hold not thy peace for I am with thee and no man shall set on thee to hurt thee for I have much people in this City shewing thereby that he continued his word among them a long time because he had much people there whom he meant to save So likewise wheresoever God sendeth his word and giveth gifts to his Ministers in some measure for who is sufficient for these things 2 Cor. 2.16 and a conscience to Preach the word truly diligently and faithfully it is a signe he favoureth and loveth them and will blesse them that he would have them converted and saved Not that every one that heareth beleeveth The word is sometimes senâ— for other ends then repentance or that commeth to the word repenteth of his sinnes for the word is sometimes sent for other end first to make them inexcusable that have the light yet shut their eyes that heare the sound yet stop their eares Ioh. 15.22 Therefore our Saviour sayd to his hearers Ioh. 15. If I had not come and spoken unto them they had not had sinne but now they have no cloke for their sinne Secondly to harden them and so to increase their judgement and just condemnation For it shall goe worse with them than with the Turkes and infidels nay than with Sodome and Gomorrha that were overthrowne with fire and brimstone from heaven Ezek. 3.6 Hence it is that the Lord saith to the Prophet Thou art not sent to a people of a strange speech of an hard language surely if I had sent thee to them they would have hearkned unto thee And when our Saviour upbraided the Cities wherein most of his mighty workes were done he sheweth that if such had beene in Tyre and Sidon Math. 11.21 they would have repented long agoe in sackcloth and ashes Thirdly to justifie the Lord and to shew that he is just and holy in all his wayes Ezek. 2.5 and that it might appeare he desireth not the destruction of a sinner as Ezek. 2. whether they will heare or whether they will for beare for they are a rebellious house they shal know that there hath bin a Prophet among them But God openeth the hearts eares of such as he wil convert and call effectually We must acknowledge this mercy of God that hath sent his Gospell among us walke worthy of this benefit for diverse causes that we may have comfort in our owne hearts and assurance of our calling thereby by the holy and sanctified use of the meanes that we may thereby be provoked to thankfulnesse to Almighty God who as he raineth upon one field and not upon another and the place whereupon it rained not withered away so he causeth the Gospell to be preached upon one place and not upon another and where it was not preached they perished that we may leave it as a Iewel to our posterity which doubtlesse will be the best portion and possession we can conveigh to them and that it be not removed and taken away from us and given to a nation that will bring forth the fruits thereof better fruits than we have done Lastly let us submit our selues to the word and regard it as Gods word otherwise it will never worke in us true conversion Iam. 1.19 The Apostle S. Iames brancheth out this point into three duties Chap. 1. My beloved brethren let every man be swift to heare slow to speake slow to wrath Swift to heare that is take all occasions and opportunities that we may entertaine and embrace the truth Slow to speake against the truth delivered and preached unto us slow to crosse and contradict it to resist it and reason against it Slow to wrath that is not to be ready to be offended nor easily provoked when our sinnes are reprooved But for the most part it goeth quite contrary with us we are slow to heare dull to hearken swift to speake against the truth and soone mooved to wrath against such as are the teachers Touching the first It is our duty to be swift to heare we must learne to take all occasions to heare the word and to attend unto it in season and out of season This is required of the Minister to take all occasions 2 Tim. 4.2 Eccl. 11.6 in season and out of season to be instant in preaching the Gospell as Eccl. 11. In the morning sow thy seed and in the evening let not thine hand rest for thou knowest not whether shall prosper either this or that or whether they both shall be a like good We must be faithful in our places as we love the great Sheepheard so we should feed his sheepe we know not what time it may please the Lord to give them repentance to come out of the snare of Satan of whom they are taken captive Let us then sow morning and evening and let the people have the earely and the latter raine Be it we have here no good successe we shall find a reward else where Only let us doe our duty and watch all occasions to doe good leaving the successe to God So must it be with the hearers they must take all occasions to heare the word to learne it to understand it to receive it and to practise it and wherefore Ioh. 15.1 because we know not at what time the husbandman will make the seed of the word to grow and fructifie in our hearts Wherefore they are to be reproved that accuse the Lord of hard dealing like the evill servant in the Gospell when the fault was in himselfe and lay all the blame upon him that they are not converted saying Quest How can I beleeve except the Lord give me faith or how can I attaine to repentance except he give me to repent doe you not teach it is God must worke in us both the will and the deed at his good pleasure why then am I blamed for not beleeving and for not repenting and why am I stirred up to beleeve the Gospell and to turn to the Lord seeing they are not in my power and seeing he giveth me neither the one nor the other I may as well be stirred up and moved to stirre and remove a mountaine Answ I answer out of Ecclesiastes before rehearsed the sower must sow his seed in the morning and in the evening so they that are hearers must heare in the morning and hearken in the evening and the rather because they know not whether this or that shall prosper and bring forth fruit unto repentance and salvation Will we not cease or give over to plow our land but till it in the morning and afternoone and shall we not thinke the furrowes of our hearts have as much need to be striken Hath the earth need of the earely and latter raine and are not we as barren and dry wanting the morning and evening shewres to make our soules fruitfull It may well be when we pursued and sought after with greedinesse our worldly businesse
his judgments who never once consider the causes thereof not hate their sinnes though heinous and horrible which bring them upon us We deale commonly with our sinnes as the vniust Steward did with his Masters debters and debt for an hundred he sets downe fifty Luk. 15.6 See herein how partiall we are when we censure others we are ready for fifty to set downe an hundred and of every mole-hill to make a mountaine but when we cast up our owne accountes we say to our owne soules Take thy bill and sit downe quickly and write fourscore or fifty or happily foure or five so unequall and unjust are our wayes Againe others acknowledge themselues to be sinners in grosse or in generall as Pharaoh Saul and sundry others but come to the particulars of the law which is the glasse to shew us our sinnes for by the Law commeth the knowledge of sin examine these by it from point topoint Rom. 3.20 who never examined themselues they are not ashamed to pronounce themselues innocent For bring them to their triall as it were to hold up their hand at the barre whether they ever brake the first Commandement Exod. 20 3.4.7.8.13 Thou shall have no other Gods before me they answer readily God forbid I should set up strange gods Or the second To make graven images or the rest To kill To steale To beare false witnesse Math. 19.20 and such like they sticke not to plead not guilty and to say with the young man All these things have I kept from my youth up what lacke I yet These are like to a man that saith he is sicke and being asked where and led a long from the crowne of the head to the Sole of the foot should then say he is well in every particular part Thus they shew they understand not the Law which is spirituall Rom. 7.14 and searcheth into the heart Lastly it is our duty to use all meanes to move us and bring us unto repentance The first may be our present necessity Motives to stirre us up to repentance If there were no other but the distresse and calamity that lyeth upon our Churches it were enough to rouse us up out of the dead sleep of sinne into which we are fallen It is not our fasting and prayer that can call in Gods judgements nay they provoke him the more against us except we repent O let us consider the wofull mortality and the pittifull estate of thousands of our brethren and sisters Psal 80.5 79.8.9 that the Lord feedeth them with the bread of teares and giveth them teares to drinke in great measure and thereby be stirred up our selues and stirre up others to unfained repentance then let us say with the Prophet O remember not against us former iniquities let thy tender mercies speedily prevent us for we are brought very low helpe us O God of our Salvation for the glory of thy name and deliver us and purge away our sinnes for thy names sake and he will heare us in the end and send us a gracious deliverance Secondly a man that liveth in this world without amendment of life is farre more uile then the basest creatures that creepe upon the ground it had beene better we had never beene borne or beene brought forth as dogs and swine as wormes of the earth nay as Serpents or a generation of Vipers We are worse then all these lying in the state of impenitency for there is an end of them when this life endeth but our misery shall never have end Thirdly such as ate not truly conuerted are in danger of all the judgments of God which as a suddaine and violent flood may breake in upon them or as a mighty host of men may quickly ouerthrow them and destroy them Happy are they that feare them a farre off and can beware by other mens harmes Let us not tarry till they come upon us Exod. 12.30 as the Egyptians did till one in every house was dead God was neuer more prouoked then at this day Hitherto he hath prevailed little or nothing with us Math. 3.10 now the axe is laid to the root of the trees therefore every one which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewne downe and cast into the fire Fourthly God hath used all meanes to worke in us repentance the greater is our sin if we use them not We are fast a sleep he hath sounded his trumpets to awakeÌ„ us He hath the trumpet of his word and commandeth his Ministers to cry aloud and spare not Esay 58.1 to lift up their voyces like a Trumpet to shew the people their transgressions their sins He hath also the trumpet of his judgements to pierce into our hearts when the word findeth no place in us He hath often sounded the alarme and blowne the trumpet of his Word by the Ministery of his seruants that have spoken unto us early and late in the name of the Lord and warned us of his wrath to come and of our wickednesse present and we would not heare them He is therfore constrained to take in hand an other trumpet and to strike us with the pestilence and mortality Ames 3.6 shall this Trumpet be blowne in the City and the people not be afraid Or shâ—ll there be evill in a City and the Lord hath not done it For as when a trumpet giveth a signe or token out of a watch-tower the people hearkneth and is troubled and prepare themselves this way or that way as the trumpet giveth the token so the Lord cryeth unto us by his judgments as it were by the voyce of a shrill trumpet ought we not then to be attentive and be moved at the sound thereof and according to the warning prepare our selves to repentance and heare his voice while it is called to day Psal 95.8 Heb. 3.7 4.7 lest our hearts be hardned through the deceitfulnesse of sinne It were better for us a thousand times to hearken to the sound of the first trumpet then tarry till be sound the second to heare his word then waite till he take up his sword O how much better had it beene for us to have taken his word which he sends among us and to Obey it then to cause and even constraine him to send his destroying Angel to make havocke of us Lastly he that converteth not is in danger of eternall damnation to be separated from Gods presence at whose right hand is fulnesse of joy and pleasures for evermore Psal 16.11 Dan 12.2 to have fellowship with the Devill and his angels to have shame and everlasting contempt powred upon them and to have horrour and anguish of conscience cast upon them arising from a feeling of Gods wrath Then shall the last trumpet blow and waxe lowder that the dead shall heare the sound thereof 1 Cor. 15.52 1 Thes 4.16 when the Lord himselfe shall descend from heaven with a great shout and with thousands
the immediate hand of God rather then endure these manifold miseries that are upon them and those that belong vnto them Secondly it leadeth us to thinke that our hope and comfort is not heere upon the earth Our happinesse and the time or place of our resting and refreshing is not heere We must not looke for an heaven in this life but make our selves ready to take up our crosse and follow our Master Our Saviour never promiseth his Disciples to live ever in prosperity and be free from all adversity O how many followers should he have if the profession of his name were coupled accompanied with honour and temporall glory as appeareth by the Shechemites that would be circumcised for gaine Ioh. 6.26 Gen. 34. and by those that sought him because they did eate of the loaves and had their bellies filled Ioh 6. but he forewarneth them in all places of grieuous troubles he sent them out as sheepe in the middes of Wolves he telleth them that they will deliver them up to the Councils and scourge them in their Synagogues and the Apostle was assured by the holy Ghost Act. 20.26 that bands and afflictions did abide him It shall not be thus in the life to come when the Lord shall wipe away all teares from our eyes 1 Cor. 15.19 therefore the Apostle saith If in this life only we have hope in Christ we are of all men most miserable This is the description of such as are wicked men Psal 17.14 their portion is in this life Psal 17. they lay up for themselves treasures upon earth where moth and rust doth corrupt where theeves breake through and steale and where their treasure is there is their heart also Math. 6.19 Math. 6.19.21 they say let us eate and drinke for to morrow we dy 1 Cor. 15. The happinesse of a godly man is heereafter Phil. 1.23 to be dissolved and to be with Christ is best of all Phil. 1. When this earthly house of this his Tabernacle is dissolved he hath a building of God an house not made with hands eternall in the heavens 2 Cor. 5.1 Phil. 3.20 2 Cor. 5. his Conversation is in heaven and from thence looketh for a saviour Phil. 3. Col. 3.1.2 he seeketh those things that are above where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God Col. 3. he setteth his affections on things above not on things on the earth Thirdly seing be oftentimes chastiseth his children while worldly men feele nothing at all it behoveth us to beare his chastisements cheerefully humbly and patiently and not faint under the crosse as men out of heart Heb. 12.6 veing he correcteth every son whom hereceiveth and loveth and with this we should comfort our selves and strengthen the feeble-minded support the weake and be patient toward all men This condemneth all murmuring and complaining under the Crosse which causeth the Lord oftentimes not to remove but rather to double his strokes upon us When Parents perceive their children grow stubborne and wayward froward and foolish under the rod doe they not rather encrease their punishment then let them alone Lam. 3.33.36 Thus doe we constraine the Lord to deale with us true it is he doth not afflict willingly nor grieve the children of men to crush under his feete and to subvert a man he approveth not but when we are impatient and fret against him this is not the way to stay his hand and to call backe his judgements but rather to provoke him against us to strike againe and againe Motives to patience and to double and treble his strokes