the rule forenamed and remembred and having done so the vnderstanding takes a strict and exact view of their agreement or disagreement Now if there be a iust proportion betwixt the acts and the rule then there is excusation the effect of a good Conscience For Faith resteth on the promise for reward from the Law-giuer But if there be a disagreement then followeth accusation the attendant of a bad Conscience For beleefe giues credit to the threat and expects a penaltie And thus you see how a good Conscience excuseth a bad accuseth by reason of faith being interposed Neither need we to doubt but the Gentile had a kinde of faith the which produced these effects Rom. 2. 15. The King of great Brittaine giues a iust law for the well gouerning of his subiects promising a reward to them that obserue it threatning a penaltie to them that transgresse it I my selfe being one of the number heare vnderstand and beleeue it Well a day is appointed when my obedience must be tryed The Law is read and I giue eare vnto it If now my actions answer the Kings command I am not afraid my Conscience doth excuse me Why For I beleeue he will iudge me according to my workes But if they disagree from his Precept then I feare and my Conscience doth accuse me because I giue credit that answerable to the threat I must be rewarded But suppose I were ignorant of my Princes pleasure or knowing it did not yet credit it should I then haue excusation or accusation Not and the reason is in that I want faith to beleeue the promise or threat which are of force to accuse or excuse being credited Let vs apply it God the King of all the world hath giuen man a Law writ without him or within him that skils not to gouerne his actions he also hath passed his vnchangeable Word that the observers of it shall liue the transgressors dye All this I giue credit to Now when I apply mine actions to the Law and they are proportionable to it then my Conscience excuseth me for here is a good seeing together Notwithstanding all this Faith must credit the promise and threat for producing of these effects and is in truth the first and remote cause though Conscience be the second and nearer of accusation and excusation When the hand doth amisse we vse to say can yee not see Yet it is not the eyes fault And so in this we doe the like appropriating that vnto Conscience the which properly and immediatly springs from faith And tell me why doth the Devill tremble Is it not from faith Why are the profane fearefull Is it not from faith Why is a good Christian chearfull Why He hath kept the patterne and hath faith and why doe we sometimes doubt sometimes beleeue But from partiall obedience and an imperfect faith Yet as wee haue said Conscience doth accuse and excuse cause ioy and feare as the Precepts of Grammar the boyes Latine but not without faith And I pray you would a Scholler care at all whether his Latine answered the rule or no had he not faith to beleeue the truth of it and his Masters promise threat And thus you see our opinion let the learned iudge 2. The second effect accompanying a good Conscience is Ioy ioy I say vnspeakeable vnvtterable Davids Harpe was nothing to this yet made full pleasant Musicke A good Conscience will make the heart to leape the face to shine fill the breasts with milke and the bones with Marrow It s Prov. 15. 15. Iudg. 9. 13. a great a continuall feast Irke Wine it cheareth the spirit of God and man Let Saul want it his kingdome will augment his feare Naball may make a feast like a King Belshazzar carowse in Bowles but having not this dish their thoughts will trouble them and their hearts in the middest of all their mirth dye within them This this is the ground of all true and solide ioy the best musicke will it make that ever was heard What caused Iob to laugh at death Peter to sing in prison Paul to comfort himselfe in the angry Adriaticke Sea And Stevens face to shine like an Angell when the stones came flying about his eares Any thing but a good Conscience The gallants of these daies may seeme the onely merry men but without this they are all base wretched miserable 3. Shall we thinke that Conscience goeth alone or with one single attendant or two as Iacob to Padan-Aram Ionathan with his Armor-bearer or Nehemiah to view the walls of Ierusalem No no Ioy is on its right hand and contentation runnes with it Cast a world into the heart of man he is not satisfied when as Paul not having a penny shall rest contented If thou canst but see the face of a good Conscience in the closet of thy soule engrauen on the Tables of thine heart thou maist cry with old Israel when he saw Ioseph his sonne aliue I haue inough or with Mephibosheth when the King returned safe let the Zibaes of the world take all For Conscience is a rich Treasure a Cabinet full of precious Pearles a costly banquet I say that Bread nourisheth Drinke refresheth but a good Conscience is all in all 4. Doth not Conscience also walke with Hope and giue good evidence for time to come It s like a rich Merchant who keepeth Factors in a farre Countrey and forreigne Land Doth it not send hope to trade and barter in the India of heaven from whence she returnes with comfortable tydings and supporteth Conscience vntill all things be had in perfect vision Were it not for this the heart would burst and good mens spirits faile them for feare Hope will still be whispering Conscience in the eare bid it be of good comfort and not faint for the time of its visitation is at hand Truely a Consciencelesse man is a hopelesse man and he that wanteth that shall perish 5. Also Conscience is alwayes armed and attended with courage boldnesse And is not that worthy the right hand of fellowship A man of Conscience dares stand before Princes plead his owne cause and force Faelix a bribing Iudge to tremble What made the Prophet to giue King Ahab the lie The Apostle to call the high Priest painted wall And Iohn to tell Herod he was an Adulterer But the force that floweth from a good Conscience He that hath a good Conscience may quench the fiery darts of Sathan conquer the King of feare and shake off all terrible tydings Keepe it and it will keepe thee safe amidst ten thousand dangers Sayle thou in this ship and it will land thee in safetie when they that want it shall split the barke of their soules vpon the rocke of condemnation 6. Conscience as thou hast worthie attendants in this thy Pilgrimage on earth so thy reward shall be great in heauen For thou shalt haue thy seat in the noble house of the soule till the day of iudgement Peace shall be thy
others 1 Tim. 4. vlt. 3. When though they preach often yet their Sermons as Gallio said of Religion are but a matter of names and words and a scraping together of fables and vaine Phylosophie Coll. 2. 8. 4. When the preacher maketh wrong application pressing that vpon Gods people which is the portion of the reprobate This is the old custome of false Prophets who Ezek. 13. 22. grieued the harts of the Godly and hardned the wicked in so doing by promising them life Wherefore often sound powerfull and plaine preaching is the way to worke vnfeigned faith in the people Lett es in the people be many yet few here shall be mentioned Let ts of faith in the people One is a vaine perswasion that all men haue it from their birth A second is in that the people thinke it not a thing of great worth or necessitie A third is a desperate idlenes which makes men negligent in the vse of the meanes The fourth is a setled resolution to liue in sinne for a season and so if they be cut off in the meane time yet they haue made this conclusion that then they will cast themselues vpon the hidden and vnsearchable mercie of God This is to hang a mans Saluation as Iob speakes of Iob. 26. 7. the earth iust vpon nothing But if by any meanes such men might be allured we will adde some motiues in the last place to perswade them to it 1. Consider how often the Lord doth intreat vs to get faith and beleeve in him Might not this moue an heart Motiues to get faith of stone to this duty who would not out of his priuate iudgement condemne such a man that will not obey him who doth begge and beseech that might command and kill 2. And is it not the onely way to get rest to our soules and to procure peace that passeth all vnderstanding What person is he that priseth not this peace that doth not wish for so great a fauour 3. Who euer came to Christ and went away vncured the verie diuels that sought vnto him sometimes had their desires and shall wee doubt or once despaire to speede if we approach to his presence Is it possible that he will not performe his promise to his people Mat. 11. 28. 4. Call to mind how cheap wee may haue this commoditie We may buy it without gold or siluer If wee bring empty hands yet honest harts we shall not goe home without it Let vs but aske it and we shall haue it Mat. 7. 7. 5. How many are the priuiledges that accompanie it By Ioh. 1. 12. 2 Pet. 1. 4. Eph. 6. 16. 1 Ioh. 5. 4. it we are vnited to Christ made the sonnes of God partake of the diuine nature quench the fierie darts of Sathan ouercome the world and are saued 6. And if nothing will moue thee to get faith vnfeigned Eph. 2. 8. and to beleeue in the Lord yet let the fearefull iudgements that are threatned against infidels preuaile with thee Shall not such be cast into the lake that burneth with fire and Brimstone for euer which is the second death Rev. 21. 8. And let me wind vp all in a short application and exhortation I say that to all which I doe to one get faith keepe faith and increase your faith a mite of this graine is worth a million of gold a stalke of this faith a standing tree of earthly fruites a soule fraughted and filled with this treasure all the coffers of siluer in the whole world What can I more say the least true faith is of more value than large demaines stately buildings and tenne thousand riuers of oyle If the Mountaines were Pearle the huge Rocks pretious stones and the whole Globe a shining Chrisolite yet faith as much as the least droppe of water graine of sand or smallest Mustard-seed is more worth than all This will swimme with his Master hold vp his drouping head and land him safe at the shore against all winds and weather stormes and tempests striue then for this fraught For the time and tyde thereof serueth but once and not for euer Vnfeigned faith Whence we gather that Our profession is not to be in Hypocrisie but in Sinceritie Doct. 2. Paul speakes here of faith that 's not Hypocriticall but sound vpright And though hee but mention faith yet he comprehends vnder it profession and truth in our dealings Mich. 6. 6. Isa 9. 17. Mat. 5. 8. 1 Cor. 5. 8. 2 Cor. 6. 6. For if it be not thus we are vnder the curse and subiect Reas 1. to all iudgements what euer How many woes doth Christ denounce against Hypocrites and the Prophets euery where in their Sermons crying Woe be vnto you Hypocrites Luk. 11. 44. Againe the Lord loueth Sinceritie in the inward parts such Reas 2. service is a delight vnto him And will not Sathan one day or other as he did Iudas arrest vs and carie vs into the kingdome of darknes Our adversaries reproch vs and our own courses condemne vs truely if our profession be in hypocrisie we can neither please God nor profit our selues Away then with the profession that is in many in our Vse 1. dayes What forme without power of Godlines may we finde what shewes without substance and shadowes that are not accompanied with the true bodie doe these men imagine that the words of God are vttered in vaine or that his iudgements shall not befall them What heart can they haue to looke God Sathan death or iudgement in the face when as their owne hearts are a strong and crying witnesse against them what if they doe shall it profit them no verily In the second place seeing we all professe the truth let Vse 2. vs keepe our feasts with the bread of Sinceritic and truth and and mixe all our actions with sincerity and integrity Let vs shunne the practise and properties of Hypocrites which be these Sixe properties of an Hypocrite 1. To be one in the face another in heart Hypocrites be like flales that seeme to haue life window cushions glorious without yet stuffed with straw flockes or some course Rubbish within 2. They straine at a Gnat and Swallow a Camell Make Luk. 11. 39. great conscience of a humane ceremonie yet are desperately negligent in the commandements of God Tithe Annise Mint and Cummin yet transgressâ— the law for a morsell of bread 3. These persons picke quarrels for moates in others and Math. 7. 3. spy not mountaines in their owne eies Censure their brethren sharply if they stumble yet iustifie themselues though they fall and tumble in the mire and ditch 4. They are wonderfull in ostentation Giue almes with the sound of a trumpet write their good workes in the 2 King 10. 16 windowes haue the least act in record and Iehu-like cry come see what zeale we haue for the glorie of God and the Lord of hostes 5. Such be inconstant in all
neuer heard of all the daies of their life Is there not a woe denounced against them that speake good of euill and is hee Isa 5. 20. not culpable of Iudgement to honour those the Lord neuer did I would haue men to iudge charitably rather then to speake too confidently yet God is wise for such praise without iust desert stirres vp men to rippe vp that whereby their names rot and so that is effected they neuer intended And may not this giue vs some glimpse what to deeme Vse 3. of them whose faith to this day was neuer heard of may not such feare their present condition and we mourne to consider their wofull estate wa st thou neuer a noted person reputed singular or entertained of the Saint surely thy faith is dead and thou art dead the Lord quicken thee Let this in the last place bee a comfort to those whose Vse 4. sound goeth through the world and whose names are famous too amongst the faithfull For it argueth some good thing to be in thee when good and bad haue some words about thee Crowes doe not flocke and houer and cry but it s about some thing nor Eagles soare and gather themselues together except there be a carkase yet take this also with thee be sure thou art such in truth as good men report of thee and contrary to what the world daily dischargeth against thee For otherwise thou maist haue a name to bee a liue and art dead and defamed but of desert And by the way take this as a note of faith vnfeigned viz. a care to Note become better when either the good commend thee or the bad condemne thee It may here be demanded how Paul came to know that these three had one and the same faith It s not to be doubted of but by the effects that flowed from these persons though he had an extraordinary gift of discerning too From the which this will arise that Faith vâ—feigned is to be iudged by the effects We cannot see Doct. 8. it in its selfe or in its cause But we omit this and collect another doctrine which is that Faith workes like effects in diuerse subiects Doct. 9. The Grandmother the mother and the mothers sonne had the same faith and the like fruits proceeded from them else Paul would neither haue called it vnfeigned or said that it dwelt in them or giuen them all three one and the same testimony All three had faith and vnfeigned faith For the likenes of actions were in them and proceeded from them by the which it was called vnfeigned and equally appropriated to each particular person And it is an vndoubted position that faith produceth the like effects in all Gods children in truth it must bee vnderstood not in degree For as faith increaseth the effectes are bettred Many Lanternes with seuerall Candles will all giue light but in proportion to their diuerse degrees and quantities Euery peece hath his report but according to the bignes and each instrument will sound but variously as they be in proportion and that for these reasons Because faith differs not in kind but in degree and like Reas 1. causes produce like effects Euery Bell hath its sound Each stone its weight and seuerall planets their diuerse influences yet not in the same measure though they may varie in kind Againe faith is diffused into subiect though seuerall yet Reas 2. they are the same in nature and consist of like principles Fire put into straw will either smoke or burne let the bundle be a thousand life in the bodie will haue motion though not in the same degree and measure and reason in euery man acteth but not so exquisitely The constitution may not be alike therefore a difference may be in operation naturall and also from the same ground in acts spirituall A darke horne in the Lanthorne dimmes the light somewhat Faith is begot and increased by the same originals the Reas 3. spirit and the word be both the principall and conseruing causes of it If one woman conceiue and bring forth a child and another nurse it varietie of foode might somewhat alter the nature and disposition of it but that spirit which begets faith doth also preserue it therefore it cannot be but that the like effects should proceed from it Here by the way we may see that those mothers if a forced necessity compell not who bring forth and bearâ— children yet haue no care to nurse them are to be blamed for so doing in that they differ from Gods manner of proceeding And in the last place if faith had not like effects in all Gods children Reas 4. then could they not attaine to one and the same ends as iustification sanctification saluation c. And so should it be in vaine the Lord failing and man too of their chiefe scope and purpose Hath not God made euery eie to see and hand to worke and shall we then iudge that faith shall not act but be idle away with that From this point we may learne how to iudge of the faith in our times which so many boast of they cry haue Vse 1. not we faith Doe not wee beleeue aswell as the best but where be the fruits of faith vnfeigned hast thou an humble and purging heart dost thou call vpon God at al times tary his leasure and rely vpon his promise art thou bold and resolute for good causes canst thou resist Sathan cleaue to God and shunne the appearances of euill will neither pouerty ouerpresse thee by despaire or prosperitie by presumption Why it s well and we beleeue that Faith is to be found in thee but if not thou hast it not rooted in thee For the tree is knowne by the fruit Will not the flower smell the candle giue light and the fire heate and shall true faith be without her effects boast not too much lest thou deceiue thy selfe taking the shadow for the body and that which is not for that which should be And this doctrine is of great comfort for them that often call the truth of faith into question But hast thou the true Vse 2. signes of it then thou hast it What if it worke not so mightily as in others will it follow that thou art without it suppose thou wert carried to the toppe of some high tower and casting thine eye vpon seuerall chimneyes of the which number thine is one and all smoking wouldst thou not conclude that fire in is thine house aswell as in thy neighbours there is the like effects therfore the same cause of certaine When men in heart and life are like the Godly let them be assured they haue the same faith It may differ in some degree yet the quantity greater or lesser alters not the kind of it Leauen is leauen though neuer so litle and if the meale bee seasoned it is to be found in the lumpe This must teach vs to take heed how we rashly
