to vrge any particulers now because we have much to say touching the promises in our next point yet thus much I must say and it concerne's every sincere christian to consent vnto it with his hart that if we have any assurance either of grace or any other good thing in present possession on earth or of glory and all eternall good in future expectation in heaven the assurance we have flowe's from the interest we have none but they that are the Lords shall partake of either Psal 84.11 and they that are his shall have both soe saith David sweetly The Lord will giue grace and glory and no good thing will he witholde from them that walke vprightly 1. Cor. 3.21 and the apostle sumne's vp all within this circuit All things are yours and that not only in generall or in the grosse but more particulerly he come's to a distribution ver 22. whether Paul or Apollo or Cephas or the world or life or death or things present or things to come ver 23. all are yours and whence is it that all is soe surely ours even hence and yee are Christ's this clause confirme's all that went before and is the reason that ratifyeth the same fally So then if a man would now sit him downe and set himselfe to thinke of all the infinite fullnes and vnspeakable plenty and variety of those good things which the Lord doth either giue on earth or reserue in heaven and having enlarged his hart to comprehend as many of them as he could thinke might make him truly and fully happy to the absolute joy and contentment of his very soule he should now further think why these things are to be had many haue them already many more shall haue them heareafter how may I also come by them and be sure to enjoy them The holy ghost doth readily tell vs the way and meanes which is to become Christs be you sure of that one thing and all these things are sure to you They that are his shall have all these and more then their owne or mans imagination can comprehend heavens fullnes cannot be conceived of any creature Angells are not able to expresse what Gods saints shall inherit and posesse when they come to the consummation of that their happines which is prepared of God purchased by Christ reserued for them and they preserued vnto it by the power and through the fauour of that God in Christ who at the last day shall call all his owne with those sweete words Come ye◠blessed children of my father receiue the kingdome prepared for you c. It was ordained and intended only to these and all they are as sure to haue it as Christ himself who doth now sit at the right hand of his father And thus we have in some measure opened some of those consolations vnto you which this our interest doth yeeld vnto vs I say some and in some measure because an absolute manifestation of them all cannot be vndertaken by vs or entertayned by you Our assurance is euident and we can declare it but our inheritance is infinite and none can vtter it Howbeit I hope we have sayd enough to make the comfort of this point cleare that it is a most happy thing to have right in the Lord to know him to be ours our selues his The which seing none but the saints of God candoe the benefit and joy herof remayneth only wholy to them and that in all and every of the particulers aforesaid which if we shall breifly summe vp together recall the particulers it will presently most plainely appeare that they are indeed happy by this heavenly truth In a word then is it not matter of much happines that we may goe to God and pray boldely that we be enabled to beare affliction cherefully that we be armed against sin throughly that we may be assured of all good absolutely These as we have heard are the sweete consolations of this sauing truth and in them all and in euery of them may the saints of God solace their soules and refresh their spirtis to know themselues capable of such advantages by the interest they have in the Lord their God who hath founded his favours vpon this truth and it is not more ceartaine and vndoubted that the foundation of God abideth sure 1. Tim. 2.16 and that the Lord doth know who are his then that they who are his may know all these good things to be theirs And thus much for the first use of this point vnto the saints of God Now we will set forward to the second Vse 2 Reprehension and that concerne's wicked and vngodly men whose impudency presumption in entitleing themselues to God is equall if not beyond the infidelity and feare of the faithfull who are so backward herin It hath ever beene the practise of that olde serpent the aiuell to withdraw Gods people from all their priueledges that they might not clayme them to encourage vngodly persons to whome they pertaine not to challeng them that soe he might draw them both vnder heauy jmpiety the one to rob themselues in refusing their right the other to rob God and his children in seizing vpon that which the Lord intended only to his owne The divell knowe's too well what he does The haynous euill of vngodly men in making claime to God oh that themselues did know it well when he abetts jmpious persons either to conceit that God is theirs or to call him soe it being such an jmpiety as scarce any is more insufferable or provoking and because he foresee's how it will anger and incense the Lord therfore is he so busy to set sinfull men about it Satan vnderstand's what damage it is to God what dāger to vngodly men and what advantage to himself And to the end they may also vnderstand it let vs ponder and particulate the evill of it so plainly as they may see it and seing it either shan and surcease it or make their sin by occasion of this discouery out of measure sinfull if they continue to commit it And this we will the rather endeauour because I am perswaded many a wicked man never jmagine's it sinfull but think 's he may safely yea that it is duty to call God his father and therfore in commiseration of their estate and desire of their information and reformation we will doe our best to make declaration of the monstrous impiety herof And first Euill 1 it is an vnspeakable indignity jnjury to the Lord a greater dishonor cannot be done against him for why it is a plaine putting of God into the diuells place For wheras he is avouched to be the God of this world that is 2. Cor. 4.4 of all those that are of the world and by Christ he is called the father of all prophane impious persons these vngodly wretches Job 8.44 doe father themselues vpon God and make the
further considered Motiue 4 how notably the divell doth abuse us and how notoriously we being thus abused by him doe dishonor greiue God Both these doe appeare in this one thing wherin he prevailes with vs namely to make many a childe of God to misapply the curses terrors threatings of God against themselves which God himself never intended should trouble them or in the least belong vnto them If you reade or heare from any preacher in publike any person in private any thing that soundes heavily and tendes to the terresying of the soule or to the discovery of the damnation due to some jmpious and impenitent wretch that can you snatch to your selves and lay it vpon your poore harts though the Lord that revealed it and the party that spake it never had any meaning it should ever come there such a sentence as appertaine's only to a castaway is catcht after as eagerly and applyed as closely as if God himself had set it on This can the divell make vs doe But doe we know what we doe in thus doing Doe but marke and we shall see a multiplication of sin in this very thing you would litle thinke what a bundle of impiety is here lapt vp together and how many offences lye within this one when herein weare ruled by Satan Is not this to be ruled by Satan in that which is evil and to rebell against God in that which is good Is not this not only not to apply the scripture which belongs to vs but also to pervert that which belongs not to vs in misapplying of it Is not this to let all the world see that the God of this world can doe more with vs and in vs then the God of heaven Is not this to curse where the Lord curseth not wherin we are worse then Balaam and to make sad that hart which the Lord would not haue made sad Is not this to be open enemyes to our owne soules when we will none of that which is good to edify vs but eate that poyson which may destroy vs and soe bring our selves as much as in vs lyeth to eternall consusion In a word is not this to greive the Lord to gratify the divell and wilfully to wound our selves I wonder what evill it is which might not be brought within the compasse of this practise This that we see in it and say vnto you is apparant but it is the least part of that which the God of heaven could aggravate against vs if he should come to scan the length and breadth and height of this offence it would exceede all dimension and draw vs in the severity of divine justice vnder everlasting damnation And will we thus sin when we haue received knowledge of this truth and heape so many jnpietyes one vpon another in this miserable manner will the Lord endure it or can he suffer this jniury from his owne or shall any that are his offer it when once they vnderstand the evill of it I hope not think think I say that it was not a litle patience in the Lord that hath borne it thus long and that it is not a litle kindnes that we are borne with in an evill of this extent and quality well let vs thinke it enough nay too much that we have beene faulty and seing such a masse of jnquity in it let vs meete the Lord with vnfayned repentance for it and smite our owne blinde and rebellious harts who have beene lead into and made to lye downe vnder such a heavy yea hellish loade of transgression without any vnderstanding of the state of the sin or our owne soules by the guilt therof This is our fourth motive let vs goe forward to a fift Fiftly then Motive 5 be it alsoo further remembred and well marked of vs that our adversary the divell doth vs yet more mischeife then this by making vs to put away Gods precious promises from vs and the mischeife that herin may be noted is double to wit in regard of wicked men and also in regard of himself First in regard of wicked men VVicked men apply scripture in drawing vs to doe thus he make's vs worse then many of the most vngodly that Gods booke doth mention whome we finde to have applyed and taken home to themselves what the Lord said to them by himself or sent to them by others It were easy to abound in naming persons of both sorts but we will content our selves with a few Cursed Cain the first castaway of all mankinde the prime reprobate of the world the Lord spake much to him touching his sin and punishment did he refuse to apply any of those perticulers which were spokē to him either before his sin comitted or after did he not give God the hearing of all that he sayd though it is too true that much of it never did him any good nay did he not vnderstād all those fearfull comminations of himself which the Lord breathed out against his barbarous fact and soe take them as intended to himself as that his hart was wounded with them and he cryed out desperately because of the doome which was passed vpon him The whole current of the story shewe's he acknowledged all to be his that was sayd to him yea even that which was harshest and hardest of digestion Wretched and reiected Saul did not he soe too when Samuel told him his owne from God in regard of his state temporall and eternal and gaue him to vnderstand that God had cast him away from his owne kingdome on earth and from the kingdome of heaven too doth it appeare that he cast off any thing spoken by Gods prophet to this purpose nay the contrary is cleare that he did conceiue God meant all to him and soe he tooke it as the sequell shewe's Impious Ahab that vngodly person who was soe foule both injdolatry jniustice and cruelty who was noted for a slaue of Satan one that had solde himself to worke wickednes when he was to receiue his sentence for these sins from Eliah howsoever before he had storm'd and raged in his madd sit yet now he hearkeneth to the message of God and that in such manner that he makes a sorry shift to be humbled after a sort and cryes and is something deiected the speech of the man of God sticks by him he cannot he doth not shun it How many more of this rout might I reckō vp who with Foelix have trembled at some divine doctrines and have not attayned such a straine of sin as to betake themselves to a vniversall and perpetuall denyall of all that the Lord hath spoken to them and shall we be worse then these wicked ones shall Satan leade vs to more jmpiety in this particuler then he brought them who were his vassals shall they be honester men herein then we who would not blush and be abasht to see such prophane and forlorne servants of sin to overgoe the saints and servants of the living God
soe over loue either my self or all the wealth vnder heaven but that I coulde have accounted my harte and state incomparably more comfortable in your service then in your kinanes in your spirituall then in mine owne temporall advantage and might I have still enjoyed my libertie among you to have honoured God and done you good I had beene in full contentment to my harts desire But I see it may not be I must out of my paradice I will not say the divell either entises or enforces me out I desire to looke only vpon the hand of God in all things as I taught you all to do doe not long since the greatest heavines of my hart is this that he seeth me not worthy or fit to abide in it because I have honoured him so litle during the time I enjoyed it And soe at his pleasure that shutts and no man opeÌ„s I now passe away as I came in when he did open and no man did shutt my soules desire is and hath beene that the Lord might have his will aboue myne and that his good pleasure might ever be predominant and overule all my desires Let vs all labour to beleeue that that is and must be our best estate which come's vpon vs from him who is God to be blessed for ever who manifesteth and magnifieth himself to be only wyse and infinitely gracious in all things that come to passe vpon his children Faith will thus judge and determine though our flesh would fasten other perswasions vpon vs. And thus considered I dare not but conceit my remoouall to be better then my resting here howbeit nature doth distaste it as a thing exceeding bitter Grace can make that truly good which corruption apprehendeth to be a heavy evill And when once sanctification hoth conquered coruption and got the vpper hand and that the Lord hath taken the scales of ignorrant and erroneous judgment from myne eyes that I may see himself clearely in this thing I know I cannot but be comforted with joy vnspeakable glorious In the meane time I now beholde you with heavines whome I must beholde no more in this heavenly duty and ministration my soule overflowe's with sorrow I am vnspeakeably affucted in my spirit that I shall not thus see your faces any more nor you mine againe in this place and service But our God shall beholde vs both and all of vs in the brightnes of the face of his son Iesus Christ and if we will strive to looke vnto him as we ought the lustre and beames of his most blessed countenance will breake through all these foggs and mist of our naturall perturbations which appeare abundantly in the mournefull teares wherwith now we doe so sorrowfully salute one another which whether they doe more breake or solace my hart is hard to say I cannot but deepely symphathize with your sorrow yet can I not but joy againe to beholde your deare regard of me expressed in these affectionâ—te significations Thus these two doe fight an eager combate within me but greife prevailes I see both in you my seâ—f for this our vnseasonable separation But now it is see that I must goe and according to the good pleasure of his will who here spake vnto Iacob assoone as I heare I desire to obey and to returne into my countrey and I desire nothing seing I must be gone but to depart in true peace as I signifyed to you all the last Lords day when we did all feast with the Prince of