affected wisdome of the world without either miraculouâ— signes or scientifical demonstrations either of which would much perswade men Fourthly and lastly It 's the perpetual invariable means God hath appointed to the worlds end When the Ministery and Preaching shall cease then shall all this world with the things therein cease Thus Eph. 4. it 's there said to continue till Christs coming and Paul's direction about the Ministery must be kept till the coming of Christ The former dispensation is altered he hath taken away Priests and Levites the sacrifices and Altars but he will never take away Pastors and Teachers and Sacraments and these must abide as long as there is a Church on the world Vse of Examination It 's the Ministery this is the ordinary necessary appointed menans for faith and other graces Why then is it that it hath not been so to thee Oh it would be an heavy trouble to thee thou wouldst think God had some extraordinary jugement upon thee if thou couldst have no cloaths to warm no food to nourish thee no creature be that to thee for which it is appointed But behold a greater judgement then this no Ministery doth convert thee no Preaehing begets faith or repentance in thee In the Apostles times What multitudes were converted by the Word Yea in the first times of Reformation from Popery How many did not only receive the truth in their minds but grace in their hearts they were not only converted from Popery and superstition but from prophaness and impiety But now alas to whom is the power of God made known Certainly the Word is the same Gods arm is as strong as ever but men by their wilfull ignorance by their unthankfulness and rebelling against the light have sinned away the presence and power of God from the Ministery and then if God go not along with us Alas what can we do Oh that you who are hearers would deeply lay these things to heart God saith his Word is an enlightning Word a sanctifying cleansing Word Why is it not so to thee Why art thou no more reformed then where there is no Preaching no Ministery at all The same cursing swearing the same lusts pride covetousness and ignorance Is not all this because God doth not appear in his own Ordinances Oh men without hope How desperate is such mens condition for if the Ministery cure thee not what will cure thee Woe be to thee if the Word that is so effectual and operative to others be not also to thee Who is Paul and who is Apollo but Ministers by whom ye believed even as the Lord gave every man The third thing in order to be discust is the noble Effect whereof the Ministry is said to be an Instrumental Cause viz. Ye believed Faith is one of the most eminent Common-places in Divinity It 's the Sanctum Sanctorum in this spiritual building It s the fat in that spiritual Sacrifice we offer to God And because of the spiritual and most sublime nature of it it is least understood by the natural man I shall not at this time handle all the main particulars about it because the holy Ghost intends it not in this place Onely take notice that in stead of all the work of grace repenting reforming he nameth believing because this is Initial and Introductory to all the rest The word Faith or Believing is of a very large and fruitfull signification but it 's impertinent at this time to trouble you with it Observe That Faith is the great and eminent grace which God by the Ministry works in some hearers Thus upon Christ and the Apostles preaching still this is recorded And many believed Insomuch that Faith is said to come by hearing Rom. 10.17 The Scripture indeed sometimes speaks of faith as prerequisite to make the Word profitable Who hath believed our report And the Word profited them not because it was not mixed with faith Heb. 4.6 Here we see unbelief doth obstruct and hinder the savoury effect of the Gospel But that is finally in those that pâ—rish but in those that shall be saved God in his due time will by the Word preached work faith viz. enlighten their minds and open their hearts to entertain it To open this Doctrine Let us consider the Nature of Faith and that is usually said to consist in three acts whether they be all essential or some only I shall not here determine The first is Knowledge and understanding This is eternal life to know thee and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent John 17.3 Yea it 's a strong and powerfull conviction of the mind Hence it 's called The substance and evidence of things Heb. 11.1 Believing in the soul is compared to the corporal seeing of the body To say a blind faith is as great a contradiction as to say a dark Sunne or a cold fire If it be faith it doth see the ground of its belief Indeed faith cannot comprehend the matter we believe the Doctrine of the Trinity the Incarnation of Christ are like the dazelling Sunne to our Bats-eyes but though faith cannot comprehend the matter believed yet it knoweth the ground why it doth believe in those places of Scripture and the testimony of Gods Word which saith It is thus and thus Oh then How farre are many from being believers For ignorance covers their souls as darknesse did the Chaos at the first The very principles of Religion the total ignorance whereof doth damn a man yet is like a veil upon most mens eyes Oh then consider that knowledge and understanding is the necessary way to let in faith or rather is a beginning and part of it If thou hadst lost thy eyes or wert smitten with corporal blindnesse How much would it affect thee But now thou hast unbelief and spiritual blindnesse yet it doth not break thy heart Say no more thou believest in Christ thou believest in God if thou knowest not what Christ and God is Though ignorant people are full of their devotion yet because it 's without knowledge and faith it 's as abominable as a Sacrifice without eyes Secondly But knowledge is not all How many Atheists are there that know much and understand the points of Religion yet believe not Therefore the second Act of Faith is to Assent to give credit to them as true and this indeed we mean and Scripture also means this most commonly when it speaks of believing the Word of God that is giving a firm and sure assent to it as true Hence that expression Faith is the substance Heb. 11.1 that is by faith we make those things that are future really subsist as it were in our souls as if present Thus Faith makes Heaven and Hell present The Apostle excellently describes it They behold not the things temporal or seen but the things eternal which are not seen 2 Cor. 4 18. Thus Moses is said to have an earnest eye of faith fixed upon the reward and that is an act
but that is not absolutely considered For the Devils cannot trust â—n him neither may wicked men yet God is able to help them to save them but relatively as a Father as reconciled Therefore Christ Mat. 6. makes this the ground of all the trust his Disciples must have because their heavenly Father is in Heaven So that till we have these perswasions of God as a Father we are but as so many vagabond Children that know not where to have relief The Child because he hath a Father never takes care what he shall eat or drink or put on because his Father will provide all these for him Fifthly We adde That this Faith must depend on God in a lively and strong manner as David's was at this time or Abraham's when he considered not the dead Womb or did so much as stagger within himself For if thy Faith be weak if it be fainting and languishing though thou maist have support yet not such prevalent peace within thee Thou art in a Combate not in a Triumph David at another time is like Sampson without his strength he saith All men are lyers He thinketh God had forsaken him So that unlesse Faith be very vigorus though thou maiest be preserved in thy afflictions they shall not quite overwhelm thee yet thou wilt not have this peaceable frame Now the Children of God should think it not enough to rub through their troubles with agonies and Combates but with joy and quietnesse Grieve because thy heart is so much as disquieted say Oh weak wretch that I am that I cannot be as much at ease as if I had no affliction at all There remain two more Propositions to explicate this Doctrine And First When we say Faith doth thus quiet and compose the soul you must take two Cautions to season this First That Faith doth not this principally of it self for that is but a grace or habit created and infused into the soul And therefore as all other graces needs the continual quickning and asistance of Gods Spirit so likewise doth Faith Hence our Saviour prayed for Peter that his Faith might not fail Implying that grace of it self would wither and decay as well as any other if God did not preserve it Therefore the Apostle Peter doth fully expresse the manner of Faiths Influence into this Perservation 1 Peter 1.5 It 's the power of God that doth principally and efficiently keep us only it 's through Faith We are not then to conceive as if Faith of it self had such an inherent efficacy that by it's sole jurisdiction it would command the soul and say as God did at the first Let there be light and there shall be light No Faith it self needs the daily quickening of Gods grace as well as other graces Yea this grace would sooner decay then others because of the hearts contrariety to it making a man to live above the Principles of sense and common reason Insomuch that it 's no wonder to see a man love God be patient in afflictions these though not wrought by the power of nature yet have a conviction from the light of nature but so hath not Faith The second Caution is That we do not think as if we could believe it our selves as if by our own humane strength we could obtain such a peaceable frame of heart No If it could be so then David at other times and that it may be in farre lesse extreamities would not have been dejected as he acknowledgeth himself to be Neither would that man have prayed to Christ to Help his unbelief if he could have helped it himself And the experience of the godly doth abundantly confirm this in what agonies they are plunged how grievously tormented Oh how desirous to quiet their hearts They Pray they Meditate they Read and all cannot compose their souls Now if their hearts were subject to their power as the Winds and Waves are to Christ they would never endure such Conflict within This argueth therefore that it 's not in mans power to put forth such strong vigorous Acts of Faith no more then we can command the Heavens to give rain It 's God that must both plant and water and give the encrease Lastly The truth of this Doctrine doth extend even to those great Afflictions and Calamities we are in and that because of our sinnes We can evidently see what sinnes they are that have provoked God to give such a bitter stroke our own hearts testifie unto us and this argueth the greater work of Faith For happily it might be granted That in such Afflictions and Temptations which befall us for Gods cause and for righteousnesse sake we may be full of such joy and sincerity as the Apostle saith James 1. Count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations And thus the Martyrs they could and did with David lay themselves down to sleep in their dark Dungeons and that the very night before they were to burn at the Stake But you will say How can this joy and confidence hold in such Calamities as fall upon us wholly because of our sinnes we behold Gods anger and our folly hath brought this on us Now in such troubles If we humble our selves unto the Lord for our sinnes and bewail them we may have such Calmes of spirit For this was David's case The Prophet had told him afore-hand that this should fall out Because of his Adultery and Murder his conscience cryed aloud in the midst of his military noise yet for all that he could thus set himself to his quiet rest How the vigorous Actings of Faith do quiet the Heart These things premised Let us consider How these vigorous actings of faith do thus quiet and appease the heart And First In that faith doth in the first place carry us out to rely on Christ as a Mediatour whereby all our iniquities and sinnes are done away If then sinne and guilt be removed out of the way there cannot be any trouble For as if there had not been sinne the earth would not have brought forth briars and thornes So neither were it not for iniquity eating into the conscience there would not be the least fear and trouble upon the heart This is the wind that makes so dreadfull an earthquake at last Wonder not then if Davids faith did compose his soul in respect of that outward danger for it had before removed a greater evil the guilt of sinne was now blotted out David is not in that case as when he cryed out that his bones were broken and that God sets his sinnes before him Oh that is a wofull condition when the guilt of sinne and afflictions both meet together when outwardly we have no hope and inwardly no hope But this faith doth in the first place It obtaineth reconciliation with God it seeth Pharaoh and his great host drowned in the sea and then it doth easily over-look other afflictions for the favour of God is able to sweeten all calamities Thus it was with Paul he
tryumphs over all imaginable adversaries but why is he thus confident Because there is no condemnation to such as are in Christ Jesus If then the Sunne arise the dark night will be quickly dispelled and so if the light of Gods favour doth arise the feares and troubles which arise from outward exercises are quickly dissipated If then thou complainest thy strength is so small every temptation is ready to blow thee down as certainly the least puff will hurl a man down if faith be not lively the Damsels charging of Peter to be of Christs company made him curse and swear and fearfully apostatize here was no such great cause he was not arraigned imprisoned sentenced to die but this temptation blew down a strong Oak which teacheth us that a little calamity may throw us to the ground if faith be not lively and a great one cannot if faith be vigorous If I say thou complainest of thy weakness thy feares Let faith in Christ as a Mediatour be more powerfully put forth Secondly Faith doth quiet and compose the spirit by impetration or obtaining of God such a spirit For as you heard seeing it lyeth not in the power of man to give himself such a sweet blessed frame No he would give a world for it if it lay in his power it can only be obtained by application unto God Now that which most prevaileth with God is faith Whatsoever you ask believing you shall have it It 's faith only that makes the omnipotent God work for thee and in thee so that when we say faith makes the heart thus still and quiet you must not think it comes from faith as a natural cause as the fire burneth but morally by prevailing with God This is the grace that God doth so honour if we trust on him if we rest on him then God promiseth to give rest and peace to our soules Insomuch that it 's a Christians duty above all things to keep up the grace of faith to attend to that lest the whole kingdome be lost when that is lost for God is to us as we believe so God works for us as we trust in him so that our distrust makes God to be as no God or as an Idol-god having eies not to see us or hands not to help us Gods power will not communicate it self but upon believing as Christ told Mary Said I not unto thee if thou wouldst believe thou shouldst see the glory of the Lord That glory was to make Lazarus dead your dayes and stinking in the grave to live again Now no less glorious alterations and changes will God work upon thee if thou trust in him for hereby Gods fidelity goodness and power is engaged and he will never deceive those that wholly rely upon him You see then why faith put forth in a lively manner can thus quiet the soul Because it 's the condition to which God doth make glorious promises Thirdly Faith doth instrumentally compose the soul because by it other graces are also set a work and so the more purified and cleansed the soul is from all corruption the clearer the heart is As the clearer the spring is then though it be moved and stirred yet for all that the streames will be pure Thus it is with a godly man when his heart is sanctified cleansed and adorned with grace then though he is plunged into tribulations instead of discontent impatience grudgings and murmurings instead of dejections and disquietness there is joy thankfulness and heavenly mindedness as if Juniper or sweet herbs be thrown into the fire the fiâ—e draweth out their sweet smel or as the wind blowing upon the sweet flower makes it smell more fragrantly Thus also when afflictions fall upon the godly faith having purified their hearts there do runne forth admirable and sweet breathings of the soul That faith exciteth other graces appeareth Heb. 11. Where all those glorious acts of grace which those Worthies abounded in are attributed unto their faith Lastly Faith lively exercised must thus serene the heart of a man because it doth suggest many noble and excellent arguments which do abundantly quiet and establish the soul Faith is argumentative it is very ingenious to find out all those Considerations which the Scripture affoards Now the Scripture is like the Apothecaries shop that can furnish with all cordials As First Faith argueth from Gods giving of Christ every thing else that is as necessary for us as Christ is Thus the Apostle Rom. 8. If he hath given us Christ how shall he not with him give all things else He doth not say some things but all things and then the expression how shall he not implyeth that it is a most absurd and irrational thing to think otherwise Now then faith doth thus quiet the soul Be not afraid or troubled the God that afflicts thee is he that hath given Christ to thee Now if ever God would have refused thee it would have been in this Know then that these afflictions these troubles they are good for thee they are necessary to humble thee to make sinne bitter they are as necessary in their kind as Christ was in his kind It cannot be want of love that these exercises are upon thee for is not Christ the great pledge of Gods love to thee Therefore faith turneth the heart of a man from that which is grievous and vexing to that which is pleasing and comfortable Though God giveth not this or that outward mercy yet he giveth Christ the fountain and original of all Secondly Faith represents God out of his word in some Attributes chiefly above others insomuch that the heart of a man being thereby lifted up to heaven to God himself it cannot be disturbed by things below As the Bird while soaring aloft in the heavens is not skared with this fear and that noise so while faith beareth up the heart to God and makes abode with him it 's not disquieted It 's the looking upon the waters that make giddy if we look up to the heavens they cannot disturb the brain Now these things in God doth faith powerfully improve First The wisdome of God that whatsoever the Lord doth it cannot be done wiser Therefore he is called the only wise God Now what wonderfull comfort may be suggested from hence That there is no affliction no temptation though never so heavy but it cometh and is ordered by infinite wisdome If thou hadst the disposing and ordering of all things it could not be done more wisely then it is nay thy own love to thy self if wise would order this affliction to come upon thee For do not you see a man whose parts of body are gangreend yet because he is wise though he loveth his ease yet willingly resigning himself to have those parts cut off for the good of the whole So that is one of the most comfortable considerations which faith supplies the heart with that whatsoever temptation is fallen upon thee the wise God hath ordered it so