and that proceedeth daily from vs who were able to abide it Not we Christ onely excepted so that we must flee to the promise for life and cast off the precept in this respect Besides this there is another reason rendred by the Apostle Reas 2. which is that if justification and consequently salvation had beene obtained by the Law then Christ had dyed Gal. 2. vlt. gratis in vaine for nothing Indeed the Law is able to giue life for Christ was saved by it but we are weake and not able to fulfill it And though the law be said to be of no strength it is in this respect that like a iust Iudge to an offender Rom. 8. 3. it giueth a true testimony not able to set man at libertie who is a transgressor Confutation springs from this roote of the Papists who Vse 1. tye salvation rather to the law and workes than to Christ and the Gospell Reprehension too proceeds from the same ground against Vse 2. the ignorant Protestants who being demanded how they hope to be saved Reply either by their good deeds or honest meaning this is naturall Papistrie yet good workes are in no sort to be omitted For they be the true euidences of faith as childe of a father the high way to heaven though not the principall and immediate cause of raigning these may be said to bring life as the nurse to the child faith as the mother And from hence every one that longeth after life must Vse 3. 1. deny his owne workes 2. Learne to be acquainted with the promises and to discerne them from the precepts 3. Labour for faith to apply them for knowledge except mixed with faith profits nothing Heb. 4. 2. This may also direct Ministers how to teach their people Vse 4. a principall point of Catechisme as also to worke faith in them that they may beleeue not that the law is to be omitted for that reuealeth sinnes breaketh the heart setteth before the eye of the soule Gods irresistable judgement and directs the way that leadeth to justification and salvation yet in a differing manner from the Gospell It s our Schoole-master to Christ Gal. 3. 24. Might we not hence obserue further that the principall end of Preaching is to bring men to life and salvation By the foolishnesse of Preaching it pleaseth God to saue such as 1 Cor. 1. 21. beleeue Then are they farre wide that looke for life without a Preacher Why doe they not expect children without generation a crop of corne without sowing Againe we note out of the word according that There is one method or true manner or at least matter of teaching to be practised of the Preachers for every Art is guided by its owne rule precepts obiect Which is in Christ Iesus In Christ that is from him or by him Whence let it be noted that No life or salvation is to be expected but in and through Christ Doct. 7. Iesus Whether we respect the life of motion sence reason or salvation all is conveyed to man from him he is the way the truth and the life Iohn 14. 6. Ioh. 10. 10. and 17. 12. Act. 3. 15. For he created all things as he was God without him was Reas 1. made nothing that was made He is the beginning of all creatures Col. 3. 15. therefore called the Lord of life Act. 3. 15. He also as God preserveth the essence and being of the Reas 2. creature 1. In giuing nourishment fit and convenient 2. and in blessing the meanes without both which the life of man like a lampe that lacketh oyle is extinguished for man liueth not by bread onely but by every word that proceâ—deth out of the mouth of God Mat. 4. 4. Furthermore life and salvation come from Christ as he Reas 3. is our Suretie and Saviour 1. For by his death he hath destroyed death O death Where is thy sting 2. By his life he 1 Cor 15. 55. v. 22. 23. hath purchased our life as by the offence of one man came death so by the obedience of Christ came life 3. All the promises 2 Cor. 1. 20 meet in Christ and are yea and amen in him as all the lines doe in the point of a Center 4. He sends his word and spirit for to quicken vs being dead before that time in sinnes Ephes 2. 1. and trespasses In a word by his death we dye with him and through his Resurrection and Ascension we shall rise out Rom. 5. 10. of the graue and ascend and liue for ever with him From this point doe many profitable Vses spring First learne hence that the life of a Christian is no base being Vse 1. or mouing but the sweetest life of all and equalleth if not excelleth that life of Adam in the Garden because it floweth from a more pure fountaine springeth from a more honorable head and is purchased with a farre greater price Doe we not esteeme Wine by the Grape fruit by the tree Oyle by the Oliue And people by their pedigree It s called the life of God for God gaue it at the Creation Christ Ephes 4. 18. redeemed it by his Passion and it s the neerest to that life the Lord himselfe liueth and delighteth in it s a royall life for it exceedeth this life all other what ever Ther 's not a greater dissimilitude betwixt the life of a naturall man and a beast than there is betwixt this and the life of reason And it s a durable life certaine and abideth for ever and Vse 2. can it be otherwise comming from Christ Let the root liue the branches will not wither the spring flowe the rivers will be full and whilest the head is not hurt well fare the members Indeed this tree was once dead but now he is aliue Rev. 1. 18. shall dye no more death hath no longer power over him They therefore that are graffed into this stocke shall never taste of the second death For out of their branches shall flow Io. 7. 37. rivers of the waters of life And as Moses with his rod struck the rocke whence issued water to refresh the people so God with the law of his iustice strooke Christ the rocke out of whose side commeth the water of life to saue all his members Besides it also followeth from the same ground that it is Vse 3. a secret and hidden life hid in Gods bosome long before it was manifested hid in the Promise hid in the Sacrifices and Ceremonies hid from the eyes of the world hid from him that hath it for the greatest and best part of it is said to be hid with Christ in God that is in heaven Col. 3. 3. For God and heaven are often put one for the other in Scripture And it may be said truely to be a hidden life so few seeke it or find it and yet if they doe they know it not Hence
required in the seruice of God two things the one is Knowledge the other Strength for these are absolutely necessary for the doing of any action the one to direct vs the other to enable vs in this dutie The obiect of this knowledge is double 1. God 2. His will These must be rightly vnderstood For 1. If we know not God we cannot loue him 2. or trust in him 3. Feare him 4. humble our selues before him all which are needfull for that man that would make God his Master We must loue him or else we cannot serue him for loue sets a man on working as in the example of Iacob yea loue saith the Apostle constreines 2 Cor. 5. 14. vs but if we know not God wee cannot loue him the affections worke according as the eye of Reason presents her Obiects And How can we beleeue in him of whom we haue not heard Rom. 10. 14. Faith cannot be without knowledge therefore knowledge is often put for the same Who will serue a Master himselfe Ioh 17. 3. or bind his sonne apprentice to such a person whose abilitie or fidelitie he is ignorant of Againe if we feare not God we will not serue him and if we know him not we will not feare him Haue not some mis-tooke a Piece for a Pipe and so haue beene murthered in stead of mirth So men not knowing the Lord haue played so much with his mercie that they haue beene destroyed by his justice And Humilitie also must be had or man cannot serue God for God giveth grace to the humble but without vnderstanding Iam. 4. 6. Note of him no throwing of our selues downe before him for man is of an haughtie spirit loth to stoope and besides vntill he know God he knoweth nothing aboue himselfe therefore will never be humbled And a generall knowledge will not serue but we must know him truely and certainely Some may obiect that God onely knoweth himselfe Obiect dwelling in that light which none can attaine vnto 1. Tim. 6. 16. What for that Can we know nothing of him Yes we Ans How GOD may be known of vs. may with Moses see his back-partes his sufficiencie and efficiencie His sufficiencie is that whereby he is able to doe all thinges and it consisteth in his essence and subsistence His essence is that absolute first being and independent of any other thing whatsoever And from this it doth follow that He is not compounded of any matter and forme but is one most pure and meere act Now because as he is act wee cannot vnderstand him especially with one act for our vnderstanding is finite he invisible and infinite therefore he taketh to himselfe and maketh himselfe knowne vnto vs by many attributes which attributes be nothing else but that one and meere act diversly apprehended as What he is Who he is He is a spirit invisible immortall infinite omnipotent omniscient and the like And we must be able to vnderstand the subsistences which are nothing else but that one most pure essence with his relatiue properties The subsistences are the Father and the Sonne and the holy Ghost The relatiue propertie of the Father is to beget therefore he is the first in order The Sonnes relatiue propertie is to be begotten and not to beget and he is the second person in order because he is from the Father alone The holy Ghost is the person proceeding from the Father and the Sonne and therefore the third person in order so that we must vnderstand that God is one essence in three persons thus much for his sufficiencie And for his efficiencie what is that But that whereby he worketh all thinges and all in all things either in respect of creation or providence Act. 17. 28. Rom. 11. vlt. This may suffice to haue spoken for the knowledge of God The second thing that we ought to know is What the Lord requireth of vs for how can wee doe it if wee doe not know it Or suppose wee should doe what he willes yet what comfort can we haue in this service or action If a servant shall plow sow and harrow a plot of ground without his Masters will and direction what content could he haue in working What hope of reward after he had finished his labour Would not feare rather possesse him seeing the ground might haue beene as profitable for pasture When we know our Masters will we may with boldnes chearfulnesse goe about it And this his will is conteined in the Law and the Gospell What the Law requireth and is there to be found out with searching The Law requires two things 1. That we haue no corruption inherent in our person 2. That we transgresse not or divert from it in our conversation this is the iustice and command the Law layeth on vs and exacts at our hands The Gospell also bindeth What the Gospell requireth vs to our taske 1. That we haue Faith 2. That we beleeue in God through Christ for iustification 3. That we clense our selues from the filthinesse of the flesh and spirit 4. And lastly that we liue without spot and blamelesse keeping our hearts vpright with God our outward actions honest before and with man for the Gospell wils no lesse inward or outward holinesse than the Law doth For the Gospell and Christ Mat. 5. 17. came to establish the Law that is to assure vs it is still of force and to giue vs abilitie another way to keepe it Againe as we haue heard that we must haue knowledge of God and his will before we can serue him so in the next place we must haue abilitie or we cannot doe his will A sicke or weake man may know his Masters pleasure but cannot doe it for strength with health must enable him So we know many things but what of that if we want power to performe them And we must get power 1. To beleeue Wherin Power is exercised 2. To obey Againe We are to know that faith is exercised about a double Obiect God and his Word And in his Word the promise and the threate We are to giue credit that all the threats of God are true and shall be accomplished in vs in particular if wee breake the condition as well as beleeue all the promises appropriate them to our selues who are made in Christ Iesus And in both these the best man failes for want of abilitie to beleeue them Our faith may be said to be a kind of obedience not in getting but principally in living by it And as Iudgement is vsed in Invention being a distinct part of the Art of Logick yet Invention doth precede Iudgement in nature so obedience is vsed in faith and faith in obedience though faith may seeme to goe before it for He that comes to God must beleeue that he is and then a rewarder of them that diligently seeke him Heb. 11. 16. So that by power to beleeue I meane that God is that his
reported of for good things falsly Mat. 5. 11. Furthermore we gather this doctrine also that The infidelitie of the Father preuents not faith in the children Doct. 10. For if it had Eunice and Timothie and many moe should neuer haue beene found faithfull 1 Kin. 14. 13. 1 Cor. 7. 14. Because there is nothing that precedes the Lords election Reas 1. or that could moue him to shew mercie but according to his owne good pleasure he chooseth calleth iustifieth and sanctifieth Then this would follow that all the seede of vnbeleeuers Reas 2. should perish which were a bloody and a most vnmercifull assertion and not to bee once named among Christians This may make much for the comfort of such wiues as Vse 1. be vnequally yoked seeing it s no preiudice to the saluation of their children Were it for the possession of an earthly inheritance then this priuiledge would be highly respected But some may say how may I know that my husband is Quest 1. faithlesse and profane 1. When a man delights more in the strange woman than in his yoke-fellow 2. When he prouides not things necessarie for the wiues maintenance 3. That will not beare with her infirmities but vpbraid her 4. Who doth not teach her the wayes of Godlines 5. Which makes her a seruant rather than his companion 6. That will not pray with her and for her Eph. 5. 28. 1 Cor. 14. 35. 1 Pet. 3. 7. In the second place this serueth to instruct vs for the Vse 2. answering one of Sathans temptations who often will a buse the Scripture suggesting to trouble the weake christian that his Parents were profane and therefore they haue no part of the promise but this is an old lying shift therefore credit it not And might not all of vs learne to prayse God for this and Vse 3. to imitate him in so doing why should man be more cruel than his maker More-ouer where Paul makes relation of faiths habitation in the Grandmother mother and her sonne yet omits all other priviledges as kinred lands possessions we note that Succession of faith is the best succession Doct. 11. The others may be praised but this surmonts them all 1 Chro. 4. 9. Rom. 16. 7. For this will bring vs to a kingdome that cannot be shaken Reas 1. but eternall in the heauens Againe all others be for this and subordinate vnto it Reas 2. they be hand mards this the mistris This condemnes some in these times who neuer once Vse 1. minde this great priuiledge and prerogatiue If they may succeed their progenitors in lands and liuings offices and reuenues the other is not regarded to be of the houshold of faith is altogether forgotten but when death comes the worth of it will be vnderstood and the vanity of the other made manifest The poore faithfull person may from this point draw Vse 2. water that will refresh him in the heate of afflictions and such hony and oyle which will make his face shine and heart merry in the pangs of greatest miserie For what will it auaile to haue beene of the race of Kings of Nobles or successor to the mightiest Monarch and want this other and what can meannesse of birth weaknesse of estate or poore alliance depriue thee of so thou haue faith Let vs all be taught from hence to bee forward to be of Vse 3. Gods family and to succeed our forefathers in the faith What is a Scepter a Crowne a kingdome to this Had it not beene better for Ieroboam or Rehoboam to haue succeeded their fathers in faith than the princely throne but men will neuer be wise to see wherein true noblenesse of descent consisteth Art thou a Cobler a drawer of water a tankard-bearer yet hast thou faith then thou hast Abraham to thy father and shalt one daie inherit heauen with him Or wouldest thou be blessed for eternitie then striue to be a branch in this stocke and a point in this line then shalt thou reigne in white robes when the flesh of kings shall bee rent in pieces and take possession of the holy habitation when Princes who wanted faith shall neuer see the face of God And here I must put thee in remembrance that faith comes not by generation but regeneration neither as the Papists would gather from this place is it sufficient to be Ezek. 20. of our ancestors religion except they had beene sound in the faith for the attaining of this for euer blessed succession But we must succeed those in doctrine in renouation and faith who haue trod these steppes before vs. Yet wee deny not but 4. sorts might in the former dayes of Popery be saued 1. Infants that actually had neither done good or evill in their own persons 2. They that were aged opposed Poperie Who might be saued in the time of poperie of which number some of our ancestors might be 3. They that erred not in grosse points of Popery and 4. That liued yet at death renounced their former doctrine dyed not Papists besides that knowledge that would saue them will not saue vs we liuing in a more blessed time than they I could yet collect moe vsefull instructions both from the verse in generall and the words in particular as that Where we see signes of goodnes we are to iudge the best When we giue others instruction we are first to possesse them with the perswasion of our affection For then they will take it in good part and our words wil haue the deeper impression But I passe to the next verse VERS 6. Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stirre vp the gift of God that is in thee by the putting on of my hands THese words may indifferently be handled as The logicall resolution they haue dependance on the former or succeeding verse but how euer the particulars are these 1. Paul puts Timothy in minde of a dutie 2. mention is made what it is viz. to stirre vp 3. What must be exuscitated the gift in him 4. How hee came by it the principall meanes is God the instrumentall the imposition of hands 5. The cause why it is to be stirred vp is laid downe in the first word Wherefore Wherefore this is a word of relation and when it is vsed The Theologicall exposition it doth denotate for the most part a reason of the thing done or to be perfected I put thee in remembrance That is by writing I doe declare vnto thee thy dutie and bring it to thy minde That thou stirre vp This is a metaphor borrowed from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fire as when sparkes be vnder the ashes or the flame begins to be quenched then there is neede to keepe it burning and from being extinguished and so it is in respect of the gifts of grace in vs. The gift of God By gift may be vnderstood his office or the graces of the spirit common to all