upon us Now there are sundry motives to move us to this patience and to stay us from all impatience First God useth bodily afflictions to cure spirituall diseases Every paine preventeth the paines of hell by drawing us to Christ We may learne more by adversity then we can doe by prosperity Manasses learned more in Babylon then in Ierusalem and profited more in prison then in his palace 2 Chro. 33. In prosperity David said I shall never be remooved but in adversity he confessed Psal 30.6.119.71 it was good for him to have beene afflicted that he might learne the statutes of God whereas before he was afflicted he went astray but now he kept his word Secondly the sorrowes and anguish we endure alas what are they if they be compared to those dolours and paines which Christ our saviour suffered for us for he might say more truly then any other Behold and see if there be any sorrow like unto my sorrow which is done unto me Lam. 1.12 wherewith the Lord afflicted me in the day of his fierce anger Thirdly our sorrowes are a thousand times lesser then our sinnes have deserved Let us enter into our owne hearts and consciences to try and find out this point and we shall easily discerne our sinnes and offences to exceed all our paines Fourthly nothing commeth upon us but that which the Lord hath sent and laid upon us affliction springeth not out of the dust though dust and ashes judge after that manner We looke too much to second causes to finde the cause of our visitations as also we trust too much in outward meanes and remedies to remove the same The Prophet saith Psal 39.9 I was dumbe and opened not my mouth because thou didst it This consideration wrought patience in him And our Saviour teacheth us to lift up our eyes higher then the earth Math 10.29 and to rest in his providence Are not two sparrowes solde for a farthing and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your father Fiftly God hath not given us ouer into the hands of our enemies to be chastened but he correcteth us with his owne mercifull hand When David had his wish to chuse his owne chasticement either warre famine or pestilence all sharpe weapons able to wound to death he chose rather to be corrected by the hand of God then by men or other meanes 2 Sam. 24.14 2 Sam. 24. Let us fall now into the hand of the Lord for his mercies are great and let me not fall into the hand of man for the very mercies of the wicked are cruelty For if we stood at the discretion of mercilesse men as sundry our bretheren at this day in other places doe and heard the alarme of battel sounding in our eares when mourning is in our streets Amos 5.16 and we should heare crying in all our high wayes Alas alas and all places be filled with weeping and wailing when the blood of the Saints shall be powred out like water that cannot be gathered up againe when so many widowes and fatherlesse children are left to lament we would confesse it a great mercy to fall into the hands of God and not of men if we considered aright these things Sixtly all the afflictions of this life are not worthy the glory laid up for us in the life to
grace life by Christ be fruitfull effectuall Let us then be warned that we do not coÌ„tent our selves to live in the Church for so false Israelites doe and hypocriticall Christians who professe Christ in word Tit. 1.16 Revel 3.1.2 but deny him in their workes who have a name that they are alive but indeed are dead Let us therefore be watchful strengthen the things which remaine that are ready to dy repent speedily because wee know not what houre hee will come upon us This is the use that the Apostle teacheth having shewed that in a great house are sundry vessels some to honour some to dishonour he addeth 2 Tim. 2.21 Let us purge our selves from these that we may be vessels unto honour sanctified meet for the masters use and prepared to every good worke Math. 3.8 Let us strive to bring forth fruit worthy amendment of life Let us clense our selves from all filthinesse of the flesh and spirit perfecting holinesse in the feare of God and purging our consciences more and more from dead workes that so we may gather comfort and assurance that we are vessels to honour and for our better assurance let every one depart from iniquity that nameth the name of Christ 2 Tim. 2.19 Doct. After that thou shalt cut it downe Here is the finall doome of this fig-tree without any farther repriving or sparing thereof Though the Lord suffer long yet he punisheth at the last if it cannot be made fruitfull From whence I might observe that the Lord howsoever he be very patient and doth forbeare long yet at the last he wil come to visit and punish men for their sinnes Ier. 5.7.9 How shall I pardon thee for this thy children have forsaken me and sworne by them that are no gods when I had fedde them to the full they then committed adultery and assembled themselves by troupes in the harlots houses So Esay 42.14.15 1 Sam. Reason 1 5.6 The reasons first in regard of his love and mercy to his children he will not suffer them to live in their sinnes unpunished thus he doth manifest his goodnesse yea that he is goodnesse it selfe and consequently opposite to evill and so will visit them for their sinnes Secondly his justice will not suffer him to let the wicked escape but hee will and must punish He is just nay justice it selfe and therefore cannot but doe justice Rom. 2.6 3.5.6 and give to every one according to his workes as Rom. 3. Is God unrighteous who taketh vengeance I speake as a man God forbid for then how shall God judge the world This teacheth the children of God Vse 1 that they have no cause at all to be envious against the wicked for their prosperity and happinesse in this world for let them waite a while and abide but a short time which the Lord in his providence hath appointed they shal behold him comming against them with his drawne sword and visit their iniquities to the full Exod. 34.7 for hee will by no means clearethe guilty Secondly it admonisheth every man to labour to breake off his sinnes whatsoever they be and not to harden himselfe because God spareth him because howsoever God spareth him and maketh as though he did not perceive him yet at the last he payeth home How neere hath Gods hand beene to many in this great visitation in the same house and in the same bed when the one hath beene taken away and the other spared and his life given him for a prey O consider this ye that have already forgotten this mercy of God and labour to appease his wrath before yee come to his judgement-seate for then it will be to late to call and cry for mercy let us labour too repent betimes here that so we may find mercy before the throne of God hereafter Lastly it warneth us of the wofull estate of all such as despise his patience for what doe such but heape up wrath against the day of wrath Rom. 2. Thou shalt cut it downe Dcto The Lord of the Vineyard waited yeare after yeare to receive some fruit Such as grow desperate are neere to destruction and the dresser thereof obtained the continuance of the standing thereof another yeare if nothing will serve none will intreat any farther it must be cut downe This teacheth us that when once we grow desperate without hope of amendment and past recovery God is determined to destroy us and to pull us up by the rootes as trees that are altogether withered dead and rotten Thus it was with the sonnes of Eli the sonnes of Belial 1 Sam. 2.12.25 they knew not the Lord neither would they give eare to the warning of their father but what was the end They hearkned not to the voyce of their father because the Lord would slay them This we see also 2 Chro. 36. the Lord gave his people over into the hand of the Caldeâ—s but when came the wrath of the Lord upon them to the uttermost when there was no remedy He had sent his Prophets continually and successively one after another among them 2 Cor. 36.15 16. but they could do no good with them they grew worse as those that are desperately diseased caÌ„not be healed There was therfore no remedy neither other way with them then to cut them off utterly Thus our Saviour speaketh Math. 23.37.38 I would have gathered you together but ye would not behold your house and habitation is left unto you desolate Esay 6.10 so that it came to passe as the Lord had threatned Make the heart of this people fat and make their eares heavy and shut their eyes lest they see with their eyes and herewith their eares and understand with their heart and be healed The reasons are first because there is nothing left that can doe them any good Reason 1 All the meanes that the Lord hath used or can use will not profit them but like Dogges and Swine they tread the precious pearles of the Gospel under their feet Ier. 17.6 They are like the heath in the wildernesse which shall not see when any good commeth but shall inhabit the parched places in a salt land and not inhabited The heath hath good meanes comming upon it to make it good the Summer commeth the Sunne shineth the raine falleth the influence of the heavens descendeth yet euermore it remaineth the same a dry and barren heath It is with the barren soule as with the barren soile the word the Ministers the Sabbathes the Sacraments the dayes of grace nay Christ Iesus himselfe can doe them no good no good nay the Word which in it selfe is the savour of life to life becommeth to them the savour of death to death 2 Cor. 2.16 Christ himselfe is a recke of offence and a stone to stumble at and all the rest of the meanes ordained to Salvation turne to their finall destruction 1 Pet. 3.8 Secondy such
haue filled up the measure of their sinne being disobedient and to every good worke reprobate Math. 23.32 it is now come to the top and his judgments lye even at the doore ready to fal heavy upon them then will God fill up the vials of his wrath and powre them downe upon their heads To apply these things to our selves it ought to move us to turne to the Lord betimes Vse 1 while there may be an healing and binding up of the wounds least the heart be hardned through the deceitfulnesse of sinne which of all judgments is the most grievous If it be once said of us as it was of the Iewes That the Lord sent to us his servants rising up continually and carefully because 2 Chro. 36.15.16 he hath compassion on his people but we on the other side mocke his messengers ministers despise his words what remaineth but that the wrath of the Lord arise against us either by the plague pestilence as he hath upon our brethren or by the sword of the enemy which wil have no coÌ„passion upon the yong the maiden or him that stooped for age He hath other man or secret judgements which the world taketh no knowledge of neither judgeth them to be any judgements at all these as they are more secret so they are more sharpe as when he taketh away his word from us or if he continue it yet maketh it unprofitable through our abuse and contempt of it Secondly wofull is their estate which goe forward in their evill wayes are not these nigh destruction Doubtlesse there is but a step betweene death and them nay they have as it were one foot in hell already being readier to draw the other after a thousand times then to withdraw the other from thence Hence it is that the Prophet saith Ier. 30.12 Thus saith the Lord thy bruise is incurable and thy wound is grievous there is none to plead thy cause that thou maist be bound up thou bast no healing â—â—dicine there is no Balme in Gilead to heale them whom the Lord seeth thus without remedy and thus past recovery They are like a man desperately sicke whom all the Physitians have forsaken The husbandman taketh his weeding instruments and laboureth to grubbe up the thornes and thistles and weedes out of his ground that the good corne might the better prosper and flourish but when once he seeth there is no end of his worke nor fruit of his labour but the more he toyleth and moyleth the more they grow and encrease he is without hope to overcome them and so withdraweth himselfe and letteth all alone For why or to what end should he busie and bestirre himselfe in vaine Thus it is with the Lord he sendeth his messengers and chargeth them to warne his people in season to admonish and exhort them but when they stop their eares and pull away their shoulders and refuse to hearken what can we thinke but that the Lord is determined to lay waste his Vineyard that it shal not be pruned or digged or dunged any longer but there shall come upbries and thornes Esay 5.5 and to command the cloudes that they raine downe no more raine upon it yea to take away the hedge thereof that it may be eaten up and to breake downe the wall thereof that it may be troden downe as he threatned to the Vineyard of the house of Isâ—ael when he looked for judgement but behold oppression and for righteousnesse but behold a cry Thirdly let not the Ministers neverthelesse be discouraged though they see oftentimes they must be driven to plough the waste and barren wildernesse and then sow among thornes and thistles The sower goeth out to sow his seede and it falleth not all or alwayes in good ground but some by the high-way side some in stony ground and other falleth upon thornes without any fault either of the sower or of the seed We may not not be ouâ—own chusers to chuse our ground where we will sow neither lay our plot-forme where we will build much lesse can we make the earth fruitfull or the building healthfull The Prophet complaineth Esay 53.1 49.4 that no man beleeved his report and prophesying of the labours of Christ Iesus to plant the Gospel who was the best labourer in the field and the best shepheard of the sheepe he bringeth him in complayning that he had laboured in vaine and spent all his strength in vaine neverthelesse he was not discouraged but comforted himselfe in this that the reward of his worke was laid up in heaven Salomon giving directious for workes of charity Eccl. 11.1.6 chargeth them that have this worlds good to cast their bread upon the waters because they should find it after many dayes and afterward he addeth to the same purpose In the morning sow thy seed and in the evening withdraw not thine hand for thou knowest not whether shall prosper either this or that or whether they both shall be alike good much rather should it be thus with us we should cast the bread of life upon the waters even when we have small hope to find it againe as if a man should sow his seed in the sea and use all diligence and take all occasions to doe good leaving the issue of our labours to the cheife husband man And the rather we ought to doe it because we are unto God the sweet savour of Christ in them that are saved 2 Cor. 2.15 and in them that perish that is in all persons because all men whatsoever either are such as shall be saved or such as shall be condemned and the reward shall be according to the faithfulnesse of the Ministers teaching not according to the fruitfulnesse of the peoples hearing Lastly it behoveth us in time to take heed how we heare not onely what we heare touching the matter Mark 4.24 Mar. 4 24. Luk. 8.18 but also how we heare touching the manner Luk. 8.18 and regard how it be performed as well as that it be performed The more the word of God soundeth in our eares and we respect it but as a sound the more our hearts are hardned like the anvill that is beaten and hardned by the continuall strokes of the hammer Gods word is in regard of the effectes resembled compared to fire to an hammer as Ier. 23. Is not my word like as a fire saith the Lord Ier. 23.29 and like an hammer that breaketh the rooke in pieces There is more hope of men that never heard the word and never lived under the ordinary ministry and preaching of it then of such as have had their eares beaten with it yet it cannot enter into their hearts as our Saviour speaketh to the chiefe Priests and Elders of the people Math. 21.31 Verily I say unto you that the publicanes and the harlots goe into the kingdome of God before you If the word do not convert us it doth condemne us and if
