1 Joh 3 3. Jam. 14 8 thy self to cleanse thy hands and purifie thy heart this is a needfull study its time well imployed in searching our hearts in washing and purifying of the inward man 3. Be much exercised in divine meditation Meditate frequently Rule 3. Be exercised the divine in art of meditation of the four last things Death Judgement Hell and Heaven Entertain frequent and serious thoughts of â—ternity It 's a poynt of understanding and wisdome to consider our latter end Meditate what a holy place heaven is what holy company and what holy employments aret here Nothing that defileth shall ever come there Get up into the Mount with Moses let thy affections soare aloft being carried aloft with the wings of heavenly meditation This was Isaacs practise Davids and Pauls Were you acquainted with the singular benefit of Meditation you would not lye groveling here below your words thoughts whole conversations would bee in heaven 4. Consider the omnipresence and omniscience of God whither Rule 4. Consider Gods omnipresence canst thou goe from his presence how canst thou escape his knowledge If I sinne saith Job he marketh me Job 10. 14 15. God seeth thy secret sinnes hee knoweth all thy reservations and cunning conveyances All things are naked unto him with whom thou hast to deale and without holynesse thou shalt never see the face of God with comfort The serious consideration of the Omnipresence and Omniscience of God through the grace of God may prevaile with us to a circumspect and holy conversation 5. Set an high estimate upon and frequent diligently the holy Rule 5 Consider Gods Ordinances Ordinances of God They are called The beauties of Holynesse Psal 110. 3. There is a cleansing virtue in the Word of God Psal 119. 9. Gods face is beautifull his holynesse is his beauty Now by the face of God Calvin understands the Ordinances of God Psal 27. 8. Wait then O Christian at the posts of Wisdoms gate lye in the way where Christ comes by tarry at these Bethesdaes The Ordinances are the golden Pipes to conveigh the golden Oyle take heed of sitting loose from them Blesse God that your eyes behold your Teachers and that your Gospel is not driven into corners Improve these prices and spiritual advantages for the good of your precious souls 6. And lastly associate your selves with holy company Love Rule 6. Associaâ—e your selves with holy company where God loves now the Lord loveth his Saints It was Davids profession that his delight was in the Saints Psal 16. 2 3. Bee a companion to those that fear God If a dead coale be neare a live coâ—le it may be inkindled by it but if two live coales be together what abundance of heate will they give We read Mal. 3. 16. That they that feared the Lord spake often one to another Let not Christians be strange and shie of one anothers company But let 's unite as one man to conserre all our interests to give each other a lift to heaven Make them thy companions on earth whom thou hopest to enjoy in heaven to all eternity The last Use and so in a few words to conclude is a word of Use 5. For Consolation Consolation unto holy persons true beleevers the adopted sonnes and daughters of God when the day of Judgement comes and the whole world is in a flame they shall bee of good comfort That day which will be a day of terrour and revenge to the wicked shall be a day of refreshing and restitution unto them The Saints that sleep in the grave shall be awakned at the sound of the Trumpet and their bodies and soules shall bee reunited and they shâ—ll receive the consummation of their happynesse The Saints that are alive shall be caught up together with those that are dead in Christ in the cloudes to meet the â—ord in the air and so shall be ever with the Lord. The inference the Apostle makes should be ours wherefore 1 Thes 4. 18. comfort one another with these words O but I cannot see this in me I would be holy yet I cannot find this growth of holynesse in me Is this thy case goe thy way to God challenge him with his promise put his bond in suit Hee commands make you a clean heart but doth he not promise to give it Ezek. 36. 25. Comfort thy self with Christs praier to the Father He prayes Father sanctifie them through thy truth And know there may be grace where feeling may be wanting It s an excellent Joh. 17. 17. Eph. 1. 13. saying of Mr. Greenham We hold Christ by faith and not by feeling Feeling is an after thing After ye beleeved ye were sealed with that holy spirit of promise Is it the desire and endeavour of thy soule to be holy Notwithstanding infirmities yet is thy heart single and without guile be of good comfort thou shalt hold up thy head with comfort at that great day of accompt when the wicked shall wish that the mountains might fall upon them and the hills cover them from the face of the Lamb thou shalt behold Christ in the face with comfort when all these visible things shall be dissolved and the elements shall melt with fervent heat thou shalt be glad and rejoice at that day and enjoy eternall felloship with the blessed Trinity in whose presence there is fulness of joy and at whose right hand there are pleasures for evermore Did we but seriously consider of Psal 16. 11. these things wee should desire to bee dissolved and to be with Christ we should cry Come Lord Jesus come quickly we should have the Moon under our feet we should negotiate for the great things of eternity May all things that have been said make deep impression upon our spirits and prevaile with us to the love and practise of holynesse looking for and hasting unto the comming of God Though at that day the world be on fire we shall be safe though there shall be a general Assize wee shall be acquitted and that day of Judgement will be the Saints refreshing day Christ is their Redeemer and Intercessour VVho would not now be in love with holyness holyness will be holyness indeed at that day Only holy persons shall hold up their heads with comfort they only shall be able to stand in judgement God onely that made the heart can cleanse it Christ doth love and wash his people Le ts therefore pray for holynesse follow after holynesse Thus our fruit being unto holynesse our end will be happynesse The Necessity of the Knowledge of Regeneration Discovered from Joh. 3. v. 10. Jesus answered and said unto him Art thou a Master of Israel and knowest not these things THE report of Christs Miracles being famous every where Serm. 5. at St. Maries Oxon. Aug. 14. 1654. v. 1. insomuch that multitudes followed him at last one of an eminent Rank comes to visit and conferre with Christ v. 1. By degree he
evil entreaties and unfruitfulness of our labors Le ts not bauk our duty because we fear we shal do no good let 's put that to the venture fall a working In the morning sow thy seed and in the evening with-hold not Eccles 11. 6. thy hands for thou knowest not whether shall prosper either this or that or â— King 22. 24. whether they both be alike good We read That a certain man drew a bow at a venture and smote the king of Israel between the joynts of the harness So though Ministers shoot at a venture personating no man yet it may please God so to direct the word that it may hit the right mark Now let 's all become Merchant-Venturers The Church is the Ship tost up and down with Tempests and Storms It 's exceeding great folly to trim up our Cabbin if the Ship be a sinking Fear not this Ship will at last come to a safe Harbor here then let us venture Counsels Pains Prayers Estates Liberties Lives and all Deliverance will come to the Church of God we have received earnest already let 's tug harder at the Oar and wrestle with Prayers and Supplications as we read Isa 62. 1. v. 6 7. When deliverance comes as a Samuel of our Prayers when we apprehend it the returne of prayers O how welcome will be that deliverance To see the ship so well fraught in the returne will be our rejoycing that we have ventur'd so liberally in the stock Fourthly A Merchant must be a man of singular Patience his Prop 4. A Merchant must be a man of Patieâ—ce stock is in a ship whose voyage is to the Indies he therefore must wait patiently for the returne So must every spirituall Merchant venturer wait patiently upon God Learne hence O Christian to wait upon the God of thy salvation the Charriot wheeles of deliverance are long a coming sense failes reason is non-plus't but faith bids thee wait longer It bids thee leave off disputing and reasoning and learn to believe But when faith a little flags then hope encourageth as it did Ezrah amid'st multitudes of teares But Ezrah 10. 2 hope sayeth I have hoped long and hope dâ—forr'd makes the heart sicke then comes patience and bids thee wait and stay Gods time his time is the best time Do not Limit the holy one of Israell to times or meanes this or that instrument Eligat Oppâ—rtunitatem qui libere August dat misericordiam O be perswaded to possesse thy soule with patience Ther 's need of patience Heb 10 36. Ther 's a certaine Period or Limit of time set downe by God though unknowne to us when Deliverance shall come Thirty yeares was appointed to the impotent Cripple which time expired Christ healed him Eighteene yeares to the daughter of Abraham and then was shee healed 70. yeares to the Jewish captivity and then deliverance came Wee are to observe that ther 's a great talke amongst the houshold of Christs coming the feilds looke white to harvest the Gods of Babylon are in disgrace ther 's great powring out of the spirit and a gracious answer of prayers ther 's earnest thirsting and longing after deliverance And these are usuall Harbingers of Deliverance But to determine the punctuall time 't is above all our knowledge we can say no more then with the Psalmist We see not our signes there is no more Ps 4. 9. any Prophet neither is there amongst us that knoweth hâ—w long Le ts imitate those who through faith and patience have inherited the promises Le ts resolve come what will come to wait on God as the Church professes Is 8. 17 and Mich 7. 7. God waits to do us good let us wait for the reception of his mercy Is 30. 8 5. 5 A Merchant frequents the places of Merchandize where he may Prop. 5. A Merchant must frequents the places of merchandise heare of his factors and receive intelligence of his Merchandize He 's frequently at the Exchange or such like meeting places So doth every spirituall Merchant frequent the publike Assemblies which are as it were spirituall Exchanges Places of concourse where he may heare news from heaven and receive Intelligence for the best Emolument of his soule Wait then O Christian at these Bethesdaes wait at the Posts of wisedomes gate Lie in this way where Christ frequently comes by Omit not through Negligence any Sermon that peradventure may be a convincing a converting and a confirming word unto thee It 's a mercy promised to an afflicted people Isay 30. 20. And though the Lord give you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction yet shall not thy teachers be removed into a corner any more but thine eyes shall see thy teachers That you have publick Assemblies frequent opportunities inlarged meanes and that your eyes behold your faithfull teachers these are singular mercies vouchsafed to you your duty is to improve them to the glory of God and the best advantage of your pretious soules 6ly and lastly A Merchant must improve his estate to his best Prop 6. A Merchant must improve his estate to his best advantage Mat 25. 27. advantage He hath been at great paines cost and charges therefore hee 'l put off his commodities to his best emolument The Lord in the Parable expects his own 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with increase An honest gaine is commendable in the trade So a spirituall Merchant must improve all he hath his time Talents Graces Ordinances to the advantage of his pretious soule He must endeavour to gaine by various dispensations adversity as well as prosperity he must endeavour to prosit by every Sermon he heareth by every mans company with whom he converseth Hee 's skill'd in the soule thriving trade He stores up a stock of Divine graces faith love humility meeknesse c. And there with he would be adorned He stores up a stock of attributes he knowes there 's wisedom in God to counsell him mercy in God to pardon him power in God to defend him and with these he supports and stayes his spirit He stores up a stock of promises He reads and beleeves that they are pretious promises and that they are 2 Cor 11. 20. all in Christ Yea and Amen These he gathers up and applyes to his particular condition This spirituall Merchant this true beleever is the best Husband in all the world He not onely hath grace but is still a growing in more grace Hee 's a plant planted in Gods garden and therefore brings forth more fruit in his elder age Hee 's not contented with what grace he hath allready but with Paul he forgets those things which are behind and reacheth forth unto those things which are before pressing forward towards the marke for the price of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus Hee 's still on the getting hand getting more Phil 3. 13. 14. accession unto his faith love and humility adding one degree
breach of Covenant and resolve to keep that inviolable which we made in a day of distress and for which there will be a day of account we are a sinking kingdom and cry out Lord save us or else we perish Hope even holds us up by the chin We are just as the Israelites coming out of Egypt in straights and intanglements amidst Rocks When they were in Egypt O what servitude did they meet withal and cruel bondage Now they come out of Egypt they meet with difficulties the Enemy overtakes them at Pihahiroth between Migdol and the Sea over against Baal-zephon Pihahiroth was a Cave hem'd in with Rocks Migdol signifieth a Cavernac rumbus inclusae Tower Baal was their God and Zephon signifies ruri speculatus est And see what counsel is given Moses said unto the people Exod. 14. 13. fear ye not stand still and see the salvation of the Lord which he will shew to you to day For the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day ye shall see them again no more for ever We are just as Jehoshaphat was in great straits and know not what to do but his practice must be ours to fall a praying O Lord our God wilt thou not judge them for we have no might against this great company that cometh against us neither 2 Chron. 20. 12. know we what to doe but our eyes are unto thee Hold out hope and thus it will argue and plead The Lord hath delivered us from our enemies we hope he will not suffer us to destroy one another The Lord hath done us much good and wrought miraculous salvations for us we trust he will not now destroy us after he hath done us so much good Joyn Faith Hope and Patience and thou wilt then wait to good purpose Sense fails contrivances are disappointed Faith bids dispute not but believe But Faith grows weak then Hope interposeth its good to hope in God Happy is that man whose hope the Lord is Art thou a tottering ready to fall hope underprops thee Art thou ready to sink hope findes out a twig to lay hold on but hope deferred makes the heart sick Then patience steps in and argueth thus Art thou a Believer consider A Believer makes not haste Hast thou hope thou must wait for that thou seest not quiet thy spirit and vvait upon God cast thy self upon his providence stay upon his wisdom rowl thy self upon his love and vvait quietly for his salvation He that vvaits chearfully submissively and patiently with Faith and Hope is put into a ready capacity of receiving a gracious ansvver from God Thus did the people of God they waited upon a word of Promise and relyed upon God for the fulfilling of the vision and they enjoyed the accomplishment thereof which is the second Head propounded viz. the illustration of the Point from the practice and example of the Saints in former times 2. The Doctrine illustrated by examples 2. I 'le first instance in the promises made to Abraham long before they were fulfilled There were two Promises made to Abraham 1. That the Countrey which God vvould give him should flovv with Milk and Honey 2. That his Seed should be as the Stars of Heaven Here 's Gods Word but his works seem strange to run quite cross unto it This vvould appear to a carnal eye to be a very dark vision Abraham vvas commanded out of his ovvn Countrey Now the Lord said unto Gen. 12. 1. Abraham Get thee from out of thy countrey and from thy kindred and from thy fathers house unto a land that I will shew thee As soon as he came into Canaan there was a Famine he vvas ready to starve There was a famine in the land and Abram went down into Egypt to sojourn Gen. 12. 10. there for the famine was grievous in the land This Promise was not made good till the Israelites vvere seated in Canaan many hundred years after and that his Seed should be as the stars of Heaven this vvas strangely brought about against all humane apprehension as by the sequel may appear for Abraham stayed many years before he had Isaac the childe of the promise and Isaac stayed 20 years before he had a childe and God bad Abraham kill Isaac These vvorks seem directly opposite to the Word of God But vve must not lay too much vveight upon the vvorks and thwarting passages of Gods providence but depend wholly upon the word What God promised unto Abraham was fulfilled every tittle in its season So the vision was dark to the Children of Israel Joseph told them that God would surely visit them and bring them out of that Land yet they must wait the limitted time And it came to pass at the end of the Exod. 12. 41. four hundred and thirty years even the self-same day it came to pass that all the hosts of the Lord went out from the land of Egypt Hannah Rachel Rebeckah waited Gods time and Sarah waited for a childe though against the ordinary course of nature God had promised and they must vvait upon his Word Seventy years were appointed for the Babylâ—nish Captivity The Jews must vvait till the expiration then and not till then came deliverance The impotent Cripple waited 38 years at the Pool of Bethesdah then Christ came and put him into the water and healed him The daughter of Abraham waited 18 years then Christ loosned her from her infirmity The Woman waited 12 years on Physitians who had the bloody Issue and they left her uncured and poverty to boot when that time was expired Christ came and healed her Ten days tribulation were appointed to the Angel of the Church of Smyrna Three days Plague to David God in wisdom hath set certain periods of time known onely to himself all which while he will exercise the Faith and Patience of his children at the end whereof and not before he will relieve and comfort them What time God hath set for Englands deliverance is a grand secret locked up in his Cabinet And whether our eyes may see a right settlement a Peace establisht upon the basis of Truth no man can determine We can say no more then Psal 74. 9. with the Psalmist We see not our signs there is no more any Prophet neither is there among us that knoweth how long Yet let us fall upon our knees and be earnest in Prayer for Zion O that the salvation of Israel were come out of Zion When the Lord bringeth back the captivity of his people Jacob shall rejoyce and Israel shall be glad Let us leave off murmuring and fall a praying let 's take off from anxious cares and adde more fervency to our Prayers let 's not be so saucy as to prescribe times and seasons unto God not to limit the holy one of Israel to times or means It 's a received rule of Augustine Let him Eligal opportunitation qui dat miscricordiam Aug. who shews mercy choose his season We
thou a purging rinsing and cleansing thy soule Art thou unwilling to allow thy selfe in any sin unconfest unrepented of If so it 's evident that thou takest care for thy soule 5. Dost thou make use of those meanes which God hath appointed for the good of thy soule God gives thee ordinances dost Qu. 5. thou feed on them he scatters many pretious promises dost thou gather them up and apply them for thy comfort God reveales many pretious graces as faith love c. dost thou attire and beautify thy soule with them God affordes meanes publikely privately hearing reading praying meditation conference dost thou make use of these meanes dost thou improve this prize put into thy hand for the good of thy soule if so thou takest care for thy soule 6ly And lastly Dost thou goe to the fountain of the bloud of Qu. 6. Christ Dost thou look to the brazen serpent to cure thy soule Dost thou see Christ with the eye of faith and lay hold on him with the hand of faith believe on him with the heart of faith If when thou hast done all thou canst thou lookest through all unto Christ and actest all thy duties not in thy own strength but in the strength of Christ questionlesse thou hast a speciall regard of thy soule Examine your selves by these 6 Queries and if in truth and sincerity you can give affirmative answers to them I may safely pronounce you such as regard the eternall advantage of your immortall soules The Fifth Use shall be for Direction To handle this Use for your Use 5. For Direction greater advantage I shall acquaint you with some Impediments which must be removed and then I shall prescribe some Duties that must be performed These Impediments must be removed 1. Love of the world This is the soules clog and hinderance Imped 1. Love of the world which keeps it from soaring aloft The earth wormes of the world love their Mammon their Gold is their confidence Luk. 16. 14. The young man in the Gospel Judas the Gadarens preferred the world before Christ If you would regard your soules you must sit loose off the world your hearts must be alienated from the love of it 2. Too much love of the body such pampering a carcase with Imped 2. Too much love of the body variety of delicate meates so much time spent inter pectinem speculum in trimming up the body these hinder the care of the soule The body must be loved in a subordinate way shall we take more care of the carcase which must be wormes meat and neglect the soule which runs parallel with eternity The soule is animae mancipium will you preferre the servant and the drudge before the Master 3. Remissenesse in spirituall duties These are the spiritual viands Imped 3. Remissenesse in spirituall duties which keep the soule in heart Take away these you starve the soul they are as necessary as meat and drink for the body If you keep not time and touch with God in a constant conscientious performance of duties it 's evident you have no care of your soules The soule hath need of all duties prayer reading hearing meditation conference these are Pabula animae animae vehicula they wing the soule and make it soar aloft As you love your soules neglect not spiritual duties 4. Presumption of long life It s a dangerous thing to presume of Imped 4. Presumption of long life long life when as neither space nor grace is in our power This is that soule-murtherer that hath slaine many thousands Many presume of time God cuts them off in the midst of their sins Many have time and presume of grace though God gives them space he denies them Grace as he did to Jezabell Rev. 2. 21. It s an exceeding great folly to presume of that which is out of our power it s an high contempt and affront offered to God to offer him the lame and the blind to offer him that I may speak it with reverence the Devils leavings when the Devill hath sucked out the marrow to leave unto the Great God the empty dry bones 5ly Carnall security See dreadfull judgments of carnally secure Imped 5. Carnall security persons Deut. 29. 19 20. Having removed these Impediments and dangerous stumbling blocks out of the way I shall prescribe some Duties which you must put in practise 1. Labour as much as in thee lieth to keep thy soule unpolluted Duty 1. Keep thy soul pure with sin Every sin pollutes thy soule watch therefore against sin fight against it account sin thy soul's enemy Harbour not hugge not in thy bosome thy desperate enemy but stir especially against that encompassing sin mentioned Heb. 12. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Consider that the Lord seeth all thy sins he loatheth and abhorreth them Do thou hate that which God hates make no peace with Gods enemies give not quarter to Benhadad make no league with any Gibeonites spare no Agag foster no Delilah no Herodias c. 2. Covenant in the strength of God against thy corruptions Duty 2. Covenant against corruptions Resolve I will swear no more be drunken no more c. All sin defiles my soule Lord give me grace to crucifie my corruptions and to get victory over my sins Lord I cannot of my selfe get victory over any one sin I have covenanted against my pride and I am proud still against my passions and I am froward still against my earthly-mindednesse and yet am earthly-minded still I desire now to get out of my own strength and to act in thy strength Lord give me thy strength then I shall do thy work I can do nothing without thee but I can do all things through Christ that strengthneth me 3. Set time apart every day for a serious search and examination Duty 3. Set times apart for selfe searching of thy soule Examine how it fares with thy soule Doth it grow leaner or fatter doth it thrive or decay How doth the Pulse of thy Devotion beat are there not many intermissions Fourthly Frequently and seriously consider of the inestimable price paid to redeem a soule No lesse price than the bloud of Christ Duty 4. Consider the price of the soule shall I neglect that which cost Christ so dear shall I disregard that which extracted the pretious bloud of Christ out of his veines Didst thou frequently consider the worth of thy soule the inestimable price paid to purchase it it would make thee look to thy soule 5. Labour to get all thy soule-pollutions washt away in the Duty 5. Goe to the fountaine Duty 6. bloud of the covenant go to the fountaine and wash there Sixthly and lastly Make use of all meanes God hath ordained for the good of thy soule Apply the Promises feed on the Ordinances Make use of all meanes appointed Vse 6. For Comfort support thy selfe on the Attributes The last Use shall be for comfort unto those whose
came justly upon them for the neglect and unprofitableness under the Gospel in King Edward the sixth's days And if they were so severely punished for a few years unprofitableness under the means of Grace of how much forer punishment shall we of England be accounted worthy who well nigh a hundred years have enjoyed the purity of the Gospel and yet we are barren and unfruitful Let us every one acknowledge his own unfruitfulness that notwithstanding fatning Ordinances we have lean souls and let us every one pray in particular Lord lay not my unfruitfulness under the Ministry unto my charge The Spirit will not always strive and wait at those Bethesda's God may in judgement say I will take this kingdom from you and give it to others who will bring forth the fruits of it I will no more suffer my servants to be abused no more suffer my word to be despised I 'le rain Mannâ—h no more round about your tents if you have so cheap an esteem of it Let us all deprecate this dreadful judgement which the Pâ—ophet Amos threatens Amos 8. 1. Behold a basket of summer-fruits and he said What seest thou and I said A basket of summer-fruit then said the Lord unto me The end is come upon my people of Israel I will not again pass by them any more This is the second way whereby the Spirit â—â—rives viz. By the Ministry of the word A third way whereby the Spirit strives is by the checks and 3. The Spirit strives by the conviction of conscience Multi habent scientiaÌ„ pauci vero conscientiam Bernard de interiore domo In corde puritatem In ore veritatem In actione rectitudinem Bern. de interdomo convictions of conscience Bernard makes a sad complaint in that excellent Tract De interiori domo Many haue knowledge but few have conscience He lays down there three choice qualifications of a good conscience To have sincerity in the heart truth in the mouth and rectitude in the conversation These are distinguishing Notes for tryal and examination Now the spirit of God strives by the checks of conscience Conscience flew in Judas his face a legal qualm came upon him I can call it no better It sprang from the horror of the wrath of God and Hell fire flashing in his face It was no Evangelical repentance Judas got thirty pieces of silver but conscience forced him to a restitution Conscience is a reflect act it looks back upon a mans self It is like a Musket over-charged it will recoil upon a sinner It is like a Blood-hound that will follow by the scent and will never leave searching till it hath descryed the Delinquent Wherefore Brethren let us take special notice of the checks of Conscience Let us keep faith and a good conscience joyn'd as the Apostle exhorts Let us not break Gods link Let Pauls Herein I exercise be our continual Monitor Acts 24. 16. Herein I exercise my self to have a conscience void of offence towards God and towards men A Christian may have a pardon in the Court of the Judge and yet not discern it in the Court of his conscience In case of desertions withdrawings and suspensions of Gods gracious countenance a Christian may not be able to apprehend Gods reconciled countenance but in this case there are incouraging supporting promises Isa 50. 10. Who is among you that feareth the Lord that obeyeth the voice of his servant that walketh in darkness and hath no light let him trust in the name of the Lord and stay upon his God We read likewise Psal 97. 11. Light is sown for the righteous and gladness for the upright in heart and Psal 112. 4. Unto the upright there ariseth light in the darkness God is gracious and full of compassion and righteous in all his ways But what shall we say when a sinner is condemned both in the Court of the Judge and of conscience how great is that condemnation Spira had a check of conscience and a voice forbidding him O do it not He paid full dear for the wounding of his conscience It 's an observatian of an excellent Divine in a precious Book called Moses self-denyal We had better saith he have all the world Mr. Burroughs Moses Self-denyal cast shame in our faces and upbraid us then that our consciences should cast dirt into them It 's better to endure all the frowns and anger of the greatest Potentates on earth then to have an angry conscience within our breast It 's better to want all the pleasures that earth can afford then to loose the delights which a good conscience will bring in O let the Bird in the breast be always kept singing whatsoever we suffer for it We all subscribe to this in Theâ— whether we do thus in Hypothesi let 's examine our awakned Conscience Let us every one deal impartially with his own conscience All our hearts are naked unto him with whom we have to deal Let every one pray study confer for the information of his own Conscience nothing may be done doubtingly for that is not of faith and whatsoever is not of faith is sin In the whole course of our lives let us bring all our actions to the rule of the word of God and let that decide the controversie Here 's a four-fold infallible rule Let A four-fold rule for the examining of conscience 1. Every one be perswaded in his own heart 2. Let us abstain from all appearances of evil 3. Prove all things and hold fast that which is good 4. Hold faith and a good conscience Let us keep close to these known plain rules discarding carnal policy carnal interests which are the devised ways of men and then let our resolution concur with Luthers I bear this title I HuÌ„c gero titulum cedo nulli Luth. yeild to none Now then when the Spirit thus strives by the checks of conscience let us not resist nor stifle those motions let us not shut our eyes against known light breaking in upon us This is a third way whereby the Spirit strives viz. by the checkings and convictions of Conscience A fourth way wereby the Spirit strives is by the tenders of 4. The Spirit strives by the tender of mercies mercies and loving kindness openings of bowels of compassion towards poor sinners These mercies are tender mercies and there is a multitude of them Psal 51. 1. Have mercy upon me O God according to thy loving kindeness according to the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions They are the sounding of Bowels the fountain opened Zech. 13. 1. In that day there shall be a fountain opened to the House of David and to the Inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and for uncleanness Here is a free tender of Jesus Christ and the riches of his mercies The spirit makes many Proclamations and Invitations to come in to Jesus Christ One is Isa 55. 1. Ho every one that thirsteth come ye to the waters and
do living without God in the world As one said either this is not Gospell holding up the Bible in his hands or you are not Christians But this is Gospell that if we believe not we shall dye in our sinnes therefore we that live in our unbeliefe are not Christians 4. Infidelity consists in this when we live by sense and not by 4. Infidelity is a living by sense faith we believe no more then what we see if our sense and our reason failes our faith failes as in the case of Thomas Joh. 20. 27. But we ought to live by faith and not by sense Many will believe nothing but what they can give a reason for though the waies of God are most reasonable and religion is a reasonable 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 12. 1. profession and a reasonable service is commanded yet it s above reason and transcendeth the capacity of a naturall man That person must have his senses exercised and a spirituall eye that will discerne the misteries of God see how the Apostle describes faith Heb. 11. 1. To be the substance of things not seen And the Patriarches saw the promises a farre off Heb. 11. 13. What then though sense faile and reason is nonplussed yet the promises of God never faile This sometimes is the fault of Gods own children under desertions who conclude awry and say they have no faith because they want feeling whereas feeling is an after thing Eph. 1. 13. And faith may be in the Root alive though the fruit appeare not presently to the sense There is truth of faith where there may be want of sense and apprehension In so much as faith and doubting may goe togeather as appeares Mark 9. 24. Lord I believe help my unbeliefe This living by sense more then faith is a great peice of Infidelity hence it came to passe that Abraham and Isaac both denied their wifes in them there was sense and fear joyned togeather Sarah laughed at the promise there was sense as appeares by her answer Ge. 18. 12. Sense acted in David and not faith when he said in his heart that he should one day perish by the hand of Saul 1 Sam. 27. 1. Wherefore he betook himselfe immediatly unto the Philistines 1 Sam. 27. 1 2. Here 's the Triall Sense saith no Faith saith yea Sense saith its impossible Faith saith all things are possible to the believer Sense saith its incredible and unreasonable Faith saith I believe though incredible and unreasonable Sense saith and reason pleads we can dispute and argue no longer Faith saith leave of disputing and learne to believe Thus did Abraham and he acted upon a principle of faith Ro. 4. 19 20. 5. Infidelity consists in the Non-application of promises upon 5. Infidelity consiâ—ts in the Non application of promises Gal. 2. 20. the termes of the Gospell for to belive Christ is a Saviour and not my Saviour what comfort can I take in it To believe Christ dyed for sinners and to exclude my selfe from any benefit by his death this is a dreadfull condition Paul applied Christ to himselfe Gal. 2. 20. Who loved me and gave himselfe for me And so did Thomas my Lord and my God Now heares a great difference between presumptuous sinners and poore weak believers Presumptuous sinners are too hasty to apply too much and poore weak Christians are too backward and apply too little Every presumptuous sinner would be blessed and happy and will say Christ dyed for him but he is a stranger and grossely ignorant who they are to whom appertaines blessednesse It 's appropriated Matth. 5. to the poore in spirit to the pure in heart to those that hunger and thirst after righteousnesse but poore weak believers are afraid to lay hold on promises and question their interest in them Now to speak to weak Christians whose faith is true though but little let them know that their little faith is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 like pretious 2 Pet. 1. 1. faith they would faine have more faith they pray for more and they strive for more it 's their griefe and cause of heavinesse that they have no more do you not then whatever you are stand in your own light O therefore tast and see that God is good stay upon his promises and apply your selves unto Christ the poorer you are in your own spirit and the more sensible of your unworthinesse the more fit you are to receive Jesus Christ and if you dare not apply Christs promises unto you be sure that you apply your selves unto Christ and his promises relye stay and leane upon them let them not goe Faith is both a hand and an eye you must lay hold on Christ and look unto him as they did on the brazen Serpent in the wildernesse This faith acts Q. O but I am afraid I tremble I dare not lay hold on Christ I dare not make this application to my selfe Ans To answer hereunto 1. Know a Paralitick trembling hand may receive a pretious pearle 2. Christ invites thirsty hungry poore naked indigent lost creatures such as are undone in themselves to come unto him Art thou sensible of thy poverty nakednesse undone condition thou art invited why then dost thou not make hast unto Jesus Christ 3. Those that come are accepted such I mean who come in faith so Christ declares Joh. 6. 35 37. And the not coming unto Christ damnes multitudes of soules Joh. 5. 40. But I proceed to the second head propounded the proofe of 2. Vnbeliefe hath severall Aggravations the doctrine from Scripture that this sinne of unbeliefe is such a Grand-damning sinne and this will evidently appeare from those severall Aggravations mentioned in the Word of God 1. Unbeliefe maketh the Word of God unprofitable unto us Heb. 4. 2. The word profited not because not mixt with faith We thrive not under Ordinances because of unbeliefe If in our estates we find out that there 's some wastfull licentious course of living that hinders us from thriving and causeth us to grow behinde hand we should carefully avoide that Infidelity hinders our souls from thriving hence comes a leannesse in our soules notwithstanding a fatnesse of Ordinances and great barrennesse and unfruitfulnesse because we believe not the word 2. This sinne causeth Apostacy Heb. 3. 12. Psal 78. 57. 3. It scapes not unpunished in Gods own Children Luk. 1. 20. Zachary was struck with dumbnesse for not believing the Angell 4. Unbelievers are joyned with the most abominable sinners Rev. 21. 8. 5. The Scripture pronounceth damnation to be the portion of unbelievers in the future tense it s said Mark 16. 16. and Joh. 3. 36. He that believeth not shall be damned but in the present tense Joh. 3. 18. They are as sure to be damned as though the were already in hell It 's said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which hath the signification of the present tense as if the unbeliever were actually damned or in a damnable condition 6.