and are not our imperfect actions perfected by the Lord Iesus Wee seeke and doe not finde because Iam. 4. 3. wee seeke and aske amisse Let me exhort thee to preach and pray read and heare propound and resolue profitable questions and then if thy labours be in vaine count me a false Prophet curse me at thy death Who euer did sow good feed in its season but had a rich and plentifull croppe at haruest If Peter cast in his nette at his masters command though in former time he hath laboured hard and caught nothing yet at the last he shall encompasse many great fishes hale them to land and be sufficiently recompenced satisfied It s not a trade but the well vsing of it not a farme but the well husbandry of it that will enrich the one and the other Wherfore be stedfast immoueable and abundant in the worke of 1 Cor. 15. vlt. the Lord knowing that your labour is not in vaine in the Lord. What did Paul and the people fast pray and lay on hands without obseruing the effect of their actions No he and they saw how the gifts of Timotheus were augmented increased in so doing whence it will follow that In the vse of Gods ordinances we are to obserue how hee dealeth Doct. 8. with vs. Haue not the Prophets Apostles and all the Lords people done thus Should we make a collection of each particular wee should be exceeding large When they did offer sacrifice did they not obserue the successe Fast and pray what effects did follow reade and preach how people were conuerted comforted or hardened In administration of the Sacraments that Many were sicke and weake and slept others healed reioiced and receiued the holy Ghost Gen. 4. 3. and 10. 20. 21. Nehem. 9. 9. c. Psal 106. 23. and 107. 6. c. Mat. 7. 28. Acts 4. 31. and 28. 23. 24. 29. 2 Chro. 30. 20. c. 2 Kin. 22. 19. Io. 13. 27. 1 Cor. 11. 30. For in so doing we come to haue an experimentall knowledge Reas 1. of the truth and fidelity of Gods promises than the which nothing is better If any man will doe his will hee may be assured that the doctrine we deliuer is not sensuall earthly Ioh. 7. 17. Iam 3. 17. or diuellish but pure peaceable good and profitable For all the Lord speaketh shall come to passe Iosh 21. 45. And will it not yeeld matter of thankesgiuing Why are we so barren in blessing of God haue our mouths so empty Reas 2. of his praises doe not continually sing songs of gratefulnesse Is it not the neglect of this obseruation Could we with the Prophet register the many mercies wee receiue in the vse of Gods ordinances we should crie as he did What shall I render to the Lord for all his benefits Psal 1 16. 12. Would it not also constraine vs to be more frequent in Reas 3. good duties prouoke and pricke vs forward to preach and pray will not men spend much time without wearinesse in that calling that affordeth great commoditie with constancie Who euer casteth off a profitable art or waxeth dull in doing that which his owne experience makes sure hath recompence of reward Suppose we found no fruit in thus doing but all our actions Reas 4. of this kind were blasted Yet would it not cause vs to looke out the cause why God with-holdeth a blessing Should we not finde some Babilonish garment in our tent some Ionah a sleepe in the shippe one sinne or other that hinders the good successe of our spirituall indeuours and were not this worthy of our paines Hence comes to be reproued many a person who though Vse 1. they performe holy duties yet neuer haue eye to the euent Are not these worse than Cain For he obserued the successe of his sacrifice Or Balaam Did not hee perceiue how the Lord answered him Doe wee not read that hypocrites marked what fruit they reaped in fasting and afflicting themselues Isay 58 3. Are not Christians then blame worthie who come short of such in this thing True it is that in nothing the best faile more than in not ioyning watchfullnesse in the vse of Gods ordinances Want of this one thing breedeth doubting staggering in the promises with-holdeth matter of thankfulnesse causeth slownesse dulnesse in good duties and keepeth sinne close from being reuealed discouered What shal we then do Why we must imitate men in other Vse 2. vocations recreatious When the husbandman hath cast good seede into his soile will hee not haue an eye to its rooting sprowting growing Who planteth or grafteth but obserueth how the tender blades budde shoot forth and spread themselues will not the fisherman hauing cast in his net or angle into the riuer expect whether any fish be catcht by the gill or intangled in the meshes What fowler spreadeth pantels setteth his ginne dischargeth his piece but will haunt the spring view the scrap and looke with a stretched out necke to see if any bird be caught fast insnarred or wounded Shall Physitians giue pils administer potions and grow carelesse how their Physicke workes Learne then by their examples what successe accompanieth the Lords ordinances Preacher people Sow the seede of the word in season out of season and marke which doth prosper 2 Tim. 4. 2. Eccles. 11. 6. this or that In thus doing peraduenture thou maist finde some person strucke with the shot of the word who like a wounded Pigeon will single himselfe from his former companions fall in some obseure corner of a field spread the wings of his armes and with a drouping conscience call and cry to God for mercie for pardon Pray and watch what the Lord will say vnto thee Reade and heare and take notice how thy heart waxeth hot corruption is cooled and grace kindled Yea in all holy actions looke to the successe and experience will let thee see that as the shadow followeth the body the blessing of God doth accōpanie his ordinances Aboue all things thinke thou on this so shall thy faith grow strong in the promises of God thou shalt find them a sure word that neuer faileth Also thou maist haue matter of prayse to God-ward and tell thy brethren what he hath done for thy soule And how will this experimental Psal 66. 16. knowledge encourage thee to preach pray read heare and neuer grow wearie in wel-doing At the least or if I may so say at the worst this benefit will accrue how that there is some sinne in vs not repented of one corruption or other not mortified or iust circumstance in Gods service omitted which causeth our indeuours not to prosper our best fruite to be blasted From the words diuersly considered might many more doctrines be collected as that 1. There may be increase of grace in the best Christian For Timotheus was an excellent man before this time and were not his gifts now augmented 2. That a Minister hath neede
The yong man must Remember his Creator in the daies of youth least the houres come wherein hee shall haue no pleasure in them Iezabel had a time so had Ierusalem Agrippa and many others but when they foreslowed the oportunitie they found not in future time any mercy When God calleth and we will not come we shall cry but we shall not be heard Wofull experience hath taught this truth to many thousands for there is an appointed time for all things vnder the sunne 2. Seeke for what thou wouldst haue at the Lords hands let him be the principall Asa was sicke in his feete Ezekiah at the heart the one seeking to the Phisician first died the other going to God had his life many yeares prolonged Goe not with Saul to a witch at Endor with Iudas to the Pharisees with Ephraim and Iudah to Ashur and Hos 5. 13. king Iareb with the Papist to the Pope or Angell But goe to the Lord for these are miserable comforters and the best of them if the God of all the world the first mouer of all things and chiefe Phisician be absent cannot heale thee or cure thee of thy wound But seek vnto God and he will heare thee helpe thee 3. Goe to him but not like the proud Pharisee with I thanke God I am not so nor so neither with the boasting Papist in the robes of thing owne righteousnes but come vnto him in the name of Christ Iesus the sonne of his loue send him or set him before thee For whatsoeuer thou shalt seeke in his name that is in his worthines it shall be giuen thee For without Christ he is a consuming fire 4. Let the word and that neuer-erring spirit be thy guide If these two lead thee to the Father in the new and euerliuing way of Christ the Sauiour of all that are saued thou shalt find according to thy hearts desire Practise this Rule 5. Haue respect to the manner of thy seeking let it be vpon the feete of faith and affection with the wings of pure zeale and feruency and then thou shalt find assuredly 6. And finally let the end of thy seeking be for the glory of thy God the good and comfort of thy brethren and reformation of all thy wayes the curing and curbing of thy strong corruptions the encrease of all grace and for food friends favour and rayment so farre and no farther as the Lord seeth them to be needfull for thee Obserue these directions and then stay the Lords leysure and be sure of it that as Onesiphorus found Paul so shalt thou the thing thou hast sought after be it what it can in earth or heauen Now whereas Onesiphorus sought Paul at Rome and was permitted to refresh him we may note that Rome heathen was not sobad then as Rome Christian is now Doct. 5. Act. 28. 30. For Paul might be suffered to liue to haue his keeper Reas 1. to leade him in a chaine to dwell in a house all that would were permitted to come vnto him and without let he might preach the kingdome of God the Gospell of Christ But now if a Paul were there he would not be thought worthy to liue no not for an houre Againe wicked men grow worse and worse Reas 2. Vse Let this for euer be as a sure brand for that Beast who is drunkk with the bloud of the Saints that it is he and no other who exalteth himselfe aboue all that is called God and the very Antichrist whom the Lord will consume with the sword of his mouth They boast of piety and pitty when as Cain was no more cruell to Abel then they be to the faithfull Well Let them thinke that they doe God good seruice in putting vs to death yet they are deceiued it that In this we are not that for so doing they shall tast of the very dregs of Gods hottest vengeance spue and fall and dye the second death For Pope and Papists are men according to the Divells owne heart VERS 18. The Lord grant vnto him that he may find mercy with the Lord at that day and in how many things he hath ministred vnto me at Ephesus thou knowest very well WE are now come through the good prouidence The Logicall resolution of God to the last verse of this Chapter In the which two things are comprehended 1. A prayer 2. An Appellation In the Prayer we may obserue 4. things 1. To whom Paul prayed the Lord. 2. For whom he prayed him That is Onesiphorus 3. For what he prayed mercy 4. At what time he would haue his friend to receiue the thing he prayed for at that day In the Appellation we haue these particulars 1. That Onesiphorus relieued Paul 2. The place where it was at Ephesus 3. Wherewith that is many things And 4. The probation of this in the last words These or this thou knowest very well He drawes an argument from Timotheus knowledge to confirme his Testimony The Lord. In Hebrew Adonai is Lord being a word of The Theologicall exposition the plurall number yet often vsed in the forme singular it is deriued of Aeden a base or pillar which sustaineth a thing and our English word Lord hath much like signification being contracted of the old Saxon word Laford which commeth of Laef to support sustaine or cherish so that Lord is a Sustainer refresher supporter cherisher For if God withdraw his power all things come to nothing In the Greeke it properly signifieth one that hath authoritie or on whose authoritie something dependeth or consisteth and so indeed doe all things depend on God and hee is cheife gouernour and owner of all things created Mercy The word in the Hebrew put for mercy doth import a sacred affection of piety fauour benignitie and bountifull good pleasure or will of God towards a man without respect of desert or merit It is also applied to man and then it is meant a pious louing and benigne affection whereby he is moued and inclined to doe good to shew pittie compassion c. or that grace of God the which he hath receiued from the father through Christ which is inherent in him or conferred externally vpon him and then its glory Isai 40. 6. 1 Pet. 1. 24. And it is frequent for the Greeks to vse that word which our Apostle doth here for it the which Christ himselfe alloweth did practise See Hos 6. 6. Math. 9. 13. And the Hebrewes of Chesed which is Mercy call a godly man chasid that is gracious mercifull Psal 4. 4. some read a gracious Saint With the Lord. The like phrase we read Gen. 19. 24. The Lord rained fire and brimstone from the Lord. Paul vseth the like manner of speaking for as iudgement came from the Lord vpon Sodom so he prayes for mercy to befall Onesiphorus from the Lord Yet I haue thought that Lord in the first place is to be vnderstood of the Father and in the second is meant the Sonne
most preferment and the face of man but not one of a thousand in the first place the mercy of God But beloved let vs be of another mind striue we to haue Vse 2. this liquor shed abroad in our hearts to haue a sensible feeling of his tender mercy and sacred affection so shall we eat our bread with gladnesse and drinke our drinke with a chearfull heart be mercifull as our heavenly Father is mercifull to vs vnto our kinred and acquaintance the want of this causeth deadnes of affection doubting in the promise and rebellious disobedience both to God and man for wicked men are alwayes mercilesse men because that none can exhibitie that to another the which he hath not first received himselfe for as mercie is deriued vnto vs we accordingly deriue it to our brethren and now we proceeede to speake of Peace Peace Hence we also obserue that As grace and mercie so peace is a principall thing to be sought Doct. 7. for Take peace in what sence you please it will be worth the having Peace every where is commended and commanded 1. For the peace of God it passeth all vnderstanding 2. Peace Reas 1. with man is no small favour this made the face of Esau to Iacob looke like an Angell 3. In the dayes of Peace we may goe out build houses plant vineyards thriue and prosper 4. How soundly may we sleepe awake with ioy and runne into the Sanctuary when this double garment of externall and internall peace doe cover our beds and round about beset and guard our persons None know the worth of it but such as sometime haue wanted it and beene at warre with God and the creatures Away then with the courses of some who would be counted Vse 1. Christians that thinke not of it care not for it but of far greater blame are they worthie that seeke to set enmitie betweene God and man neighbour and neighbour Doe these seeke after peace Doe they wish it Or rather doe they not shut it out of place and person and set open the gates of warre and strife at all times every where These desire to swimme and fish in troubled waters and of their father the devill are they for his worke they delight to doe But let all the sonnes of peace pray for it entertaine it and Vse 2. make it their onely companion It s of great worth every way profitable What creature covets not peace Ioyeth not in it And shall not the reasonable desire it striue for it To liue and not to haue peace with man is vncomfortable but to be at warre with thy Conscience is most miserable its better not to be than not to haue rest peace Why could not David build the Lords house Why He wanted outward peace Why was Cain so netled in soule Why He had not inward peace Why are so many millions miserable Why They are not at peace with God and doth not experience tell vs that times of trouble hinder Traffique Let vs all then cry with the Prophet for our Ierusalem Peace be within thy wals and prosperitie within thy Psal 122. 7. pallaces Seeke to the God of peace for all kindes of peace Salute we our friends as Paul did his Grace mercy and peace be with you Say we to the house wherein wee set a foote Peace be vnto thee and if it be not worthy thou shalt not lose thy labour for it shall returne to thy selfe And thus much of this Point From the order of these words somewhat may further be observed as that Men without grace haue no true or sound peace Doct. 8. They haue a sound of feare in their eares quake at the shaking of a leafe tremble at the least terrible tydings and like the raging Sea cast vp mire and mudde There is no peace saith my God to the wicked Levit. 27. 36. Isa 57. vlt. Let the cause be removed and the effect will cease where fire is wanting heat will not be had and though some seeme to be ever at peace yet they are never at peace For they are fallen from the Creator God and its vnion Reas 1. with the Creator which giues rest to the creature if the foundation be not firme the building will reele and totter 2. And haue they faith No How then should such purchase and procure peace For onely justification by faith since the fall of man bringes sound and setled peace 3. And as they want faith so they haue no hope whereon to leane that their soules may finde peace 4. Adde to all this a guiltie and naughtie Conscience and how should they partake and be possessed of true-inward peace Gen. 4. 14. Dreame not then that all is peace that seemes so for what Vse 1. peace can a prophane person haue within him that wanteth faith and grace Nay how ever he cary the matter he is at warre within himselfe The wounded Deere runs skips and leapes yet the Arrow or Bullet stinges paines torments at the very heart and before long will cause a fall a death So vnder a chearfull looke the soule may be sorrowfull and all that laugh in the face are not at peace within Who then is he that would haue true and sound peace Vse 2. Let him striue for mercie and grace for as the shadow the bodie heat the fire these follow the one the other Many imagine they haue it yet are fouly deluded deceived I deny not but the wicked may haue a peace but it s not worth the naming for it runnes not from a cleare fountaine it springs not from a sweet root and therefore one drop of this we haue in hand is worth a thousand of that as a litle rose-water a whole glasse-full of mudde 2. It is not constant neither but often interrupted every thunder clap will cause such to quake to tremble and at the last they shall certainly be consumed O that men were wise to gather grace so should they haue peace at their latter end in the meane while be like Mount Sion vnmoueable Graunt that such may haue outward troubles yet they shall haue inward peace that passeth all vnderstanding And now we proceed to another Point Where Paul in all his former Epistles nameth but grace and peace and writing to Timotheus whom he loved so dearely addeth mercie in his Salutation we note that The degree of affection cannot be covered Doct. 9. As the truth so the measure of loue will show it selfe and and not in words onely but likewise in action Doe we not see this in Iacob towards Rachel Ioseph to Beniamin Ionathan to David And the people to Ionathan Gen. 33. 2. and 43. vlt. 1 Sam. 20. 2. c. For the disposition of the heart over-ruleth the outward Reas 1. members and like a strong streame moueth all the wheeles according to its motion 2. As he that loues would declare 2. the truth of it so would he its degree
