Religion it being a more base thing to be alwaies begging of God but it argueth a more noble raised and elevated spirit to bee disposed to praise God And it is an argument of lesse selfe-love and respect being therefore more gainefull to us Yea it is a more noble and royall disposition fit for Spirituall Kings and Priests thus to Sacrifice Againe 4. Because wee have more cause to give thanks then to pray indeed we have more cause to praise God then to pray having many things to praise him for which wee never praied for Who ever prayed for his election care of Parents in our infancy their affection to us care to breed and traine us to yeares of discretion besides those many favours daily heaped upon us above all that we are able to think or speake Therefore Praise being a more large Sacrifice then Prayer wee ought to be abundant in it For those that begin not Heaven upon earth of which this praise is a maine function they shall never come to Heaven after they are taken from the earth for there is no heavenly action but it is begun upon earth especially this maine one of joyning with Angels Seraphims and Cherubims in landing God Shall they praise him on our behalfe and shall not wee for our owne We see the Quire of Angels when Christ was borne sang Luke 2.14 Glory bee to God on high on earth Peace and good will towards men What was this for Because Christ the Saviour of the world was borne whereby they shew that we have more benefit by it then they Therefore if we would ever joyne with them in Heaven let us joyne with them upon Earth for this is one of the great priviledges mentioned by the Author to the Hebrewes unto which we be come too Communion with the spirits of just men made perfect Heb. 12.22 and to the company of innumerable Angels we cannot better shew that we are come to that blessed estate and Society spoken of then by praising God 5. Praising brings joy And lastly If we be much in praising God wee shall bee much in joy which easeth miserie for a man can never be miserable that can be joyfull and a man is alway joyfull when hee is thankfull When one is joyfull and cheerefull what misery can lie upon him Therefore it is a wondrous helpe in misery to stirre up the heart to this spirituall Sacrifice of Thankesgiving by all arguments meanes and occasions Our hearts are Temples and we are Priests we should alway therfore have this light Incense burning in our hearts as the fire did alway burne on the Altar in Moses time that wee may have these spirituall Sacrifices to offer continually Where this is not the heart of that man or woman is like the abhomination of desolation Dan. 12.11 which when the daily Sacrifice was taken away was set up in the Temple And certainely where there is not praising of God the heart is an abhomination of desolation having nothing in it save monsters of base lusts and earthly affections But how shall wee know that God accepts these Sacrifices of Praise Quest How did hee witnesse the acceptation of those Sacrifices under the old Law Answ How to know when our Thankesgiving is accepted by fire from Heaven this was ordinary with them So if we finde our hearts warme cheared and incouraged with joy peace and comfort in praising God this is as it were a witnesse by fire from Heaven that our Sacrifices are accepted Let this now said be effectuall to stirre you up to this excellent and usefull duty of Thankesgiving without multiplying of more Arguments save to put you in minde of this Psal 37.4 that as we are exhorted to delight our selves in the Lord one way among the rest to doe it is to serve him with cheerefullnesse it is an excellent thing to make us delight in God who loves a cheerefull giver and Thankesgiver So will wee render the Calves of our lips But to proceed After this their solemne Covenant and promise of yeelding Praise to God that if he would forgive all their sinnes and doe good to them then he should have the best they could doe to him againe Praise Here is A Promise of new Obedience which hath two Branches 1. A Renunciation of the ill courses they took before Ashur shall not save us wee will not ride upon Horses neither will wee say any more to the workes of our hands ye are our gods 2. Then there is a Positive duty implied in these words For in thee the Fatherlesse findeth mercy Whereof the one springs from the other Ashur shall not save us wee will not ride upon Horses neither will we say any more to the workes of our hands ye are our gods Whence comes all these for in thee the Fatherlesse findeth mercy Thou shalt be our Rock our Trust our Confidence for ever what will follow upon this Ashur shall not save us any longer we will not ride upon Horses c. for we have pitched and placed our confidence better on him in whom the Fatherlesse findeth mercy Ashur shall not save us The Confidence which this people had placed partly in Ashur their friends and associates and partly in their owne strength at home now promising Repentance they renounce all such confidence in Ashur Horses and Idols Ashur shall not save us c. First for this Ashur shall not save us that is the Assyrians whom they had on the one side and the Aegyptians on the other it being as we see in the Prophecies of Isay and Ieremie ordinary with Gods people in any distresse to have recourse to the Assyrians or Aegyptians as if God had not beene sufficient to be their Rock and their shield Wee see how often the Lord complaines of this manner of dealing Isay 30.2 31.1 Woe unto them that goe downe into Aegypt for helpe and stay on horses and trust in chariots because they are many c. The Prophets and so this Prophet are very full of such complaints It being one of the cheefe arguments he presseth their falsenesse in this that in any feare or perill they ran to the shelter of other Nations especially these two Aegypt and Assyria as you have it Chap. 12.1 Ephraim feedeth on wind and followeth after the East winde hee daily increaseth lies and desolation and they doe make a Covenant with the Assyrians and oile is carried into Aegypt that is Balme who had this priviledge above all other nations to abound in pretious Balmes which balme and oile they carried for a present into Aegypt to win their favour against the Assyrians Sometimes they relied on the one and sometimes on the other the story and causes whereof were too tedious to relate wherefore I come to the usefull points arising hence Ashur shall not save us 1. That man naturally is prone to put confidence in the creature 2. That the creature is unsufficient and unable to yeeld
all favours as blessed Peter begins his Epistle Blessed bee the God and Father of our Lord Iesus Christ 1 Pet. 1.3 which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us againe unto a lively hope by the Resurrection of Iesus Christ from the dead to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that fadeth not away reserved in heaven for you c. As soone as we are new borne wee are begotten to a Kingdome and an Inheritance therefore assurance that we are Gods children will make us thankfull for grace present and that to come as if we were in Heaven already we begin then the imployment of Heaven in thankesgiving here to praise God before hand with Cherubines and Angels Let us then be stirred up to give God his due before hand to begin Heaven upon Earth for wee are so much in heaven already as we abound and are conversant in thanksgiving upon earth The end of the second Sermon THE THIRD SERMON HOS 14.2 3. So will we render the Calves of our lips Ashur shall not save us we will not ride upon horses neither will we say any more to the works of our hands ye are our gods for in thee the Fatherlesse findeth mercy THE words as wee heard heretofore containe a most sweet and excellent forme of Returning unto God for miserable lost and forlorne sinners wherein so farre God discovers his willingnesse to have his people returne unto him that he dictates unto them a forme of prayer Take with you words and turne to the Lord say unto him Take away iniquity Wherein wee see how detestation of sin must be as generall as the desire of pardon and that none heartily pray to God to Take away all iniquity who have not grace truly to hate all iniquity And doe good to us or doe gratiously to us for there is no good to us till sin be remooved though God bee goodnesse it selfe there is no provoking or meriting cause of mercy in us but he findes cause from his owne gratious nature and bowels of mercy to pitie his poore people and servants It is his nature to shew mercy as the fire to burne a spring to runne the Sun to shine Therefore it is easily done as the Prophet speakes Who is a God like unto thee Micah 7.18 Where we came to speake of the Restipulation So will wee render the Calves of our lips where Gods favour shines there will be a reflection love is not idle but a working thing it must render or die and what doth it render divers Sacrifices of the New Testament which I spoke of that of a broken heart of Christ offered to the Father to stand betwixt Gods wrath and us our selves as a living Sacrifice Almes-deeds and praise which must bee with the whole inward powers of the soule Praise is not comely in the mouth of a foole saith the Wiseman nor of a wicked man as Psal 50.16 17. saith God to such What hast thou to doe to take my words in thy mouth since thou hatest to bee reformed and hast cast my words behind the There are a company who are ordinary swearers and filthy speakers for them to praise God James 3.10 Iames tells them that these contrarie streames cannot flow out of a good heart O no God requires not the praise of such fooles I gave you also some Directions how to praise God and to stirre up your selves to this most excellent duty which I will not insist on now but add a litle unto that I then delivered which is To take advantages of our disposition James 5.13 That we must watch all advantages of praising God from our dispositions Is any merrie let him sing saith Iames O it is a great point of wisedome to take advantages with the streame of our temper to praise God When he doth incourage us by his favours and blessings and inlarge our spirits then we are in a right temper to blesse him let us not loose the occasion This is one Branch of redeeming of time to observe what state and temper of soule wee are in to take advantage from thence Is any man in heavinesse he is fit to mourne for sin let him take the opportunity of that temper Is any disposed to cheerefullnesse let him sacrifice that marrow oyle and sweetnesse of spirit to God We see the poore birds in the spring-time when those little spirits they have are cherished with the Sun-beames how they expresse it in singing so when God warmes us with his favours let him have the praise of all A censure of those who take the advantage of Gods blessings to feed their lusts And here I cannot but take up a lamentation of the horrible ingratitude of men who are so farre from taking advantage by Gods blessings to praise him that they fight like Rebels against him with his owne favours Those tongues which he hath given them for his glory they abuse to pierce him with blasphemie and those other benefits of his lent them to honour him with they turne to his dishonour like children who importunately aske for divers things which when they have they throw them to the dog So favours they will have which when they have obtained they give them to the divell unto whom they sacrifice their strength and cheerefullnesse and cannot be merrie unlesse they be madd and sinnefull Are these things to be tolerated in these daies of light How few shall wee finde who in a temper of mirth turne it the right way Incouragement to Praise God But to add some incouragements to incite us to praise God 1. We honour him by it unto the former I beseech you let this be one That we honour God by it it is a well-pleasing Sacrifice to him If wee would studie to please him we cannot do it better then by praising him 2. It is the most gainefull trading And it is a gainefull trading with God for in bestowing his seed where he findes there is improovement in a good soyle with such a sanctified disposition as to blesse him upon all occasions that there comes not a good thought a good motion in the minde but we blesse God who hath injected such a good thought in our heart there I say God delights to shower downe more and more blessings making us fruitfull in every good worke to the praise of his Name Sometimes we shall have holy and gratious persons make a law that no good or holy motion shall come into their hearts which they will not be thankfull for O when God seeth a heart so excellently disposed how doth it inrich the soule It is a gainefull trade As we delight to bestow our seed in soyles of great increase which yeeld sixtie and an hundred fold if possible so God delights in a disposition inclined to blesse him upon all occasions on whom he multiplies his favours And then in it selfe 3. It is a most noble act of Religion it is a most noble act of
he hath union with Christ His life is hid with God in Christ Coloss 3 3 4. who when hee shall appeare he shall appeare with him likewise in glory Therefore if Christ be firme the estate of a Christian must needs be firme For he is a Cedar another man is as grasse or corne upon the house top Isa 40.6 All flesh is grasse saith the Prophet Object I but they have wit and memory and parts c. yet they are but as the flower of the grasse perhaps better then ordinary grasse but the grasse withereth and the flower fadeth what continueth then O the word of the Lord and comfort and grace by that word endures for ever and makes us endure for ever This is excellently set downe by the Prophet David Psal 1.3 we see there the righteous man is compared to a tree planted by the water side his leafe failes not So a Christian is planted in Christ he is still on the growing hand and his leafe shall not wither Those who are planted in the house of the Lord Psal 92.13 shall flourish in the Courts of our God They shall still bring fruit in their old age they shall be fat and flourishing they shall grow like a Cedar in Lebanon Vse 1 A comfort from the firmnesse of our condition This cleere difference should stirre us up to be comforted in our condition which is firme and stable Why doe we value christall above glasse Because it is brighter and of more continuance Why doe we value continuing things inheritances above annuities Because they continue If by the strength of our discourse we value things answerable to their lasting why should we not value the best things our estate in grace this is a lasting condition for a Christian is like a Cedar that is rooted and takes deeper and deeper roote and never leaves growing till he grow to Heaven Hee shall cast forth his Rootes as Lebanon Vse 2 Againe let all them make Use of it that find not the worke of grace upon their hearts O! let them consider what a fading condition they are in they thinke they can doe great matters perhaps they have a destructive power they labour to doe mischiefe to crush whom they will in this world But what is all this we see what the Psalmist saith of a Doeg a cursed man who had a destroying power Why boastest thou thy selfe in mischiefe O mighty man Psal 52.1 the goodnesse of God endureth continually Why boastest thou thy selfe that thou canst doe mischiefe and overturne Gods people c. Know this that the good-will of God continues Boast not thy selfe thy tongue devisest mischiefe as a sharpe razor God shall destroy thee forever He shall cast hee away and pull thee out of thy dwelling and roote thee out of the land of the living Those men that rejoyce in a destructive power in their ability to do mischiefe and exercising of that ability all they can they shall be pluckt out of their place and rooted out of the land of the living And as it is in Iob Job 27.21 they shall be hurled away as a man hurles a stone out of a sling Then what shall the righteous say they shall see and feare and say Loe this is the man that made not God his strength Psal 52.7 but trusted in the aboundance of his riches and strengthened himselfe in wickednesse He thought to roote himselfe so fast that he should never be remooved but at the last it