This sinne labours to cut of the whole Gospell by denying of Christ his Word falsifying his promises accounting him an unsufficient Saviour undervaluing the price of his blood and contemning that great salvation tendred in the Gospell but this particular will fall in amongst the Reasons of the Doctrine which follow now in the next place to be handled for the further confirmation of the point we have strong reasons drawn from Scripture contributing further evidence to the Doctrine amongst many I le reduce them unto these demonstrative Arguments 1. Because unbeliefe refuseth Gods remedy offered to heale Arg. 1. Vnbeliefe refuseth Gods remedy and rejecteth a pardon tendred by despising Jesus Christ the only mediatour the only Saviour and price paid for our redemption God offereth the pearle of price the Lord Jesus an unbeliever cares not for it and bids God take againe his commodity Exod. 5. 2. unto himselfe Pharaoh said Who is the Lord that I should obey his voyce so an unbeliever saith who is Christ that we should believe in him these are those Gadarenish Mammonists who all petitioned that Christ might depart out of their coasts they preferred Mar. 5. 17. their swine before Christ There were three predominant sinnes in those Gadarenes viz Ignorance covetousnesse and Infidelity these are they that will not have Christ to raigne over them see their doome Luk. 19. 27. These are they that despise Christ and in despising of Christ they despise God the Father Luk. 10. 16. God would heale them and they would not be healed Jer. 15. 18. Christ invites them they all with one consent make excuses Luk. 14. 18. Christ would gather them as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings but they would not Luk. 13. 34. Christ sendeth Embassadors to entreat them to be reconciled but they will not 2 Cor. 5. 20. Christ tenders a great salvation to them but they neglect it Heb. 2. 3. And how shall such escape their perdition is from themselves Hos 13. 9. Their condemnation is Just they are their owne murtherers The riches of Gods mercy is Jesus Christ unbelievers despise the riches of Gods mercy the blood of Christ is the only soveraigne plaister and healing Remedy unbelievers throw away this plaister trample under feet this medicine and thus they judge themselves unworthy of eternall life 2. Unbelievers accuse God and his Word of falshood wherefore Arg. 2. Vnbelievers accuse God and his word of falshood the sinne of Infidelity must needs be a grand God-provoking sinne To give a man the lye is accounted a great reproach and indignity what is it then to put the lye upon the God of eternall truth And so unbelievers endeavour to doe 1 Joh. 5. 10. An unbeliever makes the Gospell a Fable what in him lyes and Christ an Impostor The comminations and Judgments against sinners are lookt on by unbelievers but as so many scarre-crowes they blesse themselves and promise to themselves peace notwithstanding all their rebellions and as for the promises they look upon them but as flattering and deceitfull they believe no further then sense guides them As for a reward to come a resurrection a day of Judgment they are in their hearts Sadduces either absolutely denying the thing or else wishing in their hearts and hoping that there shall be no such thing 3. Unbeliefe after a sort may be said to binde the hands of Arg. 3. Vnbeliefe binds the hands of God God God will have his word believed and he workes faith in those whom he makes objects of mercy though the fore sight of faith doth not move him to set his heart on them that 's his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 alone which moves him to set his heart on any yet those whom he loveth he washeth and whom he elects unto happinesse and eternall salvation he elects unto faith and repentance and perseverance in them both Now Infidelity damnes up the streame barres and bolts the dore and hinders mercyes and puts them in an incapacity of receiving any mercyes Christ would do no mighty workes at Nazareth because of their unbeliefe Christ Mat. 13. 58. would not suffer Pearles to be trampled under feet he would not loose the glory of a Miracle and cast away great workes upon an unbelieving people The unbelieving Jewes entred not into rest because of unbeliefe Unbeliefe barr'd multitudes out of Heb. 4. 6. temporall Canaan and it barres multitudes out of the eternall Canaan 4. Unbeliefe makes the Ordinances unfruitfull and ineffectuall Arg. 4. Vnbeliefe makes Ordinances unfruitfull Jam. 1. 6. Jam. 5. 15. For instance it makes the Word Heb. 4. 2. Prayer unfruitfull Mat. 21. 22. Jam. 1. 6. Jam. 5. 15. To pray formally in a rode as a lip-labour only without faith and fervency so farre an Unbeliever may goe and reape no fruit from such formall services Unbelievers hinder the working of the Sacrament of the Lords Supper for indeed that is a distinguishing Ordinance and appertaines not to unbelievers It is childrens bread It s a holy Sacrament and holy things belong to holy persons as in the Primitive time they were wont to speak with a loud voyce before the receiving of the Sacrament But what do Unbelievers get by this Ordinance 2 Cor. 11. 29. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 if they will thrust in and participate thereof it prooves but common bread common wine to them and further they eate and drink Judgment to themselves 5. And lastly Unbeliefe causeth dreadfull Judgments Temporall and Eternall to the profane Prince 2 Kings 7. 2. vers ult To the Israelites how many of their Carcasses perished in the wildernesse Moses himselfe was shut out of Canaan Psal 106. 33. Comp. with Numb 20. 10. which words heare now yee rebells betrayed some distrust of God and eternall Judgments are the portion of all unbelievers Luk. 12. 40. More I shall not adde to the Doctrinall part but through Christ that strengtheneth me I intend to make six Uses of this Doctrine 1. For Reproofe 2. For Caution 3. For Exhortation 4. For Examination 5. For Direction And 6. For Consolation 1. For Reproofe and Terror unto all unbelievers how dreadfull Vse 1. For Reproofe is their condition and they are not sensible of it nor a whit affected with it their Doome is terrible in the Text they shall dye in their sinnes Their sinne of Infidelity is enough of it selfe to damne them but this is never alone it hath a fraternity of sinnes and abominations joyn'd with it as Pride unthankfulnesse earthly-mindednesse Atheisme and many such like fruits issuing out of the womb of Infidelity What sinne is there that hath not some spice some tincture of Infidelity As for instance the sinne of lying in Abraham and Isaac was mixt with Infidelity Abraham denied Sarah and Isaac denied Rebeccah to be their wives they were afraid of their lives and that feare exposed their wives to sad temptations Did not God tell Abraham that in him should all
portion for eternall life is their inheritance Joh. 10. 28. Secondly Faith is a hand to lay hold on Christ But not a working hand as that hand of a labourer that earnes his living upon his desert and for his work receives his wages But faith is a receiving hand of a poore man that layes hold on a pearle and receives all of mercy and favour from God Hence faith is exprest by receiving Joh. 1. 12. Thirdly Faith gives insight into heaven and communion with God Heb. 11. 27. Fourthly From Justification by faith flowes all our comforts and priviledges Rom. 5. 1. 2. But if the Consideration of the benefit of Faith take no Motive 2. From the mischiefe of unbeliefe place on the contrary take notice of the mischiefe of Insidelity You heard before the reasons of the Doctrine after another sort how Infidelity bound Gods hands refused the remedy I will adde other great mischiefes which spring from the fountaine of unbeliefe viz. these following 1. Unbeliefe makes all our prayers unavailable To pray and not in faith is sinne for whatever is not of faith is sinne 2. Unbeliefe causeth diffidence of and staggering at promises Rom. 4. 20. 3. It hinders and deprives men of Communion with believers 2 Cor. 6. 15. 4. Every thing is uncleane and desiled to unbelivers Tit. 1. 15. Their spirituall uncleannesse makes every thing uncleane unto them The distinction of cleane and uncleane meates is disanulled by the Gospell the use of them is pure to them who are cleansed by Christs blood and sanctified by his spirit but of unbelievers it is said Their mind and Conscience is defiled 5. Unbelievers are given up to damnable delusions 2 Thes 2. 10 11 12. That they all might be damned who believed not the truth The fourth Use is for Examination and Triall of Faith and Vse 4. For Examination Infidelity Every one is ready to say he believes but the number of believers is very small But where there is true faith it hath these singular Qualifications to inlighten the understanding to purify the heart to sanctify the life and Conversation to trust God with all to live by faith for that is the life of a Christian To inlarge a little these Qualifications First True faith inlightens the understanding Paul when of Qualific 1. True faith inlightens the understanding an unbeliever he became a believer it 's said And immediatly there fell from his eyes as it had been scales Act. 9. 18. Where God worketh faith he illuminates the understanding Act. 26. 18. Joh. 2. 20. Secondly faith purifieth the heart it 's a purifying grace Act. Qualific 2. Faith purifieth the heart 15. 9. The heart is purged and cleansed from malice this God calleth for Jam. 4. 8. Jer. 4. 14. Thirdly Faith reformes the life hence faith is called a holy faith Jude 20. An unfained faith the Faith of Gods elect a Pretious Qualific 3. Reformes the life Faith For a true believer is a man of another Conversation As it was said of Caleb Num. 14. 24. He had another spirit with in him So true believers are of another spirit i. e. of a gracious spirit farre different from what they were in the State of unregeneracy and farre different from the men of the world Qualific 4. Faith trusts God with all Qualific 5. the juâ—t lives by faith Fourthly Faith trusts God with all David calls God his Rock Fortresse Bulwark c. Psal 18. 2. Psal 27. 1. A Believers heart is fixed and setled in unsetled times Psal 112. 7. Fiftly Faith is that whereby the just lives Hab. 2. 4. Gal. 2. 20. A believer in a storme gets himselfe upon a Rock he hides himselfe in the clefts of a Rock Christ is the Rock of Ages A believer climbes up thither and there rests In dangers he goeth to God hee 's his Refuge strong Tower and Bulwark of defence In doubts God is his Counsellour in distresse God is his comforter Now le ts inquire after some signes and symptomes of an unbeliever The first which is to be reckoned in the fore front is partiall Signe 1. Partiall obedience obedience an unbeliever whatever he pretends is but obedient to halves so was Saul in sparing Agag c. So was Ananias and Saphira in keeping back part of the price Agrippa would be a Christian 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Act. 26. 28. We have many such al-most Christians halfe baked cakes like Ephraim a cake not turn'd Hos 7. 18. The second signe of Unbeliefe is murmuring and impatience Signe 2. Murmuring The Lord complaines often of the murmuring of the Children of Israell Psal 106. 25. vers 29. And this is forbidden 1 Cor. 10. 10. See their impatience Num. 14. 44 45. Murmuring and impatience go togeather when God answers not at our time we begin to murmur and wax exceeding impatient so did they Psal 78. 19. Can God furnish a Table in the wildernesse Thirdly Unbeliefe appeares evidently by that refuge which Signe 3. Broken Refuge men betake themselves unto in streights and difficulties Saul went to a witch Judas and Achitophel to a halter Ahaziah sent to Baalzebub the god of Ekron The Foole in the Gospell comforts himselfe with his riches voluptuous men betake themselves to their pleasures Ambitious men to their titles of honour but all these are broken and deceitfull refuges and wiâ—l faile in the greatest difficulties like cloath that shrinks in the wetting The fifth Use is for Direction And this I shall branch into a Vse 5. For Direction few Duties First be sure to act faith upon the promises have a word for Dir. 1. Act Faith upon promises your warrant I trust in this word saith David I hoped in this word Study promises and apply them live upon them we read Joh. 3. 36. He that believeth hath eternall life But I am a believer c. make good this Assumption and thou maist conclude that thou shalt be saved Secondly Content not your selves with those attainments and Dir. 2. Content not thy selfe with former attainments measures of faith you have already got but pray with the Apostles Lord increase our faith we read of some thing lacking in the faith of the Thessalonians 1 Thes 3. 10. Labour to get thy faith strengthned and thy heart established upon God It s no easy matter to believe when the Son of man comes shall he find faith in the earth Dir. 3. Be Conscientious in the use of Ordinances Dir. 4. Often search thy heart Vse 6. For Consolation Thirdly Be diligent and conscientious in the Use of Ordinances as hearing Gods Word Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God Rom. 10. 17. And adde praying and receiving the Sacraments Fourthly Often search thy heart for feare least a Temporary Faith lurke there Much unbeliefe lurketh in thy heart therefore watch and pray against it labour to get it rooted out The last Use is for Consolation unto Gods
tidings but rather hearing them as it were in a dreame he cuts the role in peices and casts it into the fire O the Sottish Lethargy of a rebellious sinner Hee 's setled upon his lees at ease in Zion come what will come he thinks himselfe secure that no evill shall happen unto him Security is the harbinger of ruine But wickednesse stands not still it 's a teeming mother though of a spurious issue To make his sinne compleatly sinfull he sends hue and crie to apprehend the prophet and the scribe Heel 'e be reveng'd on the instruments though for the performance of their obliged duty O ungratefull patient who when he hath trampled soveraigne physick under his feet straightway plots the destruction of his physitian but humane power is circumscrib'd with certaine limits and compasses and cannot goe one jot further then the supreme overruling hand permits the motion Man purposeth but the Lord disposeth of that purpose as it pleaseth him God himselfe becomes an hiding place unto his servants But the Lord hid them Jer. 36. 26. the kings expresse commands must be frustrated his messengers must returne without their errand for God hath more worke for the prophet and the scribe A new role must be writ The nationall rebellions must stand upon record legible to posterity This God gives in precept and they immediatly put in execution And over and above the text is expresse in the close of the forecited chapter that there were added besides unto them many like words New rebellions renew their sorrowes and continuance in sin abundantly aggravates the punishment By this time Baruch is perplex'd with multitudes of sorrowes the apprehension of the Kings wrath makes him feare and tremble he is sensible of a burthen too heavy for him to beare the weight whereof mak's him fall groveling unto the ground The Lord becomes the remembrancer of his passionate expressions Thou didst say woe is me now for the Lord hath added greife to my sorrow I fainted in my sighing and find no rect v. 3. Addidit dominus scriptionem Scripti vi one writing after another I hardly scap't for my former writing and now I put my selfe into the very mouth of the lyon adding a second danger to the former and so expose my selfe unto a continuall succession of miseries In the mount in the greatest straits and extremities the Lord will be seene Now comes the Lord and brings out a precious cordiall which he reserv'd for a languishing condition Now he shewes himselfe indeed a very present helpe in this needfull condition and time of trouble Hee 's the good Samaritan he powrs oyle into the wounds and binds them up hee 'l in no wise quench this smoking flax nor breake this Matth. 12. 20. bruised reed O tast and see O Baruch how good and gracious the Lord is to thee in particular There 's an universall conflagration and yet thou art as a brand pluck't out of the burning There 's a generall massacre and yet thy life is given thee for a prey whithersoever thou goest The Prophet brings this tidings from the mouth of God v. 4. behold that which I have built I will breake downe Goodly edifices must be leveld with the ground and not one stone left upon another It followeth and that which I have planted I will pluck up even this whole land The vineyard of Gods own plantation must be laid wast and pluck't up root and branch The Lord when he begins will make an end Laesa patientia fit furor Patience abused breaks forth into extremity of fury his wrath is incens'd and his jealousy burnes hot like fire If any thing questionlesse a showre of teares might quench this burning but their hearts are unbroken their fallow-ground is not plowed up they are past relenting and so shut against themselves a dore of mercy And now O Baruch thou sonne of Neriah where 's thy sympathy why dost not thou call thy comforts Ichabods Dost thou thinke to fare well at home whilst the Church of God is under hatches abroad wouldst thou be in the floate of prosperity whilst the Church is in the ebbe of adversity As the marriners in a tempest rows'd Jonah and cryed what meanest thou O sleeper arise call upon thy God Jonah 1. 6. so say I arise and lay to heart the afflictions of thy brethren When private calamities come in competition with publick let the latter preponderate Thou must not stick to foregoe thy own rest ease tranquility nay thy life it selfe when thou hast a lawfull calling to lay it downe in these times of horrour and confusion Let this advice from heaven in my text have an effectuall influence upon thy spirit tu quaerâ—res tibi res magnas ne quaerito and seekest thou great things for thy selfe seeke them not My text may be stil'd Baruch's hurt and cure If he or any other Baruchs Hurt and Cure would with the sorcerer bost himselfe to be some great one in the world if he set upon the pursuite of great things in this world an arrow from God will be sent and pierce his soule through with many sorrowes there 's his hurt But if so be he become endowed with a selfe denying spirit so that sublunary things are below his notice he can bid adieu unto them as unsutable to his elevated affections hee 's a man of a singular temper hee 'l discerne a sun of righteousnesse with healing wings there 's his cure So then in the words formally considered there 's a Question and an answere In the Question I recommend three particulars unto 1. An Act. 2. An Object 3. The person your observation 1. An act and seekest thou 2. The Object great things 3. The persons one and the same thou for thy selfe The Prophet anticipates Baruchs answere and gives it himselfe seeke them not This dehortation is diametrically opposite It stands like the Cherubims with a flaming sword to keep the way of the tree of life A sinner rides full speed in a swift career of ungodlinesse Here 's a Remora which purposely meets him and stops his passage Hee 's bid to stand by the watchman of the Lord of Hosts You see then my Brethren what I am to presse upon your affections that ye would get rays'd spirits and sue out a divorce between your selves and the world The Argument of my discourse is Heavenly mindednesse The enlargement of this Theme is most sutable to these present distractions where there are such sad thoughts of heart for the afflictions of Joseph and for the divisions of Reuben Is it now a time for purchasing of Lands and revenues eating the fat and drinking the sweet to solace our selves in all variety of voluptuousnesse and epicurisme to stretch out our selves in beds of Ivory to drinke wine in bowles and yet remaine insensible of the afflictions of Joseph If by such projects as these we seeke to get a name upon earth we may build a Babel of our own confusion
But let us learne to deny our lawfull pleasures and make our teares our meate and drinke imitating St James whose knees as Eusebius records became like camels hooss by the assiduity of his devotion Where 's the man that spares the more either from his Eusebius Eccle. Hist belly or his back that prostrates himselfe in the dust before the throne of Grace whose soule is alike affected with Jâ—remies to weep in secret for the sins of the times I feare our times are just like those before the deluge eating and drinking and making merry God grant that wee imitate not the Swans who as they say sing sweetly before their Funerall Cast your eyes upon the bleeding condition of Ireland and that which comes neerer home the miserable distractions of the land of our Nativity Is mirth jollity seasonable at a Fast or Funerall Is it a discourse sutable for a dying man to talke of honours high places and promotions shall a man drencht in teares pursue pastimes and pleasures shall humility and lowlinesse change the scene into pride and ambition shall poverty invest it selfe with stately robes shalt thou O Baruch when all the world is in combustion be so spiritually benummed as to have thy heart doting upon the momentany pleasures of this wicked world doth thy heart hanker after thy pleasures and with Lots wife doest thou looke back upon the delights of Sodom Let her 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be thy warning peice not to seeke great things for thy selfe Thus having paraphras'd the words I shall prosecute them according to my proposed method intending the question for the doctrinall part of my text and seekest thou great things for thy selfe And the dehortatory answere shall be my use and application seeke them not In the unfolding whereof I shall purposely indeavour to enlarge my selfe in a plaine and familiar discourse making my text my Apology not to seeke great things for my selfe not any sublime composures to gratify any wanton eares of Athens but to condiscend unto the capacity of the meanest Auditor that heares me this day In the prosecution of the words I shall not separate the act from the object they are joyn'd in the sense and therefore I l'e not divide them in my discourse And so I l'e resume them jointly Et quaeris tibi grandia and seekest thou great things And now O Baruch thou sonne of Neriah let me once more on this wise expostulate the matter with thee Is there any such a miablenesse in that thing whereon thy heart is so wholy enamoured doth the object so necessarily conduce to the compleating of thy felicity that with Rachel thou must have it or else die Is thy life bound up in it's life as Jacobs was in Benjamins so that for a moment thou canst not foregoe the fruition of it what is the reason that thou art so possest with so much anxiety of spirit when I see a man bid adieu to all other things and wholly fix himselfe upon one thing alone I presently conjecture that there is some rarity and excellency in that thing which wholy takes up his affections and terminates his acquiescencie as lines in their proper center Let 's then as Moses did turne aside and see what these great things are whether answerable to the report and expectation yea or no. But alas our paines will be to small purpose and the issue parallel to the pains both alike unfruitfull The text calls them great things by which Vatablus and some others understand the gift of propheâ—y but this interpretation hath no correspondence with the History and seems Vatablus Theodoretus C. A. Lapide Calv. in Loc. to offer violence to the words But I rather adhere to Theodoret a Lapide Calv. and indeed the generall current of interpreters who by great things understand rest and tranquility an immunity from imminent and apparent dangers a confluence of outward delights and comforts as riches honours and the like Out of an apprehension of the losse of these there arose such grievous complaints and bitter expressions of sorrowes a great infirmity a practise how unsutable unto a servant of God! what was not Baruch promoted to so high an honour as to be the Scribe and Amanuensis of the Lord of Hosts and shall he be so nice and delicate as to account his life more precious then many thousands to preferre his private well-fare before the weale-publick O faint hearted souldier Vriah was of a more Heroicall spirit when David bad him goe home to his house and refresh himselfe after his journey The Arke saith he and Israel and Judah abid in tents and my Lord Ioab and the servants of my Lord are incamped in open feild shall I then goe into my house to eat and to drink and to lie with my wife as thou livest and as 2 Sam. 11. 11. Salu. Bell. Jugurâ—h thy soule liveth I will not do this thing Marius in Salust discoverd a magnanimous resolution unto his souldiers Doctus sum hiemem aestatem juxta pati humi requiescere eâ—dem tempore inopiam laborem tolerare A child of God must preferre the welfare of Zion before his private respects and interests he must not dreame of his own personall peace in their publick calamities in times of captivity and Iacobs troubles we must beare a share with them in their sufferings O brave profession of the Kingly prophet Psal 137. 6. If I forget thee O Jerusalâ—m let my right hand forget her cunning That of Moses must be the good Christians choyce Heb. 11. 25. Rather to suffer affliction with the people of God then to enjoy the pleasures of sin which last but for a season But le ts take a narrower survey of these great things and le ts consider whether they be worth the seeking after yea or no. One man seek's rest and quietnesse these are his great things Naomi sought out a rest for Ruth This man would Induction One man seekes rest and quietnesse faine sit under his own vine and under his own figtree hee 's secure with the men of Laish he resembles the whore who sits as a queen and saith no evill shall happen unto her But ye know the wofull end of the men of Laish Their security exposed them to their enemies rage and fury And that Babylonish strumpet shall have death and mourning and famine even all these plagues come upon her in one day Rev. 18. 8. So the foole in the Gospell and Nebuchadnezzar amidst their vaine glorious boastings were cashier'd of all When Amnons heart was merry with wine then was he slaine The hand-writing came out against Belshazzar and numbred his dayes amid'st his carousing and jollities Agag came delicately but was presently hewed in peices before the Lord in Gilgal Sisâ—ra tooke his sleepe but never awak't but unto eternity When men seeke rest it will fly from them When Job promis'd rest unto himselfe he could not find it my bones saith he are pâ—irced
who would joyne himselfe associate with this perfidious world a president of all vitiousnesse it brings us like fooles to the stocks and then laughs at our misery It brings us upon the rack and then becomes our executioner The time will come when the Lord will summon up his creatures and they all will bring in their Bils of inditement against their dearest minions and then thou wist find by woefull experience that those darling sins which yeelded the sweetest rellish unto thy sinfull soule in the acting will now present nothing unto thee but gall and wormewood they will make the deepest wounds and gashes in thy conscience If then thou art well acquainted with the vanity of the creature thou wilt slacken thy pursuite and forbeare such a furious prosecution of those things which are so destructive both to thy body and soule if thou knewest how vaine all things are in this world how empty how deceitfull thou wouldst not hazard thy soule upon such an unprofitable purchase 4ly And lastly Labour to be acquainted with the fulnesse that Direct 4. Labour to be acquainted with the fulnesse that is in JesusChrist is in Jesus Christ He hath fulnesse of wisdome to teach thee of holinesse to sanctify of mercy to pardon fulnesse of riches fulnesse of merits and fulnesse of glory It pleased the Father that in him should all fullnesse dwell Col. 1. 19. Be thy wants many from Christ thou mayest fetch a supply be thy miseries pressing Christ is a father of mercies and a God of all consolations for we have not an high priest which cannot be toâ—â—â—t with the feeling of our infirmities Heb. 4. 15. The selfe same bowels of compassion Christ hath in Heaven which he had on earth when he wept over Jerusalem 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Cor. 12. 7. v. 9. Are thy desertions impetuous and thy spirituall conflicts violent doth the Angell Sathan buffet thee and sometimes leave thee as he did the possessed dead in outward appearance O make hast to Christ looke for him in the word in the sacraments in prayer if thou find'st him not in one ordinance never leave off seeking till thou hast found him in another and then â—ee'l manifest to thy soule that his grace is sufficient for thee Art thou poore Christ is riches art thou blind he is eye-salve Art thou weake hee 's strength Art thou dead hee 's life Now then remember thy selfe how all this while thou hast run on hoodwink't into errors and precipices expecting a fulnesse in the creature wherein is nought but emptinesse O Christians labour to make a better choyse to get hearts emptyed of all selfe-love and abhorre all selfe-sufficiency in and Idolatry with the creatures when once you are partakers of those glorious priviledges which are above of the fulnesse of Christs excellency beauty wisdome purity these will a thousand times recompence the emptying of your selves of any fulnesse of outward contentment in the creature How then should we powre out our petitions to have this fulnesse of Christ communicated unto us according Joh. 1. 16. to our measure that of his fulnesse we may all receive grace for grace Be thy condition never so poore in the world yet if thou hast Christ thou art the richest man in the world Though all things goe against thee friends leave thee riches faile thee promotion flies from thee thy custome and livelihood much decayes yet all this while if thou hast made Christ thy portion none can take away thy Christ Christ is better then thy friends then thy riches then thy promotion then thy custome Hee 's above all and better then all comforts nay the choicest comforts are none at all in comparison of his soule-ravishing comforts Christ hath Use 3 For Exhortation the preheminence and is all in all In the last place here is an use of Exhort to perswade you to get your hearts weaned from the world And now that I might better prevaile with your spirits that you might be took off of these things here below no more seek great things in this world for your selves suffer me to presse home unto your consciences these ensueing considerations 1. Earthly things are accompanied with much vexation and disquietnesse of spirit 2. They cannot afford any satisfaction unto the soule of man 3. All things on earth put together in one cannot helpe a man in the evill day 4. They cannot lead a man beyond this present life they cannot accompany him unto eternity Weigh seriously these considerations and they will be as so many plummets of lead to weigh down your affections and keepe them from an eager pursuite after the greatest things the Universe can afford 1. I say the greatest things in this world are accompanied with much vexation and disquietnesse of spirit As it 's a great blessing 1 Consider The vexation that accompanies earthly things to enjoy the creature with a chearfull heart so it 's a great curse to have them as so many thornes in their sides prickingâ—â—m and as so many gins and snares in the way to intrap the followers to their ruine Let a man have a Cornucopiam a store house of riches yet if he cannot quietly enjoy himselfe in the use of them he had far better be without them Let a man be upon the rack let the wheele passe over him and dislocate his bones Let him be put in Peâ—â—â—lus Bull or expos'd to the most exquisitely devis'd torments in the tenne persecutions in the primitive Church yet this mans payne is easy in comparison of his who hath riches and honours in abundance even goods laid up for many yeares and yet hath all this while a discontented spirit Thou then who ever thou art that art an Ingrosser of worldly wealth who mak'st gold and silver thy Idols and honour'st them morâ—â—en thy God thou art not aware how thy earthly mindednesse will sharpen and give teeth to an affliction to eat out thy choicest delights and comfortâ— Thou art sollieitous to plow and low thy grounds and another may reape the fruits thereof Likewise thou hast no power of the clouds and canst not command the influence of heaven for the iniquity of a people God makes the heavens iron and the earth brasse and now how art thou vext and disquieted and know'st not how to helpe thy selfe thou hoardest up monies in abundance the thought whereof cheares up thy heart in the interim God denies thee thy health sends thee the gout chollick stone strangury and the like so that its a burden and a torment to live Thou hug'st thy selfe in thy ample possession and favours of great ones Now thou hast somewhat to loose thou art made a fairer marke of opposition Suits in law and vexatious controversies may wast thy estate Thieves shipwrack's perfidious servants miscarriages and ill successe in businesse may bring thee to a morsell of bread or otherwise God hath given riches and not an heart to use them and this I reckon
of activity over his cattle and much more ought they to be men of activity who are to be set over souls No industry no labor like that of the brain I should rather say that of the heart for the heart labor is the best labor of a Preacher of the Gospel There 's no resting from our labors till we come to Heaven we read of Pauls labors in weariness and painfulness in watchings often c. you read 2 Cor. 11. 27. often of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Chrysâ—stâ—mâ—s Homilies Some of Calvâ—ns excellent Commentaries were read every day Let not such as hope to gain souls to indulge their ease 'T is a dangerous thing to be a lover of ease Leave off dallying and procrastinating and sall a working wrap not thy Talent in a napkin but improve it industriously to the glory of God and advantage of souls 9. He that would win souls must be a man of discretion that Charact. 9. He must be a man of discretion knows how to speak a word in due season He must have skill in this soul-trade when to give a Corrasive when a Cordial when stronger when gentler Physick must be prescribed There are Lambs as well as Sheep Babes as well as strong men broken hearted as well as hard hearted and a suitable remedy must be applyed He must speak war where God would have him and speak peace where God would have him O how faithful ought he to be in the discharge of his Function he must divide to every one their portion mercy to whom mercy and judgement to whom judgement belongs Thus was the Prophet Isaiah qualified for saith he The Lord God hath Isa 50. 4. given me the tongue of the learned that I should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary Gregory de pastorali cura a Book Greâ— de Pastorali curâ worthy of our reading insists largely upon this particular how proud and how humble persons how merry how sad persons how angry how meek persons c. are to be admonished that so remedies may be applyed suitable to the sore This wisdom we must pray for and put it in practice throughout the whole course of our Ministry 10. and lastly He that would win souls must be a man of an Charact. 10. He must be a man of an humble spirit humble spirit Love was the first I mentioned Humility the last but not the least Love must lead the van and Humility brings up the rear and then there 's great hope of a souls conquest The Apostle exhorts 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Be ye cloathed with 1 Pet. 5. 7. humility The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Hensius and Pollux observes signifies vestimentum humile a mean Garment which servants wore and it was a badge of humility Let 's put on Humility as a garment this let us always wear never put it off Next to the Râ—be of Christs righteousness it 's the best garment in all the world When God gives thee parts and thou art proud of them this spiritual pride will be thy ruine But when thou hast good parts and an humble spirit thou art put in a capacity of saving thine own soul and those that hear thee For God gives grace to the humble and pours most precious liquor into empty vessels I have read a Story of one that saw in a vision many snares of the Devil spread upon earth he sat down and mourned and said within himself Who shall pass through these whereupon he heard a voice answering Humility shall pass through them Humility will pass through Caut-ropes Gins and Pit-solds which the Devil lays in the way O beware of Pride and above all pride of spiritual pride It 's that dead fly that mars many a Box of precious â—yntment It 's like that wilde gourd that spoild the pottage and caused them to cry out Est mors in olla Take notice how God blesseth the labours of many of meaner parts who are humble and watchful when as many of greater parts possest with Luciferian pride of spirit are curst in all their undertakings Thus you have heard him set forth in his proper colours and decyphered in legible Characters who of all others is likeliest to win souls Q. But what if notwithstanding a man in some good measure thus Q. qualified cannot reap the fruits of his pains nor obtain the seal of his Apostleship I Answer That must be our stay and supportation Isa 40. 4. A. Then I said I have labored in vain I have spent my strength for naught and in vain yet surely my judgement is with the Lord and my work with my God It 's said Rev. 22. 12. And behold I come quickly and my reward is with me to give to every one according as his work shall be It 's not said according to the fruit but according to the work It may be our sad affliction for which our hearts must bleed that we labor all night and catch nothing yet at the word of Christ we must let down our net Though we plough amongst rocks and sow amongs thorns yet if there be a willing minde it will be accepted God will accept the will for the deed Let us then be conscientious and constant our duty and leave the success to God And thus far for the Doctrinal part of the Text. The third and last head propounded is To draw from the premises 3. Head Application some inferences of practice which is the particular Application I promised you of which in a few words and I shall put a period to my discourse Three Inferences I shall onely draw from this Doctrine for Humiliation Exhortation and Direction 1. For Humiliation Here 's just cause of deep Humiliation that Vse 1. For Humiliation we are so little acquainted with this precious fruit specified in the Text of winning souls It was a saying Few Confessors of great men are saved which a Learned Divine renders in equivalent terms Few great Mr. Calamyes Sermon on Iosh 24. 15. mens Chaplains come to Heaven Few Ministers are skilled in this soul-saving art they that are best skill'd yet have cause enough of Humiliation I well know and shall ever acknowledge that to save a soul is the peculiar work of the great God yet Gods Messengers are accounted his mouth unto his people And the word of God is the power of God unto salvation We have a weighty duty lying upon us Ier. 15. 19. Rom. 1. 16. and we have great cause every one to be humbled to the dust that we come short of our duty And if they that labor all the day in Gods vineyard and are faithful in the work have cause to be humbled for their unprofitableness O how should they lay it to heart and sigh even to the breaking of their loyns who leave the Sheep with Mercenaries in the Wilderness whil'st themselves fare
he shall be recompensed accordingly there being such an exceeding rarity and scarcity of such precious Commodities So immaterial Pearls Gospel Ordinances purely dispensed are rare to be found Pure Officers and pure Administrators without humane mixture or composition are very rare Divide the World as some have done into thirty parts but 〈◊〉 are in Christendom and even in See a Map called Châ—istianographia Christendom are Papists Socinians Arians Pelagians Sons of Heresie who differ from the Orthodox even in Fundamentals And now adays though for what 's already done we have cause to bless God with meltings of heart yet through the manifold obstructions of a formal and superstitious People 't is very rare to finde a faithful soul-saving Ministry Omne tempus Clodios non cmne Catones foret He 's but a meer stranger in Israâ—l who knows not that Priests of Baal and Bacchus such as made the Sacrifice of God to be abhorr'd have been like Sycamores in the valley for abundance And I wish there be not a remnant left of that wicked generation who within these Walls are enemies to Reformation who brayd of the murmuring Israelites saying Come let us make us a captain and go again unto Aegypt The Language of their heart is Let 's have our Altars our Images Copes Genuflexions Cringings the Liturgy with all its bundle of Ceremonies And no wonder Missa non morder These never touch the quick But all this while the faithful sedulous I aborers in Gods Vineyard are very few old Mnasons the good old Puritans are very few The harvest is great and the laborers few We must therefore pray that God would send forth faithful laborers into his harvest Thirdly As Pearls are rare and scarce so they are hard to be got 3. Pearls are hard to be got there 's much difficulty in getting of them even in those places where they are to be found For getting pretious Stones I told you before many venture far and scramble upon Rocks to get Pearls as some Travellers report the Merchant must wait the ebbing and the flowing of the Sea and tarry till such a certain season waiting many days and nights till that come then sound the depth of the Sea Some dive and hazard their lives for them So sor to get immaterial Pearls is a great difficulty All the graces of the Spirit are invaluable Pearls the richest Bracelet or Neck-lace of Pearls that ever I read of you have mentioned by the Apostle Adde to your faith vertue c. To get a common temporary faith a verbal 2 Pet. 1. 5 6 7. love a groundless hope is easie and ordinary but to get a justifying faith an unfained love a stedfast faith here lieth the difficulty here 's the labor here 's the work indeed To get saving Graces thou must be in labors often in watchings often in fastings often and thou must pass through good report and evil report fiery Serpents and sons of Anak You read of a work of faith a labour of love a patience of hope Salvation is a Pearl of glory and we are commanded 1 Thâ—ss 1. 3. Phil. 2. 12. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling 'T is the difficultest task in all the World to save our souls The way to Heaven is a straight way a narrow Gate there are many obstacles brakes and bryars in the way Beasts of Ephesus to be encountred withal This conflict cannot be managed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without raising a dust without shedding of Blood Thou must set thy self in battel aray against thy self the spirit against the flesh Cum hac controversiaâ—nati sumus saith a Father Thou must wrestle Matth. 11. 12. against Principalities and Powers thou must run a race thou must even storm Heaven and take it by violence Peradventure thou mayst be stript of all and 't is no matter if in the interim thou beest cloath'd with the righteousness of Christ It may be God intends thee for a Martyr to seal the Truth with thy blood Happy wilt thou be notwithstanding all the hardships and difficulties thou hast grapled withal if thou comest to Heaven at the last one moment of Heavens joys one beam of Gods reconciled countenance will make amends for all The Apostle determines That the afflictions of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that shall bâ—revealed Rom. 8. 18. in us Fourthly Pearls are of invaluable price and estimation Clâ—opatra's 4. Pearls are of unvaluable price Pearl was worth many thousands One Pearl no bigger then a mans thumb may be worth many thousands So the Pearls of the Gospel are of invaluable price This Cabinet contains the most pretious Gems in the whole Universe Every Gospel-promise is a pearl That excellent promise which hath five Negatives and five Negatives in Greek more vehemently deny 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heb. 13. 5. is of it self more worth then an inheritance of ten thoufand pounds per annum Those promises John 3 36. and c. 10. 28. are the Jewels which Believers lay up as their chiefest Treasure Fisthly Pearls are full of vertue and medicinable There 's much 5. Pearls are full of vertue vertue in divers pretious Stones Jewels commonly worn have much vertue in them and Pearls questionless much more That which is called the Magistery of Pearls is of special use It 's commonly observed that the Ruby cures the dimness of the eyes and the Topaz keeps a mans hand from scalding The Carbuncle gives light in the dark and the Saphire cures the stingings of Scorpions So the word of God is that Ruby that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 mentioned Rev. 3. 18. that enlightneth thy eyes that makes thy darkned an enlightned minde Christ is that Topaz that good Physitian that heaâ—s thy distempers both of body and soul Look upon Christ with the eye of Faith and thou shalt be cured of the stingings of Scorpions of Sin and Satan as they were who eyed the brazen Serpent and were cured of Numb 21. 9. the stingings of the fiery Serpents Sixthly Pearls are sterling Commodities in every place In many 6. Pearls are lterling commâ—dity Nations our Coyn is not currant with them neither theirs with us But Pearls are currant every where Certainly therefore there 's much worth in Pearls for God-would not so befool the whole world neither would the Scripture shaddow forth the glory of Heaven by Pearls Rev. 21. 21. were there not an extraordinary worth in them So the Gospel of Jesus Christ is a sterling Commodity where ever it comes It hath the stamp of the King of Heaven upon it where the light of the Gospel breaks in it findes or makes a way for its entertainment It 's so lovely that it will ravish us with its love the Proclamation runs Ho every one that thirsteth come unto the waters The Gospel is right metal and passable wherever God will have it It
