe his part if we doe ours This promise God made concerning that worship of his which he ordained under the law Exod. 20.24 In all places where I record my name where I establish my publique worship I will come unto thee and I will blesse thee saith the Lord to his people And this promise he hath likewise made concerning his worship under the Gospell Matth. 28.19 20. Goe and teach all nations baptizing them c. preach my word administer my sacraments and loe I am with you alwayes even unto the end of the world Where men do their parts in the use of any of his ordinances God will not faile to doe his part also Thirdly Whatsoever man can do in Gods worship is nothing worth unlesse God worke with it All the outward parts of Gods worship are indeed great helps to us and the least of them as we heard the last day may not be neglected by us for they are the meanes and instruments that God hath sanctified and appointed to worke by in our hearts But if God withdraw his hand and refuse to worke by them they can do us no good at all no more then the best toole that is in the world can if the workemâ—n doe not put to his hand I have planted saith Paul 1 Cor. 3.6 7. and Apollo watered but God gave the increase so then neither is he that planted any thing neither he that watered but God that giveth the increase And verse 9. Wee are labourers together with God ye are Gods husbandry ye are Gods building And that which the Prophet speaketh of the materiall building Psalme 127.1 may much more truly be said in this case Except the Lord build the house they labour in vaine that build it All that the best man can do in Gods worship is nothing worth unlesse God do his part if he worke not with him The inward vertue and power that God by his blessing and worke doth give unto it is the very life and soule of every part of Gods worship without it it is no better then a dead and loathsome carkasse The kingdome of God saith the Apostle speaking of preaching a chiefe part of Gods outward worship 1 Cor. 5 20 is not in word but in power As if he had said That is the right
one of us take heed wee bee not found among them in that day whom Christ shall so disclaime Thirdly Know that those generall speaches of holy Scripture touching the large extent of the merit of Christs death which thou buildest so much upon and which the Holy Ghost to a singular purpose is pleased to use for the comfort of Gods elect are in many other places in a speciall manner appropriated to a certaine choise and peculiar people For the transgression of my people was hee smitten saith the Lord himselfe Esa. 53.8 And this Church and people of God for whom Christ in a speciall manner was stricken to whom his death is effectuall is not the common field the vast wildernesse of this wide world but Gods severall and peculiar plot of ground A garden enclosed is my sister my Spouse saith our Saviour Cant. 4.12 a spring shut up a fountaine sealed And thus did our blessed Saviour himselfe who best knew who should have benefit by him professe I lay downe my life for the sheepe saith he Ioh. 10.15 And Iohn 17 9. I pray for them that thou hast given me for they are thine And for this cause doth the Church admire and magnifie the love of Christ toward them in their solemne song of thankesgiving Revel 5 9. Thou hast redeemed us to God by thy bloud out of every kindred and tongue and people and nation See an universall grace see how universall a redemption Christ hath made thou hast redeemed say they by thy bloud us out of every kinred and tongue and people and nation Fourthly and lastly Know that the number of this peculiar people that shall have benefit by Christ and whose peace he hath made with God is very small is nothing if it be compared with the number of them that shall have no benefit by him We know that we are of God saith the Apostle 1 Iohn 5.19 and that the whole world lieth in wickednesse The whole world in a manner lyeth in wickednesse and shall perish in their sins few or 〈◊〉 in comparison shall have benefit by Christ. O therefore beloved be not deceived or made secure any longer with this vaine conceit that because Christ died for the world therefore that Christ hath payed every mans sâ—orâ— â—atâ—fied Gods justice for every mans sin But seeing there be very few in comparison that hee hath in speciall undertaken for let thou and I labour to know that we are some of those few of that small number of that remnant 〈◊〉 hee hath answered for And to that end I will shew you out of Gods Word which is the second thing I promised to handle for the enforcing of this exhortation the signes and notes whereby we may know this and not be deceived in it One signe and note the Holy Ghost hath given us to know this by Hereby we know saith the Apostle 1 Iohn 4.13 that we dwell in him and he in us that he is ours and we have good title unto him because he hath 〈◊〉 us of his spirit If thou canst find that the spirit of Christ dwelleth in thee and thou art guided by it thou maist be sure that Christ is thine But if thou have nothing in thee but nature be it never so good a nature thou canst not say thou hast any part in Christ. If any man hath not the Spirit of Christ saith the Apostle Rom. 8.9 He is none of his But this signe is somwhat too generall I will therefore give you foure particular effects and fruits of this Spirit of Christ wherby you may judge of this First They that are Christs saith the Apostle Gal. 5.24 have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts If any â—inne raigne in thee and thou obeyest it in the lusts thereof nay if thou do not make conscience even of thy evill affections and passions and desires if they be not grievous to thee if they never trouble thee certainly thou canst not say that thou art Christs that thou art one of them that he did undertake for Secondly If any man be in Christ saith the Apostle 2 Cor. 5.17 he is a new â—rrature old things are past away behold all things are become new If there be no change wrought in thee by Gods Spirit in thy mind in thy affections in thy words in thy company in thy whole conversation but thou art the same that ever thou wast if not worse certainly thou canst not say that thou hast any part in Christ. Thirdly Christ became the author of eternall salvation saith the Apostle Hebr. 5.9 to all them that obey him Till thou canst bee content to take Christs yoke upon thee and resolve with thy selfe willingly to obey him in all his commandements so long as thou bearest this mind that thou wilt beare no yoke thou wilt be a free man thou wilt live as thou liftest Christ shall serve thy turne but thou wilt not serve him thou sayst all that he did and suffered was to save thee but thou wilt neither suffer nor do any thing to honour him certainly thou canst not say He is become an author of eternall salvation unto thee Fourthly and lastly I will powre upon them saith our Saviour Zachar. 12.10 the spirit of grace and of supplications and they shall looke upon mee whom they have pierced and then they shall mourne and be in bitternesse If the knowledge of this that Christ died for thee keepe thee from being troubled at all in thy mind for any of thy sinnes nay if thou have not felt more hearts griefe and bitternesse in thy soule for thy sinnes and canst more heartily sue to God for the pardon of them since thou didst believe in Christ than ever thou didst before certainly it was never the Spirit of grace but thy owne foolish fancy that hath perswaded thee that Christ was pierced for thy sinnes or that thou hast any thing to doe with the merits of his passion O thinke of these things beloved and suffer not thy heart to bee any longer deluded in this matter that so much concerneth thee but by these notes examine thine owne heart and labour to bee assured upon good grounds that thou art Christs so as when thou shalt appeare before him either at the houre of thy death or at the dreadfull day of judgement he may not renounce thee And if thou canst not find that thy title to Christ is so good as thou thoughâ—st it had beene and wouldest faine mend it I will shew you how that must be done which is the third and last thing I promised to doe for the inforcing of this exhortation I will not now speake of the outward Meanes whereby God hath ordained to bring his people unto faith that is to say the word and prayer I will speak onely of three things whereby every mans heart must be prepared to receive Christ and without which hee shall never be able to know Christ to bee his though he use the outward meanes of the
word and prayer never so long First He that would know indeed that Christ is his and undertooke for his sinnes must be able to desire and long after Christ more than after any thing in the world besides and be able to say in truth of heart to him as the Prophet speaketh Psal. 42.1 2. As the hart panteth after the water-brookes so panteth my soule after thee O God my soule thirsteth for God And as the Church Esa. 26.9 With my soule have I desired thee in the night yea with my spirit within we will I seek thee early Such as these are Christ inviteth and biddeth come and welcome and take their part in him and all his merits Esa. 55.1 Ho every one that thirsteth come ye to the waters Vpon such as these he hath promised to bestow himselfe and all his merits Rev. 21.6 I will give to him that is a thirst of the fountaine of the water of life freely But so long as thou desirest many other things as much as Christ or more than Christ thou shalt never have sound assurance that Christ is thine that he hath undertaken for thy sinnes Secondly He that would faine know indeed that Christ is his and hath made his peace with God must shew the truth of this his desire and longing after Christ by being content to buy and purchase him by parting with whatsoever is dearest to him in the world rather than he would want him Come buy and eat saith our Saviour in that gracious invitation I told you of Esa. 55.1 and he repeateth it againe and saith yea come buy wine and milke and so he speaketh againe Revel 3.18 I counsell thee to buy of me gold and raiment and eye-salve Nothing will be had of him but it must be bought And what must we pay for it Surely all that we have as you may see in the Parable of the wise merchant Math. 13.46 When he had found one pearlâ— of great price he went and sold all that hee had and bought it And in the example of blessed Paul For him saith he Philip 3.8 I have suffered the losse of all things and do count them but dung that I may win Christ. Why Paul Couldst not thou have won Christ unlesse thou hadst suffered the losse of all things No verily saith he unlesse I had counted all things but as dung in comparison of Christ and had beene willing to lose all rather than him I could never have wonne him Hee that loveth father or mother saith our Saviour Matthew 10.37 more than mee if not worthy of mee And hee that loveth sonne or daughter more than mee is not worthy of mee Of thee then that saist Christ is thine let mee aske this one question I pray thee what did hee cost thee What payedst thou for him What didst thou ever part with that was deare unto thee that thou mightest win him Sure I am thou must buy him before thou hast him or els thou never camest honestly by him thou canst have no just title to him And to thee that complainest thou hast no assurance that Christ is thine I say and what marvell is there in that Thou that wilt part with nothing that is deare unto thee for his sake with no one of thy lusts with nothing that may yeeld thee either profit or credit or pleasure Nay that art willing with Iudas to sell Christ for a little credit or profit or pleasure in the world what hope canst thou have to win Christ or ever to have any sound comfort in him Thirdly and lastly No man can desire and thirst after Christ more than after any other thing in the world much lesse be willing to purchase him at such a rate as you have heard and consequently no man can have any sound assurance that Christ is his till he feele the burden of his sinnes and know himselfe to bee in a damnable and desperate state without him Till wee can apprehend our owne extreame danger as the Disciples did when they were at the very point of drowning and cry as they did Matth. 8.25 Lord save us we perish These are they whom Christ inviteth and promiseth to refresh Math. 11.28 even such as are ready to faint and sink in despaire through the intolerable burden of their sinnes Yea he professeth none els shall have benefit by him but such onely I am not come to call the righteous but sinners saith he Mat. 9 13. and whom he meaneth by sinners he had expressed Verse 12. such as are even sicke and pained at the heart for their sinnes Certainly no man is so fit to receive comfort from Christ as he that is most deepely humbled in the sense of his owne unworthinesse and is even apt to judge himselfe unworthy of mercy and to say to God as Mephibosheth did to David 2 Sam. 9.8 What is thy servant that thou shouldest looke upon such a dead dog as I am Three notable examples we have to prove this The one of the Centurion Matth. 8.8 that judged himselfe unworthy that Christ should come under his roofe The second of the woman that had the bloudy issue who judged her selfe unworthy to aske helpe of Christ Luke 8.44.47 but came stealing behind him in the throng to touch but the border of his garment and when she found her selfe discovered came trembling and fell downe before him The third of the woman of Canaan Matth. 15.27 who judged her selfe to be no better than one of the dogs which eat of the crummes that fall from their masters table Alas then so long as thou remainest so heart-whole and art never sicke of thy sinnes never pained or troubled with them thou canst run and skip and dance with thy sinnes on thy backe and feelest them to be no burden at all unto thee how shouldest thou ever come to a sound and comfortable assurance that Christ is thine And thus have I finished this use of exhortation and should now come to that of comfort which is the third use I promised to make of this Doctrine But I must be your debter for that till I come to the next Doctrine whereof I shall have every whit as fit occasion to handle that Vse Lecture CXXI On Psalme 51.7 Iune 23. 1629. WE have already heard that in this petition of David that God would purge and wash him from his sinnes which is the first part of this Verse two things are to be observed 1. The matter the thing that he desired to be purged and washed with that is to say the bloud of Christ which was represented and signified by all that water and bloud that was used under the Law for the purifying of them that were legally uncleane 2. The manner how he desired to be purged and cleansed with it Purge me with hysop saith he The former of these two points we finished the last day and now it followeth that we proceed unto the latter of them And that we may the better receive the instruction that the