done away in the great Day of the Lord when the time of refreshing shall come from the presence of God 2 Thes 1.11 then indeed he shall be made marveilous in all them that beleeve And as the ends of the world are come upon us and the Day of our perfect reconciliation draweth neere so ought we to rejoyce the more and to lift up our heads the higher that as we have said in our trouble Psal 22.15 Thou hast brought us into the dust of death so we may say againe with joy of Spirit Thou Lord hast drawne us out of many waters His right hand hath done great things for us for which we reioyce Lastly it is our duty to walke worthy of such a Kingdome and to live godly in Christ Iesus that so wee may have comfort in that Day Such as looke and hope hereafter to be made like unto Christ must wash their hands 1 Ioh. 3.3 and clense their hearts and purifie themselves even as he is pure But it may be said Wee may repent at leisure and at the last Day and that is farre off Nay the Scripture putteth such foolish conceits from us and telleth us that the Lord is at hand 1 Pet. 4.7 the comming of the Lord draweth neere Besides then is not the time of mercy but of justice to the impenitent For as death leaveth us so shall the Iudgement Day finde us Rom. 2.5 Rom. 2.5 Wee must all appeare before the Judgement Seat of Christ But wherefore to bring us to repentance and to see whether we will turne from our sinnes to him No that is not the end but to receive the things which we have done in our body whether good or evill The old world no doubt when they saw the raine that fell were desirous to enter into the Arke but the flood was come and it was too late Exod. 14.23 25. The Egyptians pursuing Israel into the middest of the Sea were desirous to turne backe and to flye from the face of Israel but the Lord tooke off their Chariot wheeles that they drave them heavily and it was too late The foolish Virgins cried Lord Lord open unto us Matth. 25.11 12. but the doore was shut and they received this uncomfortable answer Verily I say unto you I know you not which verifieth the saying of Christ elsewhere Many Luke 13.24 I say unto you will seeke to enter in and shall not be able Such as can wish for Heaven should also study to learne the way to Heaven It was the wish of Balaam the false prophet though himselfe were unrighteous that hee might dye the death of the righteous Numb 23 10. For albeit hee regarded not to lead the life of the righteous yet hee could be content to die their death though he were at warre with God yet he was desirous to enter into their peace and though he would not be like them in the beginning of his daies yet he was willing his latter end should be like theirs But as hee was ignorant of the way so he was as carelesse to enter into it This putteth us in minde of sundry meditations First it is our duty to consult with the Word and to try all our actions by it whether they please God as the gold is tryed by the touch-stone whether it bee currant or counterfeit and as the worke is tried by the rule whether it be right or crooked Hence it is that Christ teacheth Ioh. 3.21 He that doth truth commeth to the light that his deeds may be made manifest that they are wrought in God but he that doth evill hateth the light neither commeth to the light lest his deeds should be reproved For naturally men love darknesse rather then light because their deeds are evill 1 Cor. 11.31 Secondly we ought to iudge our selves here that so we may escape the Iudgement of God hereafter If we will not judge our selves we shall be condemned with the wicked world for the Lord himselfe will enter into Iudgement with us We must to this purpose summon accuse examine convince and condemne our selves that he may acquit us discharge us and absolve us Wee must try and examine our selves by the Touch-stone of the Law and looke into it as upon a glasse whereby wee may see the least spot and wrinkle Thirdly we must watch and pray alwayes Luke 21.36 that wee may bee found so doing when the Lord commeth Luke 11. and be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to passe and that wee may stand before the Sonne of man But if the evill servant say in his heart My master deferreth and delayeth his comming Luk. 12.45 46. and shall begin to beate his fellow servants and to eate and drinke and to bee drunken the Lord of that servant will come in a day when hee looketh not for him and in an houre when hee is not ware and wil cut him in sunder and will appoint him his portion with the unbeleevers Fourthly we must practise the workes of mercy toward the members of Christ and bountifulnesse to the godly in all their distresses Happy will that Day be and joyfull to them that have fed and clothed and visited Christ in his members that have come to such as have beene sicke and in prison which workes of mercy the Lord Iesus will account accept and reward as done to himselfe But woe shall it be to such as shall have this charged upon them by Christ himselfe the Iudge of quicke and dead Matth. 25 4â— I was an hungred and ye gave me no meate I was thirsty and yee gave me no drinke I was a stranger and yee tooke me not in naked and ye clothed me not sicke and in prison and ye visited me not Neither will it serve their turne to excuse their want of charity to say Lord when saw we thee an hungred or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sicke or in prison and did not minister unto thee For then it shall be answered them Verily I say unto you in as much as ye did it not to one of the least of these ye did it not to me Lastly let us hold fast the faith and the heavenly graces given unto us and not give over neither suffer them to be wrested from us by any illusion of Satan for then wee lose all our labour and all the paines that we have taken Let us stand out to the end Revel 3.11 and be faithfull unto the death and then we shall receive the Crowne of eternall life This is the exhortation to the Church in Philadelphia Hold fast that which thou hast that no man take away thy Crowne from thee And the Apostle John Looke to yourselves 2 Iohn 8. 1 Cor. 15.58 that ye lose not the things that yee have done that so ye may receive a full reward The Lord God Almighty who hath promised to reward our service even to a cup of cold water grant that we may be steadfast and unmovable alwayes abounding in the worke of the Lord forasmuch as wee know that our labour shall not be in vaine in the Lord Amen FINIS
as afterward he beheld with his owne eyes so worthy and glorious an effect of his preaching 1 Thess 2.19.20 as might rejoyce his heart and be his crowne and glory before the Lord and in the presence of our Lord Iesus Christ aâ— his comming who as a fisher of men cast his net into the sea and inclosed a great multitude of fish of all sorts But yet for all this it did not sufficiently content the Prophet through a carnall misdeeming and misjudging of the successe of his labours as if by Gods shewing of mercy his ministery were contemned his credit empaired and his person scorned and exposed to contempt because the Citie was spared and not destroyed as appeareth in the next Chapter In the 4. Verse and the rest that follow to the end of the Chapter we are to consider two things First the preaching of Ionah Verse 4. A Sermon consisting of judgement he singeth a mournfull song foretelling them of their full and final destruction Secondly the effect of his preaching in the residue of the Chap. The preaching of Ionah is a fearfull threatning of a fearful overthrow to come upon them for their wickednesse Circumstances in the threatning which was come up before the Lord did cry for vengeance to heaven Chap. 1 2. In this denunciation we may observe sundry circumstances to passe over the beginning of the verse first the circumstance of the time to come forty dayes are limited for their repentance as the dayes of Gods patience which once expired they must looke for suddaine destruction Secondly the circumstance of time already past implied in the word Yet putting them in remembrance that he had already spared them a long time not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance As if the Lord should have said by his Prophet I have spared you long enough already that I might justly poure upon you all my wrath yet neverthelesse I will spare you a little longer Thirdly the subject of the judgement Nineveh a great a mightie a populous and proud Citie whereby also are understood the inhabitants thereof from the greatest to the least and lowest of them Lastly the measure or quantitie of the judgement an utter overthrow not of one person or one family but of the whole Citty now whether it were by sword or famine or pestilence or by fire from heaven as God overthrew Sâ—dome and Gâ—morrha and the Cities of the plaine or otherwise is not expressed Now let us come to the words And Ionah began to enter c. Albeit the Lord might forthwith have destroyed the Ninevites yet he giveth them some time of repentance and sendeth his holy Prophet unto them which declareth the infinite and endlesse patience of God even toward these Infidels that knew him not neither called upon his name Rom. 2.4 First let us observe the generall doctrine out of the whole threatning and afterward come to the particulars Before the Lord would utterly destroy the City he raised up Ionah the Prophet to foretell their destruction Doct. 1 This teacheth Before the Lord destroyeth he warneth by his ministers that the Lord for the most part never bringeth any judgement upon any people or person but hee first foretelleth of it and maketh it knowne unto them hee warneth them and threatneth it by his Ministers This truth is to be seene every where in the Scripture Amos 3.6.7 Luk. 13.7 We reade that the world was once destroyed by water and it shall bee destroyed againe by fire Of the first destruction we finde that be foretold it unto Noah and by Noah to the world before ever the flood came And touching the second destruction which shall bee by fire 2 Pet. 3.10 when the Elements shall melt with fervent heate the earth also and the workes that are therein shall bee burnt up God hath not left us ignorant but in diverse places hath plainely set it downe unto us The reasons of this course and order of Gods dealing who warneth before he smiteth are eyther in respect of God or in respect of the godly or in respect of the ungodly In respect of God to justifie his proceedings and judgements with men even before the sonnes of men to stop the mouth of iniquitie that it might have nothing to object or plead against him 2 Chro. 36.15 Ier. 25.3 and 35.15 Secondly in respect of the godly because hee would not take his people at unwares who is friendly unto them and loveth them as his owne children Now it were the part of an enemy and not of a friend to come upon them surprise them at unwares as they doe that come to assault a Citty and therefore God to shew his favour and friendship to them that are his doth foretell and give them warning before hand that so they might happily prevent it by their repentance 2 Pet. 3.9 and thereby have judgements kept from them Thirdly in respect of the ungodly themselves because God would have those that are none of his to be left without excuse that they might not be able to accuse God of any unjust dealing or murmure against him for as much as they had warning but would not bee warned they heard of his judgements but they would not judge themselves neither labour to prevent them Matth. 24.14 therefore the damnation of such is just Vse 1. Vse 1 Behold from hence the wonderfull mercy goodnesse and patience of our good God whose manner is alwaies to give warning before hee proceede in judgement He seeketh not to take any at advantage neither desireth hee the death of a sinner And therefore the Prophet saith Lam. 3.33.36 He doth not afflict willingly nor grieve the children of men to crush under his feet all the prisoners of the earth to subvert a man in his cause the Lord approveth not Lam. 3.33.36 He would have none to perish that are his but all to repent and to be saved He instructeth that he may not threaten he threatneth that he may not smite he smiteth that he may not destroy 1 Cor. 11.32 yea and sometime he destroyeth temporally that he may not destroy eternally This is the course which he neede not observe because upon our owne perill the perill of our soules wee are bound to take heed of judgements to come that wee should prevent them before they come He would have us to send out our Embassadours which are our prayers to treate of conditions of peace betweene God and us Such as intend revenge and the execution of their wrath are not wont to give warning but to watch their opportunity as we see in Absolom 2 Sam. 13.22 who spake neither good nor evill to his brother Amnon because he hated him and then suddenly when his heart was merry with wine commanded him to be smitten If God had a purpose to destroy us as his enemies and to come upon us at unwares hee would never threaten us and give us
abolished these fundamentall points of religion and not have broched lyes in hypocrisie all men would soone have espied the treachery The like I might say of fasting What the Popish fast is What the Popish fast is I will describe out of their owne writers It is an abstinence from flesh onely and the things that come from it according to the order of the Church upon set and certaine times appointed to make satisfaction for our sinnes to merit the grace of Christ and to obtaine everlasting life Can light and darknesse be more contrary one to the other then these things are to the truth But this I have handled else where Comment upon Esther albeit the bare allegation be a sufficient confutation of this vanity Lastly it behoveth us to meet the Lord by prayer and fasting as the Church in all ages hath usually done in times of dāger It is the Counsell of the Prophet when the Lord commeth out as an armed man against his people to seek reconciliation and attonement with him Amos. 4.12 This will I doe to thee O Israel and because I will doe this unto thee prepare to meete thy God O Israel We are not stronger than he Psal 24.8 who is the Lord strong and mighty the Lord mighty in battel Exod. 15.3 as a man of Warre and therefore we are not able to encounter him Remember the words of our Saviour Luk. 14. Luk. 14.31.32 What king going to make warre against another king sitteth not downe first and consulteth whether he be able with ten thousand to meet him that commeth against him with twenty thousand or else while the other is yet a great way off hee sendeth an Ambassage and desireth conditions of peace The Lord is come out already against us and hath his twenty thousand in battel aray and hath smitten downe many thousands of us We cannot now say he is yet a great way off there is wrath gone out from the Lord the plague is begunne among the people Numb 16.46 and yet who almost layeth it to his heart Act. 12.20 O that there were that wisedome in us which was in the men of Tyre and Sidon when they knew that Herod was displeased with them they came with one accord and desired peace because their countrey was nourished by the kings country We know we feele the Lord is highly displeased with us and that we have provoked him to anger why do we then delay the time and send not out to him an embassage of prayer and repentance and offer conditions of peace This we must doe many wayes first accuse and endite our selues as guilty before him like poore prisoners standing at the the barre and holding up our hands Secondly Confesse our sinnes that have procured his heavy displeasure Thirdly Let us vow to forsake them this must evermore be joyned with confession Pro. 28. Fourthly Give no rest to our own soules till we be reconciled to God and restored to his favour againe and he have called in his judgments against us Lastly Eph. 4.22.23 let us leade a new life cast off the old man and be renewed in the spirit of our minde without this all our meetings and assemblies are nothing worth yea our prayers and fastings are turned into sinne Neither circumcision avayleth any thing nor uncircumcision but a new creature old things are passed away behold all things are made new 6. For word came unto the king of Nineveh and he arose from his throne and he layd his robe from him and covered him with