creatures vers 18. and their meat shall be turned into the gall of Aspes vers 14. for the very creatures shall rise up in judgement against them and condemne them we know that every creature groaneth Secondly this may teach us that the wicked have little cause to be merry at any time because there is nothing about them nor in them nor before them but groaneth against them Every creature that they have groanes because it is possessed by them not some kinde of creatures but every creature as Theophylact observes every creature groaneth against them Dost thou live in thy sinnes and yet art merry thou art madde Dost thou live in thy carnall estate and condition and yet canst rejoyce thou art surely besides thy selfe For who can be merry in the midst of thousand thousands of groanes Thy Apparell groanes thy Laces thy Silkes and thy Braveries groane till either thou beest a new creature or else beest in hell Thy house and thy stuffe thy barne and thy store doe groane till either thou be a Convert or in Tophet Every penny in thy purse every ragge on thy backe yea thy flesh and thy bones yea thine owne soule and thy spirits as they are Gods creatures and take his part they all groane against thee till thou beest cut off Not onely all thy sinnes all thy oathes lies vaine speeches not onely every absence from Church every idle thought every unprofitable word every Sermon that thou hast heard without profit every exhortation thou hast heard without benefit every sicknesse thou hast had without reformation every day of patience thou hast enjoyed without repentance not onely all these doe groane against thee but also every creature in heaven and in earth they doe all groane and travell in paine to be delivered out of thy slavery Whatsoever thou doest the creatures groane and complaine against thee How then canst thou rejoyee or have merry day I have saide of this joy it is madde and dost thou rejoyce thy rejoycing shall be short Job 20. 5. Beloved needs must a wicked man have wrath and vengeance powred downe upon him for all creatures groane to God for his vengeance and destruction The creatures crie unto God Lord plague this man Lord shower downe thy curses on him he hath abused and wronged me Lord let not such a rebell as that man is escape but in thy justice be avenged on him for his abuse of us Weepe and howle rather then thou secure and impenitent person let this be a Corasime to thy pleasantest lust and as an Arrow shot into thy heart to let out the life and bloud of all thy sinnes and corruptions to thinke of this And in the feare of God take heede how thou goest on in thy sinnes in thy abuse of Gods creatures least thereby thou forcing the creatures to groane for vengroane they pull downe the wrath and plagues of God upon thy head Oh what a terrour is this to the wicked every creature groanes not in compassion for thee nor in fellow-feeling with thee as with the godly but in indignation against thee The horses and the bridles they should have written upon them holinesse in the Lord Zach. 14. 20. this is a Prophesie of the Churches holinesse under Christ not as Theoderit adplies it to Hellena who adorned her horse-trappings with the nailes of Christ his crosse Hierome refuits that but to shew that Christ he will have even the horses and bridles and all and every thing for a holy use so the silly horses and even the bridles doe groane and pronounce woe unto the ungodly riders that feare not God Every pot in Judah and every bowle in Jerusalem shall be holy unto the Lord ver 12. The drinking pots and bowles doe groane woe be unto him that drinkes and lives not a godly life yea the very high-ways shall be called the ways of holines I say 35. 8. the ways and the pathes groane under all that goe on them and are not holy There is no creature above or beneath as Porsper speaketh which doth professe the praise of God and therefore every creature contesteth against thee that praysest not God The Angels and all the Hoast of Heaven prayse God Psal 148. the Sunne the Moone and the starres prayse God the heavens and the waters that be above the heavens prayse God the earth the dragons and all the deepes fire and haile c. Kings of the earth c. all these sing forth the prayses of God And therefore they all groane against him that prayseth him not Better were it for thee to have all the divells in hell against thee then to have the groanes of Gods creatures against thee I would rather have all the divells in hell and all the wicked in the world against mee then the least worme or dust of the earth to groane in the eares of the Lord against me A thousand worlds cannot doe me so much good as the least groan of the meanest of all Gods creatures can doe me hurt Oh then how shall the wicked ever hope to escape the doome to come that have so many millions of creatures groaning against them But what kinde of groanes are these They are upbraiding groanes They are witnessing groanes They are accusing groanes They are judgeing and condemning groanes First they are upbraiding groanes Give eare Oh ye heavens and I will speake and heare Oh earth the words of my lips Dent. 32. 1. as if God had said marke O ye heavens and let all the whole world heare what I testifie against this people as if the heavens and the earth did upbraide them of their unthankfullnesse God commands the Sun to shine and it shineth the earth to fructifie and it obeyeth But this wicked people he commands to repent and to forsake their sinnes and they will not Chrysostome saith wicked men although they have naturall reason in them are more sencelesse then sencelesse creatures the rocks and the flints the fly and the gnats may upbraide them the rocks rent in sunder but this people wil not rent their hearts swarmes of flies were hist for to come and they yeelded obedience and the livelesse creatures groane under the slavery of sinne but they will not obey they will not be brought to groane for their sinnes How do all the creatures upbraide man Doe ye thus requite the Lord O ye foolish people and unwise Beloved how doe the heavens and the earth upbraide thee for unthankfullnesse wert thou ever in sicknesse and God did not deliver thee wert thou ever in misery and God did not comfort thee wert thou ever in any straight and God did not direct thee in sicknesse who was life unto thee in poverty who supplied thee in danger who delivered thee was it not God that hath done all for thee And shall the Lord command thee obedience and wilt thou not grant it him doth he command thee to part with thy lust and crucifie all thy corruptions and wilt thou not obey him doth the
Lord command thee to be meeke humble patient and dost thou refuse then heare O heavens and hearken O earth Secondly the groanes of the creatures are witnessing groanes I call heaven and earth to record against you know that you shall shortly perish said Moses to the Isralites Dent. 4. 26. So beloved let me say to you I call heaven and earth to record against you that woe and damnation shall be to that man that obeys not the commandements of God Cursed be that man that goeth on still in his wickednesse The heavens write his curse and the whole earth doe witnesse his vengeance that will not give over his lust at the commandement of the Gospell of the Lord Jesus Christ As Joshuah said unto all the people Josh 24. 27. Behold this stone shall be a witnesse unto us for it hath heard all the words of the Lord which he spake unto us it shall be a witnesse c. so may I say unto you the walls of this house shall cry the timber of the Church shall answer this Sermon that you have heard this doctrine that hath beene preached unto you if you will not repent if you will not humble your selves and obey the voyce of your God all these shall witnes against you another day that you had a time that you had a day to repent in you had the word of God calling you to it but you would not Dost thou commit a sinne and none by but the stonnes in the streets even they see thee like Joshuahs stone with seven eyes and they shall witnes against thee Dost thou pray thy lazie praiers unto God thoughtlesse of God and none by but the walls of thy Clofet or thy bedde or the hangings they shall witnes against thee Dost thou sweare and blaspheme the King of Heaven though none were present but the fowles of the aire they shall carry thy voice and declare the matter Eccles 10. 20. If the creatures groane against thee then they are sensible in some sort to witnesse against thee Beloved mens hearts are so stubborne that we the Ministers of God may doe as the Prophet did 1 King 13. 