of a scorpion when he stingeth a manâ— so intolerable as men shall seeke death and shall not find it shall desire to dye and death shall flyâ— from them Marke but foure Doctrines which they teach and this will be evident unto you 1. Their Doctrine of justification that a man must be justified in Gods sight by a righteousnesse inherent in himselfe and by his good workes a broken reed God knoweth for a weary and fainting soule to rest upon 2 Their Doctrine of purgatory that when men dye there is a fire prepared for them in purgatory that their soules must goe to and remaine in no man knoweth how many hundred yeares which fire is no lesse painful intolerable then the fire of hell is 3. Their Doctrine of doubting that no man can be in this life certain that he is in the state of grace hope well he may but sure he can never be that his sins are so forgiven that they shal never be laid to his charge againe he must be in doubt continually nay it is sin and blasphemy say they for any man to say he is certain of his salvation 4. Lastly Their Doctrine of saving justifying faith that it is nothing but a perswasion of the mind that whatsoever God hath revealed is undoubtedly true which we have learned out of the Apostle is in the devils themselves That speciall faith that applyeth Christ and his merits particularly to every beleever that hath in it an affiance of the heart a resting upon Christ for a mans owne salvation this bloud of sprinkling that you have now heard of that they disdaine and scoffe at and persecute as vaine presumption Alas how can these poore wretches that receive these teachers that beleeve these Doctrines have any comfort in death How can they chuse but be then in intolerable terrour and torment of conscience certainly many Papists are so and all would bee were it not that they are made drunke with a wine of spirituall fornication which the whoore of Babylon hath made them to drink of as the spirit of God in Rev. 17. â— hath fore-told it should be And who would wonder to see senslesnesse and stupidity in a drunken man O therefore beloved 1. Pity your friends and kinsmen that are seduced by these wretched teachers do what you can to reclame them 2. Consider how small cause there is that we have so long enjoyed professed the Gospel which is the only way of peace as Zachary calleth it Lu. 1.79 And of which the Lord hath so oft spoken by his spirit to our hearts as he did Esa. 28.12 This is the rest wherwith yâ— mâ—y cause the wâ—ary to rest this is the refreshing As if he had said this is the Doctrine wherin the weariest faintest and most afflicted soule may find rest and refreshing How small cause is there I say that wee should now grow weary of the Gospel entertaine thoughts with those rebels Num. 14.4 of returning into that Egypt againe that house of bondage Exod. 13.3 where no true rest or comfort is to be found for the conscience Nay consider 3. how just cause of feare we have lest the Lord because we have lost our first love to him his blessed Gospel will remove our candlesticke deprive us of it as he threatneth Ephesus Rev. 2.4 5. And take heed we grow not weary of him as he chargeth Israel Esa. 43.22 and loath his Gospel lest he loath us and grow weary of us and spew us out as he threatneth the Laodiceaus that had lost their zeale Rev. 3.16 And let us take heed of doting upon antichrist his altars and his images his apish ceremonies or any part of his damnable doctrines left the Lord let antichrist enter and prevaile againe in this land that we may know by wofull experience the difference of his service the service of Christ the difference betweene popery and the Gospell as the Lord threatned his people 2. Chr. 1â— 8 The second use that this Doctrine serveth unto is to exhort us that seeing none can have comfort in the blood of Christ till it be sprinkled upon him and applyed to him till the spirit of God have made him to know it belongeth unto him that therfore every one of us would labour to find that it is so with himselfe that we would give no rest to our selves till wee find we have our part in this blood of sprinkling till the spirit of God have applyed it unto us assured us that it all the vertue and merit of it belongeth unto us O beloved 1. Content not thy selfe to know that God loveth thee so far as he giveth thee life and health he letteth thee live in peace and wealth and credit here alas hee loved Cain and Dives and many more that now fry in hell so far but labour to know that he loved thee so farre as that he gave his sonne to dye for thee let no fruit of Gods love so satisfie thee but that In this was manifested the love of God towards us saith the Apostle 1 Ioh 4 9 10. because that God sent his only begotten son into the world that wee might live through him herein is love No fruit of Gods love is worth the having is worth the speaking of in comparison of this Neither content thy selfe to know this in generall that God so loved the world that he gave his Sonne to redeeme all that can beleeve in him but labour to know in particular that which Paul knew Gal. 2.20 that he loved thee and gave himselfe for thee 3. Neither content thy selfe to thinke and hope well that Christ died for thee Go not by thinking in this case but make this sure to thy heart upon good grounds Give diligence to make thy calling and election sure saith the Apostle 2 Pet. 1.10 Neither 4 content thy selfe to say carelesly though not yet sure of this I hope I shall be before I die I hope God will purge mee with hysope one day and sprinkle this bloud of his Son upon my heart but labour speedily and without delay to get this assurance and cry with the Church unto God Psal. 90.14 O satisfie us early with thy mercy that wee may rejoyce and be glad all our daies But to inforce this so necessary an exhortation both upon my selfe and you I will 1 give you some Motives to perswade you to seeke this assurance 2 I will give you some signes whereby you may discerne whether you have yet obtained it or no. 3 I will shew the meanes that must be used for the attaining to it And for Motives I will give you but two the one taken from the possibility of attaining in this life to this assurance and the other from the necessity and benefit of it For the first Know this beloved that though 1 It be a very difficult thing to get this assurance and few attaine to it 2 They that have attained
bond-slaves that is to say To them that by the spirit of bondage are troubled with feares and terrours in their hearts And as he useth not to sprinkle Christs bloud upon any heart that was not first troubled with these feares and terrours so they whom he hath thus besprinkled are never perfectly freed from these doubts while they live here The flesh lusteth against the spirit as the Apostle speaketh Gal. 5.17 And they have in them a combat oft times betweene faith and infidelity The spirits indeed of just men that are translated into heaven are made perfect as the Apostle teacheth us Heb. 12.23 But the regeneration of the justest man while he is upon earth is not so perfected but that even after the spirit of God hath sprinkled the bloud of Christ upon him and given him a comfortable assurance of Gods speciall love to him in Christ yet there will be doubting and infidelity remaining in him still Yea hee is subject also oft to such spirituall desertions that he looseth the sense of his assurance and is visited ever and anon with his old feares and terrours and troubled with them againe David was so when he cryed Psal. â—2 1 that God had forsaken him And Heman was so when he complained Psal. 88.15 that by suffering these terrâ—urs he was even distracted And Paul was so when he said 2 Cor. 7.5 Without were fightings that is strong and violent oppositions of persecuters and hereticks and within were feares through the doubting and infidelity that he found in his own heart Finally the Church the deare Spouse of Christ was so more then once when Cant. 3.1 She sought him whom hee soule loved she sought him but she found him not and againe when Cant 5.6 Her beloved had with drawne himselfe shee sought him but shee could not find him Let us then make application of this and try our assurance by this first note Many men there bee that never doubted of their salvation in their lives were never acquainted with these feares and terrours that you have heard of They are and ever were most confident that God is their God they are in his favour they wonder to see many Christians so full of doubts and feares this way and are apt to conclude from thence that certainely they are hypocrites and guilty of some grosse sinnes according to that complaint of Iob 12.5 Hee that is ready to slip with his feet is as a lamp despised in the thought of him that is at ease To such men I may fitly say of their freedome from all doubtings and feares as the Apostle speaketh to them that are free from all affliction Hebrewes 12 8. If yee bee and ever have beene without doubtings and feares whereof all are partakers thou are yee bastards and not sonnes If thy assurance of thy salvation was bred and borne with thee and thou wert never without it if it bee so perfect that thou hast no doubts no motions of infidelity this way then thou hast just cause to judge thy assurance not of Gods making it is but a counterfait assurance and a very delusion of the divell and I will apply to thee that saying of Eliphaz Iob 15.31 Let not him that is deceived trust in vanity for vanity shall be his recompence Secondly By the grounds upon which our assurance is built wee may judge whether it be sound or no. That assurance of Gods favour which the spirit of God worketh in any heart as it is wrought by the Word so it is grounded onely upon the most sure and infallible testimony of Gods holy Word The testimony that a false and erronious spirit giveth is to bee discerned from that which the spirit of God giveth by this note If they speake not according to this Word saith the Lord Esay 8.20 it is because there is no light in them Whatsoever is wrought in us by Gods spirit is agreeable to Gods Word The spirit and the Word goe alwaies together My spirit which is upon thee and my words which I have put into thy mouth saith the Lord Esa. 59.21 shall not depart out of thy mouth nor out of the mouth of thy seed So that that assurance of Gods favour that is wrought in any heart by the spirit of God is grounded upon the Word of God onely In which respect the Apostle calleth it the Word of faith Romanes 10 8 because all true faith is grounded upon it and upon it alone I trust in thy Word saith David Psalme 119.42 As if hee had said Vpon that doe I build that confidence that I have in thy mercy The Papists tell us that no man can bee sure certitudine fidei with the assurance of faith of his owne particular estate of grace Because faith must have the Word to ground it selfe upon and no particular man hath any Word of God to assure him that hee is in Christ. And indeed if this were true that they doe assume that no particular man hath any Word of God to assure him that he is in Gods favour their argument were unanswerable But blessed be God that every true Christian hath Gods expresse Word to assure him in particular that he is in the state of salvation I cannot now stand upon all those grounds that he hath in the word to build this assurance upon I will mention but foure onely First The Scripture expresly saith that whosoever hath truly repented and leadeth a new life how lewd soever he was before he shall certainly be saved If the wicked will turne from all his sinnes that he hath committed saith the Lord Ezek. 18.21 and keepe all my statutes and do that which is lawfull and right he shall surely live he shall not die Secondly the Scripture expresly speaketh that whosoever loveth the Lord obeyeth and serveth him out of love shall certainly be saved If any man love God saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 8.3 the same is knowne that is approved and beloved of him Thirdly the Scripture expresly saith that whosoever loveth the godly because they are godly shall certainly be saved Hereby we know that we are of the truth â—aith the Apostle 1 Ioh. 3.19 and shall assure our hearts before him Fourthly and lastly The Scripture expresly saith that whosoever with an humbled soule that despaireth of all helpe by any other meanes believeth and putteth his affiance in Christ alone resteth and relyeth wholly upon him shall certainly be saved Whosoever belieueth in him saith our Saviour Iohn 3.16 shall not perish but have everlasting life Two things I know are objected against this First That these are generall speeches and here is no word of God brought to assure such and such a particular of his personall estate I answer That because these speeches are so generall therefore every particular man that findeth himselfe thus qualified may assure himselfe even by the certainty of faith that he shall be saved as verily as if God should have said to him by name as once Christ did
things have I spokâ—n unto you saith our Saviour Ioh. 15.11 that my joy might remaine in you and that your joy maybeful These things write we unto you saith the Apostle 1 Iob. 1.4 that your joy maybefull The spirit of God you see did indite and write the holy Scripture to this end principally to comfort his people to work in their hearts sound joy and comfort And consequently to work in them assurance of his favour For how can a man have any sound joy or comfort in him without that Therfore also it is expressely said that the Scripture was written to work this assurance in us So after the wisedome of God had spoken other things in the commendation of the Word Pro. 22. he addeth ver 19 20. That thy trust may be in the Lord I have made knowne unto thee this day even unto thee Have not I written unto thee excellent things in counsels and knowledge The excellent things that are written and made knowne to us in the Word are written and made knowne to us to this end principally that we might learne to put our trust and affiance in him and grow confident of his favour These things have I written unto you saith the Apostle 1 Ioh. 5.13 that beleeve in the name of the Son of God that ye may know ye have eternall life And if it were intended writteÌ„ for that purpose by the spirit of God certainly in it and by it this comfortable assurance may be found by Gods people if the fault be not in themselves So is this said to be the maine end for which God ordained the preaching and ministery of his Word even to work in Gods people the assurance of Gods favour Thou child shalt be called the Prophet of the highest saith Zachary of his son Iohn Luk. 1.76 77 to give knowledge of salvation unto his people by the remission of their sins So when God had promised Esa. 57.18 that he would restore comfort to Iacob and to his mourners that is to his people that had lost the comfortable assurance of his favour he telleth them in the next words ver 19 by what meanes hee would doe it even by the ministery and preaching of his Word I create the fruit of the lips peace peace to him that is far off and to him that is neere saith the Lord and I will heale him God hath promised you see to worke by the ministery of the Word uttered and applied by the lively voice of his servants which is therefore called the fruit of the lips peace peace that is abundance of peace and comfort in the hearts of his people and to heale all that anguish of heart which the doubting of his favour did worke in them before The second thing which I told you may give a Christian hope to find comfort and assurance of Gods favour by a diligent and conscionable attendance upon this Ordinance is this That the Lord hath promised that his holy Spirit shall accompany his Word in the hearts of his people When they read his Word the Spirit of God that inspired and indited it shall open and apply it unto them when his servants do teach them in the ministry thereof the Lord himselfe will by his Spirit teach and perswade them likewise This promise of God you shall find set downe Esa. 59.21 This is my covenant with them with my people and Church saith he my spirit that is upon thee and my words which I have put in thy mouth shall not depart out of thy mouth nor out of the mouth of thy seed nor out of the mouth of thy seeds seed saith the Lord from henceforth and for ever