shall come to passe that all that see him shall say loe see what is become of him this is the man that trusted in his riches and made not God his strength what is become of him saith David of himself I am like a greene Olive tree in the house of God Psal 52.8 I trust in the mercy of God for ever and ever Let them trust if they will in Riches Power Strength and Favour with Saul and great men yet notwithstanding be Doeg what he will I shall be a green Olive planted in the house of God c. So here is a double use the Scripture makes of these things 1. The godly man rejoyceth in his condition and 2. Other men feare and grow wise not to trust to their fading condition They are as the Prophet speakes as a bay tree that flourishes for a time Psal 37.35 and then after come to nothing their place is no where found They keepe a great deale of doe in the world for a time but afterwards where is such a one their place is no where found no where comfortably they have a place in Hell but comfortably a place no where This is the estate of all those who have not a good roote for saith Christ Mat. 15.13 Every plant that my heavenly Father hath not planted shall be rooted up It is true of every condition and of every man if God have not planted him in that excellent state or doe not in time he shall be rooted up for the time will come that the earth will hold him no longer he rootes himselfe now in the earth which then shall cast him out He cannot stay here long Heaven will not receive him then Hell must What a miserable thing is this when wee place and bottome our selves upon things that will not last when our selves shall out-last our foundation when a man shall live for ever and that which he builds on is fading what extreamitie of folly is this to build on Riches Favour Greatnesse Power Inheritance which either must be taken from him or he from them he knoweth not how soone What makes a man miserable but the disappointing of his hopes and crossing of his affections now when a man pitcheth his soule to much upon his worldly things from which there must be a parting this is as if it were the rending of the skinne from the flesh and the flesh from the bones when a mans soule is rent from that he pitcheth his happinesse on this maketh a man miserable for misery is in disappointing the hopes and crossing the affections Now onely a Christian plants his heart and affections on that which is everlasting of equall continuance with his soule as he shall live for ever so hee is rooted for ever in that which must make him everlastingly happy These things wee heare and they are undeniable true but how few make use of them to desist from going on in a plodding swelling desire of an earthly condition to over-top other men such labour to grow in taulenesse and height but strive not to be rooted Now that which growes perking up in height over-topping other things yet without roote what will become of it It will be turned up by the Rootes Now How shall we grow to be rooted How to be rooted in Grace For to attaine heereunto it is not onely necessary to apply the promises and challeng God with them but to consider also what wayes he will make then
the poorest creature that is which rendreth according to its receit The Earth when it is plowed and sowed it yeelds us fruit Trees being set yeeld increase Beasts being fed render in their kind yea the fiercest untamed Beasts Psal 19.10 as we reade of the Lyon have been thankfull in their kinde The Heavens saith the Psalmist declare the glory of God and the firmament shewes forth his Praise So there must be a Returne if we be not worse then beasts Therefore the Church here promiseth a Returne by the same Spirit which stirred her up to pray So will wee render the Calves of our lips Now this promise which the Church makes here of praise is a kinde of vow So will we render c. To binde ones selfe is a kinde of vow The Church therefore bindes her selfe that she may binde God for binding her selfe by vow to Thankfullnesse she thereby bindes God who is mooved with nothing wee can doe so much as with setting forth of his Praise which was his end in all the Creation the setting forth of his glory The end of the new Creature is the end of all things both in nature and grace the end whereof is Gods glory from whence all things come and wherein all things end as we say of a circle all things begin and ends in it All other things are for man and man for Gods glory when the soule can say Lord this shall be for thy honour to set forth thy praise it bindes God Hence that they might moove God to yeeld to their prayers they bind themselves by a kinde of vow Doe thus O Lord and thou shalt not loose by it thou shalt have praise So will wee render thee the Calves of our lips So Promises and vowes of praise are alleadged as an argument to prevaile with God for the obtaining of that the Church begs for So will wee render c. Not to enter into the common place of vowes onely this much I say that there is a good use of them to vow and promise Thankefullnesse when we would obtaine blessings from God That which a promise is to men that a vow is to God and usually they goe together in Scripture as Psal 132.2 It is said of David That hee vowed unto God and sware unto the mighty God of Iaakob So wee have all in Baptisme vowed a vow so that it is good to renew our vowes often especially that of new obedience and in this particular to vow unto him that wee will praise him and strive that his glory be no looser by us Helpes and use of vowes 1. To excite and quicken our dullnesse It is good thus to vow if it were but to excite and quicken our dullnesse and forgetfullnesse of our generall vow to put us in minde of our duty the more to oblige us to God and refresh our memories This bond that having promised now I must do it provokes the soule to it as it helpes the memory so it quickens the affections Besides as by nature wee are forgetfull 2. To be a bridle to our inconstancy so we are inconstant in which respect it is a tie to our inconstant and unsteady nature for there are none who have the Spirit of God at all with any tendernesse of heart but will thus thinke I have vowed to God if it be a heinous thing to break with men what is it wittingly and willingly to break with the great God a vow is a kinde of oath this is the sacrifice of fooles to come to God and yet neither to make good our vowes nor indeavour to doe it Let us consider therefore what we have done in this case By permission of authority there was a Fast lately when wee all renewed our vowes wee mocked God else received the Communion Will God be mocked thinke you No but howsoever man may forget God will not but will come upon us for non-paiment of our vowes and Covenants Lay we it to heart therefore what Covenants wee have made with God of late And then for the time to come be not discouraged if you have beene faulty in it There is a generall vow wherein though we have failed if wee bee his children and break not with God in the maine cleaving to him in purpose of heart occasionally renewing our purposes and Covenants yet let not Satan discourage us for our unfaithfullnesse therein but bee ashamed of it watch more looke better to it for the time to come and make use of the gratious Covenant and upon recoverie say with the Church So will we render the Calves of our lips It was the custome under the Jewish pollicie you know to offer sacrifices of all sorts But the Spirit of God speakes here of the Church of the Jewes under the New Testament especially what they should be after their Conversion having reference to the Jewes in Christs time and to the beleeving Jewes in all times implying this much howsoever not Legall sacrifices of Calves Bullocks Sheepe and Lambes yet the Calves of the lips which God likes better are acceptable to him And it likewise implies some humiliation of the Church Lord whatsoever else wee could offer unto thee it is thine owne though it were the beasts upon a thousand mountaines Psal 50. but this by thy grace we can doe to Praise thee For God must open and circumcise our lips and hearts before wee can offer him the Calves of our lips Thus much the poorest creature in the world may say to God Lord I will render thee the Calves of my lips other things I have not this I have by thy gratious Spirit a heart somewhat touched by the sense of thy favour therefore I will render thee the Calves of my lips that is Praise as the Apostle hath it Heb. 13.15 By him therefore let us offer the Sacrifice of praise to God continually that is the fruit of our lips giving thankes to his Name So will wee render thee the Calves of our lips Whence the point is Doct. That Gods children at all times have their Sacrifices There is indeed one kinde of Sacrificing determined and finished by the comming of Christ who was the last Sacrifice of propitiation for our sinnes The more to blame those who yet maintaine a daily Sacrifice not of laud and praise but of cozening and deluding the world in saying masse for the sinnes of the quick and the dead all such Sacrifices being finished and closed up in him our blessed Saviour who by one Sacrifice as the Apostle speakes hath perfected them that are sanctified and that Heb. 10.14 By one Sacrifice when he offered up himselfe Heb. 7.27 when all the the Jewish Sacrifices ended since which all ours are but a commemoration of Christs last Sacrifice as the Fathers say The Lords Supper with the rest Which remaine still and the Sacrifice of praise with a few others I desire to name First The Sacrifice of a broken heart 1. The Sacrifice
of broken heart whereof David speakes Psal 51.17 which Sacrifice of a wounded broken heart by the knife of Repentance pleaseth God wondrously well And then 2. A broken heart offering Christ A broken heart that offers Christ to God every day who though hee were offered once for all yet our beleeving in him and daily presenting his Attonement made for us is a new offering of him Christ is Crucified and Sacrificed for thee as oft as thou beleevest in Christ Crucified Now upon all occasions wee manifest our Beleefe in Christ to wash and bathe our selves in his blood who justifieth the ungodly so that upon a fresh sight of sinne with contrition for it hee continually justifieth us Thus when we Beleeve we offer him to God daily a broken heart first and then Christ with a broken heart 3. Our selves And then when wee beleeve in Christ wee offer and sacrifice our selves to God in which respect we must as it were be killed ere we be offered for wee may not offer our selves as we are in our lusts but as mortified and killed by Repentance Then we offer our selves to God as a reasonable and living sacrifice when wee offer our selves wholy unto him wit understanding judgement affections and indeavour as Paul saith of the Macedonians 2 Cor. 8.5 they gave themselves to God first and then their goods In summe it is that Sacrifice Paul speakes of Rom. 12.1 To present our bodies a living Sacrifice holy acceptable unto God c. for a Christian who beleeveth in the Lord Jesus is not his owne but sacrificeth himselfe to him that was Sacrificed for him As Christ is given to us so he that beleeves in Christ gives himselfe backe againe to Christ Hereby a man may know if he be a true Christian and that Christ is his if he yeelds up himselfe to God for Christ died and rose againe saith the Apostle that hee might be Lord both of quick and dead Therefore saith he whether we live or die we are not our owne what wee doe or suffer in the world in all we are Sacrificed so saith a sanctified soule my wit my will my life my good my affections are thine of thee I received them and I resigne all to thee as a Sacrifice Thus the Martyrs to seale the Truth as a Sacrifice yeelded up their blood He that hath not obtained of himselfe so much as to yeeld himselfe to God he knowes not what the Gospell meanes for Christian Religion is not onely to beleeve in Christ for forgivenesse of sinne but the same faith which takes this great benefit renders backe our selves in liew of Thankefullnesse So that whatsoever we have after we Beleeve we give all back againe Lord I have my life my will my wit and all from thee and to thee I returne all backe againe for when I gave my selfe to beleeve in thy deare Sonne I yeelded my selfe and all I have to thee and now having nothing but by thy gift if thou wilt have all I will returne all unto thee againe if thou wilt have my life my goods my liberty thou shalt have them This is the state of a Christian who hath denied himselfe for wee cannot beleeve as we should unlesse wee denie our selves Christianity is not altogether in beleeving this and that but the faith which mooves mee to beleeve Forgivenesse of sinnes carries us also unto God to yeeld all backe againe to him More especially 4. Almes-deeds among the Sacrifices of the New Testament are Almes as Heb. 13.16 To doe good and to communicate forget not for with such Sacrifices God is well pleased 5. The Sacrifice of Praise And among the rest The Sacrifice of Praise which is in the same Chapter ver 15. first hee saith by him that is by Christ let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually that is The fruit of our lips which is but an exposition of this place which because it is especially here intended I will a little inlarge my selfe in The Calves of our lips implies two things Not onely Thankefullnesse to God But glorifying of God in setting out his praise otherwise to thanke God for his goodnesse to us or for what wee hope to receive without glorifying of him is nothing at all worth For in glorifying there are two things 1. A supposition of Excellencie for that cannot be glorified which hath no excellencie in it glory in sublimity hath alway excellencie attending it And 2. The manifestation of this glory Now when all the excellencies of God as they are are discovered and set out his Wisedome Mercy Power Goodnesse All-sufficiencie c. then wee glorifie him To praise God for his favours to us and accordingly to glorifie him is The Calves of our lips but especially to praise him Whence the point is That the yeelding of praise to God is a wondrous acceptable Sacrifice Which is insteed of all the Sacrifices of the Old Testament then which the greatest can doe no more nor the least lesse for it is the sacrifice and fruit of the lips But to open it it is not meerely the sacrifice of our lips for the praise wee yeeld to God it must be begotten in the heart Hereupon the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 speech signifieth both Reason and Speech there being one word in the learned language for both Because speech is nothing but that streame which issues from the spring of reason and understanding therefore in Thankesgiving there must not be a lip-labour onely but a Thankesgiving from the lips first begotten in the heart comming from the inward man as Psal 103.1 The Prophet saith Blesse the Lord O my soule and all that is within mee blesse his holy Name Praise must come from a sound judgement of the worth of the thing we praise God for It must come from an affection which desires that God may have the glory by the powers of the whole inward man which is a hard matter to rouze up our selves to praise God with all the powers of our soule all that is within me praise his holy Name There goeth Judgement Resolution of the will strength of affections and all with it And then againe besides this The Calves of our lips carries us to worke The orall Thankesgiving must bee justified by our works and deeds or else our actions will give our tongue the lie that wee praise him with the one but denie him in the other This is a Sollocisme as if one should looke to the earth and cry O ye heavens so when we say God bee praised when yet our life speakes the contrary it is a dishonouring of God So the praise of our lips must be made good and justified by our life actions and conversation this wee must suppose for the full understanding of the words Wee will render from our hearts the Calves of our lips which we must make good in our lives and conversations ever to set forth thy praise in our whole life