2. who cryed O Altar Altar thus saith the Lord. What was the Prophet sent unto the Altar had the Altar cares No he was sent unto Jeroboam his message was to him but he knew that he would not heare nor believe nor obey therefore he turned from the King and spake to the sencelesse Altar So may we say for all the hearing some will afford us O walls walls thus saith the Lord cursed is the man that obeyeth not O House of the Lord witnesse against this rebellious generation So Jeremy he cried out O earth earth earth heare the Word of the Lord thus saith the Lord write this man a castaway that shall never prosper Jer. 22. 29. he meant wicked Jeconiah the King but because he was a deaâ—e Adder he preacheth to the dead earth as being more likely to listen then he O fearfull doome When Jeconiah will not heare God he roares so loud that he makes the dead and sencelesse earth to heare Beloved in the feare of God take heed if there be any dead worldly-hearted Professour here if there be any loose prophane sinner here any impenitent wretch that hath not repented if after the Lord hath sent his Ministers to thee his Word and Gospell to thee and thou wilt not heare take heâ—d lest the Lord direct his speech to the dead earth and say O earth earth earth heare the Word of the Lord write these men men that shall never prosper they will still covet and lie they will still fret and chafe they will still content themselves with formes of godlinesse they will still be lukewarme or key-cold they do still pray as they did rub on as they did seven yeares agoe no more holy no more zealous no more heavenly they will not be bettered O earth earth earth heare the Word of the Lord write them a people that shall never prosper a people that shall never be converted write them men damned for ever let them come and heare Sermon after Sermon but write them men that shall never prosper let them pray and let their prayers never prosper let them goe on in their dead-hearted profession but write them men that shall never prosper Beloved God forbid that it should so be written against you but woe be to you if ever it be for if once the earth hath wrote this eternall decree of God upon thy soul it can never be altered I will warrant thee thy damnation sure Thirdly they are accusing groanes they shall accuse thee for casting thine eye upon a creature without taking notice of God They shall accuse thee for thy touching tasting handling using any of the creatures without adoration of God Dost thou thinke of a creature speake of a creature meddle with a creature or take possession of a creature they shall accuse thee if thou dost not live to the glory of God the Creator Fourthly these groanes are judgeing and condemning groanes He shall call the Heavens above and the earth to judge his people Psal 50. 4. The creatures groane why then doest thou not groane the creatures account themselves oppressed and sore afflicted because they are constrained to serve sinne why then dost thou injury them If the King should build him a stately Palace and one should willingly deface it or abuse it or pull it downe would not the very Ravens judge him a Traytor The creatures are Gods Palace and thou demolishest their beauty by making them the instruments or abettors or matter or incentives of sinne thou shalt be adjudged of High-treason against the King of Kings for we know that every creature groaneth with us and travelleth in paine together untill now Now we come to an use Of Exhortation doth the creature Use groane to serve sinne take heed then you doe not abuse the creatures of God There is not any one of them but if it be abused to sinne or by sinne but it will presently make its complaint like a little childe to his Father with groanes unto God Labour to be a true Convert unto God otherwise if thou beest not regenerate and a Convert every creature that thou hast is in bondage under thy hands and it groanes unto God against thee till God recover it out of thy hands againe I will recover my wooll and my flaxe saith God Hosea 2. 9. the creature groaned under thraldome because it was possessed by them that were carnall and therefore God saies he would recover it Secondly labour not to sinne against God for if thou sinnest against God thou canst not meet with a creature but it groaneth against thee When Jonah had sinned against God the Sea roared against Jonah and he at last knew it well enough for when the Marriners askt what he was I am an Hebrew saith he and I feare God the God of Heaven which hath made the Sea and the drie
it a little I say that a wicked man if he were in heaven he could finde no delight there As for example take a beast for so is every man by his owne knowledge in regard of the life of grace as saith the Prophet Jeremy though a man take an Oxe or an Asse and bring him unto the Kings table and set before him all the delicates which appertaine unto Kings let him have a dinner before him that cost an hundred pounds yet he had rather be in the fields among his fellowes eating grasse or set a Crowne of gold upon a beasts head he will not regard it but cast it off into the mire for so long as the beast is not transformed and made capable of the honour that is in a man he cannot conceive of the pleasures and delights that doe belong unto man Even so let a wicked man enjoy all the glory of heaven and what will he say We â—ay perceive a little by bringing him to the Word and Ordinances of God tie him to the constant use of them to meditate on heaven and to walke circumspectly and precisely in his whole course of life and he will say this is more then needes this he thinkes is too precise too austere a life for him he cannot away with such purity and strictnesse but if he thinke this so strange which is nothing in comparison and is but a shadow or poore resemblance of the holinesse and purity that shall be what thinke you would he doe if he were in heaven where there is nothing but continuall praysing and glorifying of God for evermore where there shall not be so much as one earthly thought or word pertaining to the world or the affaires of this life but a continuall sounding forth of the prayses of God there is nothing but grace and speaking of heaven all their words are heavenly their joyes are heavenly and their whole delight is nothing but sounding forth uncessant Halleluiahs unto God for evermore Now if a wicked man were there what would he say surely he would say they are all Puritans and would never endure it Alas in this life there is but a little praying a little grace a little holinesse in comparison of that which shall be Here we doe but as it were peepe into heaven now then if this be so tedious that wicked men cannot endure it how will they like to be in a place where there is perfection of all graces where there shall be nothing but praysing God for ever and ever Sure as I am the devill was once in heaven and he cast himselfe out from thence God did not though he did deserve it and God would have done it had he not beene gone as saith the Apostle Jude verse 6. They left their first habitation the originall saith they flung it from them that is as soone as they had sinned against God and changed their natures away they went heaven was no place for them they thrust themselves out and could not endure to stay there any longer for having changed their natures they changed their delights and therefore to prayse and yeeld glory unto God was death unto them they being now corrupted through sinne and of an impure nature heaven became a hell unto them Is any man weary of grace and holinesse wearie of well doing wearie of praying and of hearing the word preached Is any man wearie of good duties of the worshippe and service of God Let him know then that he can never endure the Kingdome of Heaven for if he be weary of a little what will he doe when he shall come into a place where there shall be nothing but continuall praysing of God Is it so that sinne must be mortified if ever Vse 1 we meane to partake of Christ then this condemnes all those that goe on in their old courses in deadnesse and in security in ignorance c. taking hand over head vaine hopes for true feeding themselves with perswasions of salvation But the Apostle tells us that the foundation of God standeth sure The Lord knoweth who are his and let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity A wicked man cannot name the name of Christ till he depart from iniquity much lesse can he looke for salvation because he cannot be saved without Christ nay he cannot be saved by Christ unlesse he depart from iniquity You say you hope to be saved it is well but God knoweth who are his God goeth by his owne rule the foundation of