Observe three things in this promise 1. That the Lord promiseth and to add strength to the promise it is said this is his covenant with his people and in this one Verse it is twice repeated that the Lord said this that his Word shall never depart from his Church his Church shall be the pillar and ground of truth as the Apostle calleth it 1 Tim. 3.15 Every fundamentall truth the knowledge whereof is necessary unto salvation shall abide in it for ever The true Church shall never in any age of the world be without it 2. That this word shall bee ever in the mouth of Gods people the Church shall never utterly want the Ministery of the Word it shall never want preachers and publishers of the Word 3. That the Spirit of God in the true Church shall ever goe with the Word yea with the Ministery of the Word it shall bee in the mouth of Gods servants and Ministers according to that which our Saviour promiseth to his Apostles and successours Matthew 28.20 Lâ—â— I am with you alwayes even unto the end of the world So that the humbled Christian that would faine bee assured of Gods favour in Christ and goeth to this Ordinance of God to that end that he may bee so may confidently expect to bee taught of God in it and that the Spirit the Comforter will by it sprinkle the bloud of Christ upon his heart and give him a comfortable assurance that it was shed for him according to that which the Spirit speaketh to the Church Esa. 54.13 All thy children shall be taught of the Lord and great shall bee the peace of thy children Yea the Lord hath further promised that whatsoever any of his Ministers shall speake to his people for their comfort by warrant of his Word hee will ratifie it in heaven and make it good to their soules He confirmeth the word of his servants saith the Prophet Esa. 44.26 and performeth the counsell of his messengers Verily verily I say unto you saith our Saviour Matthew 18.18 Whatsoever yee shall loose upon earth shall bee loosed in heaven Whosoever you shall assure by the warrant of my Word that their sinnes are forgiven that they are in the state of grace I will from heaven assure their hearts of it by my holy Spirit Now to make some application of this I know well the experience of these times maketh much against this The Word read and preached both is unto most men a matter of meere ceremony and formality of no more force and virtue than the ceremonies of Moses were after they were antiquated which the Apostle calleth Galat. 4.9 Weake and beggarly rudiments They cannot find that the Spirit doth accompany the Word in their reading or hearing of it but it is unto them as a dead letter they feele no life or power in it at all Yea many a good soule is apt to object I have been a constant reader and hearer of the Word a long time but can get no comfort no assurance by it To both these I answer that this fault and defect must be imputed not unto the Word but unto our owne sinnes God hath promised that his Spirit shall accompany his Word in the hearts of his people and the cause why we find them not go together is this that our
righteousnesse shall bee peace saith the Prophet Esay 32.17 and the effect of righteousnesse quietnesse and assurance for ever As if hee had said A righteous and godly life will certainely worke peace in the heart and no marvell for it will worke assurance of Gods favour yea assurance for ever a constant assurance of it an assurance that wee shall have it for ever and shall never loose it In the feare of the Lord saith Solomon Pro. 14.26 is strong confidence As if he should say Feare God be carefull not to offend him in any thing and thou shalt be confident of his favour yea strongly confident of it Yea this care to please God in all our wayes and feare to offend him will preserve in the heart of a man the assurance of Gods favour even in the time of the greatest tryall and tentations that hee can fall into Whosoever heareth these sayings of mine and doth them saith our Saviour Matth 7.24.25 whosoever hee bee that is not a hearer of the word only but maketh conscience to practise whatsoever he heareth I will liken him unto a wiseman that built his house upon a rocke and the raine descended and the winds blew end the flouds beat upon that house and it fell not because it was founded upon a rocke In which respect the Apostle 1 Tim. 6.19 calleth good workes a good foundation for the time to come whereupon men may lay hold upon eternall life As if he should have said A man may in the time to come that is in the time of sicknesse and triall build a well grounded assurance of eternall life even upon them I know well that experience seemeth to make much against this Many that are most carefull to please God in all their wayes and fearefull to offend him are of all other people in most doubt of their salvation are furthest off from confident assurance of it And on the other side they that live most licentiously are of all men freest from these doubts most confident of Gods love and of their owne salvation But to this I answer Let God be true and every mâ—n a lyâ—r Rom. 3.4 Certainly a constant care to please God in all our wayes will bring us to a comfortable assurance of Gods favour sooner or later in one measure and degree or other and without this it is not possible to â—â—taine unto it Two things there bee that may undoubtedly assure us of this 1. The promise of God that cannot lye 2. The nature of God First See what rich and precious promises we have from God concerning this To him that ordereth his conversation aright saith the Lord. Psal. 50.23 will I shew the salvation of God As if he had said I will cause him to see and know that he shall be saved And againe Mal. 4.2 To you that feare my name shall the sunne of righteousnesse arise with healing in his wings To every soule among you that truly feareth God I may boldly say that though it bee night with thee now thou seest no light no comfort thou art continually disguiâ—ted with feares and doubts of thy salvation yet certainly the sunne of righteousnesse will arise upon thee one day with healing in his wings thou shalt see the comfortable light of Gods countenance and have a sweet and full assurance of his favour Light is sowen for the righteous as the Prophet speaketh Psal. 97.11 and gladnesse for the upright in heart There is not a soule that unfeinedly feareth God but he hath in him the seed of true comfort and assurance and he shall certainly one day both see it spring and tast of the fruit of it If ye love me keep my commandements saith our Saviour Iohn 14. â—5 16. and I will pray the father â—nd hee shall give you another comforter that hee may abide with you for ever If any man keepe his commandements keepe them Evangelically that is out of love to God endeavour to keepe them let him not doubt of comfort certainly the comforter will come vnto that man and abide with him for ever But you will say When will the comforter come I have long desired to feare God and endeavoured to please him yet could I never attaine to this comfort hitherto I answer Doe so still and the comforter will certainly come For Christ whom his father alwayes heareth Iohn 11.42 hath prayed that it may be so Yea it will not be long too Yet a little while saith the Apostle Heb 10.37 and he that shall come will come and will not tary And for this also we have a promise Psalme 8â— 8 9. For when the Prophet had said God will speake peace unto his people and to his Saints God will certainly speake peace to the heart of every godly man he addeth Surely his salvation is nigh unto them that feare him As if hee had said Certainely it will not bee long before God giveth to every soule that truly feareth him a comfortable assurance of his favour though he doe delay it for a time surely hee will doe it ere long The second evidence for this is from the nature of God It must needs bee so for The righteous Lord loveth righteousnesse saith David Psal 11.7 his countenance doth behold the upright And Prov. 15.9 The Lord loveth him that followeth after righteousnesse Hee must needs have the love and favour of the holy God that leadeth an holy life Thus speaketh our blessed Saviour Iohn 14.21 He that hath my commandements and keepeth them is hee that loveth me And hee that loveth me shall bee beloved of my father and I will love him and will manifest my selfe unto him As if he should say As I and my father both cannot but love him that out of love to me maketh conscience of all my commandements so he shall know it and feele it and hide the assurance of it in himselfe I will manifest my selfe unto him saith he On the other side It is not possible for any man to have true assurance of his salvation and of Gods favour that doth not feare God and is not carefull in all his wayes to please him And certainely the want of assurance that is in any of us is chiefly to be imputed unto this that wee have not beene so fearefull to offend God so carefull to please him as we ought to have bene I speake not onely of such as are wicked men There is no peace saith my God to the wicked Esay 57.21 that is no true and sound peace But I speake of Gods dearest children Let a man that hath the strongest faith the most comfortable assurance of Gods favour once give himselfe liberty unto any grosse sin though hee loose not his faith utterly thereby Christ prayed for Peter that his faith should not faile in that his most fearefull fall Luk 22 3â— and the same prayer that hee made for Peter he made for all that truly beleeve in his name as you may read Iohn 17.20 yet shall that man
as the Holy Ghost witnesseth Mar. 6 5. how can I ever hope to obtaine mercy and assurance of favour from God this way To this I answer First Thou maist notwithstanding thine infidelity so long as the infidelity that is in thee raigneth not but thou discernest bewailest and strivest against it David had doubting and feare and infidelity in him when he cryed Psal. 13.1 How long wilt thou forget me O Lord For ever How long wilt thou hide thy face from me And yet even then he trusted in Gods mercy and hoped to recover assurance of his favour that way as appeareth by his words in the fift verse And when I am afraid saith he Psal. 56 â— when I am disquieted with feares and doubts of any kind I will trust in thee So Psal. 143.7 8. he professeth that when his spirit faâ—led when his spirit was overwhelmed and his heart within him was desolate as he had said before Verse 4. and consequently when he had much infidelity in him yet even then he did trust in God anâ— lifted up his soule unto him And was not the poore woman that had the bloudy issue Luke 8.47 troubled much with doubts and feares and infidelity when yet notwithstanding she did trust and looke to receive mercy and helpe through the free goodnesse of God in Christ. Secondly Though thou feele thy selfe never so unable through thy infidelity to cast thy selfe upon the free grace and mercy of God in Christ yet if thou can bewaile and be soundly humbled for thy infidelity God will make thee able to do it For he hath promised to give grace even this as well as any other to the humble Iam. 4.6 He will keep thee from sinking under and being overcome of thy infidelity And Gods people have never found him readier to shew them mercy this way that when they have felt most weakenesse and infidelity in themselves When the Apostle had been pressed out of measure above his strength as he speaketh 2 Cor. 1.8 9 and had the sentence of death in himselfe God sustained and delivered him and that for this very cause as he saith to teach us that we should not trust in our selves but in God which raiseth the dead which causeth him to professe 2 Cor. 12.10 When I am weak then am I strong He never felt Gods strength more in supporting him and keeping him from sinking under the burden of any tentation than when he found his own weaknesse and readinesse to sink most of all Now to make some application of this we shall find that many of Gods people do greatly offend in this point For they make that inherent grace which they find in themselves the onely ground of all their comfort and assurance of Gods favour while they discerne that in themselves they are quiet and comfortable when they cannot they are utterly out of hope Two evills they commit in this one against themselves another against the Lord. First resting upon that grace they find in themselves and so trusting in their owne heart they leane upon a bruised reed that may and will deceive them Their owne spirit may faile them and be overwhelmed as we have heard David complained that it was with him Psal. 143.4 7. Though that grace that is in them if ever it were in them in truth do not utterly faile yet their heart and spirit the knowledge and feeling of that grace they have may quite faile them for a time This made David say as he doth Psal. 73.26 My flesh and my heart faileth but God is the strength of my heart and my portion for ever Make God himselfe thy rock and portion the onely ground of all thy hope and comfort and he will never faile though thine own flesh and heart do Secondly In doing thus we make an idoll of that inherent grace that is in us and putting that trust in it which we should repose in the Lord alone we commit idolatry we go a whoring after our owne hearts as the Lord speaketh Num. 15.39 For no inherent grace that is in us is God but the gift of God only and therefore cannot be fully trusted in without sinne Let us therefore learne to praise God for any grace he hath wrought in us by his holy Spirit yea let us take comfort in it as in a fruit of his eternall and unchangeable love but let us not so rest upon it as to make it the onely or chiefe ground of our hope and comfort but learne to renounce our selves and all confidence in any goodnesse that is in us and with humbled soules cast our selves wholly upon the free grace and mercy of God in Christ and say with the Apostle Phil. 3.3 We are the circumcision which rejoyce in the Lord Iesus and have no confidence in the flesh Lecture CXXVII On Psalme 51.7 Septem 1. 1629. NOw the third and last use that this Doctrine serveth unto is as I said for the comfort of such of Gods people as though they feare God unfainedly and are carefull in all their wayes to please him yet complaine greatly of this that they cannot feele that the bloud of Christ is by the Spirit of God sprinkled upon their hearts they cannot attaine unto this sensible assurance of the favour of God in Christ. And though 1 I know well that in this profane and loose age few have need of this use of comfort because most men are confident enough of their salvation they are not troubled at all with any doubts or feares his way and the whole have no need of a Physician Matth. 9.12 Doctrine of humiliation and terrour were fitter for most of our hearers than Doctrine of comfort The fat and strong among Gods sheepe should be fed with judgement as the Lord speaketh Ezek. 34.16 Yea 2 I know well that some will be more likely to receive hurt than good by that which you shall now heare For Christ and the Doctrine of Gods mercy in him is a stumbling stone and rock of offence to disobedient and wicked men as the Apostle teacheth us 1 Pet. 2.8 And 3. though in handling of the meanes whereby true assurance may be obtained I have spoken much already for the comfort of such persons Yet have I two reasons why I dare not omit this use of comfort First Because I doubt not but there are some of you that heare me have present need of it And if there were but two or three such among you all I am bound in my ministery to have more respect unto them then to all the rest For to such principally are we sent to preach Hee hath sent me saith our Saviour Esa. 61 1 2. and that which hee that is the great Shepheard of the sheepe said it becommeth us all that are under him tâ— say likewise hee hath sent mee saith he to bind up the broken hearted and to comfort all that mourne in Sion Secondly Because though there be many of you that have not present need of
