experienced an artist is to be taken notice of As if mercy and love were one and the same thing And yet in many places of Scripture we find goodnes mercy taken in the same sense mercy and love somtimes distinguished for satisfaction herein and clearing of this difficultie we must know that if we restraine the word mercy to his proper signification according to the etymon of the word the definition of the vertue to wit to rid one out of a notable distress or misery from an aflicted compassionate heart towards him then mercy hath a narrower object then goodnes or love But yet because usually such workes as we call workes of mercy proceed from the affection of love and that love which we call the love of good will towards our neighbour doth in a sort wholly live in workes of mercy for the love of complacency is of another nature I say for this cause love mercy and goodnes are sometimes used to signifie one and the same readines to do good to all or help any and to be of a loving deportment Howsoever therefore there may be use of destinctions sometimes to wit when we speake particularly of them as vertues in men or graces in saints or attributes in God yet in ordinary popular discourse they come all to one and so are used by the Holy Ghost oftentimes in Scripture in passages both concerning God and also men But that nothing may be left unsaid to give full satisfaction I will give you distinct definitions of these three goodnes or benignity love of goodwill and mercy as they are attributed to God and found in men Goodnes is the will of God whereby he is inclined to do good to creatures and the effects thereof Love is the will of God approving what in his creatures is good and agreeable to his holy mind and manifestâ—d by sundry effects thereof Mercy is the will of God whereby he is inclined to succour such as are in misery and the manifestation of it in acts accordingly In men goodnes or benignitie is a disposition and indeavour to make the lives of creatures comfortable Amore nihil est aliud quaÌ„ bonum velle amata by affording all that may any way conduce thereunto And love is a certaine propension of the appetite concupiscible unto what is accounted good and fit for him that loveth and a manifestation of good will and friendship upon occasion both in word and deede to such objects And mercy said Philosophers is a sicknes of mind conceived from the misery of another stirring up to shew pity and compassion and to succour such a one But lastly in saints these come to be graces and so acceptable to God being fruits of the spirit tending to God and having respect to him So we are full of goodnes towards the bodies and soules of others communicating what we have for their good and benefitt Shewing love for Gods sake in both word and deed even to them that wrong us and abuse us And having bowels of mercy towards all that be in misery and being ready to do any thing for their succour Now of all these three vertues in men graces in Saints attributes of God What mercy is in God Miseri cordia est voluntas Dei qua ad succurrendum miseris propensus Sharpius The mercy of God some call the propertie or attribute of his nature inclining him to relieve the misery of his creature some the essenee of God shewing mercy Sclator on the 117. Psalme Ira dicitur esse in Deo non ut turbidus motus animi sed simplex voluntas ad ultionem we are to speake of mercy now as it is to him attributed One thing is very necessary to be premised in this discourse to wit that mercy in God is not as it is defin'd by Philosophers as hath beene before hinted A sicknes of mind conceived from the misery of another For sadnes and afliction of mind cannot be in God though in Scripture there are such metaphors used But mercy in God is his very essence whereby he is infinitely disposed to helpe succour and comfort such as be in any miserable condition Those expressions in Scripture In their afflictions he was afflicted And mine heart is turned within me my repentings are kindled together Are borrowed Phrases As from the turning of the bowells in men at the fight of an object of pitty And yet in men this is not mercy it selfe but a companion of pitty Yet because by it our mercy is made known we call it by the name of mercy We call rowling of bowells mercy and mercy rowling of bowells which yet is but a companion of it and that in men only and not in God Mercy may be without it and in God allwaies is because God hath no bowels to be turned God is one most simple essence and hath no qualities And therefore when we say God is merciful we speak of him metaphorically as when we say God is angry Anger is a turbulency of spirit but there is no such thing in God The effects of that which is called anger in God are often put for angâ—r as when we see the punishment and scourges on the backes of wicked men we conclude that God is angry There is no real difference between his essence and attributes save only in our manner of conceiving Sclater In like manner when we see the rod taken of and cast into the fire which is an effect of mercy we say God is mercifull But mercy in God signifiâ—th two things First an inclination in his heavenly Majesty to shew mercy Secondly the effects of his supposed affection which is his helping of the miserable creature or a making out of God to such as have need of helpe and pitty The affection of mercy in men is knowne by that griefe that accompanies it Tanquam à nobis notiori vertus ipsa nomen traxit but such a companion of mercy cannot be in God O mercy is a glorious attribute of God he is a very sea of mercy he is never dry Amongst men he that is fullest of pitty is but a drop of it Their pitty falls infinitly short of what is in God And this mercy of God is either generall to all his creatures or speciall unto mankind or more speciall and peculiar that whereby he is said to be mercifull to his elect unto eternall life and freedom from the wrath to come Let us view the generall mercy of God to all his creatures Three things present themselves to be looked upon First the raising up of all creatures out of nothing Gen. 1.1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth Secondly The extension of tender mercies of providence towards all creatures wraped up in misery of which see Psalme 145.9 The Lord is good to all and his tender mercies are over all his workes His mercy is over and upon all his workes as the warmth of the hen
any hide himselfe in secret places that I shall not see him saith the Lord do not I fill heaven and earth saith the Lord And they shall find it to their sorrow as the last when God shall come to render vengeance to them for their wickednes O how wofull will their case and condition be Deut. 32.39.40 41.42 When God doth lift up his hand to heaven and say I live for ever then vengeance is not far from falling on the backs of them that go on their wickednes If he be a living God those that live in a sinfull way shall dy The soule that sinneth shall dy Ezekiel 18.20 It is a fearefull thing to fall into his hands that is a living God Heb. 10.13 Therefore methinks sure ye should take heed of God If ye have never so many adversaries in this world they may all die and then ye need feare none of them But this God that is the adversary of sinnes is a living God Wo to them that doth act as if God did not see them Secondly Seeing the life of God is infinite c. it teacheth Vse 2 us that God can give life and that in abundance both temporal and eternal And therefore though God take away the lives of his people and they dy with men yet they shall live for ever with God And this Job comforteth himself with Job 12.58 Psal 16.5.10 12. and David And in Psalme 36 9. He maketh Gods being the fountaine of life the ground of his joy and comfort For with thee is the fountaine of life in thy light shall we set light Christ's being the reserection and the life is used John 11.29 to comfort Martha And John 14 19. to Comfort all the Disciples Because I live ye shall live also So long as Christ liveth his members live So long as God liveth so long shall the Godly live The people of God that now ly in the grave are alive in God and Christ All are alive in God that are dead and shall be brought forth of their graves like toades out of their holls But the Saints shall be brought forth by Christ as their head to live with him in glory Thirdly Let Christians stand and admire the excellencie of Vse 3 Gods Majesty in this Attribute his infinite and incomprehensible life That hereby we may 1. be humbled and made low in our own eys 2. Lively in Gods service And 3. to rely upon him for life and all necessaries thereunto belonging If we can be cared for so long as Gods life shall last we need not care for any thing afterward I speak it with holy disdain to all them that know not the life of God T is true the life