goe beyond you and catch you in your owne craft Isa 30.3 Therefore the strength of Pharaoh shall be your shame and the trust in the shadow of Aegypt your confusion Thus God loves to scatter Babels Fabriques and Holds that are erected in confidence of humane strength against him Gen. 11.8 he delights to catch the wise in their owne craft to beat all downe lay all high imaginations and things flat before him that no flesh may glory in his sight There is to this purpose a notable place in Isay Behold all ye that kindle a fire Isa 55.11 that compasse your selves about with sparkes for they kindled a fire and had a light of their owne and would not borrow light from God Walke in the light of your fire and in the sparks that ye have kindled but what is the conclusion of all This shall ye have of mine hand I dare assure you of this saith the Prophet You shall lie downe in sorrow those that walke by the light and sparke of their owne fire this they shall have at Gods hands they shall lie downe in sorrow Danger of carnall confidence Let us therefore take heed of carnall confidence You have a number who love to sleepe in a whole skinne and will bee sure to take the safest courses as they thinke not consulting with God but with flesh and blood It might bee instanced in stories of former times how God hath crossed Emperours and great men in this kind were it not too tedious But for present instance you have many who will be of no setled Religion O they cannot tell there may be a change therefore they will be sure to offend neither part this is their policie and if they be in place they will reforme nothing O I shall lay my selfe open to advantages and stirre up enemies against me and so they will not trust God but have carnall devices to turne off all duty whatsoever It is an ordinary speech but very true Policie overthrowes Policie It is true of carnall Policie when a man goes by carnall rules to be governed by Gods enemy and his owne with his owne wit and understanding which leades him to outward things this kinde of Policie overthrowes all policie and outward government at length Those that walke Religiously and by Rule they walke most confidently and securely as the issue will shew Therefore consider that set God aside all is but vanity And that First In what respects the creature is so empty in regard they doe not yeeld that which we expect they should yeeld there is a falshood in the things 1. They deceive our expectation they promise this and that in shewes but when we possesse them they yeeld it not as they have no strength in deed so they deceive Then also There is a mutability in them 2. They are mutable for there is nothing in the world but changes there is a vanity of corruption in them all things at last come to an end save God 3. They are snares and battes unto us who is unchangeable Then againe besides the intrinsecall vanity in all outward things and whatsoever carnall reason leades unto They are snares and baites unto us to draw us away from God by reason of the vanity of our nature vainer then the things themselves therefore take heed of confidence in any thing or else this will be the issue wee shall bee worse then the things we trust Vanity of vanities Eccles 1.1 all things are vanity Psal 62.9 and man himselfe is lighter then vanity saith the Psalmist hee that trusts to vanity is worse then vanity a man cannot stare non stante stand on a thing that cannot stand it selfe a man cannot stand on a thing that is mutable and changeable if he doth hee is vaine with the thing Even as a picture drawne upon ice as the ice dissolves so the picture vanisheth away So it is with all confidence in the creature whatsoever it is like a picture upon ice which vanisheth with the things themselves He that stands upon a slippery thing slips with the thing hee stands on If there were no Word of God against it yet this much may be sufficient out of the Principles of Reason to shew the folly of trusting to Ashur and Horses and the like Let this be the end of all then touching this carnall confidence to beware that we doe not fasten our affections too much upon any earthly thing at home or abroad within or without our selves for God will destroy the wisedome of the wise 1 Cor. 1.19 let us take heed therefore of all false confidence whatsoever Let us use all outward helpes yet so as to relie upon God for his blessing in the use of all And when they all faile be of Iehoshaphats minde 2 Chron. 20.12 Lord wee know not what to doe the creature failes us our helpes faile us but our eyes are upon thee So when all outward Ashurs and Horses and helpes faile despaire not for the lesse helpe there is in the creature the more there is in God As Gideon with his Army Iudg. 7.2 when hee thought to carrie it away with multitude God told him there were too many of them to get the victory by least Israel should vaunt themselves of their number and so lessened the armie to three hundred So it is not the meanes but the blessing on the meanes which helpes us If we be never so low dispaire not let us make God ours who is All-sufficient and Almighty and then if wee were brought a hundred times lower then wee are God will helpe and raise us Those who labour not to have God the Lord of Hosts to goe out with their Armies if they had all the Ashurs Horses in the world all were in vaine It was therfore a good resolution of Moses saith he to God If thy presence go not with us Exod. 33.15 carrie us not hence he would not goe one step forward without God so if we cannot make God our friend to goe out before us in vaine it is to go one step forward Let us therefore double our care in holy duties renewing our Covenant with God before the decree come out against us the more religious the more secure we shall be If we had all the creatures in the world to help us what are they but vanity and nothing if God bee our enemy These things we know well enough for notion but let us labour to bring them home for use in these dangerous times abroad Let us begin where we should that our worke may bee especially in heaven Let us reforme our lives being moderately carefull as Christians should without tempting Gods providence using rightly all civill supports and helpes seasonably and to the best advantage for as was said the carelesnesse herein for defence may proove as dangerous and fatall to a state as the too much confidence and trust in them The end of the
he desires or would have As the observing carefull tender mother many times knowes what the child would have though it cannot speake so God he knowes the desires sighs and groanes of the heart when we cannot speake For sometimes there may be such a confusion upon the soule by reason of divers disturbances that it cannot expresse nor vent it selfe in wordes therefore the Spirit vents it selfe then in sighs and groanes which are heard and accepted because they are the desires of his owne Spirit This much the Prophet David excellently sheweth Psal 10.17 Lord thou hast heard the desire of the humble thou wilt prepare their heart thou wilt cause thine eare to heare God he first prepares the heart to pray then his eare to heare their prayers and desires If this will not incourage us to be much in suit to God and put up our petitions to him A strong motive to draw us before God in Prayer to labour for a spirit of prayer I know not what will prevaile when we know that no petition shall be turned backe againe unanswered When we are to deale with Princes upon earth they oftentimes regard neither the persons nor their petitions but turne their backes upon both O! but a Christian hath the care of God and Heaven open unto him such credit in Heaven that his desires and groanes are respected and heard And undoubtedly a man may know that he shall be heard when he hath a spirit of prayer in one kind or other though not in the particulars or kindes we aske heare he will for our good God will not loose the incense of his owne Spirit of a spirit of prayer which he stirs up it is so precious Therefore let us labour to have a spirit of prayer which God regards so much Seeing for a certaine wheresoever he gives a spirit of prayer he meanes to give that we pray for but according to his heavenly wisedome as here his answer is I will heale their Backesliding I will love them freely c. God answers them exactly unto all they praid for beginning first with the ground of all our comfort forgivenesse of sinnes According to their petition Take away all iniquity hee answers I will heale their backesliding or their rebellion Backesliding is an aggravation of sin every sinne is not a rebellion Apostasie or backsliding for their be also sinnes of infirmities we usually rancke sinnes thus in 1. Sinnes of Ignorance 2. Sinnes of Infirmitie 3. Sinnes against knowledge with a higher hand And 4. The Sinnes against the Holy Ghost Now this is more then to cure sinnes of Ignorance and of Infirmitie when he saith I will heale their backesliding Quest But why doth he answer the higher pitch of an aggravation when their petition was in a lower straine onely Take away all iniquity Answ To shew that he would answer them fully that is that he would heale all sinnes whatsoever not onely of Ignorance and of Infirmity but also sinnes willingly committed their rebellions and backeslidings For indeed they were backesliding from the time of Ieroboam that made the rent the ten tribes grew worse and worse continually so that they had beene utterly extinguished but that God was wondrous gratious to send them Prophets to preserve many that they should not bow the knee to Baall being mercifull to them to beare with their backesliding so long for besides their calves they had false gods they did not onely worship the true God in a false manner by the calves but they had Baals also So that we see God when he will comfort will comfort to purpose and take away all objections that the soule can make a guilty soule being full of objections Oh my sinnes are many great rebellions and Apostacies But be they what they will Gods mercy in Christ is greater and more I will heale their backesliding or their rebellion God is above conscience let Sathan terrifie the conscience as he will and let conscience speake the worst it can against it selfe yet God is greater Therfore let the sinne be what it will God will pardon all manner of sinnes as they pray to pardon all so he will take away all iniquity heale their backesliding but to come neerer the words I will heale c. The healing meant here is especially in the pardon of their sinnes answerable to their desires in justification And there is a healing also in sanctification by the Spirit when God takes away the venome from the wound then God cures in sanctification both are meant but especially the first In a wound we know there is 1. The malignity and venome of it and then 2. The wound it selfe so festered and rankled Now pardoning grace in justification takes away the anguish and malice of the wound so that it ceaseth to be so malignant and deadly as to kill or infect And then sanctification purgeth and cleanseth the wound and heales it up Now God through Christ doth both The blood of Christ doth heale the guilt of sinne which is the anger and malignity of it And by the Spirit of Christ he heales the wound it selfe and purgeth out the sicke and peccant humor by little and little through sanctification God is a perfect healer I will heale their backesliding See here the state of the Church and Children of God they are prone to backesliding and turning away That the state of the Church and Gods children is prone to backsliding we are naturally prone to decline further and further from God So the Church of God planted in a family in the beginning of the world how soone was it prone to backesliding this is one weakenesse since the fall it is incident to our nature to be unsetled and unsteady in our holy resolutions And whilst we live in the midst of temptations the world together with the sicklenesse of our own nature evill examples and Sathans perpetuall malice against God and the poore Church are ill Pilots to lead us out of the way This is spoken to make us carefull how to shunne Backesliding for we see how many opinions are foisted in amongst us and have got some head that durst not before once be named amongst us Popery spreads it selfe amaine even Churches are prone to backsliding Therefore S. Paules advice is Bee not high minded but feare Rom. 11.20.21 for if God spared not the naturall branches take heed least he also spare not thee What is become of Rome so the same will become of us if wee stop not our backeslidings Now in that Gods promise is I will heale their backeslidings observe in the first place That sinne is a wound and a disease Observ That sinne is a wound disease Now as in sicknesse there is 1. Griefe troubling and vexing the partie who feeles it and 2. Deformitie of the place affected which comes by wounds and weakenesses So in all sinne when wee are sensible of it there is first griefe vexation and torment of conscience and then
Lebanon IT was a good speech of S. Austin those that are to petition great persons they will obtaine some who are skilfull to frame their Petitions least by their unskillfullnesse they provoke Anger insteed of carrying away the benefit desired So it is here with Gods people being to deale with the great God and not being able to frame their owne petitions God as we heard before doth it for them and answers them gratiously with the same mercies which he had suggested them to aske his answer being exact to their petitions I will heale their backsliding I will love them freely c. wherein God exceeds all Physitians in the world whatsoever for they have nature to helpe them Physicke is the mid-wife of Nature helping it to doe that which it cannot doe of it selfe Physick can doe nothing to a dead man but God is so great a Physitian that hee first gives life and after that spirituall Life is in some degrees begun by little and little he heales more and more I will heale their backslidings We have an error crept in amongst some of the meaner ignorant sort of people who thinke that God sees no sinne when he hath once pardoned men in Justification who falsely smooth themselves in this wicked sensuall conceit thinke they can commit no sinne offensive to God as though God should frame such a Justification for men to blindfold him and cast dust as it were in his eyes or justifie men to make them loose and idle No it is false as appeareth by this place for how can God heale that he sees not He sees it not to be revenged on them for it but hee sees sinne to correct it and to heale it He sees it not after a revengefull wrathfull justice to cast us into Hell and damne us for it but he sees it after a sort to make us smart and lament for it and to have many times a bitter sense of his wrath and forsaking as men undone without a new supply of comfort and peace from Heaven Let a man neglect Sanctification daily sorrow and confession of sinne and now and then even craving new pardon for sinnes past casting all upon a fantasticke conceit of faith in their justification what followes but Pride Hardnesse of heart Contempt of others and neglect of better then themselves and pronenesse out of Gods judgement to fall from ill to worse from one error to another In this case the heart is false and deceitfull for whilst it pretends a glorious faith to looke back to Christ to live by faith and lay all on him by justification it windes it selfe out of all taskes of Religion sets the heart at liberty neglects Sanctification and Mortification of lusts and beautifying the image of God in them giving too much way to the flesh Therefore away with this false and selfe-conceited opinion which drawes poyson out of that which God speakes to confirme and stablish us That hee sees no iniquity in Iaakob c. Whence from these Hyperbolicall speeches they thinke that God seeth not that which we our selves see But hee heales our backslidings therefore hee sees them for how can he heale a wound if he see it not He sees it but not to their destruction who are freely justified by his grace But we will leave this point it being too much honour to them to spend time in confutation of it and will rather say unto it as Isay speakes of a menstruous cloth get