can be expected from a Church consisting of such Men speak of Houses where the Devils walk where spirits haunt men dare not dwell there I tell thee That a Family where ignorance and prophaneness is nourished is an house not only haunted but even possessed by Devils And how canst thou eat sleep and live in such a place Fourthly In the primitive times there were a rank of people that were called Catecumini as we said before Candidati or Competentes such who being converted from Paganism were not yet fully instructed in the matters of Religiâ—n and therefore they had time to get knowledg before ever they were admitted to Church-Communion And answerable to this there was a Catechist one whose work and office it was to instruct such before they were Baptized Thus you see how carefull in Antiquity they were that they might have no ignorant persons among them And certainly as in all Arts there are Principles which must be learned before they can come to Conclusions so it 's here in Religion And oh that we could see this Knowledge brought in amongst people To be a Christian is to be anointed and this Vnction teacheth us all things Joh. 2.20 viz. necessary to salvation Fifthly Principles of Religion largely so called are of two sorts either Corrupt Idolatrical and Heretical or true Sound and Consonant to the Scripture Now there are many in the world are too forward to infuse poysonous and dangerous Principles so great a matter is it to consider what men are seasoned with at first either privately or publiquely Thus many are infected with Popish and superstitious Principles many with erroneous and false Doctrines and these foundations being laid it 's very difficult ever to remove them As the vessel is first seasoned or the tree at first planted so it is likely to continue The Apostle cals those Jewish Ceremonies the beggerly elements Gal. 4.9 or Principles of the world Why so because the superstitious Teachers made them the first Elements the Principles the foundation of all and therefore they thought all Religion was taken away if they were removed And thus you have divers persons they have indeed some Principles of Religion but they are Popish and Superstitious such as put out the Knowledge of Christ and the Scriptures And It 's a two-fold labour as Socrates said to a perverted Disciple of his to teach them for they must first be untaught their erroneous Principles and then must be instructed in the truth Oh then look to this that thy Principles about Religion be not false ignorant and superstitious ones Sixthly The true Principles of Religion are reduced to severall heads and are both short and easie but necessary to be known The Doctrine about God and Christ and our selves which is the Credendum The Doctrine about Faith and Repentance which is the Agendum And about things to come which is the Sperandum About God we are to believe That he is and a rewarder of those that seek him About Christ This is eternal life to know Jesus Christ Joh. 17.2 and the holy Ghost for we are Baptized in his Name About our selves the desperate pollution of our natures the hainousness of sinne the aggravation of the curses of the Law The things to be done are Repentance which driveth out of our sins and Faith which driveth out of our own righteousness But because these are Divine Works therefore a man must be regenerated and born again And this Principle Christ insisted on to Nicodemus Joh 3. The things to come are The Resurrection of the Body The immortality of the Soul The Day of Judgment The Heâ—ven and Hell provided for the godly and the wicked These Principles are plain and easie not to flesh and blood but in respect of the manifestation of them They are laid down clearly in Scripture None without horrible impudency can deny them Indeed there are many sublime Disputes about the Trinity and about Christs Incarnation but these are not necessary to be believed by every one Oh then how great is thy ingratitude God hath made the necessary things easie and plain and yet thou art not acquainted with them If God had commanded some greater matter of thee If he had required all thy time all thy study thou wast obliged to have done it How much rather in things of so easie apprehension But now when we say These divine Principles are easie you must take heed of two mistakes 1. We do not mean that the divine Faith and Belief of them is easie to flesh and blood no but they are easie supposing the grace of God in respect of other particulars in Religion For otherwise To believe with a Divine Faith viz. by the Spirit of God inabling upon divine Authority which is only true Faith is the immediate work of Gods Spirit Therefore Faith though it be but Historicall and not saving is the gift of God When we desire a Knowledge and Faith of these Principles we mean not such a Faith as most men have a Faith of custom and humane education a Faith because they are brought up in such a Religion but upon Judgment and Knowledge grounded upon the Scripture That which is usually called the Colliars Faith To believe as the Church believes Is the Husbandmans and the Tradesmans and the rich mans and the poor mans Faith too much in the world So that as Christ saith His yoke is easie and yet also it is very hard Easie to the heart sanctified but grieveous to the unregenerate So it is here The Principles of Religion are easie and plain to the mind inlightned but they are either foolishness or absurdities to the greatest Scholar that is if hâ—s heart be not opened And thus Paul found himself derided and called a Babler amongst the Athenians 2. We do not mean that the bare saying of the Principles of Religian by heart and rote is the true believing and knowing of them As the Child is not said to be fed with milk unless it swallow it down and be nourished by it So neither can they be said to believe the Principles of Religion unless they do with understanding apply them and receive them into their hearts But this is all that most attain unto they can tell you God made them That Christ is their Saviour That they must repent of sinne But these things are by meer rote They learn them as formerly in Popery they learned their Prayers in Lattin they knew not what they prayed for so neither these what they do believe Now the Grounâ—s for Instruction in these Principles are First Because God accounts of no zeal nor devout affections if they be not the fruit of Knowledge Thus Christ told the woman that was so zealous for her Fathers worship Ye worship ye know not what Joh. 4 22. Though God once accepted bruit beasts as a Sâ—rifice to him Yet now saith the Apostle let 's offer up our selves a reasonable Sacrifice Rom. 12.1 The Jew had a zeal but
of faith Heb. 11.26 And in this respect most fail They do not firmly assent to the Doctrine of Gods Omnisciency of a Day of Judgement of giving an account of every evil word Did they believe these things as the Word of God which cannot deceive which cannot be false how dared they live in such professed impieties But the fool hath said in his heart there is no God Psal 14.1 No Judgement no Heaven no Hell If an humane faith can set men so much on work when yet all men are lyars what shall not a divine faith do Thirdly That which is the compleat and formal act of faith is a resting on Christ a receiving of him a coming to him Hence are those emphatical expressions which are in no humane Authours 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To believe in God in Christ and this act of faith is expressed by words of resting rolling the soul waiting and expecting by receiving imbracing A godly man is called a member of Christ and faith is the ligament and that which uniteth a branch in the Olive-tree faith is that whereby we receive fatnesse of it So that the power and life of faith lieth in this that it gives up the soul to Christ and receiveth Christ in the soul hereby it is said Christ dwels in our hearts by faith Ephes 3.17 And this act is only in the godly This is the difference from all hypocrites they are said to believe they know they give credit to many things and this works some slighty affections but they are not united to Christ they cleave not to him so as to to be made one with him They receive him not both as a Mediatour and as an Head to whom they will conform and live as Members answerable to such an Head This then is the marrow and the soul of faith when a man so knoweth so assents as thereby he is incorporated into Christ receiving of his virtue and influence so that all is Christ as it were I no longer live but Christ in me and the life I live is by faith in Christ saith Paul Gal. 2.20 Now this faith thus described hath glorious Effects and also many Properties we will select some of many As First The noble effect of Faith ad intra is to receive the righteousnesse of Christ and thereby to make it ours by which means faith is so often said to justifie and we are justified by faith And Paul did so exceedingly desire to be found not in his own righteousnesse but by that of faith in Christ Phil. 3.9 This is the hand to put on those glorious Robes to cover our nakednesse This is the eye by which we look upon that exalted Serpent to be healed It 's not repenting sorrowing reforming no nor martyrdom it self that hath this honour which faith hath neither is this for any dignity or worth of faith but because it 's an instrument to receive the righteousnesse of Christ which no other grace can be So that as the child new born presently moves it lips and mouth for the brest to be sucking there So the new born spiritual Infant immediately goeth out of its own works it 's own righteousnesse and desireth to be found in Christ onely This way of believing is very paradoxal and hidden to a guilty conscience Cain did not know it Judas was not acquainted with it and thereupon eternally perished A second Effect of Faith ad intra is to receive virtue and power from Christ to subdue our corruptions to conquer our sinnes so that faith is the instrument of Sanctification as well as Justification Thus we are Members and Christ is the Head branches and he the Vine and as these are nourished and enlivened bringing forth fruit by having sap and virtue from the head or tree so are we supplied with virtue and efficacy for all imperfections by faith from Christ In so much that the excellent ready way to conquer any sinne to subdue any passion or unruly affections is by Faith to apply Christ to the soul If the branch would flourish it must not depart from the tree but still be ingraffed closer to receive power and thus thy way to overcome any noisome temptation is not to keep off from Christ to be discouraged by unbelief but the more sensible thou art of thy weaknesse and infirmities to lay the faster hold on Christ But oh how hard is it ere many of the children of God come to learn this good way They lie discouraged in their combate and conflict with sinne they are ashamed of their hypocrisie their guile Oh they are so unworthy and so wretched that they dare not come neer Christ and this hinders them Even as Peter out of a preposterous humility would not let Christ wash his feet but saith Christ If I wash thee not thou shalt have no part in me John 13.8 And then Peter saith Not my feet but my whole body also Oh when thou comest to know how acceptable it is to God and how comfortable to thy own self In the midst of all weaknesses and failings still to catch hold on Christ then thou wilt be inamoured with it saying How foolish and ignorant have I been Even like a beast and an enemy to my own good Therefore if thou art at any time overtaken with a sinne cast not away thy faith also That is as if a souldier because he hath received a blow should throw away his weapon by which he might offend his enemy If by thy doubts and diffidence thou art kept off from Christ how canst thou ever get power against sinne But let us come to the Effects ad extra For all say they believe all are confident in Christ for their salvation there is no man though prophane and abominable but he saith he believeth in Christ with all his heart Therefore there are Effects of faith ad extra in the outward man from which this Faith can never be separated no more than heat from fire or light from the Sunne As First It purifieth a man inwardly and outwardly from all filthiness He that truly believeth he cleanseth himself from all filthiness of flesh and Spirit Having these promises let us cleanse our selves 2 Cor. 7.1 and we have not them to make use of but by saith especially that is to our purpose Act. 15.9 Purifying their hearts by Faith which is seen in a great manner by cleansing away that dross that mudde which is in every mans heart every mans heart is a filthy poisoned noisome fountain and faith cleanseth it purifieth it Thus John also He that hath this hope which is a necessary companion of faith purifieth himself even as God is pure 1 Joh. 3.3 Come then thou who speakest of thy faith What is thy heart thy life are they clean Thy heart men cannot enter into that may be a cage of unclean birds that may be a den of thieves their pride covetousness uncleanness may lodge and none in the world condemne thee for
it but Faith would quickly dispossess these and make it clean for Christ to dwell in And then thy life How pure is that Dost thou talk of believing in Christ when thou hatest purity makes a scoff and a taunt at it I tell thee if thou didst believe thou wouldst be pure and strict also As Saul that went with no good will to the Prophets when he came to them the Spirit of God sell on him and he prophesied also Thus thou that art a malicious enemy a prophane scoffer at purity and holiness should the Spirit of God once fall upon thee thou wouldst become pure and strict also Know then a man can no more carry faith in his heart and this not reforme his life then oyntment about him and that not discover it self Secondly Where there is a true lively Faith that will make a stout though wise confession of the truth when God doth require it Rom. 10.10 With the heart man believeth with the mouth confession is made to salvation and the Apostle We believe therefore we speak 2 Cor. 4.13 Indeed there is a faith about some disputable poinâ—s in Religion that are not essential to salvation that the Apostle bids a man have it to hâ—mself Rom. 14. but for the main points the owning or not owning whereof is the owning or not owning of Christ Our Saviour speaks terribly to the not confession herein He that shall not confesse me before men though before a croâ—ked and perverse generation him will not I confesse before my Father nor the holy Angels Mark 8.38 Thirdly Where faith is there it will carry a man out to the ready performance of all obedience justice temperance liberaâ—ity equity and every good worke The Apostle James Jam 2. doth at large shew That that man is but a vain man and an hypocrite one who cousens his own soul that thinketh by faith to be saved when this is not incarnated and manifested in all godly conversation Yea faith puts all graces on working as Heb. 11. That seemeth to be the great wheel that sets all others on going Lastly He that doth truly believe is not discouraged from his duty because of any trouble or persecution in the world Christ prayed for Peter That his faith might not fail him No danger no fears could have drawn him into sinne had faith been active It was faith made Moses chuse reproaches and persecutions rather than the glory of Aegypt A man that liveth by sense and by worldly advantages he cannot but with the Chamelion turn into every colour of that object which is by him because worldly fear reigneth and ruleth in his heart but Faith that overcomes the world If it conquer Devils and Hell much more the world Yea it makes a man rejoyce in tribulations Vse of Examination Hath the Ministry had this effect to make you believe Oh you will say Who doubts of that Are we Atheists Do you make Pagans and Infidels of us Consider there is a great difference between the Title Name and Profession of a Believer and the reall Efficacy of it It 's said Simon Magus believed because he outwardly professed so yet he was in the state of gall and bitterness It 's said John 2. ult That many believed but Christ would not commit himself to them because he knew what is in man Therefore Do you really believe all that the Scripture saith And if so How darest thou lie swear deal unjustly No you flatter your selves The Faith of these things would make you tremble yea roar out Oh! What shall I do to escape this great wrath Therefore set Faith more on work from day to day I am no Atheist I am a Christian I believe a Day of Judgment Why then live I thus But Ministers by whom ye belived even as the Lord gave to every man We are come to the last Particular observeable in this Verse and that is the Efficient Cause of this Ministry and Service in the Church with the variety of the Gifts of those that are employed therein Even as the Lord gave to every man This the Apostle addeth still to take off all from the Instruments and give it to God They are indeed Pipes to conveigh Gods grace but they can no longer runne then this Fountain fils them They are indeed spiritual Trumpets to give warning of Gods wrath approaching but they cannot breathe forth any sound but what the mouth of the Lord doth first breathe into them So that although the Church of God in respect of the several Gifts God bestoweth on her Officers be like the Queens Daughter cloathed all in needle and embroidered work Even as the Kings Daughters were wont to go in parti-coloured cloathes Yet all this Ornament and comeliness is put upon her by God alone So that every Minister hath a peculiar Gift yet so as all comes from above from God to him Doct. That God hath given several Gifts and Abilities to the Ministers of the Church and thereby makes use of them all for his glorious ends The Apostle doth in many places delight to compare the Church to a mans body where there are several parts and every part hath its peculiar Office There is the eye the hand the foot and though all are not equally eminent yet all are equally necessary But 1 Cor. 12.4 5. you may see this excellently described I here are diversities of Gifts and of Administrations but all from the same Spirit the same Lord and all is for the same end The manifestation of the Spirit is to profit withall Whatsoever Abilities and Gifts God hath given they are not for vain ostentation They are not for humane applause but for use to profit withall Insomuch that if any man should should use his parts his abilities to propagate errour or to strengthen men in wickedness they did greatly abuse the good Gifts of God and turn wholesome meat into poyson To open this Doctrine you may consider That the Gifts of God to the Church are as to our purpose of two sorts Sometimes the very Office and Function it self is called a Gift To be an Apostle to be a Pastour to be a Teacher is a Gift Thus Ephes 3. Yea Christs Ascension He gave Gifts to men As Kings at their Coronations distribute large and plentifull gifts And what are these Gifts Apostles Evangelists Pastours and Teachers Thus the very Office is a Gift and that a great one too More then all temporal mercies though the ungratefull world cannot think so Thus the Psalmist speaking of the Word of God and the Ministry given to the Jews he addeth He hath not done so to every Nation Psal 147.20 Alas for temporal mercies he had he gave them peace quietness and plenty all aboundance and filled them with good things but this was nothing to the Ministry of the Word And certainly no plenty no quietness no abundance is a mercy equall to the Gospel Therefore Amos threatned the famine of the Word as more terrible
