did to the King before he opened his mouth to give the sense of his Ominous Dream Dan. 4 19. The Dream be to them that hate thee and the Interpretation to thine enemies yet shall I not wish so much ill to our worst enemies but the Text be to them that hate God and the Interpretation only to the enemies and despisers or despitors of his grace It is one of the most startling Scriptures in all the Bible and one of the most Terrible flying fiery Roules in all the Book of God utterly consuming the house of the hypocrite Apostate with the timber thereof and the stones thereof and dreadfully affrighting his truly Religious neighbour who trembleth at Gods Word The Novatians or Cathari abused this place of old Gen. 40. to shut the Church-doors and gate of grace upon such as had fallen after their profession of Christianity And many poor souls and troubled consciences have as often quite perverted or misunderstood it to the shutting up the gate of heaven and door of hope against themselves after their bitterly bewail'd falls or slips but both unjustly But as Josephs Interpretation once of the same nights dream when rightly applyed did rid the Butler out of his misapprehended fears and onely left the more secure Baker under that execution which the other apprehended but himself never dreamt of so neither this nor any other Scripture speaks a word of terror to any sin-troubled soul that trembles at Gods threats But all the Prophets Prophesie good with one consent to these and my word shall be like one of theirs It was indeed once a joyfull sight which Jacob beheld at Bethel Gen 28.12 A ladder whose foot stood on the earth and the top reached to heaven and Angels ascending and descending upon it But here we see a Ladder whose top spires toward heaven but the foot resteth in hell where seeming Angels of light ascend or such new strange Gods ascend as the Witch once saw out of the earth but black Apostate Angels descend Intrat Angelus Exit daemon 1 Sam. 28.13 I am to speak of the Case of Relapses and my Text is the fairest glass to discover so foul a sight as I know Here we have the rise and fall the first and the last the better and worse part of an Apostate-hypocrite described 1. The former his Rise his first and Better part set out in five Particulars 1. Enlightening 2. Tasting the heavenly gift as of some common faith or repentance or the like 3. Partaking of the Holy Ghost which is not to be understood of the sanctifying graces of the Holy Ghost but the common or extraordinary gifts as of Tongues c. of the sanctifying Spirit 4. Tasting the good word of God 5. And the powers of the life to come He saith not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ut cum edificium male sartum prorsus corruit Paroe in loc Had they had to these five steps two other more sincerity at the bottom of the Ladder and perseverance at the top they had been safe 2. The later his fall his last and worse part is set out in four Things 1. His fall is a break-neck fatal down-fall They fall away It is not an ordinary slip or stumble but a down-right not fair fall but a foul given them by Satan such a fall as his own was at first 2. The irrecoverableness of that fall they are past grace and grace and mercy hath done with them They cannot be renewed to repentance as is said of Esau there is no place for their repentance though he sought for the blessing with tears Heb. 12.17 3. The certainty of that irrecoverableness in that it is said to be impossible c. he doth not say it is hard or unlikely or seldom seen but is absolutely impossible 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it was never seen or ever shall be Impossible not so much ex natura rei as some things are utterly impossible which imply a contradiction as that true should be false good evil light darkness these impossible because inconsistent with the nature of the things themselves But impossible ex instituto Dei because inconsistent with Gods decree and declared will as impossible as we say An elect or true believer should perish or an impenitent person be saved so we mean impossible by reason of Gods irreversible decree concerning such 4. The cause that makes all this dead-sure and seals the stone of this certainty Seeing they crucifie to themselves afresh the Son of God and put him to open shame and make no account of the bloud of Christ and the grace and promise of the Gospel and of the comfort of the Holy Ghost and are therefore said to sin against the Holy Ghost because they directly slight resist and oppose the gracious office and workings of the holy Spirit But I must stay no longer upon the words by reason of that brevity expected in this Exercise Doct. Our Observation is It is the most fearful and dangerous condition in the world to begin in the Spirit and end in the Flesh to rise and fall in Religion to decay and Apostatize from grace To have had some work of the Spirit and