of a Christian is a life of trouble at best a mixture of evill with good But Gods life is infinite and eternal Hence it is that the loving kindness of the Lord is said to be better then life because when life departs we live for ever in the living God When we leave the world and are no more seen here we have a dwelâ—ing place in God for ever David is alive in God still though his flesh see corruption Let us rely upon the living God Put not your trust in Princes for their breath goeth forth their thoughts perish Nothing can do you either good or harm but the living God that killeth and maketh alive All things shall be as it pleaseth God let men say and vow and plot and confederate till their hearts ake O that we could learn this Doctrine savingly That Gods life is infinite and incomprehensible The end of the attribute of Life The Perfection or natural goodnesse of GOD. Exod. 33.19 And he said I will make all my goodness passe before thee And I will proclaim the name of the Lord before thee c. WE have formerly propounded unto you three things to be observed upon each particular Attribute the 1. whereof was to shew you that such and such a thing is an Attribute of God Now from this place of scripture which I have now read unto you ye may learn that goodness is an Attribute of God among many others Triplex in Deo bonitas spectari potest naturalis moralis bonitas benificentiae quae benignitas dicitur The word passeth under many acceptations and is variously taken in Holy Writ Somtimes for an increated somtime for a created goodness Somtimes for naturall goodness or the due proportion of a thing unto the rule thereof as a good tree and good fruit and good money and good wine and the like Sometimes in a moral sence goodness is taken and so created goodness is only of and among creatures to be found in men and Angels for in other creatures there is only a natural goodness to be found or at most an usefull as by the skill of man may happily be effected That properly is called moral goodness which is the essential integrity of the image of God that is the conformity of the understanding and will and of all qualities and virtues thoughts endeavours and actions whether internal or external with the rule of goodnesse to wit the holy law of God This created goodness although it be not any longer in its first integrity yet in such as are regenerated it is in some measure restored by the holy Ghost and the work of regeneration Less de div perf pag. 52. There is a generall or natural goodnes in creatures and a more special or moral goodnes Perk. Case of Conseience 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And many good men and good works do we read of in scripture But this is not that goodnes that I am now to speak of either as in men or as an attribute of God Although this acceptation also of the word good be to be spoken of when I shall have finished this viz. The Morall Goodnesse of God or his holiness or chastity as some stile it But besides these two acceptations of the word good or goodnesse viz. naturall and morall there is a third which is usefull goodnesse as the Greek word used for it doth signifie And this will be found to be another attribute of God and shall be spoken of in due time There is yet a fourth viz. when the Word is taken for Mercy or sweet compassion which also in regard of God is to be referred to the attribute of Mercy For the present my work is to speak of the application of this word good or goodness to God according to the first acceptation viz. as it is taken for natural goodnesse which some call the perfection of God to distinguish it from moral goodness which is sometimes also called perfection though usefull goodnesse or benignity never hath that name put upon it nor mercy neither Yet all foure have passed under this general word Goodnesse as were easie to shew if it were to any great purpose The words which I have chosen to make my Text do seem to me to speak of this
dead 1 Pet. 4.5 God will never be wanting to his church The gates of hell much less poore worms breathing skind earth shall not be able to prevaile against it Thirdly Seeing God is infinitely and incomprehensibly holy Vse 3 Then they that will imitate God must never stand at a stay in holines they must still go on with the motto of Charl's the fifth plus ultra Once we can never be too holy I am sure of that There is one wo and feare gone of an extream in holines O if we could as well avoid the danger of being too dull and slow and backward It were well I therefore will provide some spurs Motives to labour for more holinesse some pregnant motives to stirre you up to labour to be holy yet more and more First know this for your encouragement the more holines ye have on earth the more protection may ye expect from this holy God Those Saints that have beene eminent for holines have beene also eminent for salvations God hath made such see his salvation As the three Saints Daniel the third Daniel himselfe chap. the sixth and many others Secondly Take this too the more holines the more comfort surely while men ly under sinne the face of God is hid from them our comforts usually do fall and rise together with our holines God sups and dines with his holy ones Consolation is measured to us according to our holines God and a Saint do keep one table God cannot smile upon us while we are under the breach of any one of his lawes Ye may see what became of Davids comfort upon his fall Psalme 51.11 He there cries Cast me not away from thy presence and take not thy holy spirit from me And in the foregoing tenth verse he cries for a new creation He hath so farre lost his comfort that he thought he had lost his grace Carelest walking may cause us to be dealt with all as if we were reprobates and not the elect of God For this however some idle heads may prattle I appeale to the experience of all the Saints of God whether ever they found so much comfort and enjoyment of God in their loose as in their close walking with him certainly the clouds of sinne where ever they be will make the beames of Gods favour disappeare unto the sence of that soule Thirdly The more holines the more boldnes I remember I have read a story of a Conjurer that would have the devill affright an old exact Christian But the devill told him againe T was but in vaine to meddle with him he feared nothing Holy soules feare not death though it be the King of terrours They can looke it in the face and with Mr. Lawrance Saunders cry out welcome life when they are at the stake The righteous is bold as a lion Holy Moses talks with God face to face The more holines the lesse feare A holy man knoweth that nothing can come amisse to him Fourthly The more holines the more acquaintance with God Holines makes men great favourities in the court of heaven T is but aske and have for a holy soule As it was said of Luther he could do any thing with God Surely ye cannot imagine what power holy soules have in heaven Hic vir potest quicquid vult apud Deum Elias by reason of his holines had great power he prayed that it might not rain and it rained not and he prayed again that it might raine and it did raine Holy Moses holds the hands of God Ezek. 14.14 and and God begs him to let him go If any in the world can prevaile with God it must be such as Noah Daniel and Job 5. The more holines on earth the more glory shall ye have in heaven Though God save us not for our works yet he will reward us according to them The garland there wil be greater or lesser according as the flowers we send before thither be more or lesse We must have Esaus hands if we expect Jacobs blessing Esau signifies working No good is to be expected by us without doing good He that expects to carry earth to heaven must first strive to bring heaven downe to earth It is noted by some that the same word signifieth reward and working to signifie they cannot be separated Holy souls shall dwell in Gods holy hill Holines it called by some the Suburbs of heaven and he that will enter into the City must passe through the Suburbs To conclude this motive if we be eminently holy here we shall be eminently glorious hereafter Summe up all God will protect his holy ones Comfort and peace shall be their portion even here as Psalme 119.165 Great peace have they which love thy law and nothing shall offend them And great shall be the peace of thy children Isaiah 54.13 No names shall be to them Psalme 39.9 If we be all for God God will be all for us If we dedicate our selves to God we shall find that he will be ours in the sweetest injoyments His special providences shall be over us others are under generall providences only Extra mundum sanctus perigrinalitur cum Domino He may carry them on his back but you shall be sure to ly in his bosome His eye his heart both are alwayes upon his holy ones for God And