spirit in them as well as if wee expressed it in the best words and method in the world And thus have I finished this Doctrine with all the uses that are to be made of it Lecture CXXVIII On Psalme 51.7 Septemb. 15. 1629. WE have already heard that this verse consisteth of two parts The first is an earnest petition wherein David beggeth of God to be purged and washed from his sins by the bloud of Christ and to have that sprinkled upon him and applyed to him by the spirit of God The second is the reason that moved him to beg this of God so earnestly which is taken from the fruit and benefit he knew he should receive by it and that is double 1. He knew that being thus purged he should be cleane no filthinesse should remaine upon him no sin that ever he committed should be imputed to him 2. He knew that if he were thus washed he should be whiter then the snow he should have so perfect righteousnesse imputed to him as should make him beautifull and glorious in the sight of God The petition we finished the last day and now it followeth that we do proceed to the reason of it And herein we are to observe how confidently David speaketh heere of the blessed estate of them whom God hath washed and sprinkled with the bloud of Christ yea of the blessed estate that he knew himselfe should be in so soone as God should have vouchsafed that mercy unto him notwithstanding the foulnes and odiousnesse of his sins was more then ordinary yet he knew that when once God should have washed him with and applyed to him the bloud of Christ he should have no spot of his sins remaining upon him yea he should be whiter in Gods eye then the very snow And from this point thus observed in the words of David this Doctrine doth arise for our instruction That all such as have their soules washed and sprinkled with Christs bloud that is all that truly beleeve in him are perfectly cleansed from all their sins and are as pure and white in Gods sight as any snow Now the best and plainest way I can think of for confirming this Doctrine unto you will be by answering of a doubt and Question which every one of your hearts will be apt to move against it For who is there among us all that marketh and considereth this Doctrine well that will not see cause to bee amazed at it as it is said Matth. 19.25 that the Disciples of our Saviour once were at the hearing of a certaine Doctrine that he taught Which of us will not be ready to say of this Doctrine as they did of that Who can then be saved Who then can be said to be a true beleever Is no soule washed or sprinkled with the bloud of Christ doth no man truly beleeve in him that is not so white so perfectly cleansed as he hath no filthinesse at all no one spot of sin remaining on him Who then can say hee doth truly beleeve in Christ that ever hee was washed or sprinkled with his bloud Or if others can say so surely wilt thou say I cannot say so For I know and feele there is still a great deale of filthinesse many a foule and blacke spot remaining in my soule For answer unto this we must understand that all true beleevers are cleansed and washed from their sins two waies As you shall find the Apostle teacheth us 1 Cor. 6.11 Such were some of you saith he but ye are washed but ye are sanctified but ye are justified in the name of our Lord Iesus and by the spirit of our God He speaketh this for the comfort of such as before their conversion had been guilty of those foule crimes he had spoken of in the 9. 10. verses Some of them had been idolaters some adulterers some Sodomites buggerers some theeves some drunkards some extortioners No marvell though such persons were apt oft to call in question their owne estate though they were subject to many doubts and feares in themselves And therfore two things are remarkable in this manner of speech which he useth of purpose that he might speake the more effectually to their comfort The first is his so often repeating of his words But ye are washed but ye are sanctified but ye are justified As if he had said Though some of you were guilty of such foule sins I say unto you and for your better assurance I say it to you againe and againe you are now fully acquitted of all those sinnes no one of them shall ever be laid to your charge againe The second is this that he nameth their sanctification in the first place which as the effect and fruit did in order of nature come after and their justification in the second place which as the cause and root of it did go before of purpose as I said to increase their comfort As if he should say Ye are sanctified by the spirit of our God yea and more then that for your sanctification you will be apt to say is but poore and weake ye are justified also from all these your sinnes in the name of the Lord Iesus So that you see heere that the Apostle speaketh of a twofold washing that the faithfull have received from all their sinnes 1. They are washed from their sinnes in the name of the Lord Iesus that is in Christ and through the merit of his bloud which hee calleth there justification 2. They are washed from their sinnes by the spirit of God which he calleth there sanctification Now although these two goe alwaies together Christ justifieth no man by the merit of his bloud but he sanctifieth him also by his holy spirit the Lord accounteth no man righteous by imputing Christs righteousnesse unto him but he maketh him also righteous by a righteousnesse inherent in himselfe And the surest way for a man to know himselfe to be one of those that are justified by the bloud of Christ is to find himselfe to be one of thâ—se that are sanctified by the spirit of Christ. Let no man deceive you saith the Apostle 1 Iohn 3.7 hee that doth righteousnesse is righteous even as hee is righteous As if he had said thus He that hath inherent righteousnesse and he onely is the man that is righteous by imputation he that is sanctified is justified and none but he And therefore also the Apostle calleth all them that receive benefit by Christ the sanctified ones Heb. 2.11 Both hee that sanctifieth and they that are sanctified are all of one nature And 10.14 By one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified Though this I say be so yet betweene these two kinds of washing there be foure notable differences to be observed which it is profitable for us all to be acquainted with First The cleansing from sinne that is wrought by the spirit of God in our sanctification as it is a grace inherent and a
then God created him in his owne image saith Moses Genesis 1.27 and hee repeateth it againe in the same Verse In the image of God created he him saith he And this is expounded by Salomon Eccles. 7.29 God made him righteous And by Paul this image of God saith he Ephes. 4.24 was righteousnesse and true holinesse And great was our losse doubtlesse in being stripped by his fall of this garment But wee have recovered more by Christ than wee lost by Adam the robe of righteousnesse which wee have gotten by Christ the second Adam is farre more glorious than that which wee were deprived of by the fall of the first Adam Every true believer is in a more blessed estate by Christ more white and beautifull in Gods eye than Adam was in his innocencie before hee had ever sinned And that in these three respects First That righteousnesse that Adam had was uncertaine and such as it was possible for him to lose yea he did lose it and that in a very short time God gave him power and freedome of will to hold and keepe it to stand in that blessed estate if he would himselfe and he gave him also power and freedome of will to part with it and lose it if he would to fall into sinne yea even into that sinne which is unto death But the righteousnesse that we have by Christ is made more sure unto us it is that good part yea the best portion of that good part which Mary had chosen of which our Saviour saith Luk. 10.42 that it should never be taken away from her And indeed how is it possible we should be spoiled of it Who should take this robe from us or spoile us of it Who shall separate us saith the Apostle Rom. 8.35 from the love of Christ And he concludeth verse 39. I am perswaded that neither height nor depth nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lord. 1. Not all the policies of the world how strong soever they be It is not possible saith our Saviour Mat. 24.24 that false Christs and false Prophets with all their great signes and wonders should be able to deceive the elect of God 2. Not Satan with all his strength and subtilty he that is built upon this rocke saith our Saviour Matth. 16.18 he that hath gotten Christ and his righteousnesse the gates of hell shall not prevaile against him 3. Lastly Not the corruption of our owne heart He that is borne of God saith the Apostle 1 Iohn 3.9 cannot sinne he meaneth the sinne unto death It is not possible for an elect child of God so to sinne as that he should utterly lose Christ and this robe of righteousnesse which he hath received from him Secondly the righteousnesse that Adam had was in his owne keeping the spring and root of it was founded in himselfe and that was the cause why he lost it so soone He like the Prodigall Luke 15.12 13. had all his portion his blessednesse and righteousnesse in his owne hands and so made it quickely all away as he did But the righteousnesse we have by Christ is in our Fathers keeping Our life is hid with Christ in God saith the Apostle Colos. 3.3 The cause why it is not possible for any of our ghostly enemies to spoile us of it is not any inherent strength that is in us to keepe and hold it fast but the faithfulnesse and power of God whereby he watcheth over us and keepeth us from sinning that sinne which is unto death whereby we should lose Christ. The Lord is thy keeper saith David to his own soule Psal. 121.5 We are kept by the power of God unto salvation saith the Apostle 1 Pet. 1.5 My sheepe shall never perish saith our Saviour Ioh. 10.28 29. neither shall any pluck them out of my hand my father that gave them me is greater than all and none is able to plucke them out of my fathers hand Thirdly and lastly Admit the righteousnesse that Adam had in his creation had beene unchangeable and that he could never have lost it yet had it been but the righteousnesse of a man But the righteousnesse that we have by Christ is the righteousnesse of such a person as was God aswell as man And therefore as the second Adam was a farre more excellent person than the first Adam was The first was of the earth earthy as the Apostle speaketh 1 Corinth 15.47 The second was the Lord from heaven So his righteousnesse also must needs bee farre more absolute and sufficient to satisfie the infinite justice of God and the exact perfection of his holy law than Adams righteousnesse could possibly have done That righteousnesse that we have by faith in Christ is the righteousnesse of God saith the Apostle Roman 3.22 He made him to be sinne for us saith he 2 Corinth 5.21 who knew no sinne that wee might bee made the righteousnesse of God in him Now to make some application of all this that you have heard You see how just and sound a ground of true comfort this Doctrine is unto all true believers Let us then stirre up and provoke our selves to take comfort in it to rejoyce in Christ as we have just cause to doe Are the consolations of God small with thee saith Eliphaz to Iob 15.11 and so should every one of us say to our soules We should checke and chide our selves for this as David oft doth even thrice in two short Psalmes Psalme 43.5 11. and 43.5 Why art thou cast downe O my soule and why art thou disquieted within me Why takest thou no more comfort in Christ why dost thou not rejoyce in him As every breach of Gods commandement is a sinne so it is certainly a sinne and a just cause of humbling to every true believer that he doth not rejoyce in Christ. For this is also a breach of Gods expresse commandement Rejoyce in the Lord that is rejoyce in Christ alway saith the Apostle Phil. 4.4 and againe I say rejoyce Nay in some respect it is a greater sinne than the breach of any of the commandements of the morall law for it is a breach of the commandement of the gospell which is greater than the law as is plaine by that comparison the Apostle maketh betweene them Hebr. 2.2 3. 8.6.10.28 29. It is a sinne that carryeth in it a contempt and light esteeme of Christ thy Saviour and wherein canst thou sinne more hainously than in this Charge therefore this sinne upon thine owne heart be humbled for it and strive against it Labour to find out in thy selfe the cause of it and purge thy heart of it strengthen thy selfe against it For certainly it is some dangerous humour and corruption or other that distempereth thy soule so as thou canst relish no more sweetnesse in Christ than thou dost Three things there are principally that Gods poore servants that Christ hath done all this for object and alledge
by promise to them that keepe his Sabbath not onely to worke sanctification increase of holinesse and power over their corruptions which hee professeth in that former place of Ezekiel was the very end hee gave his Sabbath for but also by his spirit of adoption to increase in their hearts a lively sense of his favour assurance that he heareth and accepteth their prayers peace of conscience joy in the Holy Ghost which are blessings the Christian soule prizeth above all things in the world Why may you say may not a man receive increase of grace and spirituall comfort in the use of Gods ordinances on any other day but onely on the Sabbath I answer Yes verily but these promises may give him assurance to receive them more richly and plentifully upon the Sabbath then on any other day The second sort of blessings that the conscionable observers of the Sabbath receive by it are temporall For concerning them also wee have a promise Esa. 58.14 that he that heartily and spiritually keepeth the Sabbath God will cause him to ride upon the high places of the earth he shall have honour and esteeme in the world so farre as it shall be good for him and he will feed him with the heritage of Iacob that is he shall continue and abide safely in the land of Canaan which God promised to Iacob for his inheritance Gen. 28.13.48.4 Yea the Lord will nourish and feed them he shall eat the good things of the land as the Lord promiseth Esa. 1.19 to all that yeeld willing obedience unto him Lecture CXXXVI On Psalme 51.7 December 29. 1629. IT followeth now that we make some application of that which wee have heard touching the Sabbath and so proceed unto the two last particulars of those five which I have proved to be in many a man that is no better then an hypocrite And that which I have to say by way of application is first of all more generall and concerneth all other persons and places as well as this secondly more speciall and concerneth this place principally Of all I may say ô that God would give us hearts to beleeve that which wee have heard taught us concerning the observation of the Sabbath day out of the Word of God by which wee must bee all judged at the great and dreadfull day as our Saviour assureth us Iohn 12.48 O that wee could beleeve that the surest way to make our Church and State to flourish to secure us from enemies abroad and Papists at home to maintaine Gods Gospell and the purity of his religion amongst us that the surest way to make our Townes and families and persons to prosper and do well were to keepe the Lords rest upon his holy day If we could beleeve this then would wee bee the more carefull to keepe the Sabbath better our selves and then would wee doe what lieth in us that it might bee better kept by others also I know our corrupt hearts are apt to have in them many reasonings against the strict observation of the Sabbath day And these imaginations and reasonings that wee have in us against the truth of God the Apostle 2 Cor. 10.4 5. calleth strong holds and high things that exalt themselves against the knowledge of God But of all these strong holds and high things I may say as our Saviour saith in another case and another sense speaking of the faith of miracles Matth. 