peace that it might appeare we parted as the children of peace in his blessing and love whose bread wine of blessing we did louingly eate drinke together I must leaue you but know he will not leaue you nor me nor any of his how soever it be soe that we must live a sunder in this world Stay you here in this land of Labans who receiue you to enrich themselves and affect you litle futher then they finde that you are beneficiall to them Be faithfull in your employments the Lord can send you home with his blessing in abundance though you might at first come over this Iorden but with your staffe or but some slender support portion in externall things My soule doth wish every one of you Iacobs wealth but with Iacobs faith his prosperity with his piety the Lord make you equall to him in greatnes goodnes also Yea the God of Abraham Isaac Jacob d ee you all good bestow his best benedictioÌ„s vpoÌ„ your Society that the body therof may ever inherit her ancient honors and aduantages and the members may share not only these common comforts but every one in particuler his owne welfare and benefit beside Of this one thing you must ever be ceartainly assured and perswaded that you cannot be more happy then Pagans may be but in the prosperity of soule body together if the Lord divide these and doe give abundance only to the owtward man this is his heavy justice these are your vnhappy riches Therefore am I and ever shal be a harty wellwiller to the wellbeing of both Gods law doth command your loue hath bounde me to be an vncessant suitor for this double mercy if accordingly I be not so farre as I may or can let me finde no favor in earth no felicity in heaven And soe I leave you to the love of God whose power guard you against all evill grace guide you vnto all good peace rule in your harts mercy compasse you about in all estates As the church of Christ I leave you to him that is head of the church and saviour of his body As my late flock I leaue you to the great shepheard of your soules As my louing freinds I leave you to him that is the helper of the freindles As christians I leave you to Iesus Christ both your Lord and myne he abide with you his graces abound in you his holy spirit be your comforter on earth your conductor to heaven I cannot make an end or give over the multiplication of my soules wishes of your soules and bodyes good I am full of matter and my spirit within me constraines me to goe on but dolour can keepe no decorum it is an ill orator and you see affection drowne's both matter and methode yet I must conquer my felfe and end vnwillingly and soe I endeavour spite of my longing hart to wish longer desiring only this one thing that what good this time will not permitt me to vtter the Lord of his goodnes may please to expresse vpon you all for ever That soe it may come to passe that in all respects states what soever wherin you are or may be considered you may in every of them be truly blessed that as men you may be faithfull as merchants you may be samous as christâ—aens you may be gracious as saints you may be glorious More then these I cannot pray for and I doe and will pray that you
can finde a fit party for each reproffe he vtters here were for such a one and such a one say they in their vaine thoughts when they heare the minister lay it on vpon such sins as they surmize's them to be guilty off Thus they can soone dispose of all that is delivered and finde roome for it in other mens consciences and conversations as for themselves they conceive nothing to concerne them vnlesse now and then Satan prompt them to put vp something which they imagine may harten them in their prophanes or to lay theevish hands vpon some of Gods sacred promises wherby they may be in the divells and their construction therof abetted in some sinfull course Now to touch these and to teach them better what they have to doe as their duty in this particuler we neede not say much because much of that which hath beene spoken to Gods people in this case doth concerne wicked men also and doth equally presse both to doe that which the Lord requireth Howbeit we must breifely give these vngodly ones something to vnderstand from God for their owne parts in this point that if it may be they may also be brought to better practise First then let them know Motiue 1 that not to apply any thing at all to themselves is a most wofull thing and an evill of strang extent both in regard of injury to God and jmpiety in themselves The Lords injury is not litle when what he speaketh from his owne most sacred mouth and breathed into man by his owne celestiall spirit shal be all in vayne when such holy and powerfull words as his are full of divine vertue and heavenly influence shal be frustrate voyd and of none effect but goe vnregarded as some idle tale all the dayes of a wretched mans life And thine jmpiety is not lesse who as an adder goest and comest dease from the glorious voyce of the God of heaven and by applying nothing makest it to appeare that thy vngodly hart doth thinke that either the Lord hath nothing to say that is worth thy hearing or good for condition or that thou hast no neede of any of all that vnspeakable good which is spoken from him by his messengers Now how these two or either of them wil be answered to the Lord let it be well considered by every sinfull man Secondly Motive 2 it is a most apparant signe of God rejection of a man and of a mans damnation before God when he shutts vp the soule of a man that none of his word can enter and soe close's vp his eyes that he cannot see any of his truth to concerne himself This is most manifest by the expresse words of the Apostle 2. Cor. 4. â— 4 If our gospell be hid it is hid to them that are lost in whome the God of this world hath blinded their mindes c least they light of the glorious gospell should shine vnto them see here they that lay not Gods truth to hart are only such as are lost that is cast away let goe of God into the jawes of Satan as Iudas is sayd to be the lost child of perdition Joh. 17.12 Isa 6. Mat. 13.14.15 And to the same purpose long since spake the Prophet Isaiah Christ after him where he saith that mens harts are hardened and their vnderstandings darkened that hearing they may heare and not perceiue any of Gods truth to be good for themselves and this spirituall obstruction in the judgment is an infaillible argument of Gods purpose to confound the soule and body of a man for ever and ever for soe it is added least they should convert and J should heale them And if we should goe to examples who but reprobates have heard Gods word and not applyed it to the bettering of themselves Nay which is more Note and I desire may be well marked it is impossible that any but reprobates should heare Gods word without all application For why if the Lord give not a man a hart to receiue the word of his grace it is most ceartaine that the Lord hath not a hart to receiue that man into grace Were it not easy to instance Elyes sons whose not taking home to hart their fathers counsell from God is sayd to be the evidence of their destruction note the words of the text well Notwithstanding they obeyed not the voyce of their father 1. Sam. â— 25 because the Lord would destroy them this was the signe of their destruction from God because his word did them no good Vnto these I could adde others more but wee neede not If then this be soe that we see what their state is that apply not Gods truth even a state of perdition that this not application is a most evident signe of this condition I hope it will cause any that shall consider it to cast about and to take better notice of himself in this thing Thirdly let all vngodly men know Motiue 3 that in that which they doe apply now and then to wit such promises as sometimes they snatch at when they heare any thing that doth as they corruptly conceive humor and please them I say let them know that herin they wrong both the Lord his children and themselues The Lord in medling with that which he never meant them for his promises as we have heard are the proper inheritance of his owne people now to be too bolde with that which is the Lords and to vse it amisse is an abuse offered to him His children are injured in that their bread is taken from them by these dogs The blessed promises are their bread and no meate for any that are vngodly and therefore for a wicked men to seize on them is but but the part of an vnmannerly curr who catche's that from his masters hand for himself which he meant his childe should have But the most and worst evill is their owne and that appeareth in this that these promises of God thus vsurped by them are in Gods justice poysoned to them and doe become occasions of their wofull hardening in their wicked courses The Lord doth curse this misapplication of his truth and make's his word thus abused the savour of death unto death And soe they goe on in vngodlines being smothered by the prince of darknes and see not their way to lead vnto death Fourthly Motive 4 and lastly in not applying the threatnings which the Lord hath appointed as their due portion what doe they but in like manner as before injure the Lord who hath assigned them to their soules refusing to receive what he offer 's to them and making vtterly voyd to their vtmost power all that part of the holy booke of God which doth consist of curses terrors and comminations for seing as was sayd before of the promises in reprooffe of the people of God that Gods meane's not his children should have them and vngodly men to whome they are meant by God doe not meane to
take them are they not left voyd as serving for none as good for nothing Besides how many sins are wrapped vp in thy refusall of these threatnings O thou wicked man consider soe is there not infidelity Joh. that thou belevest not they belong to thee and he that beleeveth not is condemned already Is there not pride of hart that stoope's not to that which may humble thee Pro. all that are proud in hart are abhomination to the Lord. Is their not grosse ignorance that thou knowest not the state of thy hart to require this physike and hath not God sworne that ignorant persons shall never come to heaven Psal 95.10.11 They have not knowne my wayes therefore I sware in my wrath they shall never enter into my rest Nay what impiety is there not in this neglect to take notice of that which the Lord would fasten vpon you for your humilitation and soe consequently for your saluation if you would receive the same And doe you not in thus doing forsake your owne mercy and force Gods justice vpon your owne soules How happy were it you could see your vnhappines herin But because you will not conscionably looke after it the Lord will not shew it and soe you sinke and perish in the indignation of God for want of due consideration of it Thus you have your motives such as we can give vnto you to perswade your better care and circumspection touching your selves and your soules estate before the great God of heaven by whome you must be adjudged at the last and great day of his glorious appearance You see that as yet you condition is miserable and accursed for either you apply none of his truth at all or you misapply all you meddle with and his majesty cannot beare either of these both being dishonorable to him and damnable to you Gather these few motives into your myndes and ponder well and throughly vpon them thinke how it is in each perticuler and in them all together let them take place vpon you give no more place to the divell that Gods heavenly word should have no place in you Desire to open your harts to his voyce but first desire him to open them to himself he never opened heaven to any whose hart he did not open to heare and apply his word aright If therefore after all that is sayd you remaine as before closed stopt up that the truth of God cannot enter know for a surety from the God of truth that heauen is shut against you hell only is open to you and thither must you goe to him even Satan that would not suffer you to come to God whose suggestioÌ„s as you obayed soe now shall you receive of the Lord the just recompence of reward due therevnto from his infinite wrath and vengeance for ever and ever But if you will returne and repent he will leave a blessing behinde him â—ocl 2. there is mercy with him for you here there is glory with him for you in heaven And thus much for those motiues that may incite all sorts of men to apply the truth of God Now if any childe of God or any other would know vpon what tearmes they might be bold to apply the promises of grace let them looke back into the signes of their interest into Christ layd open in the former point pag. 55. c. and they will also serve for sound warrant herevnto for whatsoever doth interest vs into him doth together with him give vs right to all other things The end of the second sermon NOw from the application of the things God spake vnto Iacob wee are by due order to proceede to the things that were spoken to him which he doth apply vnto himself and they are lying in these latter words of the verse Returne into thy country to thy kindred I will deale well with thee which words doe containe in them these two particulers 1. a precept Returne into thy country to thy kindred 2. a promise And J will deale well with thee I might take them a sunder and handle them severally and I did intende it but because time will not suffer me to doe soe I will gripe them togeather and intreat of them both at once in one generall instruction and that is this That Doct. 3 whosoever wil be willing to doe as God will haue him shal be sure to fare well The onely way to be well dealt withall is to resolue to be ruled by the Lord to be ordered by him to be at his finding disposing for all our wayes of setling or remooving going or abiding to or from any place to set vpon or let alone any practise This is the high way to be truely happy the onely course that can be to be in a state assuredly comfortable that a man will cast himself and his affaires vpon the Lord and doe in all things as he will have him God himself shall tell vs the truth of this point from heaven and avouch and seale it vnto vs by his owne most sacred word to Iacob which words we see Iacob doth plead before the Lord and fathers them vpon him and vrgeth them to him and the Lord doth graciously acknowledge them as his owne and doth actually accomplish them vpon him as in all other cases he had done before soe in this particuler now in hande wherin though he feared nothing more then hard and rigourous dealing cruell and tyrannicall carriage yet being willing to doe as God bade him he sounde nothing lesse but in stead therof he had all loving intreatie and most kinde brotherly entertainement that might be Now then seing God first spake it to Iacob Iacob doth now vrge it to God God in this ever after made it good to him it is a truth past controversy an vndoubted truth that may passe without all colour of doubt or question It may well goe for a rule That he that wil be ruled by God shall ceartainely fare well Neither did this begin to be a truth now at this time as if it had never beene soe before but it was thus from the beginning and began to be experimentally true as the first man that ever God made gave a law vnto for doing his will can well and soundly certify vs that well doing well-being went ever togeather How much present happines comfort welfare was provided for Adam in the state of his innocency and obedience it had beene happy for him and vs had he continued in his subjection to the law of his maker doe this liue How well was he in his paradice wherin what he was in his person by created nature and grace what he had for his portion in things naturall and spirituall wee can give some guesse out of the records of sacred writtings but what he should have beene had he continued his obedience without transgression when from earth he should have beene translated to heavens happines that