at last fulnes of joy at his right-hand and pleasure for evermore Quest Ans But how shall I do to thrive in holines to lanch out into his deepes I answer By daily applying your selves unto the meanes which God hath appointed be diligent in the faithfull use of Gods sacred ordinances If ye plow with these heifers ye shall find out Gods riddles of holines But when once they are slighted or abused and come to be ours and none of his as one wittily observes out of Isaiah 1.11 and 14. verses then vertue commeth not from them We should therefore labour to be lift up out of our selves and above our selves when we are about holy exercises we shall be exact in them So shall we more and more come towards that perfection of holines which is still to be laboured for though never to be attained So much for the morall goodnes of God to wit his holines The other goodnesses follow The end of the attribute of holines The benignity or Usefull Goodness of GOD. Psalm 100. v. 5. For the Lord is good his mercy is everlasting and his truth endureth to all Generations WE have under the good hand of our living good and holy Lord God gone through those three attributes of life goodnes naturall or perfection and morall goodnes or holines which was the last This verse is not chosen to be handled and to be spoken of for the sake of three other attributes mentioned therein viz. goodnes that is to say benignitie mercy a fourth sort as I may call it of goodnes and truth which at last will come to be spoken of also out of this
others For by living to Gods glory we shall gaine to our selves glory and be matter of good example worthy the imitation of others And this is praise worthy to give good examples It is commanded Math. 5.16 Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good workes and glorifie your father which is in heaven And 1 Pet. 2.12 Having your conversation honest among the Gentiles that where as they speak against you as evill doers they may by your good works which they shall behold glorifie God in the day of visitation And as it is profitable to others so also to our selves abundantly For as ye sow so shall ye reap if yee sow to righteousnes your name shall be spoken of with honour when ye are dead and gone The righteous shall be honorable both in their lives and in their death And therefore while we live let us live to the glory of God that so it may befall us that we may have honour in life a sweet name after death and that we may be good examples to them amongst whom we live that they also may glorifie God when God shall visit their soules in mercy Then will they with David blesse the Lord that gave us a life and blesse us and our good examples as he did the Lord that sent her 1 Sam 25. and her and her good councell But how should a man live to Gods glory may some say Quest Answ I Answer in the performance of these three particular duties First He that would live to Gods glory must shun all manner of sin and sinfull wayes he must forsake those contrary courses that tend to Gods dishonour you must know what God can not abide and lay that aside Pro. 8.13 The fear of the Lord is to hate evill pride and arrogancy and the evill way and the froward mouth do I hate saith wisedome there Now would you glorify God then hate evill lay aside your pride and let not arrogancy come out of your mouth and so Prov. 14.16 A wiseman feareth and departeth from evill evill courses must be forsaken yea evill men that worke wickednesse for both read Psal 141.4 Incline not my heart saith David to any evill thing to practice wicked workes with men that worke iniquity and let me not eat of their dainties both evill workes and evill workers must be shunned by such as would live to the glory and honour of the Author of their life Secondly Such must carefully set and settle themselves to the workes of holinesse and righteousnesse every one in his owne particular person dilligently endeavouring to walke holily and uprightly towards God and the world That ye may be blamlesse and harmlesse the sons of God without rebuke in the middest of a crooked and perverse nation among whom ye shine as lights in the world saith the Apostle Paul Phillip 2.15 Thirdly We must labour all that we can so much as lyeth in our power to provoke others to the wayes and workes of godlinesse especially those that are any wayes allyed or related to us either in regard of kindred or acquaintance or any such like respect as in the verse following my text viz. Heb. 3.13 But exhort one another daily while it is called to day lest any of you be hardned through the deceitfullnes of sinne And chap. 10.24 And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good workes This is a speciall way to glorifie God in our lives to exhort one another to provoke one another to love and to good workes If people instead of provoking God by their sinnes and provoking one another to wrath by speaking and doing such things as they know they cannot beare Would study this commendable kind of provocation we should have a sweet time of it In Isaiah 2.3 it is prophesied that many people should go and say come yee and let us go to the mountain of the Lord c. O that this prophesie might be more and more fulfilled among us In the use of these helpes we may some what live to Gods glory which who so doth God lives in him and he shall live with God for ever Because I live saith Christ Joh 14.19 ye shall live also The third proposition in this attribute is That God in respect of his attribute of life is infinite and incomprehensible This is evident in divers respects Doct. Reas 1 First because Gods life is independant he hath life in himself he received it not from any other The Father hath life in himselfe John 5.26 Whereas the life of creatures depends upon him Deut. 30 20. He is thy life and the length of thy daies saith Moses there And further as ye have heard already out of Acts 17.20 and 25 verses In him we live move and have our being God liveth I say of himself Reas 2 Deus est ita perse vivens ut ipse sit vita sua Zanch. Secondly Because life in God is not a part of God but his whol essence life is but apart of man the bond or tie that kniteth the two essentiall parts viz the body and soul of a man together But it is not so in God 1 John 5.10 this is the true God and eternall life Life and God is all one Reas 3 Thirdly Because God in respect of his life is eternal therefore by an excelency he is termed the living God Dan 6.26 Darius is made to confesse that he is the living God and stedfast for ever And so Nebuchadnezzar before to wit Cap. 4.34 honoureth him that live 1 Thes 1.9 Heb. 9.14 for ever c. And in this regard he is said Only to have immortality 1. Tim. 6.16 He is called a living God to distinguish him from all those other things that are said to live His life being eternall as well as his whole essence and of himselfe These are the three Reasons Vse 1 First Therefore to make some application we may learn that there is no want nor defect hereof to be found in God God hath such a life as ever was and ever will be the same How greatly then do they abuse the Majesty of God who fain God to be like the gods of the heathen A deaf a dumbe idole a thing without life as a senceless creature that understands not the ways and works of men who imagine God to be so confin'd to one place in respect of the powers of life as that he sees not nor knows not what is done afar off Job 22.13.14 And thou saist how doth God know Can he judge through the darke clouds Thick clouds are a covering to him that he seeth not and he walketh in the circuit of heaven Hereupon wicked men are encouraged to go on in their sinfull way Psal 10.13 Condemning God in their hearts c Thinking God ' cannot be present at all times But alwayes they are deceived Jer. 23. â—3 24 Am I a God at hand saith the Lord and not a God a far off Can