again Faith meets with many delays yet it is not querulous it waits it stays at the Fathers door it will not be driven away A faithfull soul believes God upon his word God saith The Vision shall come the Believer saith I have enough I 'le here cast anchor it 's good being here The Promise is my strong hold like Sampsons Locks here my great strength lies because it will surely come it will not tarry The Decree and Counsel of God never delays God knows every minute of time and gives a quick dispatch unto his work Faith believes it though sense cannot apprehend it though as I intimated before the execution of the Decree according to particular effects and operations may seem to delay Here then is the tryal of our Faith and patience and here 's a word most seasonable to Preach and practice in these days of Jacob's troubles when the Vision or the word seems to be dark and to tarry I shall winde up all into one bottom and from the scope and substance of them lay this one intire Doctrine for the foundation of my Discourse That in troublesome times when the vision is dark and seems to tarry Doct. then in a peculiar manner we should wait upon God for the accomplishment thereof For proof hereof we have copious testimonies of Scripture I Isa 8. 17. Isa 26. 8. 18. will wait upon the Lord that hideth his face from the house of Jacob and will look for him In the way of thy Judgements O Lord have we waited on thee the desire of our soul is to thy name and to the remembrance of thee We have been with childe we have been in pain we have as it were brought forth wind we have not wrought any deliverance in the Mâ—cah 7. 7. earth Therefore I will look unto the Lord I will wait for the God of my salvation my God will hear me For the Methodical inlargement of this precious truth I shall Method propounded propound these Heads of Discourse which shall constitute my ensuing Meditations 1. To explicate the nature of waiting what it is to wait upon God 2. To illustrate the duty from the practices of the Saints in the like case 3. To demonstrate the truth of the Point from convincing rational arguments And fourthly To reduce all to point of practice by way of useful application I resume the first Head propounded to open the nature of Faith 1. What it is to wait upon God and waiting on God The inquiry is What it is to wait upon God The Answer which I shall give to this particular Inquiry shall be comprised in this description Waiting is a chearful submission of our wills to the will of God whereby the soul rests in hope exerciseth faith expects with patience and improves a diligent use of means for the obtaining of a good end This description is made of these five following Ingredients 1. It 's the Christians duty to wait chearfully Swine roar when they 1. We must wait chearfully have rings put into their noses Bulls and Bears cry out and roar when they are baited and Slaves howl when they are beaten with rods But Christians are of another temper Good children kiss the rod that beats them Not onely so saith Paul but we glory in tribulations knowing that tribulation worketh patience And saith Rom. 5. 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 James the trying of your faith worketh patience Likewise the Apostle mentions For ye had compassion of me in my bâ—nds and took joyfully James 1. 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heb. 10. 34. theâ— spoiling of your goods knowing in your selves that ye have in heaven a better and an induring substance Murmuring repining and reviling Language must not be heard amongst Christians God loves a chearful giver and a chearful waiter too Hannah felt some spiritual illapse something coming in as an answer to her Prayers and her countenance was cheared up she was no more sad And she said Let thine hand-maid finde grace in thy sight soe the woman went her way 1 Sam. 1. 18. and did eat and her countenance was no more sad You read of the singular chearfulness of the Martyrs how they kissed the stake wellcom'd Fire and Faggot embraced the Flames What a sweet chearful frame of spirit did they discover amidst their greatest sufferings and were no whit daunted by the utmost cruelty of their Adversaries It would ravish a Christians heart to peruse the Letters of Mr. Bradford that holy Martyr then whom as I apprehend never man wrote more sweetly and manifested more chearfulness under the Rod. To rush upon trouble to be forced to sufferings and to say I will bear it because I cannot otherwise choose and to murmur and rail against such and such Instruments this is not thank-worthy But to make a vertue of necessity and to bear thy Cross chearfully to abound in inward consolations amidst outward troubles to have thine heart inlarged though thy body be Imprisoned to smile in affliction because God smiles upon thee even when he beats thee this is the glory of thy suffering And whensoever God hides his face from us and clouds his gracious countenance let us with all alacrity wait upon him and learn to bear chearfully his dealings with us A second ingredient is That it is the duty of Believers to wait submissively 2. We must wait submissively upon God It 's not enough to say I must submit I must be content but to say I will submit I will be content that argueth a submissive spirit and not the other Shall a Zeno say after he Jam didici philosophari Zeno. had suffered Ship-wrack Now I have learn'd to be a Philosopher Shall an Anaxagoras say after the news of the death of his Son Now I Scio me genuisse mortalem Anaxag 1 Sam. 3. 18. 2 Kings 20. 19. know I begat a mortal Son And shall Christians presume to contest with God and grudge against their Maker We should say with Eli It is the Lord let him do what seemeth him good with Hezekiah Then said Hezekiah unto Isaiah Good is the word of the Lord which thou hast spoken and with Job The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away Blessed Job 1. 21. Levit. 10. 3. be the name of the Lord. Imitate Aaron Moses said unto Aaron this is it that the Lord spake saying I will be sanctified in them that come nigh me and before all the people I will be glorified and Aaron held his peace David profest I was dumb and opened not my mouth because Psal 39. 9. Amos 5. 13. thou didst it And remember the counsel of the Prophet Therefore the prudent shall keep silence in that time for it is an evil time It 's not meant that we should be tongue-tyed in the cause of God for if we speak not when Gods glory suffers it 's a sign that we have a dumb Devil within us But true Believers which judge
truly of calamities and of their causes shall in silence and with patience worship Gods Justice without any murmuring or scandal David falls not a railing at Shimei he was better instructed then to render railing for railing but he looks at a higher hand and submits So when Iliads of troubles surround thee and one cross follows upon the neck of another as one Wave of the Sea upon another Oh! do not break forth into cursing and reviling but look at the hand of God and say Lord I see thy hand I desire to know thy meaning to be instructed with Ephraim to smite upon my thigh and submit unto thy hand in every thing and I beseech thee what I understand not teach thou me and wherein I have done amiss I will do so no more Job 34. 32. 3. We must wait patiently 3. It 's the nature of Faith to wait patiently This is waiting indeed when with a quiet frame of spirit I expect the fulfilling of the Vision whether it speak good or whether it speak evil I am content my heart is of Davids temper My hâ—art is fixed O God my Psal 57. 7. heart is fixed I will sing and give praise The Husband-man waits for the Harvest so must we wait patiently for the Harvest of deliverance Delay is the sickness of the soul Patience is the cure of it Patience is the very soul and life of waiting Waiting without patience is inraged sury We must bear Gods anger patiently I will Micah 7. 9. bear the indignation of the Lord because I have sinned against him until he plead my cause and execute judgement for me He will bring me forth to the light and I shall behold his righteousness We must wait for that we see not If we saith the Apostle hope for that we see not then Rom. 8. 25. do we with patience wait for it Hence are we commanded In your patience Luke 21. 19. pâ—ssess ye your souls There 's a Philosopher that hath this expression if the Gods would grant me my desire and bid me ask what I would have I would ask of them this thing That I might have the spirit of Socrates such a composed spirit as he had It 's observed of him and of Cato likewise that they were in such a quiet composed sedate frame that they never changed their countenances upon any thing that befell them This should stir up Christians to beg of God the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit whereof the Apostle 1. Pet. 3. 4. speaks which is in the sight of God of great price Pray hard for the excellency of a quiet composed spirit Come what will if thou be armed with patience it will ward off the blow 4 It 's the duty and property of waiting Christians to exercise Faith 4. We must exercise faith upon the Divine Promises on the Divine Promises A Heathen out of a Cynical stupidity and by Moral Documents may have patience and pass by injuries but he knows not how to believe against sence he 's a stranger to Faith he discerns no excellency in a Promise he cannot live upon a word he knows not how to relie upon a Crucified Saviour and live by Faith on the Son of God But a true Christian waits believingly he lays hold upon Jesus Christ by Faith and lives upon the Divine Promises and applys them by Faith unto his particular condition Faith gives the soul a firm bottom to stand on a strong foundation to build on which is the Word of God Faith saith the Apostle is Heb. 11. 1. Psal 27. 13. the substance of things hoped for and the evidâ—nce of things not seen There are two great words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I had fainted saith David unless I had beliâ—ved to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of Rom. 8. 28. the living A Believer knows that all things shall work together for good to them that love God to them who are called according to his purpose Mal. 4. 2. Such Scriptures are his strong Rock But unto you that fear my namâ— shall the Son of righteousness arise with healing in his wings and ye shall goe forth and grow up as calves of the sâ—all For a small moment Isa 54. 7. have I forsakâ—n thee but with great mercies will I gather thee A Believer Matth. 28. 20. stays himself upon a promise Loe I am with you alway even unto the end of the world He fears not the opposition of men and devils against the Ministry for he knows Christ will uphold them and vindicate their quarrel A Believer knows that the rod of the wicked shall not rest upon the back of the righteous therefore he waits till God take it off He knows that deliverance shall come to the Church that the Lord will build up Zion and appear in his glory that all the enemies shall come and worship before the Churches feet and the shaking of Nations is a harbinger to deliverance Peruse Hag. 2. 7. that great Promise I will shake all nations and the desire of all nations shall come and I will fill with glory this house saith the Lord of hosts A Believer knows that God can bring light out of darkness order out of a Chaos strike a straight line with a crooked stick make the wrath of man turn to his praise and restrain the remainder thereof By Faith Stephen saw Christ when the stones were about his ears And by Faith Job saw a Redeemer upon the Dung-hill And by Faith Moses saw him that vvas invisible amidst Reproaches and Sufferings Faith discerns a Sun-shine approaching amidst cloudyness and dismall darkness Whatever makes against a Believer in a carnal apprehension the spiritual eye of Faith seeth something to make for him So that a Believer hath double nay trebble even multiplyed hopes for single fears It 's the nature of waiting to have Hope for its companion Waiting â— We must wait and hope Lam. 3. 26. Heb. 6. 19. and Hope are conjoyned It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord. Hope is the Anchor of the soul both sure and stedfast and which entereth into that within the vail When thou art tossed in the troublesome waves of the World cast anchor and let hope support and stay thy spirit Were it not for hope the heart would break in those days of confusion and misery where there are so many sad thoughts and searchings of heart for the afflictions of Joseph and divisions of Reuben yet we are not without hope Let 's apply that of Ezrah amidst all their sorrows and perplexity Shecaniah the son of Jâ—hiel one of the sons of Elam answered and said unto Ezra We have trespassed against our God Ezra 10. 2. and have taken strange wives of the people of the Land yet now there is hâ—pe in Israel concerning this thing They fall a making a Covenant and O that we would bewail the
Niniveh Paul Mary-magdalen others repenting Upon these experiences an afflicted remnant may conclude that God will be gracious unto them See Joâ—l 2. 12. 13 14. Therefore now thus saith the Lord turne yee even to mee with all your heart and with fasting weeping and mourning And rent your heart and not your garments and turne unto the Lord your God for hee is gracious and mâ—rcifull slow to anger and of great kindness and râ—pâ—nteth him of the evill Who knoweth if hee will returne and repent and leave a blessing behind him even a meat offering unto the Lord your God Wee read in Scripture of the afflictions of Joseph as a proverbial spech alluding to Joseph the Patriarch who met with evill intreaties from his brethren and from Potiphars wise hee was cast into a pit bought and sold slandred cast into prison and the house of Joseph his posterity and not only his proper natural posterity but all the children of God must through many tribulations enter into the Kingdâ—me of God Act. 14. 22. That the whole house of Joseph that all the generation of men is not utterly consumed is a great mercy wee have cause to acknowledge it with thankfulness that there is a remnant yet left Now a through reformation a turning from sinne to God a hating that which is evill a loving that which is good an establishment of Justice may much prevaile with God to bee gracious to an afflicted remnant Though the number of the Church be few though Jacob bee small and Joseph bee but a remnant yet many promises are made to a remnant Isai 10. 21. The remnant shall returne even the remnant of Jacob unto the mighty God Jeremiah 15. 11. The Lord said verily it shall bee well with thy remnant verily I will cause the enemie to intreat thee well in the time of evill and in the time of affliction Ezek 6. 8 Yet will I leave a remnant that yee may have some that shall escape the sword among the Nations when yee shall bee scattered through the countries Eph 3. 12 13. I will also leave in the midst of thee an afflicted and poore people and they shall trust in the name of the Lord. The remnant of Israel shall not doe iniquitie nor speak lies nâ—ither shall a deceitfull tongue bee found in thâ—ir mouth for they shall feed and lay downe and none shall make thâ—m afraid Rom. 9. 27. Though the number of the children of Israel bee as the sand of the sea a remnant shall be saved And for the remnant we must pray Isay 37. 4. It may be the Lord thy God will heare the words of Rabshakeh whom the King of Assyriah his master hath sent to reproach the living God and will râ—prove the words which the Lord thy God hath heard wherefore lift up thy prayer for the remnant that is left Jer. 31. 7. For thus saith the Lord sing with gladnesse for Jacob and shout among the chiefe of the Nations publish yee praise ye and say O Lord save thy people the remnant of Israel So then you may plainly discerne the summe and substance of these words That which they drive at is to ingage people to a through reformation as the only means to pacifie an incensed God Iudgments fall round about us thick and threefold many have been numbred out to the sword many to famine and pestilence Let the remnant lay these things to heart Let them humble themselves turne from the evill of their doings cease to doe evill learne to doe well execute judgment and Justice and it may be God may turne againe and repent and be gracious to the remnant of the house of Joseph The words thus divided and opened commend these principall Doctrine 1 Doctrines to your serious Practicall Observation That sinne alone ought to be the Object of our hatred and indignation So saith the Psalmist Ye that love the Lord hate evill Psal 97. 10. And the feare of God consists in hating of evill The feare of the Lord is to hate evill Prov. 8. 13. pride and arrogancie and the evill way and the froward mouth do I hate You have a short Catalogue of what things God hates in Prov. 6. 16. These six things doth the Lord hate yea seven things are an abomination to him a proud looke a lying tongue and hands that shed innocent blood a heart that deviseth wicked imaginations feet that be swift in running to mischiefe a false witnesse that speaketh lies and him that soweth discord among brethren Nay further whatsoever is sinfull God hates and where God hates we should hate 2. That which is good ought only to be the object of our love It 's a Doctrine 2 character of the wicked Amos 3. 2. to hate the good and love the evill Holinesse hath Gods Image stamped upon it and we must love God's Image where ever we find it God requires publick establishment of Justice in a Kingdome It 's said in the gates where people went in and out There ministers of Iustice Doctrine 3 sate and the eyes of the whole land were upon them and in an especiall manner the eyes of God Iustice must not be dispensed in a scantling measure here and there a drop but judgmâ—nt must run down as waters and righteousnesse as a mighty streame Amos 5. 24. 4. In that there is such a connexion between these words hate Doct. 4 Deut. 5. 17 18 19. the evill and doe good and establish judgment hence observe In religious duties there is a sacred concatenation and harmonie It 's observed that all the commands of the Decalogue are copulative Thou shalt not kill neither shalt thou commit adulterie neither shalt thou stealâ— neither shalt thou beare false witnesse c. The same God that ingageth us to the obedience of one Command doth not dispense with us or give any exception for any other 5. The people of God his Josephs may be reduced to a very small remnant So they were in the Babilonish captivitie but 7000 that had Doct. 5 not bowed their knees to Baal and whether all these were upright hearted is doubtfull The primitive Christians in times of persecution were but a handfull a despised remnant in the eyes of the world And in the Arke which was a type of Christ there were but eight persons and Cham was one of them In Christ's own familie but twelve and one of them a Judas 6. Observe That the reformation of a people in hating evill and Doct. 6 loving good may prevaile with God to extend mercy and compassion towards them It shall suffice only to have named these unto you It concernes mee to fix upon the establishment of judgment which the Text specially points at and the aspect of a Venerable Iudicature in presence puts me in mind of that point of Doctrine which is genuine from the text and most seasonable to the Auditorie Thus I propound it to you Doctrine That the faithfull execution of Justice in a land is a probable
delight ver 47. And I will delight my self in thy commandments which I have loved ver 70. Their heart is as fat as grease but I delight in thy law So Paul Rom. 7. 22. I delight in the law of God in the inward man There was joy in the whole City when Christ was Preached Acts 8. 8. Joy in the Eunuch converted Joy in the Jaylor Acts 16. 34. And when he had brought them into his hâ—use he set meat before them and rejoyced believing in God with all his house Great joy in rearing the material Temple great joy at the bringing of the Ark and celebration of the Passover And such joy and delight is in the hearts of all Gods people They do not onely perform duties but delight in them As a man drinks when he 's dry eats when he 's hungry and delights in meat and drink so it 's the meat and drink of the Saints to do the will of God 3. Wee 'l survey the particular ways of godliness and see what cause of delight there 's in them The ways of Wisdom are either the ways of Gods Ordinances or ways of exercise of the Graces of the Spirit or ways of obedience to the Commandments These are all ways of Divine Wisdom and Godlinesse and all these ways are top full of delight and pleasure 1. The ways of Gods Ordinances are ways of pleasure Every Ordinance is a pleasant sweet and delightful Ordinance 1. The Word is a sweet Ordinance Psal 119. 103. How sweet 1. The word is a sweet Ordinance are thy words unto my taste yea sweeter then honey to my mouth It was his comfort in all afflictions Psal 119. 50. This is my comfort in my affliction for thy word hath quickned me Psal 19. 7 8 9 10 11. The law of the Lord is perfect converting the soul the testimony of the Lord is sure making wise the simple The statutes of the Lord are right rejoycing the heart the commandment of the Lord is pure enlightning the eyes The fear of the Lord is clean enduring for ever the judgements of the Lord are true and righteous altogether more to be desired are they then gold yea then much fine gold sweeter also then the hâ—ney or the honey comb Moreover by them is thy servant warned and in kâ—eping of thâ—m there is great reward God speaks to us in his Word by the mouth of his Messengers O what sweetness doth God communicate to the soul out of this Ordinance Therefore Mary chose the better part Luke 10. 42. You may read her practice ver 39. She sat at Jesus feet and heard his Word Prov. 8. 34. Blessed is the man that heareth me watching daily at my gates waiting at the posts of my dores 2. Prayer is a sweet Ordinance The Saints have conference with 2. Prayer is a sweet Ordinance God and feel much sweetness and delight coming in Therefore Prayer is called incense Lev. 16. 12. And he shall take a censer full of burning coals of fire from off the altar before the Lord and his hands full of sweet incense beaten small and bring it within the vail Numb 16. 46. And Moses said to Aaron Take a censer and put fire therein from off the altar and put on incense and go quickly and make an atonement Psal 141. 2. Let my prayer be set before thee as incense and the lifting up of mine hands an evening sacrifice Rev. 8. 3 4. And another angel came and stood at the altar having a golden censer and there was given unto him much incense that he should offer it with the prayers of all Saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne And the smoak of the incense which came with the prayers of the saints ascended Solatium â—st habere cui pectus aperias Ambr. up before God out of the angels hand Hannah after all her tears felt joy coming in and she was no more sad 1 Sam. 1. 18. When we are in great afflictions we account it matter of comfort to have a friend to whom we may ease our selves by way of communicating our condition and unbosoming our selves to him These are such times when we can trust no person never so near nor dear Micah 7. 6 7. For the son dishonoreth the father the daughter riseth up against her mother the daughter in law against her mother in law a mans enemies are the men of his own house Therefore I will look unto the Lord I will wait for the God of my salvation my God will hear me Yet at all times we may goe to God unbosom our selves to him make our requests known unto him in the name of Christ And though riches forsake thee and friends forsake thee yet all 's abundantly recompensed in this sweet promise Heb. 13. 5. Let your conversation be without covetousness and be content with such things as you have For he hath said I will never leave thee nor forsake thee VVhatever thou wantest yet if thou wantest not a heart to pray thou wilt finde comfort The children of God would not loose the benefit of their Prayers nor a good look from Christ smiling upon them in answer to their Prayers for all the Joys and Delights in the Universe 3. The Sacraments are sweet delightful Ordinances For the Sacrament 3. The Sacraments are sweet Ordinances of initiation Baptism it 's a comfort to be admitted one of Christs Family 'T is that which Theodosius preferred before his Empire But the fruit of this joy and comfort will appear when God hath regenerated thee and made thee a new Creature Titus 3. 5. Not by works of righteousness which we have done but according to his mercy he saved us by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the holy Ghâ—st Now compare this Sacrament of Baptism with Circumcision and we may see how much God indulgeth us under the Gospel That was a hard and irksome service in cutting away the fore-skin from the flesh Simeon and Levi overcame the Sichemites when they were sore Now Baptism is far easier the dipping or sprinkling in Water More delight and pleasantness was in this Ordinance then that Then for the Lords Supper This is a spiritual Banquet a Feast of fat things such as is promised Isa 25. 6. And in this mountain shall the Lord of hosts make unto all people a feast of fat things a feast of wines on lees of fat things full of marrow of wines on the lees well refined 'T is a sealing Ordinance The word writes the evidence fair Prayer prevails with God for a sight of it The Sacrament comes and sets a seal to it and when there 's such a sealing day then salvation is come unto thy soul And these Ordinances must needs be full of delight and consolation which are the means of our eternal salvation 3. As the Ordinances are full of delight so are all the Graces of 3. All the Graces of the Spirit are sweet Ordinances Gods spirit Cant.
blessed is the man that putteth his trust in him 4. The smell is delighted in the ways of godliness Hence it 's called the savour of ointment And graces are resembled to spices for their fragrancy When the Alabaster box of ointment was opened it perfumed all the roome The godly have a good savour they leave a sweet sent behind them Prov. 10. 7. The memory of the just is blessed but the name of the wicked shall rot The righteous have a good name and they live when they are dead The wicked goe out like the snuffe of a candle Then 5thly for touching ther 's delight in that likewise The Demonstrat 2. All the wayes of godliness are rational wayes poore woman had the sweetest touch that ever shee met with Mat. 9. 21. Let mee but touch the hâ—m of his garment and I shall bâ—e whole And thus in every sense ther 's delight A second Demonstration is All the wayes of godliness are rationall wayes There are observed according to Philosophers directions 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 rationall and irrationall desires As wee are to pray to bee delivered from unreasonable men so from unreasonable desires The very heathens scorn'd sensual brutish delights Clemens Alexandrinus brands gluttony by two significant words viz 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And Tully tels us Nemo dignus nomine hominis qui unum diem velit essâ— in voluptate So that drunkenness gluttony c are irrationall brutish sensuall pleasures Godliness only hath rationall pleasures so that the pleasures of Godliness are sutable to the principles of right regulated reason They indeed elevate and are above it yet Rom. 12. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Quod nostrum sacrificium sit ejusmodi ut de eo possimus â—ationem poscentibus reddere Origen Demonstrat 3. All the ways of godliness are made up of love not contrary to it Ther 's reason in every holy duty ther 's rationality in the pathes of wisdome Carnall reason doth not apprehend it but spirituall and illuminated reason apprehends the wayes of holiness to bee most rationall and the godly man to bee the man of understanding Hence a wise man and a godly man a fool and a sinner are synonymous termes in the proverbes of Solomon The third Demonstration is the wayes of godlinesse must needs bee wayes of pleasantness because they are all made up of Love What comes from a principle of love hath much delight and pleasure in it Now every principle of the way of God is love God sets his heart upon us and that love to us makes our love reciprocall to him Love I may terme Vehiculum animae the chariot of the soule It carries on the soule swiftly unto God Bee the way smooth or ruggid faire or fowle love will carry the soule on with expedition A love to godliness will make thy soule delight in it abundantly Cant. 3. 9 10. King Solomon made himselfe a Chariot of the wood of Lebanâ—n hee made the pillars thereof of silver the bottome thereof of gold the covering of it of purple the midst thereof being pav'd with love for the daughters of Jerusalem A strange expression that the midst of the chariot should bee pav'd with love The chariot whereby Christ doth carry his people up and downe in this world and bringes them to himselfe is such a chariot as the midst thereof is pav'd with love Peruse vers 7 9 10 compared together Behold this bed which is Solomon's threescore valiant men are about it of the valiant of Israel King Solomon made him a chariot of the wood of Lebanon c. The bed of Solomon is to be understood of the rest and glory which the Saints shall have with Christ eternally And by the Chariot of Solomon the wayes wherein Christ carries his people up and down in the world to himselfe and in the midst thereof is love Such wayes then must needs bee pleasant What wee love wee delight in Ps 84. 1. How amiable are thy tabernacles O Lord of hostes my soule longeth yea even fainteth for the courts of the Lord. The 4th demonstration is The wayes of godliness must needs bee wayes of pleasantness because they have the presence of God and Demonstrat 4. Wayes of godliness have God's presence in these wayes God communicates himselfe unto the soules of his people Holiness is God's Image and God delights himselfe in his own Image and therefore hee lets out the influence of his love and manifests his peculiar presence to those that walke in these wayes Thus Enoch walked with God and God translated him Thus the Apostles sang in prison They had merry hearts because God was with them Thus David at Ziglag encouraged himselfe in the Lord his God 1 Sam. 30. 6. God is in them and le ts out himselfe unto them Now the quintessence of all good put together is in every beame of God's reconciled countenance and therefore when God thus manifests himselfe to a soul there mustneeds be delight This made the Apostles rejoyce when they had been beaten This made the martyrs kiss the stake For they apprehended a glymps of God's loving countenance and this reviv'd their spirits some of them said Bee of good cheere wee have a sad break-fast but wee shall have a merry supper with the Lambe 5. The wayes of godliness have all the properties of such a good as is Demonstrat 5. The wayes of godliness have all the properties of a desirable good most desirable and delightful to the soul Philosophers distribute them in honestum juâ—undum utile All these are appropriated to godliness 1. It 's honestum of good report Phil. 4. 8. Finally brethren whatsoever things are true whatsoever things are honâ—st whatsoever things are just whatsoever things are pure whatsoever things are lovely whatsoever thinges are of good report if there bee any virtue and if there bee any praise thinke on these things 2. Jucundum No delight like the wayes of Religion Then therâ—s delight in the soule when it s in a right frame and temper Now the soule is in no such temper but in the wayes of Religion A good conscience or as it is rendred a good or merry heart is a continual feast And James 5. 13. Is any amonge you afflicted let him pray Is any merry let him sing psalmes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 if ones mind be right Thus the Law was David's and Paul's delight 3. Vtile much emolument accrues to a godly man In the left hand of wisdome are riches and honour And wee read 1 Tim. 6. 6. Godliness with contentment is great gaine God is a liberall pay-master to his servants and none ever went away loosers by the service of God Heathens faired the better for their compassion to the Israelites Exod. 1. 21. And it came to pass because the Midwives feared God that hee made them houses Obed Edom faired the better for entertaining the Arke The Sareptan widdow for entertaining the Prophet Potiser for Joseph God's people
reconciliation The soule cannot feed on gold you may as easily fill a bagge full of spirituall graces as satisfie an immortall soul with the world The riches pleasures c of the world are no way suitable noe way satisfying not in the least measure commensurate to the vast and boundless desires of an immortall heavenly-borne being soul The high-Priests money could not satisfie Judas as soone as conscience pricked him he could keep the money no longer Honours could not satisfie Haman What doth all this availe me c The foole in the Gospel could not be satisfied with the barns he already had he must have bigger It is not within the sphere of the activity of any sublunary thing to satisfie an immortal soule 6. The world is unhelpful and unprofitable in the evil day There Aggrav 6. The World is unhelpful in the evil day are 4 evil dayes wherein the world cannot help 1. In the day of affliction losse of husband wife children what can the world doe thee good In the day of a tormented conscience all the worlds goods cannot pacify a tormented conscience 2ly In the day of death The world cannot bribe death 4ly In the day of judgment no help no comfort from the world A friend we say is known in adversity it plainly appeares that the world is a very false perfidious enemy because it serves thee as Absolom's Mule served him left him helpless in a time of misery hanging between heaven and earth 7 And lastly The world in all it's bravery in it's greatest estate and Aggrav 7. The World is momentany confluence is but momentary transient it cannot help beyond this life it canot carry us to eternity It passeth away 1 Joh. 2. 17. The ambitious mans honours promotions high places cannot follow him to another world An ungodly great man noble and honourable in the world when he dieth he shall be degraded of all His honours will not follow him to hell he shall be there base ignoble inglorious The riches of the covetous Mammonist shall not goe to bell with him they cannot corrupt the flames nor bribe the tormentours The voluptuous man's haukes and hounds cards dice cups shall not goe to hell with him as soone as death surprizeth him all these leave him What distinction can be given between the rich man's skull and the poor man's What difference doth death make between the noble and ignoble rich and poore Death cuts down all with it's sithe It 's mercy and free grace that makes all the difference Those 4 Summa Imperia were dissolved Sic transit gloria mundi The world is a Jonah's gourd like a vapor a bubble transient momentany uncertaine of short continuance Now weigh these together the excellency of the soule and vileness of the world as I have represented them in severall particulars Wee know Contraria juxtase posita magis eluccscunt And upon serious premeditation give in your verdict which would your rather have Oh! that God would move and perswade your hearts to make the better choice to prefer your pretious soules before all the kingdomes of the world and the glory of them Thus much for the doctrinallpart of the Text. The doctrine being thus proved and cleared by the forementioned comparison it now remaines that I should make the best improvement of it and set it home upon your consciences by particular Application I shall hold forth a sixfold use of this Doctrine which I shall endeavour to set home upon your consciences for Terrour Expostulation Exhortation Examination Direction and Consolation The first Use is a word of terrour and commination it speakes heavy tidings to all those who preferre the pomp and glory of the world 1 Vse for Terrour before their pretious soules how many preferre a base lust before their soules a penny profit before an immortal soul This is the condition of thousands the farre greater part even of the Christian world Now because every one will plead not guilty I l'e single out particular persons notoriously guilty 1. Ignorant persons who know not the excellency of a reasonable soule and Ignoti nulla cupido Discourse of the dignity of their soules and tell them of the infinite price pay'd to redeeme the soules of the elect they plead ignorance they are not book-learned But will this plea lick thee whole If thou art not book-learned yet thou must be heart-learned No kind of ignorance can acquit thee â toto though it may à tanto A sinne of ignorance in the Leviticall law had a trespasse offering An invincible gross ignorance amongst blind guides and blind corners where there hath been wanting a teaching ministry is lamentable but not excusable They shall be punisht with fewer stripes Hell shall not be heat so hot for them as for presumptuous sinners who sin against illumination of judgment and the bright shining light of the Gospel But they that suffer the least paines in hell shall suffer enough Doe not then plead thy ignorance that 's to purge one fault with another Now if a bare ignorance Ignorantia purae negationis an invincible crasse ignorance where meanes are wanting which wee have and enjoy if this be damnable and no excuse for a sinner for Rom. 1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there 's enough to leave any without excuse what shall we say of an affected ignorance which is Ignorantia pravae dispositionis a shutting of the eyes against the light to be ignorant of the worth of Christ and the soule in these days when knowlege aboundes as the waters cover the seas when as for the time and meanes they might have been teachers when notwithstanding such a marvelous light shining brightly yet they are in darkness notwithstanding sermon upon sermon c a constant powerfull ministry shining lampes yet still people are ignorant they know not God what shall I say of them Let me tell them that they are under a dreadfull curse as Jer. 10. 25. 2 Thes 1. 8. Thou hast a pretious soule and knowest not of it notwithstanding so many warnings and admonitions by the messengers of God whose fault is that thy own questionless thou maiest know O! desperate damnable ignorance 2. Negligent persons are to be reproved these are heedlesse and 2. Negâ—gent persoâ—s carelesse what become of their soules For their bodies and estates they turmoyle and vexe themselves rising early c. For a gainfull bargaine for increasing their estates for boone joviall company they can find time enough but presse them to the practise of religious duties they plead want of time They want not time but good hearts Manna is even ready to drop into many mens mouthes and yet they will not take paines to gather it Many are so supine and lazy that they will not step over the threshold to heare a Sermon Many have gifts and good abilities but let them lye rustie for want of using slothfull persons shall be cloathed with ragges The fountaine is opened people are not
man is like a wild Asses Colt Aristotle accounts him an unfit hearer of morall Philosophy Neither Aristotle his Ethicks nor Tullyes offices can break a young colt This one word Volo is the bane of many young men They are refractory and will have their own will and a self-willed-man is felo de se his own executitioner with what violence doe young men pursue their lusts They leaue no stone unmoved for the satisfaction of their humours They measure not things by the light of judgment much lesse by the rule of the word but they act according to fancy and passion And there is an Anarchy in their passions or such a tumult or Ataxy in them as that they love what they should loath desire what they should abhorre rejoyce when they should mourn Nitimur in vetitum is the main trade they drive And thus unbridled youth without all government is like a City without gates and walls Satan and all his instruments will enter in speedily and surprize them A Second aggravation is because sâ—nnes commited in dayes of 2. Aggrav Because youthful sins are committed with greater delight youth are with abundance of delight and complacency acted by sinners Old men cannot act some â—innes though their hearts are as naught as ever by reason of naturall Impedements and indisposition of their present constitution But yong-men whose bones are full of marrow they delight in joviall company drinking gameing seeing Theatricall Enterludes They are young and therefore they put far from them the evil day Let them read that dreadfull woe Amos 6. 3. 4. 5. 6. It s the young man voyd of understanding that was enticed by the Whore Prov. 7. 22. Absolon was a young man that rebelled against hiâ— Father O what eager pursuits was there what delight what desire and endeavour to accomplish his designes He falls a fawning and flattring and so steales away the hearts of the people and then he will not tarry till his fathers death but on hee goeth with his designe A vow to God he pretends in his mouth but he meditates Treason and â—ebellion in his heart And you know what became of him David seemes to extenuatet he matter when he bids deal gently with the young man Absolom However the Rebell is no whit lesse in excuseble A Third aggravation is drawn from the many Pleas and vain 3 Aggravat is drawn from the waine pretences which young men make pretences that young men make they will tell you that youth must have a grain allowed what 's a Gentleman but his pleasure Now they are young hereafter they will think upon their soules They must haue a time to sow their wild Oates They can quote the * Laetitia juvenem Frons â—ecet tristis senem Sen. Trag. Tragedian Mirth becomes a young man gravity an old man Would they were as well verst in the book of God there they may read 2 Tim. 2. 22. Flee youthfull Lusts I have often seriously thought that Its no wonder to see so many wanton youths when as there remaine so many wanton Authours Poets I mean especially such as Horace Martiall Catullus Tibullus Propertius c. â—ho corrupt many young men It s high time that all such bookes were either throughly purged or els condemned to the fire as theirs were Act. 19. 19. You youngmen doe not plead for your pleasures Solomon tells you that Childhood and youth are vanities I remember Tertullian hath a saying Vides convivium peccatoris interroga ejus conscientiam c. There is death in the Pot In the middest of Tertul. laughter the heart is sorrowfull There is death in the Adulterers bed death in the Drunkards cup death in the deceivers false weights never plead pleasure in sinfull wayes But youth will plead will you allow no Recreation Eph. 5. 16. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Emercantes hoc est dato pretio â—sserrere in libertatem Erasm Est curiose merces considerare uâ— emas meliores C. a Lap I Answer that no recreation that is sinfull may at any time be allowed no recreation of ill report and scandalous no recreation as a vocation no mispending of time for we are commanded to redeeme time or making a good Market of time Only such recreations may be used as are of Good report which may serve as files and whetstones to devotion to draw thee neerer to God and not to keep thee farther off I may say of recreations as a Reverend Divine said of Ceremonyes some are tollerable none necessary but most be abominable Would you know the right pleasure It 's in the ways of wisdome Prov. 3 17. would you know the right object of rejoycing Vis nunquam esse tristis bene vive Bern. de modo bene vivendi It 's in God Phil. 4. 4. Bernard hath an excellent saying Wouldest thou never be sad live well Lay aside all your vaine pleadings study the scripture be much in prayer much in meditation and sâ—earching your own hearts and then you will find by experience that there is more true pleasure in one moments communion with God then in all the delights and vanityes of the whole world were they all put together The fourth and last Aggravation that I shall name is this Sins 4 Aggravat Sins of youth are greater because committed against warning and invitations of youth are greater sins and will cause the greatest bitterness because yong men sin after so many invitations calls and warnings from God The soul of God loves the first ripe fruits The Holy Ghost calls to day not to morrow Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth Thou must consecrate thy fresh green years to God Thou must dedicate the first fruits theâ—â— first born the Mich. 7. 1. Eccles 12. 1. â—â—â—â—dren of Israel were to give their first fruits their first born the best of their flock a Lamb withot blemish God calls for thy youth Wilt thou put him off with the refuse thy old crazy bones that I may speak it with reverence when the Devil hath suckt out the Marrow Wilt thou offer God empty bones Mal. 1. 8. Thy Governor will not accept of it Now thy sin is aggravated Hinâ— colligit se affici nimis gravi Injuriâ quod Judaei audeant offerre quod mortalis homo respueret Calv. because thou dost refuse Gods call at present upon presumption of space and grace for the future neither of which are in thy power He may give thee neither whilest thou art a refusing at the call of God to give him thy youth and thy fresh green years he may be a sweating that there shall be no more time and cut thee asunder in the midst of thy sins and cast thee into eternal torments or if God give theespace it 's doubtful whether he will give thee grace It 's said of Jezabell Rev. 2. 21 I gave her space to repent but she repented not There is a Peradventure 2 Tim. 2. 25.