God standeth sure But who then are his onely those that name the name of Christ and depart from iniquitie those onely will he save and none other he will be no baud to thy sinnes or lusts and wicked courses for saith the Apostle If any man be in Christ let him be a new creature as if the Apostle in more words had said If any man hope he is a Chriâ—â—â—an let him see that he is a new creature for there is no expectation of being in Christ unlesse he be a new creature All old things are passed away and behold all things are become new if thou be in Christ all thy old praying is gone all thy old hearing is gone all thy old receiving of the Sacrament is passed away and all things are become new with thee thou must heare a new pray a new receive a new beleeve a new thou must live after a new sort for all old things are passed away Instruction to teach us that it is not enough Vse 2 for us to let our sinnes dye in us but we must kill them the Apostle doth not say let your earthly members die of themselves but mortifie them many there be that let their sinnes die in them as for example when one is an infant the sinnes of his Infancie naturally fall from him when he is a child of more capacity and when he is a youth the sinnes of his childhood naturally drop away from him so when he is a man his youthfull sinnes fall from him and when he is old and dieth all his sinnes naturally drop from him But he must not let sinne die in him but he must kill it Austin saith if thou kill not sinne till it dyeth of it selfe sinne hath killed thee and not thou thy sinne It is with sinne as with a beast if an Oxe fall into a pit and die of it selfe it is good for nothing the hide onely excepted but if it be killed it is good meate and becommeth profitable unto the owner even so if sinne die of its owne accord it will doe thee no good it is worth nothing it may lessen thy condemnation somewhat but if thou kill it then it will be profitable unto thee In the fourth Chapter of Jeremy we have a similitude taken from an Husbandman where the Lord saith plough up the fallow ground of your hearts and sow not among thornes Now will a Husbandman say there are abundance of thornes and bushes in my ground
Answ It is spoken Hyperbolically to declare the great misery the creatures are into serve sinfull man p. 76. 2. Analogically in regard of a naturall instinct of blind reason that is in all the creatures ibid. 3. It is spoken by way of supposition if they had reason they would groane p. 77. 4. Intelligently because a man cannot wrong the creature but he wrongs God in the creature p. 78. 5. Specifically because the Godly come before God in the behalfe of all the creatures and mourne for the abuse of the creatures p. 79. Foure Reasons why the creatures groane 1. Because they are distracted in their service p. 80. 2. Because of the unprofitablenesse of their service p. 82. 3. Because of the uncessantnesse of their service p. 83. 4. Because of that misery and woe the creatures lye under p. 84. Every creature hath 1. A specificall end p. 85. 2. An ultimate end ibid. A wicked man hath no true right unto the creature p. 86. But he hath 1. A civill right ibid. 2. A providentiall right ibid. 3. A vindicative right p. 87. 4. A Creatures right as he is a creature ib. But he hath no filiall right no son-like right in Christ p. 89. Use To shew that wicked men have little cause to be merry at any time because there is nothing neare them but groaneth under them p. 90. All creatures groane to God for vengeance to be powred upon the wicked p. 92. And these groanes are 1. Upbraiding groanes p. 95. 2. Witnessing groanes p. 96. 3. Accusing groanes p. 100. 4. Judging and condemning groanes ibid. Use For exhortation 1. To take heed how we doe abuse the Creatures of God p. 101. 2. Take heed of sinning against God by the Creatures ibid. 3. Take heed of setting thy heart upon the Creature p. 102. 4. Use all the Creatures in humility and thankfulnesse p. 102. 5. Use the Creatures as so many Ladders to help thee to climb up towards Heaven p. 103. The Contents of that Sermon 1 JOHN 2. 6. THE opening of the words in foure particulars p. 108. Doct. A true Christian walks as Christ walked p. 109. A man must first be in Christ before he can walk as Christ walked p. 110. Object Can any man walk as Christ walked p. 111. Answ None can walk as Christ walked in regard of equality but in regard of similitude they may p. 111. The life of Christ should be the Example of our life p. 112. Christ came into the World to redeeme us for our justification and to be an example of life unto us for our sanctification p. 114. This Question answered viz. What it is to walke as Christ walked p. 116. Foure Reasons of the point 1. Because as Christ came into the World to justifie the ungodly so he came to conforme them to his image p. 117. 2. Because in vaine we are called Christians if we be not imitators of Christ and live as he lived p. 119. 3. Because all that are in Christ are Members of his body therefore they must have the same life and be quickned by the same Spirit p. 121. 4. Because of that neere relation that is betwixt Christ and every one of his Members p. 123. 1. Use To shew that all men that live not the life of Christ doe blaspheme the name of Christ p. 127. Of all sinnes under Heaven God cannot endure the sins of them that take the name of Christ upon them p. 198. Doct Every Minister is bound to preach home to men in particulars p. 132. 3. Reas 1. Particulars are most operative p. 133. 2. Particulars are most distinct and most powerfull p. 135. 3. Particulars are most sensible p. 137. Doct Every Minister is bound to preach so as to make a difference betwixt the pretious and the vile p. 138. Reas 1. Because otherwise a Minister prophanes the holy things of God p. 139. 2. Otherwise he cannot be the Minister of Christ p. 141. 3. Otherwise he is like to doe no good by his Ministery ibid. The Contents of that Sermon on JOHN 3. 20. THE Context opened in foure particulars 1. What mans naturall estate and condition is without Christ p. 145. 2. Gods gracious provision for mans salvation p. 146. 3. The condition required viz. Faith ibid. 4. The reprobation of the World if they doe not believe ibid. But Christ is neither the efficient nor deficient cause thereof ibid. But the cause of their damnation is from themselves proved 1 By their owne conscience p. 147. 2 By experience p. 148. 3. By Reason p. 149. In the words are two parts 1. The wickeds rejection of the word of grace ibid. 2. The cause of that rejection ib. viz. 1. First from the qualification of their persons 2. From the disposition of their nature ib. Doct A wicked man hates the word of Gods grace yea grace it selfe p. 150. This hatred is 1. An actuall hatred ibid. 2. It is a passion of the heart p. 151. 3. It causeth the heart to rise up against an union with the word p. 153. This union of the word is set in opposition 1. To generall preaching p. 154. 2. To mercifull preaching p. 155. 3. To now and then preaching p. 156. to p. 160. If the World doe not hate a righteous man it is either 1. Because he is a great man p. 160. 2. Because he is a man of admirable wit â—nd knowledge iâ—id 3. Or because God gives him favour in the eyes of the World ib. 4. This hatred causeth the heart to ris e against that which is repugnant to its lusts p. 162. A wicked man may love 3 kinds of preaching 1. Eloquent preaching that savours more of humanity then of Divinity ib. 2. Impertinent preaching p. 163. 3. Now and then some preaching to satisfie the cravings of his conscience p. 164. Reas 1. A wicked man hates the word because he hates all truth even the very being of the word p. 165. 2. Because he hates the very nature of the word p. 167. 3. Because he cannot endure the knowledge of the word p. 169. All naturall men hate the word 1. Because no entreaties no beseeches can possibly reconcile them p. 171. 2. Because neither mony nor price can make them friends p. 175. 3. Because all the love in the World cannot unite them together p. 176. 4. Because neither the love of God nor the bloud of Christ will soder them together p. 177. Every naturall man had rather be damned then leave his sinnes rather goe to Hell then be a new creature p. 178. The contents of that Sermon on ESAY 42. 24. THE words contain five things 1. The Author of the destruction p. 185. 2. The causes of it ibid. 3. The judgement it selfe p. 186. 4. The people on whom it was inflicted ibid. 5. The effects of it p. 187. 1. Doct. God is the Author of all judgement that befalls a Nation ibid. 1. Use For comfort to Gods children seeing God is the Orderer of all events p.
