come down unto you having great wrath So I may say when Offences arise Wo Wo to the men of the world for the Devil is come down among them the Devil hands abroad Offences hee makes wonderfull improvement of them they are his weapons and poysoned arrows c. 4 But why do Offences fall as a reall and heavy judgement upon the world Reason 1. Because God would powre out his wrath upon the obstinate sinners of the world all manner of wayes He makes the word a viall of wrath to them their mercies a vial of wrath to them their afflictions a vial of wrath to them their own sins a vial of wrath to them and that the wrath of God might come upon them to the uttermost and bee powred upon them all manner of wayes even the sins of his people a vial of wrath to them Reason 2. Because by these they might fill up the measure of their iniquity God hath a measure of wrath filled up running over to bee powred upon the ungodly of the world one day and they have a measure of iniquity which they go on filling up here and by how much this measure of iniquity is filled up by so much doth the measure of wrath grow greater Now because sinners delight to be filling up this measure therefore they shall not want occasion but even God himself that so the measure of his wrath may bee filled to the brim will lay occasion before them by leaving his people and permitting them to fall that so the sinners of the world thereby may be blinded hardned made more notoriously vile and so have the measure of their iniquity filled up And therefore it is observable Psalm 11.6 that God rains snares first upon the wicked then fire and brimstone and a horrible tempest God hath fire Aye but first God will rain snares the Drunkard Adulterer Swearer shall have such a thing laid as a snare before him to harden him make him more vile notorious incorrigible in his sin O sinners sinners take heed that now whilst God is raining snares you bee not taken in them lest Gods fire and brimstone and horrible tempest fall upon your heads Reason 3. Because it is a matter of wonderful justice and equity that when Offences do arise they should fall as a real and heavy judgement upon the world Why why because the world without any respect to the dishonour that God suffers by them or the reproach of his Name and Cause Watch for Offences wish for them desire them rejoyce in them publish and spread them and therefore it is a most just thing with God that when they come they should fall as a judgement upon them rather than any This is that they would have and therefore let them take them and the Wo of them Drunkard Swearer formal Professor thou wouldest have Offences arise they are meat and drink to thee Lo saith God here they are take them and the Wo of them for it is thine thou hast longed to see them here they are thou shalt have thy belly full of them in the end Reason 4. Because God as in all other things so also in the very rise and issue of Offences would put a manifest difference betwixt his own children and the men of the world Offences come to both but not to both alike Offences to the godly they are as the rod of a Father for correction to the world as the rod of an Enemy for destruction To the godly they bring honey in the tayl of them to the world a poysonous deadly sting a manifest difference To the one they are seeming judgements but real mercies to the other they are seeming approbations of their wayes and courses but real judgements upon their persons soul and body for ever if God prevent not 5 But if such a Woe come upon the world by Offences How may I come to know that so it may bee prevented when the world is justly offended and so offended as thereby in danger of this dreadful Wo Answ 1. The world is justly offended when Professors by principles which they hold or maintain do put out the light of Nature for the light of Nature is a light that the Heathens have Rom. 2. and possibly a meer natural man that hath no work of grace upon his heart nor savour of spiritual things as spiritual may see those things that this light directs too as clearly as Christians For though wicked men are blinde in spiritual things and it may be do not do what natural light teacheth yet are they not so blinde but they can see this they should do Now when Professors maintain principles contrary to this light the world who have the light and see by it and so far as they see you must give them leave to know are justly offended and can tell them to their teeth their principles are a lye and themselves a company of liars and deceivers As to instance Suppose a Professor hath such a principle that there is no God but onely that God that is within him A wicked man by the light of Nature will tell such a loose Professor such an Atheist I should say that his principle is a lye and hee is a liar for when hee beholds the creatures and things that are made the light of Nature dictates to him that hee could never make it and that therefore there must bee an Almighty power by which these things were made are ordered and governed c. Again If a Professor maintain such a principle that there is no need of prayer c. worshipping God in such a way the light of Nature will tell him that it is a lye for the light of Nature teacheth this That God is to bee worshipped served called upon Again if a man a professing man one that seems to hold such a