tum in Romana captivitate testantur palam Histâ—riae fieri hoc denique quotidie testatur experientia Timeamus ergo Dominum simusque palmites fructiferi ne post hanc vitam eliam tradamur igni sempiterno Bâ—lling hill and he fenced it and gathered out the stones thereof and planted it with the choicest vine and built a Tower in the midst of it and also made a wine-press therein and he looked that it should bring forth grapes and it brought forth wilde grapes c. But all is labor lost v. 5 6. And now go too I will tell you what I will do with my vineyard I will take away the hedge thereof and it shall be eaten up and break down the wall thereof and it shall be troden and I will lay it waste it shall not be pruned nor digged but there shall come up bryars and thorns I also will command the clouds that they rain no rain upon it * They had many choice spirited Prophets Isaiah Hosea and Jeremiah c. They were knotty pieces wherefore the Lord hewed them by the Prophets Hos 6. 5. Therefore I have hewed them by the Prophets I have slain them by the words of my mouth and thy judgements are as the light that goeth forth They had warning upon warning Prophet after Prophet yet no more hope of doing them any good and working reformation upon them then of changing the Aethiopians skin or Leopards spots Jer. 13. 23. Can the Aethiopian change his skin or the Leopard his spots then may ye also do good who are accustomed to do evil Now let us hear the doom God will smite them no more Isa 1. 5. Why should ye be stricken any more ye will revolt more and more the whole head is sick and the whole heart faint God will not let them fare the better for those righteous persons that are amongst them who are Advocates for them Jer. 15. 1. Though Moses and Samuel stood before me yet my minde could not be towards this people cast them out of my sight and let them go forth So Ezek. 14. 20. Though Noah Daniel and Job were in it as I live saith the Lord God they shall deliver neither son nor daughter they shall but deliver their own souls by their righteousness Further God will straiten the spirit of Prayer in his Prophets Jer. 7. 14 15 16. Therefore will I doe unto this house which is called by name as I have done to Shiloh and I will cast you out of my sight as I have cast out all your brethren even the whole seed of Ephraim Wherefore pray not thou for this people neither lift up cry nor prayer for them neither make intercession to me for I will not hear thee Ephraim he is obstinate and incorrigible I will strive no longer by reproofs and admonitions let him be fill'd with his own ways He is given to idols let him alone Hos 4. 17. Luseris operaÌ„ fi ad poenitentiaÌ„ invitaris Ephraim Gravissima est poena relinqui à Deo Vatab. It 's a dreadful Judgement upon Jerusalem Luke 19. 42. If thou hadst known even thou at least in this thy day the things which belong unto thy peace but now they are hid from thine eyes This is further implyed in the parable of the fruitless fig-tree Luke 13. 7. Behold these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig-tree and finde none cut it down why cumbreth it the ground All these are Types and Examples and as so many warning-pieces unto us God waited a long time upon them woed and intreated them by the Ministry of his Messengers to come in and repent but they as much as in them lay tryed conclusions with God and ungrateful wretches as they were strove to tire out and weary the patience and long-suffering of God wherefore his spirit would strive no longer with them and when Gods spirit will no longer strive what 's the sequel but ruine and destruction Let us reflect upon our selves in Israels glass we may behold our own faces and they will gather blackness The inferences we should make are set down Luke 13. 5. I tell you nay but except ye repent ye shall all likewise perish And Amos 4. 12. Therefore thus will I do unto thee O Israel and because I will do thus unto thee prepare to meet thy God O Israel Likewise I will adde Zeph. 2. 1. Gather your selves together yea gather together O nation not desired before the decree bring forth c. Some Reverend Divines have given three Signs of night 1. When the shadows grow long when wilde Beasts go abroad 1. When shadows grow long it is a sign of night and when Labourers go to their rest Now he 's a meer stranger in Israel who knows not how of late years Shadows fruitless and ridiculous Ceremonies have been advanced and stickled for and violence hath been offered unto many tender consciences Hinc illae lachrymae Many godly Ministers with their Families have been ruin'd for non-conformity and others have been forced to leave the Land of their Nativity when as in the mean time the fundamentals of Religion Faith Repentance Love Regeneration were neglected and much discountenanced and the zealous Preachers of these Doctrines stigmatized with the odious nick-names of Puritans which in a proper sense is that proud Heresie of Novatus as Eusebius records in his Ecclesiastical History But Euseb Eccles Hist through the iniquity of the time was used as a brand of Infamy to reproach the most strict and conscientious Professors Secondly Wilde Beasts went abroad Then those of the Tyrannical 2. Wilde Beasts go abroad Prelacy persecuted the old Puritans under the name of non-Conformists May such persons never range again under more plausible names and specious pretences or more covertly like wolves but in sheeps cloathing I wish the Jesuite may appear bare-faced that we may know him and beware of him It is a plain Jesuitical design to set Brethren together by the ears in circumstantial matters and so make them almost dispute and jangle away their Religion I wish what was blame-worthy amongst some be not Preached and practiced by others that succeed them though names may differ yet if the same thing remain it 's to the same purpose Melancton was desirous to die for two reasons One was That he might be with Christ The other was That he might be freed from those bitter contentions that were in the Church in those days Thirdly And likewise Laborers go to their rest It is to be observed 3. Laborers goe to their rest that within few years as many able men both of the Magistracy and Ministry have gone to their long home as the oldest alive can remember in a greater space of time so true is that of the Prophet Isa 57. 1. The righteous perisheth and no man layeth it to heart and merciful men are taken away none considering that the righteous is taken from the evil to come Methuselah
a new pretended light or revelation from the old Prophet he forsook the true word and believed a lying word what a sad Catastrophe befell him v. 24. When he was gone a Lyon met him by the way and slew him and his carcase was cast in the way and the 1 King 13. 24. Ass stood by it and the Lyon stood also by the carcase Yet notwithstanding extraordinary Revelations Dreams Visions Extasies Enthusiasms though they have ceased long ago and we have no warrant to expect them because we are to keep close to the revealed will of God written in his holy word Yet I say we are to take notice of the sweet motions and spiritual illapses upon our souls Though Prophesies cease yet there are manifold discoveries of Christ unto the soul The secret and intimate acquaintance of the soul with Christ the souls ravishing consolations the breaking in and flashes of heavenly light upon the soul the heavings aspirings and harmony of the heart with Christ experience of mercies issues out of temptations protections of Angels all these are Heavenly constant revelations out of the Word of God manifested to the souls of the faithful by the Spirit according to the word Let us therefore embrace and cherish the gracious motions of the Spirit of God Where the spirit of Grace is in the heart it cannot be idle or lie dead but it 's exceeding operative The Spirit gives light to teach thee it gives heat to warm and comfort thee It is a spirit of burning and purging to burn up the stubble of corruption to purge out thy sins It is a spirit of refining and purifying Therefore when the spirit of God strives by its gracious motions inlightning purging inflaming comforting wooing thee to walk closely with God bidding thee beware of wounding thy conscience of resisting the light and going against known truth O beware of grieving this holy Spirit of God! Do not O do not force the spirit to depart sadded and grieved from thee This is one way whereby the spirit strives viz. by its motions and whispers A second way whereby the spirit strives is by the Ministry of 2. The Spirit strives by the Ministery of the Word the word It is said Rev. 3. 20. Behold I stand at the door and knock if any man hear my voice and open the door I will come in to him and will sup with him and he with me The Spirit of God knocks at the doors of your hearts by the hammer of the word The spirit knocks louder and louder and the Ministers are to cry aloud and spare not Isa 58. 1. Cry aloud spare not lift up thy voice like a trumpet and shew thy people their transgressions and the House of Jacob their sins The Lord calls upon us by every Sermon we hear Why will ye die Why will ye bolt the door against the frequent knocking 's of the Spirit of God The Spirit of God hath strove with some of us ten years some twenty some foâ—ty some sixty years How many years have we lived under the sound of the Gospel having heard the voice of the Turtle crying in our Land How many powerful Preachers have spent their strength their breath wasted their spirits wooing intreating beseeching us to be reconciled unto God many of them are gone to their rest their works praise them in the Gate their memory is blessed and their name is like sweet Oyntment poured forth How many are yet alive to this day who Preach Jesus Christ faithfully and experimentally how do they pray and wrestle with God how zealously do they preach how many admonitions reproofs exhortations warnings do they give us And if we will not take warning the Ministers shall deliver their own souls and our blood will be upon our own heads and the time will come when it shall be known that we have had Prophets amongst us I shall make an allusion to that Scripture Deut. 20. 11 12 13. It shall be if it make thee answer of peace and open unto thee then it shall be that all the people that is found therein shall be tributaries unto thee and they shall serve thee And if it will make no peace with thee but will make war against thee then thou shalt besiege it and when the Lord hath delivered it into thy hands thou shalt smite every male thereof with the edge of the sword Just so God proclaims peace and the Ministers are Ambassadors of Peace and deliver their commission after this manner Into whatsoever house ye enter first say Peace be to Luke 10. 5 6. this house And if the son of peace be there your peace shall rest upon it if not it shall turn to you again The Lord now beseâ—â—eth your hearts by the Ministry of the word and offers you peace and reconciliation if you will submit unto his Scepter and cast down your rebellious weapons the Lord will have mercy on you but if you hold out the flag of defiance and will not come in to Jesus Christ what remains but utter ruine and destruction Every Sermon you hear is like the water of Jealousie when he hath made her to drink the water then it shall come to pass that if she be defiled and hath done trespass against her Husband that the water that causeth the curse shall enter into her and become bitter Num. 27. 28. and her belly shall swell c. but if she be not defiled she shall be free When the word is received into an honest and good heart it doth it good and makes it fruitful when into a corrupt heart it rots it and makes it worse It s an observation of a Reverend Divine That it is an indignity beyond all apprehension to the spirit of Dr. Ed Reynolds grace when we suffer him to wait daily at our Bethesda's our houses of mercy and all in vain to spend his sacred breath in the Ministry of reconciliation in doubling and redoubling his requests unto our souls that we would be content to be saved Yet all this while we harden our hearts and stop our ears and set up the pride and stoutness of our own reasonings till we even weary the spirit of God chide him away and cause him to depart sadded and grieved from us O my Brethren despise not prophecying undervalue not the Ministry of â— Thess 5. 20. reconciliation An indignity or affront offered unto Christs Messengers Christ takes it as done unto himself Luke 10. 16. He that heareth you heareth me and he that despiseth you despiseth me and he that despiseth me despiseth him that sent me Be then exhoâ—ted to set an high price of the Gospel and make much of the motions of Gods holy Spirit in the Ministry of the word Ursin relates in his Preface to his Catechism That those godly Vrsini Praf Catech. Protestants that fled beyond the Seas for their Religion in that Marian quinquenium of Persecution acknoâ—ledged That that great innundation of misery
and the Lord in judgement left them to their choice and in their extremities bade them goe to their gods and see whether they would deliver them The Lord punished contrariety with contrariety If ye will not be reformed by these things Lev. 26. 23. 24. but will walk contrary unto me then will I also walk contrary to you and punish you yet seven times for your sinns And when we refuse to hearken to him when he calls he will refuse to hearken to us in our greatest extremities when we call upon him It 's a broken but a very pathetical speech of Christ to Jerusalem O that thou hadst Luke 19. 4â— known even thou at least in this thy day the things that belong unto thy peace but now they are hid from thine eyes There is a Critical day set down there is a dreadfull judgement upon those that brought not the Lords offering in its season The man that is clean and is Numb 9. 13. not in a journey and forbeareth to keep the Passeover even the same soul shall be cut off from his people because he brought not the offering of the Lord in his appointed season that man shall bear his sinne The old world gave no heed to Noahs Preaching they neglected the time that God allowed them for repentance No moâ—e time was Matth. 25. 10 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 allowed when that was once expired a deluge overwhelmed them The five foolish Virgins slâ—mbred and slept when they should have been preparing of their lamps they went to buy oyle and in their absence Christ came and perpetually shut them out Esau sought Heb. 12. 17. â—enedictionem illam exquisissâ—t Beza the Blessing carefully with rears yet hee was rejected hee came when it was too late How many mischiefs befall men for neglecting their opportunities All these considerations should be as so many warning-pieces unto us and as so many prevalent incentives to cherish the whispers of the Spirit to take the benefit of the season Now whilst the Lord bids us seek his face our hearts must eccho back Thy face Lord we will seek Let us hearken to the motions of the Spirit and the checks of our conscience let us make much of the Spirit let us take heed of quenching and grieving of the holy Spirit whereby we are sealed unto the day of redemption An Angel swears in the Revelations There shal be no more time How soon Revel 10. 6. â— time may cease the Spirit cease working we cannot tel and time may be swallowed up in Eternity And therefore take this Caution as a word spoken in due season Beware of sadding the Spirit drive him not away from you for once having a repulse for ought you know he may come no more And thâ—â—â— have dispatch'd three Heads propounded of my Method I have asserted the truth of the point from Scripture â—eâ—timonies plainly evidencing the greatnesse of the Judgement when the Spirit of God departs from and will strive no longer with a people I have shewed how many wayes the Spirit usually strives with a people I have given in the reasons for the confirmation of the point In the next place it remains that I should reduce al home unto point of Practise by way of Use and particular Application This Doctrine affords six special Uses For Information Exhortation Reprehension Examination Direction and Consolation In the first place this serves for Information what a dreadfull Vse 1. For Information judgement lyes heavy upon any person whatsoever with whom Gods Spirit will strive no longer Was it not an heavy judgement when Gods Spirit left Saul and an evil spirit was sent to torment him Was it not an heavy case and dreadfull when the Philistines made war upon him and the Lord was departed from him And Samuel said to Saul why hast thou disquieted me to bring me up 1 Sam. 28 15 And Saul answered I am sore distressed for the Philistines make war against me and God is departed from me and answereth me no more neither by Prophets nor by dreames therefore I have called thee c. When Gods Spirit quite leaves a soul then the evil spirit takes possession of it Satan entred into Judas his heart and set him on work to betray Christ and when conscience gave him a bang and made him throw down the mony he felt Hell-fire flashing in him and betook himself to a desperate remedy to be his own executioner So I have read of Julian after he had departed from God and turn'd Apostate he had in his conscience more blows and butcherings Plures ictus laniatus At last when a dart hit him and gave him his fatal wound no man knowing from whence that dart came for it was a signal blow from heaven and was indeed the immediate hand of God at last he confest Thou hast overcome O Galilean thou hast overcome Vicisti Galilaee vicisti Now a little to set forth the greatnesse of the judgement upon those with whom Gods Spirit will strive no longer I le represent it you in these ensuing aggravations When God takes away his Spirit he usually takes away his Ordinances Whilst the Palladium remain'd with the Trojans they Aggrav 1. When God takes away his Spirit he usually takes away his Ordinances thought themselves secure The Jews put great confidence in the Ark they fet the Ark and went to battle with it against the Philistines and afterwards cryed up the Temple of the Lord the Temple of the Lord Herein they were superstitious they fâ—iled in putting too much confidence in the Temple They were Idolaters and followed Baal and Ashtaroth and thought the Ark would secure them The Ark would no more shelter prophane idolatrous people than the horns of the Altar would secure and shelter a Murtherer Yet questionlesse the Ark of Gods presence was a very great mercy and priviledge The Ark was kept away twenty yeares and they thought it long and the Text saith all the house of Israel lamented after the Lord. The sad report of the losse of the Ark brake Elies heart first and he fell down backward and his neck brake He heard 1 Sam. 7. 2. of the death of his sonnes their death went near but the losse of the Ark went nearer and Phinehas his wife named the child Iâ—habod saying the glory is departed from Israel because the Ark of God was taken She fell in travel upon that sad news and dyed presently 1 Sam. 4. 18 21 22. The taking away Ministers Ordinances Sabbaths are dreadfull judgements upon a people This the Prophet Amos foretels of Behold the daies come saith the Lord that I will send a famine in the Amos 8. 11. land not a famine of bread nor a thirst for water but of hearing the word of the Lord. And Christ himself threarens The kingdom of Matth. 21. 43. God shall be taken from you and given to a Nation bringing forth the
fruits thereof And these judgements God oftentimes inflicts upon those that contemne his Ordinances and often â—imes causeth a people to know the worth of them by the want of them Aggrav 2. God will not suffer his Spirit to woâ—ke in the Ordinances Or secondly if God continue his Ordinances and a people still resist the strivings of his Spirit this is another aggravation that the Lord wil not suffer his Spirit to work in the Ordinances What 's the Word without the Spirit but a dead letter The Word is the seed it is the Spirit that quickens it Now when God denieth his Spirit in an Ordinance and people hear onely a bare sound which goeth in at one ear and out of another and reap no profit and are never a whit wrought upon by an Ordinance this is a lamentable condition Enthusiasts cry up the Spirit and cry down the Word Formalists cry up the Word they keep their Church well that 's their own phrase but they regard not the workings of the Spirit This is Argumentum à bene conjunctis ad male divisa We have no warrant to leave the bright shining light of the Word and to follow a wild rambling light of our own The Spirit works by the Word and tyes us to the rule New devised lights may Levit. 10. 2 meet with the same judgement as Nadab and Abihu met withall for offering strange fire unto the Lord. Neither may we as Formalists doe rest in our comming to and hearing of Ordinances we must examine the working of Gods Spirit upon our soules When God gives quickning Ordinances let us pray for the energetical effectual working of Gods Spirit Deadnesse of Spirit saith Mr. Greenham is the grave of spiritual graces Between a lazy and a fervent performer of duties you may see the difference Greenham 2 Kings 4. 31 32 33 34. Gehazi went on in a carelesse formall manner and layd his staffe upon the child but there was neither voice nor hearing But when Elisha put his eyes upon the childs eyes and his mouth on the childs mouth the flesh of the child waxed warm O beware of slighting or resisâ—ing the â—pirit in an Ordinance lest in judgement God may give thee a bare Ordinance or resting contented with a bare outside formall service without any lively workings of the Spirit upon thine heart and that will be but as a carkasse when the soul is gone When people drive away Gods Spirit and will not regard its strivings Aggrav 3. God gives over those that resist his Spirit unto a spirit of delusion then God gives them over in judgement to a spirit of delusion 2 Thes 2. 11. For this cause God shall send them strong delusions that they shall believe a lye VVhen Ministery the Lords-day and other Sabbath-Ordinances are trampled under feet when the plain infallible rule of the Scriptures is laid aside when some flatter themselves with high swelling conceits of their own gifts upon pretence of a Light within them Dreams and Revelations then God in judgement gives them over to a spirit of delusion The Devil works upon their fancies and puffs them up with pride and their pride swels them and bursts them Beware of Pride and above all Pride of spiritual Pride Beware of itching eares after novel Doctrines Upon pretence of new truths many suck in antiquated long since exploâ—ed â—rrours And if it be an errour though I take it not so yet account it an errour of love I advise especially young beginners to beware of Scepticism high-slown curiosities in the study of divinity It 's a ground of experience Scepticism Rom. 14. 1. Quod si observassent Scholastici non totâ— spinosas salebrosas ne dicaÌ„ impiâ—s sacrilegas quaestiones in eornÌ„ libris habere mus P. Mart. Aggrav 4. God gives those over to a hard heart who resist the motions of the Spirit frequently produceth Heresie â—ereâ—e terminatesin Atheisme and my counsel is grounded upon the known rule Him that is weak in the faith receive you but not in doubtfull disputatâ—ons Would Schoolmen saith Pet. Martyr had observed this Scripture Study Fundamentals get a Body of Divinity in your heads and hearts before you venture upon Polemicals Be well provided and furnished with weapons from the Principles of Divinity before you grapple with gain-sayers A fourth and last aggravation I shall mention is this when Gods Spirit hath stroven long knockt and waited and is abused and resisted then God gives over such persons to an hard heart and a reprobate mind And an hard heart and a reprobate mind is an hell upon earth Isa 6. 9 10. Go and tell this people Hear ye indeed but understand not and see ye indeed but perceive not Make the heart of this people fat and make their ears heavy and shut their eyes lest they see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their hearts and convert and be healed It 's cited by all the four Evangelists and in the Acts of the Apostles and the Epistle to the Romans by such frequent repetition of the self-same thing aggravating the greatnesse of the judgement It 's accounted the grand curse of the Gospel Joh. 9. 39. For judgement am I come into this John 9. 39. world that they which see not might see and that they which see might be made blind When men have been a long time under the sound of the Gospel and the Spirit hath moved and woed beseeching us to amend our lives and walk in an holy obedience and conformity to the will of God and yet we stand out and bid defiance to the Spirit of Grace then it is just for God to say hard heart seize upon such a one reprobate sense take hold of another let them be Sermon-proof and Judgement-proof let them remain insensible let their consciences be cauterized O whaâ— a fearfull judgement is this as the Apostle mentions But after thy hardnesse Roâ— 2. 5. and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thy self wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgement of God May these aggravations make deep impressions upon all our spirits and make us fear and tremble any more to withstand the sweet motions and whispers of the Spirit of God A second use is for Exhortation I entreat beseech exhort conjure Vse 2. For Exhortation you by all the motions of the Spirit by all the tenders of mercies patience and long-suffering of God that you would take heed of quenching resisting sadding the holy Spirit of God but cherish embrace make much of all the strivings of the Spirit of God with your soules To day the Spirit calls hear his voice to day the Spirit woes and would make a contract with your soules O now accept of him to day the Spirit invites lay aside all excuses and come It 's the Embassie that Gods Ministers are sent upon Now then we are Ambassadors for Christ as though
lives and keep strict Luk. 16. 2. sentinell over both That saying give an account of thy stewardship should be still ringing in the ears of Ministers Governours and Tutors We shall one day be called to an account let 's labour to be faithfull Stewards that so we may give up our account with joy and not sorrow It 's a known story that the young man committed by Euseb Hist the Apostle to the Elders care was dissolute and a companion of Theives and is there termed a dead man i. e. dead to God and goodness O let it not be our default our negligence that any under our charge are dead souls As the Captain beseeched that his life and the life of his fifty might be pretious in the Prophets eyes 2 Kings 1. 13 Whe her we have more or fewer let their souls be pretious and let us put forth our selves in all our places and capacityes to give one another a lift toward heaven A day of judgment is coming let that be a Frontlet before our eyes upon this consideration let Christians doe brotherly offices and manifest their love to the souls of their brethren Hereupon we are exhorted to avoid rash judgment Rom. 14. 10. 1 Cor. 4. 5. There 's wisdome understanding consideration all joyned together Deut. 32. 22. It s a patheticall speech and he 's a wiseman in the esteem of the Holy Ghost who considers his of latter end We should all of us fix this meditation upon our hearts entertain serious thoughts what will become of our our precious souls to all Eternity Will not a day of Judgement come May not thou or I be summon'd forthwith at that impartial Tribunal This being so What manner of persons ought we to be in all holy conversation and godliness In the second place to confirm the Point by evidence of Reason why the consideration of the Day of Judgement should engage us unto holiness 1. Because onely holy persons shall be able to stand in Judgement Reas 1. Because only holy persons shall stand in Judgement When the wicked the Goats that stand on the left hand and shall wish that the Hills might â—all on them and that the mountains might cover them from the face of the Lamb Then shall the godly lift up their heads and behold Christ who is their Judge their Redeemer This comforted Job on the Dung-hill Rev. 20. 6. Job 19. 25. Matth. 5. 8. Heb. 12. 14. I Know that my Redeemer liveth They that are holy here shall be happy to all eternity They onely shall be partakers of the blessed Visâ—on Now it s much controverted whether the Saints shall have their sins mentioned at all at the day of Judgement some conceive that their sins shall be brought in onely as a cancell'd â—ond others are of opinion that they shall be mentioned that Gods mercy may the more be glorified in the greatness of the Pardon And others say they shall not be mentioned at all because in several Scriptures the Lord saith He will remember their sins no more and that he will câ—st all our sins into the depth of the Sea and that he casteth Isa 43. 25. Mich. 7. 19. Isa 38. 17. our sins behinde his back without all controversie that shall be done that conduceth most to â—ods glory and their happiness There 's no condemnation to the Saints the day of Judgement will be a day of refreshing to them an addition to their happiness soul and body being re-united and made companions in bliss unto all â—ternity Seeing then holy persons shall be able to look the Judge in the face since they onely shall stand in judgement the consideration of this great day should sink deep into our hearts and make deep impression upon our spirits exciting alluring and prevailing with us to a sanctified life and conversation 2. â—ecause the time of this life is the onely Season appointed 2 Reas This is the present time by God to labor after holyness The Exhortation runs in the present â—ense 1 Pet. 1. 15. 1 John 3. 3. Q. 3. But can we be perfectly holy A. We must have perfection of parts i. e. Sincerity In Heaven there will be perfection of degrees we must have truth of holyness we must begin here and strive after more In Heaven we shall attain the complement thereof we may not content our selves with what we have attained unto but we must labor after perfection pressing forward toward the mark for the price of the high calling that is in Jesus Christ as Id qui faciunt fructum colligent satione sua dignum coacervabunt enim quod male dispereat Calv in loc Gal. 6. 8. the Apostle did Phil. 3. 14. Now then consider the time of this life is the Seed-time the Harvest is reserved in Heaven As you sow so you shall reap If you sow to the flesh you shall of the flesh reap corruption if you sow to the spirit you shall of the spirit reap life everlasting Therefore in your most serious thoughts consider that you deal for life and immortallity your negotiations are for the great things of Eternity In this World in this present time of life you must labor to be holy Purgatory is a Blasphemous Popish dream No purgation left for another World No Prayer no Sermon will work upon thee after this life Here then holyness is wrought lay these things to heart 3. Because Judgement returns us just as death leaves us As the 3. Reas Because judgment returns us as death lest us Tree falls so it lies and as death leaves us so judgement will finde us He that is filthy let him be filthy still He that dies unreconciled to Jesus shall be so returned The day of Judgement is most impartially just in all proceedings And Judgement returns none neither better nor worse but as death leaves them Now then if thou livest and diest in an unregenerate estate so thou wilt remain unto all Eternity After death no tears no crys will prevail There 's no door of hope the damned are without hope and this heightens their misery Time is past time is past The Judge hath vail'd his face having past a Sentence irrevo cable Noâ— whilest you are alive on this side Hell and Eternity there 's hope left you are under the sound of the Gospel and the Ambassadoâ— are sent offering unto you terms of reconciliation We pray you in Christs stead be ye reconciled to God O follow after holyness 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pursue it hard give not over This day is a working 2 Cor. 5. 20. Heb. 12. 14. day and it 's but short a day of Judgement which is a day of restitution and recompense is approaching So live as you desire to die Do you desire to be happy in your deaths Labor to live holy in your lives Thus much for the Doctrinal part Now to set all home by particular Application I have five Uses to make of this Doctrine
to love Jesus Christ so the Martyr in the flames cried out None but Christ Thus highly did John Baptist testifie of Christ Joh. 3. 30. so Christ may be exalted hee cares not what becomes oâ— himself So every faithful Minister puts the highest value upon Jesus Christ so Christs honour may be advanced Christs cause and interest promoted he cares not what sufferings what persecutions he meeâ—s withall Though he encounter with Beasts at Ephesus Sons of Anak and frie at a stake none of these things move him so Christ may be glorified in him and by him It 's a signe of true grace to prize Christ highly and enhaunce his esteem and honour above all things besides 3. The heart is in love with holynesse for it self â—olynesse is Charact. 3. The heart is in love with holyness the image of God Ephes 4. 24. and there is beauty in Gods imâ—ge to enamour the soul What was said of Moral virtue may be much more said of Theological Si â—erreno oculo possit cerni admirabile sui desiderium excitaret Could we discern by a spiritual eye the lustre and excellency of Holynesse O how would our hearts bee in love with it Multitudes followed Christ for the Loaves and accounted gain their godlynesse Self-seeking interests covetousnesse is that Master-wheele that sets many on working but a true Beleever accounts Godlynesse his gain Christ his honour â—eligion his preferment His eye is single his heart sincere He 'l do his duty do his work faithfully and trust God for his wages Nay Jsa 49. 4. Psal 119. 7 the work is a reward O how I love thy law saith David It was his delight he loved the Commandements above sine gold And what was the Law it was holy just and good Holynesse was the object of his love To love God for himself Holynesse for it self is a good sign 4. There must an ingenuous sorrow for sinne I call it ingenuous Charact. 4. An ingenuous sorrow for sinne in opposition to all slavish howling under the rod. There is a vast difference between Ahab and Paul between that sorrow which is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and that which is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Cor. 7. 10. and you have there seven Apostolical characters of godly sorrow 2 Cor. 7. 11. There 's a vast difference between the howling of dogges and crying of children between the crying of wicked persons as Pharaoh Ahab Cain under a heavy judgement for the punishment and smart upon them and the crying of Paul Peter and Mary Magdalen Pharaoh said Take away this plague the plague of Locusts Caterpillars c. he never was affected with the plague of his heart which was the greatest plague of all But take away my sinnes cries David Wash me throughly from mine iniquity and cleanse me from my sinnes here 's a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of godly sorrow it mourns for sinne more than the punishment it mourns for sin because it is sinne because it is a breach of Gods holy Law because thereby God is dishonoured this sorrow is kindly ingenuous when the heart is melted and mourns and is broken for displeasing so good and gracious a Lord God 5. There wil be a cordial mourning for others sinnes This affection Charact. 5. Thheres mourning for others sins Psal 119. 136 was singular in David Rivers of water run down mine eyes because men keep not thy Law A godly man layes to heart the sins of the times and the place where he lives It grieves him at the heart to see God dishonoured by any Bradford that rare spirited man grieved at the miscarriages of one of his Scholars and laid the fault upon himself for not looking better to him If he so charged himself surely our faces will gather blacknesse and a great deal of guilt will lye at our doâ—es for not discharging our trust as we ought to doe concerning so many Scholars as so many Depositums committed to our charge But let 's doe our duties and mourn over them that are refractory and keep them strict to discipline Le ts pray for them and mourn over them and questionlesse praiers and tears are prevalent weapons When thou hearest a man swear feest him drunk break Sabbaths takes no heed nor makes any conscience to walk in the way of the Lord O mourn for him and weep that God is dishonoured and reflect upon thy self thy nature is as bad as his Who art thou that differs from thy brother What difference there is it is not of thy making it 's Grace free Grace that makes all the difference 6. The heart approves it self to God so did David put himself Charact. 6. The hearts approving it self to God upon Gods Examination Such a one walks alwaies as in the presence of God knowing that God is all eye to see all ear to hear all hand to write down all He stands not to mans day and mans judgement he appeales to God the searcher of all hearts whose eyes are ten thousand times brighter than the Sun Hereupon Job raised a ground of comfort and confidence because his Redeemer was his Judge he that was his Saviour should acquit him his Witnesse was on high See his excellent protestation that his heart should not reproach him Job 27. 4 5 6. Now when a Christian is hardly censured and condemned by the world yet if he can approve his heart to God that hee hath walkt before God with an upright heart here 's ground of abundant comfort If God be for us who can bee against us If God speake peace who can speak trouble It 's God that justifieth who 's he then that condemneth Let 's all then labour to tread even paths to keep close to the rule of the Word alwaies Rom. 8. 31. to set the fear of God before our eyes that whatsoever evil entreaties we may meet withall from abroad wee may have comfort at home having approved our hearts to God who searcheth all hearts and tryeth the reins and rendereth unto every one according to the fruits of their doings 7. There wil be a pressing forward toward perfection A heart Charact. 7. There will be a pressing forward towards perfection that approves it self to God as it labours for truth of every grace so it labours for growth of them Joshuahs Sun stood stil Hezechiahs Sun went back Neither of these are for their imitation but they are like Davids Sun which like a Giant refresht with wine runnes its course I wel know that there are Lambs as wel as Sheep weak as well as strong Christians Christians of the Lower and of the Vpper Form and that Faith admits degrees yet every true Beleever contents not himself with that measure of grace whereunto he hath attained but labours after perfection as you may see Phil. 3. 12 13 14. Psal 48. 6 7. 2 Pet. 1. 5 6 7 8. There are many things which a godly man finds lacking in his Faith Love Humility and therefore