very fals yea Sathan himself with all his instruments as over-ruled and over master'd by God have this injunction upon them to further Gods good intendment to us and a prohibition to do us no harm O that we could see beauty and goodnes in every providence Vse 3 And lastly perfection is a communicable attribute There is still giving out God is a giving God therefore what James the Apostle saith of wisdome Jam. 1.5 If any of you lack wisdome let him ask of God c. So for all goodnesse and perfections go to God ask them of him that giveth to all men liberally and upbraideth not and they shall be given you pray for a perfect heart which Hezekiah had gotten Isa 38.3 I have saith he walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart And this God requires of Abraham Gen. 17.1 Walk before me and be thou perfect Beloved God is a fountain and he communicates to the creature therfore ask and ye shall have seek and ye shall find knock and it shall be opened unto you especially I say beg a good heart of God a perfect heart I know we shall have some ignorant prophane wretches make their boast of this Though they cannot talk as others do and now and then rap out an Oath or two and take a cup too much or so yet they have as good a heart as the best But as Christ said to the Devill hold thy peace c. So must I bid such hold their peace never talk of a perfect heart one may know by your tongues and actions what your hearts are ever stark-naked nought And therefore do not deceive your selves in thinking ye have that which ye have not But seek unto this giving God for a good and a perfect heart the presence of which causeth God to look over and passe by many failings and the abscence whereof was the cause that neither Cain nor his offring was respected And to encourage you know that God hath enough And that is the last thing That God in this attribute of perfection or natural goodnes is infinite and incomprehensible 3. Prop. or Doct. I will not stand to prove the point who doubts it I have said enough here and there in my former discourse to make this truth evident God is absolutely good without beginning without end without limit Bonus dominus amabilis valde bonitatis ens non est finis without manner and measure anticipating and alone containing every good Hence is it that all things suck their sweetnes according to their capacity from God And the perfections of God have no efficient cause and want all limits So is Gods Vse 1 wisdom power essence infinite infinite also is his goodnesse and perfection All in God is his most simple and one onely essence And therefore let me advise you all in the first place to have a care how ye medle with this God who is so perfect and compleat Surely ye will meet with your over match Set not your selves against him Remember Pharaoh and consider what the Apostle Paul saith 1 Cor. 10.22 Do we provoke the Lord to jealously Reas 1 Are we stronger then he It is as if he should say it will not be for your ease nor profit so to do For first let men do what they will God is perfect in wisedom and cannot be deluded Secondly he is perfect in power and blessednesse and Reas 2 cannot be damnified Never was he defeated never lost he so much as the hair of a mans head The very blasphemies oaths and villanies of wicked men do not touch him in the least A good Note He suffers not by any thing for he is infinitely and incomprehensibly perfect And this by the way may bear up the spirits of Gods poor servants afflicted and cast down for their sins Their sins have not cannot touch God ye have not hurt God by your sins there is no harm done as we say if ye have made God in Christ your all Thirdly God cannot be hindered or Reas 3 retarded He transcends all impediments Isay 43.13 Saith the Lord there Yea before the day was I am he and there is none that can deliver out of my hand I will work and who shall let it as if God should say If I have a businesse in hand I would fain see that man that would hinder me But there be bars or nobles in the way for the word signifies either mark therefore the 14. vers Thus saith the Lord your Redeemer the holy one of Israel for your sake I have sent to Babylon and have brought down all their nobles and the Caldeaus whose cry is in the ships If Bars be in Gods way Nobles or Prelates or Kings themselves God doth but laugh at them Psalm 2.1 2 3 4 5 6. Heathen rage People imagine Kings set themselves Rulers take counsell Bonds must be broken they be resolute They will not allow of Christs wayes and will But he that sitteth in heaven shall laugh the Lord shall have them in derision Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath and vex them in his sore displeasure He must be King in Mount Sion in despite of men and devils What fools are men to blow feathers against Wals of Brass to beat water against the stream to thrust fleshy feet against Iron pricks that 's an expression Acts 9.5 It is hard for thee to kick against the prick And therefore what mad men are they that run upon God that run on his neck upon the thick bosses of his Bucklers as Job speaks Job 15.26 The folly of men is seen first in thinking to match perfection But secondly it is far worse to think to be too hard for God who with one blast of the breath of his nostrils can blow all his enemies into hell yea all the world to nothing Vse 2 Secondly Is God infinitely and incomprehensibly good and perfect as hath been shewed and the Author and worker thereof in all things created then let us learn that none hath done any thing for the Lord that came not from him first O consider this ye that advance nature above God Whatsoever goodness is in you either by creation or recreation comes from this fountain Jehovah blessed for ever Sacrifice not therefore to your own nets and burn not Incense to your own yarn Give God the glory and praise of thy wit wealth health deliverance and especially of saving grace What hast thou that thou hast not received Vse 3 A third Use shews us the extream folly of the wise men of the world so called that think to shew their wisdome and make themselves happy by heaping up many creatures riches pleasures honours and the like Might not all that these can do and much more be had in one most perfect And yet how lamentably do men hunt after the Butterflies of this world Frustra sit per plura quod fieri potest per pauciora with labour care and
comfort that the worke of grace is begun in you already The work I say is begun and he that hath begun that good work will perfect it unto the day of Jesus Christ Never was there a soule that groaned after holines sincerity that ever perished for the want of it These groanes could not be but by the spirit of Christ and where the Spirit of Christ is there is Christs dwelling and where Christ dwelleth there is true faith You that desire holines that hunger and thirst after righteousnes are pronounced blessed You are in Christs schoole though but in the lowest forme Vse 3 Motives Thirdly this may provoke you to holy desires and endeavours seeing holines is to be had and God both commands it Motive 1 and directs you what to do to obtaine it Lev. 20.7.8 Sanctifie Motive 2 your selves therefore and be ye holy for I am the Lord your God And ye shall keep my Statutes and do them I am the Lord which sanctifie Motive 3 you And moreover the Lord hath promised that they that ask shall have that they that seeke shall finde and that to them that knock it shall be opened Math. 7.7 And yet again consider the Motive 4 great danger if we dy without holines Without it we cannot see God Heb. 12.14 no holines no heaven And therefore upon these and such like considerations we should be stirred up to put to it to the purpose and labour to be holy as God is holy I am loath to leave this point therefore for an other motive Motive 5 consider that man that desires to do a thing and hath probable means as a good rule a good coppie hath great ground of hope that he shall obtaine what he would have and attaine unto that which he laboureth for Now Beloved what a copy have we to walke by Even the Lord Jesus Christ who is sent from heaven to us that we might writ after him God its true is a coppy Be ye holy for I am holy But that indeed was a very hard one for us to writ by But now he hath given us a living law in the Lord Jesus who is made unto us of him wisdome and righteousnes and sanctification c. 1 Cor. 1.30 Now he hath given us his owne son to draw out every letter before our eies that so we might the better write after him Good men be blessings whose examples are to be followed but there is no man so good but hath his faylings and defects But now Christ hath neither spot nor wrinckle nor any such thing in him for he is full of knowledge and likewise of the feare of the Lord. All sorts may learne of him how to behave themselves Children may learn of him how to behave themselves towards their parents subjects and people to Princes and Magistrates in him we have a coppy for prayer how also to be doing of good upon all occasions to love our enemies not to revile again when we are reviled In things both concerning this life and the life to come we have patterns in Christ to immitate In Christ I say not as God but as man indued with the graces of the Holy Ghost And this is that living ooppie which the holy God hath provided for us that we might be holy too Sixtly And yet this is not all The Scriptures are left to be Motive 6 a standing rule and blessed meanes of sanctification John 15.3 Now ye are cleane through the words which I have spoken unto you The word of the gospel is that which cleanseth people By it they are sanctified as it is expressed in that heavenly prayer of Christ John 17.17 Sanctifie them through thy trueth thy word is trueth And so also Ephes 5.26.27 That he might sanctifie it speaking