principle that I need make no conscience of any sin or action whatsoever I may bee drunk or murther my neighbour lye with his wife the light of Nature will teach such a one that this principle is a damnable lye and he is a liar for the light of Nature discovers these horrid works of darkness and abominates these Now when men by their principles extinguish and blot out the light of Nature then is the world justly offended Secondly When Professors in their practices swerve from the rules of morality The moral Law was written in the heart of Adam before his fall and therefore it is written in the nature of every man So that by this men of the world are able to pass a judgement upon moral acts whether they be good or bad though wicked men cannot judge of the faith of the godly nor of his works as they are the fruit of his faith yet they can judge of his morality and of his acts as they are moral acts Now when men of the world see Professors break the pales and bonds of morality and transgress these rules they are justly offended and know that they do evill
to have called Covetousness by its own name Covetousness but to shew the height and transcendency of this wickedness of theirs hee calls it Iniquity of covetousness But 2. Though then evill were great yet it may bee they were ready to bee reformed upon the least appearance of Gods displeasure against such wayes and practices No I was wroth smote them saith God and what followed hee went on frowardly was so far from being made better that like a froward stubborne childe grew the worse for Gods correcting of him Aye but 3 Though hee did thus a while yet it may bee in the end hee saw his evill and did turn to God No saith God I have seen his wayes as to say Poor creature hee sees not his misery hee takes no notice of his wayes but runs on frowardly and foolishly well saith God I have seen his wayes I see of what a crooked disposition he is how froward and stubborne hee will not so much as once bend or bow under all my corrections but bears himself up in wayes of opposition against mee well saith God I will notwithstanding all this heal him c. Object But it seems there was some qualification in him by vers 18 for God saith Hee will restore comfort to his mourners Answ No for here is nothing at all spoken of his mourning but of others mourning for him hee mourns not at all but goes on frowardly in the way of his heart but others seeing him and loving him better than hee doth himself and seeing whither his wayes and courses tend which hee takes no notice of mourn for him As when a gracious Father hath a childe that will swagger and swear and there is no reclaiming of him hee viz. the son goes merrily and jollity on in his way and will bee drunk and roar and what not hee sees not the evill or danger of the way hee is in neither doth hee mourn for it but his gracious Father loving him better than hee doth himself and knowing the evill of the way hee mourns and sheds many a tear and gives many a groan because of him Now when God comes to reclaim such a sinner he doth not only comfort him but such as have mourned for him In the carrying this on I shall shew First The truth of it that it is so Secondly Some reasons why it must needs be so Thirdly Answer an Objection or two Fourthly Apply it 1 Concerning the first that it is so take only a parallel place or two with this of the Text as Isaiah 43.12 23 24 25. compared together But thou hast not called upon me O Jacob but thou hast been weary of me O Israel vers 23. Thou hast not brought me the small cattel of thy burnt offerings neither hast thou honoured me with thy sacrifices I have not caused thee to serve with an offering nor wearied thee with incense vers 24. Thou hast bought mee no sweet cane with mony neither hast thou filled me with the fat of thy sacrifices but thou hast made me to serve with thy sins thou hast wearied me with thine iniquities vers 25. I even I am hee that blotteth out thy tranâ—gressions for mine own sake and will not remember thy sins Here God considers his people in as sinful a condition both for sins of omission and commission as a people could bee in and yet thus considered hee makes a free precious promise of grace of the richest grace viz. forgiveness of sins the great New Covenant promise unto them So Psal 25.8 Good and upright is the Lord therefore will hee teach Sinners in the way The promise of teaching another New Covenant promise is made to Sinners Object But in the next verse it is said Hee will teach the meek so that it seems meekness is the condition of this promise of teaching Answ There is a twofold teaching of the wayes of God a first or beginning teaching and a further teaching or a teaching as to conversion and a teaching as to building up Now the first is promised to sinners and persons under that notion and meekness is not the condition but the fruit of it a soul is first taught aright to know God and thereby made meek The latter meekness may bee the condition of in some sense for the more meek and humble any man is the more is hee taught of God but when I call it a condition it is not a condition to bee wrought by my self but such a condition as is freely given to the soul in its imbracing of the free promise for by laying hold of that word which promiseth teaching to men as sinners I am made meek and humble this