sackcloth and sate in ashes Hitherto of the solemne repentance of the Ninevites from the highest to the lowest now consider the actions of the King both in his owne person and in his proclamation Behold a wicked city turned from her wickednesse in the turning of an hand Ionah no sooner proclaimed destruction but the King sent out his Proclamation he no sooner heard of wrath denounced from the throne of God but he presently arose from his owne throne when he heard how they had all covered the whole land with their sinnes he covered himselfe with sackcloth he laid aside his royall robes and clad himselfe with repentance as with a robe See then the outward meanes of their repentance the word of the Prophet Ionah preached judgment through the City this could not long be hidden from the King and hence arose their turning to God Doct. This teacheth Repentance is wrought by the preaching of the word in the hearts of men that God worketh repentance and the conversion of a sinner by the Preaching of the Word The author and giver is God or else we never have it but the meanes and instrument by which he worketh it is the ministery of the Word The Apostle Paul exhorteth the servant of the Lord to instruct those that oppose themselues 2 Tim. 2.25 if God peraduenture will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth Iam. 1.18 An other Apostle confirmeth the same Of his owne will he begate us with the word of truth that we should be a kind of first fruites of his creatures And we have a third witnesse of another Apostle We are borne anew not of corruptible seed but of incorruptible 1. Pet. 1.23 by the word of God which liveth and abideth forever Reasons First the word is quicke and livelie Reason 1 powerfull and piercing sharper than any two edged sword Heb. 4.12 and entreth even to the dividing asunder of soule and spirit and of the joynts and marow and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the hearts Heb. 4. Howbeit not from any inherent power in it selfe nor from the mouth of him that Preacheth it for he can give it no force Gal. 2.8 nor set any edge upon it but from the power of God as Gal. 2. He that wrought effectually in Peter to the Apostleship of the Circumcision the same was mighty in me toward the Gentiles Secondly faith is the fountaine and beginning of repentance but whence have we faith but by the word as we have declared already that Ionah preached and the Ninevites beleeved This also the Apostle teacheth Rom. 10.17 Faith commeth by hearing and hearing by the word of God So then these three stand thus in order the word faith and repentance How shall they heare saith the same Apostle and in the same place without a Preacher The Ninevites heard Ionah before they beleeved and they beleeved his preaching before they repented if they had not heard the Prophet they had never beleeved and if they had never beleeved they had not to turned the Lord. NO man therefore can be converted except he have beleeved Thirdly the conversion of a sinner is as I may say the onely miracle of the Gospell It is usuall with the Lord to shadow his miracles by outward meanes Pro. 25.2 that he might conceale his owne workes as Pro. 25. The glory of God is to
Math. 23.32.34.35 and Rom. 2.5.6 This delaying is no better then a dallying with God and either repentance followeth in the end or we never repent at all If repentance doe ever follow and be at the last performed which is the best we can jmagine it will breed more matter of bitter sorrow and anguish that we have beene so simple or so senslesse If it follow not what can we be but sonnes of perdition as Iudas was and as we have filled up the measure of our sinnes so we bring upon our owne heads the fulnesse and fiercenesse of his judgments Secondly we may be deprived of the meanes of our Saluation for ever by procrastination and deferring of this waighty worke I meane of the word by which we heard before that God usually and ordinarily worketh this gift For we see the word continueth not alwayes in one place or among one people but is translated from Parish to Parish nay from Kingdome to Kingdome from one nation to an other people as God oftentimes threatneth both Iewes and Gentiles Math. 21.43 Rom. 11.20.21 22. Thirdly the longer it is differred the harder it is practised and the sooner we are hardned that for two causes first because God in iudgment withdraweth his grace by little and little so that he which is not fit to day shal find himself lesse fit to morrow and every day lesse then other And wherfore because whosoever hath not the care to stir up the gift that is in him Math. 13.12 from him shall be taken away even that that he hath Secondly because sinne taketh the deeper roote the longer the tree groweth the root is deeper and spreadeth further so that it will be the more hardly transplanted and removed Ier. 13.23 as Ier. 13. Can the Ethiopian change his skin or the Leopard his spots then may ye also doe good that are accustomed to doe evill This reproveth first of all the corruption of such as live in the continuall sound of the word Vse 1 and often heare out of it the absolute necessity of this duty of repentance and yet prolong the practise thereof who are not so wise in their generation Luk. 16.8 as the Children of this world Such are they that will leave sinne when the weaknesse of age the infirmities of sicknesse and the approching of death do hinder them from following the same In this case we may thanke not them but their want of strength to pursue after the same For what thank is it to renounce the world when we are leaving it and weary of it then sinne leaveth us The dangers of procrastination rather than we sinne Let us therefore consider the dangers of Procrastination First Satan is most hardly cast out when he hath a long time kept possession We see this in the man that was possessed of a child by a dumbe spirit how hardly was he removed and dispossed the Disciples when they saw him foming and gnashing with his teeth could doe nothing and when our Saviour rebuked him and charged him to come out the spirit cryed and rent him sore and he was as one dead Mar. 9.26 in so much that many sayd he is dead When a man hath had long possession of an house and can prescribe for many yeares will he easily let goe his hold and suffer himselfe to be disentred so it is with sinne when it hath long dwelt in the heart like a man in his house it is hardly cast out Nay we our selues grow unwilling to leave the pleasures of sinne by continuance in the chaines and snares of Satan as it was with the bond-bond-servant that said plainly I love my Master I will not goe out free Exod. 21.5 so serueth him for ever so when we grow in love with sinne and have served it long as our Master we regard not to be free but desire to be kept in bondage for ever Secondly sinne and the strength of it by continuance is encreased because it bringeth more waight to the burden one sinne bringeth in a second and a second a third that a company followeth Thirdly old age and sicknesse will be must unfit for this businesse of repentance Eccles 12.5 and a burden too hard to be borne when the Grassehopper wil be a burden When we are hardly able to put off or on our apparrell how shall we put off sinne and put on righteousnesse Fourthly we may be deprived of the meanes whereby it should be wrought in us and if the word were not effectuall to convert us while he had it and heard it alas what hope can we have to be turned to God without this when we have it not Fiftly If the meanes be not taken from us yet the threed of life may be cut off For life is uncertaine Iam. 4.14 Psal 90.9.6.12 it is even a vapour that appeareth for a little time and then vanisheth away or we spend our yeares as a tale that is told in the morning it florisheth and groweth up in the evening it is cut downe and therefore we may be called hence suddainly to teach us to learne so to number our dayes that we may apply our hearts unto wisedome Lastly we may have such hardnesse of heart having our consciences seared with an hote yron that we may have our understandings darkned and our hearts so blinded that we shall be past feeling and cannot find repentance though we sought it with teares as Esau did This is a deepe yet just judgment of God that they who have had deafe eares to God in their health should be made deafe by him that they shall heare no word of comfort and striken dumbe by him that they shall not be able to speake to him or if they open their mouthes he will not heare them when they call upon him Secondly learne to further our selues in the speedy practise of this duty Gen. 19.17 and observe the Counsell of the Angel to Lot Escape for thy life looke not behind thee neither stay thou in all the plaine least thou be consumed Let us make the present day 2 Cor. 6.2 the day of our repentance now is the accepted time now is the day of Salvation He giveth no man liberty untill the morrow The wise man saith Boast not thy selfe of to morrow for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth We may not say to our poore neighbour that is like to our selues Pro. 3.28 Goe and come again and to morrow I will give and shall we dare make such a sleevelesse answer to the eternall God Reuel 3.20 Gant 5.2 when he standeth at the doore and knocketh that we should open unto him Goe thy way and come againe hereafter I am not now at leisure And may we not say to such loyterers as our Saviour doth to such as he sent to labour in his vineyard Why stand yee here all the day idle Especially considering that we have sundry motives to stirre us up
but they were destroyed and such as obeyed them brought to nought We see by common experience that the infection and contagion of sinne creepeth closâ—ly and proceedeth somtimes from the lowest to the highest as it were from the foote to the head how much more easily and strongly from the highest to the lowest as it were from the head to the foot We see sometime sinne spreadeth from the wife to the husband 1 King 11.3 1 King 11.3 Solomons outlandsh women witnesse this truth for in his old age he fell to Idolatry through entisement of his wiues that drew away his heart Ahab is sayd to doe evill in the sight of the Lord what was the cause 1 King 16.30.31 as if it had beene a light thing to walke in the sinnes of Iehoram he tooke to wife lezebel the daughter of Ethbaal king of the Zidonians But what followed he went and serued Baal and worshipped him The like I might say of Ietroram he walked in the way of the Kings of Israel that is in evill wayes for bad was the best of them and what was the reason The daughter of Ahab was his wife and he did evill in the sight of the Lord. 2 King 8.18 Sometimes sinne ascendeth from the Counsellers to the King as well as from the wife to the husband as 1 King 12. for Rehoboam following the aduise of the young men answered the people roughly and rigourously 1 King 12.20 11.13 but what followed the revolting of the rest of the tribes so that there was none that followed the house of David but the tribe of Iudah onely The like we reade 1 Chro. 19.3.4 Sometimes likewise it ascendeth from the children to the fathers Gea 13.7.8 yea from the seruants to their Masters who make them of bad to be much worse Thus it commonly falleth out howbeit then the waters runne as it were against the streame But much more doth sinne prevaile when the waters runne with the streame and heavy things fall downeward when from men of higher places it rowleth upon such as stand in lower ground For they draw their inferiours by their countenance they allure them by their rewardes they discourage them by their threatnings they terrifie them by their punishments they embolden them by their connivence they charge and command them by their authority Secondly it teacheth all superiours to looke to themselues and as it concerneth all in generall so especially them to let their light so shine before men that they may see their good workes and glorifie their Father which is in Heaven For as shewres of raine fall soon and suddainly from the mountaines to the vallies from the house top to the earth from the higher places to the lower Psal 133.2.3 as Psal 133. Like the precious oyntment upon the head that ranne downe upon the beard even Aarons beard that went downe to the skirts of his garments as the dew of Hermon and as the dew that descended upon the Mountaines of Sion so when once God hath rained the sweet shewres of his word Deut. 32.2 when his doctrine hath dropped as the raine and his speach distilled as the dew upon the hearts of such as are in eminent places the fruit hereof is communicated quickly to such as stand beneath and abide in an inferiour condicion who looke upon such as are set above them as the eyes of seruants looke unto the hands of their Masters and as the eyes of a maiden unto the haâ—ds of her Mistresse We are charged all to xhort and admonish one another and to be helpers to the faith one of an other but a double charge lyeth upon the heads of all Heads and Superiours to stirre them up that are under them by word and by example As Abimelech taking an axe in his hand and cutting downe a bough tooke it and laid it on his shoulders and said unto the people Iudg. 9.48 7.17 What ye have seene me do make haste and do as I have done Iudge 9. and as Gideon the Captaine of the Lords host dividing his men into companies said unto them Looke on me and do likewise and behold when I come to the side of the campe it shall be that as I doe so shall yee doe So the forwardnesse of great men ought to be such as they should call others by their example and say looke upon me make haste doe as I have done as ye have seene me to doe Thus they ought to perswade themselues that either by their Godlinesse they are meanes to bring others to God or by their evill they are meanes to drive them from him A good meditation for all Superiours O that this were throughly ingrafted in the hearts of all the rulers of this world that upon this ground they would thus reason with themselues Is it true that I have a share and portion in the actions of every one under my jurisdiction either in his goodnesse or wickednesse then surely I have great neede to looke narrowly into mine owne wayes to be a patterne and president of godlinesse unto others Thus should the Minister that hath charge of mens soules and must give an account for them to the great sheepheard of the sheepe reason with himselfe thus also ought the Master of the family the father of children and generally all superiors to reason with themselues and so make good use of this duty But alas we see every where the contrary practise for every man almost looketh upon the pleasure and case the gaine and profit that may be gotten in his calling and followeth after them with greedinesse never considering what offence they give to God and man neither regarding what multitudes of soules they draw after them to hell Lastly let inferiours be provoked by the good examples of their superiours to follow them in godlinesse and to be stirred up to walke in their wayes This precept hath many branches and teacheth us sundry points first that they are doubly guilty of sinne who having good examples are evill followers and having good rulers to go in and out before them to leade them the right way will not walke after them in their footsteps If they had none to guide them in the course of godlinesse they could not be excused but when they have good governours and will not be informed by them they have no cloke nor colour for their sinne So then this is the second rule that they must not thinke themselues discharged and acquitted when evill Superiours walke before them in all loosenesse and licentiousnesse no though they can pretend they have been exhorted admonished perswaded counselled or commanded for the leaders and they that are led shall perish together Thirdly it is the duty of all as are under the authority of others to make prayers 1 Tim. 2.1.2 supplications intercessions and giving of thankes for all that are in authority that under them we may leade a quiet and peaceable life in all