in vain are taken up in the New Testament as well as the Old And experience teacheth us That where Christ is preached and the Gospel in a glorious manner promulged yet it 's but dead preaching to many This voice doth not make them come out of the grave of sinne onely herein the Law and the Gospel differ that the matter of the Law pressed will condemn us none being ever able to fulfill it Yea the godly cannot do all things the Law requireth and so the Law is a killing letter to him But the Gospel that comes with a moderation where the graces of Gods Spirit are though weak and imperfect there through Christ their weaknesse is forgiven So that the preaching of the Gospel to a soul oppressed for sinne is like the year of Jubilee to poor servants and indebted prisoners Howsoever then the preaching of the Gospel is said to be the ministration of life and of the Spirit 2 Cor. 3. yet that is not to be understood simply of it self but as accompanied with the power of God Hence the Gospel is said to be the power of God to salvation Rom. 1.16 the power of God not of man It 's not mans wisdome that our faith is grounded on Thus much for what the Apostle meaneth not What he positively meaneth or inferreth are First That it 's not in the power or choise of the Minister to make it effectual He cannot bid or command the Word to work as he pleaseth for then the guilt of all mens souls and the damnation of all would lie upon us As our Divines say to the Papists when they brag The Pope hath the Keyes of power above all things not only in earth but in purgatory Why then doth he suffer those souls to lie tormented there as he doth So it would be here Why are any damned Why do any lie in their sinnes if the Ministry by its own power could convert them No the Ministers of God they can only pray they can mourn and grieve in secret to see the miscarriage of the Word and the wilfull resolution in men to destroy their own souls they can mourn over the dead but they cannot recover them to life Secondly The Apostle by this intends that both the Ministers and the people should keep themselves in their due bounds The Ministers though never so eminent though never so much applauded by a numerous company of Disciples yet they cannot make one black hair white They cannot say of any people obeying the Gospel That we by our own power have made such believe It 's true they are said to be Fathers and to beget men to the truth but that is only instrumentally and metaphorically by external application of the Word not internal power for so we have onely one Father in Heaven Pride and ambition do easily breed in the most eminent parts as worms in the sweetest fruit but when they shall consider that they are nothing and God is all this is a good way to humble them and then the people hereby are also taught much moderation Some mens persons they are apt to admire Not such a man in the world Oh but what a great God is there in Heaven without whom this man is nothing This is spiritual Idolatry and that worship which is to be given to Christ only you give to instruments Lastly In making the Ministry nothing and God all The Apostle would have both Minister and people in their Ministry to have our hearts and eyes up to Heaven As the Bird after every drop of water it sips looks up presently to Heaven so shouldst thou Lord what the Minister hath spoken what he hath pressed oh set it home with a blessing Cause it to come like rain upon the new mowed grasse Oh the carelesse and prophane hearing that is every where This makes God give no increase you matter it not you believe not you tremble not under it you do not earnestly pray about it If a man have a leg or arm to be cut off oh you desire all you meet with to pray about it Why because it may cost him his life How much rather about every Sermon every Duty that is preached shouldst thou pray and again pray Oh it may be the damning of my immortal soul to miscarry therein Quest But how may we addresse our selves to hear and to the Ministry so that God may make them something to us Answ To be made something is when the Word doth greatly wound thy heart or comfort thee when it makes a noise and a pain at thy very bowels when it makes thee sick at the very heart when it makes thee cry out Oh me a wretched sinner what have I done Whither shall I go Ah wretch that I am In what a wofull condition am I plunged Sinne is on one side hell on the other the wrath of God above me and all the curses of the Law round about me Then it 's something then our words fall like hot burning coals upon your consciences you cannot sleep nor rove but tremble under it Now this will be done these wayes First Make it a real and conscientious matter to pray unto God to give increase As to the woman our Saviour said According to thy faith so be it unto thee So according to thy prepared prayer saith God this Sermon and this duty shall be blessed unto you As your cruise is fitted so will God pour in oil If we then complain that the Ministry works no more notable effects that it makes no more transcendent alterations judge whether the blame lie not on thy own self Prayer is that which moveth with God Prayer is that in which the Sermon rolled produceth sutable operations The Word of God is a two-edged sword but prayer maketh it penetrate that sets God on work and God sets his Word on work A man much in prayer is alwayes much in profiting As the Preacher is to pray Christ prayed much in the night as he taught much in the day so the hearer he also must pray much Secondly Exercise strong and divine acts of faith this will make the Ministry something to thee The Word profited not because it was not mingled with faith Heb. 4.2 or as some interpret because by faith they were not mixed as it were with the Word they were not incorporated into it and who hath believed our report Rom. 10. Faith is that which comes at first by hearing and then afterwards makes hearing profitable The Atheism and unbelief which is on mens hearts make the Word without efficacy such are prophane mockers As you see they despised the Prophets that often said The burden of the Lord the burden of the Lord. Men believe not the things preached to be Gods truth that they are Gods word that they will be made good whether they will or no they are living words and sure words and faith only layeth the first foundation of this spiritual building believe the threatning and thou darest
rejected Tit. 3.10 Those then are nearest to perdition who after Admonition and Information do still continue refractory Lastly Of all those who defile the Temple and are marked out for perdition Antichrist it is and his party that are the great defilers of Gods Temple He is alled The man of Perdition 2 Thes 2.3 both actively and passively Actively because he is a means to destroy so many thousand souls and passively because he is appointed by God to remarkable destruction Take heed therefore thou art not found in the number of that Antichristian society which is marked out by God for destruction Come out of Babylon least you be partakers of her plague Rev. 18.4 If you ask why God should be thus provoked by corruptions in truth or worship the Reason is plain Because his Glory is more immediately interrested in these things Practical godlinesse and obedience are acceptable but his truth and his worship are that which immediately relate to him Herein his jealousie is said to be drawn out Vse of Admonition Pray and take heed you fall not from your stedfastnesse and be led aside with the errours of the wicked You see here is no dallyance no wantonnesse allowed in this matter God will destroy Art thou not afraid of Gods wrath of Gods vengeance If it were but the anger of a man or the persecution of a man it might be endured but God who is a consuming fire he will never bear this He will not endure this This Text would be like a flaming sword to keep men from false and erroneous waies if duly considered This is that which undoeth us people are either very sottish and stupid not regarding any thing of Religion at all or if they do they do not with that sobriety that humility that fear and trembling addresse themselves to know Gods truths as they ought to do There is a prophane proud unmortified frame of heart upon us and then then no wonder we defile his Temple Him shall God destroy This is the punishment threatned to the Temple-defilers and though but two words God destroy yet both have their weight There are many evils and calamities that yet are not a destruction that is the utmost of all paenall evils and then it 's a destruction from God whose wrath is like himself Incomprehensible It 's not man but God shall destroy Now what this destruction is we have told you not an annihilation of soul and body as Socinians would have it not a Physical destruction but moral viz. depriving the wicked man of all happinesse and comfort We have handled this relatively already as it is the Portion of the Temple-defilers I shall now consider it absolutely Eternal wrath and damnation is described here under the name of destruction which is the reward of every wicked impenitent man whether his sinnes be intellectual or bodily And the Doctrine I shall raise is That Eeternal Damnation is the Destruction of a man It 's the undoing of a man for ever This Doctrine or Truth hath a sting in it and because men are generally so bruitish and feared in their evil waies I do the rather pitch upon it because truths that are of a more sublime nature do not so easily penetrate Let us then improve this Eternal Damnation is the Destruction of a man It 's the eternal undoing of a man To clear this consider First That it is the Scriptures way to represent Hell and Damnation under all those evils that are most terrible to sense as on the contrary Heaven is described by such nams as do usually delight most men Hence it 's called a Kingdom and a Crown of Glory and a City paved with precious stones These are condescending expressions to us who are apt to apprehend nothing great and admirable but what is so to sense and were not our natural corruption so greatly prevailing over us such Scripture baites would soon take us As it is thus for Heaven so for the contrary Hell and eternal damnation is described by all such terrible Objects that the very naming of them should fill us with great horrour and do not think these are vain scare-crows no these expressions do no more represent to the full the torment and pain of the damned indeed then a painted fire doth a reall burning fire Whatsoever the Scripture saith of this destruction of wicked men doth not arise up in the least manner to the torment indeed Therefore that the meditation and preaching of this subject may be profitable set Faith on work believe there is such a state of destruction coming upon impenitent men that all the undoing we can have in this life is nothing to that eternal undoing Let Faith warm and heat thy heart with this and it will work wonderfully to thy reformation If to die be a thing of terrour what is eternal death What is eternal destruction If skin for skin and all that a man hath he will give for his life how much rather for this eternal life Secondly This destruction consists in two things The good it 's privative of And The evil it 's positive of Schoolmen call it the punishment of losse and the punishment of sense The Scripture brings in God inflicting both in that terrible sentence at the Day of Judgment Depart from me into eternal fire Mat. 25.41 Depart from me there is the privation of all good Into eternal fire there is the position of all evil and misery Divines have disputed which is the greatest evil of these two but Chrysostome answers The privation of Gods face is farre worse then all the torments in Hell That Depart from me is more terrible then eternal fire Certainly seeing such a destruction is coming how much doth it concern all to watch and pray about it Descendamus in infernum viventes ne descendamus morientes said Bernard Let us descend into Hell while alive by meditation lest we really descend thither when we die But singularia sunt quae pungunt Let us therefore consider What losse it is First that this destruction doth consist in And First It 's the losse of God in whom only is all happinesse Depart from me At his right hand are pleasures for evermore Psal 16.11 To be with God and to enjoy him is that happinesse which eye hath not seen nor can the heart of a man conceive For such as God himself is such is the enjoying of him He is the bonum in quae omnia bona bonum quo nihil melius cogitari potest The Jehova The beings of all created comforts that are scattered up and down and parcelled in creatures with their several imperfections are united and conjoyned in him in transcendent perfection only To represent what God is and the enjoyment of him would be to empty the Ocean with a shell Then do we best esteem of him when we judge him inestimable Now our destruction lyeth in being deprived of all that good which God would have been to us Oh
farre surpasseth all their morality First then let us shew Wherein the faith of a Christian commanded by the Scripture doth farre surpasse all humane knowledge and science which men by nature do glory in And First Faith doth surpasse all humane sciences in the dignity of the subject The matter about which a Christians faith is exercised doth farre transcend all that about which humane knowledge doth exercise it self For the highest that they could reach unto is only to the knowledge of natural effects produced by natural causes And if any could prove these by the former this they called a demonstration Though some men say No man ever yet gave a demonstration à priori quoad se but quoad nos So then all the excellent wisdom of the world hath been only to consider the nature of sublunary things or to discourse about the nature of the heavenly bodies and their motions and if they did arise to consider of a God the Maker of these it was in a very uncertain doubtfull way Hence the Apostle speaks of them Acts 17.27 that they were as men in the dark feeling after a thing to find it as the Sodomites smote with blindnesse felt for the door This is all our humane wisdome can help us to but now by faith we have the supernatural mysteries of salvation revealed unto us The Scripture tels us Of a God in Christ reconciling man to himself of mans original misery of Christ the Mediator Alas how poor and contemptible are the highest notions even of Plato though called Divine when you come and read Paul There are such admirable and heavenly truths revealed in Gods word that all humane wisdome was no more able to find or apprehend such things then a dwarf could reach to the Heavens If we then consider the dignity and worth of that subject which the Scripture revealeth and faith is exercised about dirt is not more inferiour to precious pearls than humane knowledge to faith Secondly Faith differs from all their humane science in respect of the excellency of the end For the end of all Scripture wisdom is to bring us to eternal life The Scriptures are able to make us wise to salvation 2 Tim. 3.15 The things of Christ are said to be written That believing we might have eternal life John 20 31. There was never any humane knowledge could teach a man to be eternally happy Platoes Divinity and Aristotles Morality though they have the words of happinesse and have large discourses about it yet wanted the thing it self Oh then let us blesse God for Scripture-wisdome for the treasures of knowledge revealed there Learn of David How wonderfully was he affected with Gods word What light and wisdome did he attain unto thereby The Scriptures will teach thee such a blessednesse and such a way to blessednesse that could not enter into thy heart to conceive before the light thereof came into thee Thirdly Faith doth surpasse all humane knowledge in its certainty and infallibility A man that believeth the truths of God revealed in the Scripture hath more certain knowledge then all the more wise and learned men of the world For the object of faith being Gods testimony and his Divine Authority it 's as impossible for faith to be deceived as it is for God to lie Hence it 's called The full assurance of hope Heb. 10.22 And we believe therefore we speake 2 Cor. 4.13 How could the holy Martyrs witnesse those divine truths even to death had they not been possessed with full and sure knowledge of those things they died for whereas if we look into all humane knowledge there is very little certainty insomuch that some have expresly affirmed Nihil scitur yea that that also was not known and what little certainty they have appeareth by the contrary and different opinions in all their main points Fourthly Faith doth more establish settle and quiet the heart of men then all humane wisdome Solomon observeth a vanity and vexation of spirit even in all humane knowledge but now faith doth establish settle and satisfie the soul Heb. 11.1 It is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen Those that want faith are said to be double-minded men Jam. 1. inconstant as the waves of the Sea Oh the anxiety and perplexities that meer humane knowledge hath cast men into And so those who have no other bottome than the Authority of Church or the power of men to believe These are reeds shaken up and down with every wind Their faith is upon ambulatory and moveable considerations wheras faith makes a man like Christ The same yesterday and to day and for ever Lastly The Christian faith is above all philosophical knowledge Because of the strong and mighty effects it hath to convert the heart and reform the life Acts 15 9. Purifying their hearts by faith How can ye believe when ye seek glory one of another said our Saviour John 5.44 Yet these humane Gnosticks did only aim at glory though Philosophers call them the Liberal Arts yet they could not set them free from their lusts whereas Christ John 8.32 said If my Word abide in you you shall be free indeed Never did humane knowledge make such wonderfull converts and work so great a reformation as the Christian saith hath done And although we have now too many who say they do believe and yet do such things as many of the Gentiles would be ashamed of yet these men have not faith indeed but the name and title of it for as much as faith though but like a grain of mustard-seed would bid such mountains of lusts be removed into the Sea In the next place The moral or practical wisdome of the world cometh farre short of Scripture-wisdome For First The most knowing men were ignorant of original sinne which yet is the fountain of our calamity The Heathens indeed bewailed the mortality and misery of man but they know not our natural pollution the ground of all Yea we see Paul himself though a Pharisee was not acquainted with that Law of sinne within him till inlightned by the Word Rom. 7. Now if men know not their disease or the cause of it they can never be cured So that whatsoever precepts about living well they delivered yet they built on a sandy foundation they did not dig deep enough Secondly All humane wisdome and prudence knoweth not how to mortifie and forsake sinne upon true grounds because they were ignorant of Gods Spirit Rom. 8.13 If ye through the Spirit do mortifie sinne They did not crucifie the body of sinne nor bewail it because it was sinne but for humane respects as it did hinder the publique or as it was prejudicial to their glory and fame but they overcame one lust by another Thirdly All earthly prudence cometh short of this wisdome because it 's circumscribed within the bounds of this world and this life It looketh out no further whereas the Scripture giveth directions for
by the Franciscans making the way to Heaven by him easier than by Christ What glorying in Dominicus by the Dominicans a man of a proud superstitious bloudy disposition So well did his mother prophesie when she was big with him that she brought forth a Wolf if I forget not the story What boasting do the Jesuites make in their Ignatius Loiola the founder of their Society It would be infinite to tell you of the horrible and even blasphemous boasting which in Popery is made not of Saints but of some corrupt and sinfull men deceased as if God had altered his purpose My glory I will not give to another let every one take his glory from him Will all their distinctions be any better than meer cob-webs in this matter Secondly We glory in men when we make our own or other good workes meritorious and our sufferings satisfactory unto God This is also to glory in men and Popery is big with this for most of theâ—r Doctrines are the exalting of man and debasing of Christ clean contrary to the Scripture and the Apostles whose endeavours were to annihilate man and oâ—niâ—ie Christ And this is not in Popery only but in every man till humbled throughly by the Spirit of God he glorieth in his own works he boasts of his almes prayers fastings as we see the Pharisees did But the Apostle Rom. 4.2 argueth That not Abraham himself had wherewith to boast before God Oh then not only prophanenesse and grosse wickednesse is to be abhorred but this secret boasting and glorying in the good works they do and having confidence in them This Pharisee is a greater enemy to Christ and further off from the Kingdome of Heaven than many Publicans Thirdly We glory in men when we rejoyce in their favour and are more glad of that then we are of Gods favour This is a frequent wickednesse in the world if we can have the favour and good will of those who are great in this world then we insult then we thinke our selves made not considering how happy and blessed it is for to have Gods favour We see David when through sinne he made God displeased with him Psalm 51. matters not his Kingdome his Victories and all his earthly Greatnesse but onely applieth himself to the favour of God and desireth that more than any earthly greatnesse And at another time Psalm 4. Many say Who will shew us any good but Lord lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us Many seemed to desire the Devils offer If the Kingdomes of the world were profered to them they would fall downe and worship the Devil to obtain them but Davids choice was for the better part Fourthly We glory in men when we desire to please them and to accomodate our selves to their humours more than to please God and to walke according to his will This sinfull pleasing of men is not consistent with a servant of Christs If I should please men saith Paul Galat. 1.10 I were not the servant of Christ Hence we are exhorted Not to be the servants of men 1 Cor. 7.13 Take heed then to thy self thou gloriest in men when all thy study is how to please and comply with men fearing their frowns more than Gods displeasure This ungodly fear Christ forbad with an excellent reason Because God was able to destroy both soule and body in hell Luke 12.5 What advantage will it be to have men pleased with thee and God displeased Who can give peace when he shall cause trouble It 's a known speech of Cardinal Woolsey If he had served God as he had done the King hâ— had not been so miserable and forsaken Fifthly We then glory in men when we put our trust and confidence in them resting and hoping in them and not depending on God oâ—ely As the ground of divine Faith must be some divine Testimony and Authority So the motive of a divine hope must be onely the promise and power of God We may hope onely in him in whom we may onely believe Hence we see the Scripture very frequent in forbidding all our trust and confidence in men yea not in Princes and the great ones of the world Because they are lighter than vanity Psalm 62.9 Yea Jeremiah Chap. 17.5 pronounceth a solemne curse upon all those Who trust in men comparing them to the barren heath As on the contrary The man who trusteth in God shall be like unto a Tree planted by the waters side We see the Church of Israel when truly repenting then casting off all her carnal confidence Ashur shall not save us we will not ride upon our horses Hosea 14.3 It is a sinne that all are very prone unto to trust in earthly power and greatnesse and not to eye God above all Lastly We glory in men when we boast in any thing that is humane or earthly any thing that belongs to man Thus to boast of Beauty Apparel Riches Nobility Parts and Learning all this is a vaine and sinfull boasting Charge the rich men of this world that they be not high-minded but feare saith Paul 1 Tim. 6.15 Yet how hardly have we any of these humane excellencies or comforts and not boast of them But the Prophet giveth good counsel Let not the rich man boast in his riches nor the great man in his greatnesse but he that glorieth let him glory in this that he knoweth God Jeremy 9 23 24. All flesh is grasse and the glory thereof fadeth away Yea The rich man is to rejoyce that he is made low James 1.10 These things are like too much bloud apt to put us into a feaver and therefore we are to rejoyce when God as a wise Physician taketh some away In the next place We are not to glory in the Doctors and Teachers we have which we do First When we are affected more with their parts and gifts and learning then with the powerfull demonstration of Gods Spirit in them and by them When we do not desire to hear them speak as the Oracles of God but as boasters of their own learning Thus Ezekiel was unto his hearers as a love Song but they would doe nothing Ezek. 33.32 We deny not but that humane Learning and the Arts are necessary in a Minister of God seeing all extraordinary gifts now fail yet that which the hearer should most of all be moved with is the powerfull conviction and application of the Scripture either for sinne or duty to the heart This made Paul purposely avoid humane eloquence that so their faith might not be in the wisdome of men but power of God 1 Cor. 2.5 Secondly Then we glory in men when we rest on the Ministry and their labours thinking it enough to enjoy them but never look up to God for successe and a blessing What is Paul or Apollo but Ministers by whom ye believe at the fifth verse Therefore the principal work is from God They plant and water but God giveth the increase Doe not thou glory