qualification being now wrought in me God to the soul thus qualified now promiseth more and further teaching 2 Why it must needs be so Reason 1. Because the Covenant of Grace it self in the first making of it in the continual promulgation of it and in the application thereof hath all along respect to persons as sinners and therefore surely all the promises thereof must bee made to persons under that notion When Jesus Christ first struck hands with the Father and entred into Covenant for man man was then considered as a sinner one that had broken Covenant with God and was now liable to the censure of Justice or else what need had there been of a Sureties entring Bond in mans behalf Look upon the Promulgation of this Covenant all along and it is to man under the notion of being a sinner In the very first Promulgation thereof to Adam what was there in him Antecedent or preparatory save only his Sin Gen. 3. In the first clear preaching thereof by Christ and his Apostles to the Nation of the Jews was it not preached to them as Sinners Read Christs Commission to the Seventy Luk. 10.5 First say peace that this peace is Gospel peace is clear because they which reject it reject the Kingdome of God ver 11. the persons to whom this is to be preached they are the unworthy as well as the worthy for they were to preach this to all where they came ver 5. yea they are called Wolves which marks them out to be Sinners of the worst sort of all as vers 3. Behold I send you forth as Lambs among Wolves The order of the delivery of this is in the first place Out of all which I observe that the preaching or promulgation of the Gospel or Covenant of Grace is to persons as sinners for if so be the persons the Seventy were sent out amongst were sinners and if so bee the first thing they were to preach to them were Gospel peace then must it of necessity be to them as sinners without we should conceive that wheresoever the Gospel comes the Spirit of God goes before and works upon mens hearts making them of Sinners no sinners and that before ever a word is spoken to them which granted wee have no need of the Word you may throw away your Bibles the
certain ground to conclude thou art none of them why shouldest thou refuse Reason saith Why not thou But now a soul that liveth by faith that liveth above reason when it can see nothing in reason to beleeve What was there in reason for Abraham to ground his faith upon when hee was an hundred years old that hee should have a childe And the three Children when going to the fiery furnace to say Our God will deliver us Faith out-mounts Reason Faith will apprehend safety and deliverance where reason can apprehend nothing but ruine A soul that liveth by faith beleeveth himself to be a Son of God and justified when many times if one cometh to him and asketh why hee beleeveth He is able to give no other reason but this because hee doth beleeve because God hath inabled him to beleeve the promise is to him and saith the soul I finde in some measure through the grace of God I am able to beleeve to hang upon it Differen 7. The life of faith reasoneth it self in all its reasonings to God the life of sense reasoneth it self from God There is no greater difference between a man that liveth by faith and sense than in the reasonings Take a soul that liveth by faith lay what premises you will before him yet he will draw up arguments to draw himself to God Tell him his sins are great O then mercy will bee great in pardoning them Pardon my sins for they are great Psal 25.11 Tell him afflictions are upon him for his sins if so then God is a Father I do not say Every one that is afflicted God is a Father to but I tell you how one that liveth by faith will reason himself to God by it and turn the Devils weapons upon himself If corrected then a childe so the Apostle reasoneth If you endure chastisement God dealeth with you as with Sons Heb. 12.7 Hee maketh it an argument to reason himself to God Whatever you can set before him hee will reason himself to God by it Tell it that it hath no righteousness of its own O then I have the more need to go to Christ But a soul that liveth by sense lay never such comforts precious truths before him that anothers soul would reason himself Heaven-ward from yet hee will reason himself Hell-ward by them Lay never so much of the unsearchable riches of Christ before him yet hee will from all reason himself from God Differen 8. The life of sense maketh a man principally industrious in the matters of his own comfort and salvation but the life of faith principally in Gods glory Take a soul that liveth by sense the great Query is What shall I do to bee saved to attain Jesus Christ pardon of sin assurance of pardon They are good Questions I wish all had them But such a soul doth not finde much time for acting for God because all his time is taken up in acting for himself how shall I do for pardon to get the love of God This is usual in new beginners and others so long as they live by sense as Peters Converts and the Gaoler But a soul that liveth by faith is chiefly industrious for Gods glory this we may see in the Apostle Paul though hee was not careless of his salvation yet hee doth seem to overlook it set it by 2 Tim. 1 11 12. Whereunto I am appointed a Preacher and an Apostle and a Teacher of the Gentiles for the which cause I also