IACOBS STAFFE TO BEARE VP THE Faithfull AND TO BEATE DOWNE THE Profane Touching the one 's assured and the others conceited title vnto God himself and all his precious promises WHERIN The Saints interest is justified to be absolutely infaillible the Sinners clayme detected to be apparantly deceivable notwithstanding all infernall suggestions of feare and infidelity in the one or of presumption and security in the other Formerly preached at Hamburgh by IOHN VVING late Pastor to the English Church there as his farewell to the famous followship of Merchant Adventurers of England resident in that City And now published and dedicated to the honor and vse of that most worthy Society there or wheresoever being All things are yours you are Christs 1. Cor. 1. â—â— â—â— AT FLVSHING Printed by Martin Abraham vander Nolck dwelling at the signe of the Printing house 1621. SOCIETAS ADVENTVRARIA Ana-gramma RE-RATA VIVIS DEO SANCTA REDDITE QVOD SVVM EST CVIQVE What er'e can be concluded from a NAME Yours doth include all happines and fame Thus spel'd thus anagram'd it boade's your Fate Then which there cannot be a happier State With MEN t' enjoy your reconfirmed GLORIE And with your GOD to be reputed HOLIE What can I wish but THESE with all increase And after THESE those joyes that never cease TO THE Right Worshipfull my worthy freinds Master RICHARD GORE Deputy the Asistants and Generality of the famous fellowship of Merchant Adventurers of England resident in Hamburgh IOHN WING wisheth all present prosperity on earth and all perfect happines in heaven AS I have sometimes read oftentimes ruminated the kinde question of that Pagan Prince concerning the honorable reward of his faithfull servant So have I beene abash't in my self that I have not enquired soe carefully what was due to you for your loue as he did to him for his loyalty VVhat honour sayd he hath beene done to Mordocay for this should I not have asketd my self the same long since for your kindnes not much inferior to his seruice And now that of late I have begun this inquisition my conscience answers with shame There hath nothing beene done with shame I say blushing that a heathen shall thus remember an inferiour and a christian should thus forget such freinds as I have founde you all to be whose favour kindnes though it be not vpon recorde in chronicle yet doth it well deserue soe to be And now to doe you the best honor that can come within my power I doe here present vnto you and to all men this true commemoration and thankefull acknowledgment of these your favours which were soe abundantly bestowed on your part although soe vndeserved on myne We Schollers have nothing but papers to honour our best freinds withall our most and best is done when we have put their good names in print and by publike jmpression given the world notice of the precious respects their good nature hath cast vpon vs. And if this my endeavour may be accounted but your least honour I have what I desire as one ayme of this publication The matter published intendeth an honour jnfinitely higher even of God who once enabled me to speake it and hath now encouraged me to divulge it principally for the glory of his name next for the renowne and fame of yours whose rare liberality it were most jnjurious to bury in these dayes wherin so litle of the like is alive I beseech you take in good part what I present vnto you from a good hart I was once hopefull to have beene more happy in my residence with you then I can be in writing to you But the almighty meant it otherwise on him I cast all my cares and strive daily for contentment and comfort in a state in many regardes much more meane I hope nothing shal be offensive to you of that I have written it being all gratefull when it was spoken If in the latter end I seeme more playne and downe-right in divers passages both concerning you and my self I pray you pardon me it was to sustaine my owne vprightnes and to wype away those foule and vnworthy jmputations wherwith some malignant mindes and mouthes did as falsely as basely reproach and traduce me and that to my face for such grosse miscarriage among you as made me incapable of soe good a condition service as yours was God for bid J should justify them till I dye sayd Iob and soe say I and giue away my jnnocency I had rather dye blameles then live blemisht And to bunge vp make mute for ever these evill tongues I could not but relate that truth which is able to remooue their sclanders and reveale my integrity to all persons that shall please to pervse these particulers The Lord of his infinite goodnes make good this poore attempt of myne to you all and to all others into whose hands harts I desire it may come The same God be ever your God and shyne vpon you in the pure light of his sweete countenance that all things may be fully discovered vnto you which may further you to him where you may shyne with him in that glorious and inaccessible light which noe corruption can inherit or attaine To his grace and blessing in vncessant desire of your temporall prosperity in your Society and spirituall and eternall prosperity of soule body I commend every one of you with my owne soule and soe rest Your late Pastor and vnfayned wellwiller for ever IOHN WING From my house in Flushing September 12. 1621 TO THE READER Reader looke for no apology or excuse for this worke of myne I make no question but the matter contayned in it will plead a necessity of making it publike Reade and pervse that throughly The second part of my former labour thou shalt looke for if the Lord will and I liue e're long but not presently for I haue something to doe before I can finish it Pray for me that I may be furnished with grace to write for thy good Faerwell in the Lord. IOHN WING Pag. Lin. Error Correction 5. 20. with stand which stand 8. 6. at ouce at once 20. 6. harh right hath right 22. 17. wit vs with vs. 45. 5. yet blessed yee blessed 94. 12. thy put out they put out 99. 31. abborted abhorred 109. 31. and agine and againe 119. 32. last refuse last refuge 125. 2. and oeur-base and over-base 137. 20. he speake it he speake it 138. 24. cry to their cry to her 139. 13. such the breasts suck the breasts 156. 23. they Good thy God 157. 7. the ony the one 162. 2. not sorrow not Sorrow 175. 5. consider and soe consider and see 175. 32. you condition your condition 181. 4. thy are they are 184. 27. to a bette to abette 195. 28 timerarious temerarious 2â—5 3. or thee or thee Words to be put in Pag. Lin. Â Â 11. 1. we bolde we be bolde 57. 8. ever hope ever we hope 78.
world beleeue that he is their father their God who are wicked wheras he hath revealed his wrath from heavē against them and doth from his very soule abhorre them as the base brood of Belzeebub and the loathsome spawne of Satan by reason of their sin Thus is the Lord thrust from his throne of glory and his honour layd in the dust and what an egregious abuse and abasement this is we may measure by our owne if the like to it were offered to any of vs. Suppose some base varlet the knowne bastard of some notorious strumpet should thus fawne vpon a man of approved honesty and honour admit he were a Prince and wheresoever he came be still calling him his father and laying challeng and clayme vnto him were it not an infamy and an iniury not to be borne would any man endure it that had power to punish it were it not such a wound in a Princes good name as might enrage him to send such a villane to the executioner rather then to suffer him to live daily to disgrace him in calling him his father Surely the greatest patience vnder heaven would be overcharged with this reproach we cannot dreame that ever this fellow should be endured to make any request or if he did that he might hope of any acceptation but instead of being graciously answered he might expect to be fearfully punished for abusing him whome he did soe beare himself vpon For what would the world thinke of him that should let such a fellow alone but that sure he is foule and hath lived basely seing such a base companion is suffred to challeng him as his father And beloued if such a thing would thus iniure and anger us let vs thinke how it will affect the Lord who is so jealous of his honour and sensible of his dishonour as he hath revealed himself to be and whose glory and fame is soe infinitely aboue ours he being the king of glory and king of saints the father only of his naturall son Christ and of so many as in him he adopteth to be his children by grace let vs I say bethinke our selves how this wil be taken that our father which is in heaven should by Satans suggestion and these mens appellation become the father of all those infernall helhounds and lyms of Satan whome he for the honour of his justice hath cast into hell to their perpetuall shame and contempt The divell can tell though he will not tell it you yee wicked one 's that this is a ready way to enreage the Lord against you and to provoke him to powre out the feircenes of his greatest fury vpon you there cannot be a quicker course to fill Satans kingdome and cast men into hell fire then by suborning vngodly men to call God father for in setting them on in this manner to call God theirs he make's them thereby seaven times more his owne then they were before Now is it not bydeous I had almost sayd vnpardonable jmpiety to vnthrone the Lord of heaven and thrust him into the base condition of his cursed vassall to rob him of this honour to be the God of all his elect and holy ones and become the father of all prophane person Thus doth every godles man when he call's God father for if he may be in any sence a father to such he can in no sence be sayd to be the same to his owne Secondly Euill 2 this evill doth not end though it begin here for as the Lord is abased soe is the diuell exalted and put into the place of the most high For if God be the God of vngodly men to whose right must Gods people belong It is impossible that both should appertaine to one party if therefore the wicked have God to be theirs the interest of the saints must needes be in Satan and soe he is set vp and the most high made vile The Diuell himself and all that tooke part with him in that accursed practise was banished heaven as it is supposed for aspiring into Gods place but this is to giue away the glory of the euer-liuing God put his most professed adversary into the actuall possession of the same And if heauens infinite justice were so exceeding neauy vpon him only for the attempt what will it be vpon these for the act Oh that their soules could throughly consider this who thus speake ah they litle dreame what high treason it is against the majesty of God to utter that which at once dishonour's the Lord and advanceth the divell But I leave them to the Lord by whome I desire they may be awaked that they sleepe not in this sin to death yea to damnation Thirdly Euill 3 this is a wonderfull and a wofull hardening of wicked men in their evill wayes and an vtter dishartening of such as would vndertake the things that be good What jmpious person or vngodly miscreant will take his sin to hart or thinke it worth any such sorrow as is required to repentance if in this his sinfull estate he may beare himself vpon God who would come out of that condition wherin he may clayme God to be his owne Againe what comfort can he have that is now comming on to religion to goe on and make a proceeding in piety a progresse in grace and holines to strayne towards a more holy exact pure and precise estate wherin he may more sanctify the Lord and subdue himselfe when he shall observe such sinfull persons as savour of noe grace to make as bolde with the Lord as the best of his owne saints So that this divelish jmpudency of vngodly persons doth cause them to comit two cutlls at once to wit to appale all piety and applaud all prophanes hindering some from entring on the former and hartening many to run on in the latter till they be past all recovery This is to make sad the hart of the righteous and to make glad the soule of the sinner and both these the Lord doth deepely abhorre Fourthly and lastly to make vp the measure of this euill or rather to make it out of measure euill Euill 4 let vs know that the Diuell himself was never soe vile as in this particuler to dare to entitle himself to God or once in any place to call the Lord his Where doth or may it appeare in all Gods booke that ever he offred it Others interest he hath indeede acknowledged as when he confessed Christ to be the son of God I know who thou art Mar. 5.7 thou art Iesus the son of the liuing God and when he gave testimony to the Apostles these are the seruants of the most high God c. Act. 16.17 but where did he ever challeng any right or make any claime of his owne to call God his is any man able to shew it no sure why then for a wicked man thus to doe is an offence more foule then the divell will be founde guilty off And who can
his image but the same was his owne It is not more assured that a man-childe is the son of a man then that a holy man or woman is the childe of God all his children are like himself he hath power to make them soe and it is his revealed resolution that soe it shal be and therefore it must follow that if we carry not the image of God we can clayme no interest in him Adam I meane the first Adam was the son of God by creation and how like himself the Lord made him may be collected both out of his resolution before his creation let vs make man in our image and by the act it self when he endowed him with such singuler excellency of grace as wherin he carryed the admirable impressions of his most glorious maker in such holines knowledge and righteousnes as in a creatures perfection might be a representation of the infinitenes of them all in God himself the creator And while but alas it was but a litle while that Adam stood in these perfections of created grace the Lord acknowledged him for his owne But assoone as he lost these his title was gone he was now no more the Lords but Satans that misled him Christ Iesus the second Adam was the son of God by an eternall and inconceivable kinde of generation and how did his sonship when in times fullnes he was incarnate shew it self wherby was he knowne to be the true naturall son of the most high why even by this that he was so like his father that as himself saith he that hath seene me hath seene my father and as the Apostle saith Joh. 14.9 Heb. 1.3 he was the bright and expresse image of his person By this lively similitude was he knowne to be the son of the living God And as he never had any naturall son but he soe never was any soe like him as this son was for he was the same with him even one with him in all those supernaturall excellencyes which might expresse the nature of God And as it was with these two wherof the one was his son by creation the other by generation soe must and will it be in their measure with all his sons and daughters by grace and regeneration They must also be like vnto him who in his loue hath begotten them anew Ezeh 6.3.26 and to the end they may be soe the holy ghost tell 's vs we must have now harts new spirits new affections new mindes and dispositions all new according to that of the Apostle 2. Co. 5.17 If any man be in Christ he is a new creature or as the word importeth a new creation made all new beholde J make all things a-new and againe Gal 6.15 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision avayleth any thing nor vncircumcision but a new creature or creation and thus new we must be that we may be like to Iesus Christ who in opposition to the old Adam is called the new man by whome we must be cast into a new moulde to be made conformable to him And therefore the apostle vrgeth our consimilitude to Christ and newnes of life together and inferreth them one vpon another that wheresoever newnes of life is Ro 6.4.5 there is a cleare conformity to Christ Iesus And this jmage or similitude vnto our saviour is abundantly pressed vpon vs and made knowne to be the minde of God and a manifest evidence of our interst in many particulers Nothing is more frequently called for at our hands then that we should be holy as he is holy mercifull as be is mercifull