17.20 If wee had but as much faith as a graine of musterd seed but a little faith to beleeve the promises and threatnings that we have heard concerning the observation or neglect of the Sabbath we might easily remove all these mountaines out of our way Diverse notable good lawes we have had made of late yeares for the better observation of the Sabbath day Some to restraine men from doing their owne workes some other to compell men to doe the Lords worke by frequenting diligently the Church assemblies upon that day And blessed be God that hath given that heart to our King and State to make such lawes In respect whereof it may be fitly said of them as Deborah speaketh in another case Iudg. â— 9 My heart is towards the governours of Israel that offered themselves willingly among the people Blesse ye the Lord. The hearts of all Gods people should be towards the governours of Israel for shewing themselves so willing to provide for the sanctifying of the Lords Sabbath we should all blesse the Lord for them The whole land I nothing doubt fareth the better and hath had the tranquility thereof lengthened the rather even by the zeale that our governours have shewed in this point towards God and towards his house But that which is said of the daies of King Iehosâ—phat 2 Chron. 20.32 33. may fitly be applied to our times Iehosaphat did that which was right in the sight of the Lord. Howbeit the high places were not taken away for as yet the people did not prepare their hearts unto the God of their fathers Our gracious King in Parliament hath done that which is right in the sight of the Lord in making these good lawes Howbeit the Sabbath is still in most places shamefully profaned these good lawes are not executed for the people do not prepare their hearts unto God they have no heart to his honour or service at all And indeed in nothing doth it better appeare that the hearts of the people generally are not prepared unto God but utterly alienated and estranged from him then in this that when they have but the least colour and semblance of law to justifie any of their unwarantable practises whereby they may trouble any of their brethren and devise deceitfull matters against them that are quiet in the land as the Prophet speaketh Psal. 35.20 there they will seeme wondrous zealous for the lawes and presse them hotly they frame their mischiefe by a law as the Prophet speaketh Psal. 94.20 they pretend nothing so much for their deadly hatred against others that are innocent as that they doe not obey the law This was Hamans outcry against Gods people in his time Est. 3.8 These keepe not the kings lawes And of Daniels adversaries against him Dan. 6.13 He regardeth not thee ô king nor the decree that thou hast signed And of those lewd fellowes of the baser sort which we read of Acts 17.5 7. against Paul and the brethren with him These all say they doe contrary to the decrees of Caesar. Whereas I say to colour their malice against God and his people they seeme zealous for the law for the Magistrate Let the Magistrate make lawes that tend most directly to the honour of God that concerne the weightiest matters of Gods law as our gracious Iehosaphat hath done for the observation of the Sabbath for the punishment of swearing for the suppressing of the multitude and disorders of ale-houses the very chiefe nurseries of all profanesse and impiety these lawes you shall find they have no zeale
specially in such as are publike Therefore wee shall finde that the Lord calleth the Sabbath Levit. 23.2 a holy convocation as if it were nothing else as if the whole day were to be spent at Church and in keeping of holy assemblies And indeed that place proveth well that as much time should be spent on that day in Gods publike worship as the conveniency and edification of the Church will well permit And for this we have the example of our blessed Saviour who though he was able to spend the day in private duties of piety a thousand times better then ever any other man was and though also the Church assemblies that he had then to goe to were never a whit better but worse a great deale then ours are yet it is said Luk. 4 16. His custome was to goe to the Synagogue to the Church every Sabbath day And yet though as I said before our Church assemblies be as well frequented in this Towne by many as in any other place and though there be never a Popish recusant amongst us yet shall you hardly finde in any place more Atheist recusants more that doe seldome or never come to Church that doe so ordinarily and constantly serve the Devill in the Ale-house when we are serving God here in his house then are to be found in this Towne And for the third and last branch of the commandement that injoyneth us to rest from all our owne workes upon the Lords day you shall hardly finde I beleeve such open profession of profanesse and contempt of the Sabbath in children and youth in all the country as in this Towne You teach them to keep the Lords holy day just as your selves use to keepe these holy dayes with more misrule and riot then you use at any time of the yeare besides and as all the Israelites did keepe holy day to the golden calfe Of them it is said Exod. 32.6 That they sat downe to eate and to drinke and rose up to play and Verse 17. It is said that in their sporting and playing they kept such a shouting and noise as Moses when hee heard it wondred what it should meane And surely amongst our youth such a shouting and hollowing may be heard as a man would thinke there were some Bull or Beare baited in our streets every Sabbath day Hath God threatned to burne that Towne with unquenchable fire where men are allowed to doe the worke of their callings upon the Sabbath day as you have heard out of Ier. 17.27 and doe you thinke he can endure to see his Sabbath or any part of his Sabbath spent in ryoting and disorder Specially so openly and with so high a hand No no be not deceived God will not be mocked he hateth ryoting on the Sabbath much more then he doth working on the Sabbath As is plaine by Esa. 58.13 Where in one verse he nameth and forbiddeth twice the following of our pleasures as the chiefe profanation of the Sabbath day I know some of you will thinke this to be great indiscretion in me to preach thus against childrens faults But to these I have two things to answer First that God maketh not so light account of childrens faults specially not of their profanesse and contempt of Religion as you doe And if you did believe the Scriptures and were not Atheists in heart when you read in 2 Kings 2.23 24. what befell the children of Bethel you would be of my mind Secondly In speaking of these faults in the youth I doe not so much reproove them as the profanenesse of their parents and governours that keepe them not in but suffer them to do so yea of the Officers also that have power and authority to redresse these things and doe nothing in it If the names of these children and servants were taken as it is fit they should bee many of them would bee found to bee the children of such parents servants of such masters as would bee thought to bee very honest men and good Christians too It is the hypocrisie and profanenesse of these parents and masters that is the cause why their children and servants doe so The fourth commandement though it do concerne and bind all men yet is it given in charge chiefly to parents and masters of families as is plaine by the words of it Exodus 20.10 I tell thee thou art to answer for the breach of the Sabbath that is committed by any stranger thou receivest into thy house and much more then for that that is done by thine owne child and servant When Nehemiah saw how the Sabbath was profaned in Ierusalem by buying and selling of victuals it is said Nehemiah 13.17 hee contended with the Nobles and Governours of Iudah and blamed them for it And bee yee sure God will one day contend with you whosoever you be that have authority and power to redresse these things and doe it not he will charge you with all this Wee have heard of a ruler of the Synagogue Luke 13.14 that could not see the people doe that which hee thought to bee a profanation of the Sabbath without great indignation O that our Magistrates and inferiour officers that our parents and masters of families had but some of his zeale for the Lords Sabbath that they could not without indignation see or heare of the prophanation of it Then should we doubtlesse have no such buying and selling such loading and travelling no such disorder and hooting in our streets no such ordinary absenting from the Church-assemblies no such sleeping and snorting in our Church on the Sabbath Day as we ordinarily have Lecture CXXXVII On Psalme 51.7 Ian. 5. 1629. IT followeth now that we proceed to prove that the two last points of goodnesse that I told you are to be found in some hypocrites are likewise in themselves very good things and never a whit the more to be misliked because they are found in some such men And for the fourth of them To love the sincerity and purity of Gods holy religion and worship and to hate idolatry with all false worship is certainly a good thing and highly pleasing unto God For the first of these No man is to be blamed for desiring to see warrant in the Word for whatsoever hee doth as a worship and service of God especially or for being afraid to do that which hee can see no warrant for in the Word of God In nothing are wee so precisely tied to the direction of the Word as in the matters of the worship of God The charge that is given us Deut. 12.32 What thing soever I command you observe to doe it thou shalt not adde thereto nor diminish from it that is neither doe more nor lesse than I have commanded that charge I say concerneth the matters of Gods worship principally And how highly this pleaseth God when we doe nothing to worship him by but that onely that he hath given us direction for in his Word is evident by the reason of the
speech of the Apostles unto Christ Luk. 17.5 where when they had heard our Saviour teach if a brother trespasse against us seven times in one day and what hope will you say can a man have of such a one yet upon profession of his repentance wee must forgive him and when they heard him presse this with such earnestnesse as Verse 3. he did take heed to your selves As if he should say I know well how heard and difficult a thing it is to flesh and bloud that I shall now require of you but take heed you doe so your case is wofull if you doe not this the Apostles all of them with one voice cry unto Christ Lord increase our faith As if they had said he had need have a great deale of faith that should be able to doe this and yet Lord if thou wilt be pleased to increase our faith we shall be able to doe it Why How can a mans faith helpe him in this case Surely two wayes First if a man would stirre up and exercise his faith by considering what the Lord for Christs sake hath done for him how he hath forgiven him a debt of tenne thousand talents and how apt he is still upon his repentance to forgive him though he trespasse against him more then seven times every day this will make a man able and willing to forgive his brother upon his repentance any wrongs whatsoever which are but as a debt of an hundred pence in comparison of that which God hath forgiven him and make him say to his owne heart as wee reade Matth. 18.33 the wicked servant should have said Should not I have compassion of my fellow servant even as the Lord hath had pitty on me Therefore the consideration of that which God for Christs sake hath done for us is also used by the Apostle Col. 3.13 as the strongest motive to make us willing to forgive wrongs Secondly if a man would make claime to that promise that hee being in Christ hath just title to which we finde made Esa. 11.6 9. to all the subjects of Christs kingdome The Wolfe shall dwell with the Lambe c. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountaine The effect of which promise is this that all that belong to Christs kingdome shall have the spirit of meekenesse given unto them and though they were by nature like Wolves and Leopards and Lions and Beares and Aspes and Cockatrices that is fierce and cruell apt to doe hurt and mischiefe when once they beleeve in Christ their natures shall be quite changed all bitternesse of spirit shall be taken from them they shall have no desire to hurt to be revenged of any that have done them wrong If I say a Christian that findeth himselfe troubled with maliciousnesse and bitternesse of spirit would in humble and faithfull prayer make claime to this promise and challeng it at Gods hands doubtlesse hee might have more power over that corruption then he hath A third corruption that troubleth much the people of God is slavish feare which is indeed one of the greatest tormenters of the heart that can be Feare hath torment saith the Apostle 1 Iohn 4.18 And there is scarce any one corruption that the dearest of Gods servants are more subject to then to this slavish and distrustfull feare In which respect the Lord Esa. 35.4 calleth them such as are of a fearefull heart And upbraideth them with this as with a great sinne Esa. 51.13 Thou hast feared continually every day because of the fury of the oppressour as if hee were even ready to destroy If they heare of any troubles approaching of any practises of the enemy either at home or abroad their hearts are surprised with strange feares continually every day as if the enemy were already entred into their houses and ready to cut their throates Alas my weakenesse is such saith this poore soule as I shall never bee able to abide such a triall I shall be apt to deny God or doe any thing when such a day commeth This is too true and this is my very case will many a one of you say and I know it is my great sinne to be so fearefull as I am but how should I helpe it How may I bee able to mortifie and subdue this corruption I answer get assurance by faith that thou art reconciled to God in Christ that thy sinnes are forgiven thee and that will free thee from thy feares and make thee strong against them See an experiment of this in them that endured as great tryalls as thou shalt ever indure and felt themselves before their tryall as fearefull and weake every whit as thou art I meane them that the Apostle speaketh of Hebr. 11.33 37. Observe these foure things distinctly in that example First How great their tryals were Verse 37. They were stoned sawne asunder tempted they were slaine with the sword they wandred about in sheep-skins and goat-skins being destitute afflicted tormented Is it possible that thou canst ever be brought to greater tryals than they were Secondly How strong and resolute how void of feare they were even in this fiery tryall Vers. 35. not accepting deliverance they had deliverance and peace and freedome from all these miseries offred them upon condition that they would yeeld a little and forsake their Religion but they would not accept of it Thirdly Consider how weake and fearefull they had beene before the very time that they came to this tryall Vers. 34. Out of weakenesse they were made strong Fourthly Lastly What it was that made them thus strong Vers. 33. Through faith they attained to this strength The assurance they had of their reconciliation with God in Christ and of the forgivenesse of their sinnes was that that made them overcome their fearefulnesse and become so strong And no marvell for all the faithfull in this case have these promises of God to rest upon 1. That God will certainly have an eye to them and a care of them in the worst times that can come When he maketh inquisition for bloud saith David Psal. 9.12 when he commeth to visit a land for the murders and other horrible sinnes committed in it he remembreth them And 116.15 Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his Saints He maketh precious account of them The haires of their head are numbred as our Saviour speaketh Matth. 10.30 and therefore much more their lives They shall not lose their lives unlesse God shall see that will be most for his glory and their good 2. The Lord will certainly proportion their tryals to their strength and as their tryals shall increase so shall their strength increase to beare and get through with them The Lord will give strength unto his people saith the Prophet Psal. 29.11 Feare thou not for I am with thee saith the Lord Esa. 41.10 be not dismayed for I am thy God I will strengthen thee yea I will helpe thee yea I will uphold thee with the