to him for therein we acknowledge euery good perfect gift to come from him and so glorifie his name Psal 91. 1. Iam. 1. 17. Also it s the best time spent that is spent in this dutie for Reas 3. therein we resemble the Saints and Angels in heaven who continually say Glory be to God and prayse to the Lambe that sitteth on the throne for evermore and hence it followeth that the more gratefull the more gracious is the person Rev. 19. Moreover is it not a meane to receiue more and greater Reas 4. favours What lost the Leper in returning backe to Christ Or the blind man in acknowledging his kindnesse And who will not be liberall to a gratefull person Ioh. 9. Luk. 17. Thankefulnesse is a voluntarie retribution of one good thing Thankfulnes defined for another First I say it is a retribution what shall I render or retribute to the Lord Psal 116. 12. for first it alwayes presupposeth a benefit receiued secondly or else it were a giving rather then a thanksgiving Secondly And it must bee voluntary not coacted it must be a free will-offering Ezra 2. 68. first for the giver and receiver in this are to be like minded freely ye haue Mat. 10. 8. received freely giue againe God respects the affection of the action more then the thing given for a wicked man may doe the one but not the other he loues a cheerefull giver 2 Cor. 9. 7. Thirdly The matter or thing rendred must bee good first we may not render evill for evill much lesse evill for good secondly againe iustice requires it and the very law of nature to doe as we would be done vnto Who is he that would bee content to receiue evill for good or what proportion is there betwixt them are they not the greatest opposites Fourthly The last thing in this definition is that wee must render good things for good things for though we may doe good for evill yet wee must not giue thankes for evill first for it is naught in it owne nature secondly and that were follie in vs and might moue the authour of it either to scoffe at vs or harden him in a course of evill doing But it may be obiected that Gods children haue given Obiect thankes for afflictions and they are evill True they haue done so yet not simply for afflictions Resol but first as they bee tokens of Gods loue for if wee were without corrections whereof all are partakers then were we bastards and not sonnes Heb. 12. 8. Secondly the Lord will cause them to worke for the good of his and in that they are to thanke him for them else not Rom. 8. 28. Psal 119. 21. Obserue further that good things are either exhibited or promised so that we are to prayse God for his promises as for performances first for they are good things secondly they shall all be accomplished in a convenient season and this duty haue the Saints also practised Luk 1. 46. Tim 4 8. Thankefulnesse is either conceived or manifested conceived Thankfulnes distributed in will and resolution manifested in word or deede The first kind is hid from man yet knowne to God and is the cause of the other that followes and in some sence the least degree of thankefulnesse for what is in the heart will vpon iust occasion breake forth into speech yea if there be abilitie into action also as in erecting of schooles hospitals building of churches colledges maintaining of ministers receiving of the poore and the like Againe thankefulnesse is either sincere or hypocriticall what one doth in truth another may in appearance as we reade of the Pharisee who stopped into the Temple with a Lord I thanke thee c. Luke 18. 11. This checkes the current of our times which is alwaies Vse 1. craving but never restoring many pray yet doe not pay For what are thankes but pence God sels his favour for we haue not onely nine but nintie times nine who never Luk. 17. 17. returne praise for their cleansing many and it s good intreat others to pray for them yet which were better never find time to desire men to giue thankes for them How many favours haue we received how many pretious promises are vnto vs exhibited whereof wee take no knowledge Is not this the signe of an vngratefull minde I had almost said of a gracelesse heart But to leaue such let vs studie and practise this dutie Vse 2. and say with that good man What shall we render to the Lord Psal 116. 12. Psal 148. 1. c. for all his benefits He would call vpon all creatures to praise him in their kinde No surer signe of sound grace than to be frequent in this action doubtlesse a gratefull heart hath set times to praise God as to pray vnto him they thinke no houres better spent than in thus doing O how will such reioyce when they finde their hearts enlarged and their lips opened to prayse God Such a day to them is of more worth than a thousand others but because to doe this is no easie matter remoue we the impediments that hinder vse the helpes that further this action and they be such as these following 1. When as we thinke that our owne handes haue procured Impediments of thankfulnesse vs our abundance Is not this Babell which I built by the might of my power When as except the Lord build the house man labours in vaine When men doe not know that all comes from God they will sacrifice to their owne nets Deut. 8. 17. Dan. 4. 30. Psal 127. 1. Hab. 1. 16. 2. A second is vnmindfulnesse of Gods mercies he that forgetteth a kindnesse done it is all one for the present as if he never received any whence springs these speeches truely I had thanked you but it was out of my minde I had quite forgot I pray you pardon me 3. A third is discontent when this rules in the heart no thankes is to be had a contented minde is alwayes a thankfull minde Whence it commeth to passe that proud men covetous men or ambitious men are vngratefull men The bird will not prune sing till she haue tooke a stand that giues her full content When wee can say with Iacob Gen. 33. 11. We haue all things then we will giue thankes for all things 4. And not to mention any more ignorance of our misery were we deprived of present favours is a great blocke in the way what were a man if he were stript of his clothes and turned without food but a day or two into the fields Should we but lodge one night in Egypt England would be a good Countrey were we in such a famine as was in Samaria that the Mother must famish or eat the fruit of her 2 King 6. 28. owne wombe then food would be worth thankesgiving But we haue lost our tast and that 's the reason we cry giue me my will as
Rachell did sonnes or else we die being still Gen. 30. 1. petitioning never repaying We are like the earth that receiues many bodies but without a miracle wrought will not yeeld vp one so must God pull thankes by violence out of our hearts if he will haue any Helpes to true thankefulnesse To consider that the Lord hath chosen thee whereas he 1. hath reiected thousands before the world was and to what to inherit a Kingdome David though no small thing to be sonne-in-law to a King 1 Sam. 18. 23. Secondly take knowledge of the Lords dealing with thee 2. in giving thee a being of nothing and that in a comely maner are all creatures men and women Haue all at their birth that be eyes to see tongues to speake c Why wast thou not borne dumbe or blind Thirdly Looke backe and see what the Lord hath done for 3. thee since thy birth how comes it to passe that thou art now aliue Why was not thy bodie long agoe turned into small dust Art thou not made of the same mould Dost thou not feed on the same food and breath in the same ayre The consideration of these things like a loadstone should moue vs to lift vp our hearts to God Fourthly Thinke of thy present condition hast thou food 4. and rayment in abundance Why doe others want it who feeds thee with this Mannah that so many of thy brethren never tasted of Who brought thee into these large pastures causeth thy cup to flow over But let me come nearer thee Psal 23. 5. yet art thou in the libertie of Gods sonnes Hast thou the saving graces peculiar to the Lords chosen Hath the spirit sealed thee a Quittance for the pardon of all thy sinnes and assured thee of salvation Why Is this the lot of all the seed of Adam Doth every man enioy the like portion And are these common favours Wast thou ever wounded in spirit Then who healed and helped thee Did sin ever presse thee to the pit of hell How or by what meanes wast thou eased Beloved I haue but given you a tast of the vnsearchable and vnvaluable gifts the Lord hath imparted vpon you wherefore take words of thankfulnesse to your Hosea 14. 2. selues and say with the Prophet My soule prayse the Lord Psal 103. 1. and all that is within me magnifie his holy name yea let this alway be thy vow I will prayse the Lord while I liue for he hath done wonderfull things for my soule but if all this will not moue vs to be more mindfull of and carefull to discharge this duty I can say no more saue this I pray God that the time may not come when want shall cause thee to promise any thing and yet the Lord in mercy will giue thee nothing Whom I serue from mine elders with pure Conscience These words are inserted by the Apostle to maintaine his dignity against the scandall of such as reputed him to be an Apostata and fallen from his profession whence ariseth this Doctrine that Carnall friends will become foes if a man embrace the Gospell Doct. 2. He that in sinceritie will set himselfe to serue God shall haue his former friends to be his greatest enemies so long as Paul was a proud Pharisee his brethren and acquaintance highly esteemed him but after he became an Apostle they reputed him a plaguy fellow one not worthy to liue thus Actâ— 22. 22. did the Papists deale with Luther so true is the speech of Christ That a mans enemies shall be they of his owne house Luk. 12. 53. Acts. â—3 14. and 26. 5. c. For in so doing he condemneth his former courses and Reas 1. consequently them that professe them this is to giue testimony that their estate is miserable and that cannot of wicked men be indured Ioh. 7. 7. This hath made the Papists cry out What are all our forefathers damned because wee tread not in their footsteps of errour ignorance Because then they will cast off their societie and take part Reas 2. with the pious and that stirreth and worketh strangely when men will not runne with them to the same excesse of ryot 1 Pet. 4. 4. or be in league as in times past Learne then you that haue embraced the Gospell not to Vse 1. â—â—aâ—vaile if carnall friends be now your greatest adversaries for so it hath beene and will continue in future ages for you are not of the world therefore the world hateth you as she lulleth her owne in her lappe so she casteth out them the Lord receiveth Let such also as resolue to be truely religious and to cast Vse 2. off their former courses and companions prepare to vndergoe many taunts and iniuries he that feares the tongues of such shall never be a resolute Christian souldier whilest the bird is in the egge the Kite cares not for her but if once she be disclosed grow fledged and fly abroad beware of devouring And where Paul maintaines his owne cause from his example we may learne that The truth of our profession is to be maintained against all opposition Doct. 3. Did not Elijah this against Ahab and his foure hundred false Prophets This did the Apostles in many places and Christ himselfe when as was given iust occasion see 1 King 18. 18. Act. 5. 29. Mark 2. 10. Gal. 1. 8. 2 Pet. 3. 2. 3 4. c. Why It s the best thing we haue and what of greater Reas 1. worth in all the world It s our bread and meat life and living And so doing we approue of the truth of our profession Reas 2. and the vprightnesse of our hearts yea it may be of force either to convert or abate the rigour of our carping adversaries Acts. 16. 39. Let this condemne the timorousnesse and imbecillitie of Vse 1. the most in our dayes who haue no hearts to maintaine what they professe What would such doe if it came to fire and fagot that are dumbe in these dayes at the truths opposition Fie fie Never was this dutie lesse regarded I wonder for whom or for what men keepe their resolution Is not this worthy of it Take we then knowledge of this and let purse speech Vse 2. and person defend the truth in all contrary opposition Buy the truth and through covetousnesse or fearefulnesse sell it not for this is to set thy soule to sale to thine enemie Sathan for he that loseth the one cannot soue the other Let not the devils old scandals skare thee who more opposed than the best from the beginning was Christ free wouldst thou then These words are also a commendation to the Apostle and vttered to maintaine his reputation and dignitie whence it may be observed that It s an honour for man to be the servant of God Doct. 4. What matter of more moment Worke of greater worth or thing equall to it Moses the Lords servant is a
portion which passeth all vnderstanding and afterward thou shalt dwell with Angels with Christ with God the Father where is fulnesse of ioy and pleasures for euermore thou shalt never die never whither no rust shall eate thee nor moth consume thee thou shalt see no sorrow thou shalt heare no complaint neither be afraid of the least evill successe Thou shalt iudge the quicke and the dead acquit the innocent condemne the guiltie and doe little lesse than a pettie God in one word thou shalt doe more and haue more than can be told by man or by Angell all that be good before God shall commend thee preserue thee or rather thou them for ever and ever And now in the last place let vs make application Then is not that life base that is led without it A miserable Vse 1. service is that which is begun continued and finished without a good conscience being accompanied with lying swearing dissembling and deceiving is it not they that thus liue are worse then beasts and no creature the devill excepted more wretched Be thou then assured that such a life is odious to God hatefull to his Saints and an vndoubted fore-runner of the second death He that layeth the foundation of his service with ignorance infidelitie and disobedience in the fiery tryall shall be blowne vp when the match of Gods vindicatiue iustice shall lay hold on this blacke powder how shall that man be able to stand Wee may muzzle the mouth of our conscience not suffer it to speake and deale with it as an vniust Land-lord with his poore tenant when he in some iust cause is to giue evidence against him put it to silence by an over ruling commaund but when Christ shall come to iudgement and take part with conscience then shall it speake freely boldly truely as ever did faithfull witnesse at the barre having the chiefe Iudge for his friend How will a Iudas looke at that day who was so pittifully deiected before the Pharisees whom he tooke for his friends and expected comfort from them How will the Drunkard stagger and reele not with wine but with the fume of a bad conscience What face can the hypocrite hold vp that hath dissembled all his life long where shall the vniust the fornicator adulterer lyer with all the wicked and vngodly appeare I am sure of this that though such and a thousand moe haue blind erroneous and cauterized consciences burned with an hot yron for the present yet at that generall assize being lanced with the sharpe edged knife of Gods revenging hand they shall all bleed freshly and to death eternall This kind of men may looke bigge set the best side out eat drinke and be merrie but I shall never beleeue that their hearts laugh with their faces O matchlesse miscreants of all mischiefe sonnes of blood and slaues of perdition you may sooner separate your soules from your bodies then conscience from your soules or damnation from either Goe then your wayes laugh and be fat play and dance sing to the Tabret and Harpe put death iudgement and hell farre from you tread vnder foot the blood of the new couenant crucifie againe the Lord of life make a mocke of sinne and shipwracke your owne consciences yet know that God one day will call you to account and dash out your braines with the heele of his vengeance In the next place seeing this is so let vs in the feare of Vse 2. God get knowledge and mixe our service to God and man with sinceritie walke according to the rule doe nothing without a precept haue a true patterne for all our proceedings and runne to the Law and to the Testimonie of the Gospell obey the one and beleeue the other so shall we haue good and pure consciences one whereof though the world may fume and chafe is worth more than ten thousands of gold and silver What can be of greater price what should we preferre aboue it O conscience whereunto shall I compare thee who or what is like vnto thee Is not knowledge good obedience better and art not thou of these two simples compounded There is no evill in thee thou art all good and very good There are foure things Pro. 30. â—9 30. comelie statelie in their going a Lyon the strongest among beasts and tunneth not away from any a Grey hound an hee Goaâ—e and a King against whom there is norising vp but he that hath a complete good conscience surmounts them all But conscience least I should ecclipse and obscure thy same when I would speake and spread it I will therefore giue thee thy charge a large commission Conscience that thou mayest execute thine office throughly Conscience his Charge speake thou in the language of Canaan be thou mighty in the Scriptures and that thou mayst not build Babel and pull downe Bethel let euery man haue thy sentence in his mothers tongue Goe to and fro through the world passe by no Citie Burrow Village Hall House nor Cottage but let them heare thy voyce sounding in their wals speake truely plainely boldly crie aloud spare no mans person of whatsoever cloth his coate be cut Be thou a good linguist make it knowne thou art a skilfull Artist and declare an exact Method in thy proceeding And Conscience first goe thou to all Christian Princes Kings and Emperours speake gently to them and intreate them to cry to God for wisedome that they may wisely goe in out before the great people committed to their charge will them yong and old to tread in the steps of Hezekiah Iosiah pull downe the high places burne the groues with fire over turne Baals Altars and cause all his Priests to fall by the sword Bid them send Levites through their Lands spread the truth of God for their subiects haue immortall soules in their mortall bodies tell them that is the way to get a good Conscience and how thou art of more worth than a golden Scepter Put them in mind how a bad one was the cause Saul his kingdome and Iâ—roboam became the subiect of Gods vengeance Let this Poesie be stamped about the borders of their Crownes that the more religious the more royall Conscience step on to the honorable Lords and because they affect breuitie not prolixitie say to them in a few sentences that Nobilitie without pietie and a good conscience is like a painted Sepulchre or blazing comet good for nought except to gaze vpon that they feare God or else they haue no curbe to bridle them that they honour the King keepe their houses well but the Church better that they exceed others as much in goodnesse as they doe in greatnesse and that without a second birth none can enter into the kingdome of heaven Bid them blaze their Armes continue their ancient Scutchions but take this for their Motto that The more holy the more honorable Conscience See that thou meet with the intelligent Counsellors and graue Iudges of the State and Nations
Calling This calling is either with the tongue or with the heart Calling distributed Whence ariseth this distinction of mentall and vocall prayer confirmed by the mouth of Christ This people honoreth me with their lips but their hearts are farre from me Mat. 15. 8. We are to call vpon God with the tongue 1. For we haue In calling on God we must vse the tongue and why this priviledge aboue all other creatures and shall wee not imploy it in the Lords service 2. We are to giue vp all our members as so many weapons of righteousnesse to glorifie him and is not this one of the principall And some-where David calls his tongue his glory Psal 30. 13. And it is good for vs so to doe 1. It will be a meanes to keepe our minds from wandring 2. The voyce stirres vp affections and raiseth them to an higher temper 3. In so doing we shall find the Lord putting phrases in our mouth guiding it now and then in a wonderfull manner farre beyond all naturall apprehension 4. And how can others ioyne with vs or know when to say Amen should we be silent When thou prayest alone imitate Hannah let thy lips moue not thy words 1 Sâ—m 1. 13. be heard else it may seeme a sensible signe of Pharisaicall palpable hypocrisie And the heart may not be separated in this action 1. For Also the heart and why such prayers are most acceptable to God 2. They onely haue the promise to be heard 3. Otherwise they cannot be fervent let a mans breath flow from his mouth by a narrow passage were the hands hot it would coole them but if it proceed from the heart the lips being wide open were they cold it would warme them so prayer that springs from the heart is hot from the tongue onely cold as ice 4. As the Lord is the highest obiect we looke at in Prayer so the heart is the lowest center he regards in this dutie these two in all holy actions of this nature may not be disioyned 1. Vaine then are the prayers of many who call vpon God but with the tongue onely If this be not profane babling what can be Thus pray our Papists and rude ignorant Protestants so prayed the old Pharisees Christ checkes them yet their custome continues vnto this day But let vs conioyne heart and tongue else wee doe but labour in vaine What profit can wee expect in bending the knee bowing the bodie spreading the hands and smiting of the breast when our hearts are roauing from the Lord Is this to pray Is this to call aright Is this to please God Nothing lesse What is the tongue but the hearts messenger He therefore that vseth the one and not the other is like to him that runnes before he hath his errand These men may seeme to pray in the iudgement of others but before GOD they are but vaine bablers Vpon God To him is it and to no other that wee must II. pray Obserue here how God is one in essence three in subsistence the essence is not divided but distinguished When as wee say East West and North these are not parts essentiall to the world but names onely of distinction so may we say of the former in regard of GOD for the Sonne and the holy Ghost are the same individuall essence with the Father and hence it will follow that he that prayeth to one prayeth to all but as the Apostle speaketh of another thing to every one in his owne order 1 Cor. 15. 