the lowest Scholar ought to know it And therefore its insufferable that hee who professeth himself a Doctor in the church should be ignorant of that doctrine Cogitemus hic quanta caecitas necessario obtineat in eo populo in quo Doctoribus ipsis Musculus in loc potest objici rerum ad ingressum Regni Dei necessariarum ignorantia so Musculus What blindness must there be in that people when their very teachers are ignorant of the most necessary things These things being pâ—emised for the opening of my text I shall ground my discourse upon this experimental truth of doctrine That There may be and are many men otherwise of great Learning Doct. yet grosly â—gnorant in the maine Fundamentall Doctrine of Regeneration The instance of my Text is instar omnium and it sufficiently proves my assertion yet notwithâ—â—anding I 'le adde thereunto other instances out of the word of God Paul was bred at the feet of Gamaliel of the strictest sect a Pharisee as touching the law blamelesse and yet all this while he knew nothing of Christ and Regenâ—ration until Christ meâ—t with him by the way as he was going to Damascus His confession is upon record That he was a Blasphemer 1 Tim. 1. 13. a Persecuter and injurious 1 Tim. 1. 3. The Pharisees were of great learning and knowledge in the Lawes they stood strictly upon outward washings yet were unacquainted with the washing of the heart Luke 11. 39. The Pharisees were the Rabbies and learned Doctors of their time they boasted much of outward righteousness 1 Cor. 1. 20 21. 1 Cor. 3. 19. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Act. 17. 18. yet their righteousness came short and was exceedingly defective Our Saviour tels them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Matth. 5. 20. Those 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of Greece who attained a great measure of knowledg were ignorant of this great point and therefore their wisdome hath the brand of foolishness put upon it by the learned Doctor of the Gentiles I Cor. 3. 19. 1 Cor. 20 21. Simon Magus did so bewitch the people and was accounted of such great abilities as he was esteemed the great power of God Act. 8. 10. and yet he was a man unregenerate for he was in the Gall of bitterness and Bond of iniquity v. 23. Tertullus was an eloquent Orator yet never did man abuse his parts more then he who pleaded with strength of eloquence in so bad a cause against Paul What need I adde more The Magicians of Aegypt the Wise men of Babylon the old Heathen Philosophers the Epicureans and Stoicks were all ignorant of Christ and the great work of of his spirit to regenerate souls They accounted Paul but a Babler and they would in all probability have asked the same absurd question as Nicodemus did can a man enter into his mothers womb the second time By all their ratiocinations they could never evince a second birth this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This subject came not as a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in their disputations it was beyond their ken and cognizance and this was never spoken of in Aristotles Lycaeum Zeno's Stoa nor in Plato's Academy I shall now descend to the Reasons of the point and then conclude Reas 1. Drawn from the nature of Regeneration with some usefull Application There are 3 Reasons or Arguments drawn a fortiori viz. From the Nature of Regeneration Of unregeneracy and the free working of Gods spirit and in relation to these three you will clearly see the assertion proved abundantly 1. â—et's consider the nature of Regeneration what it is which being discovered it will plainly appear that there may be a great deal of Learning and other kinds of Knowledge even to admiration Jer. 4. 4. Rom. 12 2. Rom. 12. 2. Ephes 4. 23. 2 Cor. 5. 17. 2 Pet. 1. 4. 1 Cor. 5 7. Gal. 4. 19. Joh 3 6. Mat. 3. 11. 1 Pet. 2. 2. of the world whilest in the mean time men may be mere strangers to this great work of Regeneration Let 's enquire how the scripture speakes of Regeneration Sometimes it s compared to circumcision Jer 4. 4. its called the renovation of the mind Rom. 12. 2. The renewing in the spirit of the mind Eph. 4. 23. The new creature 2 Cor. 5. 17. The divine nature 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Pet. 1. 4. a new Lumpe 1 Cor. 5. 7. The forming of Christ in the soul Gal. 4. 19. To be regenerate is to be born of the spirit Joh 3. 6. to be baptized with the Holy Ghost and fire Matth. 3. 11. And these are new born babes 1 Pet. 2. 2. This gives a man esse supernaturale a supernatural heavenly-born being Regeneration lookes at the inward man the hidden man and there makes a blessed change All the documenta principia 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as they are called of the strictest Philosophers could never bring any to understand what Regeneration meant Their counsells tended only to the reâ—ormation of the outward man to keep men in a decorum and within bounds of morality to follow those dictates which were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but they never aimed at heart-pollution heart-reformation the searcâ—ing out of Spiritual filthiness vain thoughs c. The best of your heathen Philosophers were Mole-ey'd bat-ey'd they could not see nor understand what purification of the heart meant Now then Regeneration being a supernatural work as is forementioned by plain scripture Testimony it s no wonder that many men of excellent parts who act upon dictates and principles of nature only that they are strangers unto this great mystery of the new birth 2. Another argument may be drawn from the nature of unregeneracy Reason 2. Drawn from the nature of unregeneracy The state of unregeneracy is a state of impurity enmity blindness and deadness First it s a state of impurity Original sin is an universal pollution Psal 51. 5. Job 14. 4. An unregenerate man is a compound of all sin he is a Cage of unclean Birds a Sink of impurity He is as a Reverend Divine gives a fit expression A Pitcher of earth fill'd up to the brim with the poysonfull liquor of Hell Originall sinne is Mr. Wheatly of Banbury on the new Birth that spawn whence is multiplied an innumerable fry of actuall rebellions What is corrupt nature but a filthy dunghill of all abominations The heart is the Devills Magazine to store up all manner of wickedness the tongue is set on fire of hell a fountaine of all sorts of evil communication The hand an instrument of deceipt and violence The eyes windowes and thorowfaires to let in all sorts of impurities the feet swift to run the divels errand and the whole life is a continued trade in sin to use the expression of the same pretious Divine now with God The life of an unregenerate man is one continued Webbe of wickedness made up by the divell and the flesh an
so farre and many there are that come short of him But besides this speculative there is an experimentall knowledge of Regeneration when a man findes the sweetness and lively power thereof upon his own soul when a man apprehends the image of Christ which consists in righteousness and holyness stampt upon him when a man findes a reall powerfull and effectuall change upon his heart and life this is the knowledge a minister ought cheifly to have Let him study the Theory and be able to instruct others what this new birth is but above all let him labour for the practical and experimentall knowledge thereof in his own heart that he may feel it operative and active in his own heart and so be more able to discourse from observations out of the book of his own heart 2 Teachers should teach frequently doctrine rather then out of the choicest writers that handle that subject 2. You that are Teachers of others let me beseech you in the bowells of Jesus Christ to preach frequently this fundamentall Doctrine of Regeneration â—his is a most needfull Lesson which can be never enough taught never enough learned Christ crucified Faith Repentance Holiness Regeneration are maine necessary doctrines to be Preach't in season and out of season doe not throw away and wast your time about unnecessary controversies vaine â—â—nglings doubtfull and curious disputations where the scripture it silent It was said of old Elias cum venerit solvet dubâ—um And we say now that where Gods spirit is silent our curiosity deserves a check Let such as bend their wits to force blood out of the Scriptures and coyn new interpretations at the Mint of a whimsical brain let them be convinced of their great folly and O that for the future such would preach Regeneration more and in all their Preaching hold fast the forme of sound words A preacher will doe more good through Gods blessing by preaching one Sermon on this Argument from an experimentall feeling of Gods spirit upon his heart then if to pleasure any wâ—nâ—on ears of Athens he preach a thousand Sermons full of high-flown Poeticall expressions Fathers and Brethren suffer the word of Exhortation Round about the country neere to the Vniversity the poore people cry for your help as the man of Macedonia come and help us Charity binds you Conscience binds you In some places you have Impropriations these help to feed you with corporall food and in conscience you are bound to feed them with spirituall food Why then stand any of you idle in the Market Why doe not you arise be doing and travel East West North and South preaching of the Gospel of Jesus Christ And when you goe doe not stuffe up your Sermons with fragments of Poets and fag-ends of Philosophicall distinctions It was the â—â—nne of your Predecessours removed lately sometimes to preach strong lines uncouth Phrases at some Neibouring Parish and this they call'd Ayring of a Pauls or a Court Sermon and so they seemed to the people no better then Barbarians preaching in an unknown tongue High-flown Poets formerly and Familists of late both unsit for a Pulpit amuse the people with sublime non-sensical straines speaking as the Apostle Jude â—ude 16. saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Take heed none of you be such Therefore let it be the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to preach Christ crucified Shew men their misery by nature the necessity of Regeneration The excellency of Christ thisis that unum necessarium Governours Tutors Masters Parents all in their places had need take more paines in examining those under them concerning the Doctrine of a new birth You will upon search find many men that can discourse of State Controversies and Church Controversies that can discourse of Discipline that can readily fall upon the Ministry and Vehemently cry down their maintenance as Jewish or Antichristian c. and yet oft times such are very ignorant in the maine necessary Point of Regeneration This is the grand point that should be more preach't then it is now adayes 2. To Disciples the other part of the Use respects them Let me beseech you to lay aside itching Ears after novell Doctrines 2. To Disciples come not here with an appetite to have your fancy tickled Be not like those of old Athens of our Athens we hope better things ever expecting some new thing some Brain Fancy some Chimara or Ens rationis some new coyn'd Interpretation besides and against the rule of the word of God But rejoyce in plain preaching and delight in that which tells you plainly of the necessity of holyness new creature interest in Jesus Christ This is the life of preaching to preach Christ crucified in the demonstration of the Spirit And this is the life of hearing to yeild ready obedience thereunto Let every one say let the plain powerfull profitable preaching come let it come let it come closly particularly and effectually into my soul let Gods word finde me out divide unto me my portion and separate between the joynts and marrow even between my self and my bosome corruptions Some of you are the sonnes of Nobles Antient Families O remember wherein consists your best Nobility and that 's in this New Birth The Bereans were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Kings Daughter is said to be glorious within her clothing is of Act. 11. 12 Psal 45. 13. wrought Gold The graces of Gods spirit Faith love meekness temperance goodness and the like these ennoble your soules these make Nobility it self truely noble And these will last when honorable persons shall be degraded and all honours lye in the dust Therefore labour for this true Nobility It was Ignatius his saying Nobilitas Antiquitas mea Jesus Christus It was an excellent saying of Lewis of Bavyer Emperour of Germany Hujusmodi comparandae sunt opes quae cum naufragio simul enatent Such goods are worth getting that when a shipwrack happens will swimme along with us And these are the riches of Christ the graces of his spirit this great grace of Regeneration When stormes and tempest even Euroclydons the most blustering windes come when concussions overturnings and hurlyburlyes come there 's safety for that man who hath made God his portion who hath an interest in Christ he shall not be afraid of evil tidings because his heart is fixed trusting in the Lord he hath the name of the Lord to go unto a rock of ages to shelter himself upon and so shall be safe Brethren I speak to many men of great learning well skill'd in Arts and Sciences I acknowledge singular use of them and I know none that will speak against them unlesse such of whom the Apostle speakes they speak evil of that which they know not yet notwithstanding here is a Science that out bids all your Sciences and that is the knowledge of Christ Paul the learned Doctor of the Gentiles thus determines 1 Cor. 2. 2. I determined to know nothing amongst you save Jesus
Christ and him crucified And he calls other things in comparison of this knowledge Phil. 3. 8 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Above all knowledge labour to get this knowledge and above all your gettings labour to get this understanding And unless you be newborn you can never attaine unto a savory knowledge of Christ An ignorant person will ask what is thy beloved more then an other beloved but the Spouse answered my beloued is white and ruddy the cheifest of ten thousand Here lyes our duty to pray for the spirit and wait upon God in his word the word is the seed the spirit that formative vertue that makes it effectuall O prize Gods ordinances and wait upon God in them Happy will it be for any of you of whom it can be truely said Loe there was he born Loe there was he new born and wash'd with the laver of Regeneration In such a place and at such a Sermon God came in and chang'd the heart This is the Nail we are a driving we let down the Casting-net of the Gospel hopeing to catch some and it 's the desire of our soules to be instrumentall to beget soules unto Jesus Christ Let 's all doe our duties faithfully and leave the success with God The 2d Use is for Information To handle this use more distinctly 2 For Information my work will be 1. To shew you negatively what Regeneration is not 2. To shew positively what it is 1. Negatively and this I shall discover in these ensuing particulars 1. It consists not as Nicodemus grosly apprehended in a second 1. Regeneration is not understood in Nicodemus his sense entring into the wombe Suppose that a naturall man could be born in a natural way a thousand times over yet there is such defilement in his naturall being and birth by reason of Original sinne that it 's infinitely different and disagreeing with spiritual Regeneration this natural birth would be but flesh and our Saviour tells us that which is born of the flesh is flesh 2. Regeneration consists not in a New Physicall being i. e. to 2 Regeneratiom consists not in a Physicall being loose the essentials we had of a soul and the faculties thereof We have some Familists and vain Dreamers who talk of being Goded and Christed and tell of a strange Deification of being made God with God This is Blasphemy in a high measure see 1 Pet. 1. 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 We have by Christ not a new substance put into us but new qualities In a Theologicall sense he is wholly a new man who is changed in quality from bad to good yet the substance remaines still the same The alteration is not in the essence but in the operations and qualities of a man 3. Regeneration is not Civility and morall honesty 3. Regeneration is not civility and morall honesty though civility and moral honesty are both commendable and a shame for any Christians to be strangers to them yet men may be morally honest just in dealings and yet not outstrip heathens who never heard of Christ A Socrates a Plato a Regulus a Fabritius by their principles may goe a great way walk inoffensively to the eye of the world and yet may be a meer Ignoramus of Regeneration What 's the reason the Apostle will tell us 1 Cor. 2. 14. The naturall man receives not the things of the spirit of God Heathens have called the new moulding of their life a new birth Seneca tells us Nobis ad arbitrium nostrum nasci licet Yet this is farre short of that heavenly birth which the Scripture discovers How were Heathens new moulded but according to those 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 common naturall principles according to those institutions which they had in the Schooles of Plato Zeno and Aristotle It s the property of Gods word only to beget this new nature It 's call'd Incorruptible seed 1 Pet. 1. 23. Now not only a proâ—ane man must be born again but a civill man Joh. 3. 3. It 's spoken Indefinitely except a man be born again c. A man outwardly vertuous a man of a sweet disposition a man of a good nature he must be born againe It was a Blasphemous Hyperbole used in commendation of Bonaventure In hoc homine non peccavit Adam yet let the nature be nere so ingenuous it must be born from above 4. Regeneration consists not in great parts and abilities Many 4. Regeneration consists not in great Parts and Abilities may have great learning both naturall and acquired parts to admiration and yet remaine altogether ignorant of Regeneration The learned Orators and Philosophers attain'd unto a great measure of knowledge and yet were ignorant of the mystery of Regeneration Where Regeneration is ther 's a wonderful change wrought upon the heart the inward man is purified the thoughts are sanctified the heart cleansed But all the Documenta and Principia of the cheifest of Philosophers and Orators mention not one syllable of heart cleansing heart purifying they direct no further then the outward man 5. Regeneration consists not in common graces There may be a 5. Regeneration consists not in common Grace coÌ„mon Faith a coÌ„mon Love and a coÌ„mon Hope in such as are unregenerate To have a temporary opinionative Faith to have a coÌ„mon verbal Love a presumptuous Hope these are common to those that perish But to have a Faith that purifieth the heart a Love without dissimulation a Hope that maketh not ashamed these appertain only to regenerate persons 6. Regeneration consists not in a bare profession of Christ and 6. Regeneration consists not c. acknowledgement of the Gospel Many have an external profession and profess that they believe in Christ and yet cannot tell what this New birth means Many may be turned from Paganism to Popery from Popery to Protestantism and yet be unregenerate all the while There must be a conversion from an outward profession at large to a holy conversation There must be a saving work of grace upon the heart Wee must not onely be externally professors but internally and really changed in our natures we must be took off the old stock and planted into the new we must not be contented to be accounted nominal professors unlesse we be really wrought upon and throughly changed Now as I have shewed you in six particulars wherein Regeneration is not I shall now endeavour to shew in six particulars wherein it consists viz. in a new Nature a new Understanding new Will new Affections a new Heart and a new Life and Conversation 1. For the new Nature this is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eph. 4. 1. There 's a new nature 24. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Cor. 5. 17. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Cor. 5. 7. This consists not onely in the change of some particular actions but the change of the whole Nature 2. There 's a new Understanding Eph. 4. 23. Rev. 3. 18. 1 Joh. 2.
shall I tell you further of their seven Sacraments and other Trent Doctrines viz Justification by workâ— Purgatory Indulgences Transubstantiation the Masse praying to Saints I would not at this time conjure up these devils unlesse I had more time to lay them down by a particular confutation I referre you to the learned confutations of Chamier Dr. Whitaker and Dr. Reynolds each one the glory and oâ—nament of his â—niverâ—ty and our Nation One of them kills his enemy and hewes him to peeces Another buries him I will give in a few Principles which are not my judgment only though I heartily subscribe thereunto but of many others whose â—ookes I am not worthy to carry after them One is that the Pope is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Antichrist let 's not be afraid 1. The Pope is the Antichrist v. G. Downham to give him his right name aâ—d call a spade a spade a Whore a Whore Antichrist Antichrist Learned Downham in severall demonstrations abundantly proves the Assertion it s a book worthy your perusâ—ll K. James ask'd Sir Francis Bacon whether the â—oâ—e were Antichrist he returned this answer that if a hue and cry were made after Antichrist and he should apprehend the Pope he would make him clear himself of the markes of Antichrist before he would let him goe A Second Principle is this that a Papist cannot goe beyond a 2. A Papist cannot goe beyond a Reprobate v. Mr. Perkins Reprobate I referre you to the Learned and satisfactoâ—y tract of judicious Mr. Perkins who will give you if you be as willing to reâ—eive abundant satisfaction in this particular A 3 d. Principle is that there ought to be no Peace no â—econciliation with â—ome I am herein fully of that Reverend Drsâ—oâ—inion 3. There ought to be no peace with Rome B. Hall thâ—t there ought to be no peace with â—ome though I cannot agree with him in saying that Rome is a true Church no more then I can say that a womâ—n is honest who is knowâ— to be a common Whore As for Cassander of old Sancta Clara of late who would be reconcilers and joyn the Ark and Dagon Rome and England together for ought I know they may as well reconcile the two Poles as unite those that differ in severall fundamentals A Pottle of Tyber and a Pint of Thames will make a strange Medley Ballderdash Gallimaufrie what shall I call it Christ and Antichrist will not bee thus yoaked Protestantisme and Popery Rome and Geneva can agree no more than fire and water Frigida cum calidis pugnant humentia siccis Lead and Gold cannot agree in the same Furnace no union with Antichrist no peace with Jezabel no reconciliation with Babylon A fourth Principle is this That a Papist living and dying in 4. A Papist living dying in the trusting to his Merits cannot bee saved 5. Babylon is Rome the opinion of his own Merits cannot be saved because he overthroweth the Foundation cuts off that Bough whereon he should lean he overthroweth the Righteousnesse of Christ and without Christs righteousnesse no salvation 5. That Babylon is Rome Vrbs septicollis and shall bee destroyed Rome is that Mother of Fornications and Witchcrafts and herein you have the consent of the most Orthodox and learned Interpreters of the Revelation who concurre in this principle These are the Principles which I am not afraid to own and I am persâ—â—ded that few or none of you differ from my judgment but beleeve these Principles to be true I will have but one word more for a close of all in my last use Vse 3. For Exhortation which is for exhortation and then I shall dismisse you My Brethren you have heard of the Mercies of this day singular Deliverances singular Testimonies of the loving kindness of the Lord Now what eminent things shall we doe for God What shall we render unto the Lord for all his benefits Let me be your Remembrancer after what manner we should remember the mercyes of this day and then I shall commend you to the grace of God 1. Remember to transmit the memory of this day to your Posterity Let this Anniversary solemnity be kept in record let it bee told by the Father to the children and to the childrens children from Generation to Generation Because some question the truth of the day and look upon it but as a politick invention and Trick of State let us bee more diligent to keep it in memory let us speak one to another of the mercies of this day be well acquainted with the History of the day and let us speak of this deliverance in the house in the field at our down-lying and rising up what things of old what ancient mercies the Lord hath vouchsafed to our Fathers and to us in them May this day be wrote in the Kalendar in Letters of Gold which the Papists would have wrote in letters of blood 2. Remember and praise God for this miraculous deliverance 2. Praise God for the Mercies of this day let our mouthes be filled with the praises of the Lord Ps 107. 8. Le ts take up the Ps 124. and make application let our lips praise the Lord and let us say the name of the Lord be praised let our hearts praise the Lord let all that is within us bless his holy name 3. Remember and be vigilant watch against Papists trust them 3. Remember and be watchfull not we know their equivoâ—tions we know their blood-thiâ—styâ—ess le ts ever deprecate and â—bhorre any Toleration any connivance or compliance with them no moâ—e trusting to them than to Simeon and Levi Brethren in Iniquity in whose habitations were instruments of cruelty Gen. 49. 5 6. Be cuâ—telous come not near the brinke venture not upon Arminiâ—n Fâ—milistical and other mungril opinions which partly speaks in the language of the Jews and partly in the language of Ashdod Give the Devil his Option he would have for his Agent a. Familist as soon as a Papist for a Familist can aequivocate and tell you he means Christ and him crucified when as he means not the Christ crucified at Jerusalem but a phansie of his own addle brain a Christ in him or a Platonick Christ 4. And lastly shew some tokens for good of your joy and rejoycing 4. Shew some token of thankfulness in the mercy of this day This day is a day of Thanksgiving let it be a day of Almes-giving to cloath the naked and feed the hungry that their loyns may bless you send to such for whom nothing is prepared This day is a feasting day and there ought to be a sending of portâ—ons one unto another I come in a good day I hope you will not say me my there are many pooâ—e Housholders and poor Scholars too it 's farre more charity to help them than your wandring Peggars In Florence as I have read there was speciall provision made for such housholders as were poor and
ashamed to begge let these be the objects of your charity Florioes View of Tuscany Doe good to all but especially unto the houshold of Faith this is the speciall duty of such a day as this is to honour God with our substance to distribute our bread to the hungry Wherefore forget not this duty it 's a sacrifice where â—ith God is wel-pleased I commend this duty unto your practice and the Lord stirre up your hearts and cause you to draw forth your hearts to the reliefe of the distressed afflicted especially the poor members of Jesus Chriâ—â— that this may be a good day and a day of rejoycing to you and a good day and a day of rejoycing to them and let the memoriall of this day be Monumentum aere perennius Le ts imitate the Jeâ—s in the Text and use all the care we can that such dayes as these are may never faile nor the memoriall of them perish from our seed The Day of Iudgement Discovered from Rom. 2. 16. In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Iesus Christ according to my Gospel A Serious discourse of the day of Judgement is both seasonable Serm. 7. at St. Maries Oxon. Decemb. 9. 1655. 1. This Doctrine is seasonable 2 Pet. 3. 3 4. and profitable seasonable because as the Apostle informed long agoe there shall come in the last dayes scoffers walking after their own lusts and saying where is the promise of his comming There have been of old multitudes of Hereticks who have decried and endeavoured to expunge this Article out of the Creed concerning the day of Judgement Such were the Sadduces Epicures Dositheans Samaritans Marâ—chees Prodâ—anitae Floriani Symmachiani and of all these Sects the vilest were the Borboritae against whom Augustine made an elaborate Confutation Aug. lib. de Haeresibus ad Quod vult Deum c. 6. V. Act. Mon. vol. 1. Near of kin to those filthy beasts were the Harlots against whom there was long since by King Hen. 2. a Proclamation sent into Northhamptonshire and the lewd Ranters their genuine abhominable off-spring in these last and worst of times Now adaies Hell it selfe is broke loose through the variety of Hereticks who though differing from one another yet all agree against the truth like Herod and Pilate who of enemies were made freinds and they both agreed together against Christ What shal we say when Scepticks Antiscripturists Atheists in print and practice in their works and deeds deny the day of Judgement Surely as at all times so now especially the Preaching of this Doctrine of the day of Judgement is exceeding seasonable 2. This Doctrine is as profitable as seasonable And this will 2. This Doctrine is profitable be evidenc'd by two Reasons which are of great weight and consequence 1. Because the Preaching of this Doctrine is an incentive and a 1. Because it is an Incentive to godlinesse speciall motive to excite unto the practice of godlynesse Why doth God command all men to repent there 's a strong reason used by the Apostle to perswade Because hee hath appointed a day it the which he will judge the world in righteousnesse And from the consideration of the day of Judgement the Apostle draws a strong engagement unto Holyness of life and conversation Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved what manner of persons ought wee to be in all holy conversation and godlynesse looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God 2 Pet. 3. 11 12. 2. Because this Doctrine of the day of Judgement is the foundation 2 This Doctrine is the foundation of comfort of comfort unto the godly Hence Paul triumphed I have saith he fought a good fight I have finished my course I have kept the faith Henceforth there is layd up for me a crown of righteousness which the Lord the righteous Judge shall give me at that day c 2 Tim. 4. 7 8. Such as have been troubled who belong to Christ they shall have rest as the Apostle saith When the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty Aâ—gels and the righteousness of God is engaged for performance 2 Thes 2. 6 7 Seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompence tribulation to them that trouble you and to you who are troubled rest with us Now to come nearer the words Their connexion and dependance is upon ver 12. For as many as have sinned without Law shall also perish without Law And as many as have sinned in the Law shall be judged by the Law Although they had not the Moral Law promulgated to them by the Ministery of Moses yet they had the Law of Nature written in their hearts And the Law of Nature though unwritten in Tables of stone shall condemn them that sinned against the written Moral Law What else is the Moral Law but a Transcript more fairly wrote of that Law of Nature which was first wrote in Adams heart Those likewise that sinned against the written Law as the Jews did shall be judged by it For there is a dreadfull curse threatned Deut. 27. 26. Cursed is he that confirmeth not all the words of this law to doe them Now if the Question be propounded When shall this judgement bee executed upon Jews and Gentiles My Text gives in the Answer In the day c. Which words containe a plain assertion and an evident proof of a grand Article of our Faith concerning the day of Judgement Wherein wee may observe 1. A Fundamental Doctrine asserted That at the day of Judgement the secrets of all mens hearts shall be judged by Jesus Christ 2. Here 's a full proof of this assertion 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 according to my Gospel Which is not to be understood as if Paul Secundum quod annuncio per Jesum Christum Hier. Suum appellat â—atione Ministerii Calvin was the Author of the Gospel but onely the Publisher thereof Jerome thus understands the Apostle According to that which I declare by Iesus Christ And this the Apostle calls his own as Calvin observes in respect of his Ministry So that I conceive Paul may be thus understood as if he should say This is the Gospel that Christ my self and all the Apostles have taught This and no other Gospel I preach unto you The words thus opened and divided contain three Doctrines 1. That there shall be a day of Judgement 2. At that day the secrets of all mens hearts shall be judged 3. Iesus Christ shall be the Iudge at that day I resume the first Doctrine in order according to this Method Doct. 1 1. To lay down evident proof for clearing of so great a truth Method 1. 2. 2. To make some usefull improvement of all by particular Application For proof hereof Scripture and Reason both contribute abundantly The Doctrine proved to the evincing and stablishing of us in this Article of ouâ— Faith I begin with Scripture Testimony which is
It 's Arg. 5. Dâ—awn from the generall Resurrection of the Saints derived 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 caput 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 videri it signifieth the looking for something with the lifting up of the head or strerching out of the neck with earnest intention and observation Thus doe the Saints long for the appearance of Christ Heb 9. 28. it 's not an ordinary looking for it 's said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And the Saints cry Rev. 22. 20. Come Lord Jesus The Saints looke for a better life 2 Cor. 15. 10. a howse not made with hands Their desire is to be dissolved and to be with Christ and when their bodies are in the grave their souls are in heaven They wait for a glorious resurrection and at the day of judgement it will be known who are Saints who are not Many that the world accounts hypocrites will prove reall Saints then Many that the world accounâ—eâ—h Saints will then appear to be painted hypocrites Those whom the world hath falsly condemned shal then be acquitted and those whom the world hath unjustly acquitted shal then be condemned That Tribunal is impartial and just no false judgement can be given there no unjust sentence no wrong Verdict shall be given by that Judge wherefore the Saints long for that day they earnestly desire the appearance of Jesus Christ And these breathings and longings are not invain for the elects sake Christ hath promised to shorten these dayes of sin and misery The 6 and last argument shall be drawn from Gods glory To Arg. 6. Drawn from Gods glory this purpose was man created to glorify his maker unto all eternity Now God will be glorified either in our salvation or damnation God hath ordained mankind to an eternal condition either of happyness or misery Now God will glorify himself in the fight of men and Angels in an eminent manner at the day of judgement when Christ shall passe a sentence of eternal absolution and say Come ye blessed of my Father c. Then will be glorified the mercy of God when he shall say go yee cursed then will be glorified Gods justice Thus you have heard the Doctrinal part of the Text proved by Scripture and reason It now remains that I should improve all unto our consciences by some useful Application A 3 fold Use I shall now make of this Doctrine for reproof Instruction and consolation 1 Use For Reproof 1. For Reproof This brings heavy tidings to all ungodly persons who live as if there were neither death nor judgement heaven nor hell Because this great day is not yet come they put it far from them How soon a particular judgement may befal them as it did Korah Dathan and Abiram Sennacherib Herod and others none can tell And how soon the general judgement may come is a secret locked up in Gods Cabinet As for Prognosticators and Wizards who determine the time when we are not to put the least confidence in such presumptuous persons who are no better then the Devils Chaplains But here 's the great wickedness that people consider not how soon they may be surprized They have not this day in their thoughts drunkards swearers adulterers oppressours voluptuous persons they run on in their mad careere and think not of this day Flagitious profligate sinners adde iniquity unto iniquity and treasure unto themselves wrath against the day of wrath and the declaration of the righteous judgement of God against them What shall we say of hereticks and blasphemers who like that horne which was Antiochus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Dan. 8. 12. which cast the truth to the ground Desperate hereticks are broke loose Socinians Familists Enthusiasts swarm like those flyes of Egypt and make the whole land to stinke But there will be a day of visitation a day of recompence all their varnishes pretexts and dissimulations willâ—ly open to the sight of men and Angels Manes Arrius and others met with dreadful particular judgements in this life However at the general judgement Macedonians that deny the Diviny of the Holy Ghost Arrians that deny the Divinity of Christ Circumcellians whose apes the Quakers are now adays and tread their steps all these shall appear before that judgement seat which they now dread not that God whom they now vilify shall judge them What shall we say of loose Libertines Jovialists Epicures dissolute livers who are mighty to powre in strong drink game and carouse away many pretious hours what shall we say of hypocrites who dawb juggle dissemble whose words are smoother then butter but within are sharp swords What shall we say of Apostates that desert their profession and relinquish their Principles and fly from Christs colours and fight under the banners of Arrius Macedonius Donatus or some of the same bran What shall we say of abominable livers Antinomians Athists and who overthrow Laws Rule Government and live as they list who run into all sorts of lasciviousness and follow sin with greediness Let me tell all such that they are already dead dead to God and goodness they are dead in sins and follow Satan their chief commander they dance after his pipe go when he bids go come when he bids come But a day of judgement will come then thou wilt be called to account for those cups which thou hast been mighty to poure down thy own throat and for those which thou hast forced on thy brother Then thou wilt be called to an account for thy secret whoredomes and abominations committed in the darke Then thou wilt be called to an account for those Sermons which thou hast scoffed at and gave no heed unto for those Sabboths which thou hast profaned and for all thy mispent time for all those precious seasons which thou hast squandred away All the creatures will bring in their Indictments against thee Imprimis For gluttony and drunkennesse thou hast eaten not for health but gluttony drunken not for strength but drunkenness The cloaths thou wearest will come against thee Thou spendest more for superfluities then would cloath many poor servants of Jesus Christ Thou followest thy fansy the Garbe and fashion of the time these thou art curious to observe and thou harkenest after all the new fashions but in the mean time considerest not how many of Gods children want cloaths for their nakedness All thy books in thy study shall come and witness against thee such great helps thou hadst such prices were put into thy hands but they were prices put into the hands of a fool for want of a heart to improve them All thy parts and gifts shall witness against thee thou hast hidden all thy talents in a napkin thou hast let thy gifts lye rusty for want of using All the Sermons Sabboths exhortations admonitions waytings treaties and striveings of the Holy Spirit will come and preferre a black bill of Indictment against thee who notwithstanding these pretious means yet didst not regard thy
God and Selah shall be put to the end of each prayse Their spirits shall be raised and fitted for that great imployment Their work will be their delight for ever to sing Hallelujahs unto him that sitteth upon the throne and to the Lamb for ever more Thankfulness runneth parallel with the longest line of eternity It 's the language of militant saints on earth and of triumphant in heaven to celebrate the praises of God and blesse his name Praise is comely It 's both good and pleasant to express the praises of God Eternity it selfe will be too little to speak forth the pralses of God 4. This imployment shall be in our Fathers house When once 4. This employment shall be in our Fathers house we come to Heaven we have fixed mansions never to be removed There we shal not sing the songs of Zion in a strange land but in our fathers house Oh! how sad a reproach was it when the men of Babylon tauntingly called upon the children of Israel sing one of the songs of Zion v. Psa 138. 1 2 3 4. 5. And lastly Glorified Saints shall keep an eternal Sabboth in Heaven They shall have but one Sabboth in eternity but that 5. Glorified Saints shall keep an Eternal Sabboth in Heaven shall be continued and never cease And in that Sabboth there shall be no tediousness Their spirits shall be suited for the greatness of that imployment There shall be no intermission nor interruption But there shall be one continued strain one constant act of glorifying God to all eternity There will be no complaining of double duties of wearysomeness of the flesh there shall be no tireing of the spirits In this Paradise all the spirits of the Saints shall for ever be fresh and green There shall be no decay of strength abilities and fitness for such high imployments Now put all these things together consider what we are freed from and what we get by this future condition of glory who of understanding would not be in love with these things who is there that hath but once tasted that would not desire to drink deeper of these rivers of pleasure Who is there that knoweth what an excellent life that is which is to come that would not study enquire and labour to get assurance of it And yet this is the madness and folly of the men of the world that preferre dross before gold the transient base things of the world before the pretious treasures of eternity What now remains but that I should set all home in an Usefull Use Of Exhort Application and so at present dismisse you Men Fathers and Brethren suffer the word of Exhortation to make it your business inquiry and care to make sure of your eternal condition O eternity eternity This word eternity should ly upon our hearts it should be in our frequent serious thoughts and in our retired meditations In our conversings with men in the world the consideration of eternity should abide upon us In our studies let us study for eternity It was a boasting speech of a Painter that said Aeternitati pingo I am sure we ought to study and drive our designes for eternity We should so improve our time husband our talents and so lay out the gifts and graces which God gives us as we may take comfort therein to all eternity O! that men addicted to pleasure would consider that all the pleasures of sin are bitter sweets And for all these things God will bring them to judgement Eccles 11. 9. And what Will yee be such fooles as for a few paultry vaine pleasures to hazard your immortal pretious soules unto all eternity O! that covetous Mammonists would take the consideration of eternity into their thoughts Wherefore doe you spend your mony for that which is not bread Isai 55. 2. How greedily doe men graspe riches how doe they make hast to be rich and put both their hands and both their shoulders to purchasse great estates and never think they have enough like the horse leaches daughter crying still give give And all this while they set their hearts upon perishing things upon that which is not v. Prov. 23. 4 5. But eternity cometh not into their thoughts Transient riches take up their thoughts heart all but eternal riches a durable substance is no whit regarded There is a sad example of that miserable rich fool of whom you may read Luk. 12. 19 20 21. O! that all dissemblers and hypocrites would lay the thoughts of eternity to heart How many dissemble and bely their consciences and pretend one thing openly when as they intend another secretly Their hearts give their lips the ly Did these consider of another world of an everlasting estate either in happiness or misery surely they durst not baffle their consciences and turne any way for temporary advantage and in the mean time wound their consciences Questionless if eternity was more in our thoughts we should be better in secret we should pray with more faith and fervency and be more watchful over our hearts more conscientious in all our carriages Did we entertain in our hearts the frequent thoughts of eternity we should be better in our capacities and relations better masters and servants better parents and children better husbands and wives It was the Motto of Meursius a learned man Aeternitateâ— cogita Did we think of eternity we should not be so loath to lay out our selves for God did we consider often how fraile our life is as a vapour a bubble swifter then a weavers shutle swifter then an arrow out of a bow swifter then a post then a thought Certainly we should not then be so hardly entreated to labour in Gods vineyard Did such who are intrusted with the inspection of others consider of the account they must give in another life they durst not neglect those Depositums the parents choycest jewels committed to their trust and excuse themselves with a distinction per se per alium which in eternity will prove an unsound rotten distinction and will not in the least helpe them out who eat the bread of idleness If this consideration of eternity were in the tradesmans thoughts hee durst not vend sophisticated waâ—es and couzen in his trade as if in his trade a mystery of over-reaching were tolerable O miserable gaine to be penny wise â—nd pound foolish to get a little petty profit in the trade and in the mean time adventure the losse of an immortal soul for ever Behold Brethren we all stand at the dore of eternity Thousands of diseases casualties molestations may dispatch us and send us to our long home Here lieth our great wisdome and understanding in making timely provision for our eternal condition This should be oâ—â— study this should be our inquiry to aske what means must we use to inherit eternal life What must we doe to be saved How must we make our peace with God Yet a little while and our soules shall be separated