thee hence Isa 30.22 Now as God is a most gratious God never weary of well doing and comforting his people because it is his nature to be mercifull So hee hath suteable expressions of it hee goes on with mercy upon mercy loving kindnesse upon loving kindnesse Hee had promised before I will heale their Backeslidings take in summe all their Apostacie all shall bee healed But this is not all hee answers all the accusations and doubts of Satan who is still objecting against us our unworthinesse miserie wretchednesse to have such favours conferred on such filthy creatures Therefore hee takes of all with this which followeth as they had prayed Receive us gratiously So the answer is full and suitable to their request I will love them freely Put case they out of conscience of their own guilt should see no worth in themselves or cause why they should bee respected yet I see reason in mine owne love I will love them freely Quest But may some say How can God love freely Answ Aske thy selfe doth not a father and a mother love their child freely what doth the child deserve of the father and mother a great while Nothing but the mother hath many a weary night and foule hand with it Hath God planted an affection in us to love our children freely and shall not God much more who gives this love and plants it in us bee admitted to love freely But indeed there is absurdity and infidelity in distrust For it is against reason to deny the mighty God that which wee have in our selves If hee did not love freely how could hee love at all what could hee fore-see in us to love us for before hand the very manhood of Christ deserved not the grace of union it was freely given I will love them freely That which first of al we observe hence is this much Observ That God loves his people freely So Rom. 5.8 9. Saith the Apostle God commendeth his love towards us in that while we were yet sinners Christ dyed for us much more being justified by his blood wee shall bee saved from wrath through him The like wee have in Ezekiell saith God Ezek. 36.22 Therefore say unto the house of Israell thus saith the Lord God I doe not this for your sakes O house of Israell but for mine holy Names sake which ye have profaned among the heathen whether ye went Adam when hee had sinned that maine great sinne what did hee fly from God run away Gen. 3.12 13. and when God called to him and debated the matter with him he accused God and excused himselfe Yet for all this God pittied him and cloathed him and made him that promise of the blessed seed What desert was there here in Adam nay rather the quite contary yet God loved him freely The same may bee said of Saint Paul for the time past a persecuter what deserving was therein him none at all yet hee found Gods free love in his conversion Act. 9.15 for saith God to Ananias Hee is a chosen vessell unto mee to beare my name before the Gentiles Heere was no deserving in Saint Paul Act. 9.5 but Gods free election which in time tooke place and so wee may say of the Prodigall having spent all Luk. 15.20 his Father pardoned all and loved him freely Reason 1 The Reason hereof is 1. Because it is his name and nature to bee gratious Exo. 34.6 and to loue freely and whatsoever is Gods nature that hath a freedome in the working
and alter our former lewd courses our sinnes are not yet forgiven For wheresoever God takes away sinne and loves freely there also he gives the best fruits of his love bestowes the dew of his grace to worke upon and alter our natures Christ came not by blood alone to die for us but by water also to sanctifie us He will not onely love freely but he will be as the dew where he loves freely therefore if we have not sanctifying grace we have not as yet pardoning grace For we know the Prophet joynes them both together Psa 32.1 1. Blessed is the man unto whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity and in whose spirit there is no guile If we retaine a guilefull false spirit our sinnes are not forgiven we see both these are put together Vse 2 And seeing all these good things come from God it is necessary to take notice of what hath beene said of Gods goodnesse that we doe not rob God of his due glory nor our selves of the due comfort that we may draw thence The Egyptians had the river Nylus that overflowed the land every yeere caused by anniversary winds which so blew into the mouth of the river that it could not discharge it selfe into the sea whereupon it overflowed the bankes and left a fruitfull slime upon the ground so that they needed not nine as other Countries because it was watered with Nylus Hereupon they did not depend upon Gods blessing nor were so holy as they should but were proud of their river as is intimated by Moses unto the people Deut. 11.10 11. But the land whether thou goest in to possesse it is not as the land of Egypt from whence yee came out where thou sowest thy seed and wateredst it with thy foot as a garden of herbes But the land whether yee goe to possesse it is a land of hills and valleyes and drinketh water of the raine of heaven a land which the Lord thy God careth for c. They having more immediately raine from Heaven saw Gods hand in watering it whereas the Egyptians did not And what makes a Papist to be so unthankfull He thinks he can with his owne industry water his owne ground with somewhat in himselfe What makes another man thankfull on the other side Because he knoweth he hath all things by dependance from the first cause for as in nature Act. 17.28 In God wee live moove and have our beeing much more in grace we have all our nourishment spirituall being Mal. 4.2 mooving and life from the dew of Heaven all our heate is from the Sunne of Righteousnesse which makes a Christian life to be nothing else but a gratious dependance Phil. 4.13 I can do all things saith Saint Paul big and great words O! but it is through Christ that strengthens me These things must not be forgotten for a child of the Church is a child of grace by grace he is what he is he hath all from Heaven Eze. 29.9 Suitable to the former place is that in Ezekiel And the land of Aegypt shall be desolate and waste and they shall know that I am the Lord because hee hath said the river is mine and I have made it He shall be desolate because he boasts and brags of his river and depends not upon God for the sweet showers of the former and the latter raine they boasted because it was a fat fruitfull countrie which the Romans called their granary But wee must looke for all from Heaven God by his Spirit will be as the dew You know in Paradise there were foure rivers that watred the Garden of God that sweet place That the head whence all blessing come is in Heaven and made it fruitfull but the heads of all these rivers were out of Paradise So it is with the Church of God Psal 46.4 There is a River the streames whereof makes glad the Citie of God as the Psalmist speakes many pretious comfortable graces the particulars whereof follow but where is the head-spring of that river it is in Heaven We have all from God through Christ the Mediator So though we have of the Water and Dew yet notwithstanding the head and spring of all is from without the Church in Heaven in Christ in the Mediator And therefore in all the excellent things we enjoy in the Church let us looke to the Originall first cause Christ by his Spirit He is as the Dew to his Church Vse 3 This affoords likewise an Vse of Direction Quest How to come to have grace to sanctifie and alter our natures Answ How to have grace to sanctifie our natures Doe as the Church doth heere desire it of God Lord teach me to see and know my sinnes Lord Take away all iniquity and receive me gratiously Heale my soule for I have sinned against thee O love mee freely Turne away thy angry face from my sinnes and be as the Dew unto my barren soule my dead soule O quicken it make good thy promise come swiftly come speedily come unresistably like raine upon the mowen grasse Psal 72.6 as showers to water with the dew of grace and fructifie my drie parched soule Thus we should be earnest with God for grace for our selves and for the Churches abroad for our Church and State at home Therefore let such an use be made of it generally as God and not other forraigne helps may especially bee trusted in for it is the onely way to destruction to let God alone and to trust to this bodie and that bodie for in this case many times God makes those we thus trust in our destruction as the Assyrians and Babylonians were the ruine of the ten Tribes But begin alwaies first in Heaven set that great wheele a working and he will make all things comfortable especially for our soules then we shall not onely finde him to make good this promise I will be as the Dew unto Israell but the residue which follow after He shall grow as the Lillie c. Those unto whom God is Dew a double blessing he will make them grow and so grow as they shall grow up as the Lillie Thistles and nettles and ill weeds grow apace also but not as Lillies but Gods children are Lillies and then they grow as Lillies Quest Answ Christians grow like Lillies How doe Christians grow like Lillies First for beauty and glory There is such a kinde of glory and beauty in that plant that it is said by our Saviour 1. In regard of beauty and glory Mat. 5.29 That Salomon in all his royalty was not arrayed like one of these because his was a borrowed glory from the creature but the Lillie hath a native beauty of its owne Againe 2. In regard of sweet fragrant smell the Lillie hath a sweet and fragrant smell so have Christians a sweetnesse and shining exprest in their conversation as we have it a little after His smell shall bee as Lebanon c. And
then againe 3. In regard of purity in regard of purity and whitenesse So Christians are pure and unspotted in their conversation and their aime is purity and unspottednesse whitenesse betokens an unstained conversation So the people and children of God they are Lillies beautifull and glorious in the eyes of God and of all those who have spirituall eyes to discerne what spirituall excellency is howsoever in regard of the world their life be hidden Their excellencie is vailed with infirmities afflictions and disgraces by the malignant Church yet in Gods esteeme and in the esteeme of his children they are Lillies all the dirt in the world cast upon a pearle cannot alter the nature of it So though the world goe about to besmeere these Lillies with false imputations yet they are Lillies still and have a glory upon them for they have a better spirit and nature then the world hath And they are sweeter in their conversation then the world for when they have begun to be Christians they sweeten their speeches and discourses There is no Christian who is not of a sweet conversation so farre as grace hath altered him he is beautifull lovely and sweet and hath the whitenesse of sincerity 4. In regard of suddaine growth Now as Gods children are Lillies and then grow as Lillies for sweetnesse glory and beauty so they are like Lillies especially in regard of suddaine growth When God gives a blessing there is a strange growth on a suddaine as it is observed of this plant that it growes very much in a night So Gods children when his blessing is upon them they thrive marvellously in a short space To make this cleere The first spring of the Gospell was speedie in growth Acts 2.41 Mat. 11.12 when the dew of grace fell in our Saviours time upon the Christian world what a world of Lillies grew suddenly Three thousand in one day at one Sermon converted by Peter The Kingdome of Heaven suffered violence in Iohn Baptists time that is the people thronged after the meanes of grace and offered a holy violence to the things of God So when this dew of grace fell it was prophecied of it Psal 110.3 The youth of thy wombe saith he shall be as the mornâ—ng dew The Dew comes out of the wombe of the morning for the morning begets it Thy youth shall be as the dew of the morning that is they shall come in great abundance as we see it fell out in the first spring of the Gospell In the space of forty yeares by the preaching of the Apostles what a deale of good was done through a great part of the world How did the Gospell then breake out like lightning by meanes of that blessed Apostle Paul who himselfe carried it through a great part of the world And now in the second spring of the Gospell when Luther began to preach The second spring of the Gospell was also speedie in the period of a few yeares how many Countries were converted and turned to the Gospell England Scotland Swethland Denmarke the Palatinate a great part of France Bohemia and of the Netherlands How many Lillies grew up heere on a suddaine Sudden growths are suspected and well they may be but when God will blesse in a short space a great deale of worke shall be done For God is not tied to length of time He makes water to be wine every yeare in tract of time Water every yeare turned into wine for he turnes the water of Heaven into the iuyce of the grape so there is water turned into wine that done in tract of time which he can doe in a shorter time as he did in the Gospell Iohn 2.1 c. Where is the difference that he did that miraculously in a short time which he usually effects in continuance of time So now many times he doth great matters in a short time that his power may be knowne and seene the more as wee see now in these warres of Germanie how quickly God hath turned his hand to helpe his Church and hisse for a despised forgotten nation to trample downe the insulting afflicting menacing power of the proud enemy and he can doe so still if our sinnes hinder him not Surely if we stand still and behold the salvation of the Lord wee shall see great matters effected in a little time They shall grow as the Lillie the accomplishment of this promise is not wholly yet come for there be blessed times approaching wherein when the Iewes are converted They shall grow as the Lillie in those glorious times there spoken of at the conversion of the Iewes Rom. 11. and fulnesse of the Gentiles comming in the accomplishment whereof we expect to the rejoycing of our hearts that they should at length proove indeed with us the true children of Abraham Vse Therefore we should make this Vse of all labour that the Dew of God may proove the Dew of Grace that God would make us Lillies If we would be beautifull and glorious have a lustre upon us and be as much beyond others as pearles are beyond common stones and as Lillies are better then Thornes and Briers let us labour to have the Grace of God so to be accounted Lillies whatsoever the world accounts of us Againe if the worke be wrought upon us though the imputations of the world be otherwise let us comfort our selves God accounts me a Lillie set this against the base esteeme of the world considering how God judgeth and those who are led by his Spirit who judge better of us And in all association combination and linking in acquaintance labour to joyne with those that are Lillies who cast a good and a sweet favour For we shall gaine by their acquaintance Pro. 12.26 whom Solomon affirmeth to be better and more exellent then their brethren What are other people then they are but Thornes therefore let not those which are Lillies have too much or neere acquaintance with Thornes least they pricke us and as our Blessed Saviour saith turning againe all to be rent us Mat. 7.6 It is said of our Blessed Saviour in the Canticles He feedeth among the Lillies And indeed where is there any true delight to be had under Heaven but in their company who are gratious What can a man receive from prophane spirits in regard of comfort of soule nothing they are as the barren wildernesse that can yeeld nothing their hearts are emptie therefore their tongues are worth nothing But let our delight be with David toward the most excellent of the land Psal 101.6 and then we shall not onely grow as the Lillie but as it followeth we shall cast forth our rootes as Lebanon And cast forth his rootes as Lebanon Necessity of growth in divers respects Because we have spoken of growth and shall have occasion to touch it hereafter we will not be large in the Point God here promiseth a growth not onely to the Church but to every