23. Vnderstand that in this definition we speake of God the Father for teachings sake And vpon God must we call First For who but He 1 King 8. 39. discerneth the spirit of man Who but He knoweth all the hearts of the sonnes of men Iâ—â— onely he that is acquainted with all our wants and vnderstandeth what is best for vs. Secondly He is also present at all times in all places to heare vs helpe vs the Lord is alwayes neare at hand so is neither Saint nor Angell Thirdly And is not God sole Lord of all things both in earth and heaven Who made vs but He Who hath wherewith to satisfie vs but He And then vpon whom should we call but He Fourthly Is not He also the obiect of our faith Shall we then beleeue in one and pray to another Will that stand with sound reason Sith then that God is omniscient omnipresent omnipotent and the principall Obiect of our Faith it followes wee are onely bound to pray to Him 1. Whence by the way wee may confute the Romanists who pray to Saints to Angels but doe they vnderstand our wants Are they present in all places What haue they they haue not received And may wee put our confidence in creatures Were not this to seeke to a blind guide Relie on a bruised Reed And when the Sunne shineth brighteâ—â— to light a Waxe-candle It is a never-â—rring Canon thaâ— He Exod. 22. 20. who sacrificeth to any gods saue vnto the Lord onely shall vtterly be destroyed they that will doe the first let them expect the second ther is but one to God the father namely Christ but many to the sonne comparing him to a Prince that hath seuerall petitions preferred vnto him by the common subiects that passe through the hands of his neerest fauorites And they say that he is a bad sonne meaning Christ who wil doe nothing for the entreaty of his mother vnderstanding the blessed Virgin but doth not Christ bid vs come vnto Mat. 12. 28. him that he will pray to the father for vs to whom then should we goe is he not our neerest kinsman our eldest brother our head our husband But if any lust to be contentious we haue no such custom neither the Churches of God 2. Againe here is censured and condemned too the ignorant amongst vs. How many may wee heare cry God blesse me father of heauen haue mercy on me Lord forgiue me which words be good we grant but hauing no knowledge of or relation to Christ are no better then vaine babling the truth is that in all our petitions wee should haue reference to him though not alwayes expressed in words yet conceiued and retained in our minds this may be the cause why Daniel looked out of the window when he prayed towards the Temple because it was a type of Christ and thereby would teach vs that there is no going to God without Christ Iesus And as we speake to the soule of man by way and meanes of the bodie so must we to the father of all spirits through the vaile of the humanitie of Christ our mediatour 3. And by this wee may iudge what to thinke of the prayers of the Iewes and Turke and heathen who either haue not heard of Christ or deny him are not their petitions to no purpose shall they speed and preuaile before God can they expect Cornelius his answer thy prayers are Acts. 10. 4. heard thy
Kytes do on stirking carion but neuer tasted of Angels food They may eate huskes with hogges thinke and say they liue the onely iouiall royall life but they shall neuer make me beleeue that their hearts answere to their boasting for death is in the pott this red broth wrings them in the bellie and as Ioab said in another case will be bitternesse in the latter end But we will dismisse them to wallow like swine in the mire and mudde swallow each filthy vomit seeing they can relish no better food Let men by this doctrine try the truth of their profession Vse 2. whether they be sound Christians or meere rotten worldlings Art thou a Preacher and hast thou ioy of hart in studying preaching in feeding the flocke whereof the holy Ghost hath made thee the ouerseer is it thy meat and drinke to prune Gods tender plants strengthen the weake and comfort the feeble-minded canst thou reioyce more in winning a soule than if thou hadst lawfully obtained the office of a Bishop why then thou art a Christian indeed an Interpreter one of a thousand for these bee the branches where this ioy growes and the onely pathes where it is to be found And you that flocke to the house of God like Pigeons looke the Preacher in the face as if you would eat the word from his mouth and make publike profession doe you heare with delight pray with comfort and praise God with reioycing are you rauished in spirit on the Lords day and account it your Iubile your heauen then doubt not of your spirituall estate For these are the sparkes of far greater ioy and the vndoubted fore-runners of euerlasting pleasures But if the wayes of God dampe thy mirth cary a cold report to thine heart and like old Barzillai thou art wearie of men singing and women singing feeles no more tast in the bread of life than hee that hath an ague doth in the white of an egge thou art but a counterfeit one that hath a forme but wants the true fruits of the power of Godlinesse and therefore a stranger in the kingdome of heauen But it will be said the wicked aswell as the Godly haue A doubt resolued their ioy in the vse of the Lords ordinances where then is the difference How may it be discerned Why thus 1. The true Christian hath sorrow before solace mourning preceedes his mirth for as at the creation darknes was before light the Chaos the comelie creatures and as the ground is first broken then scattered with good seed so is it at our regeneration new creation We first see our ignorance blindnes confusion haue our harts pricked our spirits wounded by the Law and then followes beautie comfort and amendment But it is not so with the wicked for they haue light before darknesse ioy without heauines and bring forth comfort ere they haue conceiued sorrow or felt any panges or throes that accompanie the new birth The Christian comes to his ioy as an Ambassadour to a forreigne Prince or souldiers to the spoyle with preceeding crackes of canons fireworkes and garments tumbling in blood this is the road way to sound comfort 2. A good Christian fetcheth the water of ioy primarilie from the pure fountaine of iustification not the troubled spring of sanctification the old man treads the old way hauing no knowledge or experience of a better hee lookes for heauen but by his good deeds First he will deserue it and then sue for possession but the new-man is assured that God indents with no man vpon such termes onely he relies on his all-sufficient suretie Did Zaccheus purchase Christ by his almes by his fourefold restitution or by faith rather onely beleeue is the new way and the conduit that conueyes comfort into the Cisterne of the Soule 3. Moreouer the ioy of a true Christian is of another nature spirituall the worldlings is carnall or at the best but a bastardly kind of spirituall comfort for hee wants the spirit he hath no radicall grace planted in his soule that can beare and nourish true and solide reioycing Doe men gather Grapes of thornes Figs of thistles then may carnall meere naturall men haue spirituall ioy sound and vnfeigned comfort it were as easie to finde an haruest in an hedge as this fore named fruit in the heart of the vnregenerate person 4. Finallie the ioy of the sound professor is constant eternall for the cause is constant and abideth for euer but the formall hypocrites candle shall be put out his ioy shall perish For the foundation thereof is sandy the obiect mutable and abides but a season Suppose by the addition of fewell it should crackle till death yet then at the furthest the flame therof shall be put forth neuer more rekindled So that you see what a reall and broad difference is betwixt them And is there ioy to be found in the course of a christian Vse 3. what then shall be had in the kingdome of heauen did David dance before the Arke how will hee leape before the Lambe could Peter sing in prison and shall hee not chante it being set at libertie with Gods sonnes if the gleanings be so good what will the whole haruest be shall a tast so refresh the soule then doubtles a full meale must needs reuiue rauish the spirit Thinke on this you that are in this wildernesse so shall it comfort your hearts exceedingly For if to sow breed single ioy the reaping will trebble it This must perswade men to take vp the yoke of Christ Vse 4. for its easie light tast and see how good the wayes of God be Men are worse skard than hurt when they draw then hand from the worke of the Lord for great ioy is to be found in well-doing If this afford not comfort what can but the most thinke not so therefore they are strangers from the ioys of a Christian Beginne I beseech thee to auoyd sinne cast off the communion of the wicked read heare pray and be doing of good and experience shall tell thee that no ioy is like the ioy of a Christian It s hid in part from the best totally from the worst but if men would make triall they would say of it as the Queene of Shebah did of Salomons wisdome that the report is true but the halfe of it was not told them For it much exceedes the 1 King 10. same which they heard on 't Finally we obserue from these words that The strongest Christian may receiue increase of comfort from Doct. 7. his weake brethren Paul not inferiour to any of Gods seruants hoped to haue his ioy augmented by the comming of Timothie As a poore man by wisdome may deliuer a Citie so may hee that is weake comfort his stronger brethren Did not Ionathan reioyce Dauid the greatest worthy in the world and the 2 Sam. 1. vlt. poore widow of Sarephtah refresh the man of God Yea Christ himselfe was comforted by an Angell and betwixt him
conceiue that the Preacher speaketh out of spleene not of affection and therefore they regard not their words And they are wise for the world to come and louing to their children therefore they doe this For herein consisteth Reas 4. true affection and the principall dutie of good Parents to their children What then be those Parents that neuer practise this Vse 1. point Nay who neuer so much as once minde it may we not from the rule of contraries conclude that they are profane and impious they will prune their plants breake their horses and traine their hawkes to the lure yet neuer dresse the plants of the Sanctuary instruct their Sonnes or take the least toyle to make them faithful of the Lords family Doe they not rather by rotten speech lewde example and wicked courses make them two-fold worse than children of the Devill If they procure them a competent portion a profitable calling which be good we grant they thinke they haue done their dutie but what haue they done all the while for their soules and to make them the Lords sonnes the vnreasonable creatures will feed their yong till they can prey of their own wing so that thus farre they are equall to them Let them then that would bee accounted religions shew Vse 2. it in the imitation of these Godly parents Prouide food raiment for the body but especially a spirituall portion for their soules Worke faith in their hearts grace in their persons and in thus doing thou shalt saue thy selfe and thy children Let their eares heare not thy trickes of youth but what God hath done for thy soule in the daies of old Let thy practise be a Patterne worthy their imitation say to thy sonne doe thus aswell as this that it may be said of thee a Godly father a Godly childe And doe not deferre the time but take the season teach them while they are yong and let these reasons moue thee 1. For then they will remember it when they are old Pro. Children to be taught yong why 23. 13. dye cloth in the wooll not in the webbe and the colour will be the better the more durable 2. To deferre this dutie is dangerous For thou maist bee tooke from them Who then shall teach them after thy departure or what if they dye in that condition must not thou answere for their bloud 2. Kin. 2. 24. 3. Besides what if they come to faith will it not be with the more difficulty fallow ground must haue the stronger teame great trees will not easily bend and a bad habit is not easily left and a better come by If their memories bee stufft with vanity as a table-booke the old must bee washt out before new can be writ in 4. What shall I more say God workes strangely in children 1 Kin. 14. 13. and rare things haue beene found in them and what a comfort will it be for parents in their life to heare their children speake of good things and at the last day when they can say to Christ here am I and the children thou hast giuen Heb. 2. 13. me And here children must attend to their fathers instruction Vse 3. and not despise their mothers counsaile least the Rauen of the valley plucke out their eies and the yong Eagles eate it Pro. 30. 17. Some care not for the instruction of their Parents other can out-runne them but can they escape the hand of God and hee that obeyeth not his Parents speech shall certainely be destroyed 1 Sam. 2. 25. We reade here of good women but there is no mention made of their yoke-fellowes the mothers bee commended not the fathers whence let be noted that Faithfull wiues may haue faithlesse husbands Good women Doct. 6. may be vnequally yoked 1 Sam. 25. 3. 1 Cor. 7. 13. And this comes to passe through beauty for that being Reas 1. in a man may much preuaile with the weaker sex For why did the sonnes of God take the daughters of men to their wiues Was it not because they were faire So might it fall out with the daughters of God Gen. 6. 2. beauty preuailes much in this matter Gen. 12. 12. Couetousnes also may be a cause Honest maides be often Reas 2. poore haue but small portions wicked men sometimes rich and mighty and that may worke mightily Hester 2. 16. And if there be but such a motion how will carnal Parents presse their daughters to it Sometimes men affecting and knowing the person to be Reas 3. religious will like the Shechemites serue the true God to gaine fauour By this diuellish dealing many haue beene deceiued Iosh 9. 4. Gen. 34. 9. 14. It often falleth out that when persons marry they are Reas 4. both faithlesse and so the Lord calling the wife and passing by the husband that woman becomes vnequally yoked 1 Cor. 7. Whence we are taught not to iudge wiues by the cariage Vse 1. of their husbands neither husbands by their wiues For in so doing wee may commend or condemne without cause or reason Nabal the foole may haue a wise Abigail and Hester a good Queene an vnbeleeuer All wiues that haue good husbands must first praise God Vse 2. for such Secondly Make much of such Thirdly Pitty and pray for those that haue not such and fourthly In their liues endeuour to walke worthy of such else they may receiue the greater condemnation in being yoked to such And good wiues that haue bad husbands are 1. to seeke Vse 3. out the true cause if some carnall respect did not make them to marry such if it did they must acknowledge their sinne with great sorrow if not be patient For it is but a fatherly correction and God may worke great good out of it aiming at another end they are not aware of Hester 4. 14. for the present 2. They must be subiect to their husbands that though they obey not the word yet they may without the word by their good conuersation be wonne to the word 1. Pet. 3. 1. The wiues good actions must be their husbands instructions 3. Let this teach them to loue Christ their first husband the more perfectly For by the badnes of the one you may iudge the better of the goodnes of the other This is to draw good out of euill and worthy to be remembred 4. Such must admire the mercy of God to them that they had not themselues beene bad their husbands good and liue in hope that through the blessing of the Almighty they may proue instruments to saue their soules And if this fall out how would that man affect then his wife more than euer he disliked her From this doctrine the women maids or widowes that Vse 4. intend to marry may learne a lesson to beware in their election least they fall into the like condition And the better to direct thee let these rules be obserued in the choyce of an husband In the choyce
Christians or particularly faith mentioned in the former verse We may be assured of this that Paul would haue his son to be diligent in his calling and that could not be except he stirred vp the speciall graces aswell as the common gifts of his particular vocation For as a peece furnished with shot yet wanting powder will neuer discharge it selfe of it so if the sauing gifts of God stirre not they ordinarie lye stil This gift is further amplified by the author of it God and in it are two things One is the thing giuen the other the freedome of it For gifts must be free Which is in thee by the putting on of my hands This Ceremonie of laying on of hands hath beene vsed of Parents in blessing their children Gen. 48. 14. In sacrifice Leuit. 1. 4. In healing of diseases Acts 28. 8. In conferring the excellent gift of the holy Ghost Acts 8. 17. And in making of Ministers to which time these words haue reference 1 Tim. 4. 14. Where Paul sayth this gift was in him by laying on of hands wee must avoyde the Papists grosse glosse on this place who hold that ordination or to vse their phrase holy orders confer grace for this action was accompanied also with prayer and the conferring of grace by the hands of the Apostle was extraordinarie and continued but for a time My sonne Timotheus I being so well perswaded that The Metaphrase thy Grandmother and thy mother were indued with faith vnfeigned and also assured that now it dwelleth in thee am therefore the more willing to put thee in minde that thou suffer not the gifts of God to decay or to be idle neither neglect the calling wherein thou wast established by the putting on of my hands but that thou preach and practise as becommeth thee who had so excellent parents such a good testimonie and so lawfull a call all which be great encouragements to these duties Therefore Let this word haue reference to Timotheus his Doctrines deduced Grandmother and mother as though Paul would incourage him from their fidelitie and brings them as a Patterne to be imitated then this will follow that Children are to tread in the steps of their religious Parents They must haue an eye to their Godly waies holy courses Doct. 1. and walke in them but if they be crooked then must they avoyd them shunne them Dan. 2. 23. Ezek. 20. 16. 1 Pet. 1. 18. For it will reioyce the hearts of religious Parents and induce Reas 1. them to blesse God Why did David mourne so bitterly for his sonne Absalom certainly one cause was he erred from his Parents holy pathes liuing a yong traitor and dying an impenitent sinner Againe if children imitate their Godly forefathers it s Reas 2. both commendable and profitable for they may expect the same recompence of reward from God in life death and in the great and last day else not This may make for the shame and confusion of some in Vse 1. our dayes who wander as birds from their nests from the wayes of their faithfull forefathers Can these expect the blessing promised to their holy Parents may they not looke for a curse rather You therefore that be sonnes and daughters cast your Vse 2. eyes on their pathes and if they bee good tread in their steps if bad turne the contrarie way The Romanists are are head-strong in thus doing yet runne the broad way Let vs then whose Parents professe the truth be as resolute in imitation of their truly religious courses I put thee in remembrance Timotheus an excellent man must be remembred and prouoked to discharge his function faithfully whence we note that Good men stand in neede of a memento Doct. 2. The best must be prouoked pricked in and to religious duties if not Paul here and his brethren else where might haue spared their paines 2 Pet. 1. 13. and 3. 1. Ezek. 33. 7. Acts 20. 28. Coll. 4. 17. For are not the best forgetfull vnmindfull of what the Reas 1. Lord requireth of them how often doe the actions to be performed by vs in our callings slippe out of our minds And are we not dull and slow to good duties though we Reas 2. haue them in remembrance the best haue more need of a spurre than a bridle Doth not Sathan also striue to steale away the heart and Reas 3. allure the mind to fixe and exercise it selfe on vnnecessarie obiects What if a man be willing to worke is this any let doth it Reas 4. not rather helpe than hinder as the wind doth the ship to make speedier passage notwithstanding it hath alreadie the tyde They are reproued who neglect this dutie or that scorne Vse 1. to be prouoked Some men are like kicking iades that fling out when they are spurred rather than amend their speed or not vnlike to the ouercharged cannons that when the match is put to them either burst or recoyle and so indanger the Gunner But let vs practise the contrarie putting the best in minde Vse 2. of theirs and be contented to heare of our owne duties I know the best haue neede of it and would be saued why then should they not willingly vndergoe a remembrance and indure a memorandum we count it a favour to bee awaked out of sleepe and shall we fret to be stirred vp from sinne That thou stir vp the gift of God that is in thee From this metaphor we collect that The graces of Gods spirit are of a fierie qualitie Doct. 3. Was not the Prophets lippes toucht with a cole from Gods altar did not fiery tongues sit on Christs Disciples are not the faithfull Baptized with the holy Ghost and with fire and all of vs forbidden to quench the spirit Isa 6. 6. Acts 2. 3. Mat. 3. 11. 1 Thes 5. 19. For grace doth enlighten the eye of the minde as fire doth Reas 1. the eye of the body What is vrim but fire and Paul saw a light when he was conuerted so did the Gentiles so doe all Christians For grace is fire and fire giues light Againe grace will heate like fire and make the Godly to Reas 2. burne in the spirit the more fire the more heat and the more grace the more zeale Thirdly fire giues life and motion so doth grace and Reas 3. faith When the sunne is in his Apogy or farthest from vs are not the creatures in a kind of death but being in his Perigy and neere vnto vs doe they not reviue and spring so when grace comes life comes if it be absent death is present Fourthly As fire doth congregate things homogeneall Reas 4. but segregate heterogeneall so doth faith and grace It will dissolue things of diuerse natures but vnite the other Grace will cast out the sinner but receiue the Saint yea make diuisions in a mans owne house and yet cause vnion with Gentile Barbarian Sythian Fiftly fire will convert other