the Word upon their hearts so as to have light and love and taste and gifts and savour and seriousness and hopes and fears and after all to cool and give over Oh how desperate is such a case To go to hell with so much of heaven Oh what a hell is that Heb. 10.26 27. For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth there remaineth no more sacrifice for sin But a certain fearfull looking for of judgâ—ment c. 2 Pet 2.20 21 22. For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ they are again intangled therein and overcome the latter end is worse with them then the beginning for it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness then after they have known to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them c. Such a thing there may be possibly the Text supposeth it that such may fall and fall away totally and finally only pronounceth an impossibility of their rising again Some are said to fall from grace Gal. 5.4 the stony and thâ—rny ground did so in a parable Demas Judas Saul Hymenaeus did so in good earnest A great Apostacy was foretold in the first days to let in Antichrist 2 Thes 2.3 And in the reign of Antichrist more 1 Tim 4.1 all are warned Let him that standeth take heed lest he fall 1 Cor. 10.12 Heb. 12.15 Look diligently lest any fail of or fall from the grace of God Some of Johns hearers after a while left him Joh. 5.35 Many of our Saviours hearers quite left him Joh. 6.66 Many of Pauls supposed converts were turned away all they of Asia 2
great the great advantage which all these outward things have against us is their suitablenesse to our senses for though believers are said to live by faith Heb. 10.38 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yet the best of men have had something to witnesse they were but men of like passions as 't was said of Elias James 5.17 but Christ is all to free us from these dangers Joh. 16.33 Be of good cheer I have overcome the world He hath overcome it for us and in some measure in us 2. Christ is All to fill the souls of believers with all that good which may capacitate and qualifie them for happinesse it is the decree of Heaven that none be admitted into glory but those oâ— whom God hath wrought the truth of grace Heaven must first be brought down into our souls before our souls are capable of ascending up thither we must first be made meet before we can partake of that inheritance of the Saints in light Col. 1.12 with Ephes 5.5 we are by nature unmeet because we are carnall and earthly and should God dispence with his own decree and open so wide a door unto Heaven and happinesse as to let in carnall and sensuall persons Heaven would be no Heaven unto such carnall hearts can never rellish the sweetnesse of spirituall enjoyments Rom. 8.6 7. Philosophers observe that all delight arises from a suitablenesse betwixt the person and the object What is the reason of that diversity of delights which is among the children of men that which is one mans joy is another mans grief and that which is one mans pleasure is another mans pain the onely reason is because of the diversity of tempers and dispositions Some there be of such a bruitish and swinish temper that nothing is so pleasing unto them as wallowing in the mire of their sensualities others again of so refined a temper that they esteem these sensuall pleasures very low and much beneath them but still every mans delight is according to his temper and disposition and therefore Heaven would be so farre from being a Heaven unto such that it would be a kind of hell to them for as delight arises from an harmony betwixt the person and the object so all kind of torment from an unsuitablenesse and contrariety hence is it that although God vouchsafes us something of Heaven here on earth viz. in his Ordinances yet to unheavenly hearts every thing of this nature is a taedium a burden When will the new Moon be gone that we may sell Corn and the Sabbath that we may set forth wheat c. Amos 8.5 Aelian reports of one Nicostratus who being a skilfull Artificer and finding a curious piece of Art was so much taken therewith that a spectator beholding him so intent in viewing the workmanship asked him what pleasure he could take in gazing so long upon such an object he answers hadst thou my eyes thou wouldst be as much ravished as I am So may we say of carnall persons had they the hearts and dispositions of believers they would be as much delighted with all means of communion with God as they are and account that their priviledge which now they esteem their vexation the Greeks tell us that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 good is derived 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from calling because all good is of an attractive and magnetick nature to draw forth and call our affections after it but yet 't is not the intrinsecall excellency of any object that renders it taking with us