the covenant of grace wee are one with Christ who is an everlasting Head that never dyes Sub-servant to this now we have promises in the covenant of grace That we shall never depart from him and that he vvill never depart from us to doe us good he puts an awband into our hearts that we shall never depart from him but this Point being often touched leaving it vve vvill come to answer some objections Object 1 It may seeme that these things are not so Gods Children doe not alvvayes grow and spread themselves but they are often overturned and fall Answ This is nothing they are mooved but not remooved 1. Psal 125.1 they are as Mount Zion vvhich cannot be remooved but abideth forever vvhich though it may be shaken with earthquakes yet it is not remooved thereby The gates of Hell and sorrovves of death mav set sore upon them but not prevaile against them Mat. 16.18 they may fall but not fall away they may be as a wether-beaten tree but not as a tree puld up by the rootes therefore they are compared here to a tree whose roote stands fast still This much the Church after a sore tryall and endurance of much affliction confesseth Psal 44.17 18 19. All this is come upon us yet have we not forgotten thee neither have we dealt falsly in thy covenant our heart is not turned backe neither have our steps declined from thy way though thou hast broken us in the place of Dragons and covered us with the shadow of death c. And againe though they fall yet they learne to stand fast by their falls are gainers by their losses and become stronger by tneir weaknesses as tall Cedars the more they are shaken by the winds the more deeply they take rooting So Christians the more stormes and blasts they have the more they are fastly rooted that which we thinke to be the overthrow of Gods children doth but roote them deeper As Peter after his fall took deeper rooting and David c. so after all outward stormes and declinings here is the fruit of all they take deeper rooting Isa 30. whilst their sinnes are purged away by their fierie afflictions Object 2 But why then are they not more comfortable in their lives in feeling and seeing of Gods wise ordering of things Answ 1 First because though God worke strongly and surely in them yet he doth it for the most part slowly as the Wiseman speakes all his workes being beautifull in time Eccle. 3.11 therefore they apprehend not their comforts as they ought and so goe mourning the longer the time of knitting divine experiences together not being yet come Answ 2 Secondly because the anguish of the crosse if it bee quicke and sharpe many times takes away the apprehensions of Gods excellent ends in the same as the children of Israell could not hearken unto Moses for anguish and vexation of spirit Exo. 6.9 Heb. 12.11 No affliction saith the Apostle for the present is joyous though afterwards it brings forth the quiet fruit of Righteousnesse Answ 3 Then againe Satans malice who casts in floods of temptations is great so that the soule cannot enjoy that sweet tranquillity and peace it otherwise might casting in doubts and numbers of what-ifs into the soule so that for a time he causes a strong diversion in them whence after that there followeth peace againe when those temptations are seene and overcome Answ 4 It is long also of our selves who are not armed for crosses and afflictions untill we are suddenly surpized by them and then leaving our watchfullnesse and forgetting our consolation wee are strucke downe for the present by them and cannot support our selves against them Answ 5 And lastly it comes also from Gods wise ordering and disposing Providence who will not do all at once our comforts must come by degrees now a little and then a little our experience and so our comforts come together after we have honoured God in dependence upon his will and pleasure and yet this hinders nor but a Christian growes still though hee be for the present insensible of it as a man is alive and growes whilst he sleepes though he be not sensible of it Other objections have beene formerly touched Hee shall cast forth his rootes as Lebanon We see then that the state of Gods children is a firme and a stable condition The difference of the godly and wicked the one having a foundation the other none whence we may observe the difference betwixt Gods people and others Gods people are rooted and spread their roote But the other have rottennesse in their roote being cursed without any foundation For take a man who is not a good Christian where is his foundation onely in the things of this world Now all heere is vanity and we our selves by trusting vanity become vaine Psal 62.9 Every man in his best estate is altogether vanity vanity in himselfe and trusts in vanity What stablenesse can there be in vanity Can a man stare non stante stand in a thing that stands not in it selfe Will a picture continue that is drawne upon the Ice will it not faile and melt away when the Ice upon which it is drawne thawes So all these who have not the dew of Gods grace they are as a picture upon the water have no foundation and stand upon that which cannot stand it selfe Therefore the Scripture compareth them to the worst of grasse which hath no good roote Psa 129.6 grasse upon the house top which hath no blessing of those that come by but there stands perking up above others So it is with men that have no grace they can perke up above others but as they have no stable roote nor the blessing of Gods people stability with the Spirit of God inwardly and the prayers of Gods people to water and blesse them so they perish and wither quickly Nay whole nations if wicked have no foundation What is become of the great Monarchies of the world The Assyrian Persian Grecian and Romane Monarchies and for Cities themselves they have died like men and had their periods Onely a Christian hath a kingdome a stable condition which cannot be shaken Heb. 12.28 he takes his roote strongly and growes stronger and stronger till he growes to heaven nay indeed while he lives hee is rooted in Heaven before his time That a Christian is firme and stable because his roote is in Heaven for though we be in Earth we are rooted in Heaven Christ our roote is in Heaven and his Faith which is wrought from Heaven carrieth us to Christ in Heaven and love that grace of union following the union of Faith carrieth us to Christ also even before our time we are there in Faith Love and Ioy. Therefore a poore Christian is firme and stable even in this life having union with Christ though he creepe upon the earth and seeme a despised person yet his roote is in Heaven where
and will smell a sweet savour of rest as it is said of Noah after his comming out of the Arke for God delights in his owne graces which he admireth in us As hee said to the woeman of Canaan O woeman great is thy faith Mat 15.28 be it unto thee as thou wilt God as it were stands admiring his owne graces he is so delighted with the Faith Love Prayers and Patience of his children which is further excellently expressed in the Canticles Cant. 3.6 Who is this that commeth up out of the wildernesse like pillars of smoake perfumed with mirrh and frankincense and all the spices of the merchant Christ there is brought in admiring at his Church and Children conflicting through all the miseries and incumbrances of this world which hinder and oppose their journey to Heaven-wards wherein they thrust forth all the practise of their holy graces which smell like spices Then let us not envy God the Saints and holy people the sweetnesse of our graces but let our sent smell abroad to the content and comfort of all that they may delight in these graces that come from us in our Humility Patience Faith Love Sincerity and all these graces wherein we resemble Christ and shew forth his holy vertues therefore for our owne comfort and the delight of all and to assure our selves of Heaven and of the love of God whilst we live here let us labour to be fruitfull in our conversations and to cast forth a sent in regard of others which hath an attractive drawing force For when they see a holy fruitfull and gratious conversation it casts forth a sent and makes others like Religion Cant. 5. So God is glorified and Religion is adorned What greater ornament to Religion then to see a fruitfull gratious Christian who hath ability and a heart to doe good upon all occasions with an humble meeke peaceable spirit taught of God to be so for the good and love of others That a little gratious conversation is more winning then many words There must be Pomegranates with bells a sweet conversation with words a little wherof will doe more good to others then a great many words A good conversation is sweet and hath a kind of oratorie joyned with it Therefore if neither for God or Christ or others yet for our owne sakes and the reflection of that good sent upon our selves let us be fruitfull A man cannot grow in fruitfullnesse but hee must needs grow in comfort Peace and Joy Nothing cheereth and solaceth the heart of a Christian more then this the conscience that God honoureth him to be fruitfull to doe good and cast a sweet savor to draw others to good things This will comfort us upon our death-beds more then all other things Therefore in all these respects for love of God others and our selves which are delighted with the expressions of our graces let us labour to be fruitfull trees in Gods garden and to bring forth much fruite that we may send forth a sent like Lebanon Now who would not be in such an estate and condition as this as to have title to all these gratious promises for the dew of Grace to fall upon him To grow as Lillies in height and to spread as other plants doe to grow upwards and downewards to be rooted as Cedars and fruitfull as Vines The Spirit of God sets himselfe here to shew Spirituall things by Earthly comparisons to make us the more capable of them The misery of the contrary condition may well stirre us up to seeke after the forementioned For what a misery is it to have the curse of God upon ones soule to have it like the barren wildernesse void of all grace and comfort that may delight others or is spirituall savoury or savingly good So all these promises tend to incourage us to be in the condition of Gods Children that when we are in that estate we may comfort our selves and be able to claime our part portion and interest in these excellent promises Thus by Gods blessing we have passed over the particulars of Gods gratious promises to his Church and all that shall come under the Church all which should incourage us to goe to God and doe as the Church doth here take words to our selves and desire God to take away all iniquity and heale all our backeslidings and that we may renounce all vaine confidence as the Church doth here who is taught to trust horses no longer Ashur shall not save us And then let us as was said cleave unto the blessed promises that wee may improove them and make them our own every day more and more Therefore let us have in the eye of our soule the excellency of growth or else we shall not value these promises Let us consider what an excellent condition it is to grow flourish and be fruitfull having a due esteeme of all these promises before hand The excellency of a growing Christian Prov. 28.1 Doe but consider how excellent a Christian is that groweth above others what a majesty he hath in his carriage how undauntedly he walks in all oppositions whatsoever as a Lyon in his courses How he overlookes Hell Wrath Death Damnation and all What a sweet communion he enjoyeth with God in all the disconsolations that the world puts upon him He carrieth his Heaven in his heart and a Paradice within him which is planted with all graces whereas another man carrieth his Hell about him Wherefore let us take such courses to helpe our selves as the Church doth here trust in God and not in man or in the arme of flesh and be incouraged from all which hath beene said to have a good conceit of God to bee fruitfull and draw on others to goodnesse that God his Saints and Angells may be delighted with the sent of our graces and our selves comforted that we may rejoyce in our portion and lot that God hath dealt so gratiously to us and glory more that he has made us members of Christ and heires of Heaven then in any condition of this world O the incomparable excellent state of a Christian above all the glory of this world who not onely groweth but shall grow to heaven-wards still and as he hath begun to hate sinne shall hate it more and more God hath undertaken it shall be so Ephraim after all these sweet promises and dew of Grace shall say What have I any more to doe with Idols c. The prosecution whereof must be referred untill the next time The end of the ninth Sermon THE TENTH SERMON HOS 14.8 Ephraim shall say what have J any more to doe with Idols J have heard him and observed him J am like a greene firre tree from me is thy fruit found WEE have heard at severall times heretofore how God out of the largenesse of his goodnesse goeth beyond those desires which hee putteth into his peoples hearts They briefly intreat him to Doe good to them and to deale gratiously with
hatred to all sinne not onely of the second Table but of the first also The Church here saith What have I any more to doe with Idols Now I hate all vaine inventions And thinke not with Gallie that this belongeth not to us if we be Magistrates and called to it to stand for the cause of the Church and true Religion What have I any more to doe with Idols The last thing to be observed from Ephraims manner of expressing his indignation is Observ That where Love is not well contracted and begunne it will not hold to the end but will end in eternall hatred That all wicked leagues must end in everlasting hatred Gen. 3.15 The Serpent and Hevah had some poore acquaintance together as the issue proved What did it end in The seed of the woeman shall breake the Serpents head This association and acquaintance ended in everlasting warre and breach So all covenants leagues and associations with those wee should not joyne with can never soder handsomely together but will end in everlasting hatred What a strict league was in former times betwixt Ephraim and Idols But when Ephraims eyes are opened to see his Idols Divels he detests and loaths all abhominations and is of another minde What have I any more to doe with Idols he abhominates them as the word importeth Let us therefore beware with whom wee joyne in intimate league That naughty association and leagues causes a miserable rent in the affections For what makes miserable so much as the renting of the affections from that they were strongly placed on when love is rent from the thing beloved If we place our affections for some bie respects upon wicked persons this will cause so much the more torment and indignation against our selves that we were so foolish to suffer our affections to enter so deepely where they should not Rev. 17.12 16. Those that glory in their league with Anti-christ and wonder at the Beast thinking him a Demy-God will this be alway so O no when God opens the eyes of any of his people they shall hate them for ever So wicked persons that now are led on to this and that wicked course shall this be alwayes so Woe to thee if it be but the time may come that thou shalt say What have I any more to doe with Idols or with such an ones acquaintaince I cannot indure to looke on him hee tainted mee and misled mee and tempted mee now we must be two parte we must and I would we had never met together A Consideration in choice of company Therefore before we place our affections on any consider who they be whether we be likely to live with them for ever or not whether there be any evidence of grace in them If not let them be two to us for whatsoever vanity is in the things or Persons we love if we belong to God we must be separate from them unlesse we will be damned Therefore we must be wise to prevent the danger betimes Ephraim might have knowne before the danger of Idolatry had he been wise and prudent But it is well he knowes it now at length which causeth him so to abhominate Idols What have I any more to doe with Idols This much is spoken because of the luke-warmenes