consecrated unto the Lord And if the first fruits be holy the whole lump will be sanctified Pub. Scipio first went into the Senate to pray before he went into the Capitol to consult Christ was at prayer a great while before day Mark 1. 35. David prevented the night watches The Jewes divided the day into three parts the first was for prayer the second for the study of the Law the third for worke I have read that King Alfred the founder of the ancientest Colledge in our University divided the day into three parts eight houres for prayer study and writing 8 houres for eating drinking and sleeping and eight houres in the affaires of the estate My Brethren let 's all make it our business to serve the Lord with all our hearts Le ts in good earnest with all the members of our bodies and faculties of our souls give up our selves to God Let 's offer all we are and have even a whole burnt offering unto the Lord. Let 's give God the best of the best Let 's not sleep away a morning Sermon and be in our beds when we ought to be in the publicke Congregation Cannot we rise early enough for our secular interest and shall we neglect in the mean time the eternal good of our immortal soules The Queen of Sheba came from the uttermost parts of the earth and the wise men came from the East c. And shal any be so lazy as not to step over their thresholds to hear a Sermon Will men loose this Manna for want of gathering it Men ought to labour more to be good then to bee great and to be more careful to discharge their places of preferment then sollicitous to procure them What seeking riding solliciting undermining what scandalizing supplanting perfidious dealings are every where to be found These waies of unbrotherly dealings are very frequently practiced in these evil daies These things my brethren ought not so to be I fear those times and practises are revived now a daies against which the Prophet Micah complains chap. 7. 3. That they hunt every man his brother with a net Thence an exhortation is inferred v. 5. Trust not in a friend put not confidence in a guide But here lies our duty to doe all we can to promote the honour of God to lay out our selves Interests and all to advance the Gospel of Jesus Christ We seek our selves every where our own honour ease and Interest How greedy are many to get more riches how sollicitous of increaseing their substance But how careless are men of doing their duties and discharging the great trust reposed in them Wherefore the other part of my Use shall in an especial manner be directed to two sorts of Persons viz. Magistrates and Ministers 1. Let Magistrates doe their best in their capacity to promote 1. To Magistrates the glory of God They have great advantages put into their hands and let them remember that they bear not the sword in vaine A Magistrate in Gods cause should be like Levi who knew neither Father nor Mother nor Brother nor Sister Of all others a Magistrate should be a man of zeale and courage he should bring the wheel upon the wicked Be they honourable or worshipful he should not spare them in their wickedness Swearers Drunkards Whoremongers Sabbath-breakers these should be punished and Blasphemers who are as bad as the worst For their abomination is never the less because they have so many to plead for them It 's an old Moral Law never yet repealed that he that blasphemeth the name of the Lord should be put to death Lev. 24. 16. What abundance of good may Magistrates doe How many prizes have they put into their hands to serve God in their places Let none be afraid to be good Let them have this Motto or Monitor in their serious thoughts Those that honour God he will honour but as for those that despise him they shall be lightly esteemed 2. To Ministers 2. Here 's one word to Ministers and so for the present I shall conclude Must God have the best then let Ministers offer to God their prayers studies best paines Luther used to say that prayer Meditation and Tentation makes a Preacher And Bernard used to say Bene orasse est bene studuisse Let all Ministers pray much let them first study their own hearts and then study their sermons which they preach to their Auditors The Preacher studied acceptable words A Minister must be an Interpreter one of a thousand Gods mouth to distinguish the pretious from the vile He must have the tongue of the learned to speak a word in due season I have often thought of Davids resolution to Araunah that he would not offer to the Lord that which should cost him nothing Questionless transcriptions Extemporary effusions vain fancies forced Allegories Wire-drawne Expositions are unbecomeing a Pulpit There 's a curse upon all those that doe the work of the Lord negligently Let 's all endeavour to approve our selves workemen that neednot to be ashamed Thanks be to God There 's a choice company of young men who usually supply this lecture Their spirits are serious and their language savory and they preach solid Orthodox and soule-saving Doctrines I must admire and can neuer enough bless God for the same The saying is no more common than true that the hope of our Church is in our young men I will make no comparisons I wish from my heart that we were all better that we would preach more solidly and more frequently And sor mine own part I am of opinion that those who preach most frequently haveing a single eye at Gods glory these are the best and most profitable Preachers and doe most good to poore soules Let none of us hide our talents in a Napkin Let 's not hide our Candle under a Bushel But let 's imploy frequently this sword of the spirit and draw it out lest Ducentas octoginta sex Conciones quotannis habuit Calvinus ad Popu'uÌ„ Lectiones vero centum octoginta sex praeter Epistâ—las Disputationes c. Beza in vita Calvinâ— by keeping it in the scabbard it grow rusty for want of using When we read of Chrysostomes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I saith he preacht yesterday and to day And of Calvins indefatigable paines as * Beza writes in his life we may be ashamed that we do no more Let not any ordained Minister especially stand idle in the market place and say none hath hired me There are many pulpits empty both here in adjacent Parishes Yoâ— have places enough to visit were you but of the rare spirit of Amaziah the son of Zichri who did willingly offer himself unto the service of the Lord. Brethren I am jealous over you with a godly jealousy And in love to your soules I am your remembrancer of these things Liberavi animam And so for the present I conclude heartily desireing that what hath been spoken may abide by you
with that Apostolical Doxology Rom. 11. 36. For of him and through him are all things to whom be glory for ever Amen I shall adde a fourth consideration and that shall be drawn from Consid 4. Drawn from the credit reputation of Christian Religion the Credit and Reputation of Christian Religion which we should with our lives livelyhood and all endeavour to uphoâ—d Shall Heathens think no cost great enough no paines no service sufficient for their false Gods and shall we grudge at every thing which we doe in the worship of the true God We read in the Text that the name of God is dreadfull amongst the Heathens i. e. Gods greatnesse is astonishing amongst the Heathen They have some dread and fear of a Deity Pharaoh Nebuchadnezzar and others Drusius in loc have been forced to confesse the power of God Quod merito vobis pudorem incutere debet so Drusius on the place i. e. This consideration ought to make you ashamed that ye who are my people doe not reverence me yet the Gentiles reverence and fear my name The Christian Religion gives not its Professors a Writ of Ease but presseth upon us running racing fighting wrestling striving to enter in at the strait gate contending for the Faith taking heaven by violence working out our salvation giving all diligence to make our Calling and Election sure If we sit loose from duties or do them superficially and slightly we open the mouthes of Heathens and ungodly men to speak evil of Religion Uncircumspect carelesse walking of many Professors causeth the enemies of God to blaspheme What will Turks say they give Mahomet the best service they can and shall Christians be carelesse in their service to Christ shall Mahometans be more zealous to serve their false Prophet than Christians to serve the great true Prophet Jesus Christ Pliny tels us a story that Alexander when he had conquered Arabia he presented his School-master with a ship laden full of Frankincense bidding him to spare for no cost when he offered sacrifice unto the Gods Let not Christians think much of any cost any pains and service offered unto the great God of heaven and earth As for instance our prayers must be fervent Jam. 5. 16. In giving Almes we must give with simplicity in Ruling wee must rule with diligence Rom. 12. 8. Love must be without dissimulation Rom. 12. 9. Faith must be a working faith 1 Thess 1. 3. In every duty we must put our whole strength to it remembring the counsel of the Wise man Eccles 9. 10. to do with all our mâ—ght It was a great wickednesse in Aigolandus King of Africa to scorn the Christian Religion because he saw many Christians poor and ragged But it is much more evil in Christians especially Professors by their loose and carelesse walking to give advantage to prophane men to asperse the Christian Religion Religion receiveth many a wound by licentious Professors How nearly then doth it concern all Professors to look more narroâ—ly to their paths to walk worthy of God as becommeth the Gospel that to their utmost they may keep up the reputation of Christian Religion A fifth consâ—deration shall be drawn from the greatnesse of the Consid 5. From the sin in offering the vile and corrupt 1 It is a great folly sin in offering that which is vile and corrupt unto the Lord. This sin is compounded of four ingredients Folly Contempt Presumption and Sacriledge 1. It argueth great Folly to put off God with the worst to present unto an omniscient God a worthless sacrifice is exceeding great folly and such folly shall not escape unpunished The heart is known to God it 's that which God principally looks after He it is which searcheth the heart and tryeth the reines A sacrifice without a heart is rejected In praying if iniquity be regarded the Lord will not hear Psal 66. 18. Wherefore is Ephraim called a filly Dove the Prophet renâ—ers the reason because he was without Mr. Totshel of Hypocrisie a heart Hos 7. 11. Now the heart is the chiefest thing which God requires and he requires the strength and bent of the heart the integrity thereof It must be one entire and undivided heart Let 's not dare to collude with God though we may deceive our selves and the world yet we cannot deceive God It 's exceeding great madness and folly to offer to the All-knowing sin-revenging heart-searching God any thing vile and contemptible 2. It argueth great contempt v. 13. the words next proceeding 2. It argues great contempt v. 7 8. The lame and the blind are abhominable God expects an intelligent reasonable service Blind devotion ignorant services are abhominable That Popish opinion deserves an Anathema that Ignorance is the Mother of Devotion God requires the strength and vigour of the whole man Therefore cold languishing services lame halting services are abhominable A governour on earth would not be put off with a refuse sleight present Jacob commands Take of the best fruits in the Land Gen. 43. 11. And shall we present to the great King of heaven and earth a contemptible vile service we read Zech. 11. 13. its called a goodly price by way of scorn and disdain that such a sordid price should be given And what was that price but thirty pieces of silver about five Marks of our mony which as Josephus and other Hâ—storians mention was the price of a slave And indeed abhominable sinners do what in them lies to put the great God to the condition of a slave Isa 34. 24. Consider what a great affront and contempt it would be for a Beggar in his nasty ragge to come and set himselfe down at the Table of a Prince How much more is it for prophane persons to sit themselves down at the Table of the Lord No uncircumcised person ought to eat the Passeover and no uncircumâ—ised in heart ought to eat the Lords supper The blind and the lame ignorant and scandalous have no right to this Ordinance because they discern not the Lords body It's childrens bread holy food In the Primitive times when the Sacrament was to be administred one cryed out aloud holy things for holy persons Though unwarrantable separations do much harm as one extreme so I am perswaded that promiscuous Communion will doe as much harme on the other extream 3. It argueth great presumption to presume of acceptance of 3. It argueth great presumption that service which is cheap sordid and sleight For any to think any torn beast would serve well enough for a sacrifice this was the great presumptuous sin of the Jews And for Christians to think a base out-side Profession will serve the turn is a formall lazy cheap devotion The bare sitting out of a Sermon the mumbling over in bed those few words between sleeping and waking Lord have mercy upon me For people to lick themselves whole and think to be cured by such sleight Medicines what 's this but
presence of God deale plainly and impartially in this Examination 1. Then do we give God the best in our duties doe we give God our hearts our affections and wills Do we doe all our duties as in the presence of God in obedience to God with a single eye and respect unto Gods glory Such questions as these put home will search to the quick Amongst others I shall fix only upon these three instances eminenter non exclusive For in all the best is to be given to God This Rule admits no exception The question is 1. Whether in hearing of Gods Word we give God the best Q. 1. Whether in hearing wee give God the best This is a very weighty duty And we are often enjoyned to hear Jer. 22. 29. Faith cometh by hearing Rom. 10. 17. It 's a mark of Christs Sheep to hear his voice Joh. 10. 27. But amongst hearers three sorts in four miscarry according to Christs own computation for there are stony high-way thorny hearers the Word of God is lost in all these Onely the good hearer profits by the Word and brings forth fruit with patience Wherefore we are not only exhorted to the duty of Hearing but to the right manner of performing this duty Take heed therefore how ye hear Luk. 8. 18. Now whether in our hearing we give God the best we are to examine three particulars 1. How we prepare our selves before hearing 2. How we demean our selves in hearing 3. How we behave our selves after hearing First before hearing there is required preparation Eccles 5. 1. Keep thy foot when thou goest to the house of God Publius Scipio first went unto the Capitol to pray before he went to consult amongst the Senators Before we come to a Sermon our duty is to sequester our selves from earthly entanglements Abraham when he went up to the Mount to Sacrifice he left his Asses at the foot of the hill Before the Jews offered Sacrifice they used many washings and purifyings Exod. 19. 14. Mephibosheth dressed his feet when hee went to David O how should we wash our hearts before we come into Gods presence Before we come into the place where the name of God is recorded we should consider of that soveraignty power purity and Majesty of God We should get our hearts sequestred from the world our pride passion and all inordinate affections should be mortified we should have our spirits meekned we should approach with trembling reverence and awfull fear of the great and glorious presence of God 2. In hearing there are two things required Atteâ—tion of the ear and Intention of the heart 1. There must be a serious attention we read Luke 4. 20. The eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastned on him When we go to duty we should consider of the presence of God and Angels and should behave our selves with all reverence in the publick Assemblies The Preacher should be serious grave reverend and avoyd all affected phrases uncouth unscriptural speeches He should hold fast the form of sound words And hearers should deport themselves with all reverence Laughing at one another idle gazing wanton glances roving eys O! how unfit and unsuitable are they as at other times so especially in places of Worship 2. In hearing there is required intention of the heart The heart must goe along with the eare and what we hear we must labour to let it sink into our hearts and there make its residence The heart must be affected in hearing the heart must act vigorously and be fully bent upon God His Word is precious and none ought to fall to the ground Wherefore we must ruminate ponder meditate apply and labour for retentive memories This caution is of great concernment 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heb. 2. 1. VVe must remember that in hearing we deale for life and immortality we negotiate for Eternity and drive a trade for our immortall soules so we must hear to day as for ought we know we may never live to have another opportunity Wherefore the heart must be in good earnest with all the affections thereof set a worke The Love Joy Hope Desire all must bee seriously fixt and intent upon what wee hear Thirdly how we must demeane our selves after hearing To this purpose I shall mention onely two Duties which if put in practise it 's without all question that wee give God the Male. First it 's required that we meditate on what we have heard 1. We must meditate in the Word For Meditation is the spiritual digestion of a Sermon This Moses Isaac and David much practised It fareth with a good Sermon for the Soul as with a good meales meat for the Body By digesting what we receive we thrive the better Wherefore after we have heard a Sermon we must call our selves to a strict accompt rubbe up our memories and labour to make what we have heard our owne that this food may turne into our nourishment that we may eat and make a good meale and digest the food of our souls even to eat the roll as the Prophet did Jer. 15. 16. Secondly it 's required that wee yeeld ready obedience unto 2. Wee must yeeld obedience unto the Word the VVord of God For not the Hearers but the Doers of the Word shall be justified The life of a Preacher is the Application and the life of a Sermon in Preaching and hearing consists in the particular Application what wee heare wee must apply and practise in our lives Thus we give God the Male in our hearing A Second Duty wherein we are to examine our selves in is Q. 3. Whether we give God the Male in our prayers whether we give God the Males in our prayers and supplications Prayer is a great part of our religion a great part of worship wherein God is gloryfied wherefore I must take the best paines I can to examine this point whether in our prayers we give God the best whether we offer a Male and not a corrupt thing For tryall whereof I l'e lay down some distinguishing characters to differrence the pretious from the vile 1. Prayer must be humble so did Abraham pray Gen. 18. 27. so David prayed in a most humble manner 2 Sam. 7. 19. so Jacob 1 Prayer must be humble Gen. 32. 9. There 's required an humble reverentiall frame of spirit in our approaches and applications unto the throne of grace Consideration of Gods transcendent majesty and greatnesse and the apprehension of our own vilenesse should cause us in an humble manner to make our addresses and preferre our supplications unto the great God of Heaven and Earth Consider likewise thou art a Creature dust and ashes a worme and no man a sinner a Rebell an enemy to God by nature a child of wrath This Consideration should humble thee in the presence of the Lord. 2. Prayer must be in faith Mat. 21. 22. No prayer but that of faith can be accepted No service but of a Beleever
prisoner of the Lord beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith you are called A third exhortation is exceeding pathetical 1 Thes 2. 11 12. As you know how we exhorted and comforted and charged every one of you as a Father doth his children that ye Phil. 1. 27. Tit. 2. 12. would walk worthy of God who hath called you unto his Kingdome and Glory All these exhortations redound to this issue that such persons as are already reconciled should produce evidences of their Reconciliation by their holy conversation and that is to walk 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 seemingly meetly as becometh the Gospel And according to those 3 Adverbs mentioned Tit. 2. 12. * Haec tria perpetuo meditâ—â—da adverbia Pauli Haec tria sunt vitae regula sancta tuae 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 soberly righteously godly Now the Ministers of the Gospell are sonnes of Peace Ambassadours of Peace and the Gospell which they preach is the Gospell of Peace and this is the fruit of the lips which the Lord creates and the main Isa 5â— 10. Quasidicat per praedicationem Evangelii renovationem Spiritus pacem dabo atque eo modo sanabo hominem peccatorem Bulling in loc Mat. 5. 25. design which they drive and the scope they aime at is to perswade men to make their peace with God and to throw down all their rebellious weapons and yeeld themselves unto his mercy Sinne hath made God their adversary wherefore that counsell must abide upon them Mat. 5. 21. Agree with thine adversary quickly whilst thou art in the way with him At this time God hath sent me with an Olive-branch in my mouth with a Commission of Peace which if it be neglected this day for ought any of us know it may be expir'd and out of date to morrow But I need adde no further Scripture proof in so clear a point In the next place I am to enquire after Arguments for confirmation 2. Proof by evidence of Reason of the Doctrine Amongst many I shall reduce them to three heads of Reasons which I promised for the farther proof of the Doctrine The first Reason shall be drawn from the Office of the Ministers Reason 1. Drawn from the office of the Ministers of the Gospel of the Gospell Their names point out their office they are called Watchmen Seers Workmen Stars c. But I shall go no further than the Metaphor of my Text they are called Ambassadors a name of great Dignity and Duty and the great Duty incumbent on them is to perswade people to be reconciled to be at one with God as Mr. Tindal's Translation appositely renders it Let 's then view the name of Ambassadours and therein we shall finde 4. speciall properties which may very appositely be applyed 1. Ambassadours are gifted and qualified for so great an employment unto the Ministers of the Gospell The first whereof is this that Ambassadours are select Persons gifted and qualified for so great an employment Princes never send ignorant unfit Persons on their errand So the Ministers which are of Christ's sending are qualified and fitted by him for the manageing of so great and weighty employment The Priest under the Law ought to be a man of knowledge * Mal. 2. 7. his lips should preserve knowledge And the Prophet †Isa 50. 4. ought to have the tongue of the Learned to know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary He ought to be an * Job 33. 23. Interpreter one among a thousand And such a one ought the Minister of the Gospell to be †2 Tim. 2. 15. a workman that needeth not to be ashamed * 2 Tim. 3. 17. throughly furnished unto all good works Ambassadours are men of renown and estimation they are highly honoured for their gifts and employment they do not negotiate concerning sleight trifling impertinent matters but they intermeddle about weighty affaires of State and their transactions are about their Prince's matters of highest concernment And the resemblance holds alike with the Ministers of the Gospell They are persons of †Honor iste ista sublimit as nullis poter it comparationibus adaequari Si Regum fulgori comparaveris Principum Diademati longe erit inferior comparatio Ambr. in Pastorali honour of ability and fitnesse such I mean as are of Christs sending and their business is to treat about matters of the greatest consequence even of Reconciliation between God and Man Secular Ambassadors deal about weighty affaires of the world but Spirituall Ambassadors deal about Soul-affaires even the great things of Eternity * Isa 52. 7. How beautifull then should their feet be who bring such glad tydings Such are †2 Tim. 2. 17. worthy of double honour who labour in the Word and Doctrine 2. Ambassadours are Persons in Commission for they have 2. Ambassadors are persons in Commission received a Commission from their Prince by vertue whereof they act accordingly They dare not negotiate with other Princes without the Authority of their Master They are commissionated by the Prince that sends them they are bound up by instructions from him neither dare they go beyond their Commission So the Ministers of the Gospell are Persons in Commission they are ordained Ministers into the Universall Church for the benefit of the Church in generall though they may exercise their function ad hic nunc in a particular Congregation yet their removall from one place to another which ought not to be done without a clear call doth not in the least null or make invalid their Ministeriall function They are Persons called approved and set apart for this great work * 1 Tim. 4. 14. by the laying on of the hands of the †2 Tim. 1. 16. Presbytery which gift ought not to be neglected but * Sensus est Timotheum quum Prophetarum voce ascitus fuit in Ministerium deinde solenni ritu ordinatus simul gratia spiritus sancti instructum fuisse ad functionem suam exequendam Calv. 1 Tim. 4. 14. stirr'd up as the Apostle gives an especiall charge These are those peculiar Persons who have dedicated themselves to the service of God they have put their hands to the plough with a resolution never to look back They have given themselves up as Hannah gave Samuel for a loane unto the Lord all the dayes of his life But as for such who have no other call but from their own high conceited fancies and others such as themselves flatteries as a †V. Mr. Burroughs Irenicum Reverend Divine instanceth who through the pride of their own hearts as Novatus consecrated himselfe a Bishop runne before they are sent and make hast more hast then good speed to invade the Ministers office let them consider if ever they once come to themselves that God who is the God of Order and not of confusion will never blesse their
in the negative which hath the force of a strong affirmation †1 Cor. 3. 3. For whereas there is among you envying and strife and divisions are ye not carnall and walk as men Sects and factions have their source and originall from the flesh so * Notandum est etiam hoc loco unde sint factiones sectae in Ecclesia Primum quidem ex carne ut qui sectarii sunt licet videantur esse spiritualissimi revera tamen carnales existant Muscul in 1 Cor. 3. 3. Musculus a judicious Expositor observes Further let me be your remembrancer of that great duty that in an especiall manner concernes the Ministers of the Gospell that is to unite amongst themselves and endeavour to draw in one yoak and as one man †Jude 3. contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints Let the Apostles exhortation be as a frontlet before our eyes and as a Phylactery sewed on the hemmes of our garments * Rom. 14. 19. Rom. 14. 19. Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace and things wherewith one may edify another The Phrase is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we must pursue and run after peace though it may seem to flye from us But we must not take any peace at a venture but that which tends to edification as †Sectemur studium vehemens conservandae pacis requirit Pacâ— adjâ—ngitaedificationem mutuam ut non pacem quamvis sed eam tantum praecipi intelligamus quae ad aedificationem pertinet Non aedificat pax in mendacio superstitione idololatria impietate sed in veritate Zech. 8. 19. Veritatem pacem diligite Pareus His duobus concordia aedificatione continentur fere â—mâ—a charitatis officiâ— Calv. Pareus and Calvin observe Of all others let the faithfull Ministers of Christ endeavour after a right understanding of each other and a loving correspondence and onenesse of heart and judgment amongst themselves Tell it not in Gath publish it not in the streets of Askelon lest the Popish party triumph when they heare that even the Lords Diamonds cut one another and that there are great animosities evill surmises and bitternesse of speech one towards another amongst some that are truely Godly How sharpe was the contention between two rare men even Paul and Barnabas insomuch as they * Act. 15. 39. departed asunder one from the other In severall Centuries we read of the great variances amongst Euseb L. 5. c. 26. L. 7. c. 3. those who were eminent Lights in the Church as Iraenaeus was at great variance with Victor Cyprian with Stephan Jerome with Austin Basill with Damasus Chrysostome with Epiphanius Cyrill with Theodoret. And their private inconsiderable differences amongst themselves gave great advantage to the common Enemy Satan who as a learned Author observes †Dolebat hoc Diabolus qui semper de fratrum pace torquetur Optat. L. 2. is vexed with the peace of the Brethren but much pleased with their contentions Though it cannot be expected but offences will come and that in the Church militant there will be sounding in our ears the noises of Axes and Hammers and oft times it falls out that Doctors both Godly and learned differ in some things from one another in their judgment Yet every Minister of the Gospell should imitate his Master Christ in being a Reconciler It was storyed of Athanasius that he was in lesser matters dissidentibus Magnes though in weighty affairs he was Adamas an Adamant not to be moved even a Load stone to draw those unto him who differed from him Wherefore abundance of wisdome and candour is required towards such as dissent from us if they keep those Fundamentall Principles of faith and a good conscience Truth ought to be spoke but in * Eph. 4. 15. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hoc est persistentes sinceri in vera doctrina ac fide in charitate Zanch. Love And a lapsed Brother ought to be restored or set in joynt so the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 imports but it must be done by such as are †spirituall and in the Spirit of meeknesse If matters be circumstantiall abundance of gentlenesse moderation and mutuall forbearance ought to be exercised A flint may sooner be broken on a Pillow then an anvile †Gal. 6. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 significat rem aliquam resarcire collapsam reparare Tarnov in medull Ev. * Si virtutum finis ille sit maximus qui plurimorum spectat profectum moderatio omnium pulcherrima est Ambr. de Panor l. 1. c. 1. And mildnesse in some cases may prevail where roughnesse cannot But if matters be Fundamentall If some cry down the morall Law as an Almanack out of date as some Antimonian Spirits have endeavoured if others cry down Magistracy and Ministery as some Anabaptisticall Spirits have done if some cry down the Christian Sabbath as some * Tilham a pestilent Antisabbatariaâ— who seduceth multitudes at Colchester and writes for the Jewish Sabbath and D. Heylin who in a late book intitled Respondet Petrus discovers himselfe a profest Adversary to the strict keeping of the Lords day Sabbath and decries strict observers thereof and most unworthily asperseth that eminent Light of the Church D. Vsser A. B. at Armagh who though Orthodox as in other things so in his judgment in the Lords day Sabbath yet cannot escape the abuses of D. P. H. which said P. H. is neare a kin to Ismael whose hand is against every man and every mans hand was against him Antisabbatarians have done with much impudence and profanenesse of spirit in these and such like cases let 's not yeild an inch let 's keep our ground Let Luther's heroicall resolution be our pattern for imitation Hic gero titulum cedo nulli It was the prudent Counsell of Athanasius to the Orthodox Brethren that they should by no means receive any pacificatory Letters from George the Arrian Persecutor and †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Basil Epist 235. Basil in an Epistle to Epiphanius assigns a strong reason why Athanasius gave such Counsell If once saith he we shake off the simplicity of the faith there will be no end of Disputations However let us all confer our heads and hearts together that we may agree so farre as we can still holding * Heb. 10. 23. fast our profession without wavering Let it be our endeavour †Heb. 12. 14. to follow peace with all men and holynesse Let 's preserve a happy union between truth and peace All the truths of God are more pretious then the Gold of Ophir We are commanded to * Prov. 23. 23. buy the truth but are prohibited from selling the least part of it Wherefore we ought all in our severall places and capacities to be valiant for the truth even all steel to the back The truth of God is a good matter and it 's good to be
†Gal. 4. 18. zealously affected in a good matter * Praedicare verbum Dei nihil aliud est quam derivare in se furorem totius inferni satanae Luth loc com †In aliis mansuetus ero in blasphemiis in Christum non ita Zuing in Epist ad Servet Luther used to say That to preach the Word of God zealously was a ready way to bring the rage of all the Devills in Hell about our ears But in Gods cause let 's go on couragiously and though we may be vilified by the vilest of men yet let 's resolve with David to be more vile A good God a good cause and a good conscience will carry us through the greatest dangers and difficulties And let us still remember to shew most meeknesse in our own cause and most zeal in the cause of God So * Zuinglius answered Servetus in other things I will be mild but not in blasphemies against God Now I have not yet done with the pressing of this Doctrin◠of union amongst Brethren I shall yet prosecute it farther heartily desiring that my words may leave deep impressions upon your Spirits and obtain some comfortable successe The breaches amongst the Ministers were as an Arrow stuck in the sides of that good man Philip Melancthon Whereupon on his death bed V. Vitam Phil. Melancth per Melct Adamum editam he profest I am very glad I am to leave this World because I shall be with Christ and then shall be freed from the contentions of some Divines which were very great at that time There 's a sad story of two eminent Martyrs for the truth viz. * Epiphan Haeres 68. Meletius and Peter Bishops of Alexandria who when they were put into Prison fell at variance amongst themselves about a petty difference whether the Lapsi were to be received into communion The Schisme was very great insomuch as they drew a partition between each other in Prison and would not hold communion with each other and yet afterward they joyntly suffered Martyrdome And it 's not easily to be imagined what a great Rent their dissention made in the Church of God and gave advantage to the common Enemy And what a dust was raised between two choyce and constant Martyrs Ridley and Hooper one prest conformity too strictly upon his Brother and contended with too much eagernesse for such kind of vaine uselesse Ceremonies which Calvin calls tolerabiles ineptias Yet notwithstanding these two Godly Bishops could not agree in Blacks and Whites they could both agree in Red for they resisted even unto bloud and sealed the truth of their Religion with the effusion of their bloud And now to speak my judgment more plainly as in the presence of God without partiality having no mans person in admiration for advantage I conceive it a word spoken in due season and that there is necessity of speaking of it even to exhort Ministers to study the things that make for peace and especially to agree in a sweet Harmony one with another And I am fully satisfied in my judgment that to effect this much desired union a speciall expedient will be in severall Counties as †London Lancashire Essex Warwick Worcester Norfolke c. some herein have given a good President already to associate into Presbyteries and exercise that Government which by experience is known to be Flagellum Haeresium and ordaine Ministers and to put Church censures into execution When Ministers meet together and sosolemnly seek God by prayer and fasting they strengthen one anothers hands and unite each others hearts The keeping up of Discipline is a speciall means to preserve union amongst Brethren to extirpate Heresies and sweep them away as dung and promote the power of Godlinesse It hath often lain sad upon my Spirit to consider the mischiefe that hath ensued upon want of execution of Church Discipline Hinc illae lachrymae Hence for want hereof a sluce hath been opened to let in an inundation of heresies and blasphemies But it 's much to be hoped that the execution of Discipline will shut up the sluce and stop the inundation Faxit Deus Now having spoken thus farre to Ministers the other part of 2. Part of this use to people my use I will direct to people And the substance of my exhortation is to perswade them with all alacrity of Spirit to embrace the Doctrine of Reconciliation tendred to them It 's the great Doctrine of concernement in an especiall manner to be Preacht and practised The Ambassadours of peace publish these good tidings They come in the name of Jesus Christ offering termes of Reconciliation With what joy with what ardency of love should you embrace such gracious offers O how sweet is the voyce of Christ unto his Church His lips drop as an honey combe If thou be the Spouse of Christ thou wilt delight to heare the voyce of the Bridegroom So the Evangelist tel's us * Joh. 3. 29. Discimus etiam hic quod etsi amicus sponsi i. e. Minister Evangelii non gaudeat gaudium sponsi neque fructum eum percipiat ex Ecclesia qui sponsi proprius est non tamen caret gaudio quodam suo vel ex eo quod stet audiat vocem illam sponsi longe suavissimam quam rursus bona fide tanquam internuncius referet sponsae Rollocus in locum That the Friend of the Bridegroome which stands and hears the Bridegrooms voyce rejoyceth greatly Now consider Christ's messengers are his voyce unto people They come on his errand and deliver what he puts into their mouth O how sweet then will Christs words be to a gracious heart And this is that sweet welcome word which Ministers deliver to pray men to be reconciled and make their peace with God My brethren I beseech you in the bowells of Jesus Christ to set the highest estimate upon this Doctrine of Reconciliation preferre it before your appointed food before thousands of Gold and Silver And have them in honour and account their feet beautifull who do the office of Evangelists and are dispensers of these truths and Trumpetters of Gospell peace Though they be men of like passions yet they are Persons of honour Commission officers authorized by Jesus Christ to Preach the Gospell Private Christians may discourse of these things Charitative but let them keep within the compasse of their own calling and exhort one another to embrace this Doctrine but Ministers exhort Authoritative as Ambassadors and commissioners of Jesus Christ Wherefore Brethren let me be your remembrancer of the great duty incumbent on you all to love and reverence the Persons of your Ministers and have them in honour for their works sake especially I shall put you in mind of a Scripture or two that so my exhortation may leave deeper impression upon your hearts one is * 1 Cor. 4. 1. 1 Cor. 4. 1. Let a man so account of us as Ministers of Christ and Stewards of the