he that is in Christ Jesus that walks not after the flesh but after the Spirit there is none no not one condemnation to him none neither in Heaven nor in earth no word no commandement no threatning condemnes him But if thy conscience condemne thee and tell thee thou lettest sin lie at the dore rapping at thy conscience day after day and month after month telling thee that yet thou art without Christ that yet thou never hadst any true faith in the Lord Jesus that yet thou hast not truely repented and turned from thy sinnes this will at last drive thy soule into heavie discouragements if not into finall despaire O beloved religion and piety and the power of godlinesse goe downe the winde every where What is the reason of it but because of these discouragements that men live and go in Men pray and pray and their prayers profit them not men run up and downe and come to the Church and heare the Word and receive the Sacraments and use the meanes of grace but to no end they are unprofitable to them they remaine in their sinnes still the ordinances of God bring them not out of their lusts and corruptions hereby they disgrace and discredit the ordinances of God in the eyes and account of the men of the world making them thinke as if there were no more power nor force in the Ordinances of God then these men manifest There is no life in many Christians mens spirits are discouraged these secret discouragements in their hearts take away their spirits in the use of the meanes that though they use the meanes yet it drives them to despaire of reaping good or profit by them Beloved I could here tell you enough to make your hearts ake to heare it First all your complaints they are hut winde Job 6. 26. doe you imagine to reprove words and the speeches of one that is desperate which are as winde Jobs friends taking Job to be a man of despaire they accounted all his words but as winde Doest thou nestle any discouragement in thy heart thou maist complaine of sinne as much as thou canst yet all thy complainings are but as winde thou maist cry out against thy corruptions with weeping and teares and pray and fight against them and yet all thy weeping mourning and praying is but as the winde thou maiest beg grace thou maist seeke after God thou maist heare the Word receive the Sacraments and yet all will be to thee as wind all will vanish be unprofitable not regarded Secondly discouragements drive us from the use of the meanes If ever we meane to come out of our sinnes if ever we meane to get grace and faith and assurance and zeale we must constantly use the meanes 1 Sam. 27. 1. David saith there is nothing better for me then that I should speedily escape into the Land of the Philistims and Saul shall despaire of me to seeke me any more David thought in himselfe if I can make him out of hope of finding me certainely he will give over seeking of me So when the soule hath any secret despaire of finding the Lord that soule will quickly be drawne from seeking of the Lord in the use of the meanes What ever you doe then O be not discouraged lest you be driven from the use of the meanes if you be driven from the use of the meanes woe is to you you will never finde God then Be not driven from praier nor driven from holy conference nor driven from the Word nor driven from the Sacrament nor from meditation nor from the diligent and strict examination of thy selfe of thy heart and of all thy waies for these are the waies of finding the Lord. If you nourish any thoughts and feares of despaire in you if you be discouraged you will be driven from the use of the meanes which is a lamentable thing therefore be not discouraged Thirdly discouragements will make you stand poaring on your former courses thus I should have done and that I should have done woe is me that I did it not it will make a man stand poaring on his sinnes but never able to get out of them So it was like to be with them in the Ship with Paul Acts 27. 20. In the tempest at Sea they were utterly discouraged from any hope of safety now indeed Paul told them what they should have done if they had been wise Sirs you should have hearkned to me and not have loosed ver 21. as if he had said you should have done thus and thus but now doe not stand poaring too much on that you should have hearkned to me and not have launched forth c. but that cannot be holpen now therefore I exhort you to be of good cheare c. So beloved when the soule is discouraged upon these thoughts I should have prayed better I should have heard the Word of God better and with more profit I should have repented better I should have performed this and that religious and good dutie better but ah wretch that I am I have sinned thus and thus it is alwaies looking on this sinne and that sinne this imperfection and that failing when now I say the soule is discouraged it will be alwaies poaring upon sinne but it will never come out of its sinne alwaies poaring upon its deadnesse and unprofitablenesse but never able to come out of it O beloved be of good cheare and be not discouraged it is true you should have prayed better you should have heard the Word of God better heretofore you should have been more carefull and circumspect of your wayes then you were but now you cannot helpe it these things and times are gone and cannot be recalled such a one hath been a drunkard a swearer a worldling c. but he cannot helpe it now True he might have helped it and because he did not his heart shall bleed for it if he belong to God but doe not stand poaring too much upon it but consider now what you have to doe now you are to humble your selfe now you are to strive with God in all manner of prayer for more grace and more power of obedience and assurance and be not discouraged Fourthly if the soule be discouraged it will breed nothing but sorrow What is the reason that many Christians are alwaies weeping and mourning and sighing and sobbing from day to day all their life time and will not be comforted because of these discouragements 1 Thes 4. 13. Sorrow not saith the Apostle as those that have no hope as if he had said sorrow if you will but do not sorrow as they that have no hope How is that it is a sorrow with nothing but sorrow from which they have no hope of inlargement or freedome O then my brethren suppose you have dead hearts suppose you want zeale you want assurance suppose it be so yet labour to attaine these graces sorrow and spare not weepe and mourne and powre out whole buckets of
the Sonnes of God then to free them from bondage and misery it had been good for the creatures that they had had no being Better it were the creature were annihilated to its old nothing then that wicked men should thus cast an eye upon the creature tread upon the creature breath in the creature live of the creature better were it for the creature to be turned to its old nothing I will make it plaine Every creature hath a double end a specificall and an ultimate end pray marke it First a speciall or intermediate end and that is what the creature is made to doe as of its owne nature as the specificall end of fire is to burne of the Sun to shine of the water to moisten Secondly the ultimate and last end of the creature and that is Gods glory to glorifie God every creature is then happy when it hath attained its end but the specificall cannot be its happinesse for there is another end beyond that The ultimate end of a creature as it is a creature namely to set forth Gods glory is more essentiall to it then its owne specificall end because it hath this specificall end onely in reference to the ultimate end Therefore if the creature be robbed of its last end it is robbed of its being The soule and heart of the creature is killed and it is undone when as it is taken from his ultimate end It were as good that the world were no world as that God have no glory by it as good no earth no corne no cattell as that God be not honoured by by it A man no man if he doe not honour God a creature no creature if it doe not honour God it is as much as if the creature were annihilated to its first nothing yea worse for there is no evill in nothing all evill is founded out of some good Hence it followeth that a wicked man Use 1 hath no right to the creatures For if the creatures were now of right belonging to the wicked they would not groane under their service for every thing rejoyceth to be where of right it should be And a thing groanes when it is not in his proper place I desire not to be misconstrued in this hard point wicked men have a fivefold right to the creatures which is as good as nothing without the sixth First they have a civill right so Nabals sheep were said to be his sheep 1 Sam. 25. 4. And he was a theefe that should have stolne them from him A man is a thiefe before God and man that robs a wicked man Secondly a providentiall right that is God by his providence may cast the creatures in abundance upon a wicked man Thus we see wicked men have lands houses and great possessions corne and cattell c. God by his providence casteth them upon them Jer. 27. 5. God that made the Heavens and the earth with all creatures he distributes and disposeth of them according to his owne will Thirdly a vindicative right from Gods wrath they may be instruments of his wrath they may be able to execute the vengeance of God as in the sixth verse of the forenamed place Nebuchadnezzar was a wicked man yet when the Lord would have him to execute his revenge upon Judah for Judahs sinnes and rebellions against God to this end the Lord delivered up all the Cattell and all the Lands of Judah into the King of Babylons hand though in the end he vomits them up againe Fourthly a wicked man may have a creatures right a wicked man as he is a creature so he hath a creatures right to the creatures For one creature depends on another and helpes one another and all joyne to maintaine the life of man God hath commanded man that he shall not murther and therefore he is not to murther himselfe Wherefore when he is hungry he must not starve himselfe but must eate when he is dry he must not choake himselfe but he must drinke be he never so wicked Fiftly and lastly they have a filiall right to them for God will have his grace and the Gospel of his Son Christ to be offered unto them he will have the wicked invited to faith and repentance now this cannot be unlesse they should live they cannot be invited to faith unlesse they a naturall life and a naturall life they cannot have if they should have no naturall helps to uphold them therein Psal 115. 