and her setting on our affections as the Bee her sting but lose our labour and as Paul of the Corinthians are lesse beloued the which makes vs to cry my sighes are many and my heart is heauie But loue God and thou shalt be beloued for in this loue is no losse 4. He onely can giue vs content For as the foote is neuer stable till it be pitcht on firme Land so our affections are euer wauering vntill they be fixt on God who is the first Being the sustainer of the soule 5. Call to mind how he hath loued vs Shall he choose vs from eternity and we reiect him in time Nay rather let his loue to vs worke in vs a reciprocall loue of him and so it will in all his chosen let me but giue warmth to my clothes and shall I not receiue heat by way of reflexion 6. He is alwaies with vs in vs and neither will nor can be absent from vs What a griefe it is experience tels not to bee present with the thing beloued This diuision like Reubens causeth many thoughts of heart For personall presence when friends affect aboue all things is desired and here onely and no where else it is to be obtained Ne thinkes these thinges should like the Load stone yron draw and knit our hearts vnto the Lord were they well weighed But if all this will not let vs further consider this that if he be not the obiect of our affection we shall be the subiects of his eternall wrath and indignation This may suffice to haue beene spoken of loue as it looketh towards God now we will handle it as it hath relation to man where we obserue that The Children of God loue one another Doct. 8. Mat. 22. 39. Rom. 13 8. Psal 16. 3. 10. 15. 10. Reasons This point is but short in speech but long in practise we must owe nothing to any man but that we loue one another Loue is a debt alwaies to be payd yet euer to be owing 1. For are they not sonnes of one father 2. Members of one body 3. Temples of one spirit 4. And heires of one and the same kingdome 5. Doth not the image of God shine in them 6. And are they not beloued of him And shall the creator loue that which the creature will not What then shall we iudge of some among vs that scoffe Vse 1. deride persecute and thinke they doe God good service in putting of his Children to death are these the sonnes of the most high or rather be they not bastards haue such the spirit of loue who hate the holy despise the most sincere religious verily they are as yet strangers and aliants from the houshold of faith and common-wealth of Israel Learne how we are to loue one another that wee deceiue Vse 2. not our selues in this dutie thinking we loue when we doe nothing lesse 1. Rule is As thy selfe Mat. 19. 19. The rule whereby we loue our selues must be the same in louing one another and this may appeare either affirmatiuely in what we will doe for our selues or negatiuely in what we will not doe to our selues for the first affirmatiuely 1. A man will cloth himselfe 2. Feede himselfe 3. Lodge himselfe 4. Prayse God and pray to God for himselfe 5. grow in and gather grace for himselfe 6. And for heauen he will daily prepare and fit himselfe For the second Negatiuely 1. A good man will not quarrell with or kill himselfe 2. He will not steale from and rob himselfe 3. Nor lye and beare false witnesse against himselfe 4. Hee will not vrge and carowse to make drunke himselfe 5. He will not slander and discredit himselfe 6. And lastly he will not goe to law and sute with himselfe But may not one Christian goe to law with another Quest Resol Yes but if it may be hee must preuent it 1. And that by dealing with his aduersarie hand to hand prouing if he may prevaile 2. Then if not tell the case to two or three to see if they can ende the controuersie 3. But if these two waies faile then he must tell the elders of the Church the which as some will are the Presbyterie others all the setled congregation and if they cannot make peace then may a Christian goe to law else it seemes not for Paul checkes the Corinthians 1 Cor. 6. for going to law one brother with another But hauing vsed all the former meanes account him thy aduersarie a Publican and no brother if thou canst not winne him appease him The second Rule whereby we are to loue one another is As Christ hath loued vs. Ioh. 13. 34. 1. For order Christ loued vs before we loued him for we loue him because he loued vs first so should wee loue our brother before we be beloued of him 2. In the end he loues vs to doe vs good not that hee receiues good from vs. As Iob of righteousnesse so we say of loue Our loue may profit the sonne of man but if we loue the Lord what receiueth he at our hands Iob. 35. 7. 3. It must be in sinceritie that is not in hypocrisie or dissimulation our loue must be pure not mixed not in word but indeed and truth 4. And we must haue regard to the degree of loue Paul tels vs of the height bredth depth and length of his loue and this will thus better appeare in these things 1. He being God became man that by this his pouerty wee might bee made rich What a degree of humilitie was this 2. He died for vs and herein is the loue of Christ made manifest For greater loue than this can no man shew to lay downe his life for his friends Nay for vs who were his enemies 3. Christ loued vs without measure for who can limit his loue and say hither came it and no further this is a great bredth 4. And he loueth vs for euer in persecution of wicked men temptation of Sathan nor yet the infinite wrath of his father could either stay or interrupt it here 's the length of it without end it is from eternitie to eternitie hath hee loued vs and the quantitie of it is vnmeasurable Should we trie the loue of our dayes by the first rule wee shall finde but little if by the second much lesse for who clotheth his neighbours may not many a member complaine with the head they haue parted my rayment and on my garment haue they cast lots We haue few Iobes or Dorcasses that make coates to cloth the poore Shew me the man that if his neighbour be hungry will giue him meate if he thirst will make him to drinke so our backes be clothed and our bellies filled we forget the afflictions of Ioseph How farre might we trauaile to finde out a Centurion who hath built the poore a Synagogue a Paul who will make mention of his friend Timothie in his prayers night and day Where is he and what is his name
that growes in grace himselfe and seekes to enrich others with that treasure Wish I doe that there were not some who euvie the Prodigall for his retnure and that thinkes too much grace makes men madde But for preparing a place in heauen for his neighbour let him be one of a thousand that mindes matters of that nature so that wee may say true loue in these dayes is litle and very cold many cry they haue it who neuer yet sought to know it And shall we once imagine that they who quarrell and kill robbe and steale sweare and forsweare drinke and be drunke slander and reproch contend and goe to law as the yong man if he lyed not kept the Commandements from his youth vpward that these loue their neighbours Nay doe they not hate themselues To all these I may say how dwelleth the grace of loue in you Such wee heare say haue learned all that the Preacher can teach them viz. to loue God aboue all and their neighbours as themselues when as they are without naturall affection and haue no sparke of this grace in them But were Christians tryed by the second rule that is to loue one another as Christ hath loued vs we might cry out helpe Lord there is not such a man left for we will not loue where we are beloued our loue is for goods not for doing others good and if we haue any of this water shed abroad in our hearts Oh! how is it mixed with mudde truely our loue is short and shallow weake and often interrupted It is hardly kindled soone quenched beginnes with a flame but suddenly ends in smoke and smother We haue little fewell much quench-coale a drop of water will extinguish our loue a small puffe will put it out Our affections are like a lime-twigge to day they catch a fowle tomorrow they will not hold the softest lightest feathers so that in my hast I had almost said all men are liers who say they haue it for there 's none that hath it No not one Wee talke of it and of professors but let our loue be weighed at this ballance it will be found too light and not many amongst a million to haue any of this fire on the hearth of their hearts for all their boasting Wherefore let vs try our selues whether we be in the loue or no for either we haue in possession or at the least in resolution what hath beene said else we want the loue of God and of man Now if thou finde it in thee after due search blesse God for it follow it keepe it and increase it still But if not let these motiues following induce thee to pursue it 1. He that loueth not his brother is a murtherer and wee Motiues to loue one another know that no murtherer hath eternall life abiding in him We account murther a fearefull thing why all that loue 1 Io. 3. 15. not as we haue said are guiltie of this foule sinne and one day shall be arraigned and condemned for it 2. By loue thou maist try the truth of thy new birth for he that loueth his brother is borne of God and is not this worth the knowing 1 Ioh. 3. 10. 3. Without this loue thou art but a dead man odious in 1 Ioh. 2. 9. the eyes of God and man he that loueth not his brother is dead till now who would bee dead among the liuing how nature abhorres it we perceiue when we view but the dead corpse of our deerest friend 4. Finally loue will expell feare and make a man bold against death the day of iudgement Why doe so many Christians tremble and feare why doe they shrinke and shudder at the remembrance of death alas they want loue either in truth or in degree for perfect loue like wind the chaffe driueth away feare And know this that he who harboureth 1 Ioh. 4. 18. hate in his heart is often struck with horrour but hee who maketh loue his guest is filled with boldnesse For hee that loueth his brother is Christs Disciple and hath a portion in all the prayers of the Saints what need then such a man to feare Then get loue and forget not and if thou doe but ouer-take it at the day of thy death it will recompence all the paines thou hast tooke in thy life And that thou maist loue thy brother obserue these directions 1. Banish selfe-loue out of thy heart say vnto it with indignation Directions for Loue. get thee hence 2. Get a good vnderstanding of the worth of a christian For knowledge of that like a Bee her sting will set on our affection 3. Take a view of the best things in thy brother winke at the worst He that would alwayes pore on the defects in his owne person and not eye the best will in time hate himselfe 4. And last of all consider that Christ comes to thee and is in thy poore brother a Balaam will not beate his beast if once he perceiue the Angell of the Lord to be in him speake by him More might we adde as 1. Labour to be vnited with Christ grafted into him so shalt thou be like minded and receiue of his fulnesse grace for grace affection for affection 2. Striue also to loue God For as a greater circle comprehends the lesser so doth the loue of him the loue of all his children Thus hauing finished our discourse of loue we come to speake of a sound minde And out of the diuerse readings or seuerall interpretations we may deriue a double doctrine first that Christians haue sound mindes Doct. 9. Iudgement wisedome vnderstanding is the portion of euery Christian Godly men are not like moles but resemble the glegge eyed quicke sighted Eagle Isa 56. 10. Hos 4. 6. Mat. 23. 16. 17. Pro. 19. 2. 3. 30 2. Eph. 4. 23. Col. 1. 9. Else how should they wisely be directed in all their actions Reasons A sound minde is to the soule as a quicke eye to the 1. body And doe not good things often goe masked vnder bad 2. names euill clothed with glorious titles Now without a good iudgement truth cannot be discerned errour discouered Also by it are they taught what they may and what they 3. may not doe in their callings For all thinges lawfull are not alwaies expedient Moreouer by it they conceiue of their owne abilitie and 4. is not that needfull What more common euill in these times than to presume aboue our strength Besides when many good actions meete together like 5. the sunne and Moone in one line as sometimes they will a sound minde doth direct which is best to be done which not for the present And is it not that which teacheth them to obserue all 6. due circumstances order manner in doing of good for the excellencie of a thing is in the well-handling of a matter This confutes the doctrine of the Papists who lull men Vse 1. in ignorance
of the world or with the Iew in Babilon haue thy parents reiected thee thy friends cast thee off and all thy familiars waite for thy halting Yet grace shall neuer leaue thee or the Lord forsake thee but preserue thee to eternall glory Let Rachel die in trauell Abel be slaine of his brother Iames be beheaded Christ crucified and Eli breake his necke yet they shall be saued And if thou be faithfull God shall deliuer thee from every evill worke and preserue thee to his heauenly kingdome Then be of good comfort for if earthly priviledges breed such ioy what should these heauenly doe Why where bee our hearts and what doe we thinke vpon And this should teach vs thankfulnes to God who hath Vse 3. now made our spirituall estate more certaine in Christ our surety then it was at the first in Adam our father The Pope gets large summes for long pardons the Landlord great fines for a lease for many yeares But we haue a pardon and lease that are of force for euer and euer ours be signed sealed and deliuered by the finger of the Spirit through the bloud of Christ Iesus and with the full and free consent and presence of God the father Then say with the Apostle vpon the same ground To whom be praise for euer and euer Amen And is our salvation certaine How then should wee be Vse 4. pricked forward to goe on in the constant and cheerefull vse of all meanes that may effect it for doth not expectation and assurance of the end set all a worke who would plow if he had no hope of a haruest crosse the dangerous seas if he were out of all heart for his returne in safety or take Physicke should hee not thereby expect recouery of some present sicknes or the remouall of some future disease feared And had we no hope then we might be out of heart But seeing not one of our haires shall perish as Paul said Acts 27. concerning corporall safetie let vs eate and drinke with gladnes be of good courage and vse all helpes prescribed for as the wicked haue no minde to vse the meanes because they haue no hope to inherite heauen so wee by the contrary ground should be stirred and enliued to cast off sinne grow in grace suffer affliction and if need be to resist vnto blood in as much that we be assured and know that our labour is not in vaine in the Lord. And with what willingnes will man and beast bauke and hunt being in hope to finde and catch the prey shall we then hauing such a prize in our hands haue no hearts surely it should not nor it must not be so Saved Hence let it be noted that The Salvation of man is a rare and great blessing Doct. 6. No doubt but Paul doth mention it as a speciall fauour from the Lord. And seeing in these words he seemeth to vse a Reason to moue Timotheus to be resolute in al good duties if he had knowne a better or more forcible argument hee would haue produced it for his purpose See Gen. 49. 18. Which place the two Caldee Paraphrasts expound not of Gedeon or Sampsons deliuery that were temporall and transitory but the salvation by Christ which is eternall and permanent 1 Pet. 4. 18. Io. 4. 5. Phil. 2. 12. Isai 45. 17. and this will further appeare by many reasons Let vs consider it in the causes 1. We were not redeemed Reas 1. with gold and siluer but with the precious bloud of Christ as of a Lambe vndefiled 1 Pet. 1. 18. 19. 2. Doth not the word the good word of God and the Spirit effect and apply it and was not the best message that euer Angels brought Saluation to mankind And are not all times meanes and things subordinate to Reas 2. the same this is the end of all ends Gods glory being excepted and yet his glory is procured by the same The more generall a thing is the better it is for begetting conceiuing bearing baptizing calling and iustifying yea Sanctification preceede it And is it not then the best thing And is it not directly opposed to damnation the worst Reas 3. thing that can be named the wicked shall be in hell amongst the damned Divells and suffer the vengeance of eternall fire on the contrary the Godly shall inherite heauen enioy the communion of the blessed Angells for ever and ever Finally consider what it is to be saued 1. Shall not the Reas 4. image of God in such be perfectly renewed Psal 17. vlt 2. Their ioy shall it not be full Psal 16. vlt Their habitation of pure gold and the fruition of all eternall and now lay all these together and will not the point be a trueth that mans chiefest blessednes consisteth in his saluation Come we to the vse Where we reprehend many that esteeme it a matter of no Vse 1. moment or estimation Is it a thing of weight to preserue a yong plant from withering a beast from drowning the body from dying and nothing of importance to saue the whole man from damning The ignorant man as hee vnderstands not the worth of it so hee neuer seeketh after it The Couetous cryeth its good to bee here gaine is great godlines The Epicure hee goeth in purple and fine linnen euery day fareth delicately drinketh wine in bowles spendeth his time in pleasure and altogether forgetteth his latter end The voluptuous man maketh merry saying The next day shall be as this we will haue our fill of loue and neuer once mindeth his salvation As for the drunkard biting vsurer and the swearer they long agone haue made a league with hell and a couenant with death boasting Tush God will doe neither good nor euil Zeph. 1. 12. and is there wisedome in the most high This poynt may iustifie the courses of such as take paines Vse 2. to worke out their saluation and to make their calling and election sure Goe yee on and the good Lord shall be with you Let it neuer be said of any of you ye began well but who did let you It s a fearefull thing to begin in the spirit and to end in the flesh This might move Parents to make their children the Vse 3. subiects of salvation for would you not haue them to bee heires of great things Say then with Abraham Oh that Ismael might live with Noah God perswade Iapheth to dwel in the tents of Sheâ— All call with David Come hearken vnto me ye little children and I will teach you the feare of the Lord. For those be the best parents that can vse the meanes to bring their sonnes and daughters to be coheires with Christ of the kingdome of God and to participate of endlesse salvation Whereas our Lord said Weepe for your selues and for your children So say I Get salvation for your selues and for your children And from this ground wee are all to be intreated and instructed Vse 4. to