to come in this life they are of two sorts Either 1. Mercifull and good things Or 2. Grievous and sad things For God can quickly turn a fair day into thunder and tempest Job felt a suddain alteration upon himself which was from the richest in the East to become the poorest in a moment Now both these kinds are the godly mans mercy No evil that is truly so can befall him But I shall not pursue these particulars for that will coincide with the former matter I shall therefore treat of it in a more general way Observe That all things which are to come or may fall out hereafter are a godly mans mercy and advantage This Doctrine speaketh the height of happinesse and comfort to the godly for there is no greater temptation we are subject unto then to be tormented about what may fall out hereafter Though for the present it be never so well yet we forethink our possible miseries as David One day I shall fall by the hand of Saul 1 Sam. 27.1 So that many times needlesse troubles about what is to come takes away the enjoyment of the present mercies we have But here we see the Text giving such a cordial to the godly that he may go and take his rest wholly relying upon the Lord for come what can come or will come nothing can come amisse it will be a mercy an advantage to him Now that this Doctrine is true I may prove à posteriori from such signes and effects that do evidently demonstrate the people of God are quietly to sit down with this conclusion Though the Lord only knoweth what will come upon me yet I know it will be only for my good For First It appeareth by this The Scripture commands the godly to avoid all distrustfull and distracting cares about what will be that he should quietly compose himself committing all to his heavenly Father who knoweth all he hath need of So that as little children are cheerfull and play never troubling themselves how they shall subsist and what if such miseries arise Thus ought the godly Matth. 6.34 Take no thought for to morrow for the morrow shall take thought for the things of it self q.d. God will then provide when other conditions other exercises come Do not thou distract thy self God will then upon any new trial or exercise come in upon thee to help and deliver See here then the blessed estate of a godly man he is commanded to shut out all distrustfull cares for the future he is to cast his burden upon the Lord whatsoever shall befall it will be well with him Secondly They are to perswade themselves that nothing shall fall out that can separate from Gods love And what a support is this Rom. 8. Paul there is triumphing and that not for himself but for all the people of God who are justified What shall separate us from the love of God in Christ Shall things present shall things to come vers 38. Is not this to bring the people of God up into the Mount of transfiguration Whatsoever shall befall thee before thou diest yet nothing shall separate between Gods love and thee Though it should come about that no friend love thee none in the world will own thee yet God will own thee Certainly this may rejoyce the heart of the godly if any thing hereafter might divide between God and thee might deprive thee of God and part thee from him then thou mightest tremble and quake fearing the worst is not past but when all is thus provided afore-hand that thou art sure to be in Gods love be thy estate never so disconsolate this may keep up thy heart Thirdly The godly concerning all future things may thus also conclude That there is no evil no temptation that shall fall upon them but he will give strength to bear and give a way to escape You have a Text more precious than the gold of Ophir to this purpose 1 Cor. 10.13 God is faithfull who will not suffer you to be tempted above that you are able but with the temptation will make a way to escape Doth not this Text speak to the heart of some godly people Oh they lie under sad temptations heavy exercises are upon them such as the world knoweth not and they are afraid these will overwhelm them they shall never get out it will undo them But what saith the Text God will not suffer you to be tempted above measure and he will make a way to escape See then thy fears thy unbelief makes thee go contrary to the Text. Thou sayest thou shalt never be able to bear it God saith I will lay no more upon thee then thou art able Fear saith I shall never escape this never overcome this Faith saith he will make a way to escape Now whether wilt thou believe God or thy own fearfull heart Oh then let the godly that are tempted and lie in deep waters that are like Jonas swallowed up in the whales belly take this Text and hide it in their heart so they will not fear what will be to come Fourthly For things to come they have this promise That in all outward things God will never leave them nor forsake them Thus things to come are theirs for they have this promise And Heb. 13.5 the Apostle urgeth this against covetousnesse and to be content with what they have God will never leave thee nor forsake thee Now this temptation many times troubleth at least some godly persons they are afraid they or their posterity may be brought to wants they fear poverty may come upon them as an armed man especially they know not what they shall do in old age if God should let them live till they should lose their sight or their limbs or their parts what should become of them To live a burden to themselves or others Aristotle hath a wicked Position That all decrepit old men should be thrown down a steep hill headlong and be killed as being a burden to a Commonwealth Old people are many times a burden to wicked young people Therefore God commands us Not to despise our mother when she is old Prov. 23.22 Now we shall see David himself tempted about his old age Psal 71.19 When I am old and gray headed forsake me not Thus you see what wants or straits especially what decayes of grace the godly may fear they shall not have the same vigour and strength not the same memory and judgement But the Scripture gives a good promise Psal 92.14 They shall bring forth fruit in old age So Isa 46.4 To your old age I am he and even to hoary hairs I will carry thee He will have as much care of thee as a mother of a child in her arms Well then you see in that God hath said he will never leave or forsake us we need not fear poverty want the diseases and miseries of old age for these things are ours Fifthly The people of God may be perswaded of their
thee to sinne I do not foster thee in thy infirmities only make righteous judgement in this case Thou cryest out How can I be godly and have no better an heart How can Christ dwell in me and I feel no more of his power Oh distinguish between weak grace and no grace between the presence of sinne and the dominion of it Consider God hath left these for admirable ends and none of these is to discourage and overwhelm thee especially do thou cry out of those deeps to the grace of the Gospel be as much enlarged yea more than Paul was in this matter if thou canst Vse 2. Of Information to wicked men Do not conclude there is no grace in the world and that all men are hypocrites and liars because even the godly are subject to sinful weaknesses This is to be the spider to suck poison from a sweet truth Do not expect more from them than is to be expected Vse 3. If the reliques of corruption be thus to be bewailed as an heavy burden how then should they howl and roar out that are under the whole power of sinne That are not comparatively but absolutely carnal That have not weak grace but no grace Sinne is not only present with them but they with willingness and delight subject themselves thereunto If he speaks of strifes and factions when you do these things Are ye not carnall How much rather of Revelling Wantonness beastly lusts cursed oathes Are ye not carnall Oh remember all this is in a mortal body here to day to morrow it may be in Hell For whereas there is among you Envying Strife and Divisions are ye not Carnal The Apostle generally declared the ground of their Indisposition and Incapacity of heavenly sublime Truths Now he enumerats the Particulars whereof Envy stands in the front Some make a Gradation Envy breeds strife and strife breeds Divisions or Factions If we regard the generall state of the Church in all Ages especially in our daies there is no Subject more necessary to treat upon then these Distempers Especially to shew the Sinfulness and Cures of them The being divided into so many crums and atomes that unless Democritus his Opinion should prove true All things are composed of atomes Or rather unless God shew his power to make drie bones that lie here one and there another as in Ezekiel's Vision to come every one to his proper place and have flesh and life bestowed on them I know not how we can escape totall destruction It being such a known Maxim of state which Christ himself hath confirmed A Kingdom divided against it self cannot stand And so Churches against Churches godly man against godly man they cannot stand Although I say this be necessary to the publique yet because I know not how necessary for this particular Auditory though I shall not pass by these Particulars yet I shall not handle them to the exactness of the Subject and latitude thereof And let us consider the first Subject Envying 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This word is used sometimes in a good sense and sometimes in a bad sense In a good sense it 's attributed to God and signifies that Jealousy he hath about his Church especially his worship When attributed to good men it signifies either that honest and lawdable endeavour in them whereby they are inflamed to imitate or go beyond the Virtue of others without any sinfull grief or hatred This is commonly called emulation 1 Cor. 12.14 Gal. 4. Or Secondly It 's taken oft for that grief of mind produced by an holy indignation in us at those things which we conceive are unworthily done against those whom we love And that either God or others God 2 Cor. 7. Or others Col. 4. Or else which is not so oft in humane Greek Authours if at all it is taken for Envy as Act. 13.17 Gal. 5. Where 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are rekoned among the lusts of the flesh And somtimes the Epithete 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is added to it bitter Envy Although the more known word in the Scripture for Envy is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This for the word Observe That Envying wheresoever it is is a fruit of the Flesh and such a sinne that a godly man should especially watch against Are ye not carnall because of this Envying To open this Doctrine Consider First That the Original and Fountain of this Envy is the same with the other great impieties that are committed in the world viz. The flesh or Corrupt part in a man So Gal. 5. and James 4. Envying strifes are said to come from the wisdome of the flesh and diabolical wisdome opposite to the wisdome from above which is chast peaceable and long-suffering So then seeing this is a lesser stream from that bitter Fountain This is part of the gall and wormwood every one is in by nature No man can conclude he is wholly godly that hath not power to mortifie this sinne in some degree And therefore in that Gal. 5. the Apostle reckons it amongst all those gross sinnes Murders Vncleanness Idolatries Wichcrafts And concludeth They that do such things shall never inherit the Kingdom of Heaven Yet though the Scripture brand this sinne as the seed of the Devil and the spawn of the flesh how prevalent is this sinne every where amongst bad yea amongst good How many sad Envyings and evil eyes are there towards one anothers good For so the Scripture cals it an evil eye because they look with discontent and grudging upon others Envy is a squint-ey'd sinne and so the more deformed sinne Vixque tenet lachrymas quia nil lachrymabile cernit Secondly This sinne of Envy may either be in the full Predominancy of it or only in Motions and Combates or if breaking out into act bewailed and repented of In the former manner it is in wicked men In the latter sort it may be even in the godly For this Envy is such an imbred sinne that the Spirit of Regeneration finds it one of the last enemies to be destroyed Wicked men are as full of it as Toades of poyson Thus Act. 13. The Jews are said to be filled with Envy against the Apostles Filled they were with this sinne as the godly on the contrary are filled with the holy Ghost And hereupon this Envy within carryes them violently to all outward wickedness especially Murder For that is the natural fruit of Envy Whom men envy they presently resolve the death of if there be no restraint 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are very near in sound and efficacy Thus Pilate knew that for Envy the Pharisees desired to crucify Christ And the Apostle puts 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gal 5 21. Envyings and Murthers together As the words are alike so one presently follows the other In the godly this sinne is too vigorously also These Corinthians and the Hebrews James writeth to
envious man would think thus would I have God no better to me then to such an one Should I be willing to have the Lord deal with me as I desire to others this might change him It 's related of Nero an envious cruel man That he would sometimes bewail there were none of those terrible judgements in his time as in former ages That there were no suddain earthquakes no violent plagues and such sore demonstrations of Gods wrath well might be called clay and blood mingled together 2. It opposeth that admirable goodness in Christ Oh come with admiration and read and consider the life of Christ and his death and you will see envy is as direct contrary to him as the Serpent to the Dove Consider what he was and yet how debasing himself for our sakes He thought it no robbery to be equall with God Phil. 2. for it was his due being of the same essence with him so that he might alwayes have declared that infinite Majesty but he willingly doth obscure this Sunne in a cloud this Divinity in a vail of flesh and when he doth not take the nature of Angels but man even then he doth act the condition of the great and mighty and honoured men of the world but of the most contemptible a worme and no man yea see how good to us to those that hated him envied him how destitute of a place to lay his head in that supported all the world by his power at his death how abused scorned reproached and handled in the most ignominious and scurrilous manner Oh admire all this you that hear and believe Had there been any gall in this Dove any envy in Christ would he have emptied himself thus to make thee full Would he have become poor to make thee rich Oh then if envy at any time stirre in thy heart say Did Christ do thus Was he of this temper and it must need fill thee with confusion 3. The grace of love and charity is often prayed for and that by Christ himself that his people might have it he prayeth for nothing so earnestly as that It is made the sign and symptome of Christs Disciples not by miracles not by prophesies but by love shall all men know Christs Disciples It is a duty enjoyned also for faith hath the preeminence in the upper region of justification so love in the lower of sanctification now the nature of the grace of love is to have idem velle and idem nolle to make all good things and all bad things common yea the soul of the lover is not where it animateth so much as where it loveth Love seeketh not her own love envieth not love is not puffed up 1 Cor. 13.4 5. Oh then if as in the Temple every thing was covered with gold so among Christians every word and action should be covered with love Let all your things be done with charity 1 Cor. 16.14 Then what a damnable sinne is envy which breaks these silken cords when these hellish motions of envy stirre in thee cry out for the Spirit of love Oh say this is none of Christs Spirit this is not a Gospel Spirit As love is the fullfilling of the law so envy is the dissolution of it and as Moses and the Prophets hang upon love so they do all fall to the ground where envy is if then there were but these three objects to look on God Christ and Charity it might make a man to abhorre to take this toad of envy in his breast But Secondly There is still further abomination in this sinne for it 's the very lively image of the Devil There is nothing so like the Devil as an envious man with his hornes to push at every one and his cloven foot to make divisions and wranglings This you heard this wisdome viz. whereby men make strifes and envyings is said to be divelish Jam. 3.15 Oh then What accord hath Christ with Belial Why art not thou ashamed to look God or good men in the face that hast this divelish temper in thee As the Bafilisk doth so hate man that they say he will take the very picture of him if he can Thus the envy and malice of the Devil is so great against God that because he cannot vent himself upon God therefore he doth upon man made after Gods image and although it be no profit to him yea an encrease of his torment to tempt man to sinne and to damne him yet he delights to do it Other sinnes of Drunkeness and Uncleanness turn men into Beasts but this of envy doth into Devils insomuch that an envious man in the constant full power of it I speak not of motions and temptations is farther off from godliness then a beastly prophane man Thirdly This sinne of Envy is a mother-sinne a fountaine-sinne There is no wickedness in the world but this sinne will conceive it and bring it forth Through envy they stoned Paul through envy they murdered Christ all the persecutors of Christians did burn with envy themselves before they burnt the Martyrs at the stake Hence Jam. 4.5 the Apostle alledgeth that place The spirit within us lusteth to envy aiming at that Gen. 6.5 The imagination of the thoughts of the heart are only evil and that continually Now he nameth not the general but particularizeth in envy as that which is the cheif cause of many sinnes For where envying and strife is there is confusion and every evil work Jam 3 16. Nay not only personal private evils are in the womb of this but all publique miseries commonly begin from this spark of envy A Commonwealth is made a field of bloud through the envy of ambitious men the Church is cut inpeices like the Levites wife through envy of ecclesiastical persons insomuch that we may say all Kingdomes and Churches in some respects have died of this disease this hath cut all the nerves whereby any society is compacted together Oh therefore pray we that God would have out this incendiary and Boutefeu from all Churches and States The Devil is called the enemy Mat. 13.15 and therefore the envious one that came and sowed tares so that all the tares of discord dissensions and different opinions are sowed by the envious one that grudgeth at our peace and unity Fourthly This sinne is a just torment to him that commits it When a sinne is a sinne and a punishment it 's the more deadly sinne now this of envy it 's a very gibbett a very rack to him that is moved with it he is like one possessed with the Devil that formeth that is thrown into fire and water his heart is a very hell he hath a torturing within him as if so many Devils were pulling of him The Heathen observed it saying That the greatest Tyrants that ever were never found out a greater torment And certainly if the motions and stirrings of envy in the godly be like so many Scorpions stings in them what are they to wicked men where envy