of the Church with the washing of water by the word that he might present it to himselfe a glorious church not having spot or wrinkle of any such thing but that it should be holy and without blemish 7ly We have many outward favours whereby God doth allure us into holines Every outward blessing mercy should Motive 7 invite us to holines As Luke 1.74.75 That he would grant unto us that we being delivered out of the hands of our enemies might serve him without feare in holines and righteousnes all the dayes of our life God would by his blessings as it were get into our bookes his love tokens are sent to woe us to holines And therefore when we are tempted to sinne let us say as Joseph did Gen. 39.9 How can I do this great wickednes and sin against God O let the minds of God engage us unto holines let his loving kindnesse constraine us to labour after it Q. But how should we seeke unto God for this grace A. I answer first by faithfull prayer as you find David did Psalme 51.7 purge me with Hyssope and I shall be cleane wash me and I shall be whiter then snow And againe ver 10. Create in me a clean heart O God and renew a right spirit within me And to Paul praies for the Thessalonians That the God of peace would sanctifie them wholly and that their whol spirit and soule and body might be preserved blamless c. 1 Thes 5.23 This is the first means to be used for the obtaining of holines 2. Let us study the Doctrine of holines or the new creature or the new man that we may know what it is and when we have it It is an alluring Doctrine It is called the image of God Ephes 4.24 And that ye put on the new man which after God is created in righteousnes and true holines Such as would have money must learn how to tell it Then are divers sorts of moneys and coines abroad in the world and therefore labour to know the King of heavens coyne And learne to try it too from counterfeit there is much false money going I will a litle speake of this holines which I am now perswading you to labour for and to seeke after It standeth 1. in the renovation of the whol man both in the spirits of our minde and in the affections of our hearts When our spirits and affections are renewed then we become holy Secondly it stands in giving up our selves wholy by a dedication to the use of the Almighty So that we do not longer live unto our selves but to him that died for us and rose again We shall the better see what this holines is by its contrary to wit the old man and the former conversation thereof Vertues appeare the better and shine the more gloriously by those vices that are contrary to them A faire beauty is the more lovely in a comely woman when a blackmore stands by A soile sets forth a Diamond What the old man is And therefore that we may the better see the lovelinesse of the new man we will looke a little upon the old man That therefore which is called the old man is want of knowledg in
be sure to speed in our suites God is a giving God therefore seeke unto him for grace God is a giving God he giveth to all liberally therefore labour to be like him and let such as are groaners under their curst crooked froward natures take comfort in hope because goodnes is one of Gods communicable attributes Thirdly But it is not enough for us to see our want of goodnes to groan under it to take comfort in the possibility of having Vse 3 a better temper and becomming more usefull hereafter but we must put on to the worke of obtaining this grace We must seeke it at the hands of God by earnest prayer He only can work it Phillip 2.13 It is God that worketh in you both to will and to doe of his good pleasure It is a fruit of the spirit Gal. 5.22 Directions 1 And none can have this gift that have not the spirit for that Motives upon the first direction that which is done by a man that hath not the spirit cannot be good because the man himselfe is naught And it is neither our own power nor the power of any creature that can give us the spirit it is a new creation He only can make us good that is good himselfe even he that can of stones raise up children to Abraham Quest But you may demand whether naturall and morall vertues be not good and whether a man may not though he have not the spirit be good and useful Ans and helpefull many waies I Answer No doubt naturall affections are in many excellently working that have no grace Husbands may love their Wives men may love their children many may give their goods to feed the poore 1 Cor. 13.3 Yea all their goods marke the place well And here I might spend much time to shew what nature may do But that goodnes which makes us like God and excepted of God is onely a fruit of the spirit It hath not only the Lineanents of goodnes but the life of goodnes It comes from a principle of life in the soule whereby men do good works with facility and constancy as naturall actions of life when likewise they grow in them for where there is life there is also growth And they desire that which feed their life and then the good works and charitable actions that are done are not lead workes But there is no trusting flesh and blood no not â—n the most compleat gracelesse man in the world Their goodnes will quickly be changed into mischevousnes when temptations come that are above the principle they act upon Ye Directions 2 must for a second direction enquire concerning this propensity to do good whether ye have any of it or as yet none at all That so ye may be the more set on according to labour for some of it or for more of it Can ye do good to some labour to do good to all Can ye love your friends strive to love your enemies Examine your selves The tree is knowne by his fruit what good do ye Who is the better for you take your evill dispositions that make ye so unlike God and sacrifice them before the Lord and trample under foote your vilenes Condemne your selves judge your selves bretheren that ye be not judged of the Lord. Take your sinne of selfe-love which maketh ye such unprofitable if not pernitious men and women and stay it and so ye will the better put on to the worke of obtaining this gift and grace Directions 3 Thirdly Set your selves upon practice of those things that will denominate ye good folkes according to Scripture First pursue peace follow it Re. 12.14 The word in the original signifieth to follow after peace 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the persecutor doth him whom he persecuteth Sirs it is a God like property though we are wronged by others yet to be forward to seek peace Ah you froward sower doged pieces that whet your tongues like a sword and bend your bows to shoot your arrowes even bitter words Are ye like unto God Psal 64.3 I am perswaded your owne consciences tell you otherwise Secondly avoid needy pernicious much more mischievous companions lest they infect you and teach you to be like unto them Lest ye learne their froward wicked waies take heede ye come not neere them Thirdly let sweete meeke good mercifull bountifull people be your delight among whom ye may learn to be like unto God Fourthly study places of Scripture and dwel upon such passages in bookes and Sermons as are of this subject of useful goodnes Fifthly and lastly upon this last direction consider these two things as speciall properties of good folkes indeed First be good to peoples soules prefer them before their bodies Our Saviour Christ preferres the soule before the body Math. 10.28 And feare not them which kill the body but are not able to kill the soule c. The account for our owne soules and the soules of others is the greatest account and therefore the care of soules should be the greatest care Dr. Sibbs soul Conflict page 70. Secondly preferre the houshould of faith in thy doing good Gal 6.10 Good must be done Especially to the houshold of faith Above all men do good to the godly And above all bodyes have a care of peoples soules To close up all that ye may be the children of your father which is in heaven and shew your selves like unto him Motives Secondly That ye your off-spring many be the blessed of the Lord. Thirdly those curses which hang over the heads of oppressors and their children may never light on you or yours but that both ye and they may alwaies escape them labour to do good to be usefull and helpfull to all according to the rule and take heed of being evill men and evill doers And so much for the second particular That goodnes is a communicable attribute The third and last point is Doct. That God in respect of this attribute is infinite and incomprehensible Psalme 36. ver 5. c. to the 11 verse glorious things are said of the goodnes of God called by divers other names as mercy faithfulnes righteousnes judgments preservation loving kindnesse the shadow of his wings the fatnesse of Gods house Rivers of pleasures the fountain of life light And of these things which are Gods goodnes and benignitie it is said that it is in the heavens it reacheth unto the clouds it is like the great mountaines a great deep his preservations extend to man and beast it is excellent abundantly satisfying a fountain of life what can be imagined meet to set out the transcendency of Gods goodnes that â—s not made use of one where or another in Scripture And it must needs be so that Gods goodnes is infinite and incomprehensible Reas 1 First because God is absolute perfect he is the Summum bonum the totall good and therefore of necessitie his goodnes must be infinite Reas 2 Secondly God is not subject