them the lesse sorry they were for themselues These are like drunken men that dread nothing because all their wit is gone to discerne of danger or like little children that feare not the fire till they be burned Pro. 20.11 nor the candle till they be singed with it As Pro. 20.11 even a child is knowne by his doings whether his worke be pure and whether it be right Lastly it behoveth us to examine our owne hearts The trials of a true faith whether we have true faith or not But how shall we try and prove our selues let these be the trials First if our faith be not fruitlesse and barren but worke in us love and hatred joy and greefe hope and feare If this faith be in us it will make us that we shall not be idle or unfruitfull in the knowledge of our Lord Iesus Christ It will make to a â—ound in us both the love of God and our brethren and of good things and the hatred of evill both joy to see Religion florish and greeve to see God dishonoured both hope of everlasting life and feare to offend the everliving God That faith which swimmeth in the braine descendeth not to the bottome of the heart is no found faith but in shew and shadow onely a dead and counterfeite fâ—ith Secondly it is sound if it make us stand in feare of his judgments executed upon others like children that shake and quiver when the father correcteth any of their brethren nay of the seruants of the house so it is with the children of God they feare and lay it to heart when he chasteneth his Church or any of his own people nay the ungodly and prophane persons of the world they by and by looke upon themselues and examine their own wayes to see whether they be not guilty of the same sinnes 2 Sam. 6.6.7.9 This appeareth in David when the Lord in his anger smote Vzzah for his errour that he died by the Arke of God because he put forth his hand and tooke hold of it when the Oxen shooke it be feared God exceedingly that day What did he nor feare the Lord before Yes doubtlesse but exceedingly at that time when he saw a visible example of his wrath before his eyes and this also made him say Psal 19.120 my flesh trembleth for feare of thee and I am afraid of thy judgment This the Evangelist sheweth Act. 5. when Ananias and Sapphâ—ra were suddainly smittendown with suddaine death Act. 5.11 feare came upon the whole Church and upon all thâ—se that heard of it If it be the property of the child of God to tremble at his word Esay 66.2 Esay 66. as the heart of Iosiâ—h melted for feare at the hearing of the Iaâ—v 2 King 22. Because a reproofe entreth more into a wise man then an hundred stripes into a Foole Pro. 17. Pro. 17.10 how much more at his rods at his scourges and at the drawing and shaking of his glittering sword when his hand layeth hold on judgment like the child at the sight of his fathers rod So the Prophet Hab. 3.2 16. when he heard of the judgments of the Lord was afraid his belly trembled his lippes quivered at the voice rottennesse entred into his bones and he trembled in himselfe This feare of Gods anger is a worke of grace in the heart Thirdly if the feare of his judgments be an effectuall meanes preventing in us the feeling of them They that feare most now shall have least cause to feare hereafter and contrary wise such as feare least now when they are called to feare shall be suddainly overtaken with feare hereafter when they can neither prevent it nor avoid it Fourthly we may try the truth and efficacy of our faith if we can beleeve God on his bare word although we see not the performance thereof neither any appearance or likelihood thereof This we must consider in two respectes both of his promises and of his threatnings Touching his promises when we dare trust him on his bare word for the performance of them We say of some men we will trust them no farther then we see them or have some earnest pledge or pawne from them howbeit we must not deale so with God this is as much as not to trust him at all but our owne eyes and to trust our owne pawne not him But for us to trust him 2 Cor. 5.7 when he seemeth to go from his owne word or against his word even deny himselfe this is assuredly a true faith Thus it was with Abrahram when the Lord bad him kill his sonne his onely sonne even Isaac the sonne of promise by whom he looked to have issue in number as the Starres of heaven and as the sand by the Sea-shore he accounted that God was able to raise him up even from the dead from whence also he received him in a figure So it was with Iob H. b. 1.29 we must beleeve that God will save us even when he seemeth to goe about to destroy us Iob. 13.15 Thus we are taught to beleeve that he loveth us when he chasteneth us and frowneth upon us and maketh little shew of love toward us we must beleeve that he remembreth us when he seemeth to forget us Esay 49.4.15.16 And touching his threatnings we must beleeve them before they come The threatnings of God are manifold and evident The soule that sinneth Ezek. 18.5 Psal 68.21 shall dy the death Ezek. 18.5 and Psal 68. The Lord will wound the head of his enemies and the hairy scalpe of every one that goeth on obstinately in his sinnes But because we see it not presently instantly and immediatly performed the ungodly put farre from them the evill day and they live merrily and pleasantly thereby seeming to escape the scourge here Eccl. 8.11 as Eccl. 8. Because sentence against an evil worke is not executed speedily therefore the heart of the sonnes of men is fully set in them to doe evill These thinke God will be better then his word and that these threatnings are spoken onely to fray and affright men as scare-crowes do birdes to keepe them in awe not to bring them to ruine and destruction What are these but infidels who cannot beleeve that God will doe that which they see him not to do presently Here then is the worke of faith to beleeve that which may seeme to carry no likelihood of comming to passe remembring what Salomon saith Though the wicked live an hundred yeares and passe them all ouer in pleasure yet I know it shal not go wel with the wicked Eccl. 8.13 neither shall he prolong his dayes which are as a shadow because he feareth not before God The heathen do account it a point of mans misery above all other creatures that he alone is vexed with care and feare for the future but I account it a point of mans excellency and eminency above other creatures and of true Christians above
when it groweth wheat with chaffe againe Therefore when any man hath children of evill disposition he must acknowledge his owne jmage in them and when he hath good children Ioh. 1.13 he ought to admire the worke of God in them to coÌ„fesse their goodnes to be his jmage who are not borne of blood nor of the wil of the flesh nor of the wil of man but of God to whom all Glory and praise is due The Lord Iesus alone was free from this common contagion and corruption who derived not originall sinne from his mother True it is that all men sinned in Adam it is as true that Christ was in Adam as being one of his posterity Neverthelesse that sentence of the Apostle doth not concerne Christ because the person of Christ was not in Adam but onely his humane nature neither was he conceived after the common maner of other men but by overshadowing of the holy Ghost What originall sinne is He therefore is excepted out of the common condition all are borne in Originall sinne which is nothing else but the depravation of mans nature contracted from the very generation it selfe and derived from Adam into all mankind Now herein are two things the want or privation of originall righteousnesse and the inclinablenesse or pronenesse to evill as sicknesse is not onely a privation of health but also an evill affection or disposition of the body arising from the distemper of the humours so this hereditary blot as a sicknesse is not only the want of righteousnesse but likewise a pronenesse to unrighteousnesse from whence ariseth blindnesse in the mind frowardnesse in the will the losse of supernaturall gifts and the corruption of those that are naturall The third rule followeth that all Evill The third rule even the whole body of sinne is in man as we heard before that the whole man is in evill In every man are the seedes and beginnings of all sin by nature Not in one man a pronenesse to some sins an in another to some other sins but a pronenesse to all in all and every one not onely in the worst or most wicked in the unregenerate and carnall men but in the regenerate and best men even to the most odious heinous and abominable sinnes All that know themselues know this to be true and such as know not the truth of it doe not as yet know themselues neither can they truely repent As the matter first made called a Chaos had the seedes of all creatures in it so the masse of sinne that is in us hath the fountaine and roote of all other sinnes Matter of wonderfull hâ—miliation O how should this humble us to thinke what vile and venemed natures we have never was there any grosse sinne or impiety committed in the world by desperate deboshed and develish men albeit we have not committed it already neither intend to commit it hereafter but doe hate and abhorre it yet there lyeth hid in our hearts a fitnesse and forwardnesse a pronenesse and disposition thereunto All ground is not fit to beare and bring forth all kinde of fruit but some yeeldeth one sort and some an other it is not so with our hearts they are Seminaries or seed-plottes of all sinnes We complaine and cry out of the Apostacy of the Angles of the murther of Caine of the filthy lustes of the Sodomites of the hard heart of Pharaoh the murmuring of the Israelites of the conspiracy of Korah of the rebellion of Absolom of the envy of the Pharesees of the horrible treachery of Iudas and such like vices and villanies but let us never accuse or accurse these and cry out against them rather it behooveth us wisely to returne home to our selues and to enter into our owne hearts where we shall see that we carry them all within us every man hath a Caine a Sodomite a Pharaoh a Pharisee an Absalom a Iudas nay a devill nay all these together in his own breast and bosome These are indeed most wicked and wretched men howbeit they serue as glasses to behold our owne faces For as in the water face answereth to face so doth the heart of a man to man Pro. 27.19 their heart answeareth to our hearts and ours to theirs And as there is the same nature of cruell and savage Lyons so there is betweene the heart of Caine of Pharaoh of Iudas of our selues and any other man For as the Apostle speaketh are we better then they Rom. 3.9 No in no wise We complaine against Annas and Caiaphas the high Priests against Herod and Pilat the chiefe Governours against Iudas and the Iewes the cursed instruments that crucified the Lord of life and accuse them as notorious wicked and hard hearted men but do we judge our selues any better by nature or of our selues or shall we say with the proud Pharisees Math. 23.30 if we had been in the daies of our fathers we would never have done as they did we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the Prophets nay had we lived in their times and stood in their places doubtlesse we would have put upon us their persons and by the sway and swing of the same corruption we would have done none otherwise unlesse Gods grace did prevent us and restraine us If he should leave us as he did them to our selues and not stay us up being ready to fall if he did not hold us in the armes of his mercy Exod. 19.4 as a father doth the child and beare us as it were on Eagles winges we should quickly fall downe as deeply as ever they did and plunge our selues headlong into all iniquity The fourth rule to be knowne of every one that would amend his wayes is The fourth rule that every one borne of Adam lyeth under the curse of God Eph. 2.3 is the child of wrath by nature as well as others yea of hell and damnation Have we not then need of repentance As then the Egges of the Aspe are justly broken and Serpents new bred are justly killed albeit they have yet poysoned none so even infants much more others are guilty before him Object and worthily subject to punishments But it may be said the Apostle maketh the Iewes better then the Gentiles Rom. 3.1 and to have many preheminences above them I answer Answ they were preferred in respect of God and his manifold benefits and blessings upon them above the other nations but they were both equall in respect of naturall corruption Rom. 3.9 being alike sinners by nature in regard whereof he saith they were in no sort better then they The Iewes had a preferment of favour to be Gods chosen or peculiar people Deut. 4.34 to have his Law and Prophets the Ceremonies and Sacrifices the Arke and the Covenant but touching grace and justification through grace before God by faith not by workes it was all one to Iew and Gentile because all
and dissimulation This was the sinne of Eli other wise a good man 1 Sam. 1. Christ our Saviour conversed much with publicans and sinners to the end he might do them good and draw them from the kingdome of sinne and Satan and make them inheriters of the kingdome of heaven a worke in all respectes most holy and righteous yet the Scribes and Pharisees judged him to be a friend and favourer of them and of their sinnes Lue. 7.34 And albeit he castout Devils by the power of his divine Majesty for the confirmation of his doctrine and edification of the weake in faith yet they said he did it by Beelzebuh the Prince of the Devils Math. 12.24 So in our dayes religion and the zealous profession thereof are reputed no better then counterfeit holinesse Let the examples of the faithfull be before us continually whensoever we find the same measure offered untous and comfort our selves with this that it hath no otherwise befallen us then to many Prophets of God and faithfull seruants of Christ Math. 5.12 who must not looke to be greater then there Master neither to finde better entertainment in the world then he did The second kinde of judgment forbidden is when men commit evill things worthy in themselves to be condemned and thereupon are judged not onely dangerous but desperate offenders past hope of repentance and recovery This is to execute indeede a right Lordship over their soules and Salvation and to step up into the seate of God 1 Cor. 4.5 Of this the Apostle speaketh Iudge nothing before the time untill the Lord come who will lighten things that are hidde in darknesse and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts and then shall every man have prayse of God and we are charged to instruct with meeknesse the contrary minded 2 Tim. 2.25 to bring them to God and not leave them in the snares of the Devill No man therefore ought to passe their doome of the everlasting estate of any man and to pronounce peremptorily and absolutely that they shall perish and cannot be saved as if they were Lords of one anothers life and death salvation and damnation or had power to bring them to heaven or cast them into hell This is beyond our reach and commission and to usurpe the office of Christ to whom all judgment is committed No man dare make himselfe a judge and sit downe in the judgement seate to give sentence of absolution or condemnation in matters of this temporall life without the Princes speciall appointment and shall any dare doe it in things of the life to come to pronounce any to be forlorne reprobates and vessels of wrath For who knoweth what one day may bring forth Pro. 24 1 He runneth farre that never returneth We see many notorious wicked men suddainly and mightily called and changed 2 Chr. 33. Act. 9. Luk. 23. We read of some standing idle all the day long called at the eleventh houre to labour in the vineyard Math. Math. 20. 