suffer these things nevertheless I am not ashamed for I know whom I have beleeved and I am perswaded he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day As if hee had said I am so taken up with the work of God of conversion and building up poor souls that I run all hazards suffer all things for the Elects sake O but will some say Paul what will you do for your self for your own soul Will you leave that at sixe and sevens O no I would no have you think so this I do I commit that to God I say Lord do thou take the care of the salvation of a poor creature Lord I commit that to thee and trust that with thee I desire to do thy work Rom. 9. v. 1 2 c. I say the truth in Christ I lie not my conscience also bearing mee witness in the Holy Ghost that I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart for I could wish that my self were accursed from Christ for my brethren my kinsmen according to the flesh How exceedingly is hee carried out after the conversion of the Jews it wil be a glorious time Paul was so desirous of it that God might have much glory that he seemeth to forget himself If the Jews be called the whole world shall bee filled with the glory of God and I did not care what became of me though I were accursed And that the Apostle meaneth as he said that hee did prefer the glory of God which hee saw should have much advantage by the conversion of the Jews before his own salvation the Apostle averreth it with many circumstances I say the truth and lye not my conscience bearing mee witness Surely hee cometh to utter some strange thing that few will credit therefore hee saith I speak the truth which clearly argueth that the Apostle was to speak some strange thing that they that should read or hear would hardly beleeve it was true So a soul that liveth by faith is principally industrious about the glory of God I do not speak it as that I have attained but that the Saints as Paul had attained I come now to the next Question Quest 3. Wherein is this life of Faith to bee exercised Answ In handling of this I shall shew 1 The things themselves whereabouts faith is to bee exercised 2 How faith in those persons that live by faith acts or what faith doth in either of these Quest 1. What are the things themselves whereabouts faith is to be exercised Ans Concerning this I told you in general that this living by faith extends it self as far and wide as our necessities wants fears or doubts stretch themselves to all good expected and hoped for to all evil present or feared for the procuring of the one and the averting or removing of the other in so large a field should I gather up all particulars I might tire my selfe and you I shall therefore draw things into as narrow a compass as conveniently I can This phrase of living by faith I do not finde in all the Scripture to bee used but five times once in the Old Testament as Han. 2.4 and four times in the New viz. Rom. 1.17 Gal. 2.20 Chap. 3.11 Heb. 10.38 Now in these five places it is taken as it seems to me four several wayes 1 As it relates to a Christians Justification Rom. 1.17 For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith as it is written The just
shall live by faith The great scope of the eleven first Chapters is to prove Justification by faith in Christ against those that did hold Justification by works of the Law he layeth down his position in this cause and bringeth in this The just shall live by faith And hee doth oppose Justification by Faith to Justification by the Law Gal. 3.11 But that no man is justified by the Law in the sight of God it is evident For the just shall live by faith 2. As it relates to a Christians Sanctification Gal. 2.20 I am crucified with Christ neverthelesse I live yet not I but Christ liveth in mee and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God who loved mee and gave himself for mee Though the main argument here is Justification yet this living by faith is in respect of Sanctification chiefly at least which I think the scope of the place yeelds for Paul having vers 19. laid down this as an argument why a beleever cannot be justified by the Law because hee is dead to it that hee might give a reason of this likewise why a beleever is dead to the Law or must needs be so he glides off from the main argument of Justification into this of Sanctification as by the by that I might live to God What is that Why perform obedience now to God or bring forth fruit to God as Rom. 7. v. 4 5 6. Wherefore my Brethren yee also are become dead to the Law by the body of Christ that yee should bee married to another even to him who is raised from the dead that wee should bring forth fruit unto God Which argument being now digressed into hee prosecutes in the next verse wherein as is clear hee goes on to speak of Sanctification for hee speaks of Christs living in him which is not our Justification that is by Christ without us and so his living by faith is to bee understood in respect of that viz. Sanctification which in the former verse and beginning of this hee was speaking of 3 As it relates to a Christians Expectation or waiting So Habak 2.4 For the Vision is yet for an appointed time but at the end it shall speake and not lye Though it tarry wait for it because it will surely come it will not tarry Behold his soule which is lifted up is not upright in him But