but our affections are accordingly exercised upon all kind of objects as representations are of those objects from the understanding for 't is the understanding which sits at the stern of the soul that is the primum mobile the master-wheel that puts the affections as so many lesser wheeles upon motion therefore unlesse our judgements be both enlightned and sanctified we can never approve the things that are excellent Naturalists observe that though the Loadstone hath an attractive virtue to draw Iron to it yet it cannot exercise that virtue upon Iron that 's rusty Ignorance is the rust of the soul that blunts the edge of our affections to whatsoever is spiritually good there must be therefore some kind of suitablenesse and harmony betwixt our souls and heavenly mercies before we are capable of tasting the sweetnesse of them Now Christ is all to believers in this respect also 't is from his fullnesse they receive and grace for grace Joh. 1.16 That we have any thing of grace it is from him and that we have such a degree or measure of grace it is from him I am come that they might have life and that they might have it more abundantly Joh. 10.10 the essence and the aboundance are both from him All those miracles which Christ wrought in the dayes of his flesh upon the bodies of poor creatures Ephes 5.8 Ephes 2.5 1â— in restoring sight to the blind speech to the dumb life to the dead all these does Christ work over again upon the souls of them whom he prepares for Heaven 3. Christ is All to fill all Ordinances with power and efficacy these are the means of salvation and through his concurrence effectuall means as they are his institutions we are under an obligation of using them and as they have the promise of his presence Matth. 28 20. Matth. 18.20 we are warranted in our expectations of benefit from them but yet Ordinances are but empty pipes but dry breasts unless Christ be pleased to fill them who filleth all in all Ephes 1.23 That there should be such a might and efficacy in things so weak such miraculous and strange effects by means so inconsiderable that the foolishnesse of preaching should be powerfull to salvation 't is because it is not man but God that speaks Joh. 5.25 The hour is coming and now is when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God and they that hear shall live Look upon Ordinances in themselves and so they are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 things that are not but as they are accompanied with the power of Christ so so they bring to nought things that are 1 Cor. 1.28 'T is he who in Baptisme baptises with the Holy Ghost and with fire Matth. 3.11 'T is he in preaching the Word speaks not onely to the ear but to the heart Luk. 24.32 Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked with us by the way and while he opened to us the Scriptures In a word Christ is all in every Ordinance in respect of efficacy while the Disciples fished alone they caught nothing but when Christ is with them the draught of fishes is so great they are scarce able to draw it Joh. 21.3 6. 4. Christ is All to sill every condition with comfort the best of conditions is not good without him nor is the worst bad with him Vbi bene sine te aut ubi maâ—e cum te Bern. Alexander accounted himself
the man that hath his quiver full of such artillery whose conscience is rich in these Memoirs Store thy mind with this sacred treasure Mat. 13.52 that as a Scribe instructed for the Kingdome of heaven thou mayest upon all occasions bring forth out of thy treasure things new and old Hold such Scriptures as are point-blanck contrary to the Temptation before thy conscience if it would turn away compell it to look upon them and think I am Gods creature I must obey him Did ever any rebell against him and prosper Terence eine ego ut adverser Is it wisely done of me to resist my Maker to try which is strongest a poor worme or the Almighty God And if the love of Gods commands will not constrain thee let the terrors the thunders and lightnings of his threats perswade thee which are all levelled against wilfull sinners And it is not safe standing surely in the very Canons mouth Peruse those two Scriptures and tremble to venture on any known breach of the Law of thy God Deut. 28.58 Isa 45 9. Rule 3 If all this effect nothing then draw the Curtain take off the vaile from before thy heart and let it behold the God that searcheth it Jer. 17.10 Heb. 4.13 Shew it the Majesty of the Lord see how that is described Isa 6.1 2 3. Ask thy soul whether it sees the living God that seeth it Whether it is aware whose eye looks on Gen. 16.13 14. Whether it hath no respect for God himself who stands by and whose pure and glorious eyes Hab. 1.13 pierce through and through thee Tell thy heart again and again that God will not be mocked that he is a God of knowledge 1 Sam. 2.3 and by him actions are weighed that he is a jealous God too and