doth divide the whole Ministerial employment in two parts planting and watering so it attributeth the cheifest and noblest of all to God without whom the other abilities are in vain The fat in the offerings was to be given to God and God gives the fat to us in spiritual services the soul and life of all is expressed in this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is one word in the Greek but our English Translatours and so the Latin read it giving the encrease The Metaphor is easie As the Gardiner sets his herbs waters them but he cannot make them grow he cannot make the least flower that is though he hath never so much skill Thus it is here though they be Ministers of Seraphical affections and Cherubinical knowledge yet they cannot make the Word to prosper and to encrease in the hearer it 's God doth that Isa 55.10 Isa 61.11 There you have such similitudes so that this latter part is an admirable direction to look above the abilities above the parts and gifts of men We think Oh if we have such a Ministery all would be well whereas Apollo and Paul cannot give encrease Observe That it's God only who can and will give encrease and spiritual success to the Ministerial labours in the Church God that at first said to the earth which had no more natural power of it self then a stick or peice of wood Increase and bring forth fruit doth also speak to such exhortations instructions to convince and convert when there is no inward strength in them and therefore howsoever the preaching of the Word be compared often to rain that falls on the ground and makes the grass to grow yet there is this difference The rain workes by a natural power as a natural cause but the Word of God only as an instituted and appointed cause by him Did it work naturally all that hear would be converted every Sermon would work like those of the Apostles that brought home so many To open this Consider First That though God only gives the encrease yet it is only in and through the Ministery We must not make such cavils What use is there of Preaching What need of the Ministery Men will be as prophane and as ungodly as ever till God change the heart for you may as well urge What needs the Husbandman plow or sow or prepare the ground it 's God only that blesseth it No God hath instituted means to which he hath bound us and those that will not hear Paul planting or Apollo watering may justly expect God will give no encrease Therefore the Apostle foresaw that great evil of forsaking the Assemblyes the Ordinances and bids them take heed as the forerunner of Apostacy Heb. 10.25 26. If you take a tree from the River side where it grew and brought forth fruit and plant it in a wilderness it will quickly wither Secondly As God giveth the encrease only so the time when and the persons on whom is wholly at his good pleasure The Lord makes the Word prosperous at one time and not another sometimes it cometh like fire into the bosome it burneth thee all over at another time thou findest no operation To some people it 's like the leaves of the tree in the Revelation it 's the healing of the Nation it 's the healing of people it makes the ignorant to know the prophane to become holy it mollifieth the hard heart it turneth a wilderness into a garden But to another people it 's like salt that hath lost its savour or that maketh a place more barren it maketh no relish no tast no alteration You would wonder a people should sit so long under the beames of the Sunne and be no more coloured by it preaching and no preaching is all one to him this is the Lords doing it should be not only marvellous in our eyes but dreadfull to our ears To some it is given to know and understand but to others not Mat. 13.11 Now let us consider why God only giveth the encrease and then the ends that God hath in this First God only can give the encrease because he only hath a soveraignty and power over the heart Others may speak to the ear propound Arguments to perswade but to change the heart to perswade the heart indeed that God only can who made the heart Thus Noah prayeth or prophesieth God perswade Shem to dwell in the tents of Japhet God perswade him or God will perswade him we translate it enlarge as if he should say all the men of the world all Arguments cannot till God overpower his heart Gen. 9.27 So Ezek. 36.36 I will take away the heart of stone and give an heart of flesh No Potentate no Emperour can say I will give a man another heart He may force the body but not change the heart Hence it is that the Scripture atttributes all the work of grace to Believe to Repent only to God Oh then lift up your hearts on high in every Sermon Look up to those Hils to Heaven from whence comes Conversion When the Apostles wrought Miracles they looked up to God and the people they glorified God They were convinced none could do such things but God And so we Ministers are to look up to God and you people that God may be glorified Secondly God only can give the Increase because the Increase is of spiritual and supernatural consideration It 's altogether Heavenly Now there is no proportion between humane abilities and heavenly graces There is no disposition Inter ordinem naturae ordinem gratiae The order of nature and the oder of grace All that the most able Ministers can do is within the compass of nature but the fruits being Heavenly must come otherwise As in man though a Child hath his body from the Father yet the soul comes immediately from God because it 's of an immaterial and immortal substance Thus also Faith and Repentance being immaterial Graces though the Minister may prepare and dispose the Subject yet the working of them is only from God It 's true indeed that the Parts and Abilities of one Minister may be objectively better for Conversion and more likely for profiting then another They may propound stronger Arguments to convince the Conscience They may set those Arguments home with greater life and vigour as Apollo was said to be potent in the Scripture Thus one Minister may exceed another in Glory as one Starre doth another Yet God only is the efficient Cause of every good and perfect Gift Thirdly Therefore God only giveth the increase because of the deep pollution that is in every man who is not only blind and deaf but dead Now to what purpose is an eloquent Pathetical Oration to a dead man David that did with so much affection weep over dead Absalom yet could not bring him to life So that the Preachers of the Word differ from all the humane Oratours Greek and Latin They might by their eloquence
and affections perswade their Hearers for it was about Civil and Moral matters about which men had understandings naturally able to perceive and wils naturally able to choose the things perswaded But Preaching is about those things to which man hath no understanding to believe nor no heart to receive But God must give the hearing ear and the seeing eye else we miscarry So you are not to come to Sermons as to humane Orations Your own understanding your own natural Parts are enemies and Adversaries to good and holy things of God There are two Parts of wisdome said Lactantius The former to understand what things are false 2. The second to know what things are true We are to be untaught undeceived before we come to know heavenly things So that all is of God both the Word to be heard and the Ear to hear Both the Word to be believed and the heart to believe In the next place Let us consider the Ends Why all increase must be of God only And that is To preach Humility both to the Preacher and to the People The Apostle carrieth it wholly for this end That he that glorieth may glory in the Lord. And That no flesh should glory in his presence First The Minister That Peter who had so many thousands converted by his Sermon that Paul who was so exalted by God that he might not be lifted up above measure For alas What have they done It 's God that gives the increase It hath been the rock upon which many have splitted themselves that they have had followers and admirers The Manichees said their Master did 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pour out Manna The Donatists would swear By the head of Donatus as people do solemnly By God to shew how they reverenced him Now that man though greatly exalted by God may be humble he hath reserved all success to himself It 's not thou that hath made the blind to see or the lame to go It 's God that teacheth to profit And it 's said They shall be all taught of God Joh. 45. viz. Converted because man he gives the Ministry and outward service only Hence it is that God makes many eminent Preachers as he did some eminent Women go barren They see not the fruit of their labours they have spent themselves in vain They go Childless to the grave They cannot say Behold me and the Children whom thou hast given me Again Secondly It teacheth the People also to glorify God not to rest in the parts and gifts of men As Michal said Now God will bless me because I have a Levite in the house So we are apt to say Now we shall go to Heaven Now we shall have salvation because we have such Preaching It is not enough to be affected with and admire the gifts of Ministers They may ravish you they may greatly move you but you resting on these meerly find no success at all As it is said We do not know Christ after the flesh 2 Cor. 5.16 After humane considerations So neither are we to know the Ministry or preaching after such carnal respects That is admirable preaching that is an excellent Sermon which God makes spiritually to prosper in thy soul Thirdly Therefore God only gives the success that so we may seek and pray to him and do all those things that God may be pleased with We may easily provoke God to turn Bread into Stones and a pleasant Poole into a Wilderness Now that God may give increase do these things First Bewail by-past unthankfulness and unfruitfulness O Lord How often have I been an hearer How long have I gone to Sermons Yet What a barren wilderness is my heart I say bewail this For nothing provokes God more to curse the Ministry unto thee then unfruitfulness The ground that often receiveth rain and bringeth no fruit is nigh unto cursing Heb. 6.7 Why is Isaiah sent with that dreadfull Message Isa 6. To make mens eyes blind and their hearts fat that they might not be converted but because seeing they did not see and hearing they did not understand Secondly Love that Preaching which will more discover thy self to thy self Which will acquaint thee with thy own deformities As sore eyes are afraid of the light so many men have so much guilt within and live in so many secret corruptions that they dare not have the Word come with all its might upon them No wonder then if God bless it not with increase when thou lovest it not and bringest it not home to thee Can the plaister cure if thou art afraid to lay it to the sore They that are delivered up to Antechrist were so punished because they did not receive the truth in the love of it 2 Thes 2.10 Yea the very Heathens were delivered up to those unnatural lusts because they detained the truth in unrighteousness Rom. 1. How then will God punish thee who hatest and kickest at those things that would convert thee Am I become your enemy because I tell you the truth saith Paul Gal. 4.16 Those things that have the best operation have many times the unpleasant taste Oh say then let the Sermon smite me let it tell me of all that ever I did I shall love it the better Thirdly If thou wouldst have God give the increase come not prâ—possessed with thy own righteousness with thy own good heart Our Saviours preaching had no success though in him were the Treasures of all wisdome because his Hearers were those that justified themselves The humble he will teach his way Laodicea that thought she wanted nothing was furthest from cure Do not think I am well enough already I need no change Say oh my soul What art thou come hither for to day Is it not to see that evil and folly in thy flesh thou never perceivedst Art thou not yet to lay the very foundation of godliness It makes all out of order Use 1. Is it God that giveth the increase Then we Ministers are not to be inordinately cast down if people receive no diuine stamp on them If we water not If we plant not then wo be to us But when both is done yet if there be no increase that is our misery not our sinne God will give to every Minister according to his work not according to his success I have laboured more aboundantly saith Paul He doth not say he had success more then all others Did not the Prophets yea Christ himself complain for want of this spiritual increase It cannot but grieve us to see people damn themselves Yet How can we hinder a wilfull people from destruction Vse 2. To the people Sigh and mourn unto God in earnest Prayers for this increase How terrible will it be if the want of profiting be in your selves You do not what God would have you If the Patient distemper himself wilfully all the Physick in the world cannot cure him Know there is some heavy curse why after all the planting and watering yet God gives
heart melting and bleeding He makes the rough and violent tame and mild Oh then in all our Preaching and soul-Administrations look up higher still cast your eyes upon God! Man doth not live by natural bread but by the Word of Gods mouth So neither by the Spiritual Bread O Lord make our hearts other hearts our affections other affections Thirdly God giveth the increase when he makes the Word preached to take root and setling in mens hearts Our Saviour purposely takes notice of this in his Parable of the Sower that went out to sow and the miscarriage of the most hopefull crop was because it had no rooting Mat. 13. While the Word is in the ear or floating only in the affections it 's like seed on the grounds Surface there will be no good of it till it take inward rooting This is called dwelling in a man Let the Word dwell in your hearts Col. 3.16 Let not our Sermons be as you your selves are pilgrims and strangers God many times threatneth the people of Israel to root them out of the Land as men do Trees and Plants which is an irrecoverable destruction when the root is pulled up there is no hope And one main cause was because the Word of God did not take any deep rooting in them Think it not then enough to hear it no nor to write it or repeat it or conferre of it but let it be rooted in thy vital parts If the ground you till and sow should yeild no more increase then thy heart doth to God thou wouldst give over thy labour as a vain thing And one main reason of this barrenness is those things go not home to your hearts they reach not to the inward parts Fourthly God giveth increase when he makes this rooted Word to grow For as there is in Corn first the blade and then the eare it comes to perfection by degrees So it is here the Word carrieth a man up by degrees towards Heaven he is first a dwarf then a gyant first a babe then a man first carnal then spiritual Oh! it 's much that thy profiting should no more appear But we see God even when he hath planted a Vinyeard hedged it in made the Clouds to drop on it yet it may bring forth wild grapes for grapes Isa 5.4 Oh! how angry is God with our Assemblies that doth not give this increase The Church sadly complained Why Gods angâ—r did smoak against the Sheep of his Pasture because of temporal dâ—solation Psal 74.1 But this is more terrible Now this growth that God giveâ—h it may be either Intensive or Extensive Intensive so God giveth increase when those graces that are already planted in the soul are made more lively and fervent This may be called a particular personal Increase Men are not only to enquire how God giveth increase in the general but how in particular to their souls Art thou made more believing more holy more humble then before The Children of God do not with that fear and trembling consider Whether God gives the Ministry such increase to their particular or no. Oh it 's a sad thing to see the decayes and abatements that are even of godly mens graces When God is the same God the Word is the same Word there is as much cause to grow as ever Consider lest thou live in such sinnes that make God cause the Ministry to be barren to thee Or else it may grow extensively and so God giveth increase when the Word spreads it self further to moe persons or Nations Those that do not mind or regard heavenly things do now lay them deeply to heart and the people that sate in darknesse have now light shining on them Thus our Saviour compared the Gospel to a grain of mustard-seed Mat. 13.13 the least of all seeds which yet in time grow very great and Gods power and goodnesse hath been very remarkable herein making the Word to thrive and prosper in those parts and amongst that people where the earthly or material sword could make no entrance In these respects God giveth the increase The work may be of men but the successe is of God Now the Grounds Why God onely giveth increase may be First Because even in natural blessings and outward mercies successe is attributed to God not to men much more in spirituals Thus the Psalmist attributes to God That the ridges are full of corn that cattel are fruitfull and do not miscarry God he keeps the key of Heaven and gives earthly blessings as he pleaseth Thus the blessing of the Lord that makes rich Prov. 10.22 And the battel is not many times to the strong or the race to swift or wealth to the wise Eccl. 12.9 but all is as God orders it If then these ordinary mercies which are wholy natural are only by God he gives life he gives wealth he gives strength how much more doth this hold in supernaturals Secondly God only can give increase Because he onely hath the supream power and dominion over mens hearts We are teachers to the ear God is a teacher of the heart God is the onely searcher of the heart he knoweth the thoughts and inward affections of men and so God only maketh and fashioneth the hearts of men Let us then look up with more earnest prayer to God that his Spirit would move upon these waters Not only the Law but the Gospel is but the letter meerly and the administration of death if the Spirit of God doth not enliven it Lord if thou hadst been here my brother had not died saith she to Christ So Lord if thou art in the Sermon thy power and thy presence then it had not so often miscarried Object But you may say If God give the increase Why then doth not the Word bear fruit in every place Are any hearts too strong for the Lord Cannot he turn a wildernesse into a Paradise Hath not he the key to open the hearts of men and none can shut them Answ I answer A people by their sinnes may provoke God to depart from his Ordinances The Temple in Jerusalem was dedicated unto God and he made a gracious promise to be there present yet the Jews did so long rebel against him that he wholly left the Temple and would no more answer them by Vrim oâ— Thummim Lay then the blame where it is say not If we had lived in the Apostles dayes had seen their miracles certainly we should have increased in all grace but we have not such preaching as then was we have not such miracles we have not Apostles Oh it was not those great things that wrought grace but God by them and the same God can do it by weak and unlikely means Conclude then If the Word then be not a Word of life a soul-saving Word to thee t is for some sinne or other upon thee Thou hast grieved the Spirit of God God is angry with thee and therefore thou art like the mountains of Gilboa upon