16. The Heavens aae the Lords but the earth hath he given to the children of men Chrysostome saith he hath given all the creatures to men in common I have given them my creatures here below that they might trust in me above that they may enter into the kingdom of Heaven at the last This is a filiall right when he that is not may be a Son of God therefore God will have the Gospell preached to the wicked Now if the wicked might not have the creatures how could they come to Church Alas you were not able to sit in your Pews and to heare the Gospell preached if you might not have the creatures But beloved all these rights are nothing without another right The creatures may groane in their hands these make their doome and damnation the greater and the bondage and misery of the creature the greater that the creature should help man to come to Christ and then he will not have him that the creature hath fed and nourished such a one that he might repent but he will not that the creature hath given him life light and strength to lead him to faith but he will noâ— believe O then the creature fetcheth such a groane as that it makes all the world to ring with it and God heares the groanes A wicked man hath no filiall right to the creatures they have no Son-like right in Christ they have a filiable right because they are invited to be his Sons and daughters but as long as they live in their sinnes they are none of his sonnes neither have they any filiall right Beloved mans first Charter is out of doubt lost by reason of sinne all the creatures are fallen by lapse into the hands of God the owner againe Now Christ is our chiefe Lord he is made the Heire of all things Hebrews 1. And the wicked that are not new creatures in Christ in regard of filiall right they are but incroachers and therefore every creature groanes in their fingers and every thing that they have groanes to be theirs their very meate groans in their bellies their sleep groanes in their heads their breath groanes in their lungs yea the very blood groanes in their veines and woe is them that they have not eares to heare these groanes Though God give them Tables and fill them with abundance yet he raines his fierce wrath and vengeance upon their meate while they are eating Job 20. 23. God will make them restore every creature they have they shall make restitution as oppressors of the poore
things to them but the Ministers of God are bound to preach so as they may discover mens particular sinnes not so as people may point one at another but so as every conscience may feele its owne sinnes Thirdly particulars are most sensible If the Minister preach home in particular there is not a false heart then in the congregation but he will finde it out if he preach in particular he will discover every mans corruption â—ling wilde-fire in every wicked mans face and throw balme of comfort into every godly troubled spirit As King James saide well of a reverend Prelate of this Land Me thinkes this man preacheth of death as ifâ— death were at my backe so should Ministers preach as if Heaven were at mens backes or as if hell were at mens backes When he preacheth of mens sinnes and corruptions he must preach so that their consciences may see that the word of God lookes into the very thoughts and hearts when he preacheth of the wrath of God and of condemnation c. he must preach so that the conscience may feele even the fire of hell flaming in it this is the way to teach the people the good knowledge of the Lord as it is called 2 Chron. 30. 22. every Minister may teach the knowledge of the Lord but not the good knowledge of the Lord. There is great difference betweene teaching of the knowledge and of the good knowledge of the Lord. Men may know God and his word and their sinnes but if they goe on in their sins it is not good knowledge then indeede a Minister teacheth good knowledge when he makes his people so to know sinne as to loath it and to come out of it so to know repentance as to repent indeed Secondly Discrimination As if he should say there are some that are in him and some that are not in him if any man say he abideth in him he ought himselfe to walk even as he walked so that here the Apostle would put a difference betweene the sound and the rotten-hearted in his congregation Hence observe this point That every Doct. 2 Minister is bound to preach so as to make a difference betweene the precious and the vile Saint John preached so as that his hearers might say the Spirit of Christ is in me or the Spirit of Christ is not in me that themselves might know whether indeede they were true members of Christ or but hypocrites This is the duty of Ministers Ezek. 44. 23. They shall teach my people the difference betweene the holy and prophane and cause men to discerne betweene the cleane and uncleane Here is two things First they shall teach them the difference betweene the holy and prophane Secondly they shall not onely shew it before them but if they will not see it they shall cause them to see it that is they must beate it into them and rubbe it into their consciences it may be when men may see they will not then he must make them to see If there be any prophane person any lukewarme or dead-hearted professor or close hypocrite in the congregation the Minister must make him see his prophanesse his deadnes and hypocrisie in Gods worshippe or if there be any godly soule or broken heart the Minister must make them to see that they have a broken heart First reason because else a man defiles the Reas 1 pulpit and prophanes the holy things of God Ezech. 22. 26. Her Preists have violated my law and prophaned my holy things they have put no difference betweene the holy and prophane neither have they shewed difference betweene the cleane and uncleane Those Ministers prophane the holy place of God when they make not mens consciences know which is holy and prophane when prophane persons may come and goe from Church and have not their prophanesse discovered to them a drunkard a swearer c and hath not his sinnes laide open to him Is there any prophane person here that hath not an arrow shot into his heart but he can goe away and not take any comfort from the Sermon these men prophane the holy things of God When God gave Benhadad into the hands of Ahab and Ahab spared him and let him goe 1 King 20. the Prophet tells Ahab ver 42 Thus sayth the Lord because thou hast let goe a man whom I appointed to utter destruction therefore thy life shall goe for his life c so if there be any Minister over any congregation in which there is any drunkard any swearer or whoremaster or worldling or lukewarmeling or any other that lives in such sinnes which God hath appointed and decreed to eternall destruction in hell if we tell them not their sins and make their consciences feele them then our life shall goe for their life our soule for their soule for we might have given them such a wound as might have beene a meanes to have cured their soule Secondly We are not the Ministers of Reas 2 Christ if we preach not so as that men may know that they are not converted if they are not c. God sayth to the Prophet Jeremiah if thou take forth the precious from the vile thou shalt be as my mouth Jer. 15. 19. Jeremiah could not be Gods mouth to the people unlesse he would divide betweene the precious and the vile Vnlesse Ministers preach so as to make the consciences of their hearers feele in what state they live in they may be Ministers of Sathan Idoll shepheards but they are not the Ministers of Christ Thirdly because otherwise they can doe Reas 3 no good Ezek. 34. 17. and as for you O my flocke thus sayth the Lord God behold I will judge betweene cattell and cattell c. as if he should say woe unto the shepheards will they not preach so as to make a difference betweene cattell and cattell woe unto the Preists will they not preach so as to feede my flocke I will require my flocke at their hands and now sayth God will not the shepheards of my people doe it I will now doe it my selfe I will convert those that are to be converted c. I will feede and provide for my flocke my selfe Austin notes that after that Peter had smote off Malchus his eare Peter came to be a shepheard and an Apostle of Christ after Paul had persecuted the Church he came to be a Preacher and an Apostle of Christ so after Moses had killed the Egyptian God made him the Captaine and Deliverer of his people Austin observes from this that God appoints none for his Ministers but Smiters such as be men of blows men that will smite men home to the heart men that will wound the consciences of their hearers This I speake that you may not be offended at the Ministers of Christ when they apply the word of God to your severall consciences and whensoever you have the truth of Christ preached to your soules let your hearts make use of it for if thou apply not