and cold temper neutrality and halting of a great many in the world having so many sinnefull combinations and associations one with another as if these things were not materiall That a reflection of what wee are hope for is a meanes to preserve a right temper Now let men consider what a disposition this is and how it stands with that disposition which must be in those that are members of Christ and looke for Heaven Let a Christian alwayes remember what he is and what he hopes for and this will put him in a right temper 1. What he is a King and an heire of Heaven c. After which he should reason with good Nehemiah Neheâ— 11. Shall such a man as I flie shall such a man as J doe this J am redeemed from my sinnes and advanced to be a King to rule over my lusts to be an heire of Heaven and eternall happinesse in the world to come to raigne with Christ and shall J doe thus and thus Doth this stand with my new temper this sinne this filthinesse this base action and thoughts that I am tempted to and incumbered with Shall such a man as I follow these base actions wayes and companions consider we this well and then it will breed Ephraims Resolution What have I any more to doe with this base lust what hath it to doe with me or J with it Is this and this action befitting a King and an heire of Heaven and a new creature and if a man be in authority then let him consider what Mordecai said to Hester Hest 4.14 What if thou be called to the Kingdome for such a purpose What if thou be called to this place or dignity for this purpose to reforme such and such abuses Thinke with thy selfe not onely in particular what thou art but in thy place what if thou be called to reforme such abuses such unsound doctrines to stand for God and for the truth This will breed this resolute indignation of Ephraim in us What have I any more now to doe with Idols All which is for the manner of Ephraims indignation A strong negation of an abhominated thing what have I any more to doe c. The next which is the Substance and Matter abhominated Idolatry must be reserved for some other time The end of the tenth Sermon THE ELEVENTH SERMON HOS 14.9 Ephraim shall say what have J any more to doe with Idols J have heard him and observed him J am like a greene firre-tree from me is thy fruit found WEE have heard at severall times heretofore how gratiously God deales with his people alluring them by many free and gratious promises to his service the particulars whereof we heard heretofore at large This 9. Verse hath reference unto that which went before Ver. 3. There Ephraim renounceth his former Idols Ashur shall not save us c. and here Ephraim shall say what have I any more to doe with Idols unto which the answer is I have heard him and observed him I am like a greene firre-tree unto him from me is thy fruit found Now in that Ephraim shall say what have I any more to doe with Idols This in summe is onely the first part of the third Verse repeated in another manner that Ephraim shall and will goe on in abhominating Idoles be constant in his former resolution Therefore in that Ephraim shall by the Spirit of grace goe on in renouncing all false confidence God sheweth here that Ephraim shall loose nothing by it for he intends here the continuance of time I have heard him and J doe heare him and I will heare him and respect him and be like a shadie greene firre-tree
the devices of men See then the vanity of Idolaters Mat. 15.9 who though they would doe nothing in vaine yet doe all their will-worship in vaine Jt is not onely Idolatry but obstinate Idolatry the Romish doctrine We would have cured Babel but she would not be cured Ier. 51.9 Js this a light cause of our comming out of Babylon doe we leave them for trifles when they stand guilty of abhominable Idolatry you may see here if so be Ephraim out of holy affection say what have I now any more to doe with Idols What to think and judge of those that would bring God and Jdols together if Ephraim had beene of the temper that many men now are he might have said How some men slight Idolatry tush what need we care for Idols Crucifixes and the like there is not such a distance betwixt them and us why may not both Religions stand together This new fangled nicenesse is but the distempered devices of some few giddy headed men who know not what they would have This is the wisdome of many men in our times who reckon that there is not an eternall irreconcileable distance betweene light and darkenesse the service of God and that of Idols We cannot serve two masters saith Christ Mat. 6.24 Yes say they wee may serve two masters Anti-christ and Christ God and Beliall O but what saith Ephraim What have I now any more to doe with Idols There can be no mixture you know where there is abhomination That Church Reve. 3. which was neither hot nor cold may paralell many now in our times who are neither hot nor cold Papists nor Protestantes but politicke Atheists who will be both or neither whatsoever may best serve and advance their worldly ends How doth God looke upon such saith he I will spew them out of my mouth God hates such most of all now I would thou wert either hot or cold If this be the affection of Gods people towards Idols and Idolaters an utter aversation and shall we thinke to jumble and mingle contrary things together to serve God and the Divell Christ and Anti-christ Thus we see what to thinke of the temper of these men That in some lesser matters we may use our owne opinions Phil 3.15 in lighter matters indeed wee may enjoy our own private opinions in some things As Saint Paul saith in lesser things If any men be otherwise minded God shall reveale it unto him But vvhen he comes to the point of justification by Christ in Gods worship vvhat saith he If any man be otherwise minded God shall reveale it No but if I or an Angell from Heaven teach otherwise let him bee accursed Gal. 1.8 Now vvhen men teach another doctrine and worship joyning with grosse Idolaters in that worship there we must be of Pauls spirit If I or an Angell from Heaven teach otherwise let him be accursed The Holy Ghost at first appeared in the forme and shape of a Dove which is a meeke and milde creature Mat. 3.16 that hath no tallons to hurt with Yet notwithstanding at another time hee appeared in fiery tongues Act. 2.3 to shew that the same Spirit that in lesser things maintaineth peace and love when it is set against any sinne especially against that sinne of sinnes Idolatry which brings Gods vengeance upon Kingdomes and states and rootes them out there the Holy Ghost must appeare in fire that element must be in the hearts of people against that sinne that though to persons that have their slips and in lesser matters there must be the spirit of a dove yet there must be in men the spirit of courage indignation abhomination and hatred unto the Idolatry of the times That wee may say from our hearts with Ephraim What have I now any more to doe with Idols Conclusion Therefore let us joyne with those that we shall live for ever with in Heaven and goe in the best courses and wee shall never need to feare seperation nor want incouragements to well doing Thus shall we neither grieve nor be ashamed to say with Ephraim What have I now any more to doe with Idols At the length the Kings of the earth who adore the whore they shall come and eate her very flesh Rev. 17.16 So it will be the end of those that raigne in other mens consciences and in a manner will be accounted gods that all which is gotten with wrong to God shall be renounced with griefe shame and detestation of the persons of those that make Idols of others and will be made Idols in the hearts of others thinking themselves not enough respected unlesse they command the conscience the end of such cannot be good all this must end in loathing shame and detestation What have I now any more to doe with Idols said Ephraim and what have J now any more to doe with such and such profanenesse hypocrisie double-dealing and the like shall such persons thus sinnefull say one day with shame and horror of conscience Wherefore let us meet God betimes and renounce our Idols of all sorts that God may come to heare us observe us and bee as a greene firre tree unto us c. Whereof if God please wee shall heare more the next time The end of the eleventh Sermon THE TWELFTH SERMON HOS 14.9 Ephraim shall say what have J any more to doe with Idols J have heard him and observed him J am like a greene firre tree from me is thy fruit found THE words as wee heard heretofore are a gratious answer unto the prayer which God himselfe by his Spirit had dictated to Ephraim as likewise a reward of Ephraims Reformation Ayded by grace Ephraim shall my 〈…〉 What have I now any more to doe with Idols God will heare him and observe him and be like a greene firre tree unto him For saith God from mee shall Ephraims fruit be found Whereby we see that whensoever God doth alter the soule by his grace there he also breeds divorce and division betweene it and all Idolatry a disposition in some sort like himselfe having those Sympathies and antipathies hee hath towards sinne and goodnesse Now because God is a jealous God and cannot abide Idols therefore Ephraim being sanctified by the Spirit of God is minded as God is What have I any more to doe with Idols God hath framed the soule that it may injoy the cheefe good and avoid the cheefe ill especially for pettie goods and pettie ils are not so behoovefull Yet notwithstanding God will have us avoid all ill and imbrace all good and he hath made the soule into an answerable condition Therefore hath hee planted affections therein tending to good as Love and Joy and delight especially made for the imbracing of the maine good thereby to goe out of it selfe and close with that maine cheefe good in closing wherewith it may be happy And then to avoid the cheefe ill sinne and damnation hee hath planted affections
into any condition wherein wee cannot have communion with God in whom all the scattered excellencies of the creature are gathered together meeting as it were in a center It is hee that comforts us in our friends that shewes bowels to us in our mothers wisdome and care towards us in our parents The bowels of a mother the care of a friend the strength of wise assistance hath hee not all in himselfe if all be taken away he hath all Therefore let Christians comfort themselves that they can never be in a condition wherein fruit shall be taken from them The poore worldling labours all his life for fruite riches and friends and when he dyes then his fruit faileth him and fals his leafe withereth What becommeth of his fruit then he laboured for that which yeelds him nothing but vexation and death But a Christian doth otherwise he labours for grace and comfort to keepe his communion and peace with God and when all is taken away either by the injury and wrongs of men or by the extreamity of the times or as all will in the houre of death his fruit is most after in death and after death more then can be by our narrow hearts conceived in the excellency thereof O the excellent estate of a Christian imagine such a one to have a tree that growes in Heaven and sends forth fruit and branches to him in whatsoever state he is in And so indeed God reacheth fruit from Heaven to the soule being in prison and misery He reacheth from thence the fruit of grace of spirituall strength and comfort a blessed estate Therefore let Christians comfort themselves in their condition that all their fruit is from him and that God especially will then shew himselfe aboundant when they stand most in need of him Other trees beare no fruit in winter and in stormes but God giveth fruit most in the worst times He is a God that comforteth the abject As it is 2. Cor. 7. and here it is said that in him the fatherlesse findeth Mercy we have most fruit from him in the worst times then especially he delighteth to shew himselfe a God when no comfort can be had from the creature Against future feares Therefore doe not despaire but lay up this against evill times never feare for the time to come Let the mountaines be cast into the midst of the Sea and let the Earth and all rage as the Psalmist sayes and let things runne upon a head Psal 46.2 come what can come God is where he was and Gods children are where they were in regard of the maine comfort They cannot be in such a condition as that they can be deprived of their God and of his assistance From me is thy fruit found Therefore care not for any condition that thou art in this or that thou shalt have that condition which shall be comfortable to thee though many like beasts goe on and looke for no fruit from God Vse 7 And let this also be an Incouragement to walke with God sincerely and uprightly in all times not fearing any creature or danger from the creature because our fruit is from God What if we loose this or that we know what was said to Amaziah by the Prophet 2 Chro. 25.9 but what shall become of the hundred talents saith he God is able to give thee much more so in the losse of friends having this and that tooke from us let us comfort our selves I but God is not taken from us He who derives comfort by this or that friend can supply it better by his owne Spirit And whatsoever we part with in a good cause let us remember what Christ saith Hee that parts with father or mother Mat. 19.29 with house or land for my sake shall have a hundred fold in this world and afterwards life everlasting He shall have all made up in grace which is a hundred times better then any thing that is here he shall have contentment which is better then the things themselves sometimes he shall missing one worldly comfort have more friends stirred up but howsoever in want of one he shall be supplied in an other comfort that he never dreamt of in this world So that God is abundant to them that sticke close to him in sincerity hee shall finde him abundant in the things of this life in one comfort or other Therefore by these mercies of God here mentioned Exhortation let us be intreated to be in love with the condition of a Christian life and say as Ephraim here what have I any more to doe with my former corrupt courses or Idols give a peremptory answer to all sinnefull courses and suggestions either from others or from our owne corrupt nature What have I any more to doe with you No God shall be my God for if I can resigne my selfe wholly to God and renounce the creature and all things else God will be as a greene firre tree and heare me I shall loose nothing by it Be then in love with a Christian course for it is the sweetest and the safest course and never wants comfort from Heaven and it is the most honourable course that can be for it will hold our communion and peace with the great God of Heaven and Earth for though we breake with others we shall be sure of him In which case take heed of that base suggestion which the Divell himselfe was ashamed to owne Job 1.9 That wee serve God for naught What shall we renounce Idolatry and wicked courses and thinke that God will not have fruit for us shall I thinke if I leave my sinnefull gaine that I or my posterity shall beg or starve for it doe we serve a God that hath no fruit that is as a dead tree or a barren wildernesse No we serve a God that had all in himselfe before he made the world and hath all the excellency in himselfe contained in the creatures it is not in vaine to serve him Doth Iob serve God for nothing said the Divell Therefore it is a suggestion worse then satanicall to thinke we serve God for nothing or to thinke like those Hypocrites mentioned by the Prophet Isa 58.3 that God regards not our fasting or our devotion No we shall not loose a good word for God not a teare but he hath a bottle for it not a sigh or a groane or a farthing Psal 56.8 not a minutes time well spent shall be lost he will pay us for every ill word we indure for his sake for every disgrace losse or crosse doe we serve that God there is no fruit in From mee is thy fruit found Whatsoever our condition be in the world let us comfort our selves with these things and thinke that it is not in vaine to serve the Lord for we cannot serve a richer nor a more kinde master and Lord First of all he gives us opportunity and meanes whereby fruit may be wrought in us and then he