right hand of my righteousnesse And Vers. 14. Feare not thou worme Iacob thou that art so base and contemptible in thine owne eye I will helpe thee saith the Lord. Yea of all the faithfull those that are now before-hand so fearfull and weake have most promises of God that he will give them strength sufficient when the time of tryall shall come Out of weakenesse they were made strong as you heard Hâ—b 11.34 My grace is sufficient for thee saith the Lord to Paul 2 Cor. 12.9 for my strength is made perfect in weaknesse He giveth power to the saint saith the Prophet Esa. â—0 29 and to them that have no might he increaseth strength Certainly if Gods people would make use of their faith in making claim to these promises of God and challenging of him in humble prayer the performance of them unto themselves they could not be so tormented with slavish feares as they are The fourth and last corruption that much troubleth the best of Gods people is the hardnesse of their hearts they cannot mourne they say nor weep for their sinnes they are not sensible either of the judgements or mercies of God they cannot pray nor heare nor read nor receive with any feeling or affection at all See how Gods people complaine and were afflicted with this Esa 63.17 Why hast thou hardened our heart from thy feâ—râ— Now the best way that any soule can take to cure this stoninesse of the heart to make it soft and tender able to mourne kindly for sinne and to serve God with feeling and affection is to get assurance by a lively faith of Gods love to him in Christ and of the forgivenesse of his sinnes Foure notable experiments we have for this two in the old Testament and two in the new The first is that of Gods people mentioned in Ezek. 36.28 31. after that they were become Gods people and God was become their God and he had saved them from all their uncleannesses as you read Vers. 28 29. that is after that they were entred into the covenant of grace assured of Gods favour and of the forgivenesse of their sinnes then shall ye remember saith the Lord of them Vers. 31. your owne evill wayes and your doings that were not good and shall loath your selves in your owne sight for your iniquity and for your abominations Nothing hath that force to make a man loath himselfe for his sinnes as the knowledge and consideration of Gods love in the pardoning of his sinnes and the receiving of him into a covenant of grace and mercy that hath beene so extreamely unworthy of it The second experiment of this force of faith to soften the heart is that of Gods people whom the Prophet speaketh of Zach. 12.10 that they should mourne as one mourneth for his onely sonne and be in bitternesse as one that is in bitternesse for his first borne And the Prophet alledgeth two causes of this 1. The Spirit of grace that God had powred upon them that is the Spirit of adoption whereby God had assured their hearts of his favour and love in Christ. 2. The looking upon Christ whom they had pierced that is the weighing with themselves seriously what Christ had done and suffred for them And therfore also it is said they mourned for him they were in bitternesse for him It is the Spirit of grace and adoption assuring us of Gods fatherly love to us in Christ it is the weighing with our selves seriously how dearely Christ hath loved us that will make us mourne for sinne more than for any thing in the world all the terrours of the law all the judgements of God are of no force to soften the heart in comparison of this The third experiment of this is in Mary Magdalen Luke 7. Of her we read Ver. 38. that she had a very soft heart she was able to weep abundantly for her sinnes so abundantly as she could wash Christs feet with her teares And what was it that made her heart so soft Surely the knowledge and assurance she had of Christs marvellous love to her in pardoning her sinnes her so many and so hainous sinnes was that that did it as our Saviour plainely telleth us Vers. 43 48. The fourth and last example is that of Peter of whom we read Luke 22.62 that he had a most soft heart he was able to weepe bitterly for his sinnes And what was it that wrought so upon his heart That the Holy Ghost telleth us Vers. 61. The Lord turned and looked upon Peter and Peter remembred the Word of the Lord how he had said unto him before the cocke crow thou shalt deny me thrice When he considered the marvellous love of Christ to him that though he had so shamefully denied and forsaken him yet he was pleased still in the midst of all his troubles to think upon him to have care of him to turn himself about and cast a gracious eye upon him this brought Peter to remember what he had done this even broke his heart and made him weep abundantly And surely look what force a true and lively faith had in all these examples the same it would have in us if we did stir it up and make use of it as they did The true cause why our hearts are so hard is this that either we have no faith no assurance of Gods love to us in Christ or if we have it we make not use of it unto this work of softning our hearts For all that are in the covenant of grace reconciled to God in Christ have this promise given them of God Ezek. 11.19 which is also repeated 36.26 I will take saith the Lord the stony heart out of their flesh and I will give them an heart of flesh And if any of the faithfull when they are most troubled with the hardnesse of their hearts could make claime unto this promise and presse the Lord with it as he loveth to be importuned as you may see Luke 18.1 7 certainely they might have helpe against it And so much for the force that faith hath in the first part of our sanctification for the mortifying of sinne The second part I must leave till the next day Lecture CXLI On Psalme 51.7 Febr. 23. 1629. IT followeth now that I shew you likewise the force of justifying faith in the second part of true sanctification in making us partakers of the divine nature and renewing the image of God in our hearts in producing the fruits of the Spirit in us in the breeding and working of every saving grace When a man is once justified by faith in Christ is reconciled unto God through his bloud then shall he bring forth fruit unto God and never till then This will make the heart of a man fruitfull in holinesse and righteousnesse and nothing but this will ever be able to doe it For the first that is to say that faith will make the heart fruitfull we have a plaine proofe in that speech of the
Apostle Galat. 2.20 The life that I now live As if hee had said The reformed religious and holy life that I now live since my conversion and calling I liue by the faith of the Sonne of God that faith I have in Christ who loved me and gave himselfe for me As if he had said This faith that assureth me of that speciall interest that I have in Christ of that speciall love that Christ hath borne to mee is the onely cause of whatsoever goodnesse is in me And for the second that nothing but faith will breed true goodnesse and grace in the heart we have as plaine a proofe Hebrewes 11.5 6. Enoch had this testimony given of him that he pleased God but without faith it is impossible to please God As if he should have said A man cannot please God in any thing that he doth till he have faith till he be justified by faith and reconciled unto God through Christ. Though the habit of faith and all sanctifying graces which the Apostle 1 Iohn 3.9 calleth the seed of God be by the Spirit of God infused into the heart of man altogether and at one time yet the act and exercise of faith is the first of all and that that setteth every other grace on worke As the earth though it be made soft by those showers that fall upon it in the winter-time and bring forth some blade of the seed that is cast into it yet is it not thereby made fruitfull unto man it never yeeldeth any good and perfect fruit till it have received the sweet heat of the Sun into the bowels of it in the spring time even so is it with the heart of man It may bee and is oft softened by the judgements of God and terrours of the Law God maketh my heart soft saith Iob 23.16 and the Almighty troubleth mee Even by the trouble of his mind and terrours that God disquieted him with his heart was softened And some beginnings also of reformation and goodnesse have beene thereby wrought in it such was that confession of sinne and goodly words that God oft wrung from Pharaoh by his judgements Exodus 9.27 I have sinned the Lord is righteous and I and my people are wicked and 10.16 Hee cryeth unto Moses to this effect Good Moses forgive me and pray to the Lord for me Such was that repentance and reformation of the wicked Israelites that the Prophet speaketh on Psal. 78.34 When he slew them then they sought him and they returned and enquired early after God And such is the repentance and goodly words that many a wretched man in his sicknesse is wont to utter thus farre forth the winter-showers and stormes of Gods judgements and terrours may work upon mans heart But till Christ Iesus the Sun of righteousnesse as the Prophet calleth him Mal. 4.2 like the comfortable and quickning heat of the Sunne in the spring doe shine upon a man and bee by faith received into his heart it can never bring forth any fruit that is good indeed and acceptable unto God And the true cause why some are fruitfull in grace and goodnesse and some other though they enjoy the same or greater meanes yet no grace will grow in their hearts nor come unto any perfection is this which the Apostle giveth 2 Thes. 3.2 All men have not faith But though the Lord let this visible Sunne shine upon all men indifferently upon the reprobate as well as upon the elect he maketh his Sunne saith our Saviour Matth. 5.45 to rise on the evill and on the good yet doth he not let the Sunne of righteousnesse to shine into every heart but to his elect and peculiar people onely The Lord God is a Sunne and shield saith David Psal. 84.11 but to whom To them that walke uprightly Vnto you that feare my name saith the Lord Mal. 4.2 shall the Sun of righteousnesse arise with healing in his wings Not that their walking uprightly and fearing of his name was the cause that moved God to be as the Sun unto them but because it was a marke and note of them whom God would vouchsafe this mercy unto Now if any man shall aske me how faith commeth to be the breeder and worker and increaser of all true goodnesse in a man I answer you two wayes First By receiving Christ into his heart by making Christ his by uniting him unto Christ as nearely and as truely as the members of the body are united unto the head and as the branch is unto the vine By faith we receive Christ and make him our owne as the Evangelist teacheth us Iohn 1.12 By faith hee dwelleth in our hearts as the Apostle speaketh Ephesians 3.17 And as it is not possible but that heart in which Christ dwelleth must needs be renewed and have saving grace bred in it He that abideth in me and I in him saith our Saviour Iohn 15.5 the same bringeth forth much fruit If any man bee in Christ saith the Apostle 2 Corinthians 5.17 hee is a new creature As the living members must needs receive sense and motion from the head and the scion sap from the slocke it is ingrafted into And this is that which the Apostle teacheth 1 Corinthians 6.17 He that is joyned to the Lord is one spirit As if he had said No man can by faith receive Christ and be united unto him but he must needs together with Christ receive the Spirit of Christ also So till we be thus united unto Christ it is not possible for us to have any true goodnesse in us As the branch cannot beare fruit of it selfe saith our Saviour Iohn 15.4 except it abide in the vine no more can ye except ye abide in me And 6.53 Verily verily I say unto you except ye eat the flesh of the Sonne of man and drinke his bloud ye have no life in you I know well that this union that faith maketh betweene Christ and the soule is mysticall and such as the reason of man is not able to comprehend And so the Apostle speaketh of it This is a great mystery saith he Ephesians 5.32 But yet you see this is clearely taught us in the holy Scripture and this every faithfull soule doth in some measure feele to be true in his owne experience So soone as ever thou dost truely believe in Christ and renouncing all other confidence dost wholly rest and put thine affiance in him thou hast received Christ and made him thine owne and so soone as thou hast received him thou hast also with him received into thine heart his holy Spirit the Spirit of grace and sanctification whereby thou art made a new man Hee that hath the Sonne saith the Apostle 1 Iohn 5.12 hath life that is the life of grace here which is the beginning and pledge of that life of glory which he shall be sure to have in heaven and he that hath not the Sonne hath not life Secondly The faithfull soule by exercising and making use of his faith