the just shall live by his faith Speaking of the Vision delayed hee saith The just shall live by faith i.e. expect the coming thereof and wait for it in a way of beleeving 4 As it relates to a Christians perseverance So Heb. 10.38 Now the just shall live by faith but if any man draw back my soul shall have no pleasure in him Which words if you compare them with the foregoing verse seem to bee of the same sense with them in Habakkuk to bee spoken of a life of expectation vers 37. For yet a little while and hee that shall come will come and will not tarry Now the just shall live by Faith But compared with the following words in this and the next verse they concern perseverance because in this verse drawing back is set in opposition to living by faith and again vers 39. But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition but of them that beleeve to the saving of the soul Beleeving is set in opposition to drawing back In these places we have a four-fold life 1 Of Justification 2 Of Sanctification 3 Expectation 4 Perseverance In every of which we are to live by faith or we are to live by faith for these four things in an especial manner viz. Justification Sanctification Expectation and Perseverance Quest 2. How doth faith act or what is it that faith doth in those persons which live by faith as touching either of these things Answ In order to which I shall premise this word That I shall not go about to prescribe any one way or order that the Spirit of God while it enables a soul to live by faith in either of these walks in or works in so as to tye up all Saints to that way or manner of working which experience teacheth to be dangerous and to administer matter of stumbling to poore souls for as the Wisdome of God in his VVord is manifold so the workings of the Spirit of God in the hearts of the faithful through which they are enabled to live by faith are manifold and various though in the substance all agreeing As in our Justification so in all the rest one is enabled to live by faith herein from such a principle another from such a principle yea the same person looking upon himself at sundry times shall finde that one while his faith springs from one principle or consideration another while from another As for example perhaps to day I beleeve my Justification and go on beleeving it for a week or a moneth together from such a consideration as this viz. God hath made a Covenant with me in his Son and this is unchangeable as not made upon condition of my obedience so noâ— broken by my disobedience and hence I beleeve I am justified Another while perhaps this principle is not so lively and vigorous as to keep up my faith but then another doth it as this God justifies the ungodly now saith the soul though I cannot say I am a Saint yet this I can say I am an ungodly one well God justifies the ungodly this is a precious truth I own it I cleave to it I am an ungodly one a Sinner I beleeve God justifies me VVhen this hath kept up faith a while then it may be the life and vigour of this goes off the heart too and then come another as this The righteousness of Jesus Christ by which poor sinners are justified is a perfect compleat righteousness this righteousness is given to those that beleeve to such he becomes the Lord their righteousness I am a poore Sinner of my own I have no righteousness this I do I cleave to his righteousness which is persect and able fully to justifie my poor soul and I do in some measure beleeve that I have a share in this righteousness it is mine and that I am thereby justified in the sight of God These Principles with many others though diverse in themselves yet do they sweetly agree in the maine all leading the soul to something without for justification And truly this premisal is very necessary and material for how ordinary is it with poor souls if so be their faith hath been carried out from such a principle and they hear another in relating his experience hath been carried out from another to question the truth of their own at least to have some jealousies about it yea some poor souls are sometimes ready to stagger when they look upon themselves and consider the last moneth or the last year I had much strength and ability to beleeve from such a
beauty but now offences of the Saints are as scars upon the face of Gods workings ways c. by which the beauty of these is obscured to the eyes of the world The Jews were offended at Christ and the beauty and glory of all his works his preaching walking working Miracles c. was hidden to them 2 By these mis-apprehensions of the ways truths people of God yea contrary to those common convictions that sometimes they have had of these are begotten in them The Scribes and Pharisees could not be without convictions sometimes and strong too that Christ was that Son of God that his works were wrought by the power of God or otherwise they could not have been guilty of that sin against the Spirit which Christ chargeth them with but having drunk in an offence what strange thoughts have they of Christ contrary to former thoughts and convictions they judge him who was faithfulness it self to bee a deluder a deceiver who was holiness of self to be a friend to and Patronizer of Publicans and Sinners who was God himself to be Beelzebub the Prince of Devils his Works which were wrought by the Finger