can take pleasure in such as ye be But Gods people are made comely by the holy Ghost Ninthly From the mercy of God in Christ the people of God come to have the sweetenes of ordinances while others mumble on a brown dry crust or on a chew'd gobbet that hath no sweetnes at all left in it Formall and Carnall Christians have an egge-shell but no yolke an nutshell but no kernell they heare good wordes of God but never tasted that the Lord was gratious and mercifull The Saints upon whom the mercy of God is descended find sweetenes in all religious exercises and holy ordinances They have the sweetenes of prayer preaching reading conference and when they come to break bread with the Church Mendicato hic pane vivamus annum hoc pulchrem sacritur in eo quod pascimer pane cū angelis c. Luth. in Ps Burroughs Moses choice Psal 36.7 8. they are made to be in the sweete sence of their neer relation to Jesus Christ they are in the spirit on the Lords day Ordinances are like that sealed booke we read of in the Revelation c. 5.1 Iohn wept because no man was found to open it and read it But for them that are in Christ mercy hath better provided The seales are taken away the booke is opened the nutts are brokened the kernels are to be eaten which are very sweete O t is a blessing and full of sweetenes to be joyned in union and communion with the people of God Though we beg our bread sayes Luther is it not made up with this that we are fed with the bread of angels with eternal life Christ and the Sacraments c. It is certaine the servants of God find such comfort in these prescribed practises that they would not for any good be bereft of them Neither can they possibly free themselves from the guilt of prophanesse that do not highly prize and heartily rejoyce in these things Such as do believe themselves to be members of Christs body must needes desire those ordinances that he hath appointed for the building of it up and do find thriving in grace and comfort in spirit farre beyond any creature comforts Here they meete with rivers of pleasures And thou saith David shall make them drinke of the river of thy pleasure to wit in ordinances Tenthly all particular vouchsafements come to the servants of God as a fruit and effect of mercy Somtimes they have more of this worlds goods then ever they expected and grace with all to use what they have to the glory of God and this makes their enjoyments mercys Many are crying and wishing every where for wealth and riches and outward accomodations but they are not so earnest to have grace to use them to Gods glory which plainly shews they have not what they have in mercy Vouchsafments injoyments longer then they are improved to Gods glory are not blessings mercies Now these common mercies cannot be denied so far as we have a state calling for them grace to use them to the glory of the giver We for our parts have no cause to complain we eat drinke mercies and weare them upon our backe We have mercies above and mercies beneath us mercies round about If we want one kind we have it made up in another Thou shalt have rubish to serve thy turne which God throwes away for he hath given thee gold There is no fear of having too few crusts but of having good teeth to gnaw nourishment out of them In the Eleventh place this is a choise effect of Gods mercy to have communion with God The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the Love of God and the fellowship of the holy spirit Carolus plus cum Deo quam cum hominibus loquitur Are uprising and down-lying with a gratious soule This is a mercy indeed It is said of Charles the greate that he spake more with God then with men Ah Sirs why should it not be true of us Brethren it concernes us much to look after this fruit of mercy By this mercy we stand in times of temptation and triall A soule high in communion with God may be tempted but will not easily be conquered such a soule will fight it out to the death O this is a choise mercy It is Iacobs ladder where you have Christ sweetly comming downe into the soule and the soule sweetely ascending up to Christ It was a mercy vouchsafed to holy and patient Iob upon the dungil that he knew that his redeemer lived and behold how he conquers the Devill both in blacke and white Communion is a reciprocall exchange betweene Christ and a gratious soule And of this mercy there is a continuall ground in a gratious soule for either I shall be praying for what I want or praising him for what I have by both which I have oppertunity to keepe my acquaintance and hold communion with the Lord my God Communion with God brings all Gods attributes to us for our use upon occasions Great is this mercy vouchsafed to the Saints and servants of God Lastly From this mercifull disposition to lost believing mankind life everlasting comes He hath granted to them a life as long as his owne Now heere I am at a losse Thousands of millions of yeeres as holy writ teacheth us and the spirit maketh us to believe is not time enough in Gods esteem to vouchsafe fullnesse of joy these pleasures must be for evermore O this perpetuity O this eternitie O this life everlasting I conclude then that God is merciful that mercy is an attribute of God Men in desperate conditions may meete with mercy for with the Lord there is mercy What more desperate condition then to be fallen in Adam's I could tell you many things of other miseries and dangers creatures have been in and neere unto and have met with a mercifull God Moses like to be drowned The male Jewish children to be ruined and so by consequence in time the whole nation Cruel bondage upon them all The heads of Gods people on the block by Hamans plot mentioned in Hester The three Saints commonly called the three Children in the fiery furnace Daniel in the Lions Den. The Thief upon the Crosse even as it were droping into hell Yet Gods mercy was seen in saving all these In extremities is the Lord seen Though the blow were as it were in the giving to the whole Church by Haman yet when the people of God made worke upon earth by prayer and humiliation that made worke in heaven and the issue of it quickly came downe And when Christ will be exalted for his mercy he will convert one upon the Gallowes and save a thiefe at the last cast And therefore we may conclude upon this attribute of mercy that it is in God That God is a God of mercy a God full of mercy a God that delights in mercy a God that is ready to shew mercy a God that is never weary
for his blessings is the greatest blessing of all This is a duty which none can except against because it is especially a work of the heart All cannot shew their thankfullnes in giving or doing great matters but all may expresse the willingnesse of their hearts Ps 103. All within us may Praise his holy Name though we have little or nothing without us That yee may be enabled to this great work consider deepely Gods favoures how miserably had we been without his pardoning mercy Think upon the freeness of it Thinke upon the multitude of his mercies Think upon Gods singling of s out for the glory of his rich mercy and to conclude this point and use consider Gods mercies to us and care for us are such as if he had none else to be mercifuil unto or to care for in all the world besides And so much for the Fourth Use For the last Use of this point Let us labour to be like unto Vse 5 God Let us be mercifull as our Father which is in Heaven is mercifull To move you to be mercifull consider such as are Motives 1 mercifull shall find mercy If we care not to be mercifull to others that we may be like God let us at least be mercifull to others that God may be like us Sr. Richard Baker Such as shew themselves mercifull to others have a good ground of hope that God will be mercifull to them Mercifull men shall find a mercifull God Nay it is asigne they have found him already Motives 2 Secondly Such shall leave an inheritance of mercy to their children God hath said it Psalm 37.26 He is ever mercifull and lendeth and his seed is blessed Motives 3 Thirdly They that desire to have this property of mercy to be of a mercifull disposition may be encouraged it is to be had The second Proposition it is a communicable attribute and so we are put