perfect as he is perfect followers or imitators of Christ lyke mynded to him learning of him all patience kindnes humility meekenes and every saving grace whereby it may appeare that we are made partakers of the divine nature in the cōmunicable qualities therof 2. Pet. 1.4 soe assuredly interessed into him of whose nature we doe partake That soe as we have borne the image of the earthly Adam in sin and corruption and thereby made it too evident that we are his children and heires of condemnation soe also we should beare the image of the heavenly Adam in holines sanctification therby be sealed to be his sons and daughters yea his members reserved to the glory of Gods kingdome And that this image of his to wit our conformity to Christ is an evidence infallible vndoubted herof is most cleare by that which the Apostle directly layeth downe and avoucheth when he telleth vs that those whome the Lord did fore-know to be his elect them Ro. 8.26 he did predestinate to be like the image of his sonne soe that we see how the depth of this profound doctrine of praedestination may be sounded and soundly discerned as touching the evidence of the same by every man in himself and one may ceartainly know himself to be predestinated of God to live for ever with him in life and glory if he be cast into a new moulde made a new lumpe like to Iesus Christ Most true it is that Gods praedestination is touching the doctrine therof in the causes and reasons of the same why some and so few should be ordayneth to happines others and so many to hell torments may be matter of amezement vnto vs but the discerning of the same in our owne particuler is nothing difficult but most easy and manifest For if a man doe carry the image of the Lord Iesus in grace and holines he is without controversy appointed to be glorifyed with him but while he continueth in a cursed conformity to sin and corruption and beares the likenes of the old Adam or rather of the olde serpent he may know he belong's not to Gods decree of election because all such as appertaine therevnto are as well predestinated to be gracious on earth as to be glorious in heaven These two were never parted yet in any person whatsoever Gods predestination of grace is as absolute as of glory and the former must be the forerunner of the latter But we will not digresse into any further discourse of this matter The point we have in hand is vndeniably true and cannot be doubted off that if we be like him we are his and he that is not the same is none of his Now then let every man search himself and endeavour to apprehend aright how it is with him herin that he may well vnderstand whether he hath belyed the Lord or noe when he hath called him his For he that doth soe and is not like him hath lyed vnto God fo oft as he hath layd clayme to him Enquire then and see what piety what zeale what humility patience holines purity and vprightnes is in thee looke well vpon thy self nay into thy self and let others looke vpon thee what characters and impressions of God are to be seene whose image and superscription thou carryest in thy conscience before God in thy conversation before men
if Christs thou art a currant christian and an heyre apparant of heaven thou mayest as boldly say thou art the Lords as any man childe may say he is the son of a man But if those monstruous and diabolicall parts of impiety prophanes appeare in thee which are founde in swearers drunkards sabbath-breakers couetous idolatrous vnjust or vncleane persons know thou art as ceartainly the divells Ioh. 8.44 as thou art conceitedly Gods Christ himself tell 's thee soe Yee are of your father the diuell there is no more reason such a one should call God his then that a beast should be accounted the childe of a man Every thing begett's and bring 's forth his like all creatures that propagate and procreate produce evermore of their owne kinde all plants that have life and no sence all beasts that have life and sence and no reason all men which have both life sence and reason this is the vniversall order and perpetuall ordinance of God for nature And shall the almighty who hath all these perfections infinitely and infinite more besides these shall he only breede and bring forth divelish monsters children that heare no representation of him but are branded withall the hellish parts and lym's wherof reprobates are composed Who can beleeue a blasphemer or any of the fornamed offendors when they say Our father nay it is wonder how they can beleeue themselues 2. Thes 2.11 were they not giuen ouer to strong delusions to beleeue lyes that they might be damned it were impossible they should not see how hydeously they did slander and vilefy him who is God to be blessed for ever and who will one day be infinitly avenged vpon them as for all other their damnable impietyes among men soe especially for this dishonor done to himself whome they have abused by innumerable falshoods in their oftē calling of him father Goe now yee wicked wretches and weepe mourne for this that being the base broode of Satan and the hellish monsters of sin yee have fathered your selves vpon him whose soule doth loath you because you are not like vnto him It is double blindnes you are given over vnto in this point who having the whole schoole of nature in all the works of God and the vniversall and cleare current of his word to teach you this one lesson That nothing produceth any thing but that which is like it self and yet you cannot learne to leave lying against the Lord in laying a false claime vnto him having nothing in you like vnto him Pray for eye-salue to discerne this evill and wayle before him whome you have soe wickedly abused there is yet a possibility that you may become his be made like vnto him for he hath power to change you from what you are to what you should be he can make a thistle to become a myrrhe tree Isa 55.12 Mat. 3.9 and the bryar a fyrre tree he can raise vp children to Abraham of these stones nothing is or can be so evill and vnlike him which he cannot alter into his owne image And they that are thus changed already are happy and have the Lord for their God to whome they may boldely and freely goe as to their father who hath graciously begotten them whenas they can carry with them the evidences of his holy image in them in any measure of that true grace they have received from him For this one thing we must carefully consider Note that we may not discomfort our owne soules that it is not the likenes of quantity or equality but of quality only that we urge vpon you and that God expecteth in you When he sayth and we teach that men must be holy as he is holy mercifull as he is mercifull c we doe not neither doth God meane there should be soe much of these in you as in himself Noe such matter but only that there should be some measure of them any measure doth argue the nature of a thing the truth wherof is also further discerned by the growth of the same Now then if you can goe to God shew him some beginnings of his owne graces you are his An infant the members and parts of whole body are exceeding litle and of no strength in respect of one that is a growne man yet is knowne by those feeble hands and other weake lineaments to be the child of his father Their likenes doth argue it though they want greatnes And so is a childe of God approved to be his by those graces that be in him though yet they be infirme and infinitely short of that they should be We may not then dismay our selves and make voyde the evidences of our consolation in the Lord our God because we have not much but litle yea very much too litle grace and piety in vs that which we haue must joy vs that which we want should humble vs we may make our claime by the very least graine of true grace we have gotten but our clayme is confirmed by our encreasing therin and gayning of more He hath tolde vs that he will not despise the small things Zach. 4.10 Mat. 12.20 nor quench but kindle the smoaking flaxe nor breake but binde vp the bruised reede and why should we despaire of our estate in that which he doth not despise no let vs vnfainedly blesse him for the first friuts of our interest in him and beseech him to stampe and jmprint his jmage more deeply in vs that not only our selves may perceive it but men may see it and soe he that hath given it may be glorifyed of vs in it and by the cleare and comfortable assurance of our childe-hood by this our consimilitude Satans assaults may be resisted and himself constantly honoured of vs all our dayes And this is the fourth signe of our right in our God The sift and last Signe 5 wherof we will treate at this time is the Spirit of God And this is the absolute assurance of our being his Whosoever hath received the spirit of God God hath received that man for his owne This is affirmed fully by Iohn 1. Joh. 3.24 who assureth vs that we are nay that we may know we are his by the spirit which he hath giuen vs and hervnto the Apostle attesteth Rom 8.6 when he telleth vs that if any man haue not the spirit of Christ the same is none of his This is further evident by such particulers as whervnto this spirit thus given is compared to wit to a scale Ephe. 1.14.15 and an earnest penny and both these as all men know doe assure men of their right in any thing that is conditioned for betweene man and man And the Lord in discovering his spirit vnto vs vnder these tearmes doth thereby giue vs to vnderstand that it hath a conveying power and an assuring property to giue vs reall and vndoubted interest in himself all such good things as from him are to be given to
thy handmayd c. And soe for all other comforts of any kinde whatsoever this was ever vrged as we might abundantly instance in Moyses in Dauid in Eliah Iehosophat Hezekiah and many more who many a time pressed God with it Yea which is well worth our nothing God himself hath often rendered this as that which hath as it were wrought vpon himself to respect them in his grace as it were easy to alledge out of many scriptures That one may serve for all which we finde by the prophet But thou Israell art my seruant Is 41.8 ver 9. Iacob whome I haue chosen the seede of Abraham my freind c. Thou art my seruant I haue chosen thee and not cast thee away And if the Lord himself doe make this vse of it to magnify his owne grace to vs we may cōfortably plead it before him to prevaile with him therewith we may be well assured that that which he makes an argument of magnifying his mercy on vs would be of excellent vse and force to pleade before him to moue him to manifest the same mercy to vs. Let vs not then in any wise be sparing herin we cannot be too bolde nor too abundant the Lord like 's that prayer and loue 's that suitor the better that is most full of it And the divell will have least to doe with those which are neerest and fastest to God And therefore to conclude and shut vp this point be it now our perpetuall care and endeavour to doe according to the tennor of that truth we have heard in this our first instruction arising from this interest so stissly pleaded by this blessed Patriarch in that he enter's thus into his petition with these words O God of my father Abraham and God of my father Isaac c. Shewing clearely that he that would have his prayers enter into heaven and be entertayned with God must goe in this way with them And soe much for our first lesson laide downe in these words The end of the first Sermon Having done with his first encouragmēt we proceede to the consideration of his secōd as it lieth in the text following Thou Lord which saidest vnto me Returne into thy countrey c. wher in he now pleadeth his warrant he had from God as before he did his interest he had in God And herein we have two things to thinke off the first is the warrāt it self the second his assuming application therof home to himself The former to wit his warrant he divides into two particulers 1. a precept Returne into thy countrey c 2. a promise and I will deale well with thee From both which we might well note vnto you in the next place this worthy lesson that VVhatsoever we doe without warrant from God is wickedly done So much warrant as any man hath to doe any thing soe much comfort shall he haue in the doing of it If this were not an absolute and an vndenyable truth why did the Lord giue Jacob this comission for his journey or why should Jacob take it and make this vse of it to God himself as he doth it were no favour or mercy to haue it no point of faith no part of our duty to vse or to vrge it if we might be justifyed in any thing we vndertake without it But wee purpose not to prosecute this point at this presēt but to take another occasion if the Lord please to handle it at large Doctrine 2 The thing we ayme at is not soe much the matter of the warrant it self as Iacobs taking of it home applying of it to himself in that he saith Thou Lord who saydest vnto me From which practise of his we may obserue and you must learne thus much That it is the duty of every chirstian to carry the word of God home to his owne hart and to apply it particulerly to himself Looke what sacred truth the Lord hath left recorded for vs and either in any generall speciall or particuler rule of his word revealed to vs as tending to our particuler estate the same soe farre as it toucheth vs in any thing that doth or may concerne vs the Lord looke's we should lay it to our harts and appropriate it to our selves as our owne Every true christian is bounde to apply every part of Gods truth to himself evermore making that his owne which is mean't to him The instance of our text contayneth so cleare an evidence and confirmation of this doctrine and this holy Patriarchs practise is so pregnant for the point that we shall not neede to seeke farre for more witnes to enforce the truth of it Let vs a litle consider his carriage herin We heard before how God had spoken vnto him about this busines of his removall into his countrey here now we have himself not only relating what God said to him herin but also applying the same to his owne hart and state now that he is to goe to heaven for direction and comfort in the same in speaking to God he speakes that which God spake to him thou Lord who sayd vnto me c. he cleave's fast vnto that which he heard from God and let 's God heare of it from him againe he claymes Gods kindnes builde's vpon his precept and promise as vpon a foundation of direction consolation and assurance sufficiently able to beare him out against all opposition what-soever The precept leade's him to begin his journey the promise hartens him to goe on hoth are good to him in the duty he had to doe And we see that as Iacob is faithfull in applying all this so is the Lord carefull in reporting this his practise vnto vs and make's Moses many yeares after it was performed to receive it from his spirit by inspiration and to register it in this his blessed booke that it may remayne written for all ages to come for his approbation for our imitation that we might follow him who hath gone before vs herin and not only know what Iacob hath done but what the God of Iacob require's of vs from this light of his truth both to know to doe in any such cases as may ever become ours in any passage betweene the Lord and vs. In a word what he here did is therefore written and related that we might goe and doe likewise walking in the same path which this true survant of God hath troden out before vs which if we shall endeavour conscionably to doe and to be vpright with the Lord in the same what our benefit and advantage shal be the sequell will shew and we shall ever finde it our happines to lay Gods truth to hart Thus we see the case is cleare in the particuler of our text If we shall looke further abroade for our more assurance in the truth of this instruction and take vp such testimonyes as we might soone finde fasten vpon to this present purpose multitudes would flow apace vpon vs and it would be