will by no meanes clear the guilty Bid it consider well and look to it self for God will bring to light every hidden thing of dishonesty he that now sees will judge it Speak to thy unruly lusts as the Town-Clerk of Ephesus wisely did to the mutinous Citizens Acts 19 40. Sirs we are in danger to be called in question for this dayes uproar there being no cause whereby we may give an account of this tumult Rule 4 If these great reall arguments be slighted try whether an argument ad hominem drawn from sense will prevail Awe thy lusts then with the bitternesse of thine own experience Consider how often thou hast rued their disorders what dismall consequences have followed upon their transports and how dearly thou hast paid heretofore for thy connivance at them Bethink thy self on such a fashion as this T'other day I was angry and behaved my self uncomely put the whole company or family out of order disobliged such a dear and faithful friend by my rashness and folly in uttering hasty words before I weighed them O how did I repent me afterwards how shamed and abashed and confounded was I when I came to my self So at another time thus and thus I miscarried my self and these are the fruits and cursed effects of my yielding to the beginnings of sinne and shall I go now and repeat my madnesse Had I not smart enough for my folly before but must I needs play the fool and the beast again Ask thy self what thou ailest to forget all the sighes and groans and bitter tears that thy lust hath already cost thee and yet would the impudent sin be committed once more 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 where are thy wits man Theoret in Cyclop if thou goest about it Sic notus Vlysses Was it so sweet a thing to lye under the horror and agony of a wounded conscience and under Gods rebukes in secret the last time that thou must needs venture again Why wilt thou hurt thy soule and become a Devil to thy self Why wilt thou needs break thy peace by consenting to sin and not only so but torment thy self and kindle a hell in thine own bosome and all this in despight of all thy warnings Ictus Piscator sapit the burnt child dreads the fire But it seems thou art in love with misery and weary of thy joy and comfort Thou hast a mind to be cursed wretchedness and woe and death are it seemeth grown so amiable in thine eyes as to become thy deliberate choise Thus upbraid thy self and do it so long and loud till thou fetchest thy soul again to it self out of that swoon and lethargy which besotteth it Give not over chiding and reproaching thy self till thou makest thy heart sensible and considerate Labour to cure thy lustings and affections in the first beginning of Rule 5 their disorders by Revulsion by drawing the stream and tide another way As Physitians stop an an Haemorragic or bleeding at the Nose by breathing the basilique vein in the arm or opening the Saphaena in the foot so may we check our carnal affections by turning them into spiritual ones and those eâ—ther 1 Of the same nature Ex. gr Catch thy worldly sorrow at the rise and turn thy mourning into godly sorrow If thou must needs weep weep for some what that deserves it Be the occasion of thy grief what it will losse of estate relations c. I am sure thy sins are a juster occasion for they brought that occasion of mourning upon thee be it what it will that thou art now in tears for Art thou troubled at any danger full of fears heart-aking and confusion O forget not the Mother-evill sinne let that have but it's due share and there will not be much left to spare of these affections for other things Is thy desire thy love thy joy too busy about some earthly trifle some temporall good thing Pray them to look up a little and behold thy God who is altogether lovely in whose presence is fulnesse of joy and at whose right hand are pleasures for evermore Psal 16.11 and let everlasting shame stop thy mouth if thou darest affirme any thing in this wretched world worthy to be named once with the living God for Rivalship and competition in thy heart a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Max. Tyr. dissert 1. sure I am he is the fountain and measure of all goodnesse Let but the first and soveraign Good have its due of thy love and desire thy delight and joy and the remainder will be little enough for thy creature-comforts Oh how great a folly is it to dote on husks and overlook the bread in thy fathers house Jer. 2.12 13. 2 Turn thy carnall affections into spirituall ones of a contrary nature Ex. gr Allay thy worldly sorrow by spiritual joy Try whether there be not enough in Alsufficiency it self to compensate the loss of any outward enjoyment whether there wil be any great miss or want of a broken Cistern when thou art at the fountain head of living waters whether the light of the Sun cannot make amends for the expiring of a candle Chastise thy carnall fears by hope in God Set on work