26.5 the assemblies and meetings that they have together and will not sit with the wicked Secondly We must oppose and set our selves against them in their evill practices and professe our selves to bee their adversaries therein They that forsake the Law saith Salomon Proverbes 28.4 praise the wicked sooth them up and flatter them commend and encourage them but such as keepe the law contend with them As if hee had said They are not so farre in love with peace but they are willing to be seene in contention and opposition against lewd men Thirdly We must do what lieth in us to procure the punishment and rooting out of notorious offenders David as a King voweth to God that he would do so I will early destroy all the wicked of the land saith hee Psalme 101.8 that I may cut off all wicked doers from the City of the Lord. And even to private men this charge is given against seducers to idolatry Deuteronomie 13.6 9. that if any mans owne brother or his owne childe or his owne wife or his dearest friend that is as his owne soule should entice him unto idolatry his eye most not petie him he must not spare nor conceale him but he must surely kill him that is complaine to the Magistrate of him that he may be put to death yea in his execution by stoning his hand must bee first upon him and afterwards the hands of all the people I know well that they that shall doe thus that shunne the company of lewd men that oppose them iâ— any of their lewd practices that have any hand in procuring the punishment of them shall bee judged by the world to bee most uncharitable and malicious men but this is indeed no breach of charity at all to doe thus A man may love their persons though hee both hate their sinnes and shew thus much dislike also to their persons Though a a man dare not bee familiar with them nor keepe them company as is plaine by that speech of the Apostle 2 Thessalonians 3.15 yet count him not as an enemie nay though a man doe his uttermost to have notorious sinners punished and cut off yet may hee bee void of all malice to their persons hee may love them for all that This is plaine by the example of Ioshuah towards Achan Greater severity in the cutting off of a lewd man you shall not read than was shewed towards Achan Ioshuah 7.24 25. And yet you shall finde Verse 19. that Ioshuah was farre from hating his person My sonne saith hee give I pray thee glory unto God Though we must thus shew our detestation to the sinnes of all wicked men yet must we love their persons for all that Yea it is a most dangerous sinne to beare malice or ill will to the person of any man Let all bitternesse and wrath and anger saith the Apostle Eph. 4.31 and clamour and evill speaking be put away from you with all malice Neither is there any corruption that is in us that is so great an enemy to our comfort as is this bitternesse of our spirit 1. No Sermon we heare will do us any good if we beare malice to any man as is plaine by that speech of the Apostle 1 Pet. 2.1 2. 2. No prayer we make will do us any good if we be in wrath as is plaine by that of the Apostle 1 Timothy 2.8 3. We cannot feed upon Christ our Passeover in the holy Sacrament with any comfort if we bring to it in our hearts the old leaven of malice as the Apostle speaketh 1 Corinth 5.8 Nay if we doe not beare a true and unfeigned love to all men we can not have any comfort in our estate And you shall see what a manner of love wee are bound to beare unto the persons of all men in these nine degrees First Wee may not surmise evill against any man nor imagine him to bee guilty of any sinne till wee be sure of it Let none of you saith the Lord Zachary 7.10 imagine evill against his brother in his heart Charity thinketh not evill saith the Apostle 1 Corinthians 13.5 This is a strong corruption in all our hearts and the root of much malice If thou have any true love in thee thou wilt rather interpret all thy neighbours actions and words in the better part Charity believeth all things saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 13.7 Secondly We may not take pleasure to speake of the faults of any man if we do certainly it is our corruption and sinne Put them in mind saith the Apostle Tit. 3.1.2 to speake evill of no man Thirdly Wee must doe our best that wee may live peaceably with all men that there bee no falling out no contention betweene us and any neighbour wee have See with what earnestnesse the Apostle presseth this Romans 12.18 If it be possible as much as in you lieth live peaceably with all men Fourthly We must be gentle and courteous in our whole cariage towards all men Put them in mind saith the Apostle in that Tit. 3.1 2. to be gentle shewing all meeknesse to all men Fiftly Wee may not envy and fret at the prosperity of any neighbour wee have but joy in it rather Let not thine heart envie sinners saith the Holy Ghost Proverbs 23.17 And that which the Apostle wisheth unto Gaius 3 Iohn 2. Beloved I wish above all things that thou mayst prosper even as thy soule prospereth Wee are bound by the eight commandement to wish unto all men though not in that degree as to the faithfull Sixtly We should pitie and be grieved to see any man how wicked soever he hath been in extreame want and misery Was not my soule grieved for the poore saith Iob 30.25 Seventhly Wee must also bee really mercifull unto all men and ready to doe them what good wee can in their misery and distresse When our Saviour had charged his hearers both to lend and to give unto such as had need and yee shall bee saith hee Luke 6.35 36. that is yee shall bee found and manifested to bee the children of the highest for he is kind to the unthankefull and to the evill be ye therefore mercifull saith hee as your father also is mercifull that is to all men even to evill and bad men Let us doe good to all men saith the Apostle Galat 6.10 as wee have opportunitie Eightly We must pitie the soules especially of ignorant and wicked men and be sorrie for them I beheld the transgressours and was grieved saith David Psal. 119.158 because they kept not thy word And Paul protesteth deepely Rom. 9.2 that he had great heavinesse and continuall sorrow in his heart for the Iewes that were at that time as wicked a people as lived upon the earth Ninthly and lastly We must unfainedly desire and doe what lieth in us to win them unto God My hearts desire saith the Apostle Romans 10.1 and prayer to God for Israel is that they might bee saved Wee must pray for them you
50.19 when they feared he would have beene revenged of them for the wrong they had done him Feare not saith he I dare not doe it for am I in the place of God Secondly But I hope then I may lawfully wish and desire that God would revenge my cause and plague mine enemy that hath wronged me I may rejoyce and be thankfull to God for it when I see it I answer No that thou maist not neither We may not rejoyce in any evill that befalleth our enemy though our selves have no hand in it at all Rejoyce not when thine enemy falleth saith the Holy Ghost Prov. 24.17 18. and let not thine heart bee glad when he stumbleth lest the Lord see it and it displease him and he turne away his wrath from him Thirdly We must also forgive our enemies whatsoever wrong it be that they have done unto us Forgive one another saith the Apostle Coloss. 3.13 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 freely forgiving If any man have a quarrell or cause to complaine and finde fault against any whosoever he be what wrong soever hee hath done even as Christ forgave you so also doe yee If we doe not thus forgive Christ hath assured us Matth. 6.15 that God will never forgive us our sinnes Nay if we doe it not from our hearts So likewise saith he Mat. 18.35 shall my heavenly father doe also unto you that is he shall in his wrath deliver you unto the tormentours unto hell if yee from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses Fourthly We must strive to forget and be unwilling to think of the wrongs that any man hath done unto us Thou shalt not avenge saith the Lord Leviticus 19.18 Nor bee mindefuâ—l of wrong against the children of thy people As if hee should say thou must both forgive and forget If thou strive not to forget and put quite out of thy minde the wrongs that hath beene done unto thee thou wilt hardly bee able to forgive them but thy heart will be apt to rise against thine enemy and to boile in revenge against him Fifthly Wee must unfeignedly desire to bee at peace with him that hath done us most wrong to bee friends with him and to love him and therefore also wee must bee willing to seeke peace with him and to use all meanes of reconciliation that wee can Seeke peace and ensue it saith the Psalmist Psalm 34.14 Study to bee quiet saith the Apostle 1 Thes. 4.11 As if hee had said cast about which way thou mayst best compasse it strive earnestly for it Sixthly If when we have sought peace and used the best meanes of reconciliation that we are able we cennot obtaine it it must grieve us it must be a trouble of minde unto us to bee at odds and variance with any man My soule hath long dwelt with him that hateth peace saith David Psal. 120.6 7. I am for peace saith hee I seeke it and use all meanes I can to bee reconciled but when I speake they are for Warre But looke backe to Verse 5. and you shall see what a griefe and vexation this was to the good man Woe is me saith he that I sojourne in Mesech that I dwell in the Tents of Kedar that is with such inhumane and savage people that will by no meanes be woone to peace Seventhly Wee must pray heartily to God for them that have done us most wrong that hee would turne their hearts and give them more grace Pray for them saith our Saviour Matth. 5.44 that despitefully use you and persecute you Eightly and lastly We must be willing to doe our enemy good if he stand in need of us If thou meet thine enemies Oxe or his Asse going astray saith the Lord Exod. 23.4 5. Thou shalt surely bring it backe to him againe If thou see the Asse of him that hateth thee lying under his burden and wouldst forbeare to helpe him thou shalt surely helpe with him Nay we should be glad of such an opportunity to overcome the malice of our enemy and to win him unto peace If thine enemy hunger saith the Apostle Rom. 12.20 21. feed him if hee thirst give him drinke Bee not overcome of evill but overcome evill with good Oh let us think seriously of these things beloved and examine whither we can in this sort love our enemyes I know well you will be apt in your hearts to say at the hearing of this Doctrine as the Disciples did Mat. 19.25 Who then can be saved If none can have benefit by Christ but they that have the spirit of Christ and none have the spirit of Christ but they that have true charity and none have true charity but they that can in this manner love their enemies Who then can be saved It is impossible for flesh and bloud to love an enemie in this sort But to this I answer that it is true indeed that hee that hath no more in him then flesh and bloud can never doe it and hee that hath no more in him then flesh and bloud can never be saved Flesh and bloud cannot inherit the kingdome of God saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 15.50 Except a man bee borne againe saith our Saviour Ioh. 3.5 of water and of the spirit hee cannot enter into the kingdome of God And every one that is regenerate by the spirit of God is made thereby able thus to love his enemy Though not legally according to the rigour of the law yet in an Evangelicall manner so as God in Christ will accept And thou canst never have comfort in thy estate beloved unlesse thou finde thy selfe able in an Evangelicall manner to keepe this commandement of loving all men even thy greatest enemy in this sort as I have described unto you In an evangelicall manner will you say how is that I will expresse it unto you in five particulars If thou have the spirit of Christ in thee 1. Thou wilt bee made able in thy minde to serve the Law of God as the Apostle professeth of himselfe Rom. 7.25 that is thou wilt consent to Gods Word in this and acknowledge that indeed thou oughtest to doe thus Verse 16. The Commandement is holy and just and good as he saith there Verse 12. 2. To will is present with thee as hee also saith there Verse 18. Thou dost unfeignedly desire and strive to love all men even thine enemies in this manner 3. Thine own heart will smite thee for thine uncharitablenesse thou wilt finde thy selfe able to mourne and to be troubled in thy minde for it and even to cry out against thy selfe for it as he doth there Verse 24. O wretched man that I am who shall deliver mee from this froward envious revengefull malicious heart 4. Thou wilt use to cry to God for helpe and strength to vanquish and mortifie this cankred humour and corruption in thee as the Disciples to Christ when he had pressed the Doctrine of forgiving such as had wronged them Luk. 17.5 Lord increase
true Religion is a sure argument that he hath indeed the Spirit of Christ and that that may give him great comfort in his estate Lecture CXLV On Psalme 51.7 August 16. 1631. IT followeth now that we proceed to the reasons and grounds of this point shew you why it must needs be so that he that hath the Spirit of Christ is constant in his religion he cannot be like the reed shaken with the wind variable and wavering in his religion nor apt to be drawn away by any means from the truth that he hath learned and received from the Word of God Two evident reasons there be for this 1. The Spirit of Christ wheresoever it dwels will teach and perswade the conscience effectually in the truth of God 2. He that is taught his religion by the Spirit of God will certainly be constant in it The first reason because it is of great importance and concernes the maine ground of that certainty that any of Gods people have in their faith and religion I will distinctly and plainely for the helpe of your understanding and memory declare and confirme unto you in six severall propositions and then I will answer the maine objection that is made against it First the Lord hath promised that he will by his holy Spirit instruct and teach his people in the way to life See this promise Ioh. 14.26 The comforter which is the Holy Ghost saith our blessed Saviour whom my father will send in my name through my merit and mediation he shall teach you all things All things he meanes that are necessary unto your salvation for you to know and to be perswaded of And if any man shall say as the Papist doth tush this promise was made to the Apostles onely who represented the whole Church of Christ and that therefore from hence it may be well concluded indeed that to the whole representative Church in a generall Councell lawfully assembled the Spirit is promised to teach and guide them infallibly in all things but can every private man or woman conclude from hence that the Spirit of God will teach them all things I answer That though these words were spoken to the Apostles onely for they were spoken in that Sermon our Saviour made at his last Supper where none were present but they yet doth it not follow from thence that they were spoken of the Apostles onely as not concerning any other but them for there were many things spoken in that Sermon that do undoubtedly concerne all the faithfull as much as them viz. that which is in Chap. 13.34 â—5 14.21 23 24. 15.1 10. 