towards vs. All the hope and happines and all the seare and misery of a man doth wholy consist in that which God conceiveth of him His good opinion of vs doth assure vs to be in a good nay a most excellent condition but it is wofull with the man of whome the Lord thinks ill he is indeede in a hard case of whome he hath a hard conceit If our owne conceites of our owne estates might rule the roaste and beare all before it what sure grounde of any safety could we have in any thing being subject to such grosse aberration in all our apprehensions for through the force of temptation we are diuersly and for the must part erroneously opinionated of our selves sometimes too presumptuously as Dauid when he thought he should neuer have beene mooued Psal 3 v. 6 Ion. 2.4 sometimes to dejectedly as Ionas when he gave himselfe quite ouer for a cast away our ignorance and Satans mallice working with it make's vs many times proud and praeposterous many times slavish 〈◊〉 base ever amisse never in the right for our owne estates therefore there is nothing to be gathered from this false ground of what we imagine seing the Lord who knowes our thoughts long before they come into our harts hath tolde vs that the imaginations of our harts are evill continually Gen. 6.5 Nay which is yet more we may not measure our future estate in this manner vpon those good and warrantable thoughts we have of our selves as when God commandeth and his spirit enlighteneth vs to see our vnworthines and to thinke meanely of our selves as we ought to doe in regard of our sins desert we may not hence collect any such conclusion as we would here inferre For the divell doth abuse vs by double pollieye both in causing vs many times to misse the true apprehension of our estate and if at any time the spirit of God lead vs into a true vnderstanding of the same he perverts the consequence therof and make's that false We being then so subject to this twofolde miscarriage either of false opinion or false conclusion by him suggested vpon our true perswasion let it be farre from vs to frame or enforce any thing concerning our finall condition vpon what we thinke for the present God never built any thing at all that belonges either to our present state of grace or our eternall state of glory vpon this hay stubble chaffe of our apprehensions It is the Lords approbation or disallowance which all the world must stick to for by it all men either stand or fall sinke or swimme liue or dye are condemed or justified for ever Our right and part in himself and all his promises lyes herevpon He cannot erre or be misguided touching vs being the most righteous judge both of Angells and men the elect and reprobate of both as he sayes all is and soe it must be for ever and ever Isa 55.8 Hence it is that the Lord sendes the Iewes word that his thoughts are not as their thoughts as if he should say it matters not what you thinke what I thinke is the thing you must depend vpon ver 9. and that he explanes vnto them in the very next verse where he affirmeth his thoughts to exceede theirs as farre as the heavens sur passe the carth which are every way much more high and excellent What then though you thinke your selfe vnworthy if the Lord thinke you worthy it is well enough you are bounde to the one he is free to the other though it be your duty to account meanely of your self yet it is his mercy to accept you as worthy of his best favours and your estate must be conceived of according to his not your owne estimate So God relleth his people by his prophet Ieremiah Ier. 29.11 I know the thoughts that I have thought concerning you saith the Lord thoughts of peace and not of evill to give you and expected end Ioe according to his thoughts soe is it vnto vs by his thinking thus of vs we attaine an expected end Indeede to be but meanely conceited of our selves is no other then we ought to be and if we could thinke ill of our selves without any further such ill consequence concluded thervpon it were well with vs and a sure signe that God thought well of us as we might instance in many particulers vpon whome it hath well appeared that Gods thoughts of them have not beene as their owne have beene Iob 40.4 cap. 42.6.7.8 Jer. 31.18.19.20 Iob thought himself vile but God accounted preciously of him as he that readeth may see â—phraim blamed himself exceedingly and layd much to his owne charge God acquited him yea commended and comforted him abundantly And the same might we say of many more but one shall serve for all and that is Paul who laye's out himself at large in regard of that wickednes which made him vtterly vnworthy of any mercy but most worthy of Gods greatest vengeance and sury He doth freely confesse his foule offences past his blasphemy against God his tyranny against his saints c. And in regard of these we may conceive that he thought himself for ever vtterly vnworthy to intermedle in that holy ministration of the Apostleship and much lesse worthy of any interest in Gods kingdome of glory but did he thence as you doe conclude that he should never receive any consolation because he was vnworthy Noe but the cleare contrary he measured his estate not by his owne estimation of himself but by the Lords approbation of him 1. Tim. 1.12.13 marke his words And I thanke our Lord Iesus Christ who enabled me for he counted me faithfull and put me into his service Consider well the power of this truth in this holy Apostle there was good reason he should judge himself vnworthy yet no reason that he should therefore esteeme himself incapable of Gods favour he settle's his soule and rests his hart as vpon a rock on that which the God of heaven did conceive of him and as God did account of him so was he comforted in himself All the thoughts of his owne worthlessnes could not debarre his blessednes but Gods accounting of him worthy made him blessed And this is our second evidence against this pretence Thirdly Eviden ∣ ce 3 this pretence intimates that our vnworthynes is the only barre of our interest and benefit in Gods promises and soe consequently that our worthynes is our evidence to clayme them by and neither of these have either any truth or true comfort in them but much presumption is in the one and foule falshood in both For why it is more then manifest that the Lord never meant to founde his favours vpon any such ground in vs but only and meerely vpon his owne free grace loue and faithfullnes that in these he might be magnisied of vs. Doe we not vnderstand thus much plainely by that which the Lord saith when he putts the
heaven but is most neerely layd out in this representation To the Lords people the streame runs full but there is nothing for strangers no current come's to them the Lord opens it only to his beloved to all others it is shut up and they shut out from having any thing to doe with any drop of it he wil nurse nourish none but his owne tender ones and they shall haue all that his breasts yee that his bowells can yeelde They shal be filled as with marrow fatnes Psal 63. ◠and shall drinke of the rivers of his house and they you know containe nothing but water of life It would be endles to enter vpon all particulers it is enough that the apostle saith that all the promises are yea Amen and againe that all is yours If any thing be good we may engrosse it without sin for it is all our owne If any thing sweete yea more sweete then the hony and the hony combe we may feede freely vpon it without surfet for it was all ordayned for vs. If any thing may be more advantage then the most fine golde and more enrich vs then all spoyles we may get and compasse all that we can of it it is no impiety but our duty to covet in this case In a word the best of every good thing is ours What should I say more yet who can say enough of this particuler seing the Lord himself hath sayd more then all the world can vtter touching this matter to the end that his saints might have abundāt cōsolatiōs measured vnto them filled vp to the brym pressed downe runing over Ioh. 16.24 these things saith Christ the same say I haue I spokē that your joyes maybe full I doe most vndoubtedly assure my self and durst vndertake to avouch that there are in Gods booke more then a million of celestiall beatitudes either literally expressed or inclusively contayned and all and every one of them are only and wholy for the saints to feede and fasten vpon that their soules might speake as comfortably and as considently to and of themselves from God Gen. 27.33 as Isaac sayd to Esaw when he cryed out for a blessing and could not catch it I have blessed him and he shal be blessed If the Lord have a mynt nay he hath more for his word is like a most rich myne of the best mettall all the treasure therof with the feild wherin it is hid is ours the purchase is made the price is payd beholde it is bought with all the admirable advantages therof for those that are the beloved of God to whome it is see simple for ever in a most cleare and more vndoubted title then any mans inheritance vnder heaven can be holden by in the legall tenure of any temporall estate And this being our owne ground why should we not reape all the commodity of it and carry the fruit home to our selves shall we suffer others to encroach and gather it from vs or let it lye there vngathered at all if we doe either of these we cannot answer our grosse ingratitude to God our egregious injury to our selves seing we willfully deprive rob our soules of those happy benefits which we refuse All the precious words of God are yours to apply his sure mercies are yours to receive they were once vttered by God himself and by his holy secretaryes recorded for ever for their sakes which shal be heires of salvation I hope then seing these things are soe and more then these too are not only so as we say but better then we can speake there is peace and consolation to the saints and they have wherin to joy and solace themselves in the Lord their God and that love of his soe liberally layd out vnto them What is written and expressed in the scriptures for good in regard of their state of grace that shall they have so farre as they can be any way capable therof in present posession And what is further written to give vs some glimpse and guesse of that blessednes which is infinitely aboue all that can be written or spoken that shall you be sure to receive at the hands of God when you come to heaven Only all this must be first beleeved by faith and when once our faith hath fastened vpon it we shall then experimentally finde feele it Note It is Gods order of working and his manner of conveying first to reveale a thing to our faith and afterwards to let vs feele it Abraham must first beleeve he shall have a son and afterwards receive him And all they whose faith was famous and their names are left vpon that recorde which can never be razed in that 11. to the Hebrewes did beleeve the promises before they received them It is hard to say whether any thing can be communicated to vs as a favour which we receive not in faith and whervpon faith never fastened I am sure no spirituall advantages can come any other way and he that hath temporall favours without faith hath them without comfort But to returne and to come to the close of this vse of the saints comfort why should not they sing for joy for whome all these songs of joy are endyted of God and by him as it were tuned of purpose with wonderfull variety and pleasure to prevent if it be possible if not to abate alay and qualify those our sorrowes discomforts and calamityes spirituall wherwith Satan doth so annoy and perplexe vs And shall all this be in vayne vnto vs what shall the voyce of God be in vayne the voyce of God I say who is such a father such a mother to vs as we have heard shall we frustrate that word of his which was never fruiltles to any which made the world and doth to this day manage the same shall we give our God cause to complaine against vs and to say to vs as in the gospell he did to others I have piped vnto you yee have not daunced shall we be so stupid and sensles dead and blockish to the true God as those jdole false Gods are to such as serve them who have eyes see not eares heare not hands handle not feete walke not but remayne altogether incapable of sence and motion shall the singuler loue of our God finde such a sinfull issue in vs O let these devises of the divell be as farre from vs as we would be from him and as deepely hated of vs as they would make vs hated of God Give a listening eare and lay vp that most loving speech of God Are not my words good to him that walketh vprightly mica 2 7◠Yea ceartainly all the words of God are good to all that are good in his reputation and acceptance Come neere then yee blessed and beloved of the Lord come neere I say and fall to freely and take your fill of this cup of your Gods consolation this his wine and
oyle is good to glad your harts and to make you to have a cheerefull countenance nay which is an invalable benefit a cheerefull conscience Open your mouthes wyde yea as wyde as you can and he will fill them extende dilate enlarge your hart to the vttermost there can be no just feare of want of grace in him all the doubt is that you will want place to receive it make as much roome as is possible and the Lord will powre it in freely even till it overflow as David tell 's vs he did vnto him when he confessed that his cup did run did over and the apostle Psal 23. when he also acknowledgeth further that the Lord can doe unto us exceeding abundantly aboue all that we can aske or thinke Eph 3.20 and both these sayings doe shew apparantly that the Lord hath more to giue them we can either aske or receive We cannot want so much as he can spare nor beg soe much as we may have Well Psal 115.15 and worthily might the Psalmist say yee are the blessed of the Lord who can deeme you lesse that see 's all the blessednes that is written in Gods booke and reserved with God in the highst heavens to be intended and appropriated to you by the Lord himself Now then inasmuch as you see Gods favour let him see your faith set that grace a worke on this goodnes of his Doe not suffer your selves to be deluded any more by him who in all his endeavours meane's no glory to God no good to you but mischiefe to both by labouring to cancel his truth to you and to make voyde your faith towards him Grace him not soe much as to give him the hearing of any thing he offreth to whisper into your harts Cast off all his suggestions with contempt and scorne let him see himself despised and his sabttityes abhorred Jam. 4.7 that is the next way to be rid of him if we resolutely resist him And let vs strive now and ever to cleaue to our God who can comfort and doe vs good his voyce hath sweetnes and vertue in it as well to worke good in us as to speake good to us it is all one to him to give vs good things as to give vs good words If he say it it is done why then doe we not as he saith and lende our best attention to his consolatios Craue we pardon for our perversnes past and power against it fortime to come that nothing may for ever heareafter hinder the sounde application of Gods saving truth vnto vs. And thus we have now at length finished our first vse which concerneth both the righteous reprehension and the gracious consolation of the saints of God who have now had the double portion we promised them We are now to put on to the second use of the same Vse 2 to wit that which cometh to wicked men from the consideration of this instruction to wicked men reprehēsion of the application of Gods truth Which being a duty wherevnto all men are bounde they also are enwrapped within the cordes of this doctrine and tyed to take home that part of Gods holy truth which doth concerne themselves And if thus they doe as it is their duty and their not doing of it wil draw downe heavy vengeance vpon them then will their misery and feare flow apace vpon them even so fast that they shall not be able either to escape the swiftnes of it but it will come to them nor to withstand the rage and violence therof but it will seize them in spight of all their cursed security and presumption whereby they often put their evill farre from them Nay whether they doe take it home