of God to be Diabolical so wonderfully did an offence drunk in upon every occasion work upon them In like manner wicked men cannot but sometimes see a beauty in Gods ways and their consciences in spite of their hearts tells them and will make them sometimes confess that they are good ways and the best ways but now when an offence lies before them some palpable offence by which an occasion of stumbling is offered how are their thoughts and apprehensions of Gods ways and people altered they look upon them as the worst ways in the world the most deceitful people in the world c. now what greater judgement can befall a man than to be blinded in the things of God it was the punishment of the Jews for that horrid Sin of theirs in Crucifying the Lord of Life Romans 11.25 3 By these they bear and fence off from themselves the blow of the Word and of their own Considences if at any time the Word come close to a poor Sinner and Conscience chargeth him home with his prophane and scandalous living if he can but say this to himself Why are there not such and such of great Professions that doe as I doe live as I live are as bad as I am a man will so shrowd and shelter himself under this that though the Word come ever so close to him and Conscience charge ever so home yee neither shall reach him hee lies in this opinion as in a Bulwark and from it repells whatever assaults are made upon him Now what a fearful judgement is it for a man to bee Word-proof Sermon-proof Conscience-proof that neither the Word nor his Conscience can reach him yet as woful and common experience teacheth thus it befalls poor Sinners in the world through offences offences falling upon their hearts makes their hearts so brawny and hard that nothing will pierce them 4 By these they are emboldned to a neglect of and an opposition unto those very things whereupon their eternal Salvation depends A neglect of Christ and an opposing heart to the things of Christ is the general Disease of the World yet you shall observe it where the Word is powerfully preached and men sit under it there men guilty of such neglects do oft under the same meet with gripes and throbs c. and though they have an opposing heart in them yet from the convincement they have of the goodness of the ways of God which they see and hear discovered and the badness of their own they durst not for their ears break forth into open opposition but now when offences arise then they are emboldned to a neglect of the most concerning things for now think they surely there is not that necessity of these and these things as wee have thought and are made to beleeve for were there certainly such as follow after them would never doe thus and thus or if the worst come we shall speed as well as they and from such a conceit drunk in now they are bold who before durst not to scoff at and oppose the things of Christ and their own salvation now what a sad and heavie judgement is this for a man or woman to bee made bold in neglecting Christ and salvation bold in opposing the means of Grace that now hee can do it without fear or remorse this comes in upon the world by Offences 5 By these they are confirmed and hardned in their own wayes of sin Nothing doth more confirm and settle a man in his own way and opinion whatsoever the same bee than this to set a man of a contrary way or opinion to come up to his Now when the sinners of the world see the Saints of God coming up to their waies now they begin to think well of their own wayes which perhaps before they were suspicious of and to applaud them as the only wayes for say they Do you not see that such and such who would seem to walk in contrary wayes yet come up to us what need wee doubt of our wayes or call them in question when as they themselves that speak against them and would seem to walk in contrary wayes yet come and walk in them were not our wayes good wayes they would not The prophane Drunkard when a man of profession will come into the Alehouse and there sit and bowse and tipple it with him certainly saith hee My way is a good way Now what a fearful judgement is this upon a man when a man is in the high way to hell and riding gallop thither and yet is confirmed in his way that it is a good way that all the world cannot perswade him out of it 6 And lastly By these the world are brought to blaspheme the good and right wayes of God as they are hereby confirmed in their own wayes so also they come to blaspheme Gods wyes for laying the fault of those that walk in it upon the way they call Gods wayes a deceitful way a hypocritical way a way that makes those that walk in it hypocrites and dissemblers Thus the dust and dirt that some mens corruptions who walk in Gods way raise the world in a blasphemous way retort the same upon the way of God Therefore after Davids fall Nathan comes to him and tells him That by this hee had given occasion to the Enemies of God to blaspheme Now what a sore judgement is this upon a man when he is arrived to that height of impiety as to throw the dirt and mire of mens corruptions in the face of God himself and upon his spotless wayes yet this poor sinners are brought to by Offences Lay all together and see what a heavy wofull judgement OFFENCES are upon the world well might Christ say Wo to the world It is said Rev. 12.12 Wo to the Inhabitants of the earth for the Devil is