lie sicke and they see death in his face they call it the foretelling signe so the Ministers of God may foresee the death and destruction of a Kingdome I am sure we have better grounds then the Physicians can have And therefore why may not the Ministers which are Gods Physicians doe it The signes of Gods punishments that are comming upon us are these The first is of Gods Ministers which with one voice doe foretell judgements to come Then this is a signe that God hasteneth to battell Amâ—s 3. 7. Surely the Lord will doe nothing but he revealeth his secrets to his servants the Prophets but especially when they agree all in one thing then the Kingdome is dangerously gone Luke 1. 70. The Lord giveth one mouth as he spake by the mouth of all his holy Prophets I will say nothing in this but let me appeale to your owne consciences whether all good Ministers in the Church of England have not declared by Gods word that judgements are comming out against this Land and us for many yeares together And as our Saviour saith Whatsoever ye shall binde on earth shall be bound in heaven Secondly when sinnes of all sorts doe abound frequently and with a bold face and a whorish forehead For when the harvest is ripe then commeth so many sickles to cut it downe so when the sinnes of a Kingdome are ripe then it is time to cut that Kingdome downe Gen. 6. 12. The earth was filled with violence all flesh had corrupted their waies therefore make an Arke for the end of all flesh is come God will wash away their filthienesse Consider whether it be not thus with England or no. Was ever drunkennesse and blasphemie and scoffing at religion and prophaning Gods Sabboths nay liberty given so to do was it ever come to that height that now it is were ever great ones as Bishops and Ministers so defiled as now they are our Land hath often beene overcome when men were growne desperately wicked then they were destroyed Now what sinnes what blasphemies what hating of God lyeth raging in our times I thinke there is none in this Congregation but sees and heares how Citie and Countrey are venomed and benummed and defiled with sinnes of all sorts Thirdly when the devill and wicked men cast bones of dissention that is a signe of ruine When there was a disseâ—tion betweene Rehobâ—am and the people then God pulled away ten Tribes and much bloud was shed So when King and Commons and all are divided Ephraim against Manasses and Manasses against Ephraim but both against Judab then it is a fearefull signe that that Nation shall be destroied I say to apply this if ever a Kingdome were divided then this is if we could all accord then we might expect something but now our best bloud is gone and our hearts are gone the Lord in mercie raise us up from dead ashes O consider this I beseech you and lay it to heart Will God deceive his Ministers and make them all blindefold no no. When God puts his Spirit into his Ministers and makes them all with one mouth to call and crie desolation and when all manner of sinnes so fearefully abound and when there is such divisions in the State then let us looke for desolation Fourthly the fourth signe of Gods anger on a Nation is when all the hearts of men faile then it is a signe that vengeance is at the doore when there is a kinde of Cowardise through the guilt of the conscience Josh 2. 11. It was a certaine signe of destruction when the peoples hearts failed them thus it is with every man almost amongst us every mans heart is faint and sicke Judges 7. 13. When Gideon was to goe against the Midianites being a wonderfull Army one dreamed that a cake of barley bread tumbled into the hoast and overthrew them Then Gideon said be of good courage for I see that the Lord hath given them into our hands because their hearts were fearefull so he tooke three hundred men and put a Trumpet in every mans hand with empty pitchers and lamps and they all cried the Sword of the Lord and of Gideon and in the twelfth verse see what followed All the hoast ran and cried and fledde Even so it is with us we faint upon every occasion Gods Spirit is gone from England While Sampson had the Spirit of God upon him he was too hard for the Philistins but when the Spirit of God was gone from him he had no heart no spirit no courage then every man was too hard for him and then he was taken and had his eyes pulled out So when the Spirit of God was with this Nation we had courage and got the day but now alas every slavish Nation is too hard for us and every bug beare scares us O poore England heavy is thy case therefore we may expect nothing but miserie one way or another Now I might set downe a Comment or Theame with many teares for this cause that every one may reade his owne destruction from this point I am not a Prophet nor the sonne of a Prophet but from the word of the Lord I speake this thing unto you and upon these grounds I can say so That where these signes are destruction and calamities follow at the heeles of them We having all these signes in our State certainely destruction is at our heeles therefore let me give you some directions what to doe in these dangerous times First let every man knocke off the love of the world of houses of lands and corne and flockes they shortly shall leave thee or thou them O therefore cast them quite out of thy heart I would to God I could bring my heart and yours to this pitch that we could give wise and children and all as lost I confesse it is hard so to doe but God will sire us out shortly from these things if we part not from them in these our deepest afflictions Jer. 45. 5. Baruch was so much glued to the world that he began to feather his nest and therefore the Prophet said seekest thou great things for thy selfe seeke them not for behold I will bring evill upon all flesh So let me say to you as the Prophet said to Gehazi is it now a time to build Therefore at night when thou goest to bed take thy leave of thy wife and children and of thy houses and all and say this house may be mine enemies before the morning or may be set on fire this is not my wife these are not my children As Doctor Taylor said when he was going to his execution when he saw his wife and children he embraced them and blessed them in the name of the Lord and set them downe againe and made no bones of them and so doe you plucke away your hearts from all these things here below and give them all for lost let thy heart be contented that God should doe with thee what he will and submit thy selfe
to be drunke more never to sweare lie nor steale more c. and yet these come to nought He that hath had many Proclamations as Ezek. 24. 13. Because I have purged thee and thou wast not purged I tried thy wayes what might do thee good and thou seemedst to be good but thou wast not good in earnest ergo thou shalt not be purged Such a man who hath lived under the Gospell and hath had his heart shaken yea and the world hath good hopes of him but the devil sees it tempts him so that on the sudden this man wanders away and his hopes are vain Heb. 10. If any man draw back my soule shall have no pleasure in him verse 38. He speakes of holding out in a Christian course unto the end looke how it was with Lots wife Gen. 19. she looked backe as if she were loth to goe from that pleasant garden fine houses such and such gold in such a corner what thinks she shall I leave all this ergo the Lord turned her into salt viz. He left such a remarkeable note upon her that it remaines unto this day Now if he dealt so with her how will he deale with thee and others some it may be have a good minde to come home but what say they shall we leave all our pleasures and profits will not a little profession of Religion and a great deale of the world goe together for currant Take heede the Lord may justly turne thee into salt Thirdly Those that have much greived the good Spirit of God in bringing in some sinne contrary to the light of conscience and the suggestions of the good Spirit of God as did the children of Israel who resisted the good Spirit of God and ergo he sware c. The Minister bids thee cut off thy long haire and the word saies it is a shame for a man to weare long haire yet for all this saiest thou I will not what will the world say of me then away with these fashions leave off cards and dice c. saies the Spirit of God and whatsoever is of evill report yea but I will not for what will Sir John and my Lady say then Turne you unto me saith the Spirit of God no I will not saith the stubborne walker Put him on in a good course yet he wil not walke therein speake the truth saith the Spirit of God for all liars shall be turned out yea but not yet I have got thus much wealth by lying and I will not yet leave it Fourthly Such as have a common base vile and contemptible esteeme of the Gospell and Ministers thereof They mocked the Ministers till the wrath of God broke out against them and there was no remedy 2 Chron. 36. 16. A Minister cannot be plaine but wicked men will abuse him in their hearts I called and cried saith wisedome but you set at nought all my counsell Prov. 1. 24 25. and going away they make a tush at it I saith one Master Minister you mette with mens hearts to day but I beleeve yours is as bad as anothers else how could you have hitte them so right see what the Spirit of God saith of such Esay 22. 21. In that day did the Lord call to weeping c. the text told them of a judgement and nothing to be expected but miserie but they make a tush of it and say come we shall all die ergo let us eate and drinke and be merrie while we may the Minister tells us we shall all to hell then let us have the other pot and the other pipe if it must needs be so Oh my beloved can the God of heaven indure to be thus disgraced in his Gospell and Ministers Another saies care I what the Minister saith I will goe and drinke at every Ale-house and see whether these judgements will come or no. Now I come to the fourth thing which is the grounds of it viz. Why the Lord in this life doth give men over and strive with them no more This truth is troublesome and cursed hearts cannot abide it The grounds of this point arise from these two Attributes of God his justice and his wisedome First from the justice of God God is a just God and is it not just that those who have rejected him that he should reject them I have called but you answered not Jer. 7. 13. ergo c. Now as it is just with God to fulfill every word that he hath spoken and to fulfill all his promises to the faithfull so is it just with God to bring judgment on them that have slighted him Secondly From the wisedome of God and his long suffering and this is because his compassions faile not else the first day of our sinning had beene the first day of our rejection yea it is his goodnesse that we have any favour but Oh our God is a wise God A man that knocks at the dore if he be wise will not alwaies lie knocking if none answer so the Lord knocks at our hearts by mercies to allure us by judgements to terrifie us yet he can finde no entrance Is it not wisedome then to be gone Why should I smite you any more saith God Esay 1. 5. As if he should say t is to no purpose for my life I know not what to doe with you it is wisedome to give over when there is no good to be done on you What could I have done more for my Vâ—neyard c Esay 5. There is no wise man that will alwayes water a dry stake And doe you thinke that God will always be sending Paul to plant and Appollos to water no our God is a wise God and our mercifull God is a just God you that will have your wayes and wills take them and get you to hell perish everlastingly Now in the fift place we come to the Objections Some say If we shall be damned then we Object 1 must be damned if we shall be saved then we shall be saved why then neede we pray and keepe such a quoile as the Minister speaks off Secret things belong to the Lord but Sol. revealed things to us and to our children Deut. 29. 29. ergo doe thou use the meanes and be thou humbled according to the word of God and thou shalt be exalted according to the word of God see what God hath said to thee in his word for neither I nor thou nor the Angels of heaven can tell what the will of the Lord is concerning thee if not revealed in the word Another saith Why doe you limit God Object 2 you take too much upon you you sons of Levi. The Lord saith at what time soever a sinner doth repent c. yet will you limit God T is true at what time soever a sinner doth Sol. repent but thy heart may be given over as Rom. 2. 4. 5. c. and what if thou then livest twenty yeares or more and have not a heart to repent