into the Nature of this 2. Concerning the Nature of Providence Providence Waving impertinent questions amongst * Inter Stoicos Epicuri sectam secutos pugna perpetua est regaturne Providentia mundus Quinctil L. 5. C. 7. Epicures and Stoicks and likewise avoyding their Phrases I shall accord with Orthodox Divines who give this Definition of Providence viz. It Definition of Providence is a temporary action of God whereby he moveth and directeth all things after the counsell of his own will to their proper ends 1. I call it an Action to distinguish it from the Attributes of 1. It s an Act. God 2. I call it temporary to distinguish it from the eternall decree 2. A Temporary Act. 3. I say that by this Providence God moveth and directeth 3. It s Operative all things to shew that God is not idle in heaven as Epicures ignoranâ—ly and foolishly dreame this Providence is operative this Job 38. 41. Providence goeth through the whole world It feedeth the Ravens in the nest when the damme forsakes them By this Providence Job 39. 15 16. the Oâ—triches egges are hatcht when they are forsaken and left to the wild beast by the unnaturall damme 4. By Providence God acts after the counsell of his own will 4 God acts by Providence This sheweth that God doth nothing unadvisedly and rashly but useth his owne knowledge whereby he perfectly understands all things and his wisdome whereby he doth dispose all things being known And this God doth of his owne will He is a most free agent and he is not in the least compell'd and he needeth not the Mr Pemble of Magd Hall Oxon. advice of any other For as a Judicious Divine observes God directs both to the mediate ends to the last ends of all after a set and determinate manner according to the most free decree and counsell of his own will that himselfe in all things may be glorified 5. God doth direct all things to their proper ends to shew that 5. God doth direct all things to their proper ends â— God doth not only govern things generally by ordering and disposing of all the creatures but every thing particularly taking care of every worme every sparrow even the meanest of all the creatures Now then by what I have said will evidently appear that there are these eminent properties in divine Providence 1. It 's permissive of all sorts of Actions God permits not only 1. There is a Permissive Providence the Act but the obliquity of it He suffers and beares with the Iniquities of the Amorites And yet God is not author sed ultor peccati God hardned Pharaohs heart He may withdraw his grace being not bound to give it 2. This Providence is only effective of and approoves what is 2. Gods Providence approoves only what is good good The Providence of God allowes no mans wâ—ckednesse God is good and doth good and nothing can come from God but goodnesse As for sin it 's a saying no more common then true malum non habet causam efficientem sed deficientem 3 This Providence is Omniscient All qualities properties motions 3. Gods Provâ—dence is Omniscient Act. 15. 18. and Designes are all known to God with all their circumstances so saith the Apostle Known unto God are all his workes frâ—m the beginning of the world 4. This Providence is most wise If we speak of wisdome God 4. This is a wise Providence is wise With God is strength and wisdome The Apostle admireth the depth of his wisdome 5. This Providence is distinct particular to every worme to 5. This Providence is distinct every sparrow to all the creeping things to every herbe to every pile of grasse They all grow by Providence 6. This is alwaies a working alwaies protecting providing careing 6. This Providence is alwaies working Epicures deny a Providence Stoicks acknowledge a fatall necessity Peripateticks deny a government of the world But christians fully believe the power and Providence of God in the government of the world This then being so 1. Here 's matter of confutation of Epicures who denied all Providence Vse 1. For Confutation Stoicks who maintained a fatall necessity And of Peripateticks who denied the ruling and governing power of God These V. Dr. Hackwills Apollogy opinions the Scriptures fore recited confutes and I may say the less because such excellent paines hath been taken on this Argument by a Learned Dr. of our University 2. This yeelds matter of reproofe unto two sorts Of Reproofe 1. Such as observe no Providence heedlesse carelesse persons of Gallioe's indifferent temper so they fare well themselves they care not how it is with others 2. Such as abuse Providence who run on in mad wicked waies and then father their Actions upon Providence Solomon saith The Prov. 19. 3. foolishnesse of man perverteth his way and his heart fretteth against the Lord. 3. Here 's matter of Instruction Let us hence learne our duties Vse 3. For Instruction 1. Take especiall notice of Providencesâ— study these wheeles of Providence These are wheeles in the middle of wheeles and these require our speciall inquiry and observation 2. Be inquisitive and observe how Providences fulfill Promises how God is in every particular as good as his word 3. Be thankfull for all passages of Providence for prosperity Job 2. 10. and adversity shall we not saith Job receive good at the hand of God and shall we not receive all 4. Learne by all Providences to be more holy and more circumspect in thy life He makes best use of Providences who learnes more holynesse humility and conformity to the will of God 5. Serve Gods Providence in the lawfull use of meanes Men may not lye in a ditch and cry Lord help us God that appoints the end appoints the meanes We may not make a separation between them 6. In all straits and diâ—ficulties comfort thy selfe with the consideration of Gods Providence O do not distrust Providence It 's the Apostles exhortation Cast thy care upon him for he careth for 1 Pet. 5. 7. Mat. 6. 31. thee And our Saviours exhortation is take no thought saying what shall we eat or what shall we drinke or wherewithall shall we be cloathed As there is a generall Providence towards all So there is a speciall Doct. 2 diâ—tinguishing Providence towâ—rds all Gods Children This is the second doctrine That the speciall Providence of God is extended Method towards the Protection of Gods Children will fâ—lly appeare by Scripture examples and Scripture Reasons which when we have prooved we shall reduce all unto point of practice by some usefull Application 1. For Scripture examples amongst many these are most eminent 1. For Scripture examples Gen. 22. 12. A Providence in an especiall manner delivered Isaac between the Knife and the Altar The Angell calls out of heaven saying Lay not thine
after a manner enquire yet not in truth and faith his enquiring was after a slight manner after an hypocriticall formall way like that of Balaam Numb 23. 10. Let me dye the death of the righteous and let my last end be like unto his and like unto Israels howling Hos 7. 14. And they have not cryed to me with their hearts when they howled upon their beds they assembled themselves for corne and wine c. Wherefore then should we give God a slight service He requireth the Male the best of the flocks and there 's a dreadfull Curse Mal. 1. 14. Cursed be the deceiver which hath in his flock a Male and voweth and sacrificeth unto the Lord a corrupt thing But in the second place here is a word of exhortation that we Vse 2. For Exhortation would all unite our forces for the Church in generall even the whole body of Christ however dispersed and distressed throughout the world How many of Christs body suffer hard things Some are imprisoned we must pray for the prisoners enlargement Some are under Antichristian Tyranny and Christ hath a Church even where Satan dwells we must pray that they may hold fast their profession without wavering Great things God hath granted to a praying people and he is the same God still as good and as gracious as ever The Army called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 prayed and raine was poured down in abundance to refresh the Pagan Army of the Emperour Insomuch ex ore adversariorum it was confest great was the God of the Christians Constantine that excellent Eccl. Hist Euseb Prince and Patron of Christians would not after the example of his Predecessours suffer his picture to be drawn standing in a stately posture but kneeling for he ascribed his victories to the answer of prayers Let us remember likewise all the distressed Churches beyond the Seas such as are in misery where their enemies are the chiefe we should give them the Charity of our prayers counsells compassions purses our Bowells should be opened wide towards their release Polonia other places cry out in the language of Job to his friends Have pity upon me have pity upon me O ye my friends for the hand of God hath touched me To such as are afflicted pitty Job 19. 21. should be shewed We should all imitate the Apostle being alike affected with our Brethren rejoycing with them that rejoyce c. We should make their cases our own of this excellent temper was the Apostle Who is weake and I am not weake who is offended and I 2 Cor. 11. 29 burn not as if all the burthens of the Saints were laid upon his shoulders he was willing to beare them all Jerome writing a commentary upon Ezekiel and hearing of the sacking of Rome a place where he formerly lived was so affected that a long time he could think of nothing else He laid to heart so much the suffering of Gods people there as he imagined himselfe to be in their stead Furthermore in a more particular manner let us remember in our prayers the Land of our Nativity the Church of England Scotland and Ireland We expect shortly a Parliament and we hope in the multitude of Councellours there may be safety Formerly we have been frustrated of our expectations High-raised hopes have been disappointed That of the Prophet may truely be applyed to this purpose Hast thou utterly rejected Judah hath thy Jer. 14. 19. soule loathed Zion why hast thou smitten us and there is no healing for us We looked for peace and there is no good and for the time of healing and behold trouble We have been justly crost in our hopes because we have Idolized men and relyed too much upon an arme of flesh We are to call upon the great counsell as the man of Macedonia did Come and help us and they likewise call upon us help us with your prayers We may hope to speed the better if we pray the more Let us pray as one man that the Lord would instruct the Counselllours after his own will and teach the Senators wisdome What farther I shall speak in this use shall come under these two heads 1. What speciall things we must pray for that our Jerusalem our Church of England may be established a praise in the earth 2. What moving inducements may be assign'd to incourage us in the duty of prayer For the first Above all we must pray for the advancement of Religion for the establishing the power of Godlinesse It is Religion that beautifies and adorns a Nation the Kings daughter Gods Church and People are glorious within their decking is of pure gold Grace ennobles and puts a glorious lustre upon a people To name a few particulars 1. Let us in an especiall manner pray for the encrease of Godly 1. Pray for Magistâ—ates Magistrates Reprovers in the gate such as will do judgment and justice There is a great promise made in those Gospell daies Isaiah 49. 23. Kings shall be thy nursing Fathers and their Qâ—eens thy nursing Mothers they shall bow down to thee with their face towards the earth and lick the dust of thy feet c. Our duty is to pray for them so runs the Apostles command 1 Tim. 2. 1. I exhort therefore that first of all supplications prayers intercessions and giving of thanks be made For all men for Kings c. Godly Rulers are a blessing to a Nation Jer. 5. 1. Run ye to and fro thorough the streets of Jerusalem and see now and know and seek in the broad places thereof if yee can find a man if there be any that executeth judgment that seeketh the truth and I will pardon it So Amos 5. 15. Hate the evill and love the good and establish judgment in the gate it may be that the Lord God of hoasts will be gracious unto the remnant of Joseph Where such Magistrates are we must pray for their continuance and for a supply of their mortality that the Lord would send continually such as may dispence justice impartially and may be a terror unto evill doers and a praise to them that do well 2. Pray for faithfull soul-saving Ministers Many such in mercy 2. Pray for Ministers the Lord hath given us We must pray that the Lord would increase the number of them But the Prophets live not for ever wherefore we must pray for a Godly succession of Ministers that such may be incouraged who are workmen that needeth not to be ashamed and such may be removed as unsavory salt who make the sacrifice of God to be abhorred There are yet left a faithfull remnant sound in the faith and holy in life who are as farre from Antichristianisme as their false accusers are from Charity who labour in season and out of season and are willing to spend and be spent for the salvation of soules These in an especiall manner must be incouraged by our prayers that the Lord would give them The
an inordinate love of his Brother Philips wife Saul slew many of the Amalekites but he was but a carnall man he obeyed the commandment of God too halves He was partiall in his obedience Judas was a disciple of Christ yet but a carnall man he was carried away with an inordinate lust of covetousnesse he was a Theefe and carried the bagge Joh. 12. 6. 2. Hereby we are informed what a spirituall man is he is one that crucifieth his lusts hee 's a man crucified unto the world and the world unto him hee 's a wrastler and a warrior against flesh and blood even against corruptions he makes it his businesse to give a deadly blow to them all 2. The second Use is for Reproofe of severall sorts of persons Vse 2. For Reproofe 1. It Reproves those common sort of Protestants who would be accounted Christians and Protestants but there 's no change at all wrought in their hearts nor in their lives they professe themselves Christians but they live without Christ they know not what Regeneration Adoption the new Creature meanes The old sent still remaines in them they are covetous worldly minded Sabbath-breakers swearers c. And yet these would go under the name of Christians but where 's the crucifying of the flesh where 's the mortifying of their lusts the want whereof evidently proves them to be only nominall not reall Christians 2. This Doctrine reproves such in whom there is some beginning of a change but it 's but partiall it 's not a thorough change some sinnes they leave which are most crosse to their profit and reputation but others they hugge and foster some sweet sinne some antient pleasant customary sin they will not forgoe a beloved bosome sinne they will not crucify they would have a dispensation in this with Naaman and would be faine pardoned in that but these fosterings of a darling sinne shew the heart to be rotten David profest his uprightnesse by keeping himselfe from his own iniquity Psal 18. 23. Right eyes ought to be pluckt out and right hands cut off 3. This reproves those that love not to heare their sinnes reproved if a preacher touch them to the quick and tell them of coâ—senage in the trade double dealing equivocation c. and shew them the evill of their worldly mindednesse pride and vaine glory c. They cannot abide such plaine dealing but account of such a plain dealing Preacher as Ahab accounted of Michaiah a great enemy and as the Apostle Paul himselfe was accounted an enemy because he told them the truth 3. The third Use is for Exhortation to presse home the duties Vse 3. For Exhortation of the Text to set upon this great work of crucifying the flesh let the proud man labour to crucify his pride the voluptuous man his pleasures the worldly man his covetousnesse the cholerick man his anger here 's a great work indeed it cannot be done easily There 's required sweat and blood there 's much diligence A Christian must be in fastings and watchings often often tugging hard at the oare often in prayer and wrastling with God It 's a greater victory for a man to conquer his pride anger earthly mindednesse c Then to take a City by storme Prov. 16. 32. I will cast in further two or three Considerations to move us to this duty impartially 1. Consider execution of justice upon Gods enemies is acceptable Consid 1. Execution of justice is acceptable unto God unto him after Achan was stoned the vally of Achor was a dore of hope Hos 2. 14. The workes of the flesh are enemies to God and must be destroyed impartially 2. If we be not the death of sinne it will be the death of us Consid 2. If we kill not sin it will kill us it will bring eternall death shall not we rather kill then be killed rather slay sinne and destroy it then let it slay and destroy us Every sinne is destructive to the soule there 's a pit of destruction whereinto sinners fall Psal 55. 23. 3. Of all sinnes those that are most pleasing to flesh and blood Consid 3. c. delightfull sinnes those are most pernicious and destructive to the soule Immoderate mirth and jollity at Ammons Feast were the harbingers of his ruine when his heart was merry with wine then was he slaine Le ts then every one beware of the Syren songs of the flesh let us not hearken to them least we be inchanted therewith to our utter destruction But I proceed to a fourth Use for Examination Here 's the Vse 4. For Examinat grand Question to be put home unto us all whether we are such persons that have Crucified the flesh with its affections and lusts Ans For Answer hereunto by way of Character I le set down the Properties of a crucified person 1. A crucified person hath his affections crucified to the deeds 1. Crucifixion of the affections of the flesh hee 's none of those of whom the Apostle speaks Rom. 8. 5. who mind the things of the flesh The word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Now a crucified person doth not rellish nor savour fleshly things his love desires hopes Joyes are not fixt upon carnall sensuall pleasures what a wonderfull change is here wrought when as in the state of unregeneracy carnall lusts sensuall pleasures took up a mans joy desire and delight his discourses heart pleasure and all These were carried downe with this stream but after God had broke in upon the heart and renewed the mind and sanctified the affections the man becomes another manner of man what he formerly lov'd now he hates what he formerly most rejoyced in are now his greatest burthens and causes of sorrow and what 's the reason Because he is a mortified person he hath mortified his members as the Apostle speaks Col. 3. 5. and not only particular members but the whole body likewise even the deeds of the body Rom. 8. 13. 2. A crucified person hath a quickning vertue from Christ 2. There 's quickning vertue from Christ to bring forth the fruits of the spirit as love joy peace long-suffering gentlenesse goodnesse c. Gal. 5. 22. A crucified person is dead and alive i. e. dead to the workes of the flesh and alive to the fruits of the spirit By vertue of Christs death sinne is mortified and by vertue of his resurrection we are raised up to newnesse of life 3. A crucified person is weary of the world The world is a 3. A crucified man is weary of the world burthen to him and what 's the Reason but because the love of the world is enmity against God A man upon the crosse O what paines doth he endure his heart hankers not after honours pleasures pompe and vanities hereupon the Apostle glorieth upon the crosse of Christ By whom saith he the world is crucified unto me and I unto the world Gal. 6. 14. But with a caution you must
himselfe not imputing their trespasses unto them and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation This is love beyond compare The duty that belongs unto us is 1. To admire at this great infinite love to get our hearts raised up in the high contemplation of this love 2. Le ts be thankfull we can never be thankfull enough Eternity will be too little to praise God and blesse him for so great love 3. Let love beget love love must be reciprocall 1 Joh. 4. 19. We love him because he first loved us 4. Let this love of God cause us to love one another 1 Joh. 4. 11. Beloved if God so loved us we ought also to love one another 5. Let this ingage us to obedience and holynesse in our conversations Joh. 14. 15. If yee love me keep my Commandments Query 2. Wherein consists this love of Christ Ans In dyeing for us The greatnesse of Christs love in dyeing for us may be inhanced in these singularities 1. In that he died voluntarily 2. If we consider the greatnesse of his sufferings 3. If we consider the persons for whom 1. Christ died voluntarily I gave my back to the smiter and 1. Christ died voluntarily my cheeks to those that pluckt of the haire I hid not my face from shame and spitting Isai 50. 6. And Joh. 10. 17 18. Therefore doth my Father love me because I lay downe my life that I may take it againe No man taketh it from me but I â—ay it down of my selfe I have power to lay it downe and power to take it againe This commandment have I received of my Father Christ if he pleased could have defended himselfe from his enemies he could have had legions of Angells in his defence but in obedience to his Father to fulfill the scripture in love to his owne he freely and voluntarily resigned himselfe to his Fathers pleasure and drunk that cup which his Father gave him And question lesse this was great love for Christ freely and willingly to lay down his life 2. Consider the greatness of Christ's sufferings 2. Consider the greatnesse of Christ's sufferings He endured contempt reproach spitting buffetting reviling they called him Samaritan Impostor Devill they scourged him crowned him with thornes wagged their heads at him Insulted over him and at last they put him to suffer that most shamefull painfull cursed death of the Crosse This Crucifixion was a Roman punishment That 's evident from Joh. 18. 31 32. Then said Pilate unto them take ye him and judge him according to your law The Jewes therefore said unto him it is not lawfull for us to put any man to death that the saying of Jesus might be fulfilled which he spake signifying what death he should dye And to set forth the humiliation of Christ you may read Phil. 2. 8. And being found in fashion as a man he humbled himselfe and became obedient unto death even the death of the Crosse Implying this was the greatest of Punishments Quid dicam in crucem tollere saith Cicero In this punishment of Crucifixion we are to consider these Aggravations 1. Shame 1. The Shame they were crucified usually stark naked Most writers say Christ was so crucified Believe not your painters who put a cloath before him they are teachers of lyes The common custome was that they who were cruciâ—ied were stript naked as they came into the world and so they suffered ignominy And a further shame and disgrace appeares in this that Christ was crucified without the walls as unworthy to be within the walls Barabbas a theife and murtherer was released and Christ was crucified between two theives as if he had been their Captaine this Circumstance sets forth the ignominy and disgrace put upon Jesus Christ 2. In this punishment of Crucifixion we are to consider a curse 2. A Curse Deut. 21. 23. His body shall not remaine all night upon the tree but thou shalt in any wise bury him that day for he that is hanged is accursed of God that thy land be not defiled which the Lord thy God gives thee for an inheritance There was a legall curse put upon this death Gal. 3. 13. Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law being made a curse for us for it is written cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree Now for the Son of God the fountaine of all blessings in whom all Nations of the earth should be blessed to stand upon the Crosse like an accursed man the Sun was ashamed and withdrew his light and the earth trembled 3. In this punishment consider paine extremity of paine a lingring 3. Paine death This was a terrible and dolorous paine His body was extended stretched out like stretching out upon a Rack Of the Passion of Christ we are to understand Psal 22. 14 16. I am poured out like water and all my bones are out of joynt my heart is like wax it s melted in the midst of my bowells For dogs have compassed me the assembly of the wicked have inclosed me they peirced my hands and my feet Where the sinewes met in the palmes of his hands and in the feet where the paine was most acute there they peirced him It was not with Christ as with many who are stupefied and in whom extremity of paine blunteth the sense thereof but Christ was in perfect sense all the while And six houres in extremity of paine he hung upon the Crosse and was sensible as much at the last as at the first Never was any sorrow like unto his sorrow He sweat drops of blood was in an agony was despised rejected reproached and at last was crucified All these Considerations inhance the greatnesse of Christs sufferings and his love towards us 3. Consider for whom Christ died not for friends but enemies 3. For whom Christ died Vers 10. For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son much more being reconciled we shall be saved by his life Not for righteous and good men but for sinners and bad men not for strong but weak not for faithfull subjects but rebells Christ died Now this love is beyond all compare Now the consideration of Gods love and our unworthynesse should ingage us to love and thankfulnesse as * Tantae dilectionis Dei indignitatis nostrae consideratione demittamus Cristas in Dei judicio ac toto corde eum redamemus ut non totos in â—ivam gratitudinis hostiam vicissim consecremus Pareus in Loc. Pareus observes on the place To lay downe his life for his friends had been great love Joh. 15. 13. greater love hath no man then this that a man lay downe his life for his friend But to lay downe his life for enemies for sinners unworthy persons this love is a none such Christ died for the ungodly He said live when they were in their blood Ezek. 16. 6. And when I passed by thee and saw thee polluted in
For every wise man Char. 3. this Conversation must be prudent must order his affaires with discretion We usually say Ignis in foco is good but not in tecto Many have a good cause but through indiscretion spoile it in the carriage There is required as well the wisdome of the Serpent as the innocency of the Dove Every wise woman saith Solomon buildeth her house but the foolish pulleth Prov. 14. 1. it downe with her hands Now by wisdome I meane not the wisdome of the times we see too much of that Machiavilian wisdome which is a turning and returning and complying with all times and humours be they never so bad for personall interest This wisdome hath no portion in this businesse But I understand spirituall wisdome that which cometh from above such as the Apostle mentioneth with distinguishing qualifications which is pure peaceable gentle easy to be intreated full of mercy and good Jam. 3. 17. fruits without partiality and without hypocrisy Neither would I be mistaken I count not that wisdome which alwaies joynes with the winning side at a venture nor that which suites with the fashion of ancient Persians now adaies revived to worship the rising sun Too many we have of that temper in these times whom we account wise though indeed they be errand fooles and their wisdome like Achitophels may in time be turned into foolishnesse But that I account wisdome which hath a spirit of discerning to understand the things that differ to understand what is the right rule and to walk accordingly And to adde no more I l'e rest in the determination of Job The feare of the Lord that is wisdome and to Job 28. 28. depart from evill is understanding 4. And lastly This Conversation that consists in the departing Char 4 this Conversation consiâ—ts in departing from iniquity from iniquity and accords with a holy profession is Universall thorough-paced and every way compleat There 's a threefold Universality of Subject Object and Time 1. For the Subject The whole man is ingaged to Obedience all the members of the body and faculties of the soule With my whole heart have I sought thee saith David O let me not wander Psal 119. 10. from thy Commandments 2. There must be Universality of the Object Then shall I not Psal 119. 6. be ashamed when I have respect unto all thy Commandments 3. Universality of Time Being delivered out of the hands of Luk. 1. 74. our enemies We must serve him without feare in holinesse und righteousnesse before him all the daies of our lives 3. I proceed to a third Use for Exhortation to presse home Vse 2. For Exhortation unto us all the duty of the Text To depart from Iniquity If we be Christians let 's evidence it by our Conversations let 's walke as becometh Christians What will Heathens Turkes and Jewes say when Christians walke loosely and carelesly they will blesse themselves in their owne erroneous waies and thus by our loose walking we give advantage unto the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme Amongst others take two or three motives to perswade you to your duty 1. Consider the eye of God his omniscience and omnipresence Mot. 1. Consider Gods Omniscience Job 10. 14 15. His eye-lids try the Children of men The eyes of the Lord are every where beholding the evill and the good This was a monitor to Joseph to David to Job If I sinne then thou markest me c. The Lord knoweth all hearts seeth the inmost recesse and diverticles of thy spirit All things are naked unto him with whom thou hast to deale 2. Consider the eyes of men Good men observe our carriages Mot. 2. Consider the eyes of men professours are much observed how they walke They are Beacons set upon a hill top multitudes behold them Good men observe that they may gaine some spirituall advantage They expect the performance of our duty 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to stirre up and exuscitate graces to quicken or inliven them and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is expected to edify and build them up in their holy faith Now if we are not what we pretend if we be no more but formall professours if our practice accord not with our profession we sadden the hearts of the righteous And likewise bad mens eyes are upon us they watch for our haltings as Benhadads servants they lye at the catch Now if we do not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 walk with a straight foot if we are loose in our lives and carelesse in ordering our footsteps notwithstanding our profession be never so strict we strengthen the hands of the wicked A bad life is a confutation of a good profession Although the Profession it selfe is not the worse because there are some hypocriticall professours yet ignorant and malicious men endeavour to wound the profession it selfe and asperse it by reason of scandalous professours 3. Integrity and uprightnesse of heart and life will comfort us Mot. 3. Integrity of life will comfort uâ— when pretences cannot help us 2 Cor. 1. 12. when all pretences formes outside professions will no whit availe us This was the ground of the Saints rejoycing Oâ—r rejoycing is this the Teâ—timony of a good Conscience This was the Apostles exercise 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Duties of both Tables must be regarded respectively To pretend to the duties of the first and neglect righteousnesse and equity to thy Brother as the second table injoynes this discovers thee to be an hypocrite To pretend just dealing according to the second table and neglect keeping the sabbath Act. 24. 12. and other duties of the first this sheweth thee to be only a Formalist But in the last place The fourth Use is for direction in two Vse 4. For Direction particulars 1. How we ought to depart from iniquity Q. 1. How we must depart from iniquity 1. We must depart speedily Ezek. 47. 3 4 5. 2. What meanes may be of speciall Use conducing thereunto 1. For the first particular how we ought to depart from iniquity 1. We must depart speedily We must not excuse sinne and say at such a time I hope to leave it Give not quarter to Benhadad sinne reprived resembles Ezekie'ls waters first up to the ankles then to the knees then up to the loines and afterward a River not to be passed over If thou delayest to depart from sinne to day it gaines ground and gets more and more advantage against thee to morrow 2. Depart willingly Do not leave a sinne as Phaltiel was forced 2. We must depart willingly to leave Michal and afterwards followed her weeping that he could not injoy her Some are restrained against their wills who for feare of the law dare not sweare in some companies neither dare be drunk and yet their hearts are as bad as ever 3. We must depart from sinne thoroughly Ps 119. 110. 4. We must depart constantly 2 Pet. 2. 22. 3. We must
had the Angell of the Lord to shut the Lions mouth Job saw a redeemer comforting him in the dunghill Peter had an Angell to deliver him God will have the prisoner the shackles fall off the dores fly open the Iron gate opens of it's owne accord Herod though he thought that he had made all sure worke must be disappointed 'T is true Peter was a sleepe he might dream of no such thing Gods people who have peace with God and their Consciences can enjoy quiet rest and repose in a prison Thus you see how God performes his promise to his people in giving unto them the oyle of joy for mourning beauty for ashes the garment of praises for the spirit of heavinesse God is alwaies at hand to support his servants to bring them out of the greatest streights O that thou wouldst in the greatest feares and dangers expostulate on this wise with the Kingly Prophet David Psal 42. 11. Why art cast downe O my Soule and why art thou disquieted within me hope thou in God for I shall yet praise him who is the health of my countenance and my God and with the blessed Apostle thou may'st argue What Rom. 3. 31. shall we say then to these things if God be for us who can be against us Let the world the flesh and the Devill the three grand enemies of thy soule muster up all their forces against thee yet raise up thy spirit be of good courage and feare not if the Lord be on thy side thou hast more with thee then against thee For the further confirmation of this truth I find foure Arguments 4. Argum. drawn from the Text. to my hand in my Text I say in the most piercing sorrows there 's still left matter of rejoycing in God 1. Because he is stiled Lord. 2. He is stiled a God 3. A God of Salvation 4. A God of our Salvation 1. He is the Lord Jehovah and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are promiscuously used 1. Lord. in the Septuagint this is a name of Dominion Soveraignty and Majesty he is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of himselfe Lord of all David pickt much comfort out of this name the Lord was his shepheard refuge buckler rock of defence and therefore the close of Psal 144. 15. is full of comfort Happy is that people that is in such a case yea happy is that people whose God is the Lord. O do not stand in thy own light and inhance thy griefe by refusing comfort with Rachell Art thou in a tottering condition ready to sink under thy burthen Consider the promise Psal 37. 17. The Lord upholdeth the righteous and vers 24. The Lord upholdeth him with his hand Art thou as weak as water and thy heart failes thee like water spilt upon the ground Yet couldst thou believe with David The Psal 29. 11. Lord will give strength unto his people and the Lord will blesse his people with peace then thy life would be more comfortable thou wouldst go on couragiously in the strength of the Lord and be confident in the power of his might Although no comfort appeares in thy Horrizon yet could'st thou but wait upon the Lord and by patience possesse thy soule so many thoughts of Infidelity would not arise in thy soule didst thou but delight thy self in the Lord thou wouldst soone discerne all thy desires satisfied This name of Lord as it 's a name of Power and Majesty so of joy and Consolation and hence we are instructed in a submissive deportment fixing our resolutions upon this argument with old Elie 1 Sa. 3. 18. It is the Lord let him do what seemeth him good and with Hezekiah when he received heavy tidings Good is the word of the Lord which thou hast spoken The consideration hereof makes a dutifull child kisse the rod because the Lord sends it it holds up a mans heart and makes a man cheerefull under the pressure of a smarting crosse because the soule can discerne the hand of the Lord. Thus you see what 's the fuell to inkindle thy joy what matter of rejoycing this comfortable name of Lord administers unto thy soule and therefore this should be a prevailing argument with thee to rejoyce because it is in the Lord. 2. From the glorious name of God abundant matter of joy 2 God is derived upon thy soule I stand not upon usuall Etymologies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For it is undoubtedly true that God fills all places and knowes all things Omnipresence and Omniscience are his peculiar Attributes Men are circumscribed to a place and when they are present with us are unable to afford the least help and succour unto us but the Lord is every where and hath a store house of comforts for the supplying of our necessities David professeth that God is our refuge and strength a Psal 46. 1. very present help in time of trouble God is good to Israel even to such as are of a cleane heart Let God arise and let his enemies be scattered Psal 73. 1. and let those that hate him fly before him When God goeth Psal 68. 1. forth with an Army one shall be able to chase a thousand and two to put ten thousand to fleight When a man hath a lingring sicknesse and hee 's become a very Skeleton let him know that unto God belongs the issues from death When the church is under hatches and a furious enemie makes havock of it yet there 's a God in heaven which judgeth the Nations who will wound the hairy Scalpe of the wicked his heire will not be his safe-guard God can bring light out of darknesse and now in the times of afflictions hee brings out the most pretious Cordialls unto his people when friends the dearest and nearest forsake thee thou art no looser when thy God takes care for thee when thy heart is overwhelmed with sorrow if God let downe some spirituall refreshments then thou canst hold up thy head with comfort If where ever thou goest bonds imprisonments and afflictions and all the calumnies and Nick-names which the malice of man or Devill can invent continually attend thee yet all these shall cooperate for thy good they shall do no more harme then the Arrow did Christ which Julian the Apostate threw into the ayre or the doggs unto the Moon notwithstanding their daily barking It was the sweet saying of a devout Martyr Who would have thought that in a prison I should have found a Palace in an infernall dungeon a Paradise of pleasure Where God is sweetnesse may be extracted from the most bitter pill of affliction This is a second Argument of Comfort drawne from the sacred name of God But if these names are not effectuall to set thy affections a working 3. God of Salvation here 's an unparalled expression in the third Argument the sweet name of a Jesus hee 's a God of Salvation and therefore saith a Father Exultabo in Deo Jesu meo Salvation belongs to
unto the soule of man As the King of Israel said to the woman that cry'd out in an extreame famine help my Lord ô King if the Lord saith he do not help thee whence shall I help thee out of the barne flore or out of the wine presse So say I if the Lord be not thy comforter in vaine mayest thou expect any comfort from the Creatures What is the vintage of Abiezer to the gleanings of Ephraim What are the onions and garlick of Egypt to the grapes of Canaan Abana and Pharphar rivers of Damascus to Jordan and the rest of the waters of Israel The waters that flow from the Cisternes of the Creatures are like the waters of Tema which soon vanish away hence is it that the Lord complaines of the peoples grand folly and backsliding Jer. 2. 13. For my people have committed two evills they have forsaken me the fountaine of living waters and hewed them out Cisternes broken Cisternes that can hold no water A miserable choyce worse then that of Glaucus Diogenes taxed the folly of men of his time quod res pretiosas minimo emerent venderentque vilissimas plurimo because they Diogenes would buy pretious things at an under rate and overvalue base things so may I condemne the folly of those who overvalue worldly comforts and in the meane time have a cheape esteem of those things which are above Perhaps God hath given thee a beautifull Child and thou mak'st an Idoll of it he straight way takes it from thee God hath given thee riches thou makest the wedge of Gold thy confidence God therefore blowes upon them Fire or water or perfidious servants are made scourges unto thee Thou art in prosperity and thou hast the world at will and gloriest in thy condition God sends an affliction to make thee know thy selfe and rowse thee from thy security carry it then home with thee for a truth write it with the poynt of a Diamond that however thou may'st flatter thy selfe yet casting the best with the worse thou wilt find all things here below to be but vanity and vexatiof spirit and that there is no sollid joy and contentment under the sun For that 's joy as the Philosopher define it in quo quiescit animus wherein the heart takes up it's rest and this cannot be found but in God alone 3. Amidst greatest crossesse straights and extremities then is 3. Demonst God helps amidst greatest Crossâ—ss Gods opportunity to open his store-house and let downe comforts in abundance In the midst of streights and difficulties when humane policy gives up the bucklers then it 's Gods accustomed manner to manifest himselfe to his servants comfort When Abraham was injoyn'd the hardest service to be his owne sons executioner he went in obedience to Gods command he came to the place made the Altar ready lifted up his hand to give the deaths blow then an unexpected second message comes of deliverance Gen. 22. 12. Abraham Abraham hold thy hand The execution is hindred and the intention of his obedience received a gratious entertainment Now Abraham for this unexpected providence would willingly offer some sacrifice of thanksgiving and speedy provision might be as improbable as was his sons preservation yet then in such a great necessity behold behind him a Ramme caught in a thicket by the hornes a burnt offering of Gods own providing So that the saying is no more common then true Mans extremity is Gods opportunity The example of St Paul is instar omnium very fit for my present purpose the whole story is worthy of perusall that which I shall make use of is described Act. 21. 30 31 32. And all the Citty was moved and the people ran togeather and they took Paul and drew him out of the temple and forth-with the dores were shut and as they went about to kill him tydings came to the chiefe Captaine of the band that all Jerusalem was in an uprore who immediatly took Souldiers and Centurions and ran down unto them and when they saw the chiefe Captaine and Souldiers they left beating of Paul Each passage is of speciall observation 1. A generall insurrection all the Citty 2. Their violent opposition they drew him out 3. Their bloody intention it was to kill Paul 4. The entrance upon execution they were beating him to beat out his life Now in this streight here 's matter for God and none else to shew himselfe Now the divine hand so disposeth that tydings of deliverance come let him alone he hath more work to do Satan and his instruments are chained by God and can go no further then hee 'l permit them In this extremity the divine power was clearely manifested Out of the deep David made his supplication Abyssus ahyssum vocat a depth of misery calls for a depth of mercy Daniel prayed in the Lions Den Jeremiah in the Dungeon Jonah in the Whales belly the Apostles in prison These are Gods times of audience When we are involv'd in miseries and know not how to wind our selves out then God leads us by the hand God hath severall waies to refresh his people as he did Peter when he was a sinking then Christ takes him by the hand God carries his people through thick and thinne amidst their greatest sufferings God hath waies to deliver them God hath a way in the sea to preserve thee in a Shipwrack God hath a way in persecution to stablish his people in the faith and make them of an undaunted courage God hath away in any difference to compose it and cause men to live at peace in one family in one corporation in one Church in one Common-wealth The reason many times why we see not quickly the appearance of a mercy is because matters are not yet brought to such a straight and exigency as all plea of glorying may be took from man and the more praise and glory may redound unto the God of our salvation God saved the Israelites by a few and by improbable meanes as by rammes-hornes empty pitchers c that so they might not vaunt but attribute the victory unto the Lord. Now then in a pinch of need when thou art driven upon pressing exigencies look beyond Hills and Mountaines unto the Lord only whence cometh thy help Cast thy care upon the Lord and he will sustaine thee God made the Ravens to be Eliahs purveyors in a great famine there 's still the same God as good as able as ever although 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Septuagint renders it the labour of the Olive shall lye yet consider God is a God of truth he hath said it I will never leave thee nor forsake thee Heb. 13. 5. When all creature comforts faile thee yet thou hast abundant matter in God to comfort thee who will never faile them that seek him In the mount in thy greatest straights God will be seen to make a provision of comforts for thee and therefore let the Lord be the joy of thy