upon the second proposition That this mercifull disposition is communicated to the sonnes of men Which may be evidenced many waies As first because we reade so many passages in Scripture of merciful men Psalme 41.1 2. Psalme 112. Ye know it is the very scope of the whole Psalm I will not spend time in naming places Secondly it is commanded also in many places and this shews that it may be attained God would not bid us to seeke after it and to practise it if it were impossible to be had or practised Thirdly we read of many promises made to merciful men and therefore such there are Such have a promise never to be moved Psalme 112.6 That their horne shall be exalted with honour ver 9. that their seede shall be blessed Psalme 37.26 That it shall preserve Kings and uphold thrones also is averred Prov. 20.28 What is so frequently spoken of what is commanded what is commended what is so beneficiall by Scripture Testimony surely it is to be had Vse 1 The First Use of this second point which is that mercy is a communicable attribute is to teach us 1. They that want mercy are every wicked that unmercifull men do want a very glorious commendable and profitable thing which may be had and which some have to their everlasting praise and which they that want are every way wicked For First 1. They be Coveteous they that be covetous men shall never enter into the kingdome of Heaven 1 Cor. 6.10 And the Lord abhors them Psalme 10.3 But covetousnesse is a grand cause of unmercifulnes as daily experience proves And then Secondly Unmercifull men are unbelievers 2. Unbelievers and such shall be damned Mark 16.16 Now that such as are unmercifuâ—l are in deed unbelievers may easily be made appear for whereas God hath said He that giveth to the poore shall not want Prov. 28.27 These want faith to believe that promise For did they believe it they would act accordingly And Faith without works is dead Jam. 2.17 God who is truth it self hath engaged himself to mercifull men in many promises but coveteous men will believe never a one and so they are unmercifull They shall be without that are unbelievers Rev. 21.8 But the fearfull and unbelieving c. shall have their part in the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone Thirdly It is also certain 3. They have not the love of God in them that unmercifull men have not the love of God in them for 1 Joh. 3.17 Who so hath this worlds goods and seeth his brother want or to have need and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him how dwelleth the love of God in him Such as are unmercifull men do neither love God nor are beloved of God Fourthly This sin hath much cruelty and unnaturalnesse in it For whereas the Lord is the maker of both rich and poore 4. This sin hath much cruelty and unnaturalnes Pro. 22.2 The poor are looked upon and dealt withall by the rich as if God had not made them Therefore Isa 58.7 Such are said to hide themselves from their own flesh And Malachy 2.10 Each man is said to be brother to another Why do we deale treacherously every man against his brother We have a command Prov. 25.21 That if our enemies hunger we must give him bread to eat and if he be thirsty we must give him water to drink But unmercifull men are far from hearkening to this command Ye see what wicked creatures such are by all these particulars that I have mentioned Secondly And as they are wicked so also they ly under a curse Prov. 28.27 As He that giveth to the poore shall not lack 2. They are cursed persons So he that hideth his eyes shall have many a curse And surely though the poore that curse unmercifull men do not do well yet there is something of God in it This scripture must be fulfilled though it be the sin of the poore yet it is a just judgment of God upon mercilesse men And not onely the miserable but God himself curseth such So much is implyed Ps 41.1 For if he be blessed that considereth the poore then by the rule of contraries such as do not are cursed They are cursed upon this account because they are wicked Prov. 3.33 The curse of the Lord is in the house of the wicked And Math. 25.41 At the last day they shall be pronounced cursed and shall heare that woefull sentence depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the Devill and his Angells The curse of God like the Leprosy of Naaman doth cleave to them and to their seed for ever Thus ye see this truth manifested by two evidences the one taken from their great wickednes the other from their cursednes 3. They are unlike God Thirdly It appears that unmercifull men want a glorious commendable and profitable thing by this that they are altogether unlike to God O this dissimilitude to God makes men look uggly God is the Father of mercies 2 Cor. 1.3
that after this life when all promises are fulfilled Obj. there is no use of fidelity I Answer that we may distinguish the property from the exercise of it or else and rather This I say Sol. to all eternity there is use of Gods fidelity for that his saints continue in their blessednes is by vertue of his promise and fidelity where some also have said there is some kind of faith that lasts in heaven which they call the faith of depency This truth I say will stand when all that oppose it or slight it shall fall and such as doubt of it shall be without Fides depenetiae Numb 23.19 God is not a man that he should ly nor the sonne of man that he should repent shall he say and not do or shall he speake and not make it good Malachy 3.6 For I am the Lord I change not therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed And the Apostle James saith with him is no varablenesse nor shadow of turning Deut. 7.9 Know therefore that the Lord thy God he is God the faithfull God which keepeth Covenant mercy with them that love him c. Proofs are plentifull in the history of the Scriptures Gods truth and faithfullnes is the ground of the Saints security and the sinners destruction And this must needs be in God who first knows what hee saies to be good and fit and truth in a logicall sence of which ye have already heard and therefore he need not repent he hath no after thoughts And Secondly He hates and threatens and punisheth the want of faithfulnes in others Ezekiell 17.15 16. Shall he prosper shall he escape that doth such things or shall he breake the covenant and be delivered As I live saith the Lord God surely in the place where the king dwelleth that made him king whose oath he despised and whose covenant he brake even with him in the midst of Babylon he shall dy Now put these two together First What God saith is so good and true according to the just rule as that he hath no cause to alter the thing that is gone out of his mouth Secondly that he hates and punisheth faithfullnes and want of truth in others and it will be surely concluded that God is a God of truth and faithfullnes Now what God saith is either by way of menace or promise as may be abundantly read in Scripture and of both it is true as it is written of the law Mat. 5.18 One jot or title shall in no wise passe from it till all be fulfilled God watcheth over his word to perform it It is a note of Mr. Capel upon the fifth verse of the first of Zachary Your fathers where are they and the Prophets do they live for ever That the power of Truth of Gods word depends not on any mens persons nor is limited to one age Their Fathers were dead that were threatned and the Prophets were dead too that did threaten them but the truth of their prophesies was not buried with them but was in every point fulfilled according to their preaching That follows v. 6. But my words and my statutes which I commanded my servants the Prophets did they not take hold of your Fathers And they returned and said like as the Lord of hoasts thought to do unto us according to our ways according to our doings so hath he dealt with us It is confessed by them selves the hand of God upon them did draw a confession from them that they were punished as God had threatned as they had deserved and they returned that is were convinced better advised as Mal. 3.18 Then shall ye return and discern between the righteous and the wicked between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not Men will know one day to their sorrow that God is a God of truth not a word goes out of his mouth but is exactly performed Yea circumstances exactly observed ye find Gen. 15.13 a promise made to Abram that after foure hundred yeares his seed should be freed and come out of the land of Bondage with great substance And compare that place with Exod. 12.41 And ye shall find great exactnes And it came to passe at the end of the foure hundred and thirty yeares even the selfe same day it came to passe that all the hosts of the Lord went out of the land of Aegypt The Lord is most true yea truth it selfe And all his promises in Christ are yea