or noe it will take yea overtake yea and overturne them too according to Gods owne fearfull threatning by Moses All these curses shall come vpon thee and overtake thee Deut. 28.15 till thou be destroyed So that a wicked mans evill is every way open before him assured to him let him turne himself which way he will he is in an ill case if he apply not Gods truth he incurres double danger for the Lord will both plague him for disobedience to this doctrine and the truth of God in the terror therof wil apply it self and fasten vpon him whether he will or noe and if he doe according as God hath sayd in the lesson before named then must he also know that there is no good at all appertayning to him but all the evill thath Gods booke reveale's Nothing is more plaine then that the Lord never meant any good to any vngodly man any good did I say oh it were well with them if that were all but to speake as the truth is and as they shall feele from God in case they continue in their jmpiety and prophanes he doth not only intend them no good but he intendes them nothing but evill and all evill of every kinde which is writtē all the curses comminations heavy sentences wofull sayings all miserable misceivous messages either of present justice or future vengeance whatsoever it be that the wisdome of God hath revealed from heaven or the justice of God hath reserved to be executed either here on earth in part of payment in temporall curses or fully and finally in hell in that infinite vengeance which is jmmeasurable and everlasting all this in every jot and tittle therof is theirs and they must drinke off this whole cup of the Lords wrath and enraged jndignation to the bottome in all the bitternes of the same Goe ye sinners and vngodly persons of all sorts reade over pervse every part every page of Gods sacred booke and in what leafe or line soever ye meete with any thing that favours of confusion or sounde's like a curse or sentence of comdemnation say to your selues as our Jacob doth here Thou Lord saist this to me this part of Gods truth is my portion and belongeth to me my jmpiety applei's this to me my wickednes doth draw me vnder this wofull censure But because Gods booke is so laden fraught with dreadfull threatnings hence now I thinke of it may a man give a great guesse at the cause reason why vngodly persons have no delight or pleasure to reade the scriptures but preferre every vaine pāphlet before those divine words which were inspired by Gods spirit a filthy play booke invented by the divell and by him prompted and put into the brayine of some base impiont varlet whose hellish tongue and hand he doth imploy to pronounce and pen it hath more readers more acceptance and attention then those blessed words which God hath breathed into those holy men who spake from himself vnto vs and why is this why is it thus surely a more eminent reason of this jmpiety cannot be rendred then this that the Lords booke boade's them no good every word is a woe vnto them therefore they take no more pleasure therin then a fellon
against you and your owne confusion before him Ro. 2.5 and so store vp wrath against the day of wrath and the iust declaration and excecution of his iudgement vpon your soule and body for ever And that you may see I speake not this without booke I pray you looke what God saith in his booke to this purpose how read you in the sift booke of Moses called Deuteronomie read there striue to understand what you reade and out of your vnderstanding of it ponder that saying and lay it vp in your harts There you shall heare God speaking thus touching the point we haue now in hand Dent. 29.18 ver 19. Least there should be among you any roote that beareth gall and worme wood and it come to passe that when he heareth the words of this curse that he blesse himself in his hart and say I shall haue peace though I walke in the imagination of my owne hart ver 20. to adde drunkenesse to thirst The Lord will not spare that man but the anger of the Lord and his iealousy shall smoake against him all the curses that are written in this booke shall lye vpon him ver 21. the Lord shall blot out his name from vnder heaven And the Lord shall separate him vnto evill out of all the tribes of Israell according to all the curses of the covenant c. ver 21. So that the generation to come shall say when they see these plagues c. Thus you see the Lord doth manifest and that in many words his minde concerning this matter and that we may the better discerne his meaning we may bretfely abridge all that these words doe import into two particulers 1. how haynous a thing it is in Gods sight sinfully to shift off the saving truth of God from our selves 2. how heavy the hand of God wil be in the extreame extraordinary punishment of him that doth soe The act is exceedingly amplified and aggravated if we doe well consider the particulers of the text wherin we finde it branched and blazed out to be an evill consisting of many evills a very composition of many impietyes and much corruption First it is an impious thwarting of God a crossing of him even a giving him the lye to his face when any man shall dare to say I shall have peace though c. Is not this extreame impudency thus to out face the Lord of heaven in his owne truth to tell him as it were to his teeth that we shall have peace whē he saith resolutely we shall have none in any vngodly way are we nor vndertakers against the wisdome power and justice of God by all which that which he hath here vttered against this sin shal be assuredly executed vpon the sinner shall we offer to say I shall have peace when the Lord who is only wise allmighty and most just saith we shall not is not this to make the world beleeve that we thinke our selves able well enough to secure our selves against him and know a way how to avoyd that which he saith he will inflict as if we could goe beyond God and overeach him by some policie or power of our owne Secondly it is a proude exalting of our selves aboue the Lord a trusting vpon our owne vayne lying and blasphemous words blessing our selves and giving no creddit to his most stable and immutable words of truth as if our blessing of our selves had farre more efficacy to save and comfort vs then his words of cursing have to cast vs downe and terrefy vs. Thirdly it is an encreasing of sin we adde one evill to another and soe lade our soules with more and more impiety augmenting our evill before the Lord and encouraging our selves in the same by this blessing of our selues in our sinfull courses and casting aside Gods righteous and heavy curses All these three amplifications of this impious and hellish act are apparant in the text and thus much sin doth he commit that applyeth not but putteth off the sacred word and truth of God from himself The punishmet due to this threefolde act of impiety followe's in the text too it is layd out both negatiue and affirmatiuely Negatiuely in that one wofull sentence The Lord will not spare or the Lord will not be mercifull to that man a truth clearely contradictory to the conceit of these accursed miscreants who are soe be sotted that they can beleeve nor apprehend nothing in the Lord but mercy and soe make him a notorious monster therin as if he had nothing els in him Affirmatiuely and that many wayes in such miserable sayings as follow every one worse then other if we note them Such a sinner shall feele 1. the anger of God and to put him out of hope of appeasing it it is added that 2. the jealousy of the Lord shall breake out and smoake against him and jealousy is jmplacaple rage such as will heape vpon an offendor 3. all the curses written in Gods booke none no not one to be avoyded or escaped among the rest 3. notorious curses are named to wit 1. that his name shal be blotted out from vnder heaven 2. that the Lord shall separate him unto euill 3. that the ages to come shall fall into admiration of that mans fearefull condition Loe thus shall it be done to the man that the Lord will avēge himself vpon for this one sin of shifting off the sacred truth of God from himself He shall have no mercy from God but all the misery that may be he shal be the vnhappy object of Gods heavy anger of his fearfull jealousy of all his curses vnto which the Lord shall soe set him apart and pick him out that he shal be the wonderment of all succeeding times This is the Lord doome vpō him who fawneth vpō himself in his prophanes and flyeth as much as in him lyeth and wil not heare of the justice of God revealed in his word against his wickednes Let vs then deare christians take heede and beware of a stubborne hart a stiffe necke an jmpious spirit to throw away what the Lord saith to vs Doe not provoke him to jealousy we are not able to deale with him he is stronger then we know we that nothing well more vexe or sooner prouoke him herevnto then this jmpiety of refusing to apply his worde to our selves He is heavily jealous as well he may be of that mans estate that will not endure his truth For why consider I pray you what good can be in him what evill can be out of him who rejecteth what God saith it is not possible he should haue any good who will none of that word which is the only ground of all good to vs and the only guide of vs vnto it neither is any euill jmpossible but all most easy to be fastened vpon the man who forsaketh the sole and soueraigne meanes of his good That man must needes heare Satan that heareth not
God and if once the divell be master of our eare and haue it at command what can be soe corrupt or accursed which he will not convay into vs How much better and more happy were it for vs to hearken to the heauenly voyce of God though that he saith should seeme heauy to vs. The worst he speaketh is to make vs good and to further our best estate He doth wish us well in the most wofull sentences he vtters against vs. Let him that hath an eare to heare heare what the Lord saith which if we will doe we shall many time heare him complaine against his people and giving this one jmpiety as a principall cause of thier wonder ful misery But they would not encline their eare And when he wished and meant them all good he saith Oh that my people would haue heard then saith he I would haue comforted them and crush't their enemyes but he complayneth mournefully against them but my people would not heart c therefore I gaue them up to the hardnes of their owne harts that they might be perverted by their owne counsells and soe come to sinall confusion through this perversenes Seing then this sin makes the Lord to giue ouer men now let every man that woull not be giuen ouer of God giue ouer this sin and for ever resolve to lay home the Lords truth to himself that it may liue in us and we may liue in it and by it before the Lord Put we on that resolution vnfaynedly Ier. 42.5 which the Iewes in Jeremies time did dissemblingly professe when they sayd The Lord be a true and faithfull witnes betweene thee and us if we doe not according to all things for which the Lord shall send thee to us ver 6. VVhether it be good or evill we will obey the voyce of the Lord thâ—y Good c. Let our deedes be as good as their words were here and it shal be wel with vs. Take the truth the Lord intends thee and it shall assuredly be well with thee And this is our second use of this point to sinfull men Vse 3 We goe on now to the third and last use and that concerneth all men information both saints and sinners holy and prophane one or others it is matter of information to them all and to every of them to betake themselves forthwith to doe according to this truth of God which now we have made manifest vnto you to know You see it is Gods minde that all men should apply his word Motiues you see also how farre it concerneth both Gods owne and all others soe to doe Let vs now endeavour to conforme both of some of those many good motives and considerations that may the better carry the ony and the other to the practise of this doctrine of application Gods people had neede of some provocations and vngodly persons had neede of some spurres herevnto To the godly both are too backward as we haue largely heard let vs doe our best to further them both herevnto We will begin with the best first and let the saints see what a multitude of mighty inducements they have to draw them thus to doe A few we will presse in particuler by which it will appeare vpon serious consideration how it stants them vpon to apply that now which till now they haue soe groyssly neglected and let alone First therefore Motiues 1 I pray you consider and vnderstand that if you doe not apply the promises of God you nullify and frustrate them you make them vtterly voyde of all truth and vertue Thinke throughly of it for it is thus and no better you doe thus and no otherwise And that you may see that soe it is remember and call to minde thus much God never meant his promises to any but to his owne people for their sakes alone himself did reveale and his pen-men did write them it never came into his hart that any man else shoull meddle with them he call's them precious promises because it should be knowne they are not commen meate for every man but foode only for the faithfull whome he hath chosen to be a precious and peculiar people to himself Now if this were his minde and meaning whervnto shall these promises serue if you receive them not to whome shall they goe if you take them not home if thus the case stand that wicked men must not haue them and you will not what shall become of them to whome or to what shall they appertaine what may be the vse or benefit of them It is not Gods minde to give them to sinners it is not yours to take them to your selves what shall they doe when they are vsefull to neither are they not voyde to both and soe become as a cancell'd writing wherin no man hath right wherof no man can have good Oh that you could lay this to hart and well ponder this evill of yours is it a small thing to anihiliate the greatest part of that wherof rather then one whitt shall perish Reu. 22.19 heaven and earth shall fayle and from which whosever doth detract or diminish in the least the Lord will diminish of his happines that is abolish him from all hope of being happy and encrease his curses vpon him This is the first evill of your refusall and it is fearefull and the manifestation of it should move you more then a litle to feare that practise which may and will pull you into such horrible impiety and also pull such heavy plagues vpon you But this is not all it is but the first and not the worst of some other that follow as infailliblely vpon this practise as this doth Secondly then Motive 2 consider that your refusall to take the promises of God vnto you doth not only actually make them voyd to you being a great part of Gods gracious truth but which is yet more sinfull and â—â—â—â—â—full it doth occasionally make all the rest of the scripture voyde which concerneth wicked men and soe the whole truth of God a thing which I tremble to vtter I say the whole truth of God is frustrate and through vs become nothing or as a thing of nought by our sinfull refusall of our part And this wil be as palpably evident as the former if you take knowledge that the divell who drawe's you to deny your portion doth by you draw others to doe the same make your refusall the occasion of theirs Let any childe of God who digesteth not Gods promises speake to a wicked man in case of any impiety or rebellion against God and bestow a reprooffe vpon him out of Gods word in vttering some curse and commination against his swearing drunkenes or any other evill the divell doth prompt him presently and put into his head what to reply and stop your mouth withall why saith the godles wretch should I tremble or trouble my self with these words of God that concerne me when you are not