16.23 24. But for further answer unto this I add this second proposition That the promise is made not unto the Apostles and Teachers of the Church onely but unto all the faithfull All thy children saith the Lord to his Church to his Catholique Church the whole company of his elect and called ones Esa. 54.13 all thy children shall be taught of the Lord. And our Saviour citing this place Iohn 6.45 delivers the promise in these generall termes It is written in the Prophets saith he and they shall be all taught of God He is then no member of the Catholike Church out of which as out of Noahs Ark there can be no salvation hee is none of Gods elect that in the matters of his religion hath no other teacher then man that is not therein taught of God and instructed by his holy spirit Ye have an unction saith the Apostle in his generall Epistle that he wrote to all the faithfull 1 Iohn 2.20 Yea even to such among them as verse 18. he calls little children the weakest and meanest of all the faithfull ye have an unction from that holy one saith he even unto them and know all things that is ye have received from Christ the Holy Ghost the Comforter and hee hath taught you and instructed you in all things that are necessary to the salvation of your soules for you to know and to be instructed in Thirdly Of all the workes of the spirit of God in the soule of man this is the first and principall to inlighten the mind and to give a man a good understanding and judgement in those things that concerne his salvation As light was the first of all Gods workes in the Creation of the world Gen. 1.3 so is it also in the new creation Be ye transformed saith the Apostle Romanes 12. â— by the renewing of your mind So soone as a man is transformed and hath that blessed change wrought in him his minde will bee renewed and his judgement cleered in spirituall things When their heart turneth unto the Lord saith hee 2 Cor. 3 16. so soone as a man is once converted by the spirit of God the vaile that darkned the understanding and kept a man from seeing and discerning the things of God shall bee taken away That man whom Gods spirit hath not enlightned to see the truth in some comfortable measure in the matter of religion that is ignorant therein or hath no knowledge but such as he hath received by tradition from men had never any other teacher then man holds nothing in religion but humanafide upon that credit that hee gives unto man it is the religion of the time of the state and countrey hee lives in it is that which he knowes many learned and good men doe teach and hold and therefore hee holdeth and professeth it but he was never inwardly and firmely perswaded in his conscience of these things that man certainely never had the spirit of Christ It cannot be idle wheresoever it is it will be working and if it have not renewed thy mind and judgement if it have not taught instructed thee which is the right way to heaven which is the true religion it never had any work in thy heart at all thou hast certainely no one work of saving and sanctifying grace wrought in thy soule Fourthly The knowledge that this heavenly teacher worketh in us is a cleare and certaine knowledge And even as Gods people when the spirit of God spake unto them in visions and dreames and other extraordinary revelations were undoubtedly certaine of that that he revealed unto them they needed not the testimony of the Church to assure them that it was indeed the will of God that was so revealed unto them If Abraham had not beene undoubtedly certaine of that he would never have beene so ready as hee was Gen. 22.2 3. to sacrifice his own sonne Neither would Ioseph being a just man have taken Mary his wife after she was found with child as he did Matth. 1.20 24. nor would he have taken her and our blessed Lord immediatly after he arose by night and have fled into Egypt as he did Mat. 2.13 14. if hee had not been certainely assured that that was the will of God that was so revealed to him the spirit spake expresly in those cases as the Apostle teacheth us 1 Tim. 4.1 So
doth the spirit of God also in his ordinary manner of teaching the heart of man by the holy Scriptures which the Apostle 2 Pet. 1.19 calleth a more sure word of prophesy then any of those extraordinary revelations were speake so expresly as the people of God that have beene taught by him have beene so certaine of the truth that they have beene willing to seale it even with their dearest bloud So the Evangelist saith Luke 1.1 that all the parts of the Gospell all the articles of our faith were most surely beleeued among the faithfull And Peter saith of himselfe and the rest of the elect Apostles Ioh. 6.69 We beleeve and are sure that thou art that Christ the sonne of the living God And our Saviour saith of them all Ioh. 17.8 that they knew surely that be came out from God and beleeved that God did send him The people of God by the teaching of the holy spirit do attaine you see not unto a probable opinion onely but to an undoubted certainty of knowledge and faith And from this certainty hath growne that marvellous courage and comfort that the holy Martyrs have expressed in all their sufferings They were â—laine for the Word of God saith the Apostle Revel 6.9 and â—or the testimony which they held They did professe and give testimony to the truth of God which they had learned in his Word and they did hold fast this their testimony and would not by any meanes be drawne from it and therefore they were slaine If a man have no certainty in the matters of religion but is wavering and unsetled in it certainely he was never yet taught of God Fiftly No man can attaine to this undoubted certainty in religion by any other meanes but by the teaching of the spirit of God Though a man be a constant hearer of the most excellent teacher and enjoy all other the best meanes of knowledge that are upon earth yet shall he never bee able to attaine to a cleare and certaine knowledge in the matters of his salvation till the spirit of God doe teach and instruct him When Peter had made this confession of his faith Matth. 16.16 Thou art Christ the sonne of the living God Iesus answered and said unto him verse 17. Blessed art thou Simon Bar-jona for flesh and bloud hath not revealed it unto thee but my father which is in heaven Marke two things in this speech of our blessed Saviour 1. That till a man be taught of God he can never understand and know no not thus much 2. That he is a blessed and happy man that can find in himselfe that hee is taught of God Why but may you say May not flesh and bloud reveale so much to a man May not a naturall man be perswaded of this that Iesus is Christ the sonne of the living God I answer that he may say so and he may thinke so and he may in some sort know it to be so and be able to prove it to be so but he cannot be fully perswaded of this article he cannot beleeve it with all his heart as Philip speaketh Acts 8.37 till God by his holy spirit have revealed it unto him and perswaded his heart of it No man can say that Iesus is the Lord saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 12.3 but by the Holy Ghost As if he had said He cannot say and professe it from the full perswasion of his heart till the Holy Ghost hath taught it him that hee is so indeed No man can have a cleare and certaine perswasion in matters of religion but onely he that hath the spirit of sanctification and is instructed and guided by it Certainely saith Elihu Iob 32.8 there is a spirit in man and the inspiration of the almighty giveth them understanding There bee many arguments whereby a man may bee convinced and forced to acknowledge that the holy Scripture is undoubtedly the Word of God 1. The marvellous consent of all the holy Writers that penned it 2. The certaine fulfilling of all the Prophesyes contained in it 3. The strange miracles that have confirmed it 4. The admirable providence of God in preserving of it 5. The testimony that the Church and Saints of God in all ages have given unto it 6. The divine and supernaturall doctrine contained in it But none of all these arguments can undoubtedly perswade the heart certitudine fidei that the holy Scripture or any doctrine contained in it is the Word of God till we be taught it of God till the holy spirit of God have inwardly certified and assured us of it Therefore is this knowledge this cleare and certaine knowledge in matters of faith and religion called Pro 30.3 the knowledge of the holy and 9.10 The knowledge of the holy is understanding A carnall man by his naturall parts and by the helpe of learning of hearing of study and conference may know much in religion and teach it also excellently and maintaine it strongly against any adversary but this cleare and certaine knowledge this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that carryeth with it as with full saile the whole man to the love and obedience of it that makes a man able and willing to suffer and die for the truth can no man have till the holy spirit of God have sanctified his heart and perswaded him in the truth Sixtly and lastly Proportionable to the measure of the spirit of grace and sanctification that any faithfull man hath received shall the measure of his knowledge and certainty be in the matters of his faith and religion He that is spirituall saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 2.15 by whom though he oppose him to the naturall man he meanes not every one that hath the spirit and is regenerate but him that hath the spirit in a greater measure then many other of the regenerate have as appeares by the opposition he makes Chap. 3 1. betweene them that are spirituall and them that are â—aâ—es in Christ. He that is spirituall saith he judgeth all things that is to say is not only certaine of the truth that himselfe holdeth but can judge and clearely discerne and reject any errour that is held by other men yet he himselfe is judged of no man As if he had said He is so certainely assured of the truth that hee holdeth that the contrary judgement of other men whatsoever they bee cannot over-sway him or cause him to stagger Grow in grace saith the Apostle 2 Peter 3.18 and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Iesus Christ. The holyer and more spirituall a man is the more hee growes in grace in the feare of God in sorrow for sinne and hatred of it and in the love of goodnesse the better and with the more certainty of assurance shall hee know the mystery of Christ the clearer and more certaine assurance shall hee have in spirituall things And thus having opened and confirmed this first reason of the Doctrine I come to answer a maine objection which the Papist
so much when we offend it is against the purpose of our heart When we can say with David Ps. 40.8 as your old translation readeth it I desire to do thy good will ô my God yea thy law is within my heart and 119.57 O Lord thou art my portion I have determined to keepe thy words and to doe nothing that might offend thee The truth of grace is in us and the uprightnesse of our hearts may be better discerned by this consent we give in our minds to Gods law in all things and by this unfeined desire and purpose of our heart to please God then by any thing we can do by any performance we are able to make Let us now see the confirmation of this point in three degrees of proofes 1 In the description that the holy Ghost maketh both of upright-hearted and good men and of such also as had no truth of grace in them 2. In the comfort that good men themselves have taken in this more then in any other good thing that hath bin in them 3. In the high account the Lord maketh of this more then of any other good thing that can be in us And for the first The holy Ghost describeth the upright hearted and good man not so much by any of their good actions as by this that their hearts were prepared and set to please God This is made the very summe of all true piety Thus speaketh the Prophet unto Iehoshaphat when hee had much offended God in joyning in affinitie with Ahab Neverthelesse saith hee to him 2 Chron. 19.3 there are good things found in thee in that thou hast taken away the groves out of the land and more then that hast prepared thine heart to seeke God thy heart is set and bent to please God Thus also doth Hezechiah describe the sincerity of them that communicated with him in the passeover 2 Chron. 30.18 19. The good Lord pardon every one that prepareth his heart to seeke God the Lord God of his fathers though hee bee not cleansed according to the purification of the sanctuary They were good men though they had failed and offended in that service because their hearts were set to please God in it This was all that Samuel required of Israel 1 Sam. 7.3 Prepare your hearts unto the Lord and serve him onely And Barnabas of the Disciples in Antiochia who were the first that were called Christians Actes 11.23 Hee exhorted them all that with purpose of heart they would cleave unto the Lord. As if all piety and truth of grace consisted in this when the bent of our mind the unfeined purpose and desire of our heart is for God And so doth David describe an upright heart 1 Chron. 28.9 Thou Solomon my sonne know thou the God of thy father and serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind And on the other side wee shall finde that men that were hypocrites and void of all truth of grace are described not so much by any of their evill actions as by this that the bent of their hearts of their minds and wills was not for God So it is said of the hypocrites that perished in the wildernesse Psalme 78.8 they are called a generation that set not their hearts aright So it is said of Rehoboam 2 Chron. 12.14 Hee did evill because hee prepared not his heart to seeke the Lord the desire and purpose of his heart was not set that way And of Simon Magus Acts 8.21 Thou hast neither part nor lot in the matter for thy heart is not right in the sight of God Secondly The best men wee can read of in Scripture when they have beene driven to search and looke out their evidences for their spirituall estate have found nothing so much comfort in any thing they have ever beene able to doe as in this that their mind and will hath beene to doe well Thus did Paul comfort himselfe in his spirituall conflict Rom. 7. 1. In the bent of his mind verse 16. I consent to the Law that it is good and verse 25. With the mind I my selfe serve the Law of God As if hee had said I obey it in my mind I know that by the mind there hee meaneth the regenerate part as by the flesh and members he meaneth the unregenerate part that was in him But why is the regenerate part called so and the grace of regeneration verse 23. the law of his mind Certainely because the truth and power of regeneration is not so much seene in our actions as in the renewing and sanctifying of our minds according to that Rom. 12.2 Bee yee transformed by the renewing of your mind 2. Hee comforteth himselfe in the bent of his will that his will and desire was for good and against all evill verse 15. What I would that doe I not but what I hate that doe I. And verse 18. to will is present with me As if hee should have said The constant desire purpose and endeavour of my heart is to doe the will of God in all things What failings soever the regenerate man is subject to yet will the worke of Gods sanctifying grace if it appeare in any thing appeare most sensibly in this will The spirit indeed is willing saith our Saviour Matth. 26.41 but the flesh is weake Even when the flesh sheweth it selfe most weake the spirit will shew it selfe willing It will stirre up in us such desires as David expresseth Psalm 119.5 O that my wayes were directed to keepe thy statutes Yee cannot doe the things that yee would saith the Apostle speaking of the confâ—ict that is in the regenerate betweene the flesh and the spirit Gal. 5.17 And this is that that Paul tooke comfort in when hee was much troubled with the sense of his inward corruption To will is present with mee saith hee So speaketh hee of himselfe also Hebrewes 13.18 that his will was to live honestly Why may you say was that all that Paul could say for himselfe that he was willing to live honestly was he not able also did he not live honestly Yes verily but yet this was the thing that yeelded him most comfort that his will and desire was better then his ability though hee slipped and failed oft in his words and actions yet his will and desire was constantly bent to please God in all things And in this also doth holy and zealous Nehemiah comfort himselfe this hee could be bold to say unto God of himselfe and his brethren and this was all he durst say Nehemiah 1.11 that they desired to feare his name And so doth the Church Esa. 26.8.9 The desire of our soule is to thy name and to the remembrance of thee with my soule have I desired thee in the night As if it had said There is nothing in the world that I desire so much as thy favour and grace And Cant. 5.2 I slept but my heart was awake As if she had said even then when I shewed that