20. The theefe repented and was converted at the instant of his death Let us remember that we are all brethren one no better then another and therefore we ought not presumptuously to chalenge this superiority to judge and condemne one another Christian love hopeth well of all men and so long as they live there is some hope The third kind is when we doe things which in themselues are indifferent which may be done either well or ill either with a pure or a prophane heart with faith or without faith to judge such an action wicked which indeed is to be accounted good or evill according to the intent purpose and affection of the doer whereof God alone is the discerner because he alone is the searcher of the heart he alone is the Iudge of the heart This corruption we read to have beene in Eliab the brother of David Why camest thou downe hither 1 Sam. 17 2â— and with whom hast thou left those few sheepe in the wildernesse I know thy pride and the haughtinesse of thy heart for thou art come downe to see the battell This the Apostle forbiddeth Rom. 14. Rom. 14.3 Let not him that eateth judge him that eateth not c. The faithfull servants of God are hardly delt withall in all these respects their good things are not good or at least it is shrunke up and contracted their indifferent things are pronounced to be starke naught and if they fall into evil it is stretched and made a thousand times worse even by those of the worser sort Lastly it standeth us upon to labour to see the grieuousnesse of sinne in our selves and to feele the waight and burden thereof For commonly we are blinde and see not at all or else we are purblind and cannot see them in their right colours we be hold them as motes or strawes not as beames or if we doe ever judge them as beames How we may perceive the neinousnesse and greinousnesse of sinne Luc. 12.48 it is in others not in our selves Now that we may discerne of sinne in the nature thereof we must consider these few particulars First consider how God striveth with us by his manifold mercies and blessings to draw us to a love of Godlinesse and hatred of wickednesse now unto whomsoever much is given of him shall be much required and to whom men have committed much of him they will aske the more Secondly if we compare our sinnes with Adams first sinne considered in the fact doubtlesse we have as great in our hearts yea greater and yet by that one disobedience he brought destruction upon himselfe and all his posterity that is the first and second death Thirdly we may behold the grievousnesse of sinne by proportion with the punishment For what is the wages and reward of sinne a subjection to all woe and misery in this life to death it selfe in the end of this life and to eternall death after this life in hell with the Devill and his Angels Fourthly they were laid upon the person of our Saviour Christ who outwardly endured the torments on the Crosse in his body and inwardly apprehended the wrath of God in his soule due unto us and which we should have suffered This made him to sweat water and blood Lue. 22.44 Math. 27.46 and to cry out in the anguish of his spirit My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Math. 27. Are such sinnes to be holden as motes no doubtlesse they are great beames are they as little moul-hills no doubtlesse they be huge mountaines able to crush the sonnes of men in pieces under the heavy indignation of God Lastly the law of God is holy and perfect and forbiddeth the first thoughts and motions in the heart that arise against God or our neighbour yea though we never give consent of will to practise them Rom. 7. If then the first motions be sins in themselves deserving damnation Rom. 7.7 because the law saith
standeth Esay 1.6 might I not say with the Prophet from the sole of the foote even unto the head there is no soundnesse in it but wounds and bruises and putrifying sores they have not beene closed neither mollified with oyntment and after this might I not lead you a long in the spirit Ezck. 8.6.15 as God did the Prophet Ezekiel and after many sinnes much prophanenesse say Turne thee yet againe and behold greater abominations then these I might point out unto you such not to speake of the greater and higher sort whose doings I know not as make religion nothing else but a matter of pollicy and forget the high God that hath set them up on high but turne ye yet againe and ye shall see other abomination How many in this cleere light of the Gospel remaine in darknesse and blindnesse and in the shadow of death that know not the right hand from the left that is truth from errour which know nothing of God neither can give any even the least account of their faith worse then children in understanding yea how many say to God with the wicked Iob. 21.14 Depart from us for we desire not the knowledge of thy wayes what is the almighty that we should serve him and what profit should we have if we pray unto him and behold greater abominations then these Others are wholly given over to the world men possessed with a spirituall dropsie the more riches encrease the more they desire and the more they set their hearts upon them that they bury the remembrance of heaven and of heauenly things as if they should abide and continue upon the earth for ever the cares of this world and the deceitfulnesse of riches choke all good things How many perswade themselves to be highly in Gods favour because they are blessed with outward blessing who shame not to say I see God blesseth us as well as the purest and precisest of them all But understand ye unwise among the people must all needes be well because God forbeareth for a time to punish or shall we continue in our sinnes because he continueth his mercies towards us What should I speake of the contempt of his word and the prophanation of the Sabbath May we not turne our selves yet againe and see these greater abominations then the former which are common and capitall crimes swarming in every place And might we not from these turne our selves to swearing and and drunkennesse in every streete A rare thing to find a parish without a common drunkard and as rare to find an house without a common swearer These are the principall causes of his visitations these are the sinnes that bring the pestilence among us let us labour to keepe out these The ends of Gods lenity and patience or all the care we can take and diligence that we can use shall not be able to keepe it from us Let us not therefore flatter our selves in our sinnes and so abuse his patience let us not thinke we are justified because we are not striken Gen. 15.16 Math. 23.32 There are other end of Gods bounty and patience First to let us alone to fill up the measure of of our sinnes that then he may fill up the measure of his judgements from whence arise sundry profitable meditations we see his infinite mercy and compassion who ceaseth not nor giveth over to waite for their conversion who have deserved already to be punished and such as he hath determined to destroy so that we may say with the Prophet he desireth not the death of a sinner Ye see that he is most just and never punisheth without our deserts neither will he suffer sinners to go unpunished albeit he hold his peace keepe silence a long time We see that howsoever we offend all is cast upon an heape that the measure being full Ioh. Feri in Gen. 15. enarrat pressed downe and running over certaine destruction might fall upon us Let us not account sinnes to be small or slight matters for how light and little soever they may seeme to be yet they adde somewhat to the heape as every graine of corne serveth to fill the bushell We see it is a speciall token of his mercy and favour when he punisheth quickly or at the beginning and suffereth us not to runne on from one sinne to another for thereby the heape of our sinnes is diminished We see on the contrary it is a token of Gods great displeasure when he delayeth and differeth to punish for thereby the heape of sinne groweth and encreaseth and consequently the punishment Lastly as God is faithfull and suffereth not his to be tempted above that they are able so also he is just and beareth with the wicked untill they proceed to a certaine point or period beyond which they cannot passe Thus he suffereth sinners to grow to their height to teach us that our nature declineth from worse to worse unlesse we be staied by a stronger hand And this is the first end of his lenity Secondly it may be the dressers of this barrâ—ne vine by their continuall intercession as his faithfull remembrancers have obtained some respit and forbearance as this fig-tree mentioned in this parable Thirdly it may be there is yet a remnant to be gathered from among us and the number of the elect not yet accomplished as Iob. 10. Other sheepe I have that are not of thiâ— fold them also I must bring and they shall heare my voyce Ioh. 10.16 and there shall be one fold and one Sheepheard Such then as belong unto him must in his good time be brought to repentance Fourthly that the reprobate may be more and more hardned and so perish everlastingly 1 Sam. 2.24 Secondly concluded the wofull wretched estate of those that despise the riches of his goodnesse and patience For they are most certainely in worse case of all others whom God doth most blesse and beare with all except they repent nay worse then Turkes and Infidels and it had been a thousand times better for such prophane sinners that they had never received such blessings and tasted so plentifully of his fatherly kindnesse then to take occasion by his bountifulnesse to continue and increase in sinne as may plainely appeare by those cities which our Saviour upbraided where his word had beene preached and his workes had beene seene Math. 11. Math. 11.22.42 because it should be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the day of judgment and more easie for the land of Sodome and Gomorah then for them It shall not be enough for us to say Oh God is mercifull and Christ died for us For because God is mercifull shall we be sinfull or because he hath beene more mercifull to us then to others shall we be more sinfull then others Or because Christ Iesus hath died for us shall we live in our sinnes Heb. 10.29 and by our prophanenesse crucifie him againe and tread under our feete
strong servants of God strong in faith that send up many strong cries to the throne of grace nay the strong God that hath commanded this duty to pray one for another hath also promised to heare them This no doubt was a comfort even to Peter himselfe put in prison that he knew Act. 12.5 Heb. 12.5.12.13 Prayer was made without ceasing of the Church unto God for him and for his deliverance Let us not therefore faint under the Crosse when we are rebuked of him neither despise the chastening of the Lord who aymeth at our profit that we might be partakers of his holinesse but rather lift up the hands which hang downe and the feeble knees and not cast away our confidence which hath great recompence of reward And let this be our comfort in these rerillous times that God heareth us for our brethren and our brethren for us and our elder-brother Christ Iesus our mediatour for us all who for his mercies sake for his truthes sake for his promise sake for his sonnes sake will in his good time send an happy deliverance that albeit for a season we be kept in affliction 2 Cor. 1.5.12 yet as our sufferings have abounded in us so our consolation should abound through our restoring when we had in a manner the sentence of death in us that thankes also may be given by many on our behalfe Secondly seeing Gods children for our comfort and consolation make request and intercession for us and are heard O how much more ought we to remember the sweet mediation of Christ Iesus our Lord and Saviour and comfort our selves and one another therewithall True it is we may and ought not a little to comfort our selves with the prayers and intercessions of other weake men our fellow servants like to our selves and subject to the same passions we are especially seing we know our whole Church at the same time assemble together to pray for us and to turne away his wrath from us and to call backe his destroying Angel that he may at length say It is enough 2 Sam. 24.16 stay now thy hand and so repent him of the evill upon our repentance and humiliation if I say we have much matter of comfort offered unto us by the publike prayers of the Church often as it were with one mind and with one mouth made and renewed on our behalfe how much more doth peace and consolation arise unto us by the mediation and intercession of Christ our Saviour the head of the Church the beloved sonne of God Heb. 1.2.3 Math. 17.5 the sonne of his love the heire of all things the brightnesse of his glory and the expresse image of his person in whom the father is well pleased Herein consisteth our cheefe comfort that we rest and repose our selves in him as our Advocate and rely upon the merit of his passion Ioh. 11.42 whom the father alwaies heareth Indeed he commandeth that supplications prayers intercessions and giving of thankes be made for all men 1 Tim. 2.1 and that we pray one for another that we may be healed Iam. 5.16 But if God at any time vouchsafe to heare any of his children it is for his sonnes sake not for any worthinesse or merits in them but for the Lords sake that is for Christs sake Dan. 9.1.7 for he is the Angel of the Covenant Revel 8.3 to whom was given much incense that he should offer it with the prayers of all Saints upon the golden Altar which was before the throne Therefore also the Apostle saith Heb. 5.16 In the dayes of his flesh he offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and teares was heard in that he feared because he prayed to him that was able to save him from death Lastly it is our duty to performe this duty our selves toward others and to require this duty to be performed for us by others Thus did Daniel a man greatly beloved of God who had many deepe mysteries by vision declared unto him he spake to his Companions Dan. 2.18 that they should desire the mercies of the God of heaven to reveale his secret to him that they might not perish So the Apostle prayed the Church of the Thessalonians 2 Thess 3.1 to pray for him and the rest of his fâ—llow-labourers that the word of the Lord much hindred by the opposition of potent adversaries might have a free passage As then he prayed before for the Thessalonians so here he prayeth the Thessalonians to pray for him that he might be comforted together with them by the mutuall prayers both of them and of him The use of mutual praier To this duty we should be stirred up in regard of the mutuall profit that proceedeth from the practise and performance thereof For first it serveth as the ordinary meanes ordained and sanctified of God to prevent judgments threatned and to remove judgments already inflicted Remember the devout and zealous prayer of Salomon 2 King 8.33.35.37.44 when the people of Israel be smitten downe before their enemies because they have sinned against thee when heaven is shut up and there is no raine c. if there be in the land famine if there be pestilence blasting mildew locust or caterpiller c. whatsoever plague whatsoever sicknesse there be heare thou in heaven thy dwelling place and forgive the sinne of thy servants c. Secondly it is a cordiall to preserve and strengthen us in all spirituall graces as we see that by Christs prayer Peters faith was kept from failing Luc. 22.32 Luc. 22. and thus he prayed not onely for the rest of the Apostles but for all them that should beleeve on him through their word Ioh. Iob. 17.20.24 17. Father I will that they also whom thou hast given me be with me where I am that they may behold my glory which thou hast given me c. Prayer therefore is a notable preseruative to keepe the precious treasures and iewels of grace in the Closets of our hearts and serveth to strengthen and encrease good things in us For as it obtaineth blessings at Gods hands so it procureth the encrease of them and it is no lesse vertue to keepe and continue to enlarge and encrease what we have obtained then at the first to obtaine it Thirdly to bring remission of sinnes to subdue in us the power of sinne Iam. 5.15 Psal 19.13 Iam. 5.15 The prayer of faith shall save the sicke and the Lord shall raise him up and if he have committed sinnes they shall be forgiven him For the cause of sicknesse and all diseases is sinne and therefore our Saviour healing the man sicke of the Palsie said unto him Math. 9.2 Sonne be of good cheere thy sinnes be forgiven thee dealing like a good Physitian who removeth the cause that he may remove the effect So then faithfull prayer and a purpose or resolution to continue in sinne cannot poffibly stand together Lastly it