seruice to a King so we might well take vp this for a more true even for a most true proverbe yea principle no service to the King of Kings which thing he wil soe evidence and make good that not only his owne shall see it but wicked men shall assent to it Psal 58.11.12 and be forced to say verily there is a reward for the righteous Thirdly Reason 3 the Apostle tell 's vs that piety hath the promise both of this lyfe the lyfe to come of things present and future now how can this be true in case our doctrine were false if it have the promise of both sure it shal be well with them indeede and they cannot but be well dealt with all who wil be ordered by God The Lord cannot frustrate neither will make voide any whitt of that worde of truth he hath spoken but justify and verify every jott in his worke vpon his faithfull one 's But if he should not deale well with his owne he should nullify and anihilate all his truth and faithfullnes all his mercie and kindnes all his love and goodnes The glory of his righteousnes and honour of his holynes were gone his owne saints had nothing to settle and rest their soules and harts vpon nothing at all to trust to Besides what occasion would the slaves of Satan and vassalls of sin take to vpbrayde vs that we serve a master that will doe vs good as farre as good wordes will goe and no further I might adde as many manifest reasons as testimonies herof it were as easy to abound in the one as in the other but what needeth it The good pleasure of his will that thus it shal be is infinitely aboue and beyonde all allegations which he or any lym's of his have or can have to contradict it in the least the divell and wicked men are to weake to wage evidence or arguments with God in the prooffe of the truth of any point of divinity And seing this his gracious pleasure is to this purpose so apparently revealed let us rest and trust therin resolve our selves as fully satiffied for the truth herof I but that the divell will not let vs doe if he can chuse and therfore he bend's his greatest forces against this blessed instruction and doth besiege and lay battery to the soules of Gods saints to see if he can enforce them from the truth herof and on the other side he fortifyes the prophane spirit of impious persons in the contrary perswasion Two things are principally obiected A double ObjectioÌ„ first the hard measure and vnhappy condition of Gods saints Secondly the wellfare prosperity of vngodly persons The one being rebells to the Lord are raysed on high and have what they will yea more then their hart can wish as the Psalm saith Psal 73.7 The other being Loyall and obedient subjects ever ready to doe his will to the vtmost are in the worst case of any other meÌ„ none so perplexed within none so persecuted without as they scarce any are in so bad a case none in worse These are the two hornes like those of Hananiah that he doth runne at men with with all might and maine endeavoring the overturning both of this sacred truth and the true comfort of it the setting vp of a godles liberty of sinning to all men But wee that wee may save harmeles the honor of our God and the glory of this his holy truth and at once confute yea confounde every such absurd and infernall argumentation as may make any insurection against the maiestie of the most high to abate any mans hart or heate in goodnes or to Câ—ette any soule in any sinfullnes it shall become vs well to answer these cavills and to quitt the Lord in his truth and to comfort his servants in the same notwithstanding this diabolicall opposition Know wee therfore and beleeue that what soever seemeth to bee true either in the one allegation or the other either for the ill vsage of Gods chosen or for the peace and contentment of sinfull persons yet neither jndeede is any thing against the truth wee have spoken which shall remaine infallible vndoubted and vndeniable so longe as the heaven and earth shall have a being Touching the ill vsage of Gods children consider I pray you these things First that the world may deale ill with men when that the lord deales well with them Answer to the 1 branch Joseph found it so in his particular Christ tolde his disciples soe in the world yee shall haue troubles but be of good comfort Though therfore the world doe offer vs hard measure yet it noe way hindereth the heavenly truth of what we speake Secondly the worse the world deal's with the Lords people the better will the Lord be to them Ro. 8.28 So saith the Apostle for the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glorie which shal be revealed in vs So againe 2. Cor. 1.5 as our sufferings abound for Christ so shall our consolations abound much more by Christ And yet againe the Apostle saith that the saints rejoice with joy vnspeakeable glorious though they be in heavines through many afflictions And yet once more Saint Iohn in his relevation tell 's vs Reu. 7. what Gods Angel tolde him therfore they are in the presence of God day night c. And the reason hereof is because by the worlds bad vsage their graces by tryed more throughly and soe themsclues are crowned more gloriously Thirdly that all this evill which Gods saints finde here is not indeede evill but the outside of it the onely appearance therof not the substance so sayth the Apostle when he tell 's them that he was as anknowne as dying as sorrowing as poore as hauing nothing c. yet though it seemed thus it was not soe indeede but farre otherwise as the text avoucheth Nay which is yet more we may be assured that all those things that be accounted soe evill by men are in Gods intention truly good and soe shal be to vs in the issue and consequence of them if with the eye of faith we endeavour to looke vpon them So Dauid sayd of Shemeis rayling God will doe me good c. againe it is good for me that I was afflicted Fourthly though the Lord say as in this our text that he will deale well with all his children yet he doth not tye himself evermore to make it true in externall and temporall things but will giue it vs it may be even in these two sometimes but howsoeuer in things spirituall and eternall and these are the things wherin he deals well with vs indeede other favors are both too common and too meane to be the reputed either the best fruits of his favor or the only reward of his churches faithfulnes Fiftly nothing could ever be infallibly concluded from the externall state only of a christian How God
dealeth with many of his owne is not to be discerned by any of these things alone neither can be You see how the son of his loue our Lord Christ fared in these owtward earthly respects should any thing be concluded against him vppon this grounde and if not against Christ why against Christians Besides what should I tell you of the sanctification and sweetening of the worst that the world can doe to the Lords beloued ones how the Lord doth invert their courses deceave the world miserably in their expectation that way how the Divell by Adam in intending to doe all the elect much evill God by Christ hath done them infinitely much more good then the evill could amount vnto when Satan had done his worst Thus wee see that every way wee are satisfyed in this branch of the obiection And it matters nothing now what construction men make of any thing done by men to the Saints of God the question is only of that which God himself doth and of that good which he produceth out of that evill which men doe vnto vs and let vs looke well vpon either or both of these and wee shall finde our text and the doctrine therof most true Now touching the other branch of wicked mens prosperity it is a thing to be much pittied not to be at all envyed and that wee may not either jdlely or ignorantly wonder at it let vs wisely consider these ensuing particulers First Answer to the 2 branch that the happy estate of wicked men here on earth is all the heaveÌ„ the poore soules are ever like to have and therefore who can grudge them any good they can catch here or thinke much at any temporall contentments they attaine considering that after they are gone hence they must never hope or looke for more no not for on drop or dram of any delight but endles easeles and remediles misery for ever and ever Did not Abraham tell the rich man soe in the parable Sonne rememler that thou in thy life time haâ—st they pleasure and Lazarus payne but now he is comforted and thou art tormented This world is all the heil Gods people shall have here they meete with all the miseryes they shall ever feele all their weeping wayling is in this earth And the same is the heaven of vngodly persons all whose joyes and comforts as they may much abounde here soe here they must have an end also Secondly whatsoever they have or can have here admit it be as much or more then their harts could wish and desire all and every whitt of it is throwne vpon them by the Lord in his justice and indignation and they have it and keepe it meerly as a mischeife vnto them to further their fearfull and finall confusion Pro. 1.32 All their contentments doe but helpe to kill them Soe saith Solomon ease slayeth the foolish and the prosperity of fooles destroyeth them Give an vngodly man what he would haue or craue I thinke it would be ease and prosperity that he would seeke after why eveÌ„ this kills and destroye's him saith God And the same saith the prophet Isajah as we heard before when he tell 's vs that the Lord would have them made fatt it is only for slaughter that they might not be saued but cast away and comdemned for ever Thirdly no good thing any wicked enjoye's in this world be it he had never such abundance of all good things can truly properly be called good to him but all such particulers as he doth posesse though they may be good blessings in themselves yet to them they are no better nor no other then so many curses cast vpon them by the Lord for evill This doth Moses most manifestly witnes and declare when he tell 's all the world from God that all rebellious and disobedient persons who are not ruled by the law of the Lord shal be accursed in every respect both in what they are Deut. 28.15.16 c cursed shalt thou be in thy body and in what they haue cursed shalt thou be in thy cattell corne and all encrease and in what they doe cursed shalt thou be in all that thou puttest thy hand vnto Note well they are not cursed in the want of these things every body would thinke it a curse to be deprived of them and to have no children cattell friut or encrease but they haue them yet are accursed in them and with them even while they doe enjoy them as Malachie once tolde the wicked preists that God would curse their blessings nay that he had done it already that albeit they had blessings yet as blessings they had them not but in the nature and state of curses And is it not a most hydeous and heavy judgment that a man should have blessings and be without the blessednes of them and not only soe but to be baned poysoned and vtterly overthrowne by them Thus bad and no better is a wicked mans state when it is at the best in all the benefits this world can bestow vpon them Fourthly and lastly whatsoever happines doth befall wicked persons here it is only to harden their sinfull harts and to multiply their sins against the Lorde It was ever the vse or rather the abuse that prophane men made of Gods mercies to flesh and harten themselves by them in their wretched courses For thus they by the divells asistance doe discourse and argue within themselves God doth thus and thus blesse me with such and such abundance I haue soe much soe much of this and of that why shoulde I not think my estate such as he is pleased withall and soe good as content's him I heare these hott preachers take on against such and such sins I cannot tell but I see those sinners as they call and account them thriue better then themselves or any of their disciples that are soe eager after other religious matters And wherefore should I not beleeue that God think 's well of vs when he deale's so well with vs Thus on goe they by occasion of the good things they have to be well conceited of their evill state and soe gather conclusions to continue in the same that must needes adde to the number and measure of their sins and make the weight of them absolutely in supportable and the vengance of God due vnto them infinitely insufferable This is all when it is wel summ'd vp that a wicked mans blessings come to to harden his harte to heape to his sin to helpe on Gods speedy indignation and his owne swift damnation Thus we have proved the truth of the point and freed it from falshood and it being fully confirmed cleared we are now to passe vnto the vses of the same which are such as concerne all sorts of persons good and bad holy and prophane joyntely and severally And first it is exceeding comfortable to all Gods saintes vse 1 that have receaued such harts from God that they
doe and can submitt themselves freely to the Lords wisdome and guidance in every thing Never any lost by this master that ever did any of his worke and was ruled by him therin noe he hath ever shewed himselfe to be the best master to appoint the best worke to allow the best wages For why such as have beene the servants of this Lord have ever had good pay for the performance of any thing where about they have beene employed for him Good pay did I say nay that worde is not great enough it ha's beene more then good evē the best that this world could yeelde and better then the best that vnder heaven is to be had many of them I am sure have sped better then ever they made any account off and have had more happines then their harts could desire or ever thought off witnes Abraham both in his posession and posterity he that call's him out of his owne land gaue him both much more land and which was more heyers to enjoy it after him and both these were more then he made account off or could reckō vpon Ioseph whose rare fidelity and piety patience humility and honesty was recompenced with wonderfull and I dare say on his parte vnexpected prosperity doubtles he never once did dreame to be the second in the kingdome the greatest Peere and next in place to the King himself assuredly he looked for no such issue of exaltation yet the Lord gaue it him as the reward of his obedience to him and being ruled by him Iacob here who when he fled to this Laban as himselfe saith was in meane condition poore state as verse 12. but now is opulent rich exceeding abundant in all kinde of stocke and store How many more witnesses were it most easy to produce to the attestation of this consolation Dauid who met with a kingdome and being faithfull in that which was lesse was put in trust over that which was greater even the greatest power vnder heaven to be the soveraine prince of Gods owne people Mary who abiding and mourning at the sepulcher and desiring but to finde the dead body of Christ there founde him aliue speaking most graciously to her soe that she was made the first happy messenger of his most glorious and triumphant resurrection The saints Heb. 13. who got Angels to be their guests in being harborours to the poore members of Christ Multitudes more might be multiplied to make good the joy of this truth to every soule that is subdued vnto it resolued to doe as the Lord will haue it Eph. 3.20 The Apostle saith enough that he is able to doe exceeding abuntdantly beyond all that we can aske or thinke Even in this lyfe so graciously doth he deale with vs and doth thus vnto vs. But in that which is to come he infinitly exceedes this doth assure vs thoroughly that to him that worketh shal be given reward beyond all not only more then can be desired but more then can be imagined mans hart cannot conceiue how happy he shal be in this matter that the doth sincerly serue his God what sweete sentēces doe we finde Enter into thy masters joy Ro. 2.7 Receaue the kingdome prepared for you To them that by continuance in well doing seeke and they shal be sure to finde honour glory jmmortality eternall life note no lesse then all this and I will deale wel with thee and is not this good dealing for wel-doing If it be not what is or can be if it be who can but be comforted and cheered that hath got a hart to doe well according to Gods will seing such a hart is attended with such happines as wee haue seene In the next place our second vse