not be bitternesse in the end but where God is the most bitter pill of affliction is sweet and pleasant St Bernard hath a speciall Bernard Orat de bonis deserendis observation in a declamation de bonis deserendis non Isaac sed aries morietur c. If you be willing to sacrifice your Isaac which signifies laughter i. e. your pleasure your Isaac your pleasure shall not dye it is the Ramme the stubbornesse of spirit which shall dye but your Isaac shall live you shall have pleasure still Wherefore cast downe all your joyes comforts and pleasures at Gods feet in an humble submission saying Lord here they are do with me and them what seemes good in thine eyes When the heart is thus took of the world it 's in a fit temper and is best qualified for the comforts of God and over and above when thy spirit is in this frame of resignation of all unto God he in mercy may vouchsafe unto thee the comfortable fruition of them Thus you have heard what Demonstrations I have propounded for the evincing of this pretious Doctrine that all joy and comfort amidst the greatest discomforts is to be found in God Now that I may presse what hath been said home unto your Applicat practice 1. I shall inferre something by way of comfort unto those that make the Lord the joy of their soules 2. In the next place I shall exhort you unto so excellent and necessary duty 3. In the last place I shall lay downe some Directions how this sacred duty of rejoycing in God ought to be exexercised within these limits I shall confine my ensueing Application In the first place this discovers unto us the comfortable condition Vse 1. For Comfort of the Children of God O blessed men whose hope and comfort the Lord is comfort yee comfort yee my people saith the Lord to these comfort appertaines as their peculiar right and interest let them amidst greatest calamities lift up their heads for their redemption draweth nigh All the sufferings of Christ his sweating of drops of blood were for them Christ wept that they might rejoyce he drunk a cup of gall and vinegar that they might drink a cup of new wine in the Kingdome of Heaven and he wore a Crowne of Thornes that they might weare a Crowne of Glory Oh! be not dismayed at any evill tydings and mourne not as men with out hope notwithstanding the confusion and troubles of the Land of our Nativity Let faith hope and patience be exercised Hope is the propp of the righteous that stayes the soule from falling were it not for hope the heart would breake in these conflicting daies of sin where there are such sad thoughts of heart for the afflictions of Joseph and for the divisions of Reuben We know not what to do we have no strength of our selves but let me tell you as Nehemiah did the Jewes Neh. 8. 10. The joy of the Lord is your strength Hee 's a fountaine inexhausted though the Cisternes of the Creatures are drawne dry he continues a God of strength though all sublunary things are as weak as water when Parents forsake a man then the Lord takes pitty upon him when riches make themselves wings and flye away as an Eagle towards heaven God becomes thy riches and inricheth thee with grace and so thou gainest by thy lossesse As Joseph told Pharaoh God shall give Pharaoh an answer of peace so say I God shall answer thy doubts and let in peace and tranquility into thy soule Melchior Adamus records this observeable passage in Melchior Adamus In vita Oecolampadii the life of Oecolampadius when some of his friends askt him whether the light did not offend him Tangens pectus inquit abunde lucis est he clapt his hands upon his breast and said here 's light enough When the light of God shines in thy bosome and thou discernest Gods reconciled countenance in Christ thou hast enough Strive therefore to exterminate all thoughts of doubtting and diffidence feare not stand still and behold the salvation of the Lord. However things go with thee though clouds hang over thee and they resolve and melt thy heart into abundance of teares and sorrowes yet let my Prophets resolution set thy affections a working yet I will rejoyce in the Lord I will joy in the God of my salvation 2. In the second place suffer I beseech you my brethren the Vse 2. For Exhortation word of Exhortation Oh! that I could perswade you to your duty I shall branch it out into three particulars 1. To make God your joy 2. To account him your treasure 3. To have recourse to him as your refuge 1. Make God your joy There 's no man but hath some principle Dut. 1. Make God your joy of joy or inward working motion within his own bosome and according to the variety of fansies and humours the joyes and comforts are bottom'd upon a various and different ground 1. One man fixeth his joy upon his riches A 2. Upon his honour and reputation A 3. Upon his delights and pleasures But the Godly mans honours riches pleasures are wholly terminated upon the Lord his God When the man in the Gospell had bought the field wherein he found the pearle of price he was ravisht with joy beyond expression and apprehension The grace of God revealed to the soule of man is this Gemme of superlative estimation thou must part with all thy riches pleasures and comforts nay with all the world for this and thou hereby makest the wisest bargaine that ever was made For by the losse of earth thou gainest heaven what joy possest the spirit of the Eunuch after Phillip had baptized him and brought Christ home unto him the Text saith he went away rejoycing Such is the joy of a spiritualliz'd man whose God is his joy and Consolation though troubles and miseries come thick and threefold yet his heart is fixed upon Mount Zion that it cannot be removed nay upon the God of Zion There 's some inward working principle that will swallow up all discomforts whatsoever This spirituall joy dasheth all carnall joyes This is the only true sollid joy arising from Gods reconciled countenance in Christ which makes a man rejoyce in the Holy Ghost with joy unspeakable and full of glory It 's said in Judges that the young Levites heart was glad when the children of Dan proffer'd promotion to him much more joy resides in the spirituall mans soule and conscience when he thinks of his Crownes and of the joyes of Heaven and of the sweet uninterrupted Communion with Jesus Christ unto all eternity Oh! then make God thy joy The serenity of his countenance will dissipate all these clouds the refreshings and those soule ravishing comforts of Christ will infinitely exceed the greatest discomforts in the Universe The joy of the world may be took from thee by the men of the world There are many Anabaptisticall Antiministeriall spirits
so said the unbelieving Prince so we are apt to say Things aregone so farre as a Recovery is desperate To settle affaires in peace and tranquillity upon firme-covenant Foundations is a work impossible what Is any thing impossible with God and all things are possible to the believer O let not go thy faith it is thy life what wilt thou distrust thy God Infidelity is the giving of God the lye remoove then this stumbling block out of the way if thou remoovest not Infidelity thou canst not rejoyce in God 3. Remoove impatience and murmuring Fret not thy selfe because of the ungodly neither be thou envious at the evill doers as the Psalmist exhorts Psal 37. 1. Repining and grudging are the cankers of the soule they eate out all it's peace and tranquillity An impatient man is the worst enemy to himselfe he adds weight to his burthen and makes it insupportable take heed of impatience and murmuring when Gods hand lyes heavy on thee Many there are who with Mary cannot see Christ for teares in their eyes and being overwhel'd with sorrowes they can discerne no comforts approaching 4. Remoove remisnesse and negligence in duties Their condition 4. Imped Remisnesse and negligence in duties is Lamentable who when things suite not with their humors say it is in vaine to serve the Lord Hence they give to themselves the Reynes and slacken the pace of their duties whereas on the contrary had men their eyes in their heads they would see more need of Duties that they ought to adde more oyle to the flame when things go worst with them Job makes it the character of a wicked man not to pray alwaies Remisnesse and negligence in Duty is an Argument of a rotten heart Though there be no appearance of comfort yet we must not slacken our duties Spirituall duties are pabula animae the food and nutriment of the Soule Prayer meditation and divine conference are vehicula animae and elevate the soule and revive thy drooping spirit they adde a miraculous rigour and alacrity amidst all the crossesse and discomforts in the world If then thou wouldst retaine thy joy take heed of remisnesse and negligence in duties Now having remooved these impediments I shall exhort you to set upon some Duties I shall set downe three only which I shall but name them and so conclude 1. You must labour to live by faith Had we more experience Dut. 1. Live by faith of this sweet and pretious life of faith our hearts would be established we should cast our selves upon the divine providence and stay upon his covenant and resolve with holy Job though the Lord should kill us yet we would trust in him What ever crossesse Job 13. 15. came upon us yet we should never let goe our faith We should believe against beliefe and hope against hope and now when sense and reason failes us we must leave of disputing and learne to believe Oh! then support thy spirit upon a promise Believe that all things shall work together for the best to them that love God Faith Rom. 8. 28. made Stephen see Christ even through a shower of stones and faith made Job see a redeemer upon the Dunghill Faith makes any condition comfortable It is the sweetest life in all the world to live by the faith of the Son of God 2. Labour for a sacred communion and intimacy with Jesus Dut. 2. Labour for a sacred communion with Christ Christ One moment of communion with Christ will transport thee with joy unspeakable which a stranger intermeddles not with all None can reveale these joyes but those that feele them These are the white stones the hidden Mannah the new Name which no man can read but him that hath it Oh! what ravishing love tokens are those which Christ vouchsafes unto his children one of these spirituall illapses into the soule is to be preferred before the Empire of the world 3. And lastly be much exercised in meditation and prayer By Dut. 3. Be much exercised in Meditation and Prayer prayer thou confer'st with him that is invisible and meditation is the wing of the soule to carry up its services as a sweet smelling sacrifice into the Almighties nostrills If we would pray more and spend our time as Isaac did in meditation if we would wrestle with God by prayer and supplication if we would imitate Hezekiah and spread the letrer before the Lord and daily poure out our spirits before him Oh! what comfortable lives should we lead even a heaven upon earth And such a heavenly life would be as a Bulwarke of defence to ward of the Batteries of the worst of enemies Could we get such a sacred acquaintance with God and have our Conversation in heaven we would not feare what men and Devills could do against us We should not feare the Combinations of such who are profest Adversaries to the Universities and Ministery For God will say unto these most desperate Adversaries destroy not those Clusters for there is a blessing in them REALL CONVERSION DISCOVERED from Rom. 12. 2. But be yee transformed by the renewing of your mind THE Apostle having dehorted the Romans from Sermon 10. Preached at St. Marye's Oxon. Feb 5. 1659 60. all conformity to and Compliance with the garbes fashions and evill practices of the men of the world presseth home by way of exhortation the maine fundamentall duty To be transformed in the renewing of their mind Which words though few are a full Character and an essentiall definition of a truely Converted Person viz He is one that Divis is transformed in the renovation of his mind More particularly we may observe 1. A duty Be ye transformed 2. The subject the mind 3. The Qualification of that subject By the renewing What 's needfull for explication of these Particulars I shall endeavour to make good by the Inlargement of this fundamentall Doctrine That Doct. Every Person who is really Converted is transformed and changed in the renovation of his mind Method propounded For the Methodicall unfolding of this poynt of Doctrine I shall thus proceed 1. By inquiring what 's to be understood by transformation 2. What by renovation of the mind which premised then 3. I shall endeavour to make good the Proofe of the Assertion 4. And lastly make particular improvement of all by some usefull Application 1. We are to make Inquiry What it is to be transformed For 1. What it is to be transformed a Resolution thereunto we are first to take notice of the Quid nominis i. e. the name them the Quid rei i. e. the thing it selfe First Let 's consider the Notation of the name The word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Which in a proper sense is to lay aside one forme and assume another The Radix is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and according to the Judgment of the * Suidas Learned Masters of that language 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are used as Synonimous
them 3. A third false glasse is when men compare themselves with 3. False glasse when men compare themselves with themselves themselves This some take to be Conversion Gal. 6. 3. If a man think himselfe to be something when he is nothing he deceiveth himselfe Oh! saith one I was a neglecter of Sermons but now I heare them Thou dost well to heare Sermons and it 's thy duty to wait upon these Bethesdaes But let me aske thee doth not feare forme compliance with men and Interests moove thee What 's that spring that primum mobile which mooves thee to these things Doth not selfe set thee a work doth not vaine glory reputation c moove thee Oh! saith another I am now much amended I do not drinke and swill and game as formerly It 's well if this be so in truth and sincerity But doth not the frame of thy spirit remaine one and the same doth not old age want of money want of opportunities c make thee leave these things doth not thy sinne rather leave thee then thou leave thy sinne We are then to distinguish there may be a change of many particular actions where is no change of the Nature There may be a mortification of some particular members where is no mortification of the whole body of sinne Per mentem totum hominem Per mentem totum hominem intelligit Peter Martyr in Loc. intelligit Peter Martyr saith The whole man by the mind is comprehended It 's required as learned Jerome observes ut corporis actus novi fiant So then I conclude that the acts nature whole man must be changed or else there is not a change to purpose How will some old men complaine against their Prodigality in their youth but let them catechise their owne hearts are not they now growne more covetous in their old age And give the Divell his option he would as live have a covetous man as a Prodigall to drive his designes Wherefore let no men compare themselves with themselves upon halfe reformations halfe turnes and partiall amendments Men may be better then formerly and yet be stark naught still Their reformation may be to halfes their heart may be divided Hos 10. 2. Their heart is divided now shall they be found faulty He shall breake downe their Altars he shall spoyle their Images His turne may be but partiall as Ephraims was Hos 7. 8. Ephraim he hath mixed himselfe among the people Ephraim is a cake not turned 4. Another false glasse is when men compare themselves with 4. False glasse when men compare themselves with others other men Oh! say they such a one is a froward deceitfull an ill-tongu'd clamorous man he cousens and cheats and complies with all sorts for advantage But I am not such a one 1. I Answer Though perhaps thou mayest not act some of those things whereof thou accusest others yet it may be because thou art not put upon those temptations as it was said of one Casta est quia nemo rogavit Opportunity hath not offered another choice 2. Thou mayst be as bad in other kinds Some mens sinnes go before others follow after Some mens Genius and constitution inclines more to one sinne then another though every wicked man is dispositione praeparatione animi inclined to any sinne Perhaps another man may shew his anger more openly and thou mayst entertaine heart burnings and inward anger And it 's an observation of Seneca Ira quae tegitur nocet Perhaps another may work at his secular Trade on the Sabboth day which is a very great and abominable Prophanation and thou in the mean time mayst be idle at home hearing and speaking vaine idle discourses and this is likewise abominable Wherefore let no man think himselfe good because he apâ—eares not so bad as another Anothers badnesse is no Argument to conclude me good For instance was the Pharise the better for overvaluing himselfe and undervaluing the Publican Luk. 18. 10 11. The Parise stood and prayed thus with himselfe God I thank thee that I am not as other men are extortioners unjust adulterers nor even as this Publican And are any a whit the better because they speak against others and in the meane time amend not themselves 5. A fifth false glasse is others reports and commendation Oh! 5. False glasse others reports and commendations how proud are many of some great persons acquaintance who set them out to the skies and flatter them They boast they liv'd under such Preachers and have been acquainted with such and such eminent persons and these have an honourable esteem of them What a false glasse is this no better then that of the Papists who believe by an implicite faith and see through their Priests spectacles and pin their religion on other folkes sleeves It 's observeable that seldome an Hipocrite dies undiscovered but it'ts possible he may Some may tell such faire plausible stories and narratives of their Conversion as they may deceive men yet they cannot deceive God who knoweth and searcheth the hearts and reines This is all the religion some look after to insinuate themselves into the favour of some persons of note and be cryed up by them and carried up on high by their wings In the meane time they search not their own hearts and descend not to selfe-Inquisition how they may approove themselves to God They examine not what 's the inward frame of their spirit whether their hearts be washed from wickednesse and whether they be renewed in the spirit of their minds It 's not he that commendeth himselfe 2 Cor. 10. 23. but whom the Lord commendeth is accepted Neither is it he whom others magnify and extoll in praises but he whose heart is right with God that obtaines acceptance with him 6. The sixth and last false glasse I shall mention is a formall 2. False Glasse is a formall outside profession outside profession of Religion This is become even a fashion now adaies to take up a profession And many take it up ignorantly not understanding what it is and many take it up upon Politick Principles to make a good market of it both these are abominable unto God There 's a forme without the power there 's 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Multitudes mistake Conversion now adaies and think if they be of such an opinion whether it be of Familists Quakers Anabaptists Brownists Semibrownists c then they are converted If they be rebaptized then they question not but that they are really converted when as many of these never knew what belongs to the pangs of the new birth fightings against strong holds of Satan and crucifying of lusts Others make no question of their Conversion because they are admitted into Church fellowship But was not Ananias and Sapphira admitted into Church fellowship And was not Judas himself one of the Apostles and yet farre from true Conversion In the purest and best reformed Churches there may be Hypocrites tares will be
preach Christ but to preach a man's selfe in a vaine glorious affectation of eloquence Herein consists the duty of a Minister for matter to preach Christ only for manner with all humility and him crucifi'd This is the preaching when all 's done this I may terme the very Art of preaching which directly tendes to the Glory of God and the salvation of soules Admit a man be of never so meane a presence and men come to heare him possessed with a prejudicate opinion yet if he labour to divide the word aright and to speake to the conscience rather than the fancy of his Auditors O! what wonders doth the Lord worke by weake meanes As by rammes hornes the walls of Jericho were battered in peeces and by earthen pitchers the huge host of the Midianites was discomfited so by that preaching which the wittes of the times and men that applaud their own fansies accoumpt empty and foolish the Lord workes miraculously in the conversion of soules It 's the Apostles assertion For after that in the wisdome of God the world through wisdome knew not God it pleased God by the foolishnesse of preaching to save them that believe Thus having endeavour'd to beat the corne out of the eare suffer me now to grinde it at the mill Application is the life of every sermon Let me then intreat your patience in a few words to presse what hath been said unto your practise and then I shall put a period to my discourse Marlorate out of Calvin drawes two inferences of practice Quid docendum first and then Quid discendum afterwards Christ crucified is the substance of all that we can preach or heare It 's a lesson can be never enough taught and never enough learn'd In the first place seeing this is that lesson which we all ought to teach Fathers and Brethren suffer I beseech you the word of exhortation to conferre your best endeavours to put in practice this excellent method and exquisite art of preaching Wast not this pretious lamp of the sanctuary in making 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 circumstantials the maine imployment What 's this but to tithe mint and cummin and to neglect the weightier matters of the law 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ther 's one most needfull Doctrine which you ought frequently to inculcate and make deep impressions upon the conscience and that 's the knowledge of Jesus Christ and him crucified I cannot sufficiently admire how sacred is the ministeriall function What a great honour is it to be imploy'd in Embasy for the King of heaven O! what fidelity is requisite in the discharge of so concerning a message You are God's sword hearers beare up that sword which he hath put into your hands The Lord hath promised to be your portion And if I invert the order of the words that they which live upon the Altar ought to serve it it 's a piece of the same truth as well as that The Lord hath so ordain'd that those which serve the Altar should live upon the Altar The readiest way I conceive to suppresse schismes and divisions is by preaching the power of godlinesse This is the way to stop the mouthes of Gainsayers when they see that selfe is not the maine Engineer nor the promoting of a man 's own particular ends and interests but the glory of God and the love of Christ constraines a man then they are put to silence and have nothing to gainsay We read how Moses in his own cause was the meekest man upon the face of the earth yet transported with zeale in the cause of God A spirit of discretion is required in a Christian least he may quickly pluck downe with the one hand what he endeavours to build up with the other Moderation is much talked of it 's a gooâ— to be desired For oft times it serves as a golden bridle to curbe a passion Calvin in Epist ad Melanct. But Calvin's caution to Melanchthâ—n is worthy of your observation Take heed saith he that moderation doe not quench thy zeale Meeknesse and silence doth good and is commendable in a man 's own cause It 's a man's glory to passe by a personall injury but when religion suffers and the cause of God lies a bleeding then to be silent argues a spirituall stupefaction as if a man were possessed with a dumbe Divell When men preach their own inventions teaching for Doctrines the traditions of men When men deride the way of holinesse casting nicknames and aspersions of Puritans Precisians and I know not what upon them that so they may render their persons and profession odious just as thy dealt with the Saints in the Primitive Church who were put into beares-skins and then worryed When men are not affrayd to exercise their wits to be witty even unto blasphemy to cast a slur or a jest upon that sacred word by which one day they shall be judged This is not to preach Christ crucifi'd but it 's to crucify him afresh and to put the Lord of glory to an open shame When men like Jehu drive furiously mistaking a passion for zeale and so oft times spoile a good cause in the carriage this is not sutable to that meeknesse that was in Christ Let not then any humour or opinion sway thee ther 's nothing so dangerous in religion as this compliance with humors and fancies and siding for selfe-interests and advantages The Spirit of God must be thy Pilot to sâ—eare thee and the word of God must be thy compasse and the glory of God ought to be in thy eye as the scope and end of all Take nothing upon trust but imitate those noble Act. 17. 11. Bereans who let nothing passe without due examination For we read that they searched the Scriptures dayly whether those things were so 2. As you have heard what we must all teach so you shall 2 Quid discen dum heare what we must all learne viz Christ crucifi'd Let me then perswade you as Jerome doth in an Epistle to Paulinus Let 's learne that knowledge on earth which will carry us unto heaven May Discamus eam teâ—ris quorum scientia perseverabit in coelis Hieronymuâ— in Epist ad Paulinum it never be verifi'd of any of us that we seek our own things and not the things of Jesus Christ and that we resemble Mercuries statue that poynt the way to others but move not one step our selves A good life is the best commentary of a good sermon and the best conâ—â—tation of a slaunder The shepherd hath discharged his duty when by his own example he leads his flock to the waters of comfort We should all labour to be spirituall builders As no noise was heard in Solomons Temple so my heart desires that there may be no differences nor jarrings to be heard among us Quirites was a forcible word with Caesar to suppresse all his souldiers mutinies and shall not the word Christiani be as prevalent with us What said Abraham to Lot Gen.
13. 18. Let there be no strife between my herdsmen and thy herdsmen for we be brethren So say I we that are sons of the same mother the Church servants of the same God heires of the same hope how should we consult the good one of another labouring to build up one another in the holy faith considering to provoke one another to love and to good workes We are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 members one of another Is there a controversy betweene thee and thy brother be not wanting in thy duty to pray for him this if any thing will be the reconciler Imitate thy Saviour on the crosse who prayed for his enemies None are so bad but they deserve thy prayers and commiseration Is thy brother ignorant doe not despise him Consider who made thee to differ from thy brother and a greater mercy requires a greater measure of thankfulnesse Copy out that excellent advice of the Apostle 1 Pet. 4. 8. And above all things have fâ—rvent oharity among your selves for charity shall cover the multitude of sinnes This is to learne Christ crucifi'd when we labour to puriâ—y our selves even as he is pure when we labour to be holy as he was in 1 Jon. 3. 3. all manner of conversation when we imitate him in putting on bowells of mercy and tender compassion My brethren God hath given you greater measure of knowledge and therefore he expects from you greater improvements It was a greivous complaint of Austine in his time Surguâ—indocti rapiunt coelum nos cum doctrinis nostris detrudimur in gehennam God grant that our holy life August may be the confutation Let it never be told in Gath and publisht in the streets of Askelon I wish there were no cause that any son of Levi should prove a son of Belial and make the sacrifice of the Lord to be abhor'd God forbid that in so sacred an order as the Ministeriall Function is That there should be any profane Esaus any taunting Ishmaels and blasphemous swearers We cannot in any wise brooke Intruders into the Church wee abhorre and that deservedly their irregular motions who runne before they are sent wherefore wee should all unite our prayers and endeavours in our capacities and callings to God as one man to hinder such from ever setting footing in our Israel If any such be as I feare there are methinks the fearfull judgments of God executed upon Vzzah and Vzziah for their over-officious services and intermedling without a calling should make them feare and tremble 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so unpreparedly to adventure upon sacred mysteries In the interim let us walke inoffensively and more circumspectly in our life and conversation and give no just offence neither to Jew nor Genâ—ile nor Church of Gâ—d This counsell is not unseasonable for we know not what advantage a scandalous life gives unto a common Adversary If those that should be Seers yet will be blind if the Watchmen sleep and the Shâ—pheards leave their flocks to hierlings then will some of Jeroboams Priests of the basest of the people presumptuously usurpe the Ministeriall function Take which you will a negligent Minister who performes not his duty or one that runs without a calling of his own mission and the flatteries of such like himselfe they are both abominable superfluous branches which God will pluck up and sweep away as dung out of the Church Would we then have our callings more honoured and our persons more reverenced and our Doctrine with more cheerfulnesse embraced le ts all endeavour to be more consciencious in the discharge of our duties let us not post off reformation from one to another accusing and excusing one another but let 's commune with our own hearts make diligent enquiry into our own bosomes every one saying with himselfe in Jer. 8. 6. particular what have I done The way to contract greater reverence abroad is to be more circumspect at home that as we goe beyond others in knowledg so likewise we should outstrip them in the practise of holinesse Christ in a more speciall manner hath communicated unto us the knowledg of his waies how should we strive with a pious contention which of us should bring most glory to God and advance the cause of Christ It shall be my close and prayer with Moses that God would put his Vrim and Thummim 1 Pet. 2. 9. upon his holy ones even write upon all our hearts Holynesse unto the Heb. 13. 20. 21. Lord that so we may be a Royall Generation a Holy Priesthood a peculiar people to set forth the praises of him who hath called us out of darknesse into this marvelous light I shall conclude with the Apostle Now the God of peace that brought againe from the dead our Lord Jesus that great shepheard of the sheep through the bloud of the everlasting covenant make you perfect in every good worke to doe his will working in you that which is well pleasing in his sight through Jesus Christ our Lord. Baruchs Hurt and Cure Set-forth from JEREM Chap 45. Vers 5. And seekest thou great things for thy selfe seek them not SERM. II. IF ever a word spoken in due season might be At St Maries Oxon. Octob. 18. 1642. compared to Apples of Gold in pictures of Silver such a one is here represented to your view being a word of comfort opportunely administred unto a man of a sorrowfull spirit And in the front of my Text is a connexive particle and drawes down the Context unto the Text. Take a review of the precedent History in this briefe relation The iniquities of Israel and Judah are full ripe and now it 's high time for the destroying Angell to thrust in his sickle and cut them downe But such are the tender bowels of our Father of mercies and God of all consolations that he gives warning before he smites It 's his accustomed method to leave no meanes unattempted for his peoples recovery and for the healing of their backslidings How often doth he draw them with the bands of a man even with cords of love What presuasive arguments what alluring Rhetorick doth he use enough to breake the Rock within thee even an heart harder then Adamant and to melt it into the love of God here behold bowels opened like the sounding of an Harpe and once more rol'd together The Lord denounceth most heavy Judgments and yet in the midst of Judgment entertaines some thoughts of free love and mercy The Lord reveales his secret intentions to his servants the Prophets He makes the prophet Jeremy of his privy counsell The Lord himselfe becomes the inditer of a dolefull writing fraught with lamâ—ntation mourning and woe Jeremy dictates from the mouth of God unto Baruch and Baruch wrote from the mouth of Jeremiah all the words of the Lord Jer. 36. 4. Forthwith they are communicated unto the King and Princes of Judah The King being no whit affected Jer. 36. 4. with these dismall
Judgement Hac fide vivo the rule of the Scripture is clear and infallible there shall be a day of Judgement All this world shall be dissolved This is a Doctrine most true My Text makes the Application 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Divis. Which words contain a Supposition and an Inference 1. Here 's something supposed Seeing c. It s a Principle undoubtedly 1. to be believed That the Heavens and Earth shall be dissolved and the Elements shall melt with fervent â—eat Compare this with Psalme 102. 25 26 27. Let 's not introduce nor beleive vain Philosophy which holds amongst many other dotages Quod coeli sunt incorruptibiles To me it 's out of question that he that made them by his word will one day by his word destroy them Now whether the heavens are so perfectly made as in their own nature uncapâ—ble of corruption is not here to be disputed of or whether the coelestiall influences be as vigorous as at first though a learned Dr. of our own holds the affirmative in that excellent Dr. George Hackwill in his Apology book entitled The Power and Providence of God in the government of the world Yet I shall wave this Question being loath to intermixe any Philosophicall dispute in matters of faith We beleive it We have sure ground plain scripture for our assertion that all these things shall be dissolved 2. Here 's an inference 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Jts infer'd by way of admiration what manner of persons i. e. we should be eminent in holyness we should act in an extraordinary manner we should be rare singular even a non-such for pietie its Diodats observation upon the place If heaven and Earth be purified by fire what care ought Diod. in loc Calvin in loc we to take to be purged and clensed from our corruptions An ergo nos in terra demersos esse convenit c. saith Calvin on the place The heavens earth shall pass away and shall we be sâ—allowed up in the earth and not rather meditate on a holy and a godly life The argument I may thus frame There shall at the day of judgment be a dissolution of this visible Globe of heaven and earth therefore we ought in an especiall manner to labour after holyness This is the argument of the Text of incomparable strength But why is it in the Plurall number 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This is an Hebraisme when the Scripture would express a thing with a greater emphasis it useth the plurall number so Cant. 1. 4 We will remember thy loves thereby inhancing the greatness and multitudes of Christs loving kindness Likewise we read Psal 20. He is the God of our Salvations i. e. that he is the God from whom all Psal 110. 3. salvations come in the most high and eminent way And the Psalmist further specifies Psal 100. 3. Thy people shall be a people of willingnesse to shew their singular readinesse and willingness as if they were all made up of a willing mind and ready spirit for Jesus Christ Thus in the text in all holy conversations and Godlynesse Which expression some referre to dutyes of both tables it s most true that a godly man respects both and labours to keep a Good conscience both towards God and men For the genuine sense of the text Beza gives me full satisfaction Vsurpatur numerus multitudinis ex Haebreorum more ut pietas significetur omnibus suis partibus constans quam pro viribus sectari nos oporteat The scope of all I conceive to be this as if the Apoâ—â—le should thus inlarge himself You are secure and careless you shall be suddenly surprised The day of the Lord will come as a theefe in the night You commit Idolatry with the world your hearts are married to these outward things on a sudden all shall be consumed all wherein you trust shall be burnt up â—owever you put the day of judgment farre of yet it s a coming it s nigher then you are aware of and the heavens and the earth shall be dissolved At that day none but holy persons can hold up their heads with comfort Therefore seriously bethinke your selves anticipate the terrour and sorrow of that day by an holy conversation Make timely provision for that day Labour for holynesse and then you need not fear notwithstanding the burning up of the present world you that are holy here shall behold that day with comfort Therefore now have that day in your eyes in your thoughts in your frequent meditations in your prayers that you may be found blamelesse at that day The words thus divided and expounded presents unto you one entire plain and practicall Doctrine That the serious consideration of the day of Iudgment should in an especiall Doct. manner ingage us unto an holy life and conversation For the unfolding of this excellent and practicall poynt my work will be 1. To prove it by scripture testimonies Method 1. 2. 3. 1. For Scripture Testimony 2. To confirme it by evidence of Reason 3. To improve all to your consciences by particular application 1. For Scripture it contributes abundant testimony to the proof hereof I shall gather sparingly from so great an heap selecting only some more eminent proofes leaving the rest to be supplyed in your serious meditations Peruse v 14 of this chap. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But can any walk so Yes Zechary and Elizabeth walk'd so they were both righteous before God walking in all the commandements and ordinances of the Lord blamlesse It was Pauls exercise Acts 24. 16. goe thou and doe likewise Labour to make strait paths Labour to approve thy heart to God always walking as in the presence of God Begge strength from Christ and thou canst doe all things through Christ that strengthneth thee Another proof we have 1 Pet. 4. 7. The end of all things is at hand be ye therefore sober and watch unto prayer The consideration of our latter end should be a forcible argument to perswade us unto sobriety and watchfullness That 's a pregnant proofe of the Apostle Paul 2 Cor. 5. 9 10. Vpon this consideration he layeth down those 3 adverbs 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hopeing to gain them over to the practise of them Tit. 2. 11 12 13. This was a motive to him and the rest of the saints to have their conversation in heaven because hence they look for the Lord Jesus Christ You read of a sacred Irony Eccles 11. 9. The meaning is rejoyce in God walk in the wayes of Gods commandements that Ironicall speech commands the contrary Now what 's used by the wise man as a moveing consideration But know that there will be a day of judgment Entertain frequent and serious thoughts concerning it which through the grace of God set home upon thy heart may prevail with the circumspect walking in all holy conversation and Godlyness The consideration hereof should make us look better to our hearts and