joyned with it in all that are saved Some upon the Minister as if it were in him to convert the heart he soweth the seed as the spirituall Husbandman but he cannot make it grow as also he washeth the body Matth. 3.11 13 19 20. but cannot baptize with the holy Ghost clense the soule But the Parable of the Sower serveth to rectifie and reforme our judgement and understanding that the fault is not in the Seedman nor in the seed nor in the sowing but in the ground of mens hearts so that wee may say with the Prophet Hos 13.9 The fift reproofe Thy destruction O Israel is of thy selfe Fiftly such as will stay till all men be agreed For if the number of the sheepe be few we may looke long enough before all will meet in the unity of the Spirit Woe then to such as waite for the comming in of all to joyne together and will resolve upon nothing so long as any remaine unresolved as if they strove to be the last that should be added to the Sheepfold When all men thinke one thing then will they joyne and jumpe with them in practice and opinion but in the meane season they will hang and hover in the aire in suspence and expect a generall agreement And that they may doe untill their eyes fall out of their heads and be never the wiser but rather the worser and the wickeder For this is to looke for Heaven upon earth Thus indeed it shall bee when wee come to know even as we are knowne then wee shall have and heare a perfect harmony of all voices singing with one minde and with one mouth Hallelu-iah Revel 19.1 3. but here our musicke hath many jarres and we meet with sundry rubbes in our way for wee know onely in part 1 Cor. 13.9 10. and we prophecy in part but when that which is perfect is come then that which is in part shall bee done away Howbeit it availeth little to speake to such of spirituall things being wholly carnall themselves and therefore set us deale with them in their owne language that is speake to earthly-minded men of earthly things and so keepe our selves within their owne element If these would never buy or sell untill all men be agreed of the due price and just value they should never have any doings or dealings in the world that now overburden themselves with the world If they would never purchase foot of land neither husband their ground or plough or mow or sow untill all men were consenting about the matter or manner or time when to begin and where to make an end or other like circumstances their fields would bee all growne over with thornes and thistles and nettles would cover the face thereof How then are these so sencelesse and sottish as not to consider that there never was nor never will be a generall concord in any thing under the Sunne If then there will never be a full agreement no not in temporall things wherein notwithstanding the sences of carnall and worldly men are expert and wholly exercised how much lesse is it to be looked for in heavenly things which are supernaturall and cannot bee conceived of meere naturall men I may therefore say unto such according as our Saviour reasoneth Iohn 3.12 Ioh. 3. If I have told you earthly things and yee beleeve not how shall ye beleeve if I tell you of heavenly things If these had lived in the dayes of Christ when some spake one thing of him and some another according to their severall fancy and folly Iohn 7.12 40 41 43. some said he was a good man some of a truth hee is a Prophet some this is the Christ but others nay for he deceiveth the people so that there was a murmuring and a division among them because of him doubtlesse they would have denied and refused him at least till they had seene the Scribes and Pharisees and other learned Lawyers among the Iewes wholly to receive him But how many among them thinke you were damned for this device albeit they had fully as much to plead for themselves as these men have And if Noah had never set upon the Arke to build it untill the whole world of the ungodly had consented unto him and counselled him he had perished with them in the waters The sixt reproofe What good thing ever was there that all men allowed and approved Lastly another sort the worst of all the rest are here reprooved who make a scoffe and derision at these Words of Christ as Pilate did when Christ Iesus shewed that he came for this cause into the world that he might beare witnesse unto the truth he said What is truth Iohn 19 20. So doe prophane persons upbraid the faithfull servants of God with this title as with a taunt O you are of the godly ones O you are one of these holy folke you have the Spirit of God and are one of the little flocke thereby scorning and deriding such as honour the Word and frequent the hearing of it nay mocking at the preaching of Christ and bringing the Word it selfe into contempt and as it were flouting God to his face But he that sitteth in the Heavens shall laugh at them Psal 2.4 the Lord shall have them in derision nay in detestation For this differeth not from open blasphemy nor these from wretched blasphemers who make scoffes and jests at Gods Word whereby they shall be judged nay condemned at the last day except they repent It is ill jesting with a sharp two-edgedsword that cutteth as a razor Heb. 4.12 which in the end shall cut them in pieces These raise a nick-name upon the Word Psal 138.2 which He hath magnified above all his other Names and are come to the height and top of sinne and take the name of God in vaine in the highest degree not onely walking in the counsell of the ungodly Psal 1.1 and standing in the way of sinners but even sitting downe in the seat of the scornefull whereby they fill up the measure of their sinne that God may fill to them the full viall of his fierce wrath and indignation These doe notoriously belch out their owne shame and manifestly renounce their owne salvation and prove with their owne mouthes that they looke for no other but the portion of reprobates together with the Devill and his angels For I would gladly be informed and receive answer from them whether they beleeve in their hearts that themselves have any true holinesse in them and are in the number of this little flocke or not If they doe then their owne words convince them and by their owne mouthes as the evill servant they shall be condemned If they doe not then they must bee foule and filthy goats that shall stand at the left hand as damned creatures and receive an horrible curse denounced and executed against them and all this by their owne verdict and
should never fade nor faile nor fall away Thirdly give no occasion of offence to wicked worldlings to open their mouthes against us to speake evill both of us and of our profession The Apostle warneth us to cut off occasions from them that seeke occasions 2. Cor. 11. 2 Cor. 11.11 And hee warneth young women to guide their houses 1 Tim. 5.14 and to give no occasion to the adversary to speake reproachfully 1 Tim. 5. These are they that watch for our halting and slipping as the Fowler doth for the Bird or the Hawke for his prey They lay nets and snares to catch the simple and heedlesse soule It is meat and drinke to them if they can take them at any advantage If wee suffer reproofe and reproach wrongfully happy are we and great is our comfort we have no cause of griefe and sorrow but rather of rejoycing resting in the testimony of a good conscience Psal 37. 44.11 12 13 17. and the approbation of Gods Spirit who shall bring forth thy righteousnesse as the light and thy judgement as the noone day Thus wee see in the faithfull Psal 44. Thou hast given us like sheepe appointed for meâ—t thou makest us a reproach to our neighbours a scorne and derision to them that are round about us thou makest us a by-word among the Heathen a shaking of the head among the people c. all this is come upon us yet have we not forgotten thee neither have we dealt falsely with thy Covenant c. But if we suffer as evill doers wee have no comfort at all in any such sufferings but rather much discomfort and matter of sorrow and mourning Fourthly let us from the hatred and harsh entertainment we finde in the world be perswaded to knit our selves more closely to the rest of the faithfull that are brethren of the same Father servants of the same Master and members of the same body Forasmuch therefore as we are hated in the world and of the world let us cleave the more closely to God our Father and to Christ our head Ioh. 15.17 18. 17.26 John 15.17 18. who commandeth us to love one another Hence it is that Christ saith I have declared unto them thy Name and will declare it that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them and I in them Touching this brotherly kindnesse observe these three circumstances the manner the time and the persons The manner of it must bee earnestly fervently constantly and in truth not faintly not coldly not hypocritically not in shew onely for so did Cain love his brother The time must be at all times every season is the season thereof fit to practise it not in prosperity onely and when they have little or no need at all of us but chiefely and especially in adversity in time of dearth and famine which is the time of the triall of our love as Pro. 17.17 18.24 Prov. 17.17 18.24 A friend loveth at all times and a brother is borne for adversity And touching the persons whom are wee to love all the brethren not onely the rich and wealthy but the least the lowest the meanest the poorest among them especially whom the Lord hath chosen to be rich in faith Iam. 2.1 2 5. and heires of the Kingdome of Heaven To this end wee are warned not to have the faith of our glorious Lord Iesus Christ in respect of persons forbidding us to despise poore Christians and to respect onely the richer sort of higher places that abound in earthly blessings Now to effect this brotherly love the better Motives to worke true love in us and to worke it the sooner in our hearts wee must consider sundry motives to move us thereunto laid before us in holy Scripture First we shall be all knowne to be the Disciples of Christ by this charity Ioh. 13.35 as a servant is by his livery to what Master he belongeth John 13.35 Secondly hereby we know that we are translated from death to life 1 Ioh. 3.14 and from the state of damnation to salvation because we love the brethren They are all no better then dead men starke dead in sinnes and trespasses and lying under condemnation that are destitute of this love Thirdly whosoever hateth his brother the Son of his heavenly Father is another Cain a very murtherer 1 Ioh. 3.15 and ye know that no murtherer hath eternall life abiding in him If wee would scorne to bee blotted and branded with such an odious name it behooveth us to avoid and beware the like practice as well as the title It is in vaine for us to goe about to shun and shake from us the name so long as we resemble his nature Nay we are like the Devill himselfe Iohn 8.44 who was a murtherer from the beginning Joh. 8. When the Prophet told Hazael of his barbarous and horrible cruelty that hee should shew against the children of Israel he seemed to scorne it and to startle at it as at an hideous matter Is thy servant a dog 2 King 8.13 that he should doe this great thing but what availed this or was he one inch the further from it because he put it away from him No doubtlesse So what shall it profit these men to cast from them those names of Cain and his father the Devill and think they have wrong offered them to be so esteemed wheÌ„ in the meane season they nourish malice and mischiefe in their sinfull hearts Fourthly hereby we know that we are of the truth 1 Ioh. 3.19 and shall assure our hearts before him by the opposition of the world 1 Joh. 3.19 so that from hence we should gather great consolation and assurance to our selves that we are not married to the world but are divorsed from the world Iam. 4.4 If we be the friends of the world we become the enemies of God because the friendship of this world is enmity with God Fiftly love is of God 1 Iohn 4.21 Iohn 17.3 and every one that loueth is borne of God and knoweth God whereas he that loveth not God knoweth him not 1 Joh. 4.21 howbeit this is eternall life to know him Joh. 17.3 Sixtly God hath loved us first when we deserved no love 1 Iohn 4.9 Rom. 5.8 but to bee hated whereas we often hate those that deserve to be loved yea he so loveth us that hee sent his Sonne his onely begotten Sonne whom he loved and in whom he is exceedingly well pleased that wee might live through him Is not this love of his toward his enemies strong enough to worke love againe in us toward our brethren O what a little feeling have we in our hearts of the love of the Father if it cannot worke thus much in us to cause us for his sake to love his children The bright beames of the love of the Sunne of righteousnesse did never shine upon us to quicken us if wee doe not also warme
6.6 The like we might say of Moses Exod. 4.10 13 Ier. 1.6 Dan. 9 8. I hn 1.27 Matth. 11.11 Exod. 4.10 13. of Jeremy chap. 1.6 and of Daniel chap. 9.8 John Baptist maketh it knowne that he was not worthy to unloose the shooes latchet of Christ that came after him albeit among them that were borne of women there hath not risen a greater then he The Prodigall Sonne being come to himselfe Luke 13.21 18.13 and to his Father confesseth Father I have sinned against Heaven and in thy sight I am no more worthy to be called thy Sonne The Publican being come up to the Temple to pray stood a farre off and would not lift up so much as his eyes unto Heaven but smote upon his brest saying O Lord be mercifull to me a sinner So Paul testifieth that he was as one borne out of due time 1 Cor. 15.8 9. not worthy to be called an Apostle not onely the least of the Apostles Ephes 3.8 1 Tim. 1.15 1 Cor. 15.8 but the least of all the Saints Ephes 3.8 and the greatest of all sinners 1 Tim. 1.15 The reasons are many and waighty Reas 1 For first what have we to be proud of or wherefore should we advance our selves 2 Cor. 3.5 we are not able of our selves to thinke any thing that is good and without the helpe and assistance of Christ we can doe nothing at all Joh. 6. so that to be proud of our selves is to be proud of nothing Secondly they know their sinnes to be moe in number then the haires of their head that they provoke him every day and are not able to answer him one of a thousand their iniquities are increased over their heads Ezra 9.6 Lam. 3.22 and their transgressions are gone up to the Heavens Ezra 9.6 so that it is his mercy that they are not utterly consumed The more the Lord vouchsafeth his grace unto them the more they behold their owne waies and are privy to their owne wants They know they have many knowne and open sinnes They know they stand in need to pray to God to clense them from their secret faults They know they must begge of him Psal 19.12 13. to keepe his servants from presumptuous sinnes that they may not have dominion over them They know they are daily to crave pardon for their errors ignorances and negligences for omitting good for committing evill They know their owne hearts smite them 1 Ioh. 3.20 and if their owne hearts condemne them God is greater then their hearts and knoweth all things And have they not therefore cause in all these respects to hang downe their heads and to humble themselves in the sight of God As for the ungodly it is not so with them they are blinde and can see nothing they are deafe and will learne nothing they are sencelesse and can feele nothing be it never so palpable Thirdly Christ Iesus hath left himselfe as a patterne and president unto us for he is meeke and lowly in heart Matth. 11.29 Matth. 11.29 who being in the forme of God and thinking it no robbery to bee equall with God tooke upon him the shape of a servant Phil. 2.6 7. and made himselfe of no reputation Thus he humbled himselfe and became obedient unto the death even the death of the Crosse Yea he disdained not to wash the feet of his Disciples Ioh. 13.5 15. and gave them an example what they should doe even as he had done to them Thus he that was both God and Man the Lord of Heaven and earth the eternall Sonne of the Father the brightnesse of his glory Heb. 1.3 the expresse Image of his person the Heire of all things upholding them by the Word of his power the King and Priest of his Church did stoope downe and abase himselfe for us even to the death and that also the cursed death of the Crosse Luke 21. 