meeteth with all such whome the Lord ruleth not vse 2 but in whome the God of this world even the divell is praedominant powerfull to carrie them to every corrupt and finfull practise against his law his loue his whole reuealed will such I meane as not being subdued vnto him rebells against him and therfore reserved to his wrath and iustice to be punished by him Those I meane whome the world may rule the divell may rule who to each other in any vanity or jmpiety are at as much command as the Centurions servants were to him as he tolde Christ to come and goe and doe they being ready to come to goe to doe or not doe this or that or any thing at his pleasure These men neede no more miserie then the priuation of the joy wee haue spoken off howbeit the losse of that is not all their sorrow but the least part of that heavy condition which shall ceartainly befall them noe noe over aboue the absence of the sweete joy and consolation of the saints they have assurance of miserie and vengeance compleatly opposite to our happines and that being vnspeakable their mischeife must needes be insufferable A man is in dreadfull state when he cannot be sure God will deale well with him nay when he cannot but be sure he will deale not gratiously but righteously not mercifully but miserably with vs according to the strict and exquisite tearmes of absolute justice and exasperated wrath Oh who is able to abide it when God wil be exact or can any possbility be conceaued that any flesh may either stand it out or shun it no no it is an absolute impossibility to conceit either He that will not be ruled by God must and shall rue it when the time is come of the Lords visitation and recompence to be rendered to every rebellious person So saith our Lord Christ The wrath of God abideth on him Joh. 5.2 The. 1.7.8.6 So the Apostle when the Lord Iesus shall appeare in flaming fire rendering vengeance to them c. which shal be punished with everlasting perdition And doth not the same Apostle conclude the quite cōtrary to vngodly one's Ro. 2.9 to that which wee noted out of the same chap. saying Tribulation anguish shal be vpon every soule that doth evill Now if vnto these scriptures we shoulde enquire after instāces we might soone furnish our selves with more then a few Sodome Gomorah would not by ruled by God when the Lord saw that he coulde not prevaile with them how dealt he with them fire and brimstone came from heauen vpon ther bodies their soules were cast into the lake of fire and brimstone that burneth for ever in hell The olde worlde was also most wicked and rebellious against the Lord Noah coulde haue no audience from God among them how dealt the Lord with them why he drowned their bodies besides what may be conceiued of their soules though I will not affirme they were all eternally rejected And what should I neede to produce particular persons when wee have the whole worlde to witnesse it I could name Pharaoh Saul Ahab and many other accursed caytiffes and most miserable miscreants who would not doe
propunded we have accordingly given such satisfaction as we have received from God whether in positiue diuinity to explane and confirme a proposition or in textuall to interpret words or phrases or in polemicall to decide a controversy or in scholasticall to vnsolde a nice distinction or in case-divinity to releive a conscience or lastly in that which is mysticall to vnty knotts and reveale obscurities In each of these something we have had sometimes to doe and as the Lord enabled me I have endeavoured to the best of my weake vnderstanding to informe and satiffy you If our discourse were humane then as for your edification before soe for your delight now you will beare me recorde that I have done my best to speake to your contentment in any kinde of learning wherewith I have beene accquainted whether in any of the arts or in history or in poesy or in mythologie in every of which especially in the last I have taken many occasions to report vnto you such things as I have taken notice off out of the Iewish Rabbines and Thalmud and out of the Popes legend wherin are contayned millions of matters wherof many are blasphemous many ridiculous many monstrous many frivolous almost all so foulely fabulous and incapable of truth or creddit that the bookes might well be entituled a very fardle of fables and falshoodes taking their denomination from the farre greater part inasmuch as they swarme with such incedible narrations as no man can judge them to be other then notorious lyes These I have frequently and abundantly related in your hearing not that you should beleue but abhorre the storyes and thinke with commiseration of those miserable soules both Iewes and Papists who are led and fed with this froth and filthy scumme of infernall inventions and have them read instead of the Gospell to giude them As also that we might hence be the more moved to magnify the great name of our good God who hath not dealt soe with vs that we should beleeue lyes but be nourished with his owne word of truth which is his power to our salvation If any were soe weake as once to conceit these things or any the like reported out of other writers were spoken for truth he or they must ever know that what we relate out of our reading must evermore carry creddit according to the authors not the relators creddit It would much disharten schollers and kill the proffit of much pleasant discourse if we should be so grossly mistaken Nay it become's vs to make vse of all kinde of learning as any occasion is offred to vs to vent what we know in any particulers It was a good rule and well given to all men by one bene loquuta quae sapienter audita those things are well spoken which are wisely taken Discretion in hearing doth minister much delight to vs in speaking Not only what we speake but from whome must be well heeded when we have any opportunity to discover things of this nature And as thus it hath beene in our table talke when we have had much sweete society and conference together soe when the Lord hath givē me any occasion of private and secret passage with any of you by way of counsell or admonitton in any case of conscience I cannot say but my or rather Gods words have found such entertainement and acceptance as I can safely truly report and leave vpon perpetuall recorde to the praise of this place the peace and happines of those persons the commendation of your society the consolation of all that may succeede me in this ministery who may hereby conceive comfortably how hopefully they may sowe how happily they may reape and that their labours shall not be in vaine in the Lord. Concerninge my publike ministration it pleased you first to chuse me as an assistant to your Pastor in your weekely lecture some seruice of the sabbath your favour in this was much but it was much more when not long after vpon his departure you tooke me totally into your service and by a lawfull free election put me into the Pastorall charge and functiō and vnder God committed your soules to my ministrey A greater trust cannot be cast vpon a creature And how I would have watched over you the watchman of Israel doth well know and how farre I have actually endeavoured it this publike place I hope doth witnes in part out of which I have not failed to teach you all that I could in my best vnderstanding judge profitable for you I have shewed the whole counsell of God so farre as it pleased him to send it to my knowledge I have not willingly purloyned or witholden any part of his truth that might concerne either the reprehension of your sins or thee in formation of your judgments or the reformation of your lives or the consolation and saluation of your soules And all this in singlenes of hart in sincerity howbeit in much infirmity without partiality flattery which may be called high treason in a Preacher because it betrayeth both the honour of God and the soules of men into the handes of Satan Besides that private inspection which as I was able I carried with a wakefull eye vpon you in particuler that not one of you might wander or be lost for want of looking to And how you have received and embraced these my ministeriall endeavours my cōscience your carriage doe both most comfortably witnes inasmuch as thus much I may truly avouch before the Lord to his praise your approbation that I have never vndertakē to lay seige to any jmpiety which had overun all or the most part as a common enemy but the Lord was the conquerour and you yeelded your selves to be subdued to him ordered by his holy word will It were easy for me if it were expedient for you to instance some few perticulers which as the first fruits of my labours I saw reformed among you but I spare to nominate any but cānot spare to notify thus much that all men may see what glory to himself what good to your selves me the Lord meant vs in his mercy This beginning of good made my service my happines this place began to be like a litle heaven to me yea to speake the truth from my hart as before the Lord I much doubt whether out of heauen I shall ever be soe happy againe as I did apprehend my self to be when you like the Apostles hearers began thus to crowne my labours with the timely earnest of such an amendement my hope was I shoulde have beene longer happy with you but it fayleth me howbeit my soules vncessant desire is and shal be that the hope of your happines may never faile you in any that shall come after me Thus were we both entred into a blessed race to the end wherof I know the Lord can bring vs though we may not goe both together as my soule desired yet
if we faile not to meete the Lord we cannot by his grace but meete together in the glory of that kingdome which he hath promised to all that persevere in vprightnes before him The God of heaven knoweth that I did so prize your worthy society in these spirituall respects that I could have abundantly joyed to have beene your servant for Iesus sake all my dayes I did preferre it to all other as most deare and precious to me vnder heaven Had I not reason when I see the Lord himself assimulating vs to each other vnder those representations wherin the partyes are in dearest relation to one another as of father and childe mother infant whence we are sometimes sayd to beget men to God and sometimes to trauell in our birth till Christ be formed in our people Who can be insensible of the separation of these betweene whome the conjunction is soe neere surely none but he alone can support me against the sorrow therof who hath promised to gather all his owne in such an inconceivable kinde of conjunction as shall make vs everlastingly one both with one another and with himself and our saviour where he wil be our father and our king we through his Christ shal be his children and kings too to raigne with him to all eternity Thus have I beene with yow in my poore duties but in all that I haue sayd you and all men must ever except my infirmityes which are not few and my manifolde frailtyes which as I am sinfull flesh and blood could not be wholy hid or vn-obserued We are men sayd Paul Barnabas when the sottish people would have worshipped them as Gods subject to the same passions that you are Elias a man of admired graces was a man subject to the same passions that we are sayd the Apostle Iames. Beholde neither Prophets nor Apostles but have weaknesses with their graces and doe expresse their inperfections with their best actions How much lesse may we hope or you expect we should be free free nay how can you wonder at our farre greater faylings when as you know vs to be of farre lesser graces if their extraordinary measure and power of Gods spirit were accompained with ordinary corruption should our extraordinary miscarriages seeme strange whenas ordinary grace is the most and best we can attaine Be not offended then at vs or at religion for our sakes because you see our evill with our good be humbled rather in your selves feare your one greater danger and thinke with your selves if these men who draw soe neere vnto God who spend their liues as it were in heaven whose liues are or ought to be nothing but a continuall conference and familiarity with the Lord cannot yet be free of frailty offence sure I may doubt my estate least that which appeareth in them will vsurpe over my if they feele soe much I may feare least it will overflow and sincke me Thus meditating you shal be kept from being at all offended at vs the more from offending God your selves you wil be the more compassionate over vs the more circumspect over your owne wayes soe the Lord shall have honour in vs both you will learne to doe to vs as he doth to all his accept vs according to that which we haue not according to that we haue not not despising our ministrey because of our infirmity but rather seing the Lord doth entrust vs over you you should yeelde your selves vnto vs as to Gods guides I beseech you againe that you will neither be offended at our faylings nor draw them into example to cause you to offend we never desire further jmitation from Christians then we take from Christ It is the greife and greatest wound of our soules that we can be no more like our Lord master who hath entrusted vs nor more sitt for the performance of his pleasure O let no man be the worse for our weaknes Al the joy we have is herin that notwithstanding our evill the Lord hath judged vs faithfull and put vs into his service and given vs the seale of our ministrey in causing his worke to prosper in our hand It is his will to put this treasure into earthen vessells that the glory might be his not ours Respect and consider of vs as we are take your part of the treasure which is heavenly take pitty on the vessell which is earthly the father of mercyes shall measure mercy to you as you shall doe to vs whose spirits indeede are willing but our flesh is weake if we can be vpright we are accepted with God perfect we cannot be Thus now in al respects I haue beene with you Now how you haue beene with me I wish I had ability to declare according to myne owne desire and your desert The fore-named favors of my first and second election your christian defence of myne jnnocency against those vnjust calminations which were cast vpoÌ„ me the many sweete encouragements I had from you in my ministration that I might cheerefully serue the Lord in the gospell of his son during the time I was to abide among you your gladnes of my continuance thus long and the desires you have shewed of my longer abode had it beene the Lords pleasure or in your power that soe it should have beene and besides all these a multitude more of kindnesses in one kinde or another continually cast vpon me Know I pray you that all these favours are engraven vpon a most gratefull hart and that as the Lord will not be vnrighteous to forget your labour of love to recompence it so neither can I be soe barbarously oblivious as not to remember both you them to the Lord yea and vnto men that they may see your good workes and glorify him who hath given you harts to doe good and to distribute soe abundantly I must say of you in the time past as Iacob sayd in my text for the future and I cannot but acknowledge and avow that you have performed that to me which was promised to him you have dealt well with me every way The worlde I have founde like a churlish Laban both vnkinde vnjust towards me but you have I founde like the Lorde who giveth over-measure of kidnes beyond justice merit And this hath abundantly appeared aboue all in that double yea treble testimony of your respect to me to wit in that honour you vouch safed me to become an vnworthy member of your most worthy body as also in that liberall support you gave me at my departure which was such as I founde no meane prop to my poore estate which was then falling into a consumption and is not â—â—ed to this day and lapay in that honorable attestation you gave me with vntue sâ—ll consent vnder your seale In all these your love did superabounde towards me yet I doe here before the Lord and you truly witnes and testify that I doe not nor dare not nor cannot