and yet the gates be shut against him and he turned into hell Alas my poore soule is in a wildernesse now I know not which way to goe I am ready to lose my selfe I see nothing here now but huge Gyants the sonnes of Anack strong corruptions inclining and forcing me to evill most fearefull and violent suggestions and temptations of the Devill ready to thrust me into the gulfe of wickednesse and despaire And now the soule begins to thinke that it is good for it to returne again into Egypt to fall to its old courses againe for certainly God lookes for no such matter he requires no such strictnesse and precisenesse And so it falls a whining and repining at the Word and Ministers of God that have call'd men to it and laid it upon them and hath no heart now to do thus and thus any longer And thus it falls into discouragements because of the way and into a thousand quandaries whether it may not goe back againe or no. And all these murmurings and repinings are because men suffer themselves to be discouraged Thirdly discouragements will cause thee to thinke that God hates thee When the soule like Baals Priests hath been crying from morning to noone ten twenty thirty yeeres it may be and yet hath no answer now it will begin to thinke if God did love me then he would grant me my petitions Then hereupon comes into a mans secret thoughts and feares that God hardly loves his soule So was it with Israel when they were discouraged they said because the Lord hated us therefore he brought us out of the Land of Egypt Deut. 1. 27. Because that they were discouraged and because that their Brethren that went for spies had disheartned them therefore they were apt to say the Lord hated them Beloved it is a miserable thing when the soule calls the love of God into question Consider that as thou canst not have a friend if thou beest suspitious and jealous of his love to thee So thou canst never have the love of God settled on thy heart so long as thou art jealous of his love to thee Fourthly If thou root them not out it is to be feared that they will bring thee to despaire Mâ—lancholy thoughts and feares and discouragements drive the soule to despaire For when the soule sees it selfe still disappointed of its hopes at the last it grows hopelesse If it have waited one day and the next day too if it have praied this weeke this month this yeare and yet still it seeth it selfe held off and disappointed it will at last grow hopelesse Take heed therefore I beseech you of all needlesse discouragements to fear be ause that thou findest not that that thou wishedst or prayedst for to day or to morrow in thine own time that therefore thou shalt never get it that now thou shouldest for ever despaire of the grace and love of God and thinke that now God will never heare thee that thou shalt never get grace and power over thy corruptions Men thinke that the preaching of the Word of God brings men to despaire the preaching of such strict points and the urging such precise doctrines makes men despaire men are loth to be at the paines to root out their discouragements It is rather a cold or dead preaching of the Word that is the cause of this for when the soule is instructed by holinesse humbled by holinesse converted by holinesse at the last when it comes to be thorowly awakened when it sees that this and this is required in a true conversion of the soule to God that herein true repentance must declare and demonstrate it selfe by these and these fruits or else it is but false and rotten Why now the soul must needs be brought to despaire because it seeth that though it have been thus and thus humbled though it have praied fasted and mourned in this and this manner yet it sees it hath not a soundnesse of grace There is such a grace in it such a worke and such a fruit of Gods Spirit in it that yet he could never finde in himselfe this makes the soule to despaire Indeed Preachers may be too blame if they speake and preach onely the terrours and condemnations of the Law without the promises of the Gospel for these should be so tempered that every poore broken soule may see mercy and redemption for him upon his sound and unfeined repentance and humiliation But if men doe despaire they may thanke themselves for it their owne sinnes for it their owne discouragements for it because they suffer these to continue in them Cain his heart grew sad his countenance fell he was wroth and disquiâ—ted in his minde and heavily discouraged why Gen. 4. Sin lay at the dore what dore the dore of his conscience rapping and beating upon his heart Beloved when the soule lets sinne lie at the dore drunkenesse pride and worldlinesse security hardnes and deadnes of heart lie at the dore when a man lets his ne gligent and fruitlesse hearing of the word lie at the dore when a man lets his vaine and dead praying his temporizing and fashionary serving of God lie at the dore of conscience to tell him that all his hearing of the word of God profits him nothing that his praiers are dead and vaine that his mourning fasting and all his humiliation is counterfeâ—t and rotten and that he hath no soundnesse of grace in him but that for all this he may fall into hell when sinne lyeth thus at the dore thus rapping at the conscience it is no wonder if the soule fall into desperation Cain let his sinne lie at the dore there it lay rapping and beating and told him that his carelesenesse and negligent sacrificing to God was not accepted and therefore no marvell if Cain be so cast down in his countenance and that he fall to despaire O beloved when sinne lieth bouncing and beating at the dore of thy heart when thy sinne whatsoever it is search thy heart and finde it out lies knocking and rapping at the dore of thy conscience day by day and month by month and thou art content to let it lie and art unwilling to use meanes to remove it and art loth to take the paines to get the bloud of Christ to wash thy soule from it or the Spirit of Christ to cleanse thee from it then thy soule will despaire either in this world or in the world to come But let us take heede then that our conscience condemne us not in any thing or course that we allow in our selves for if that doe then much more will God who is greater then our consciences and knowes all things The Apostle hath an excellent Phrase Rom. 8. 1. There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus c. As if he should say there is not one condemnation there is none in Heaven God doth not condemne them there is none in earth their owne heart and conscience doth not condemne them
Another saith but I hope my time is not Object 3 past for the Lord hath given me a tender heart Hath he so it is well and wilt thou then Sol. harden it thou mayest repent when it is too late and ergo I tell thee that good and holy desires are joyned with honest endeavours neede makes the old wife trot as we say so a soft heart will make thee use all good and honest meanes Seeing that God strives with many and Vse 1 at last gives over goe thou home and blesse God that he hath not dealt so with thee it is enough that the Lord hath brought thee home to himselfe many may say with Paul I was a persecutor I was injurious c. 1 Tim. 1. 14. but I received mercy so thou mayest say the Lord knowes what a deale adoe he hath had with me this heart was as hard as the neather milstone but the Lord in some measure hath mollified it this heart was as proud as the devill but blessed be Gods name he would let me see it at the last goe home and say who am I and what is my Fathers house that the Lord hath brought me hither Oh that God should thus stoope to man the Lord hath stood and knockt thus many yeares and he might have given over but blessed be his name I have received mercie I lived under the meanes but that prevailed not with me the Lord sent such and such sicknes but that wrought not on me at the last I went to heare a Minister and me thought that Minister spake nothing but what he spake to me and then the Lord set conscience on worke and that affrighted me Looke to it the Lord will either breake thy necke or thy heart doe not thinke to goe to heaven by good meanings no it will cost thee somewhat more before thou come there Another time the Lord set on me and then I set on good duties I would have Christ to justifie and sanctifie me and blessed be his name he was not wanting unto me in any meanes the Lord make me thankfull c. I tell thee thou wilt be in deede and God shall have all let the voluptuous man have his pleasures c. what is that to thee so thou have Christ For the just reproofe of all such as are Use 2 yet in the gall of bitternesse and in the bonds of iniquitie there will come a time when God will strive with thee no more the old man thinks he hath time enough to repent in and the young man thinks he need not so much as enter into a Parley with godlinesse Esau went away when he had eate and drunke he esteemed not his birth-right I have heard some goe away with this resolution when they are