27. and was in the world as he that serveth Luke 22.27 Ought not we therefore to set evermore his example before our eyes as a glasse to looke upon and in lowlinesse of minde each one of us to esteeme of others better then of our selves that the same minde might be in us which was in him Fourthly wee are but dust and ashes whether we consider our rising or our falling our beginning or our ending Gen. 3.19 Iob 1.21 1 Tim. 6.7 our first or our last for dust we are and to dust shall we returne Gen. 3. We brought nothing with us in this world and it is certaine we can carry nothing out Is not the basenesse of the matter out of which we were formed and into which wee shall bee resolved argument waighty enough to pull downe every high conceit of our selves and to preach humility unto us Lastly God giveth all men somewhat to humble themselves in soule or in body or in name or in some that are neere unto them or in all these combined together at least if they know themselves It is an hard matter to know our selves aright for few doe it Wee are for the most part ignorant of our selves and strangers at home how quick-sighted soever we are abroad Wee cannot looke upon our selves or cast our eyes about us but we have causes and occasions of humiliation as Jacob after he had wrastled with God had his thigh out of joynt Gen. 32.25 31. 2 Cor. 12.7 8 9. and he halted of it all the dayes of his life afterward Gen. 32. So had the holy and blessed Apostle Paul asplinter in the flesh the messenger of Satan to buffet him lest he should be exalted above measure through the abundance of revelations that were given unto him And albeit he besought the Lord thrice that it might depart from him yet he obtained in not but received this gracious answer My grace is sufficient for thee for my strength is made perfect in weakenesse The best servants of God therefore have had something to cast them downe even to the ground and if wee have not eyes to see this which every where offereth it selfe before us we are blinde and can see nothing at all First of all this serveth for reproofe Vse 1 and that of sundry sorts of persons It giveth a checke to all Iusticiaries and Merit-mungers who like Pharises being ignorant of Gods righteousnesse Rom. 10.3 and going about to establish their owne righteousnesse have not submitted themselves to the righteousnesse of God Such men swelling very bigge with the winde of their owne workes are farre from the humility and humblenesse of minde which we read to have beene in all the Saints of God from the beginning The continuall song and saying that hath beene evermore in the mouthes of all the godly of the Patriarkes of the Princes of the Kings of the Captaines of the Priests of the Prophets of the Apostles and of all true Converts and penitent persons when they speake of themselves hath beene this I
any were to worke in us such duties as may please him To give The fourth branch of the reason These words containe the manner of bestowing the promise and the meanes how it is convaied unto us As the fountaine of it is Gods good pleasure so the chanell to convay it is his free gift Some kinde of gifts are given but they are first well deserved by them that receive them Againe some things are given Luke 14.11 but it is with hope and expectation to have as great or greater bestowed upon them againe as they that give to Kings and Princes Some things are said to be given when a sufficient recompence is tendred and offered withall as Gen. 23.9 Give me the cave for as much money as it is worth Gen. 23.9 and 1. King 12.2 Give me thy Vineyard and I will give thee for it a better Vineyard then it This giving by way of commutative justice is no other then bargaine and sale or exchange But it is not thus with the gifts of God who is a free giver and bestower hee doth not alter them neither barter them for other he doth not chop and change buy and sell his blessings as men doe Bullockes in a market that he should be as much beholding to us as we to him He offereth with a willing heart Doct. 10 and performeth with a free hand This teacheth us that all spirituall gifts and graces are bestowed upon us frankely and freely They come unto us neither by inheritance nor by exchange nor by bargaine and sale nor yet by purchase True it is our Salvation and Redemption were purchased by Christ who paid a deare price to bring us to God because his Iustice required it Ephes 1.7 yet was this also of meere grace We have Redemption through his blood the forgivenesse of our sinnes according to the riches of his grace So then albeit Salvation were purchased and as I may say dearely bought in respect of Christ yet neither the whole worke nor any part or parcell thereof was purchased in regard of our selves who are made partakers thereof through Gods speciall grace We conferre nothing toward the attainement of Salvation to procure to our selves this unspeakable benefit Wee cannot gratifie Christ Iesus againe in any matter or measure Esay 63.3 who trode the wine-presse of the wrath of the Father alone for us and hath paid the utmost farthing that could be required of us and therefore it commeth as a meere gratuity unto us without any purchase or paiment without any money or satisfaction Rom. 3.24 6.23 This the Apostle teacheth Rom. 3.24 Being justified freely by his grace through the Redemption that is in Christ and Chap. 6.23 The gift of God is eternall life through Jesus Christ our Lord. And Peter speaketh to the same purpose 2 Pet. 1.3 According to his divine power hee hath given us all things that pertaine unto life and godlinesse 2. Pet. 1.3 Thus the Prophet long before proclaimed the free gift of God without either money or money-worth or any price all that are a-thirst may come freely to the waters of life Revel 22.17 Esay 55.1 2. John 7.37 The reasons are Reas 1 first from the generall to the speciall All good gifts and perfect gifts whatsoever are from above and come downe from the Father of lights Jam. 1. They spring not out of the earth Iam. 1.17 Ioh. 3.27 as John 3. A man can receive nothing except it be given him from above neither yet come unto Christ except the Father draw him John 6. Secondly wee cannot obtaine a bit of bread to doe us any good but we must have it by Gods gift as appeareth in the Lords Prayer where wee are taught to come to him to have our daily bread given unto us Matth. 6.11 Deut. 9.5 The Israelites could not inherit the Land of Canaan by any inherent righteousnesse in themselves the uprightnes of their hearts neither yet conquer it by their owne sword Psal 44.3 Psal 44.3 They gate not the Land in possession by their owne sword neither did their owne arme save them but thy right hand and the light of thy countenance because thou hadst a favour unto them much lesse then are we able to possesse the heavenly Canaan by any godlinesse in our owne persons This doctrine overthroweth all Iustification by our owne workes and merits whether done before grace Vse 1 or in the state of grace The Apostle saith Rom. 3.20 By the deeds of the Law shall no flesh bee iustified in his sight for by the Law is the knowledge of sinne And Tit. 3. Rom. 3.20 The kindnesse and love of God appeared Tit. 3.4 5. not by workes of righteousnesse which we have done but according to his mercy hee saved us and againe 2. Tim. 1.9 He hath saved us and called us by an holy calling 2 Tim. 1.9 not according to our workes but according to his owne purpose and grace which is given us in Christ Jesus before the world began What can workes before a mans conversion availe for as much as wee are borne dead in sinnes and trespasses as wee have shewed before being without faith without hope without any good so that wee should be justified by our sinnes and our righteousnesse should be by unrighteousnesse if we should bee justified by these or any such workes Neither can workes of righteousnesse done in faith and after our conversion present us as righteous in the sight of God because they are all unperfect even the best and the holiest of them that we cannot challenge righteousnesse by them Psal 143.2 130. 3. 32.1 2. but must with the Prophet cry out Lord enter not into judgement with thy servant for in thy sight shall no man living be justified And againe to like purpose If thou Lord shouldst marke iniquities O Lord who shall stand but there is forgivenesse with thee that thou maist be feared This is our justification to obtaine remission of our sinnes Psal 32. The Servants of God doe not in the pride of their hearts advance themselves against God through their owne righteousnesse but they aske forgivenesse for their unrighteousnesse The Apostle John saith 1 Iob. 1.10 If we say that we have not sinned we make him a lyer and his Word is not in us All our righteousnesse is as a menstruous cloth Esay 64.6 spotted with the flesh Obiect But the Adversaries object that the Scripture never saith We are justified by faith onely and complaine that this word is fraudulently foysted and cunningly thrust into this Question as an Addition of our owne whereupon notwithstanding the chiefe state of the Controversie betweene us and them dependeth I answere Answ The putting to of that word is not alwaies an Addition to the Text but rather an exposition or explication Luke 4.8 Deut. 6.13 as wee see the like case in Christ our Saviour Luke 4.8 compareth with Deut. 6.13 who
not feare the lacke of lesser blessings But the faithfull have a Kingdome promised unto them Therefore the faithfull need not feare the lacke of lesser blessings The power and strength of this reason is good and exceeding great Christ our Saviour doth never argue weakely who ministreth strength to all his that are weake In this reason the giving of heavenly things to us is made an argument to prove the not with-holding of earthly things from us Wee may not feare or faint in our faith and profession as though God would quite forsake us or give us over And wherefore Because he hath promised to us the Kingdome so that there is nothing so great that he will sticke at or doubt to bestow upon us Doct. 12 The force of this reason layeth before us this instruction that the consideration of the Kingdome of Heaven and of the eternall joyes prepared for the faithfull ought to be a strong and sufficient reason to stay us up in all trials and troubles whatsoever True it is the righteous have many troubles and we have likewise many promises fitted to every estate as it were medicines applied to the diseases but among them all there is none more forcible and effectuall then this promise in this place which is the accomplishment of all promises to wit the Kingdome of Heaven Doe we finde our faith at any time weake and faint fearing tribulation or distresse or persecution or famine or nakednesse or perill or sword or to be separated from the love of God and his Sonne Iesus Christ Rom. 8.35 â— Cor. 11.27 or to be oppressed and overburdened with wearinesse and painfulnesse with hunger and thirst with fastings with cold with watchings with poverty with reproaches with feare of death and such like behold the promise here set before us let us lay fast hold upon it Let us with joy and comfort lift up our eyes or rather our hearts to Heaven and remember that wee have the reversion of a Kingdome promised unto us by him that did never falsify his Word in regard whereof we are more then Conquerers through him that loved us whereby we may easily see an issue out of the former tentations Hence it is that Abraham Moses and all the Prophets in the middest of all their afflictions wherewith they were afflicted did comfort themselves hereby they had respect to the great reward they knew to be laid up for them in the Heavens The Hebrewes tooke joyfully the spoiling of their goods while they were made a gazing-stocke by reproaches and calamities This is no easie thing to beare but hard for flesh and blood to doe For no doubt their goods and good names were as precious unto them as ours to our selves or to any other What then was the cause that made them able to beare all these injuries and indignities Surely this they knew in themselves that they were Heires apparent to a Kingdome and had in Heaven a better and an enduring substance Heb. 10.34 Heb. 10.34 11.9 10 24 35. then they knew that what teares soever they shed he would not onely keepe them in his bottle of remembrance but then he would wipe them away from their eyes that they should shead them no more Revel 7.17 21.4 Here is their time of weeping but then shall be the time of their rejoycing here is their time of sowing but then shall be the time of their reaping as Lazarus while he was here was distressed but after this life he was comforted Luke 16.25 Ioh. 16.20 21 22. 1 Ioh. 3.2 Then there shall be no more death neither sorrow nor crying neither shall there be any more paine for the former things are passed away Revel 21.4 the sorrow of the Saints shall bee turned into joy and their joy shall no man take from them The reasons follow First Reas 1 the greatest blessings assure the lesser and take away all doubt from us that might any way stay or stagger us in our obedience No man having a promise of a greater benefit from an honest man that he knoweth hath ever beene wont to bee as good as his word can or will make any doubt of his performance of the lesser so ought wee to learne to strengthen our faith against the feare of earthly wants by consideration of the heavenly promises that are found in the Word of God none of which did ever fall to the ground Rom. 8.32 as the Apostle teacheth Rom. 8. He that spared not his owne Sonne but delivered him up for us all how shall he not with him also freely give us all things Secondly all the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed Rom. 8.18 Rom. 8. Let the meditation of this glory be once thorowly laid up as a treasure in our hearts and we have thereby a soveraigne preservative against all dangers whatsoever which beset us round about whereas such as are daunted and distressed with every blast or bruit of danger like men that are at their wits end it is plaine they were never well grounded in the Article of everlasting life Thirdly all calamities and troubles how many and great soever are short temporall and momentany they endure but a little season as Christ comforteth the Church Revel 2.10 Psal 30.5 Esay 54.7 8. Yee shall have tribulation ten dayes And the Prophet Psal 30. His anger endureth but a moment in his favour is life weeping may endure for a night but ioy commeth in the morning But the Kingdome of Heaven is not for a night nor for one yeere nor two yeeres nor five yeeres neither ten yeeres nor twenty yeeres nor as a flower that flourisheth for a season and suddenly fadeth away but it is unchangeable incorruptible and everlasting 2 Cor. 4.15 18. as the Apostle sheweth 2 Cor. 4. Our light affliction which is but for a moment worketh in us a farre more exceeding and eternall waight of glory while we looke not at the things which are seene but at the things which are not seene for the things which are seene are temporall but the things which are not seene are eternall Lastly this is as a staffe of sufficient force put into our hands to uphold us and stay us up because the Kingdome of Heaven is the end of all sorrowes and miseries whatsoever 1 Cor. 17.54 for then this mortall shall put on immortality and death the last enemy shall bee destroyed and swallowed up in victory The Traveller that hath a great way to goe and to passe thorow many troubles not without much labour and sweating oftentimes comforteth himselfe with the remembrance of the end of all his journey Wee are Pilgrims and strangers in this world and we passe our dayes in travelling toward the Kingdome that is everlasting Wee should make this reckoning and account that our life from our birth day to our dying day is nothing else but as a pilgrimage thorow the wildernesse