done is but thy duty God need not reward thee or might have bestowed a less reward 6. What work thou doest as it is a due besides God doth not need it It addeth nothing to him if thou art righteous that doth not better him it 's thy happinesse not Gods Lastly All thou doest is but for a little time that the little work thou hast done for God should be rewarded to eternity Here is matter of wonder So that all these considerations should teach deep humility O wretched and foolish Pharisee Thou fastest thou prayest and thinkest by this to be saved O pray for eye-salve to have thy eyes opened Let this 1. Drive people out of self-righteousnesse and trusting in their workes I would this sinne were onely among Papists Oh no it 's too much imbred in the hearts of Protestants How can the civil righteous man die without roaring and trouble of spirit lest he be an hypocrite an unregenerate person one that never felt the power of godlinesse but only he hath a secret confidence of the goodnesse of his heart such and such things he hath done and there are many worse and this doth exceedingly harden him 2. Be not slack or grudging in Gods work Oh how unreasonable is it that thy heart should be so unwilling so listlesse so repining Why dost thou not remember what a reward God hath laid up for those that labour for him Oh when thou comest to enter into thy Masters joy thou wilt think if it had been ten thousand times more it had been too little Verse 9. For we are workers together with God THis ninth verse is a further amplification of Pauls intent which is to presse unity against factions and divisions and it 's a declaration of his Argument before which was The planters and waterers are one but God gives the increase This he further illustrates in the beginning of this verse For we are workers together with God We are all in Gods vineyard and labour unto him So that this expression doth as much extoll the office of the Ministry as the former did seem to depresse it For how great a glory is this to be workers together with God Omnium divinorum divinâ—ssimum est saith an Ancient It 's the divinest work that can be to be instrumental to bring a rational soul to its first principle which is God from whom it hath apostatized But First The words most be explained then the sense We are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Labourers or Workers with The Vulgar Translatours Dei adjutores we are helpers of God but that is very unsafe For to help supposeth weeknesse and infirmity Yea some dislike the expression Gratia adjuvans as if God did not change the will but onely help it as Lactantius also blamed the Heathens for calling Jupiter â juvando But God hath appointed the Office and Gifts of the Ministry not out of need but from meer love to us dealing with us in a suitable and accommodated way to our nature The Apostle useth the same expression 2 Cor. 6.1 We as workers together with him c. If we interpret the word thus then in what sense can this be made good And First of all The Apostle doth not here speak of every particular man in respect of his conversion as if we did work with God in that by our own power and free-will There were some Divines called Synergists from the word in the Text because they did hold That mans will did co-operate and work together with God in turning to him But this is nothing to the Apostles meaning in this Text for he speaks of ministerial labours and Gods blessing them Neither in the second place is the meaning though of the Ministers As if they with God did work faith and repentance in the hearts of the hearers No the Apostle said before That God only gave the increase Baldwin the Lutheran upon this place putteth the Calvinists and Swenckfeldians together because the Calvinists hold That the Ministry reacheth only to the outward man the words thereof not being able to reach to the heart but they do greatly differ from the Swenckfeldians who do make the verbum externum nothing and runne wholly to the verbum internum whereas we hold the necessity of the external Word though ehe efficacy thereby be solely to be attributed unto God Neither in the third place is the meaning of it as if the Ministers of God in what they laboured did it by their own power No when the Apostle said I laboured more abundantly than they all he addeth yet not I but the grace of God which was with me 1 Cor. 15.10 Therefore God first inables them to work They are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 before they be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sub-operatours before co-operatours But the sense in the first place though not generally received may be this We are Gods workers together in his vineyard or for him So that the Preposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 will not have relation to God but to fellow-labourers as Paul cals others his fellow-labourers Timothy is called his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 16.21 But Secondly Take it as generally set down the sense is God who onely giveth increase hath yet appointed the Ministry in an external manner to be dispenced So that we work with God in that we preach the Word and apply it to men though God onely give the virtue Even as the Apostles might be said to work with God when they wrought miracles they touched the diseased man they speak to him but the miraculous cure is wholly of God Hence Mark 16.20 God is said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with the Apostles because he wrought mighty signs and wonders by them Observe That the Ministers of the Gospel are workers with God for the conversion of mens souls So 2 Cor. 6.1 In what sence they are you have heard not by immediate producing of any spiritual effects but by the external application of the Ministry to the people As Gehezi carried his Masters staff and touched the child with it but that did no good till Elisha came himself God in Creation did use no instruments at all Yea some Schoolmen dispute That no creature can be used as an instrument in Creation because it cannot work but about something whereas the forme of Creation is nothing But in these divine effects which are also a spiritual creation and no less impossible to humane power God will have the Ministry as a necessary antecedent means unto the conversion of men Hence the Scripture doth so often attribute this mercy unto the preaching of the Word yea and increase of grace afterwards In the first place consider What Reasons may be for this Why God will use such workers with him he needeth not the parts or gifts of any It 's but his word and all things by it are wrought in Heaven and Earth Yet both in the Old Testament and New he hath appointed some by whose outward
for the most part is spiritual and supernatural and partly because as the Prophets and Pen-men spake or wrote as they were moved by the holy Ghost even to every syllable and word so the same Spirit of God is required though not in such a measure to the understanding of it Hence the Spirit of God is promised To lead us into all truth John 16.13 Alas the greatest men of parts and learning have many times been the greatest Heretiques and most ignorant of the Scripture because destitute of the Spirit Yet on the other side you must not runne into another extremity as if the Spirit alone without those helps God hath required would lead us into truth for that were to tempt God and to expect a miracle For give a Bible in Hebrew or Greek to a man though enjoying Gods Spirit yet he is not able to understand this or that Text without the interpretation of the language I have been more large on this because it 's necessary to shew with how much prayer and earnest application to the throne of grace the Ministers of God should addresse themselves to their work without the Spirit of God guiding and leading of them they are the ship that wants a winde yea though they have many excellent gifts and much humane learning They are but as a swift horse without a rider while they want Gods Spirit and the faster they runne the more they are out of the way So then put the Spirit of God and other helpes appointed by him together and then you will never split at any Rock Secondly As the gifts of the Ministry are thus efficiently from God So directively also they are from his Spirit The guidance and ordering of the whole Ministry is from the Spirit of God When Paul was resolved to go to some place to preach the Gospel he was sometimes forbidden by the Spirit and directed to go to others Acts 16.6 9. Thus in the word of God preached by the Apostles the Spirit of God did demonstrate it self because the Jews are said to resist it Acts 7.51 therefore though it was first dispensed to the Jews yet upon their neglect it was transplanted to the Gentiles And thus truly every Congregation every particular person may wonderfully observe the divine guidance of the Ministry that it should come to such a people and not to such that those who are unworthy and trample upon it as swine do the pearl should have it and many a poor hungring and thirsting people can never enjoy have or such a Ministry especially every godly hearer may observe a divine guidance of the Word in the matter preached how near and seasonably it comes to him The unbeliever that came to the Church ordinances saw his heart and thoughts so judged and discovered that he cried out Verily God is among you 1 Cor. 14.25 Thou sittest and wonderest how the Minister should fall on such a point how he should be directed to such a particular that doth so nearly concern thee this makes thee say Verily God is here Thirdly Which is the last and greatest The efficacy and spiritual benefit of the Ordinances and gifts of Officers is wholly from the Spirit of God Hence it is called the holy Spirit not only essentially as the other Persons are or by way of opposition to the unclean spirit the Devil but effectively because by way of title and Office as it were it belongs to him to sanctifie the gifts of the Minister and to make them powerfull in the hearts of the hearers So that although parts and abilities should be in the Officers choice and power yet the successe and benefit is not When Paul hath planted Apollo watered it 's God that giveth the increase 1 Cor. 3. And certainly if the Physician cannot give health the Gardener cannot make any fruit only disposeth and prepareth in these things much lesse can spiritual Officers in the Church cause the Word to open the eyes of the blinde or soften the heart of those that are hardened Thus we have seen how the Spirit of God dwels in the Church by reason of gifts only and to be more affected with this though that of Graces be more excellent consider First That the end of all these gifts thus vouchsafed by the Spirit is only to profit withall as the Apostle argueth 1 Cor. 12.7 They are not for vain oftentation neither are we to seek our selves by them but they are to be improved for edification Now that cannot be called profit which is onely to please the ear to tickle the fancy but what is to convince the conscience and change the heart and lives of men Oh that this were considered both by Minister and all people It 's spiritual profit that is to be looked at Hence the Word is compared to food which is not for the eye but the stomack The more usefull and profitable the gifts of any are either for instruction or reformation the nearer they come to their due end Secondly Consider the plenty of these gifts under the New Testament The Spirit of God inabled to all those gifts and graces in the Old Testament but because they were in a little pittance or measure therefore the Gospel is said to be The time of the manifestation of the Spirit So that it 's a great shame and sinne if both Ministers and people partake not more of the gifts of Gods Spirit than in the Old Testament and that so much grosse ignorance and beastly prophanenesse doth overflow is a great reproach unto the times of the Gospel Thirdly The variety of them is also very admirable The Apostle reckons up the diversity of them So that as it was an argument of Jacob's love to give Joseph a party-coloured coat Thus it is of Gods favour to bestow such diversity of gifts This makes the Church indeed to be in imbroidered garments Fourthly The wisdome of the Spirit is seen in that no one man hath all As all men have not the same face but some difference there is which makes Gods providence admirable in this particular So all have not the same gifts some are for the word of Doctrine some for the word of Exhortation and all this is that there being a mutual excelling of one another there might be no envy or schisme in the body Vse of Instruction What cause we Ministers and you people have to pray for this Spirit of God without which we preach in vain and you hear in vain As Moses said to God Vnlesse thou go along with us we will not go up O Lord if the presence of thy Spirit be not with us we cannot discharge those duties who is sufficient to preach Who is sufficient to hear Oh it should be like a sword in our bowels to think we feel no more of him in our Assemblies Arise O North winde and blow O South saith the Church that the spices may send forth their smell Cantic 4.16 Oh that the Spirit of God would thus arise
men of the world do the like they take upon them a kind of Deity they think to work and contrive all things by their own fortitude and wisdome as he in the Poet Virtus mihi numen ensis Quem teâ—eo And another Ignavis est opus auxilio divino But alas in all these things men are meer fools for their very thoughts and purposes are not in their own power God fashioneth the hearts of men Laban had other thoughts Esau other thoughts than they intended And as their thoughts are not in their own power so much lesse are the accomplishments or performances of them But as the stone when once flung away is no more in the mans power so neither is the performance of any thing under the command of humane wisdome Thus they are foolish in all their counsels The Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise are vain as it followeth Thirdly All worldly wisdome is folly because it 's onely attentive to get the good things of this world and never looketh to the world to come Oh that the worms of this world would see how foolish and bruitish they are in this particular Luke 12.21 The Parable of the foolish rich man who treasured up all the good things of this life see what a conclusion the Parable hath from him So is every one that is rich in this world and layeth not up treasure towards God So is every one that is such a fool is every one Yet how is this folly praised for wisdome in this world Give them the pleasures the profits the contents of this world and they never regard the world to come Oh foolish men and unwise Will thy wealth avail thee in the day of Gods wrath Will thy pleasures of sinne continue with thee when the pangs and throbs of death shall once surprize thee Well go on and applaud thy self in thy pleasures in thy greatnesse in thy abundance but know that if abiding thus thou wilt die a fool and be damned a fool Fourthly They are actively foolish because they are conceited of this wisdome and boast of it This is a sure sign of a fool to conceit himself wise and to put confidence in it yea he is more foolish than a fool for Solomon saith There is more hope of a fool than such a man Prov. 26.12 Now herein is manifested the folly of all earthly wisdome that it doth reject sound counsel It counts its own wayes and its own courses better than what Christ or his Ministers do advise unto Therefore saith Christ Wisdome is justified of her children Mat. 11.19 None but the children of God are able to approve and allow of the true Scripture-wisdome You see Christ himself the wisdome of the Father in whom were the treasures of wisdome yet had all his counsel rejected with scorn by the Pharisees What flocking would there be to hear one speak that was raised out of the grave But Christ came from Heaven from the bosome of the Father who would not readily assent to what he should direct unto Yet they would not hearken to his words And why Because they were not of God John 8.47 as Christ told them Herein then the lamentable folly of all earthly wisdome is discovered that it regards her own corrupt consultations and the reasonings thereof more than Gods wisdome or the Embassadours of Christ perswading them to the contrary Thou art therefore to unteach thy self all thy former principles all thy former conclusions before thou canst be taught by God Fifthly It must needs be folly because it 's directly contrary unto God and his wayes which are only wise Rom. 8.7 The wisdome of the flesh is enmity against God This is enough to proclaim the folly and madnesse of it to all the world For can any man prosper that hardens himself against God To oppose God to set against the wayes of God is called Kicking against the pricks Act 9.5 Is it not a mad and foolish thing to do so Yet thus all earthly wisdome doth It cannot agree nor comply with the holy Law and holy will of God and therefore the Gospel and the wayes of Christ never had greater enemies and adversaries than these that were most famous for earthly wisdome If you consider the Heretiques they were most of them men of great earthly wisdome too wise to yeeld to the simplicity of the Gospel of Christ if you consider the great Statesmen and Pilots of Commonwealths how difficultly do they become fools that they might be wise though indeed none ever proved greater fools than such for through opposing God and Christ they have been forced to cry out with Julian at last Vicisti Galilaee Take heed then of trusting in that admired wisdome of thine which God accounts foolishnesse and will prove so in the later end Sixthly All humane and earthly wisdome is foolishnesse because it makes a man a sad loser in the later end He that to enjoy his lusts and his carnal pleasures for a season doth lose his soul and the favour of God What a fool will he be when God shall condemn him when he shall lie eternally tormented in those everlasting flames Then they roar out We fools despised wisdome and hated instruction That is wisdome then which provideth for eternity which looketh to the future and no earthly wisdome doth this and therefore it 's meer foolishnesse Vse of Instruction To pull off that mask or painting which is put upon the wisdome of the world Who is accounted wise but that man whom God judgeth a fool And who is scorned as a fool but that man whom God pronounceth wise And truly we may take up that All are become foolish and vain by nature Thou that by craft dissimulation and injustice thinkest to enrich thy self thou applaudest thy self for being so wise when God will say Thou fool this night thy soul shall be taken away Is he not a fool that leaveth a treasure of gold for coals Is not he a fool that forsaketh a fountain to go to a broken cistern Is not he a fool that would be in great pomp and honour for one day to be a perpetual tormented slave for ever after Yet thus foolish and unwise are all wicked men Pray then for wisdome from above intreat God to deliver thee from thy own earthly wisdom There is no greater enemy to thy soul then that Christ revealed not himself to such Gods election is not of such Oh then be afraid of thy self For the wisdome of this world is foolishnesse with God c. You have heard that this worldly wisdome is foolishnesse actively I shall now proceed to shew its foolishness Passively such which God befooleth or turneth to folly So that there are no men whom God doth more resist and set himself against then such proud worldly wise men He delights wherein they deal proudly to be above them and wherein they resolve to deal wisely to outwit them as we say So that as you see little Children