Ieremiah Iosiah Timothy and others that of children were called that Parents might be encouraged to vse the meanes of conversion and not be without all hope of a blessing And so we doe of some old men as of Abraham called at 70 yeares of age and it seemeth probable by Nichodemus his answere to Christ that he himselfe was an old man Iohn 3. This no doubt is written that we might not Aged persons rarely called despaire of any for God can call whomsoeuer and whensoeuer he will Yet men and women of great age are not often called 1. For they are most vnfit for the Lords worke what man will take an aged person to make a watch or to become a Musition for are not his fingers set which should bee nimble for such a calling how vnhandsomely will they goe about so curious an instrument or action And shall the Lord then not make choise of the fittest persons to performe his actions 2. Old men haue gotten a stronger habit of sinne then others what saith Christ of such Can a Blackamore change his skin and a Leopard his spotts then may ye doe well that are accustomed to doe evill 3. Sathan hath more possession of such people and is the harder to be cast out 4. We read in the Gospell that God calles at the third houre sixt houre ninth and eleuenth houre why not at the twelfe making an equall distribution I cannot tell I doe but guesle but it may be because at the twelfth houre either none or few are called I would not be mistaken here as though this were vnpossible with God but that men might be moued not to procrastinate and deferre their conuersion I haue added this And when trees haue beene often watered pruned and dunged yet beare not doth not the Lord of the vineyard bid them to be cut downe Luk. 13. for why make they the ground barren wicked men hinder the good of others This for the time of calling The manner how followeth and that is either violently How the Lord calleth or more gently God is wise in all his proceedings and therefore calleth as he seeth needfull Some he peirceth to the very hart woundeth the spirit causeth them to quake and tremble exceedingly at the voice of his power others he calleth with a still and quiet voice as is most conuenient The discreet Mother hauing a child stubborne vntoward shaketh the rod when as one that is more meeke and tractatable is allured by a cherry or apple and euen so dealeth the Lord by his chosen children for he calleth them according to their dispositions and seuerall qualities yet alwaies so as they come and obey his voice 2. And this may serue to haue beene spoken of their cutting off both for time and manner Next their fitting followeth the which consisteth of 2. branches the one Compunction the other desperation When the Cyon is cut off from the tree then in order it followeth that it be fitted to be set into the stocke into which it is to be grasted And so when by the knife of the law we are either violently or more leisurely lopped from the old oliue it ensueth that wee be fitted to be set into the new Christ the Lord. Now this compunction of heart hath two degrees the one rendeth asunder the very ioynts and sinewes pierceth and entreth into the very bones and the marrow But the other doth not wound so deepe but as it were skarreth the skin and â—ateth into the flesh For as some be let bloud in the finger others in the arme or head so God being a most skilfull Chirurgion doth pricke and let vs bloud as he discerneth the nature of our disease The child came to himselfe by neezing seuentimes 2 King 4. 35. And after this compunction followeth an holy desperation which consisteth in the denying of a mans owne merits and relying on the Lord for mercy for his sinnes being great and many his good workes not any at all he is therby brought to despaire in regard of himselfe and also to call the mercy of God into question Yet not doubting whether the Lord can but whether he will or not grant him a pardon for his sinne Now doth the sinner hang the head smite his hand vpon his thigh cry earnestly to God for mercy and seeke to the Minister the Phisition of the spirit for grace and comfort And this compunction and holy desperation is greater in some then other for these Reasons 1. Some man may haue had many outward calls by the Sixe reasons why all men are not called a like word and inward motions by the Spirit the which hee hauing resisted and not obeyed then hee is brought to feare that he hath sinned the sinne vnto death And if he hath any knowledge in the Scriptures peradventure will bring that to fight against himselfe especially that place in Heb. 6. or 10. 2. Other some haue had good education and haue bin trained vp in the Scriptures of children so that they haue beene restrained from many grosser sinnes then others haue committed Whence it followeth that there is degrees of compunction Trees that haue beene long vnpruned haue the more cuts when they come to be lopped and dressed 3. Peraduenture the Lord hath a purpose to send some one of his children for to dwell like Lot in Sodom or Ioseph in Egypt and there he foreseeing that they shall haue weake provocations to good strong temptations to evill letteth them drinke the more deepely of the dregs of sinne that they in future time the rather may be moued to avoyd it For a wounded spirit and troubled conscience for sinne will proue for time to come an excellent Tutor Hee that hath burnt his feete with treading on the hot stone will looke the better to his steps in all his iourney afterward 4. All men haue not constitutions of body alike some be strong others weake so that that measure which will but cure the one humble him sufficiently would kill the other and bruise him to powder And if some were so cast downe as others be they being poore men and to liue by great toyle and dayly labour would neuer be able to execute the duties of their calling and to get their bread by the workes of their hands A man in the breaking of his beast will haue an eye to that and shall not the Lord much more in the reclaiming of his children 5. God appointeth some to be sonnes of thunder to speake with power and authoritie to Preach amongst a people whose faces be as brasse and neckes like sinewes of yron therefore he bringeth them home as we say with a witnes at their conuersion For as he that hath receiued much wrong by a bad neighbour will speake worse of him then he can who hath had lesser iniuries at his hand so will such as haue felt the enmity of sinne the most preach more fervently against it then he who hath not felt the sting
demand Could not God haue saued man Quest from death and pardoned sinne without a satisfaction I answer No. For 1. It s against his nature Iustice in God Ans is not a quality as in man but his verie essence therefore it must be satisfied or no flesh could be saued 2. His word was passed forth At what time thou eatest thou shalt dye the death Yet the Lord sheweth the liberty of his iustice in sauing some by Christ and condemning others without him So that we see sinne must be punished Gods infinite iustice satisfied either in vs or by another But it will be obiected that man being finite cannot satisfie for infinite iustice It s true that man is finite in respect of place or a geometricall quantity but infinite in regard of duration of time or Arithimetical enumeration so that though no created nature at an instant in one act of it selfe is able to vndergoe the infinite wrath of the reuenging God yet in regard of continuance or times succession his torment may be said to be * Viz a parte post infinite What he cannot doe at once hee must be doing euer How can God be iust in this his proceeding 1. Because man hath offended an infinite God Now the Quest Ans dignitie of the person offended aggrauates the offence as we see a word against the king is death to a subiect pardonable 2. The sinner hath had a world of sinning here therfore must haue a world of suffering hereafter 3. The sinner sinnes continually neuer comes to a period therefore the punishment as the shadow doth the body when the Sunne shines followes the sinner continually And 4. The sinner would haue sinned in a greater degree had it beene in his owne power or if he had not beene by a necessity restrained Therefore its iust with the Lord to punish him with eternall torments And brought life We haue handled the like doctrine in Doct. 7. the first verse that ariseth out of this place viz. that All spirituall life is procured by Christ Therefore we passe to this Doct. 8. Phil. 3. 1. 2. Pet. 1. 12. that Repetition of the same thing is warrantable profitable Paul doth so here and all the rest who preached and writ as we may see elsewhere Compare Mat. 5. 1. with Luk. 6. 20. and you shall see that Christ preached one sermon twice In Mathew he is said to sit in Luke to stand the one saith it was in a Valey the other in the Mountaine Yet some seeke to reconcile them Because we vnderstand not all we heare at the first deliuery Reas 1. 2. 3. 4. What if we doe yet we may not beleeue it But grant we beleeue may we not forget it I am sure we doe not practice it though we vnderstand it beleeue it and also remember it Therefore to repeat the same things may be profitable And a man may be in a different disposition so that hee 5. panions to thee thou hast iust cause to feare thy present condition and to labour for these things For when the spirit sauingly applyeth to the Christian the vertue of Christs death these forenamed effects or properties will be in some measure felt in that person And wouldst thou also know whether life be by Christ Trials if we haue life by Christ Iesus procured for thee then examine thy selfe by these rules 1. What knowledge hast thou of Christ what vnderstanding of the Gospell For its eternall life to know Christ and his doctriue Hagar had her eyes opened before shee could see the well so must thou the eye of thy minde before thou tast of the water of life 2. What power hast thou to do good How often doth the pulse of prayer beate in thy closet and in the secret roome of thy heart What strength hast thou to runne the pathes of Gods commands Canst thou like the creeple rise vp leape and be glad in the praises of God 5. What care hast thou to preserue the life of grace in thee and to come to eternall glorie Men that loue their liues will make choyce of their food Physician and aire And he that loues the life of grace will eate vp the good word of God depend on a skilfull Preacher and plant himselfe where the pure ayre of holinesse is sensible found and felt breathing mouing 4. And in conclusion how dost thou imploy thy life what be the ends of all thy motions Dost thou spend thy strength that God may haue glory by thee and his children receiue good from thee then thou hast done well For as all fire that comes from aboue will tend vpward againe the heate that comes from the heart will disperse it selfe to euerie member so that life which is receiued from Christ will alwaies incline and moue that hee may haue praise and benefit by it Are these things also within thee and proceed from thee then hast thou participated of the first resurrection and shalt neuer tast of the second death And if thou want them striue for them or else Christs life will profit thee nothing See thou defer no time omit no oppertunitie neither neglect any meanes but seeke this life while it may be found purchase this field though it cost thee all thy treasure Thou hast now a price in thy hand want not an heart For the tyde and season to saile to this land to buy this commoditie serues but once not euer And to moue thee thus to doe let these things be well weighed seriously thought on 1. Consider the excellencie of this life the least degree of Motiues to get spirituall life it is of more worth than all other life what euer therefore it s called the life of God Eph. 4. 18. How many kindes of life be there and amongst them how many degrees yet the neerer it approcheth to the fountaine of life God the more excellent it is The subiect hath a life aswell as the King the sicke as the whole but what is it in comparison of this but a kind of death now the better a thing is is it not the more to be desired 2 Without this life we can doe no action acceptable to God or profitable to our selues and what a misery is this alwaies to be doing yet all in vaine A naturall life can doe but naturall actions therefore such as be in the flesh cannot please God Rom. 8. 7. 3. This life will make vs acceptable and well pleasing to God and man yea the Angels shall reioyce and the father say with delight This my sonne was dead but is now aliue Luk. 15. 24. We ioy to see the trees budde the corne peepe the graftes flourish and shall we haue no care to obtaine that life wherein all beautie consisteth 4 Finally he that hath not the beginning of this life here cannot possesse eternall life hereafter for they onely shall escape the second death that partake of the first resurrection to life The
zealous for the law and ceremonies and Paul preached the Gospell called them beggarly and impotent rudiments told that if they were circumcised Christ profited them nothing Why this so tooke downe the pride of man that he should not be iustified by his owne workes but by anothers that Paul was persecuted and hardly entreated of his owne Country men If a skilfull Taylor take measure of a crooked and mishapen person and fit the garment proportionable to the patterne a proud peece of flesh will powte swell and wrangle with the workeman so let the Ministers and men of God doe good devide the word aright high and lofty spirits will be muttering for they cannot endure the light or to be told of their deformities Thus Paul was reputed an enemy for telling them the truth A counterfeite and false glasse is the fittest for old withered and wrinckled Curtezans to view themselues in for if it should shew them their right shapes all things to nothing they split it against the wals And in the last place the goodnes of an action cannot Reas 4. exempt the weldoer from affliction for its a meanes to breake downe the walls of Babel to throw the gates of Hell off her hindges and to weaken the kingdome of Sathan God saith He will set enmity betweene the womans seed and Gen. 3 15. the Serpents and how For thou shalt bruise his head so that breake the Diuels plots and pate by doing good be thou assured he will haue thee by the heele And Paul was the worse entreated for preaching to the Gentiles for the Iewes hated them and Sathan had long held them in his custody and prison of darknes Here we are taught a rule of wisedome and that is Neuer Vse 1. to iudge the goodnes or badnes of an action by the vsage and future entertainment of the Doer for in so doing wee may commend amisse and speake good of evill and evill of good Was not Abel killed Moses forced to flee Iacob ill entreated David derided the Prophets imprisoned Stephen stoned Iames beheaded Christ crucified and many of his innocent members massacred murdered for well doing Iudge not therefore before the time condemne not least thou be condemned But rather vse your censuring in this in not laying a blocke of stumbling before your Brethren Pharaoh a wicked King may haue peace when David the annoynted of the Lord may flee for his life Ahabs foure hundred of false Prophets may haue freedome when faithfull Micaiah may kisse the stockes Christ may be crucified when Barrabas shall be deliuered And so may the guilty sometimes escape when the guiltlesse and guilelesse are in great ieopardy For he that refraineth from evill maketh Isa 59. 15. Mal. 3. 15. himselfe a prey When as they that tempt God and worke wickednes are set vp aduanced deliuered In the next place we see how impossible a thing it is for Vse 2. a good man to liue in peace for wicked men will reward evill for good Let Christ turne the Iewes water into wine he shall haue from them vinegar to drinke tell them the truth they will hire false witnesses to sweare lyes against him If he say hee hath the Spirit of God they will say No he hath a Diuell Let him remit sinne they will cry he blasphemeth If he demaund for which of his good workes they seeke to kill him they will answere that the Diuell goeth about to kill him and not they And did the world thus deale with him who had no sinne neither was any guile found in his mouth then neuer expect thou any good entertainment from the world in this world for shee loueth none but her owne Shall men burne greene boughes and spare those that neuer beare spue out the water of life and tast deepely of the muddy puddle Eclipse the Sun and not puffe at a candle Dig vp the rootes and cherish the branches pierce the head wound the heart slay the heire and shall the members not be mortified the hands nayled and the yonger brethren fouly entreated Wherefore let David arme himselfe for Saul will cast a speare at him for he is the Lords annointed If Nehemiah will repaire his fathers sepulchres build the walles of Ierusalem hee shall meete with a Sanballat a bush in a place here or there a Tobiah that will oppose dissemble write counterfeit letters to hinder him for hee seeketh the welfare of Israel and that 's their griefe Will Paul scatter the Gospell write Epistles preach to the blind and ignorant Gentiles the proud Pharisees then his owne Countrimen will proue his greatest enemies and repute him a plaguy fellow for preaching new doctrine to a new Nation Will Ames Shaphat Peter and Iames leaue their former meane callings to preach and prophecy at the commaund of the Lord shall they not be disgraced What! is Saul among the Prophets how know these the Scriptures Can any good thing come out of Nazareth Amo. 7. 13. And gâ—â— to thy fathers house some Amaziah will cry and eate thy bread and prophecy there but come not at Bethel for it is the kings court And seeing this hath beene done to the best in times past let vs in our dayes expect a part so long as the Diuell and the Pope are at liberty I suffer these things We see here two things 1. Who suffered 2. What hee suffered The Doctrines shall be pointed at and briefly passed The first from the person to bee noted is that Neither learning wisedome piety or externall priviledges Doct. 2. can preserue a man from suffering affliction Math. 23. 34. 35. For Paul was well discended of rare parts singular prudence Phil. 3. 4. 5. and great sanctity yet all these could not exempt him from persecution great tribulation Christ was the fountaine of all wisedome grace and holines yet who euer more vilely entreated then he Moses the meekest man on earth David a man according to Gods owne heart and Iob a iust and perfect man yet all scoffed derided vpbraided and the drunkards made Ballads of them Why the wicked are not respecters of persons all fish Reas 1. are alike that come to their net Nay rather the more holy any is the more be they hated of them A crabbed Kyte will seize on the tenderest carcasse so wicked and profane men make a prey of the most singular person Againe the rarer parts any hath the more doth hee build Reas 2. vp the decaied walls of Ierusalem gather the scattered Saints and repaire the body of Christ and this cannot Sathan neither his instruments tolerate with patience If the great Temple of Diana goe downe Bethel be aduanced let Paul expect the greatest spight that created Natures can complot against him If the Lords annointed call his Nobles for the welfare of our Israel then fire faggot gunpowder shall be prouided If this be thus then how doe they misse the marke and Vse 1. shoote besides the Butt