some comforts afforded them which supporteth them against all the stormes and tempests they endure they have alwayes a Goshen to fly too others shall perish in that way wherein they shall walke and escape The just shall walke in them but the transgressors shall fall therein Thus farre we are now come in the unfolding of this Chapter having shewed Gods rich and incomparable mercies to miserable and penitent sinners how ready God is to embrace such as this rebellious people named were with all the arguments used to make them returne unto the Lord we are now come at last unto the upshot of all a discovery of the severall effect and worke Gods word hath upon both sorts of people here named and aymed at The just shall walke in them but the transgressors shall fall therein These were very bad times yet there were just men who walked in the wayes of God so that we see In the worst times God will have alwayes a people that shall justifie wisedome God will have it thus even in the worst times that the just shall walke in them though before he saith Who is wise and who is prudent yet here he shewes that there shall be a number who shall walke in Gods wayes Who though they goe to Heaven alone yet to Heaven they will though they have but a few that walke in Gods wayes with them they will rather goe with a few that way then with the wicked in the broad way to Hell alway God hath some who shall walke in his way for if there were not some alway who were good the Earth would not stand for good men they are the Pillars of the world who uphold it It is not for wicked mens sake that God upholds the frame of the creatures and that orderly government we see all is to gather together the number of his elect of whom in some ages there are more and in some lesse of them borne thereafter as God breathes and blowes with his Spirit For according to the abundant working of the Spirit is the number of the elect Yet in all ages there are some because it is an Article of our Faith to believe a holy Catholicke Church Now it cannot be an article of Faith unlesse there were alway some that made this Catholike Church for else there should be an act of Faith without an object Therefore we may alwayes say I believe that there are a number of elect people that walke in the wayes of God to Heaven-wards And what is the disposition of these some The disposition of just men in their places to have a countermotion to those of the times and places they live in Some are foolish not caring for the wayes of God cavilling at them But the just shall walke in them that is they take a contrary course to the world that slights wisedome Thus in all times it is the disposition of Gods children to goe contrary to the world in the greatest matters of all They indeed hold correspondency in outward things but for the maine they have a contrary motion As we say of the Planets that they have a motion contrary to the wrapt motion being carried and hurried about every twenty foure houres with the motion of the Heavens they have an other motion and circuit of their owne which they passe also So it is with Gods people though in their common carriage they be carried with the common customes and fashions of the times yet they have a contrary motion of their owne whereby being carried by the helpe of Gods Spirit they goe on in a way to Heaven though the world discerne it not they have a secret contrary motion opposite to the sinnes and corruptions of the age and times they live in Therefore in all ages it is observed for a commendation to goe on in a contrary course to the present times Gen 6. Gen 18. Noah in his time Lot in his time and Paul in his time who complaines All men seeke their owne Phil. 2.21 it is a strange thing that Paul should complaine of all men seeking their owne even then when the blood of Christ was so warme being so lately shed and the Gospell so spread yet all men seeke their owne And he speakes it with teares but what became of Paul and Timothy and the rest Phil 3.20 But our conversation is in Heaven from whence we looke for the Saviour the Lord Iesus Christ c. Let all men seeke their owne here below as they will we have our conversation contrary to the world Our conversation is in Heaven c. So that they hold out Gods Truth in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation that is when every man takes crooked wayes and courses in carnall pollicie yet there are a company that notwithstanding walke in the right wayes of God cleane contrary to others The just will walke in the right wayes of God As holy Ioshua said Choose you what you will doe Josh 14.15 but howsoever I and my fathers house will serve the Lord. So when many fell from Christ for a fit because his Doctrine seemed harsh Peter justified that way when Christ asked him will ye also leave me with the rest who are offended Lord saith he whether shall we goe we have tasted the sweetnesse of the Word and felt the power thereof Whether shall we goe Lord Joh. 6.68 thou hast the words of Eternall life So Gods people have an affection carriage and course contrary to the world Reason The Reason is taken from their owne disposition they are partaker of the divine nature 2 Pet. 1.3 which carrieth them up to God-wards against the streame and currant of the time Vse The Use hereof shall be onely a Tryall of our selves in evill times whether or not then we justifie Gods wayes and the best things If we doo it is a signe we are of the number of Gods elect to defend and maintaine good causes and right opinions especially in divine truthes which is the best character of a Christian others in their owne spheare have their degree of goodnesse but wee speake of supernaturall divine goodnesse a man may know he belongs to God if he justifie wisedome in the worst times if he stand for the truth to the utmost thinking it of more price then his life It is the first degree to Religion Luk. 14 26. to hate father and mother wife and children and all for the Gospell Now when a man will justifie the truth with the losse of any thing in the world it is a signe that man is a good man in ill times Therefore in ill times let us labour to justifie truth both the truth of things to be beleeved and all just religious courses not onely in case of opposition being opposed but in example though wee say nothing Heb. 11.7 Noah condemned the world though he spake not a word by making an Arke so Lot Sodome though he told not all Sodome of
second place an uniforme course of life Such a one doth not duties by starts now and then but constantly therefore we must judge of men by a tenure of life what their constant wayes are sometimes though they be good men they may step awry into an ill way and yet come in againe Sometimes an ill man may crosse a good way as a theefe when hee crosseth the high-way or a good man steps out of the way but this is not their way they are both out and to seek of their way A wicked man when hee speakes of good things he is out of his way he acts a part and assumes a person he is unskilfull to act therfore he doth it untowardly But a mans way is his course a good mans way is good though his startings be ill and an ill mans way is naught though for passion or for bie ends hee may now and then doe good things Therefore considering that the walking in the wayes of God is uniforme and orderly let us judge of our selves by the tenure of our life and course thereof And let those poore soules who thinke they are out of the way because they run into some infirmities now and then comfort themselves in this that God judgeth not by single actions but according to the tenure of a mans life what hee is For often-times Gods children gaine by their slips which makes them looke the more warily to their wayes for ever after that He that walkes in the way to Heaven if he be a good man hee lookes to make surer footing in the wayes of God after his slips and falls He labours also to make so much the more haste home being a gainer by all his slips and fals Let none therefore be discouraged but let them labour that their wayes and courses may be good and not onely so but to be uniforme orderly and constant and then they may speake peace to their owne soules being such as are here described The just shall walk in them Againe he that will walke aright in Gods wayes hee must be resolute against all opposition whatsoever for wee meete with many lets hinderances and scandals to drive us out of the way Sometimes the ill lives of those who walke in these wayes sometimes their slips and fals sometimes persecution and our owne natures are full of scandals subject to take this and that offence and then we are ready to bee snared on the right hand or feared and scared on the left And our nature so farre as it is unsanctified is prone to catch and ready to joyne with the world therefore wee have need of resolution of spirit and determination as David Psal 119.106 I have determined O Lord and I will keepe thy lawes I have sworne that I will keepe thy righteous judgements this is a resolute determination And then againe pray to God with David that he would direct our wayes Oh that my wayes were so directed to keepe thy lawes I see that my nature is ready to draw me away to evill and perverse crooked courses I see though I determine to take a good course that there is much opposition therfore good Lord direct mee in my course direct thou my thoughts words and carriage Therefore that we may walke stedfastly let us resolve with setled determination praying to God for strength otherwise resolution with dependance on our owne power may be a worke of the flesh but resolve thus these are right wayes and streight they leade to Heaven Happinesse and Glory therefore I will walke in them vvhatsoever come of it We have all the discouragements vvhich may hinder us in the vvayes of God For as vve are travellers so vvee are souldiers vvarfaring men that meete vvith many rubbs thornes therefore to vvalke amidst such dangerous vvayes vve must be vvell shod vvith the preparation of the Gospell of peace that is Patience and reasons taken from thence God hath provided spirituall armour in the Word against all oppositions that meet vvith us so that by Resolution and Prayer to him using his meanes vve may goe through all Novv for a further helpe for us to vvalke constantly and resolutely in the vvayes of God Take first the helpe of good company if vve see any man to walke in a good way let him not walke alone but let us joyne our selves with those that walke in Gods wayes for why doth God leave us not onely his Word to direct us which way to goe but likewise examples in all times but that we should follow those examples which are like the Pillar of fire which went before Israel unto Canaan Wee have a Cloude and a Pillar of examples before us unto which he alludes Hebr. 12.1 to leade us unto Heaven not onely the Word but examples in all times Phil. 3.17 Walke as you have us for an example saith Paul therefore it is a character of a gratious disposition to joyne with the just and those who walke in the wayes of God We see there is in all the creatures an instinct to keepe company with their owne kinde as we see in Doves Sheepe Geese and the like So it comes from a supernaturall gratious instinct of grace for the good to walke and company with the good helping them on in the way to Heaven It is therefore a point of speciall wisedome to single out those for our company who are able to help us thither as it is for travellers to choose their company to travell with Againe if we would walke aright in the wayes of God let us have our end in our eye like unto the traveller looke on Heaven the day of judgement those times either of eternall happinesse or misery which vve must all come too The having of these in our eye will sterne the whole course of our life for the end infuseth vigor in our carriages and puts a great deale of life in the use of the meanes breeding a love of them though they be harsh Therefore we must pray and labour for Patience to conflict with our owne corrruptions and those of the times we live in This is unpleasant to doe but when a man hath his aime and end in his eye this inspires such vigor and strength in a man that it makes him use meanes and courses contrary to his owne naturall disposition offering a holy violence unto himselfe as thus it is not absolutely necessary that I should have this or that or have them all or in such and such a measure but it is absolutely necessary that I should be saved and not damned therefore this course I will take in these wayes I will and must walke which leade to Salvation Let us therefore with Moses have in our eye Hebr. 11.26 the Recompence of the reward and with our blessed Saviour the head of the faithfull have before our eyes the joy that was set before him which will make us passe by all those heavie things that he passed through Let us with the holy
men of aâ—â—ient time have the price of that high calling in our eye to make us notwithstanding all opposition presse forwards towards the marke And then againe because it is said indefinitly here They shall walke in these wayes remember alwayes to take Wisedome and Prudence along with you in all your walkings It is put indefinitly because we should leave out none For as we say in things that are to be beleeved Faith chooseth not this object and not another so Obedience chooseth not this object I will obey God in this and not in this but it goes on in all Gods wayes Therefore if we would walke on aright in Gods wayes there must be consideration of all the relations as we stand to God First vvhat duties vve ow to God in heavenly things Mat. 6.33 to please him above all whomsoever we displease and to seeke the Kingdome of Heaven and his Righteousnesse before all that all things may follow which are needfull for us So in the next place when we looke to our selves to know those wayes which are required of us in regard of our selves for every Christian is a Temple wherin God dwells thefore we are to carry our selves holily to be much in Prayer and Communion with God in secret A man is best distinguished to be a good walker by those secret wayes betwixt God and his soule those walks of Meditation and Prayer wherein there is much sweet intercourse betwixt God and the soule Therefore in this case a man makes conscience of his Communion with God in his thoughts desires affections using all good meanes appointed of God to maintaine this Communion Then we should look to our own carriage in the use of the creatures to carry our selves in all things indifferently because Wisedome and Prudence is seene in those things especially to use things indifferent indifferently not to be much in the use of the world in joy or sorrow but in moderation to use these things being sure to set our affections upon the maine And so in things indifferent not to doe them with offence and excesse but to see and observe the rule in all things of indifferency And for our carriage to others in those wayes let us consider what we owe to those above us what respect is due to Governours and what to others what to those who are without what to those who are weake vve owe an example of holy life unto them that vve give no occasion of scandall and also to walke wisely towards them that are without that we give no occasion for the wayes of God to be ill spoken off And for all conditions which God shall cast us into remember that those be wayes which we should walke seemely in If Prosperity let us take heed of the sinns of prosperity Pride Insolency Security Hardnesse of heart and the like If Adversity then let us practise the graces thereof take heed of murmuring and repining Dejection of spirit Dispaire and the like This is to walke like a wise man in all conditions in those relations he stands in For our words likewise and expressions to others in that kind of our walking that they may be savourie and to purpose that wee labour to speake by rule seeing we must give an account of every idle word at the day of judgement So that in all our labours carriage and speech we must labour to doe all wisely and justly These are the wayes of God Mat. 12.36 and The just walke in them