Castles and strong holds are said to be taken Numb 21.32 And thus it denoteth such who by their worldly craft lift up themselves and grow insolent in their counsels against God such God doth beseige as it were and straigthen them taking them at his pleasure 2. The word is sometimes used in a judicial sense to take men in their sinnes as Joshua 7. Acha◠is said to be taken in his theft And thus God takes the wise men of the world in all their hidden and secret counsels of malice and brings them to light to their confusion 3. The word is sometimes applyed to nets or fetters in which Malefactors are bound Thus God he binds and ensnareth men by their own counsels and thoughts as so many chains that they cannot stirre 4. Some make it a Metaphore from Hunters that use to lay snares and nets to take their beasts in Josh 44. Thus God layeth snares and pits in the way which the most Argus eyed in the world do not see or escape All these expressions have their peculiar efficacy In the Greek Erasmus makes the word properly to be used of the laying hold upon one that is running away from us and making him to turn back again Thus all he thoughts and purposes of crafty men whereby they runne from God and his waies thinking to accomplish contrary to his will God layeth hold on them and brings them back whereby the things done contra voluntatem are not yet preter Thus you have Gods Efficiency the next thing is the Subject of this The wise in their craft 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Though the word sometimes be used in a middle or indifferent sense yet here it is in an evil one It 's called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because crafty subtile men turn themselves into all shapes and formes and they are commonly very active and busie they sleep not till they have accomplished mischief Now when he saith God takes them in their craft that may be taken either as the matter in which God overpowereth them and destroyeth them Or it may be taken instrumentally as sometimes the word is by their very craft and wisdome God layeth hold upon them and overwhelmeth them Thus you have the words explained Observe That God delights to take the earthly wise men of the world in their own craft These Spiders are hung in their own webs See Isa 19.13 a notable instance of the wise men of Aegypt Now many waies doth God take the wise ones of the world First In dissipating their counsels that they cannot attain their ends They attempt again and again and are alwaies repulsed As 2 King 46.11 the King of Syria had many times intended to intrap the King of Israel in such a place and he was alwaies disappointed which made the heart of the King troubled saith the text It 's not as mens counsels or purposes are but the counsel of the Lord that shall stand The hearts of Kings of the greatest of powers in the world Julian's great purpose was to root out the Christian Religion he would not have them named Christians but Galileans he would not have them brought up in humane learning he put all the discouragements upon them would let them enjoy no benefits of the Law or the Courts of Justice and yet he was taken in his own craft He was so strangely killed that to this very day Historians cannot tell the true manner of it Thus God scatters all their counsels and their plots whereby they are confounded Secondly God when he doth ruine them he doth it no other way but by their own wisdome by their own craft And this is the greatest conquest that can be when God overcometh them by their own weapon as it was said of Goliah's sword None like that because by that he cut off Goliah's head whose sword it was So there are no Providences of God so remarkeable and glorious as those which make the very craft and wisdome wicked men have to bring about their confusion We see this fulfilled first in the Devil who is called the old Dragon or Serpent Rev. 12.9 because of his great subtilty as well as poisonous enmity Now wherein was he overcome by his own craft even in this respect He used all the Instruments he had to bring Christ to be crucified He enters into Judas his heart and he had filled the hearts of the Jews and Priests before and so at last obtaineth his plot Christ is crucified but then he riseth again and is ascended and thereby he conquers the Devil and all his power So that by that very death which the Devil so much laboured for the works of the Devil were destroyed We see this also in Joseph's Brethren how politique and crafty were they in their malicious designes against Joseph and all was That he might not reign over them And all those means they took to hinder it were ordained by God to further it Thirdly He takes the wise men of the world so that they are entangled in their own counsels and are brought to such snares that they cannot go forward or backward Nullum magnum ingenium sine aliquâ mixturâ dementiae There is no great wit without some mixture of madnesse Thus you heard the original did imply That they were taken in their counsels as so many fetters and chains They were as a wild Bull in a net Eliphaz speaks admirably to this Job 5.14 They meet with darknesse in the day time and grope at noon day as at midnight See here into what a wildernesse and perplexity they are brought And so Isa 19.14 They are said to be drunk and reel up and down Are drunken men fit for to advise to counsel to carry on any work of consequence and yet such are the wise men of the world delivered up unto I might instance in more Particulars but the next words will have the same occasion I come to answer an Objection How is this true you will say that God taketh the wise in their craft Doth not David often make mention of his bloody and deceilfull enemies How often doth he complain of their lying in wait to shoot at the upright in heart And doth not the experience of all Ages both in prophane and sacred Histories shew that earthly crafty and wicked policy hath accomplished many destructive things and that to Gods own Church and people Hath not Antichrist by subtile deceiveable waies prevailed over the Church of God Do not the crafty Foxes and subtile Wolves many times worry and devoure the poor innocent Sheep All this must be granted and yet the observation is true For First This is many times done and we through our ignorance take no notice thereof The works of the Lord are great and sought out of those that have pleasure therein Psal 111.2 We many times take not such delight in observing the works of God in the world and so for want of consideration we come not to admiration The
so that the King be safe Thus let honours creatures self and all perish so that God and Christ be exalted Every man even he that seemeth to be the best hath cause to search whether he be yet above creatures as well as sinne The Demonstrations of this Truth that no man Vnregenerate can ascend any higher then to some earthly content and Happinesse And first This will palpably evidence it that every man by nature hath lost the Image of God which only did elevate man and made him qualified for the enjoyment of God as his suitable Object God made man after his Image which was righteousnesse and true holinesse so that as he made a woman like man for man to delight in so man was made like God to delight in him Then Adam desired no other good but God While he continued he was above the creatures in his affection as well as in dominion He that had power given him to rule over all creatures could also rule over all his affections He did not over-love any creature or delight in it but subordinately to God Oh glorious and blessed estate But now we have lost all this this Image is defaced Now Sampson hath lost his hair Now the Bird is deprived of her wings Now we are not able to lift up our hearts to him Hence is that expression of Jehoshaphat 2 Chron. 17.6 His heart was lift up in the waies of the Lord. You see even a regenerate man hath much adoe to raise up his dull frozen and earthly heart to enjoy God in Christ He doth like the Artificer that with some Engine and great drawing gets a peice of timber up to the top of that House he is a building such heaving and pulling and tugging is a godly man forced to use to get his heart up to God An unregenerate man then who hath nothing of this Image of God repaired in him no wonder if he hath an heart like Nabal's even a very stone that sinketh down heavily within him This losse of Gods Image is that which beateth downward and makes the earth to swallow us up as it did Dathan and Abiram As the body deprived of the soul presently falls flat to the ground and there it lyeth thus doth every man destitute of Gods Image Secondly This Image of God being thus lost in the room thereof succeeds Original pollution For this light cometh an universal darknesse and confusion Now this native pollution that is a depravation of the whole power and all the faculties of the soul puts the soul off its hinges it takes off the Charriot Wheeles It makes man love where he should hate rest where he should move It makes Princes go on foot and Servants ride In a word the soul is now turned upside down God the Object whom he should with all his soul and might delight in now he loveth not at all and what he is allowed to love in measure and subordination that he doth over-love So that who so doth duely consider what disorder and confussion Original sinne hath put the heart into he will see it cannot be that God should be duely honoured and esteemed by a natural man This curious Watch is now broken all in pieces And as you see a Paralitical hand is weak and quaking not able to fasten upon any thing so is now the soul of man towards God Insomuch that Ambrose complained of it as our great misery that Cor nostrum non est in nostrâ poâ—estate our heart is not in our own power but is carried hither and thither up and down as the force of original corruption doth drive it How abominable then are those Doctrines that advance the power of nature Some determining that a man is able by nature to love God above all things and that it 's as easie to do things in reference to God as the creature If saith Molina no mean Jesuit I have power to throw my money into the Sea why cannot I as well give it to a poor man out of love to God Such presumptuous Doctrines as these arise from the ignorance of that horrible confussion and disorder which is now upon all by nature Thirdly If a godly man though regenerated and partaking of the Divine Nature do yet grapple and conflict with this sinne of creature affection above God then certainly an unregenerate man is over-mastered with it For this we may conclude on that what all the regenerate men are combating with that is victorious and predominant over all natural men It 's true the regenerate men differ in their fightings and conflicts some do find it a greater difficulty to loose and wean their affections from one thing more then from another and so the natural man one is more easily captivated to one earthly good then another yet in the general As â—here is no unsanctifyed man but one creature or other reigneth or ruleth in his heart so there is no godly man but something or other it is that he can hardly mortâ—fie some secret and subtile motions of soul he hath So that did not grace check and withâ—tand that creature that object would damn him at last If Eve though in a state of Integrity could be tempted by an object alluring sense how easily then may we be ensnared You read when our Saviour spake that amazing sentence That a Cammel might as well go through the eye of a needle as a rich man be saved they made this unversal exclamation Who then can be saved What rich man might have been a proper consequence but they say in the general Who then implying there is no man no not a godly man but if God should not keep down that Cammels bunch he would have some creature or other to be as affectionately and prejudicially to his salvation carried out unto as the rich man to his wealth I then the godly man can so hardly say Whom have I in Heaven but thee and in earth in comparison of thee no wonder if the earthly man fall down to the ground as the Aegyptians like a stone into the Sea That which is fighting and active in a regenerate man must needs be conquering in an unregenerate Fourthly That sinfulnesse which cannot be rooted out and conquered by those things that are above nature and are in the next degree to grace that certainly will abide prevalent till grace it self come That which Elisha's Servant nor his Staff will do but Elâ—sha must come himself that is hardly cured Now thus it is an unregenerate man may have great abilities may have the common gifts and graces of Gods Spirit he may be admirable in the whole way of Religion and yet this man who hath God and Christ so often in his mouth may have the world and creatures more in his heart So that he may in his heart say Who will shâ—w me any good when yet at that time he may say Lord lift up the light of thy countenance For this latter is not
God Doth not God require we should love him with all our might all our strength So that he will not allow any love to any thing else but him Indeed when we desire any creature in subordination to him as a meanes of glorifying him and thereby brought nearer to God this is not a-against God The Schoolmen say That it 's the same gracious habit of love that carrieth us out to love God and our neighbour because of him and so it is of every creature else As we say such a great House is such a mans Now though he have many servants dwelling there yet we say it 's his House not the Servants because they are for and under him Thus if God do chiefly dwell in our hearts then though we love other things yet because this is wholly in reference to God we may truly say We love none but him But now when the love of the creature opposeth God makes us contrary to him or makes us love him or holy duties the lesse then we are to conclude That this cannot stand with godlinesse So that not only grosse sinnes practised but any creature habitually and excessively delighted in above God is also incompatible with it Thirdly Take heed of this estate because it 's a wofull snare and temptation to thee He that is inordinately affected with any earthly comfort this will upon all occasions bring him into the foulest sinnes that can be imagined He will do any thing damn his soul over and over to obtain it As Judas because he was immoderately set upon gain he betrayeth Christ though he was admonished of it though he was told in particular he was the man Though heard what a fearfull condition such a man was in that should betray Christ yet nothing can stop him but he will satisfie that corrupt appetite of his Oh then take heed again and again of such an inordinrate appetite It will be thy poyson and damnation It will one time or other put thee upon such horrrible actions as will make the hearts of others to tremble when they hear it yea such as thou wilt abhor before they are committed As it was in Hazael Am I dog said he that I should do so And truly it is very sad when God by his Providence shall suffer such advantages for thy lust to fall out us Judas had a bagge Hazael a Kingdom all which were like spaâ—kes to that tinder The Devil findes the room then garnished and swept for him Let a man professe never so much love to God and be never so forward in Religion yet if he be not mortifyed to every creature there will come a fire from without and consume this bramble Fourthly This is a fearfull estate because the word of God though preached never so powerfully and pressed over and over again yet it cannot do any good while such a temper is on thee This is the Dalilah that will alwaies entice thee Intus existens prohibet alienum You see even in our Savious preaching though none ever taught as he did Though this was accompanied with astonishing Miracles yet the Pharisees who loved the world and the glory of men they derâ—ded him Yea our Saviour told the very Disciples themselves Joh. 5.44 How can ye believe if ye seek glory of one another And therefore at another time he took a little child setting him before them that if they did not become like such they could never enter into the Kingdom of Heaven As long therefore as any thing sits too close to our hearts we cannot be Christs Disciples You see those hearers that went so farre as to receive the Word with joy and to bring forth some fruit yet it was the deceivablenesse of riches that did choak all Never then expect that any Ministry or any Preaching should ever do good to thee while this or that creature is so enammouring of thee Fifthly Take heed of this creature-affection because it 's a tormenting sinne It is not only a sinne but a torment and vexation withall Some sinnes bring a sweetnesse with them though they leave an Hell hereafter but this sinne for the most part brings an Hell with it What man is there inordinately afected to any thing that you may not call the Devils Martyr he endureth and suffereth so much He is under many vexations and through many tribulations he goeth to Hell In what a fiery Furnace was Haman though exalted so high above others And doth not Solomon the wise man pen an whole Book to inform of this that all is but vexation of spirit And what the Apostle speaks of one particular is true of all 1 Tim. 6.9 Those that will be rich they fall into many temptations and peirce themselves through with many cares They are as one Martyr in Gods cause that was by his Scholars stabb'd all over to death by Penknives Thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Insomuch that if you could see the naked soul of any man inordinately affected to the creature you would see it all over wounded and scourged full of tormenting cares and fears never in any quiet or safe content at all Oh then consider what an enemy thou art to thy self Godlinesse would be great gain to thee It would make thee glad and rejoyce in the Lord It would teach thee how to have all things and how to want but while thy heart is vassalized thus to the creature no quietnesse can be in thy bones And what a folly is this to be miserable here and miserable hereafter Sixthly They are miserable who are thus craving after worldly good things because the Scripture represents all these things but as vanity As that which is a meer lye Called therefore often a Shadow which the foolish child catcheth at as some reall substance when it is but as was said a black nothing Therefore you see Solomon expostulating after this manner Why dost thou set thy eyes upon that which is not Prov. 23.5 That which at another time the wise man saith It answereth all things and calls it a defence yet here he saith It is not Even as the whole Creation may be said to be non ens comparatively to God And therefore God is called Jehova He is said to be I am what I am All creatures have not a being comparatively to him If then the best and most usefull of creatures be such a nothing to God even whole Nations are but as a drop or dust yea they are said to be lesse then nothing Isa 40.17 What folly is it to leave the Fountain of all happinesse and to catch after the shadow Oh then let the godly soul which enjoyeth God when tempted by the creature to immoderate love say as the Fig-tree and Olive-tree Shall I leave my sweetnesse Shall I part with my happinesse and blessednesse I have in God and go and tear my self with bryers For so indeed when we seek to the creatures for refuge in any distresse we do with the
whereby he is able to discern good and hate evil As if the sense of the Psalmist was this Why do the men of the world seek thus after earthly good things and are so uncertain in their affections for God hath placed the light of reason and conscience in every man whereby he is able to know there is the chiefest good Now although we do not refuse this interpretation upon Illyricus his Reason that there are no implanted principles of knowledge about God yet the context doth more evince the latter that it is by Prayer-wise to God And although Bellarmine saith the Hebrew may be pointed so as to make Signatum est and that the Septuagint know better then the Mâ—sorites yet because it 's ordinary to put Samech for Sin and He for Alph as here Nesah for New we take it to signifie to lift up And although it should be from nes vixillum that could not overthrow the sense And the Septuagint 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth not signifie an impression of any thing in us but a manifestation As in that place 2 Thes 3.14 Note such a man by an Epistle We therefore understand it of David's Prayer That God would give a manifestation of his gracious love to him A Metaphor taken from men who when reconciled do willingly turn their face and look pleasantly upon those whom they delight in Observe That a gracious heart doth more esteem the favour of God and the light of his countenance then any earthly thing whatsoever This light of Gods countenance is often spoken of by David Psal 44.3 The original of all the mercies God vouchsafed to Israel is said to be Gods power and the light of his countenance because he had a favour to them So Psal 99.15 Blessed are they that know the joyfull sound they shall walk in the light of thy countenance This favour of God is that which makes a glad and joyfull heart Hence in Antiquity it was a proverbial speech to expresse an happy man by Deus vidit God hath looked on such a man Though the light of Gods countenance doth sometimes signifie only his bare knowledge and omniscience as Psal 90.8 Thou hast put our secret sinnes in the light of thy countenance as Gods face is sometimes upon a man for good and sometimes it 's said to be against man for his hurt but the summe is That as it is with a man when he is pleased with another he turneth his face to him looketh pleasantly and cheerfully as Job saith of himself Job 29.24 Thus when God is pleased with a man then the Believer apprehends nothing but love and favour from God He seeth not frowns but smiles in his face And he seeth God to be to him by the eye of Faith As Esau's face was to Jacob pleasing and therefore said to be like the face of God Let us consider what this phrase doth expresse And First It supposeth that all our iniquities and sinnes they are pardoned and blotted out For as long as our guilt is upon us and God seeth that he turneth his face from us He is an angry Judge He is of purer eyes then to behold such things Your iniquities divide between you and me Hence when sinne is said to be pardoned the expression is that it is covered Psal 32. implying that sinne of it self is loathsome and abominable to his eyes Not but that he seeth sin in every Believer only it 's pardoned in Christ and so not imputed to the Believer And though God see it so as to chasten for it yet not to adjudge to eternal destruction And this is so great a blessednesse that David Psal 32. doth only call this so Blessed is the man not whom God makes great rich and honoured in this world but to whom he imputeth no sinne at all This the humbled soul counteth a mercy and in its sad agonies prayeth for the light of Gods countenance All the world doeth him no good All the creatures that would comfort him do but as those that would give Christ vinegar and gall to drink David himself Psal 5 1. when in his great conflicts because of his sinne minds not his Kingdom or honours but prayeth that God would have mercy upon him according to his loving kindnesse Those tender mercies of God he flyeth unto Till therefore sinne be removed Gods anger and wrath belongs unto us Secondly In this is implyed Gods favour and love towards us that he is pleased and become reconciled with us If the wrath of a King be so terrible how much more is the wrath of God But when the light of his countenance is towards us then he is gracious then his eye his face are all pleasant and reviving When David is reconciled to Absolom then it 's no longer commanded that he should keep from his presence but his Fathers bowels long to see him him again Can there be a greater good in the world desired then that Gods face should be pleasant to us Then that he should become reconciled with us For as it is better to undergo all the wrath of all the most cruel Tyrants in the world then to lye under Gods displeasure so it is better to enjoy the favour and love of God then the advantage of all second Causes Gen. 4.14 Cain speaks of this as the height of his misery That he should be hid from the face of the Lord. To be in Hell it would not be a torment but because Gods face is hid Wheresoever God hideth his face there is the inlet of all woe and misery Then on the contrary when the face of God doth shine upon a Believer as David prayeth for this often then is that mans estate blessed and happy God is then at peace with him God is then reconciled Now as the Apostle argueth Rom. 8. If God be for us who shall be against us When the Sunne shineth there may arise many black and thick clouds there may be sad and gloomy daies but when the face of God doth shine on his children then no darknesse no tempests no sad temptations whatsoever can hinder a man from having the beautifull beames of Gods favour He can make the Sunne shine in the dark night If he giveth peace none can hinder it Thirdly This phrase doth imply the original and cause of all Gods gracious mercies in time It 's because of the light of his countenance that any good cometh to us For as the damned in Hell who are totally cast out from his face cannot receive so much as a drop of water so on the other side where the favour of God is towards a man there is a Treasure of all the goodnesse he can desire Therefore when David prayeth here he doth as I may so say ask the whole Kingdom of God Have this and have all if it be necessary for us When David prayeth for the light of Gods countenance he doth not ask for a single mercy It is not for one particular comfort