heare of revolters From this poynt we learne a twofold lesson first to take Vse 1. 2. knowledge of the Backsliders And next to make others that be professors or Preachers of the Gospell acquainted therewith For its warrantable profitable therefore we are to put this duty in practise and the neglect of it is or may be a wrong to thy selfe hurtfull to thy faithfull Brethren as experience hath taught many a time What if others know it already Yet it must be done for Timothy we here see knew this thing full well And often admonition in this kind cannot be hurtfull for as man is too incredulous of the best so too much prone to credit the worst Are turned from me We note here that To Revolt and turne from our former profession is a foule fault Doct. 2. and great offence For Paul doth complaine against it and sets it downe for a sinne to be abandoned of all men Ioh. 6. 66. 1 Tim. 1. 19. 5. 11. 12. For in so doing we dishonour God yea no way more Reas 1. For will not prophane men iudge that there is no profit or comfort in seruing the Almighty when such forsake their profession For thus they will reason If that Religion had beene good they and they would neuer haue cast it off Againe we weaken asmuch as in vs lies the Church of Christ for cut off a member will not the body be the lesse Reas 2. powerfull And it giues the Deuill and his instrument the more encouragement to tempt and persecute the righteous for hauing prevailed with some they haue hope to doe so with all Let vs then that embrace the Gospell be carefull to hold what we haue and neuer to revolt from our Religion For Vse we can no way more dishonour God scandalize the truth giue fewell to the rage of wicked men and Devills then in so doing Better had it beene that such had neuer made profession better for them selues better for all men For none but Sathan and hell make gaine of backsliding And that thou maist neuer revolt and forsake thy Religion doe these things 1. Before thou enter into Religion lay a sure foundation Helpes against reuolting be well grounded in the truth and worth thereof for ignoance of these two is the cause of backsliding Why was our Apostle so resolute Why would not Peter and others forsake Rom. 1. 16. Ioh. 6 68. Christ They knew that he had the words of eternall life 2. Cast vp thine accounts and prepare for the worst thing that can befall thee yea expect what euill the best are subiect vnto For want of this causeth many to reuolt in the least triall or temptation 3. Withdraw thine affections from the loue of all earthly things for we cannot follow God and Mammon these be contrary Masters commanding contrary things 4. Get experience of the comforts that be in the practise of the power of Religion so shalt thou neuer leaue it in the most fiery and hottest assaults 5. Be iealous of thy selfe especially when thou growest negligent in the performance of good exercises for this doth presage a fearfull reuolt 6. Consider that without perseuerance thou canst not be saued or if thou be that thy rising againe will cost thee more toyle and torment being once fallen then to hold thee in thy present good condition Let all these and the like be well thought vpon Of which number bee Phygellus and Hermogenes From the nominating of these two who in all likelihood were some principall persons we gather that Men of high place and much respect among the people of God Doct. 3. sometimes fall away Iudas did so and Demas with others Psal 55. 13. 14. Act. 1. 17. 24. 1 Tim. 1. 20. And here it is to be considered that there be diuers kinds of falling away 1. When men fall from the profession of Religion first either in respect of the precepts and that totally or in part or secondly in regard of power in the practice of Christian duties 2. When they maintain their former profession yet separate from their brethren 3. When men fall away for a time yet recouer themselues afterward 4. And last of all When it s done by some vrgent necessity or willingly In many of these respects the best haue fallen And God would haue it so First that the world may see that the Lord can support Reas 1. and maintaine his Church by weake instruments and meane persons For his power is the more manifest in thus doing he hath chosen the foolish things to confound the wise and weake to destroy the mighty That we may see how to stand fast and that by cleauing Reas 2. vnto him and in seeking his assistance for experience of our owne and others weakenesse like a childe to the wall makes vs to run to the Lord for supportance after by a fall we haue hurt our selues And if it fall out thus with great men sometimes then Vse 1. let it be no new thing in thine eyes to see the same in our dayes For what is there that hath not beene and what hath come to passe heretofore that may not fall out hereafter Say not as some doe that if one fall away cry out They are all no better this kinde of reasoning from some to the whole company is not sound What and may such Cedars shake totter and fall then Vse 2. let the weake willowes and poplar take heed of the winde For blessed is he whom other mens harmes doe make to beware And it shall not be amisse to lay downe here some causes of falling away And they be either 1. inward or 2. outward The inward be foure especially 1. Weakenesse thus many haue fallen of infirmity Inward causes of falling away 2. Some affection not mortified for one such a Ionah in the ship will vnsettle all 3. Infidelity when men want faith they are vnstable in all their wayes 4. Want of experience of that secret comfort which the Lord infuseth into the hearts of such as stand resolutely for his truth in an euill time The outward causes are principally these 1. Persecution this hath turned millions backward Outward causes of falling away who in the daies of peace had their faces to Sion-ward 2. Some wrongs or iniuries the Israelites from this ground thinking to be reuenged fell from Rehoboam vnto Ieroboam But they were carried away captiue and neuer returned 3. Scandall or offences taken at some doctrine From that time many of his Disciples went backe and walked no more with him Ioh. 6. 66. 4. The example of great men Doth any of the Rulers or Pharisees beleeue in him This is a cord that pulleth thousands from the true path and Rule Ioh. 7. 48. 5. When men haue expected great promotion but seeing their hopes frustrate they turne aside This is a great load stone to draw an iron heart from the path to heauen 6. Too much familiarity with
good is alwaies to be preferred before a particular Yet thou must see that such by some trusty keeper may be respected well attended at the least May a Minister liue in a corrupted aire Quest 2. Answ Yes For 1. It s as good for him as for the people 2. And God would haue such saued He sought me c. We will collect hence that The faithfull where we trauell from home are to be sought for We haue in the Scripture both precept and example to this purpose and to confirme the point See Act. 21. 4. 8. Math. 10. 11. For they be of our kinred we are children of one father Reas 1. and will not euery one be desirous to see and be acquainted with his nearest friends We shall receiue comfort from them and they from Reas 2. vs for they will tell vs what great workes of mercy the Lord hath done in that place how the word runs what faithfull Men Magistrates Ministers c. the Lord of his good prouidence hath sent amongst them And thus when the Saints haue met they haue as we reade refreshed one another and builded vp one another in their holy faith This checketh those that neuer doe it nor can endure others Vse 1. to doe it Such a one was Diotrephes 3 Ioh. 3. 9. 10. Then when we goe into a farre country let vs enquire Vse 2. who are worthy that is honest men For its profitable many waies in buying selling borrowing lending in comforting and being comforted You shall haue the drunkards gamsters whoremasters and the like enquire out one another and shall not we such as be faithfull truly religious This point is of good vse but seldome practised and the best in the neglect of it may be a great enemy to himselfe euen in temporall affaires How shall I know such Quest Ans 1. If the best report well of them 2. If the worst say ill of them 3. By their speech and carriage for wisedome and grace will appeare in the words and face as the wiseman saith Yet beleeue not euery report faire shew good word For some mens sinnes follow afterward as others goe before 1 Tim. 5. 24. Very diligently The point is that Whom we affect truly we will seeke for diligently speedily Doct. 3. For so the word may be rendred This will hold in all things whateuer David loued the Lord and he would seeke him early at midnight and all seasons Elisha loued his Master therefore sought him The parents of Christ loued Luk. 2. 48. him and did they not seeke him with heauy hearts the Bride loued her Husband and so sought him and we Cant. 3. 1 2. may say the like of what can be named Because the affections are implacable vnlesse the obiect Reas 1. be enioyed which they most affect It is the nature of loue to delight in the present fruition of that it most affecteth And as euery graue thing is in motion vntill it come to the Center so are the affections stirring vntill they claspe about the subiect they affect Againe true affection desireth to manifest its selfe to the Reas 2. thing it loueth and to make it the better yea to bee if possible made one with it But how can this bee if they two bee separated therefore the affections will wooe and importune the will to worke for the bringing of them together What then shall we say of those who neuer sought the Vse 1. Lord saith grace or the kingdome of heauen in all their liues doe they loue the one or other Is their cafe blessed or cursed for the present It pittieth mee to thinke of the misery that many be in yet beleeue it not or know it not Where doe the most men seeke him their soules best loue when doe they seeke him how doe they seeke him Did Onesiphorus thus seeke Paul because he loued him and doe wee loue Christ and neuer enquire after him in his Word or in heauen Surely it cannot be Would we then vnderstand the soundnes of our affection Vse 2. vnto God his truth graces and children then let vs try it by the diligent search wee make after these things Doest thou seeke after God search the Scriptures and vse all other meanes for the hauing of them then thy loue is seruent not sained But if thou doe not labour the enioying of them of a truth the loue of them was neuer entertained in thy heart or saluation entred into thy soule Dauâ—d could say Oh how I long for God and When shall I appeare in his presence I meditate in the law day and night Paul Iâ—couet to bee with Christ and the Saints haue vsed to cry Come let vs goe into the house of the Lord. Cold is that loue weake is that affection which neuer worketh or endeuoureth to obtaine and possesse the thing it loueth And sound me Here is laid downe the successe that Onesiphorus had in his diligent search whence collect wee that They that seeke shall finde all conuenient circumstances being Doct. 4. also obserued For some shall seeke to enter and shall not be able because they either seeke amisse and that in regard of the meanes or end or in that they take not the acceptable time For these cautions must be considered and then the point is firme sound Mat. 7. 7. Psal 50. 15. Because the Lord cannot lie deny himselfe or breake Reas 1. promise his word is gone out and it shall stand therfore those that seeke shall finde And if it were not so then who would vse the meanes Reason 2. depend on the Lords promise or could be saued This Doctrines Vse serueth first to cleere the Lord against Vse 1. all false imputations that the Atheisticall people haue or may obiect against his promise For vndoubtedly hee that seeketh shall not lose his labour in the end Say not then with the idle seruant who digged his talent in the earth that the Lord is an hard Master for he is true of his word faithfull to all that with honest hearts doe or euer shall seeke him or his This may be in the next place a ground of great comfort Vse 2. to all the faithfull and vpright hearted for in whatsoeuer they goe about they shall prosper Wee may apply it to all things as well as to this particular and that by the warrant of the Prophets and Apostles themselues Doest thou seeke after the Lord doest thou desire his fauour callest thou for grace or mercy cryest thou after wisdome and vnderstanding followest thou after faith loue and the the like gifts pursuest thou and pressest thou the God of Abraham for wife children food rayment for earth and heauen why feare not but hope still in the Lord and thy heart shall be satisfied with these things But here let these rules be obserued 1. Take the present time Seeke the Lord while he may be Rules to be obserued in seeking found
giue his seruant wherewith to worke affoard time food and all things conuenient yet when he comes to see if his taske be finished he findes that the meate is wasted the time ended the Candle to the very socket burned and yet little or nothing of the worke furthered how would such a seruant excuse himselfe to his Master And is it not so with many of vs God hath giuen vs meate and drinke time and matter candle and fire But what haue we done Is not the lamp of our life almost consumed the Sunne of the Gospell about to set at the least from vs and yet we haue not finished the worke that was giuen vs to doe We are without our wedding garment polluted in our bloud and in regard of cloake or couer of grace starke naked How shall we then expect to avoyd that fearefull sentence Friend how camest thou hither without thy wedding garment Take him bind him hand and foote and cast him into vtter darkenes And is that day so great Then let vs all prepare for it Vse 2. before it come finish our worke be cloathed and not found idle or naked For blessed shall that seruant be whom his Master shall finde so and so doing Say not with the foole that there is no God Make not a league with hell and a couenant with death Beleeue not Hymeneus or Philetus that the Resurrection is past already neither cry with the scoffers and mockers Where is the promise of his comming Doubt not of the day and the certainty of its approaching For doth not the drowning of the old world declare it the deuouring of Sodom by fire and brimstone proue it the destruction of Ierusalem confirme it the curse vpon the Iew at this day ratifie it the hot plagues invndations of waters earthquakes extraordinary frosts the blazing starre and many petty iudgements that hourely haue and doe befall the wicked seale it Oh therefore as thou doest beleeue it so prepare for it Now time is present meanes at at hand the Lord allures thee But will it be shall he doe so euer No no Remember the foolish virgins get oyle in thy lampe grace in thy heart righteousnes on thy person and a good conscience to thy companion or else it had beene good for thee thou hadst neuer beene bred or borne For without these the iudge will frowne bend his browe and be a consuming fire The next instruction we gather is this that Christ the Lord shall iudge the world Act. 17. 31. 1 Cor. 1. Doct. 3. 7. Math. 28. 18. 2 Cor. 5. 10. 1 Thes 4. 15. If we vnderstand by Lord in the second place the sonne of God then the point is plaine But howeuer its a sound position For if we expound the word to be meant of God the Father yet he will shew mercy and iudgement by his sonne For he hath committed all things to his hands For by him at first were all things made by him since Reas 1. was Man redeemed therefore it s most meete they should be iudged by him The iudgement shall be visible so that its most conuenient Reas 2. the iudge should be so too Now the Fathers invisible but the Sonne in our nature is not And shall Christ the Lord iudge the world What then Vse 1. shall become of those that haue crucified him and persecuted him in his 〈◊〉 that haue trod vnder foote the Sonne of God 〈◊〉 a mocke of the bloud of his Couenant that 〈◊〉 â—â—spighted his Spirit and disobeyed his Gospell that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as it were betweene their teeth his flesh by their cruell oathes and would not haue him to raigne ouer them Woâ—ull and vnutterable will their condition be fearefull lamentable shall be their portion Did Moses tremble at the Mount Iohn fall downe troubled at the sight of an Angell Felix shudder before Paul and the stubborne Iewes fall at the voice of Christ backward What will the prophane men doe when he shall come to be reuenged on them and to reward them according to the number and greatnes of their sinnes Shall a man cloathed in purple or scarlet whose throne is in the dust and his breath in his nosthrills make a guilty conscience to quake and tremble shall not then the Iudge of all the world enwrapped with glory couered with iealousie and hauing the keene sword of reuenging iustice in his strong hand make the hearts of such as neuer would obey his lawes to faile them for feare shall they not wish that the Mountaines might fall on them and the hills couer and conuey them from his presence would not they be glad if they might creepe into the crannies and close caues of the earth from his reuenging and impartiall iustice And if a Lord haue mercy vpon thee a Take him away Iailor will cause such shedding of teares folding of armes and wringing of hands what will that irreuocable sentence doe Goe ye cursed into eternall fire prepared for the Devill and his Angels I could wish that those words were grauen with a pen of iron in the palmes and foreheads of euery impenitent sinner of euery dissolute and godlesse person And shall Christ iudge the world shall he that redeemed Vse 2. thee sit vpon thee then be of good comfort for it cannot but goe well with thee No man euer hated his owne flesh consumed his reall and royall members or put away a chast virgin Assure thy selfe then that thy head and husband Iesus shall neither leaue thee or forsake thee or euer be diuorced from thee This vse is worthy our best consideration and a ground to euery honest and vpright heart of vnspeakeable comfort Therefore when Sathan Death Iudgement and hell looke thee in the face thinke vpon this thing And shall Christ iudge thee Then Agree with thine aduersary Vse 3. quickly whiles thou art in the way with him least he deliuer thee to the Iudge and the Iudge deliuer thee to the Iailor and he cast thee into prison For verily thou shalt not depart thence vntill thou hast paid the vttermost farthing And when will that be Neuer neuer And might not this word breake thine heart and moue thee to doe it When Ioseph was to goe before Pharaoh he shaued his head and put vpon him another robe or change of raiment When Hester went vnto the King she cloathed her selfe with her royall apparell And shall we meete the King of Kings wrapped in the stinking weedes of drunkennes swearing and lying couered with the monstrous clouts of fornication adultery and all vncleannes Surely if we doe we shall neuer find fauour in his eyes Let him then that hath stolne steale no more but labour with his hands And that I say to one to all I say it Change your minds and turne that your sinnes may be put away when the time of refreshing shall come from the presance of the Lord and he shall send his sonne Iesus the which is now preached vnto you to