Negatively what we must avoide in all our walking We must not do any thing against Religion Conscience or Iustice Remember in generall we must never doe any thing against Religion against Conscience against a mans particular Place and Calling or against Justice Let us not touch upon the breach of any good thing especially of Religion and Conscience Thus a man shall walke in the wayes of God if with Wisedome and Prudence he consider what wayes are before him to God to himselfe to others in all conditions and states of life to see what hee must and what he must not doe and then to walk in them answerably For our incouragement to walke in Gods wayes in our generall and particular callings 1. The wayes of God are the most safe waies Know first they are the most safe waies of all whatsoever trouble or affliction we meet withall it is no matter it will proove the safest way in the end For as it was with the cloude which went before Gods people it was both for Direction and Protection so the Spirit of God and the wayes of God as they serve for Direction so they serve for Protection God will direct and protect us if wee walke in his wayes let him be our Director and he will be our preserver and protector in all times Againe they are the most pleasant wayes of all all Wisedomes wayes are paved with Prosperity and Pleasure 2. They are the most pleasant wayes for when God doth enlarge and sanctifie the soule to walke in them he giveth withall a royall gift inward peace of conscience and joy unspeakeable and glorious with an inlarged Spirit God meets his children in his owne wayes they are therfore to walke there Let a man start out of Gods vvayes hee meets vvith the Divell vvith the Divels instruments and many snares But in Gods vvayes he shall be sure to meete vvith God if he vvalke in them vvith Humility and respect to God looking up for direction and strength and denying his owne Wisedome in this case a man shall be sure to have God goe along vvith him in all his vvayes In Gods vvayes expect Gods company therefore they are the safest and the most pleasant vvayes 3. They are the most cleane holy wayes Psal 19.9 And they are the cleanest and holiest vvayes of all having this excellent propertie in them that as they leade to comfort so they end in comfort they all end in Heaven Therefore let us not be vveary of Gods vvayes of Christianity and our particular Callings vvherein vvhat vve doe let us do as Gods vvayes having sanctified them by Prayer and doe it in Obedience to God They are Gods vvayes vvhen they are sanctified God hath set me in this standing I expect his blessing therin and vvhat blessing I find I vvill give him the praise God hath appointed that in serving man J serve him therefore vve must goe on in our particular vvayes as the wayes of God doing every thing as the worke of God and we shall finde them the comfortablest and pleasantest wayes which end in joy happinesse and glory Vse 1 The use hereof may bee first Reprehension unto those who can talke but not walke that have tongues but not feete to wit affections that come by starts into the narrow way but yet be never well till they turne backe againe into the world that broad way which leads unto destruction Vse 2 Secondly it is for Instruction to stirre us up to
but the Spirit doth most of all as you may see in David Psal 51. Psal 51. He resolves all into this as if he should say what should I tell you of my murther and Adultery in sin did my mother conceive me so a true Christian doth not look to the branches so much as to the root Then againe 2. Difference a naturall conscience when it convinceth a man it is against his will it makes him not the better man he mends not upon it but he is tortured and tormented But a man that is convinced by the Holy Ghost he takes Gods part against himselfe he is willing to be laid open that he may find the greater mercy So that there is a grand difference betweene common conviction of nature and the Conviction of the Spirit The Conviction of the Spirit is the light of the Spirit which is of a higher nature then that of naturall conscience I will send the Comforter when he comes he will greatly inlighten and over-power the soule 3. Difference Againe the Conviction of the Spirit sticks by a man it never leaves the soule But that of an ordinary conscience it is but for a flesh and after they are worse then they were before I must cut off these things because the time is alwaies past upon these occasions before we begin Vse Come we therefore to make some Use The Spirit doth Convince of sinne But how by the Ministery ordinarily though not alone by the Ministery Therefore we must labour willingly to submit to the Ministery Convincing of sinne Conscience will Convince first or last Is it not better to have a saving Conviction now to purpose then to have a bare desperate Conviction in Hell O beloved all the admonitions wee heare if we regard them not now we shall hereafter therefore labour to make good use of this Sword of the Spirit of God and it is an argument of a good heart to wish O that the Ministery might meet with my corruption that it may be discovered to me to the full A true heart thinkes sin the greatest enemy and of all other miseries it desires to bee freed from the thraldome thereof For that defiles Heaven and Earth and separates God from his creature It s that that threw Angels out of Heaven Adam out of Paradice What imbitters blessings and puts a sting into all afflictions but sin if it were not for sin we would take up any crosse and beare any affliction more quietly then we doe Therefore as we desire to be saved and to stand with comfort before God at the day of judgement let us desire and indeavour to bee throughly Convinced of sinne Take heed of resisting the Spirit of God in the Ministery why are so many led captive of their lusts but because they hate the Ministery of the Word they looke upon it as Ahab did upon Elias Hast thou found me O my Enemy They naturally are in love with their sinnes and there is none so much hated as those that present themselves to themselves A man take him in his pure naturalls is a foolish creature his heart rises against Conviction You see the Pharisees Wise men Learned men being convinced they hated Christ to the death why Mat. 23.27 because he did untombe them and discover the dead mens bones within So many now a daies that are convinced hate any that by life or speech discover their sinne unto them if it were possible and in their power to the death Thus the Holy Ghost convinces of sin But before I leave this point let me adde this from the reason or ground of this Conviction because they beleeve not in me That unbeleefe makes all other sinnes damnable no sinne is damnable if we could beleeve and repent Therefore we are convinced of sin because we doe not beleeve as we say of a man that is condemned because he cannot reade therefore he is condemned he should escape if he could reade being for no great fault so it is here it is not beleeving in Christ and repenting makes all other sins deadly The differing of one man from another is their faith and repentance some there be whose sinnes are greater then others yet by the Spirit of God and Faith they worke them out every day It is faith in the brazen Serpent that takes away the sting of the fiery Serpents J have done with the conviction of sinne Let us now come to speake of the conviction of Righteousnesse 2. Conviction of Righteousnes Of righteousnesse because I goe to my Father and you shall see me no more It is a fit time for the Holy Ghost to convince Gods people of righteousnesse when they are convinced of sinne before then they can relish Christ Balme is balme indeed when the wound is discovered and felt O then a pardon is welcome when the party is condemned The reason of this conviction of righteousnesse is because I goe to my Father and you shall see me no more The Holy Ghost as he sets on sinne upon the conscience so he takes off sinne by applying to the conscience the righteousnesse of Christ this is his office first to convince the world of sinne and then to convince of righteousnesse wherby we stand righteous before God And this righteousnesse here is not our owne inherent but the righteousnesse of Christ a Mediator God and man A fourefold gradation of convinction of righteousnesse The Holy Ghost convinces of righteousnesse in this order of a fourefold gradation First that there must be a righteousnesse and a full righteousnesse The second is this that there is no such righteousnesse in the creature Thirdly that this is to be had in Christ the Mediator Fourthly that this righteousnesse is our righteousnesse Gradation 1 First there must be a righteousnesse for wee have to deale with a God who is righteousnesse it selfe and no uncleane thing shall come into Heaven unlesse we have a righteousnesse how shall we looke God in the face or how can we escape hell Gradation 2 Now for the second that it is not in any creature men or Angels we have not a righteousnesse of our owne for there are divers things to be satisfied God himselfe and the Law and our owne consciences and the world Perhaps we may have a righteousnesse to satisfie the world because we live civilly O but that will not satisfie conscience And then there must be a satisfaction to the Law which is a large thing that condemnes our thoughts desires but God is the most perfect of all Put case we have a righteousnesse of a good carriage among men this will not satisfie God and the Law it will not satisfie conscience men they are our fellow-prisoners conscience will not be contented but with that which will content God when conscience sees there is such a righteousnesse found out by the wisedome of God that contents him else conscience will be alwaies in doubts and feares Gradation 3 Thirdly this
faith heere is an evidence if we can live by it How is that Every day to make use of the righteousnesse of Christ as every day we run into sinne Be sure we have our consciences sprinkled with the blood of Christ that as we increase new guilt so we may have a new pardon therefore every day labour to see God as reconciled and Christ as our Advocate with the Father Christ is now in Heaven if we sinne make use of him this should be the life of a Christian to make use of Christs righteousnesse when you finde nature polluted goe to God and say Lord my nature though foule in it selfe yet is holy and pure in Christ He tooke the weaknesse of the humane nature unto him that hee might communicate the worth and efficacy of his divine nature unto me and for my actions I am a sinner but Christ hath fully discharged all my debts and is now in Heaven he hath performed all righteousnesse for me Looke not upon mee as in my selfe but looke upon me in Christ He and I am one This should bee every daies exercise to see our selves in Christ and so see him and our selves one I should inlarge the point further but I will speake a word of the reason What is the reason why the Comforter may and shall convince of righteousnesse Because I go to the Father what strength is there in that reason why this Christ took upon him to be our surety and he must acquit us of all our sins ere he can go to his Father If one sinne had beene unsatisfied for he could not have gone to his Father but now he is gone to his Father therfore all our sins are satisfied for so that now the Ascention of Christ is a sufficient pledge to me that my person is accepted and my sins pardoned because he is gone to his Father to appeare before the Father for us which he could not have done had he not fulfilled all righteousnesse But wherefore did he go to the Father why to make application of what he had wrought If Christ should not have gone to the Father he could not have sent the Holy Ghost to us Therfore there is great use of this going to his Father Satan pleads before God we are such and such I but saith Christ I have shed my blood for them and there he perfumes all our weake prayers if we were not imperfect what need we a Mediator in Heaven Therefore he is gone to Heaven to disanull all Satans accusations and to provide a place for us die when wee will our place is ready Then againe he is gone to the Father to cloath us with a sweet relation to make the Father our Father For he saith Iohn 12.17 I goe to my Father and to your Father So that he is not ashamed to call us Brethren by vertue of this wee may goe to God and call him Father and when wee die wee may without presumption say Father into thy hands I commend my spirit for the Father loves us as hee loved Christ with one and the same love though in a farre different degree What a comfort is this that when we die we goe to our Father that is better then any earthly Father Therfore it should joy us when the time of our departure comes We see old Iacob when he saw the Chariots come out of Aegypt how his heart leaped because he should go to see his Sonne Ioseph So when death is sent to transport us to Christ to Heaven had we a strong faith we should be exceeding glad And let us learne here the art of faith from Christ I go to the Father saith he there was a great deale of time yet to passe no lesse then forty daies after his Resurrection before hee went to the Father yet he saith I goe to the Father to shew that faith presents things future as present Faith sees Heaven as present and the day of judgement as present and doth affect the soule as if they were now existent If we had a Spirit of faith it would thus present things farre off as nigh at hand Therfore when we meet with any thing that may make our way to Heaven seeme long or troublesome exercise your faith and make your terme present to your spirit though remote from sence say I goe to the Father what though I goe through blood and a shamefull death yea perhaps a tormentfull death yet I goe to the Father when a man is once perswaded that God is his Father in Christ it will make him walke to Heaven before his time Let us make Use of this point of Christs going to the Father Beloved there is not a point of Religion but hath a wonderfull spring of comfort and it is want of faith that wee doe not draw more comfort from them When therefore wee part with our friends by death thinke they are gone to their Father If yee loved me saith Christ ye would rejoyce because I said I goe to the Father If we love our friends we should rejoyce when they die Beloved this should comfort us Christ is gone to his Father O what welcome was there of Christ when he came into Heaven the same welcome will there be when we goe to the Father How joyfull intertainement shall we have of the Father and the Sonne Therefore death should not bee troublesome to us say Christs righteousnesse is mine therefore I know I shall go to the Father what care I then what kind of paines I goe through If a man be going to a desired place howsoever the way be troublesome the sweetnesse of the end will make him forget the discouragements of his passage Perhaps wee must wade to Heaven through a Sea of blood it matters not the end will recompence all though we lose our limbes by the way It is better to limpe to Heaven then dance to Hell FINIS AN ALPHABETICALL Index of the Speciall points contained in this Booke A Actions ACtions that are good are ever accompanied with comfort Page 294. Adulterers Adulterers corporall and spirituall hardly reclaimed p. 359. Affections Affections their use p. 308 309. Affections ought to be placed on their right objects pag. 325. Affections why planted in the soule page 366 367. Afflictions Afflictions how to know they are not in wrath though they continue page 194 195. Afflictions not to complaine of them page 13. Afflictions profitable to Gods children page 280 283. Almes-deeds Almes-deeds a Sacrifice p. 47. Amity Amity with Papists dangerous page 342. Anger Anger of God what it is page 183. Anger of God what effects it hath against signe page 184. Anger of God the speciall thing in Afflictions page 185. Anger of God makes the least crosse most terrible page 186. Anger of God turned away by Repentance page 188 c. Anger of God the meanes to avoid it page 195 196 c. Humility a certaine way to avoid Gods Anger page 197. Annoyance No Annoyance in this life or