fiducial and confident resting upon God or Christ and this is indeed the most noble and excellent Act of Faith Even as reason and understand are the chiefest acts of man though he can also sentire Faith as it doth thus rely on Christ it Justifieth But not only in matter of Justification doth it thus depend on God but also in all outward calamities and streights it in ableth the soul to rest and leane on the Lord. This is that trusting which David doth so often exhort to in the Psalmes For as a man cannot walk without legs or a Bird fly without wings so the soul of a man being wholly unable and impotent cannot subsist of it self but it must have something to lean upon It 's like Ivy that cannot grow of it self Now if the heart of man be corrupt his trust is wholly carnal he beareth up his heart and supports himself with some bladders or stilts that the world affords him But if his heart be sanctified then he doth solely depend upon the Power and Promise of God Now this trusting in God is a special duty and David many times useth this Argument why God should help him because he trusted in him We cannot in an higher manner glorifie God then by trusting in him For hereby we acknowledge God to be the Jehovah that he alone doth all things Insomuch that this is one of the chiefest duties required in the first Commandement The grace then of Faith hath this peculiar effect upon a man that it lifteth up the soul to God and maketh it rest and solely depend on him It 's true even in natural men there seemeth to be a trust in God but that doth as much differ from this holy confidence as light from darknesse For no natural man can put his trust in God there being as much grace required to put forth this as any other holy duty Secondly This trusting in God hath Its general Object And It s more special and adaequate Object The general Object is Any good thing that we stand in need of So that whatsoever the soul wants or the body wants Whatsoever thy necessities are thou art to depend on God for the supply This our Saviour insinuateth Mat. 6. to his Disciples when he tels them they should not be doubtfull and distrustfull what they should eat or drink but rest satisfied wholly in Gods provision who is an heavenly Father And therefore there is not any grace hath such a peculiar property to allay the tempests and rebuke the stormes of the soul as this hath This is David's Harp to chase away the evil spirit Whence are all those soul dividing and tormenting cares but from want of trust in God It were not possible thy heart should be so disquieted and tossed up and down if thou didst thus rest on him For this trusting in God it is a Catholocum it 's a general Remedy to all Exercises to all Dejections And hence when the Prophet Habbakuk saith The Just shall live by Faith the great Act of Faith in that place is dependance on God But then Faith as it's trusting and relying on God hath a more special and noble Object and that is Christ our Mediatour In the sense of all our guilt and unworthinesse we are to throw our selves on him And this is like the looking on the Brazen Serpent by which we are healed It 's not working or labouring but resting of our souls on Christ that justifieth And indeed if we can trust on him for our Justification for our salvation what a shame is it we cannot depend on him for supply of all outward necessities Doth not the Apostle argue with the highest reason that can be Rom. 8. If he hath given us Christ how shall he not with him give all things else Will not this shame all thy distrustfull and dividing thoughts when thou shalt say I believe in God for the salvation of my soul yet I cannot trust him with my Children my health or any other streight I am in Thirdly The Motives to trust in God in the midst of all Exercises are two-fold Gods Promise And Gods Power For as our Saviour said concerning those who did not believe the Scripture They erred because they did not know the Scriptures nor the power of God Thus it 's here All thy dejected and repining thoughts arise within thee because thou art ignorant of his Truth his power First There must be Gods Promise otherwise it 's not trust in God but carnal presumption If a man should neither work nor eat or drink yet say He trusts in God for his life this would be desperate presumption for there is no Promise made to such Therefore whatsoever thy heart is born up with be sure thou hast a Promise for it And if there be a Promise then know Heaven and Earth will sooner fail then that Promise It 's true in the Old-Testament dispensation there were particular Promises made for many mercies so that they might the more boldly confide in God As David in this very particular he had a peculiar Promise that the Kingdom should be established to him and therefore he was assured that this Conspiracy of Absolom should not prevail Now although we have not such peculiar Promises made to us that God will remove such a calamity take away such an affliction yet we have a general Promise for every good thing and that all things shall turn to our good Which may make every Believer say I know either God will take this affliction away or it will be for my good That it is better for me to have it then to be without it And is not here ground of quietnesse enough within thee This makes the Apostle James give such a Proviso to all our Petitions Let him ask in Faith nothing doubting Chap. 1. for if he doubteth let him be assured he shall have nothing Now how must a Christian in every Prayer about temporal things pray without doubting I shall not say as some do That even in all temporal mercies we are to pray with the same assurance as for spiritual That temporal things are as absolutely promised as spiritual And therefore if any temporal mercy be not vouchsafed to us it 's wholly for want of Faith and Confidence But I rather joyn with those that say He must not doubt of Gods Truth and Goodnesse to help neither must he doubt whether he shall not have that or the equivalent This he must assure himself of And truly if a Christian would proceed thus farre he would find a world of ease and quietnesse in his mind And as Gods Promise so his Power also that is a second Motive for this trust in God For if we do not believe God is able to raise up the dead to call things as are not as if they were If we think the temptation too great the affliction too desperate then we cannot put any assurance in God Fourthly We adde in the Doctrine that Faith depending upon God
the affliction of God nor yet to sink under it Heb. 12.5 We do then preach that when God brings into streights we should not prophanely slight them and not humble our selves under Gods hand or that we should become like bruit beasts and be void of an holy fear and grief under his chastisements But we are so to be affected as yet not to be sinfully disquieted The heart is to be moved but not to be disturbed Thirdly This Stoical senslesness is not a gracious calmeness because it doth wholly depend upon their own strength and power It was from some pretnded innocency and menâ—al abilities in themselves that they would bear it out so resolutely against all dangers We may see by Sâ—necae's expressions that those sublime affectations did arise from self-presumption but the Christian confidence hath its cause wholly from without They are most diffident in themselves even when most confident You see David here and in other places whensoever he proclaimeth exceeding quietness in his heart it is still from God not from himself because the Lord takes care for him because the Lord is his strength and his helper insomuch that if we consider the motive and original of these two confidences we shall find them as distant from each other as the East from the West we shall find that the one comes from within the other from without and therefore that the one is a meer puff and inflated tumor of the soul a meer buble which of it self would break but the other solid and induring being the strength of God himself who is omnipotent for Gods strength is vouchsafed to a godly man and Christ sheweth forth his power in them 2 Cor. 12.10 When I am weak then I am strong Whereas the proud Philosoper when he was strong then he was weak Yea Paul findeth a kind of omnipotency in himself but not of himself Phil. 4.13 I can do all things through Christ that strengthens me Lastly This Philosophical boldness is only for carnal and vain ends it was for vain glory it was to please their own humours it was not to glorifie God to set up his power and goodness You see Davids Psalmes breathing forth praise and honour to God continually you see there is nothing owned but Gods power whereas whatsoever these Apes of fortitude and courage did it was for vain applause and to set up themselves The Martyrs were so humble and sensible of their unworthiness even under their greatest joy and support that they refused the name of Martyr as too great a word They said Christ only deserved to be called so for the Scripture gives him that name So that the wonderful strength and consolations wherein the Martyrs did abound were accompanied with deep apprehensions of their own unworthiness at that very time In the second place Let us come more closely to the generall disease of all people almost and that is of such who though afflicted though stricken with diseases and ready to give up the ghost or though the hand of God be against them several wayes yet they will say I will lay me down and sleep yea I will set my self down and drink and make my self merry singing not care only but all godly sorrow away Is not this the general corruption of most men who when under the sad passages of Gods providence towards them they runne to merry company They do all they can to chase away any sorrowfull thoughts and think their only remedy to be carnal pleasures But let not the prophane jolly and secure man boast in this for hell doth not more differ from heaven then this disposition of the godly man from carnal confidence For First This ariseth from a meer bruitish stupidity There hearts are hardened and are like a Stone or Adamant so that as these melt not into water by any art so neither will these stupid sinners apprehend the danger they are in though never so afflicted Though a fool be pounced in a morter yet his folly will not depart from him He doth no more learn under afflictions then the bruit beasts Do not call this mans his confidence but his sottishnesse his stupidity It 's with him as the Drunkard Solomon speaks of Prov. 23.34 35. who when he is in as great danger as one that lyeth down in the Sea or that lyeth upon the top of a Mast yet he feareth not They have stricken him but he felt it not So that what a miserable creature a senslesse sottish Drunkard is tumbling in the Streets and trampled upon yet feeling nothing at all such miserable wretches are these benummed sinners even like the wanton Calf that leapes up and down while prepared for the slaughter Whereas holy confidence is accompanied with an exact tendernesse and heavenly feeling as of their own infirmities so also of Gods power and grace Secondly This prophane security as it comes from sottishnesse and stupidity so from desperate ignorance and blindnesse If they did know what curses might every moment fall upon them if they did but apprehend the wrath of God ready to devoure them Oh how quickly would their jollity be turned into mourning and their laughter into howling Stupidity and ignorance commonly go together yea one is the cause of the other Eph. 4.18 19. Their understandings were darkned through the blindnesse upon them and then they were past feeling The blind man doth not see the deep ditch and dangerous holes he is ready to fall into And therefore observe those who in time of affliction disease or dangers have such security upon them and see if they be not miserable poor and ignorant men that know nothing of sinne the damnable nature and guilt of it That consider not what it is to lie roaring in hell torments to all eternity So that all the ease they have is because they are a blind ignorant people But now the godly mans confidence ariseth from spiritual knowledge and the more his understanding is inlightened the more holy security he hath And therefore Paul prayeth that Believers might grow in the knowledg of Gods love the depth and bredth of it Ephs 1.5 3. Because the more this is known the more confident and quiet they are And this is the reason why Gods people at first while the apprehensions of sinne are fresh and terrible upon them while the Law is powerfull in its operations they have not such a calm and serene spirit It is for want of that Scripture knowledg of God The more they know the Promise and the nature of God and Christ revealed the greater boldnesse and confidence they have Thirdly The security that wicked men have ariseth from an immoderate desire to take their pleasures while they may have them being desperate for the future expecting no good hereafter And truly this is the condition of many their hearts are filled with a desperate fool-hardinesse that they will take their pleasures and jollity while they may They expect little in the world to come So
when in the Battell was taken by his enemies and they ready to kill him yet he cryed unto the Lord and God moved their heart to depart from him 2 Chron. 18.31 So in the thievings and robberies in the world it 's God that diverts men from designing and doing mischief to such Families While the people of Israel wenâ— up to keep their Feast at Jerusalem he ordered mens hearts so That none should desire their Land Exo 34.24 Vse of Thankfulnesse to God in all these common Preservations Every day every morning and evening thou hast cause to wonder at his Power and Goodnesse under all thy temptations What befalls another God tells thee what might come to thee Oh therefore do not take thy life and health God giveth thee and spend it upon the Devils service Remember Thou livest upon Gods mercy if he withdraw for a moment any suddain evil may fall upon thee â‚ FINIS An ALPHABETICAL TABLE A Admiration OF Admiration of Ministers Persons when sinfull p. 48 Afflictions How Afflictions effect good in a man p. 179 181 Agreement The Motive of Agreement is Godlinesse p. 33 Agreement among the wicked easily broken doth not alwaies denote a true Church p. 41 Protestants Agree in Fundamentals p. 41 B Babes BAbes in Christ p. 5 Babes directed p. 8 Backbyting Of Backbyting p. 35 Building Gods people are his Building p. 118 The Scripture is the foundation of this Building p. 141 Of a two-fold Building upon the foundation p. ibid. How a Minister must take heed how he builds on the foundation p. 142 Of their Building Gold Silver Precious Stones p. 157 Boasting Of Boasting in men p. 265 See Glorying C Carnall CArnall its several significations p. 5 In what sense a godly man may be said to be Carnall p. 21 Ceremonies Of Ceremonies p. 11 Causes Causes of Grace Principal and Subordinate p. 59 Principal the Ministry p. 68 Efficient the Spirit of God ibid. Church The Churches Duties p. 20 Of Church-Government p. 84 Of the Holinesse of Churches p. 118 The matter of a Church ibid. The Church of God is his Temple p. 193 The Churches Priviledges Relations and Titles should be a spur to duty ibid. The Churches Riches enumerated p. 270 Christ Christ justly exalted p. 30 As the Foundation p. 21 145 Christ may be sinfully set up and how p. 58 What it is to preach Christ p. 145 153 The Godly and all they can do are Christs p. 294 Christians Christians should â—â—ve as those that are more then meer men p. 42 Contention Contentions argue men to be so farre carnal p. 33 Contentions are two-fold Good â—vil p. 34 36 37 The cause of sinfull strife p. 34 The Effects of it in Civil Religious Matters p. 35 36 The Aggravations of this sinne p. 36 D Damnation OF Damnation p. 222 Death Death the godly mans advantage p. 282 Deacon Deacon the word used diversly p. 66 Defile Defilers of Gods Temple with corrupt Doctrine p. 216 Difference Difference between Christian and Christian in respect of their Knowledge and Graces p 5.22 Discipline Discipline how severe in the Primitive times p. 7 Divisions The sad Effects of Divisions p. 99 Direction for Times of Division ibid. Difficulty The difficulty of the salvation of those that are most godly p. 192 Divinity Divinity contains a two-fold Matter 1. Fundamentals and 2. Conclusions from them E Encrease THe Encrease and successe of preaching from God p. 86 Ends. Of corrupt Ends in a Minister and good Ends p. 63 64 Envy Envy the word used in a good sense and in a bad sense p. 25 It 's a fruit of the flesh p 25 Its Degrees p 26 Its Object p. 27 It s Subject p. 28 Its Aggravations p. 29 Its Remedies p. 32 How differenced from zeal p. 32 Errour Errour Considerations about it p. 142 c. Errours are Hay and Stubble though not Fundamentall p. 161 Men may be erroneous and not know it 161 Errours Greater Lesser p. 121 161 Why called Hay and Stubble Its secret waies shall be made manifest p. 169 May indanger salvation p. 189 Its Causes p. 169 Defile Gods Church p. 217 Erroneous times sad times p. 174 How God will punish the erroneous p. 186 219 How farre a godly man may erre and how a godly man erring differeth from a wicked man p. 220 The Difference between Errour and Heresie p. 190 See Doctrines Eternal Of Eternal Damnation F Family OF Family-Duties p. 3 See Relations Wickdnesse p. 3 4 13 Such as they are such is the Common-wealth p. 14 Faith Faith Its eminency p. 70 Nature and Acts p. 71 Its Foundation viz. the Scripture p. 126 Effects p. 72 Knoweth its ground why though it comprehend not the matter believed p. 71 Is the Instrument of Sanctification as well as of Justification p. 72 Fundamental Of Fundamentals p. 2 The ignorance of them lamentable p. 2 Reduced to several Heads p 14 Are easie p. 15 Knowledge of them necessary ibid. Foundations Foundations in Religion carefully to be laid p. 125 Four unquestionable Scripture Foundations I. The Matters to be believed viz. The Scripture is the only Foundation of our Faith p. 125 126. How carefull Ministers should be to build truth upon that Foundation p. 141 Four rotten Foundations The Authority of the Church Magistrate Enthusiasme Meer humane Reason p. 127 II. The Worship and necessary Service of God p. 129 How necessary it is ibid. It must have a Divine Command p. 131 Three rotten Foundations in Worship ibid. III. The things to be done by us p. 125 This Foundation of Practice consists in 1. It 's Directory Gods Word 2. The Justification of our Persons 3. A receiving power from Christ 4. A renewed and sanctified Nature p. 133 The necessity of this Foundation p. 134 Four rotten Foundations that men build upon in reference to practice p. 135 How Christ is the Foundation p. 145 c. How the Apostles the Foundation p. 145 c. Fool. Wise men after the flesh are fools p. 229 G Glory THe Degrees of Glory p. 101 105 Of Glorying in men The sinfulnesse of this sinne p. 261 And how many waies that is done ibid. See Boasting Godly Their Characteristical Priviledges p. 155 265 Of Godlinesse in the power of it p. 42 105 Grace Free Grace to be exalted and praised and how p. 121 Why the godly are so sensible of free Grace p. 123 Impediments of this duty p. 124 Gospel Gospel how great a mercy to a people p. 79 Government Of Government in the Church p. 120 Growth in Grace Growth in Grace and Knowledg pressed p. 1â— 91 Intensive Extensive ibid. Grounds of Religion See Principles and Fundamentals H Hay OF building Hay and Stubble p. 161 Hell Of Hell p. 222 Heresie Heretiques How God will punish Heretiques p. 220 Hide How vain and sinfull to Hide our sinnes p. 166 c. Holy Ghost The Holy Ghost is God and a Person p. 201 c. Why called a Spirit ibid. Heaven Heavens