married then they will live thus and thus c. suffer me first to goe bury my Father c. Master Minister you speake well I like your counsell but I have a rich Unckle and he hath no childe and I am likely to be his heire but he cannot abide a Puritan of all the men in the world and if I doe not humour him I shall never have a foot of his Land let me bury him first when Father and Friends are dead then the children must provide for themselves and then they will seek after God and repent and by this time they grow old and though they cannot make so good a shew as others yet their hearts are as good as the best but soft a while all is not gold that glisters alas poore soules they were given over many yeares agoe this is also the sinne of young men and women for the most part and this is the great sinne of England the sinne of many Gentlemen and Gentlewomen God must pardon when they call and that must not be till they be old and then in all post-haste send they to and for master Priest and he must bring God to them or them to God but the God of Heaven and earth cannot endure this mockerie For terrour to all wicked and ungodly men Vse 3 woe woe woe that ever they were borne that are thus given over and of these there are two sorts Some are insensible and some sensible The insensible are they who die like stones as did Nabal We have many King Harry Protestants Others are sensible God hath opened the eye of their soules and hath let them read the red letters of the Gospell It is a heavie thing for old friends to part so Acts 20. 38. They grieved most in that he said you shall see my face no more so when soule and bodie part it is heavie but when the soule and God part it is lamentable when God takes his leave never to be seene more then whether thou looke upward or downeward there is nothing but amazement and astonishment If thou looke upward there is the anger of God if downeward there is the bottomlesse pit if on the right hand thou shall see all his mercies which could not allure thee if on the left hand all his Judgements which could not terrifie thee if before thee the black day if behind thee the Devills this will be fearfull I remember a Storie of an adulterate woman her Conscience pricking her she determined to repent but God in the meane time did visit her so sore that she lay crying out oh my time my time Another time a covetous woman her House being on fire she to save her goods left her child in the Cradle but a neighbour of hers hearing it crie tooke it away she afterwards remembring her child ran about crying oh my child my child and would not be comforted So when the fire and indignation of the Lord breaks out if not now yet at the last day it will then the parties against whom it breaks will crie oh my soule my soule what will become of thee my soule It had been better I had never been born for neither Mercies Judgements nor the Word could allure mee oh woe is me Now the condition of such is miserable in three respects First because if God forsake thee then all forsakes thee when thou liest a dying thou sendest for the Minister and thou wouldest faine have a word of comfort from him but alas if thou dost not receive comfort from Heaven how can the Minister comfort thee If thy outward Estate faile Friends may help but if they faile there is a God in Heaven and he will help but if He goe away then all help is gone Secondly when God goes restraining grace goes this was Sauls case and you may observe that such as have been enlightnâ—d and fall away fall into one of these three sinnes either into the hands of the world and that is their Master or else into the sinnes of uncleannesse or into the spirit of Malice to persecute them that are holy Thirdly if God leave us then common protection leaves us we are left to the clutches of all things both in Heaven and earth Ergo
your houses are left unto you desolate Matth. 23. 38. All the creatures are up in armes against us the stiles we goe over look up to Heaven and say Master shall we breake his neck the Horse we ride on says Master shall I throw him downe to destruction thou knowest that he hates thee and thine So the ayre we breath in and all Creatures are readie when the Lord gives the watchword to lay us in the goale Conscience will witnesse against us then fight Dogg fight Beare as we use to say oh what will become of such men I will tell you either the world heales them up or else some carnall companion saith you have been a good neighbour you have kept a good house amongst us c. tush tush man it may prove a lye for all this I but the Minister tells me so pish pish as if all were true the Minister speakes I but the Scripture sayes it Is all true that is in the Scripture the Lord have mercy upon us and thus like fooles they build with untempered morter Ergo I exhort all such as are yet in the gall of bitternesse to listen to what I say Redeeme the time yeild to the motions of The Authors Exhortation Gods Spirit and blesse God for Mercy offered unto you in the meanes and if any affliction be laide on you intreat the Lord that he will doe you good by it If thy Conscience speak or the Spirit worke doe as Joseph did who got him into a corner and there wept his belly full so intreat the Lord that he will breake the Heavens and come downe on thee to thy comfort put not off till thou art old A gentleman will not alwayes waite at the gate neither say thou as Felix to Paul I will send for thee at another time but say with Samuel speake Lord for thy servant heareth Meanes Meanes First consider the fearfull condition of such as are given over Suppose one should come from Hell with the fire about his eares you would aske what is the newes the cry is my time my time Oh my people sayes the Minister Oh my Minister saies the People The young man cries oh my time Doe not make a tush at this lest thou say the word was preached but I scorned it the Spirit said this is the way walke in it the meanes of grace was sent unto me but I refused Mercie and now for ever I am in Hell to be tormented Secondly consider the great danger of putting off If thy will be stubborne to day it will be worse to morrow Thirdly consider the time 1. Pet. 4. 3. It is enough for the time of our life we have lived that we have wrought the workes of the Gentiles let us live no longer in sinne it is too much that you have resisted the Gospell so much say then oh that the Lord would break this heart of mine Fourthly and lastly though God should be calling and egging you all the day long yet your lives are but short and Ergo crie out with David teach me o Lord to numbet my dayes that I may apply my heart unto wisedome doe not say it is too late as one did once say of Prayer doe you thinke that I can pray now which never prayed in all my life I am sure it will be too late when God comes to Judgement for then the Devill will stand on tip toe and say what dost thou now thinke to goe to Heaven the Lord did waite on thee untill he was weary but here is a company of Drunkards I did but hold up my finger and they presently followed me Heaven came downe to them but they would none of it they could not heare of that eare and would you now goe to Heaven Ergo goe for now the Lord Jesus Christs sake and when Mercie is offered refuse it not but blesse God for it A SERMON FOR Spirituall Mortification COLLOSS 3. 5. Mortifie therefore your Members which are upon the earth Fornication uncleannesse inordinate affection evill concupiscence and Covetousnesse which is Idolatry THE Apostle having in the Chapter foregoing shewed that the Colossians were buried together with Christ in his death and that they were also risen with him maketh two speciall uses thereof First in regard of the resurrection if then yee be risen with Christ seek those things that are above The second is in regard of their buriall with Christ in these words Mortifie therefore your members c. There be many men that looke for participation in Christ yet notwithstanding wortifie not themselves they would faine live with Christ yet are loth to dye to sinne but we may say to these men as Paul to the Atheist thou foole that which thou sowest is not quickned unlesse it first die so unlesse the seed of the word be sowen upon thy heart thou canst not be quickned unlesse thou first die The things to be mortified are described two manner of waies either in generall the members or else in particular Fornication uncleannesse evill affections c. or as in the tenth verse all the fruites of the old man The words containe in them these three Parts parts or truths First He that ever meanes to have Christ must have him with a therefore As if he should say if you looke to have benefit by the death of Christ looke to have a therefore with it for no man can have Christ without a Condition Secondly this condition consists in mortification we must mortifie our earthly members this is the qualification of all those that partake of the death of Christ even mortification Thirdly those that are made partakers of the death of Christ are enabled thereto so as the Apostle may well put this exhortation unto them mortifie therefore your members c. He doth not say civilize your members many there be that civilize their earthlie members as from mortifying to purifying of them they come out of prophanenesse and enter into Civility and a formall kind of profession but the Apostle saith mortifie and not civilize your members doe not pare the nailes of your corruptions but cut them quite off and give them their deaths wound that so your sinnes may breath out their last breath in you Sin may be civilized five waies First when it is laide asleepe Pharaohs sinnes were asleepe but not dead Many mens sinnes are asleepe in them though they seeme to be dead in them for a time A man while he is asleep is like a dead man yet he is alive yea and his sinnes are alive in him also but when temptation comes to awaken him out of his sleepe though before he seemed to be patient and meeke and hardly to be provoked yet let a temptation come and rouze him then he will finde his old wrath anger and impatiencie So likewise for a covetous man though he seeme to mortifie that sinne yet it is but asleepe in him for let a temptation come and he will quickely finde out his