and Amen 2 Cor. 1.20 He is a faithfull witnes and whatsoever he hath spoken shall be accomplished so that though the heavens decay and wax old like a garment though the sunne lose his light and the moone be turned into blood though the earth tremble and quake and the foundations of the mountaines be moved and shake yea though heaven and earth and all things therein contained perish and pass a way yet all that God hath threatned or promised shall be accomplished God is Jehovah he hath his essence and beeing in and from himselfe alone giveth beeing unto all things else especially to his word and promises And therefore for the First Use Let the people of God be confident upon this truth of God Light is sowen for the righteous and Vse 1 joyfull gladnesse for the upright in heart Psalme 97.11 And Gods Testimonies are very sure Psalme 93.5 He hath promised to all beleevers and repentant sinners that he will in Christ Jesus pardon all their sinnes and will receive them into his grace and favour and that he will be a sunne and shield to them and that no good thing will he withhold from them And therefore let us believe and rest upon our Saviour Christ alone for salvation truly repenting us of all our sinnes and build upon Gods truth that though our sinnes be never so many and grievious yet the Lord will pardon and forgive them and though our distresses and misery be never so great and woefull yet he can and therefore will because he is a God of truth deliver us from all Truth and faithfulnes is one of Gods names a part of his title let us not therfore call it into question it is a great dishonor to God It is an errour in the foundation to subsistitute fals objects either in religion or in christian conversation We must not build upon works but rely upon promises made by the God of truth God can neither endure fals objects nor a double object His faithfulnes or truth must be our shield buckler And therefore in the second place Ps 91.4 this reproves our doubtings somtimes churlish enough concerning the truth faithfulnes Vse 2 of our gratious God who yet is ever will be without falshood Titus 1.2 A God that cannot ly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Yet is often charged with breach of promise to his children by his very children 2 Pet. 3.4 5. If only scoffers walking after their owne lusts should say where is the promise of his
comming and should call in question Gods truth it were not so grievous to be borne But this is said that such as are gratious should say as David did in his hast Psalm 116.12 all men are lyers But whence issues this that we may see the grounds of this sore evill Quest Surely either from the misunderstanding of the promises Ans or from misapplying of them Concerning the first ye must know that some promises are made with condition and limitations As assurance of salvation peace of conscience temporall blessings Now many poore soules that enjoy not these promises often call in question Gods truth or their own good estate at least not considering that God may be true and we gratious and in Christ though neither assurance nor peace of conscience nor temporal favours be our portion For these promises have conditions and limitations Such as will have assurance must give diligence to make their calling and election sure And such as will have peace of conscience 2 Pet. 1.10 must have care to walke exactly according to rule As many as walke according to this rule peace be on them c. Gal. 6.16 And surely temporals are many times reached out to gratious souls with a streight hand for ends best known to God and worth the enquiring into at least sometimes by us No marvail then ye are so forward to charge God ye misunderstand thing ye erre not considering the promises with their limitations And likewise misapplication of promises causeth much mischief for promises are misapplied sometimes to Persons somtimes to state and behaviour For the former we read Mal. 3.14 of some that complained of want of care in God to reward them that served him They said it was vain to serve God and asked what profit there was to have kept his ordinances c. They considered not that some are called Jews onely and that he is not a Jew that is one outwardly onely The promise is not made to the ceremony but to the substance of Religion Many think themselves Gods children who are not so Now shall God be charged for want of truth concerning such as he never promised any thing unto O study to make your calling and election sure and to finde that ye are the children of the promise Likewise ye that are the children of God indeed must take heed how ye be carelesse of childe-like conversation For many times though ye be sons and daughters yet if ye break out into scandalous sins or be proud of your graces or negligent about cherishing Ordinances and so faile in your due qualifications and demeanour ye may finde God otherwise in his dispensations towards you then he would be if it were not your fault But if we be well instructed in Gods nature and dealings with his people and with hypocrites and carefull to get good evidence of our sincerity such as will not shrink in the wetting and also to walk exactly and be kept in a good decorum We may be sure all good things promised shall be performed accordingly seem Devils men and nature never so opposite When no means when no means competent when weak means when means opposite do all cry down the truth of God yet God will be true and it is our duty to trust God and to rest on his bare word and promise And now let us make some Use of the truth of Gods threats Vse 3 and menaces let sinners know that the God of truth hath said ye swore against some of them Psal 95.11 Vnto whom I sware in my wrath that they should not enter into my rest How dare ye take Gods name in vain as all do that make him a lyar yea perjured It is a kinde of blasphemy not to fear when God threatens or believe what he promiseth When men are perfidious and violate Oaths they are in credit neither with God nor good men their very names stink and they live under perpetuall infamy What a sin is this to rank God blessed for ever with the worst of men Yet so do all wicked men in effect and by consequence for they dare do that which God forbiddeth and to the doing of which he hath made threats that are able over one think to shake both heaven and earth Go too Sirs let me close up this Use with Deut. 29.19 and 20. And the Lord set it home upon your souls And it come to passe when he heareth the words of this curse that he blesse himself in his heart saying I shall have peace though I walk in the imagination of my heart to adde drunkennesse to thirst The Lord will not spare him but then the anger of the Lord and his jealousie shall smoake against that man and all the curses that are written in this book shall lie upon him and the Lord shall blot out his name from under heaven God is a God of truth And for the fourth and last Use of this point sith truth and Vse 4 faithfulnesse is an attribute of God let us learn to be like God men of truth take heed of falshood it argues a very wicked man and God is set against such Psal 55.23 But thou O God shall bring them down into the pit of destruction bloody and deceitfull men shall not live out half their dayes Such shall not prosper 2 Chron. 24.20 Why transgresse ye the commandements of the Lord that ye cannot prosper Because ye have forsaken the Lord he hath also forsaken you This attribute is among those vertues which admit resemblance in the creature the faithfull God owns not perfidious children It is a mark of one that shall be with God in glory to swear to his own heart and not to change Psal 15. v. 4. that is to be true and faithful though he lose by it from these two latter places ye see that truth in man hath a twofold relation First to God for as God hath bound himself to us by promise so we have covenanted our obedience to him Remember therefore your Baptisme and take heed of walking loosly in the Covenant And secondly to man we are bound to support the credit of fidelity though with losse What a shame is it for such as professe themselves Christians to be like the Jews in Jeremy cap. 9.4 5. Take ye heed every one of his neighbour and trust ye not in any brother for every brother will utterly supplant and every neighbor will walk with slanders And they will deceive every one his neighbour Sacerdos est non fallet christianis est non mentietur and will not speake the truth they have taught their tongue to speake lies and weary themselves to commit iniquity It was wont to be a saying He is a Priest he will not deceive he is a christian he will not ly O how comly were it that it might be so now is rather to be wished then expected Read the Turkish History page 287. The battaile of Varna betweene Vladislaus and Amuroth And consider how God